Before Ye Qingcheng could get into the carriage, she was delayed by the butler.
"Master, Master, come and see!"
Father Ye, who was rarely reminiscing with Ye Qingcheng, was interrupted by the butler.
"What is it?"
When the butler arrived before everyone, he realized that both the secondary wife and the madam were present. He first paused and bowed, then said, "Master, Concubine Qian is gone."
Everyone was shocked, "Gone? How did she die?"
The butler's gaze flickered over the people around him, and he stammered, "Just now, a servant found the concubine in the lake. When she was pulled out, she was already bloated."
Father Ye was stunned, staggered back a step, looked around, then pushed through the crowd and walked towards the inner courtyard.
Ye Qingcheng glanced at Granny Su discreetly. Seeing her calm and natural expression, she was somewhat surprised. Was she really just a servant? She acted so composed, without any panic. It seemed she needed to observe her carefully.
Well, Ye Qingcheng didn't manage to leave in the end.
The concubine's body was placed in the courtyard. No one dared to move it into the house, as it was considered inauspicious.
Father Ye looked at the body, which had already turned white and bloated, and roared angrily, "Who? Who did this? Such a grown person is gone, and none of you were watching?"
The butler explained haltingly, "Master, today is a family banquet. All the servants were busy in the front courtyard. No one noticed the concubine!"
Ye Qingcheng looked at the beauty, who was already unrecognizable from being in the water, but her eyes showed no emotion.
Father Ye lost a warm bed companion and felt uncomfortable, but as he looked at the expressions of the people around him, they were all different.
Ye Lanxin frowned, covering her nose and backing away, showing extreme disdain.
Mother Ye, with some fear, grabbed Ye Qingcheng's hand, seeking comfort.
Madam Ye stared at the corpse without blinking, her eyes devoid of any emotion.
As for Ye Qingcheng... she had a knowing expression.
Father Ye could tell that Ye Qingcheng was responsible.
He questioned Ye Qingcheng, "Why? She merely offended you unintentionally. I would have punished her. Why did you have to kill her?"
Ye Qingcheng's gaze fixed on this father who showed no affection to the original owner, her aura not inferior to Father Ye's.
"Father, I was helping you!"
Father Ye laughed mockingly, "Helping me? You say you were helping me? You helped me kill my favored concubine?"
Ye Qingcheng smiled faintly, "You know she was your favored concubine yourself!"
Father Ye was stumped.
"She was merely a bed warmer, yet she acted presumptuously, arrogant due to your favor, and a woman who would whisper in your ear. If she had no ambitions, it would be fine. But as you can see now, her ambitions are great. A woman who doesn't know her place cannot be kept. If she were to whisper in your ear in the future, would you agree? Perhaps you would forget afterward, but..."
She looked into her father's eyes.
"She remembers. She will remind you. Is it true that you would do something when you have a beautiful woman like a sweet honey in your arms? Just like what happened today?"
Father Ye was furious, "But today's matter was merely about seating, a trivial matter. Why did you have to take a life?"
Ye Qingcheng disdained, "Father, if trivial matters are like this, can you still distinguish between important matters?"
It was the first time Father Ye had been called so foolish. His face lost its composure, and he slapped Ye Qingcheng across the face.
The scene was shocking.
Bixi hurried forward to help Ye Qingcheng, her voice trembling as she questioned Father Ye, "You, how could you hit the Regent's Consort?"
Father Ye was enraged by her words and paced back and forth, "This disobedient daughter, dared to interfere in her father's private affairs. She deserves to be hit."
Very well, Ye Qingcheng rubbed her numb cheek. This slap truly severed the father-daughter bond between them.
"Father, setting aside the fact that I am now the Regent's Consort, even if we consider your concubine alone, she was arrogant due to your favor and acted with impunity, even disrespecting the secondary wife. She should have been sold into a brothel based on her status. A concubine is a slave, and as a mistress, I punished a slave and decided her fate. What is wrong with that?"
Father Ye was rendered speechless by her words.
Madam Ye agreed wholeheartedly, "I agree with the Consort's statement."
Father Ye turned to look at her, his eyes filled with disbelief.
"The Consort is right. How many times did Concubine Qian whisper in your ear, and how many times did you help her family? I won't say more about it. Every time she made a mistake, you would raise your hand high, and with a little act of coquetry, you would let her off easily. But before long, she would start to be ungrateful again. I believe the Consort handled it well."
With Madam Ye saying so, Father Ye had no choice but to back down.
"But... she has been with me for several years... this..."
Madam Ye turned and looked at him directly, "I won't say much about how many beauties you have in your room. I never intended for them to bear children anyway. It's just that one has died, and there are still several others. Why make such a fuss?"
Madam Ye exposed his lecherous nature in public, making him feel a bit embarrassed.
Madam Ye didn't care about his petty thoughts. She turned and gave instructions, "Butler, please handle the body. Send it back to her family and give them some money as compensation for her family's grief."
The butler bowed and obeyed, "Yes."
Madam Ye looked around and then at Ye Qingcheng, "It's getting late. It will be dark by the time we return. You should stay at your mother's house tonight. Alright, everyone, go back to what you were doing!" With that, she pulled Ye Lanxin away.
Ye Qingcheng didn't want to stay any longer and pulled her mother along.
Ye Lanxin was very confused, "Mother, why are you helping Ye Qingcheng?"
Madam Ye sighed and looked at Ye Lanxin with helplessness, "You, if you were half as smart as her, I wouldn't have to worry so much about your marriage."
Ye Lanxin pouted, disliking the topic, "Mother, I haven't even reached my coming-of-age ceremony yet. Besides, I am the legitimate daughter. I won't have to worry about not finding a husband."
Madam Ye was also helpless in the face of her daughter's ignorant and innocent heart.
"You know what Ye Qingcheng's personality was like when she was at home. But after marrying into the Regent's mansion for only a few years, she has become so sharp and decisive. Seeing her like this, I know what kind of place that Regent's mansion is. Now, you are only a few months away from your coming-of-age ceremony. But with your personality, if you go to those grand residences, you will likely be completely devoured. Alas... it seems I..." She would have to find you a husband whose official rank is a few levels lower than your father's. At least this way, you will still have a supportive family.
Ye Lanxin understood what her mother was implying and immediately protested.
"Mother, you're not thinking of marrying me off to an official whose rank is even lower than Father's, are you!"
Seeing her mother not deny it, Ye Lanxin was unhappy.
"I don't want to. Why? Why can Ye Qingcheng marry a prince, but I have to choose someone whose official rank is lower than Father's? Why is this unfair?"
Madam Ye became angry.
"Where is fairness in the world? And look at Ye Qingcheng now, can you compare yourself to her?"
Ye Lanxin fell silent, not speaking.
"If you could be as capable as Ye Qingcheng, have that kind of power, I wouldn't force you, but you don't. Lanxin, do you know what it means for parents to love their children, therefore planning for their future?"
Ye Lanxin remained silent, tears welling up in her eyes.
She understood.