Chapter 32: The Grand Preceptor Arrives

Many of those present had actually never seen Ye Qingran; at most they had only heard some rumors about her.

They spoke of her as having unparalleled beauty and timeless elegance.

As the saying goes, hearing is void.

They dismissed it with contempt, thinking the rumors were exaggerated.

Yet, the moment they saw Ye Qingran with their own eyes, they finally understood what it means that seeing is reality!

The woman seemed to step in on moonlight, her stunning face bearing a smile that was neither wholly a smile nor not.

The faces of these high officials, nobles, young masters and missies were all complicated.

Who could have imagined that the Ye Family's miss, who disappeared five years ago and was rumored to have been disfigured, could possess such bearing?

Ye Qingran walked a few steps over and stood beside Ye Sisi.

Looking again at Ye Sisi, her unnaturally pale face seemed ready to shed a handful of powder at any moment; compared with Ye Qingran, the ordinary flesh and makeup were worlds apart—one grounded, the other celestial.

Fortunately, Ye Huanhuan was not present; had she been there, she would likely have been rendered dull and colorless by Ye Qingran's contrast.

Only one person froze for a moment, then smiled knowingly.

That person was the Qi Family's miss, Qi Qin.

A subtly meaningful smile lingered at the corner of Qi Qin's mouth.

She thought to herself, this Ye Family miss is certainly not ordinary!

"Qingran, you're here, have a seat."

Ye Yu's voice carried a bureaucratic coldness.

The star of today's banquet is Ye Huanhuan.

She does not want Ye Qingran to steal Ye Huanhuan's limelight, even though Ye Huanhuan herself is not present.

After Ye Qingran sat down, a scorching gaze landed on her from across the table; she looked up to see a chubby‑headed, big‑eared young man staring at her with narrowed, serious eyes.

When Ye Qingran looked over, the man gave a lewd grin and stood up: "I am Li Dacang, Miss Ye, pleased to meet you. Miss Ye truly looks like a celestial beauty; I wonder who might be fortunate enough to take Miss Ye as a wife?"

Li Dacang's gaze never left Ye Qingran, and a suspicious liquid dripped from the corner of his mouth.

The others' eyes took on a knowing glint.

It seems that the good‑for‑nothing scion, the Minister of Rites' son, has taken a liking to Ye Qingran's beauty.

Now there's a good show to watch!

Zhao Shi smiled with ill intent, then adopted a kindly elder's tone: "Sir Li, are you interested in our Qingran? If the two of you, both unmarried, were to become husband and wife, it would be a fine match. Sir Li, what do you think?"

Sir Li laughed heartily, fully endorsing Zhao Shi's suggestion.

Although Ye Qingran is a useless person without a Spiritual Root, she is the daughter of General Dingyuan and stunningly beautiful, so marrying her to his son would be more than enough.

Grand Master of Ceremonies Zhao Tian laughed and agreed: "If Qingran marries Sir Li, then the Prime Minister's Residence and the Minister of Rites' Residence will become in‑laws! I think that's wonderful; shall we settle it that way?"

Zhao Yan and Ye Sisi both laughed mockingly.

Who doesn't know that Li Dacang of the Minister of Rites' Residence is a lecherous, incompetent waste?

It is said that Li Dacang is extremely covetous of beauty, has many perverse proclivities in the bedroom, and has brutally killed countless respectable women. Moreover, he is hideously ugly, short, and reeks of body odor, worse than a hog's head!

If Ye Qingran were to marry Li Dacang, it would be more satisfying than killing her.

Ye Qingran, however, smiled calmly and looked at Zhao Tian: "I think it's unsuitable."

Zhao Yan snapped coldly: "Ye Qingran, are you looking down on Sir Li?"

Sir Li's expression instantly turned displeased.

"Lord Zhao, you know I have a habit: when I'm displeased, I kick a man's seed, cutting off his lineage. Isn't your son Zhao Hao the one I kicked, leaving him bedridden and unable to function?"

With those words spoken, the expressions of those present became quite spectacular.

No one could have imagined Ye Qingran would utter such shocking, world‑shaking words.

But did Ye Qingran really crush Zhao Hao's seed?

Zhao Tian and Zhao Yan's faces turned ashen, their gazes at Ye Qingran filled with a desire to tear her to pieces.

Ye Qingran was completely unfazed.

She is a doctor; the kick she gave Zhao Hao was calculated with perfect force. Zhao Hao is ruined, because no one else can save him; yet he is not ruined, because only she can save him.

Seeing Zhao Tian and Zhao Yan's expressions, Sir Li inferred that the truth was probably eight or nine parts out of ten.

He instantly swallowed his saliva.

A tigress like Ye Qingran is absolutely untouchable. The Li family, by the time of Li Dacang's generation, has only one son, and they still hope Li Dacang will continue the family line.

They cannot let Ye Qingran ruin that!

"Zhao Yi Niang, you know I have such a taste, why still try to matchmake me with Sir Li? Could it be…"

Ye Qingran hinted at something, but did not finish speaking.

Sir Li's gaze toward the Zhao family and Ye Yu became uneasy.

"Ye Qingran, what nonsense are you spouting!" Zhao Shi, as if her tail had been stepped on, flared up instantly.

"I'm stating facts. If the Prime Minister's Residence and the Minister of Rites' Residence wish to become in‑laws, they could send Ye Sisi over. After all, Ye Sisi is gentle and charming, lacking my particular quirks."

How could Ye Sisi possibly agree?

"Ye Qingran, what nonsense are you spouting? How could I ever marry him!" That trash Li Dacang—calling him a pig is already a compliment! She can only marry the Seventh Prince in this lifetime!

Ye Qingran shrugged and said to Sir Li: "Sir Li, it seems Zhao Yi Niang and her daughter look down on your Minister of Rites' Residence."

Li Dacang saw Zhao Shi's expression turn very sour.

If she weren't Ye Huanhuan's birth mother, he would have already been far less courteous.

At this moment, Ye Yu interjected to smooth things over: "Sir Li, please don't be angry. It's not that our Sisi is unwilling; she has long been mutually attracted to the Seventh Prince, and even the Empress wishes to match them."

With the Empress even mentioned, Sir Li, no matter his displeasure, would naturally say nothing more.

This turmoil passed, leaving the Zhao family fuming to the point of death, while Ye Sisi and Zhao Shi's faces turned as pale as vegetables.

Li Dachang also sat back, somewhat disappointed, his gaze toward Ye Qingran growing ever hotter.

"Report, sir, the National Master has arrived!"

That one sentence left everyone present in utter shock.