Yu Mingyue was surprised that Chi Hua had managed to gather so much information. With her adorable appearance and likable personality, gathering intel was easy for her.
"Miss, I couldn't find out anything from Master Cui's courtyard. I couldn't even get close," Chi Hua said regretfully.
She had never failed to get information when she was in the Duke's mansion before. If her young lady gave her more time, she was sure she could uncover useful intelligence.
"Don't try to find out anything from my maternal grandfather's courtyard anymore. There are definitely hidden guards there, and they might have already discovered you," Yu Mingyue said after some thought.
"Then will I have ruined the young lady's grand plan?"
"No, my maternal grandfather knows the purpose of my visit better than anyone. This is where the real game begins."
In truth, after arriving at the Cui family and seeing a prosperous, centuries-old noble clan, if she were a member of the Cui family, she would probably be reluctant to let it go.
A foundation built over hundreds of years, destined to disappear into obscurity, with most of its members living unremarkable lives. The thought alone felt cruel.
Yu Mingyue was indeed tired from her journey, but she felt no sleepiness.
The relentless wheels of history crushed the years, and almost no noble families had survived.
The former Jiang and Ji families were like the current Wang family. Perhaps they had left their tracks, but in the end, they were crushed by new wheels and vanished completely.
Instead, those ordinary surnames had endured for generations.
Yu Mingyue sighed. This was truly a difficult problem.
Her maternal grandfather was thinking about how to make the Cui family the head of the noble clans, while she had to pour cold water on him. It was already a feat that he hadn't disowned her as his granddaughter.
The next two days were rainy, and Yu Mingyue couldn't go out to play. She spent most of her time either attending classes with her cousins or playing Yezi Pai in the old madam's courtyard.
Yu Mingyue finally understood her uncle's worries. Her maternal grandparents were indeed... too difficult to deal with.
Every time she tried to start a conversation, before she could even elaborate, they would change the subject.
It wasn't until after dinner today that Yu Mingyue finally found an opportunity to be alone with the old madam.
Before she could speak, Madam Cui said, "Yue'er, I know what you want to do, and I understand your good intentions. Your maternal grandfather knows too, but this matter is not something your maternal grandfather can decide alone. The Cui family members will not agree. The Cui family has been passed down for hundreds of years, and it is not the achievement of one person. The future is also not for one person to decide."
Yu Mingyue knew that these words were spoken from her grandmother's heart, as she had even dismissed the servants.
"Grandmother, do you believe in foresight?" Yu Mingyue bit her lip and finally spoke.
Madam Cui smiled, "Are you referring to Mr. Yuan Tianfeng's divination skills?"
Seeing that Yu Mingyue did not speak, Madam Cui continued, "In the past, Mr. Yuan cast a divination for the Cui family, and the omen was not good. Last year, when he passed through Qinghe, he divined for the Cui family again. He said that the Cui family would have the help of a noble person to overcome the crisis."
"Mr. Yuan's divination is certainly not wrong, but did he mention what crisis the Cui family would face?" Yu Mingyue seized the opportunity to ask.
Madam Cui looked at her with an expression that said, "You are still young and don't understand."
"To glimpse even a fraction of worldly affairs is already a heavenly secret. Knowing too much can harm one's fortune." As long as the Cui family could be safe, that was enough.
As for the crisis, it might be the downfall of the Wang clan. Now that Empress Wang had returned to the palace, the noble clans would surely be able to regain their footing.
Yu Mingyue nodded, "Grandmother is right."
Since the old madam said that knowing too much would harm one's fortune, what she had read in storybooks was no longer suitable to mention.
If she couldn't find a suitable opportunity, it would be difficult for her to speak further.