Chapter 664: Chapter 597: Stealthily Following_1 Chapter 664: Chapter 597: Stealthily Following_1 Yan Family.

Daohua went to the central courtyard to bring Madam Li some watermelon juice and saw her mother holding an invitation card intently. She couldn’t help but ask with a smile, “Mother, whose invitation card is that? You’re looking at it so carefully.”

Madam Li smiled at her daughter, “You’ve come at just the right time, take a look too.” Saying this, she handed over the invitation card to Daohua.

Daohua took it and saw that it was from the Zhu Family, her expression showing a hint of surprise.

Madam Li tasted a few sips of the watermelon juice her daughter offered, feeling the heat inside her dissipated quite a bit, “Do you want to see them? If you don’t want to, mother can find an excuse to decline.” She didn’t have much fondness for Madam Zhu.

Daohua was silent for a moment, “Let’s meet them. Miss Zhu helped mediate for me and Yuanyao that day.”

Madam Li was neither here nor there about it, and handed the card to Ping Tong to have her reply, then she started discussing the household affairs with Daohua.

As Daohua grew older, Madam Li intentionally guided her in overseeing matters of the household.

Her daughter was intelligent. Everything entrusted to her was managed properly, often exceeding expectations, which left Madam Li exceedingly satisfied.

The more outstanding her daughter became, the less likely it was for her to be mistreated in her future marital home.

…

Zhu Residence.

After receiving the reply from the Yan Family, Madam Zhu was silent for a while before she called over Madam Zhu Si and her daughter, “The Yan Family has agreed to our visit. Get yourselves ready, we’ll go over tomorrow.”

Madam Zhu Si’s face lit up with joy, “Thank you, Third Sister-in-law.”

Watching the visible happiness on Madam Zhu Si’s face, Madam Zhu sneered inwardly. What good would visiting the Yan Family do? Did she really think that the Yan Family would fancy Zhu Qiyun, a girl who had been engaged once and then rejected?

However, visiting the Yan Family was still something Madam Zhu took seriously. After all, Minister Yan’s current rank was much higher than her husband’s, and proper etiquette could not be neglected.

Early the next morning, Madam Zhu Si and Zhu Qiyun joined Madam Zhu in the carriage heading for Ningmen Prefecture.

Inside the carriage, Zhu Qiyun nervously fidgeted with her handkerchief.

Having had her engagement broken off, the reputation of the Zhu girls had suffered, and the elders in the clan urged her to marry off quickly. But the families hastily considered were nowhere near suitable. Some relatives even thought of using her to climb the social ladder.

Had it not been for her mother’s and brother’s firm stance, her fate would have been truly pitiful.

The Yan Family’s second branch son was currently nothing substantial, yet he was the best option she could find. If this meeting were not successful, she might very likely end up being married off to the simple-minded son of the Prefectural Governor from Pingzhou by her clan’s elders.

Madam Zhu Si saw the anxiety in her daughter’s eyes, but she didn’t offer comfort aloud. Some experiences were better faced by the daughter herself, for her own future benefit.

Zhu Qiyun’s mind wandered for a while, and when she came back to her senses, she saw her mother carefully sorting out the gifts to be presented to the people of the Yan Family.

Seeing her mother taking out the last few bolts of betrothal Yunjin silk, Zhu Qiyun felt extremely uncomfortable.

Madam Zhu Si, noticing her daughter’s expression, said indifferently, “These things are just material possessions. As long as you are virtuous, anything lost can be regained one day. You must not be like those petty people who can’t bear to lose a bit of immediate benefit.”

Zhu Qiyun nodded, “Mother, I understand.”

Madam Zhu Si looked pleased. Their branch of the family had scant numbers, having only one son and daughter. Although Qiyun was a girl, she had been raised by the master as if she were a boy. Had the master not passed away early, her outstanding daughter would not have fallen to this point.

Madam Zhu Si clenched her teeth with hatred at the thought of the Zhuang Family, who had previously been engaged to her daughter.

Zhu Qiyun, seeing her mother’s change in expression, asked worriedly, “Mother, what’s wrong?”

Madam Zhu Si didn’t want to affect her daughter’s mood and pushed down her resentment, shaking her head, “Mother is fine. When we get to the Yan Residence, there’s no need to be too nervous. Just show them the poise of a young lady from a distinguished family.”

Zhu Qiyun nodded earnestly, “No matter the outcome, I will not bring shame to my parents.”

…

Yan Residence.

Because Madam Zhu and the others were coming to visit, Madam Li still had Daohua make some preparations, while she herself had a headache dealing with Yan Zhiyuan and the Sun Family.

With Yan Wenjie’s marriage proposal, this couple was too picky.

Especially when they learned that Wenkai was betrothed to Su Shiyu, they began to compete vigorously, intent on finding a lady of equal stature for Wenjie.

She wanted to persuade them to lower their standards, considering Wenkai and Wenshu’s marriages were indeed good matches, but she feared what they might think of her suggestion.

Madam Li couldn’t directly speak to Yan Zhiyuan and his wife about this, so she could only discuss the matter privately with her own husband.

“Now the rumor within Ningmen Prefecture is that our family is too selective, dismissing this candidate and looking down on that one. If we allow the second brother and his wife to continue like this, it will negatively affect our family’s reputation,” she said.

Yan Zhigao furrowed his brows in frustration. The marriages of his two legitimate sons were excellent and the second brother had his ambitions, which he could understand, but he was still uncomfortable with the second brother’s family’s loftiness.

“I’ll find an opportunity to talk to the second brother,” he said.

Madam Li nodded, “My Lord should give the second brother a thorough analysis. Our Wenshu is a Juren and Wenkai has always been working with the Little Prince. Their advantages are clear, and it’s not surprising they secured good matches, but what about Wenjie? He should not blindly compare himself with us.”

Yan Zhigao hummed, “I will make it clear to him.”

Meanwhile, after Daohua gave instructions for receiving guests, she prepared to return to her quarter, as the account books from Beijing had arrived. Along with them came various accounts of happenings in Beijing, collected by Zhao Yongwang, which she had yet to finish reviewing.

Unexpectedly, on her way, she came across Yan Zhiyuan and Yan Wenjie leaving one after another.

Daohua’s expression subtly changed, “How strange, second uncle and second brother leaving one after the other, why didn’t they go together?”

Wang Manman, “…This servant can’t help but feel that the second master seems to have stealthily followed the second Lord out.”

Daohua pondered for a moment but decided not to inquire further and continued on to her quarter.

…

Yan Wenjie followed Yan Zhiyuan to a small alley and watched him knock on the door and enter a two-entry courtyard, his face immediately turning quite ugly.

He secretly trailed his father because he noticed that his father came to this residence every few days and would stay for at least half a day, and once he even spent the night here.

The courtyard door opened again, and an old maidservant came out, apparently heading out to buy groceries.

Yan Wenjie thought for a moment and approached the residence, but the gate was tightly closed. He learned nothing and, seeing someone leaving the neighboring courtyard, hurriedly left.

After walking some distance, Yan Wenjie looked back at the residence. He was inclined to leave someone to keep watch, but unfortunately, he had no reliable subordinates to assign to this task.

Unlike his elder brother, the paternal uncle and aunt personally trained confidants for him; nor like his third and fourth brothers, who had extensive contact with people as they followed the Little Prince, enabling them to cultivate their own personnel.

Without the support of parents or patrons, he grew more aware of his awkward position within the Yan Family with each passing year.

Yan Wenjie walked back home, deep in thought. He remembered that as a child, the gap between him, his elder brother, third brother, and fourth brother wasn’t significant; he even surpassed the third brother, but when exactly had their paths diverged so greatly?

It all started when his brothers went to study at the Wangyue Academy!

Since then, their differences had gradually widened.

Yan Wenjie aimlessly wandered the streets when suddenly, he heard a commotion ahead. Approaching, he found a carriage had collided with a pedestrian.

The victim was a vagrant, currently extorting money.

Yan Wenjie had no interest in such matters, but as a gentle yet assertive female voice came from inside the carriage, she quickly subdued the vagrant with just a few words.

Yan Wenjie glanced at the carriage and continued walking home.

Nearing his house, he discovered the carriage involved in the accident had stopped right in front of his family’s residence. A young girl in ginger-yellow dress descended from the carriage, then turned to help the Madam down.

It’s her!

The girl who had been out playing with his younger sister on the Dragon Boat Festival.

At the Yan Residence gate, Zhu Qiyun first helped Madam Zhu the fourth down from the carriage, then quickly ran to the front of another carriage to assist Madam Zhu down. Once the two elders descended, she followed the serving lady who had come out to greet them into the Yan Residence.

As she stepped through the gate, sensing a gaze upon herself, she turned to look over.

Seeing Yan Wenjie not far away, Zhu Qiyun first showed surprise and then generously nodded with a smile, before she entered the residence.