Ye Shenyan's words made the entire Zhao family hang their heads in shame.
The incident from that year had long been buried in the past, but it had been a life - saving grace for the Zhao family back then.
He took a few steps forward and placed the items in front of the Zhao family members.
"Since everything has been made clear and I've returned what's yours, the friendship between our two families ends here."
Zhao Yongyu quickly stepped forward, wanting to say something. But when he caught a glimpse of the servants at the door, he pursed his lips instead.
The four members of the Ye family saw his actions clearly and understood that he was a man weighed down by the burden of life.
Ye Zhinan and Ye Yingfeng bowed to their elders, then turned around and left with a flick of their sleeves.
"It's just a marriage arrangement. Don't be upset, my dear daughter. Your father will find you a better match in the future."
Ye Shenyan affectionately ruffled Ye Zhinan's hair, afraid that she might be unhappy.
Ye Zhinan forced a beautiful smile, leaned over to her father, and acted coquettishly.
"I'm very picky. Father, don't be angry then."
The four - member family burst into laughter, while the Zhao family next door was dead silent.
"Look at what you've all done!"
Zhao Yongyu kicked the bamboo basket beside him in a fit of anger, and all the items inside spilled out.
Several eggs broke on the ground, and the egg yolks were everywhere.
The steward from outside walked in, squinting his eyes with a malicious smile on his lips, clearly enjoying the show.
"It seems we've come at a bad time, in - laws. There are still some matters unresolved?"
Zhao Yongyu didn't dare to show his anger. He quickly welcomed the man in with a smile.
"What are you saying? It's just that some people wanted to climb up the social ladder. Seeing that our family's marriage is settled, they're unhappy."
He flatteringly helped the man to sit in the courtyard, then took out the best tea in the house, brewed it, and offered it.
Since he had already fallen out with the Ye family, it didn't seem like a big deal to step on them to curry favor with others.
The steward's expression relaxed a bit, but his words were still sarcastic, clearly making things difficult for the Zhao family.
"I'm sure your Zhao family has experience in climbing up the social ladder. Please share it with me later. I heard that a wealthy merchant in the neighboring county also has an unmarried son. Even if a deal falls through, we should still maintain good relations. Only by helping each other can our relationship last."
Zhao Yongyu gritted his teeth, and the smile on his face could no longer be maintained.
Before he could explode, Zhao Qingfeng quickly stepped forward.
"The steward is right. It's a blessing from our previous lives that we can form a relationship with the county magistrate. In the future, we'll have to rely on our father - in - law's care."
His face was polite and kind, but the smile didn't reach his eyes.
As a man in the officialdom, he had mastered the art of speaking to different people skillfully.
In front of Ye Zhinan before, he just wanted to be his simple and genuine self. But for the sake of his family's livelihood, he had to pick up these tricks again.
He flattered and played along.
Ye Zhinan didn't misjudge him. She just saw through his true heart.
Zhao Qingfeng was so touched by his own actions that he almost wanted to erect a memorial archway for his so - called loyalty.
Ye Zhinan suddenly sneezed and rubbed her nose. Her voice was a bit muffled.
She lifted her eyelids and looked at Ye Shenyan curiously, with obvious disbelief in her tone.
"Is Qinghui County really that complicated? According to what you said, it's like a den of tigers and wolves. Uncle Zhao is a smart man. He couldn't have failed to see it."
Ye Shenyan stroked his beard. In the past, out of consideration for the friendship between the two families, he didn't want to speak up. But now he freely talked about the Zhao family's affairs.
"They say that even a tiger won't eat its own cubs, but Zhao Yongyu is the most poisonous one. Zhao Qingfeng is more like a stepping - stone for him than his son."
He stopped there, leaving room for infinite speculation.
Han Xiangmei was a woman and didn't understand the intrigues in the officialdom. Ye Yingfeng was used to fighting and didn't care about such things either.
So his words were specifically for Ye Zhinan.
Ye Zhinan was very much like him, both in ambition and in being meticulous. Father and daughter were exactly the same.
He was too rigid in his actions, but Ye Zhinan was cautious and had a very flexible mind.
If she were a man, she would probably be able to stir up waves in the court.
"I think your father wants to train you to be a counselor," Han Xiangmei said with a smile as she stood up and prepared to go to the kitchen to cook. Just as she turned around, she saw a man standing at the door.
Qin Yihuai had changed out of his official uniform and put on plain and simple clothes. He looked more like a scholar.
He softened the coldness in his eyes and looked more amiable.
The people in the yard were caught off guard. Ye Yingfeng quickly stepped forward to welcome him into the house.
"Come in quickly. We've just done something really satisfying today. Let's celebrate together."
Ye Shenyan cleared his throat, and Ye Yingfeng immediately realized that he had talked too much.
Without saying anything, Qin Yihuai pretended not to understand and politely greeted them.
"I've come here today to ask for your advice, Senior Ye. Please give me some pointers."
Ye Shenyan looked at his respectful manner, and his impression of him gradually improved.
Qin Yihuai felt different from ordinary scholars. He didn't have that dullness but was full of schemes.
Every move of his was just right. He neither exposed himself, nor broke the rules of human relationships, and could still achieve his goals.
It was a triple - win situation, flawless.
Even Ye Shenyan, an old hand in the officialdom, had to be more vigilant in front of him.
"We don't like those formalities in our family. Just speak your mind."
Qin Yihuai didn't expect Ye Shenyan to be so straightforward. After hesitating for a moment, he slowly began.
"I'm sure you've heard about the bandit - suppression matter. It's rumored that you have a good understanding of the government affairs in the northern border. Could you please give this junior some advice on how to break the deadlock?"
Ye Shenyan laughed softly and sized him up thoughtfully.
"This doesn't seem to be something you should worry about."
Qin Yihuai's eyes flickered. He quickly stood up and bowed respectfully.
The two of them were like playing Taiji, exchanging words back and forth. The two siblings were completely confused.
"Senior, you've been in the officialdom for many years. You must be more aware of the intrigues than I am. On the surface, it seems full of difficulties, but in fact, it's a smooth road."
Ye Shenyan motioned for him to sit down, exhaled slightly, and blew away the steam on the tea.
Amid the curling steam, Ye Zhinan couldn't see the expressions of the two men clearly.
But her intuition told her that some things were gradually becoming clear.
"Since it's a smooth road, why not lower your stance? Things need to be discussed openly."
Qin Yihuai looked troubled. After hesitating for a moment, he still nodded.
"Don't worry. I'll definitely convey your words. You just wait for the news in peace."
Ye Yingfeng impatiently scratched his head and got up to go to the kitchen to help.
Only Ye Zhinan propped her head up and listened with great interest.
It was like solving a mystery. As long as she grasped a clue, she could find out many more. But the connections between them were still confusing.
She secretly made up her mind that after Qin Yihuai left, she would definitely pull Ye Shenyan aside and question him in detail.