Uncle Fu could tell that Ye Jingchuan suspected him of stealing from the family stores.
"Master, please be just. This old servant truly doesn’t know how the wheat disappeared. We’ve been guarding it in three shifts without a moment’s negligence."
After the rainy spell, he had even opened the granary to check—the wheat had still been there.
Ye Jingchuan listened to the flimsy explanation and sneered, "Do you even believe your own words?"
Uncle Fu knew how absurd his account sounded—no one would believe it.
His lips trembled. "This old servant speaks nothing but the truth!"
"You think a mere 'truthful word' will make this official bear the loss of two hundred bushels of wheat?"
Just as Uncle Fu was about to accept responsibility, Ye Chutang, who had been watching the scene, spoke up.
"Wheat doesn’t vanish into thin air. You were only guarding the outside—could someone have dug a tunnel into the granary?"
A glimmer of hope lit up Uncle Fu’s dim eyes. "This old servant will go check at once."
Ye Jingchuan glanced at Chen Zhong, who immediately understood and followed.
About the time it took to burn an incense stick, the efficient Chen Zhong returned first.
"Master, there is indeed a tunnel in the corner of the granary, stretching toward the mountains. The guards have gone to investigate."
Ye Jingchuan’s face darkened, his eyes filled with murderous intent.
"To dare steal from this official—send the guards to report to the authorities. Those thieves must be captured!"
"Yes, Master."
Chen Zhong went back to the granary and returned with Uncle Fu.
Ye Jingchuan looked at the relieved old man.
"You and the guards stay here. Wait for the officials to return the wheat."
Then he turned to Ye Chutang. "Chu'er, let’s go. Back to the Minister's Mansion."
The journey from the estate to the capital was two hundred li—over two hours by carriage.
At noon, the three stopped at a posthouse for lunch.
Ye Chutang ordered the most expensive dishes.
Though the flavors were mediocre, the ingredients were of fine quality.
While Ye Jingchuan and Chen Zhong weren’t paying attention, she discreetly stored some away in her space.
They arrived in the capital just past mid-afternoon, the heat at its peak.
Ye Chutang lifted the carriage curtain, admiring the bustling streets and lively chatter of the ancient city, all while plotting her revenge.
She wouldn’t just reclaim what rightfully belonged to the original owner of this body—she’d make her scoundrel of a father regret his actions and strip her stepmother of everything!
Ye Jingchuan mistook her curiosity for naivety and played the doting father.
"Chu'er, once the sun isn’t so harsh, have Ling'er accompany you to explore the city. Buy some rouge, jewelry, and new dresses."
"Who’s paying?"
"Your father will cover it. Two hundred taels—enough for several outfits."
"Fine then… Minister Ye."
Her address displeased him.
"Now that we’re back in the capital, you should call me 'Father.'"
Ye Chutang lowered the curtain and smirked at him. "No problem. But you’ll need to pay a 'name-change fee.'"
"I am your father. Why should I pay?"
"No argument there. But you forgot about me for fifteen years. For fairness’ sake, I’ll remember you as my father in fifteen years. Then I’ll call you."
Ye Jingchuan: "..."
"Where did you learn such nonsense?"
"Self-taught. Guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree."
He was suddenly grateful he’d sent her to the countryside—otherwise, she might’ve driven him to an early grave.
"Didn’t I already promise you ten thousand taels as compensation for those fifteen years?"
His implication was clear: accepting the money meant accepting him as her father.
Ye Chutang pressed the back of her hand to his forehead.
"No fever. Yet Minister Ye keeps spouting nonsense. That ten thousand was just the condition for my return."
Watching her money-grubbing expression, he took a deep breath.
"How much do you want for this 'name-change fee'?"
She held up a finger. "Not much. Just another ten thousand."
Ye Jingchuan nearly choked on his own rage.
"Impossible!"
Unfazed, she shrugged.
"Such a fuss over nothing. 'Minister Ye' rolls off the tongue just fine—respectful, too."
He was tempted to drag her straight to the palace and dump her before Eunuch De.
To the lustful old eunuch, he’d say, "My eldest daughter is far more beautiful than the second. She’d make a better companion for you!"
But he didn’t dare.
Though he’d brought Ye Chutang back precisely to marry her off in his favored daughter’s stead, he couldn’t be obvious about it.
Otherwise, Eunuch De might assume he was unwilling to part with his talented, beautiful second daughter and had dug up a rustic beauty as a half-hearted substitute.
Gritting his teeth, Ye Jingchuan relented.
"Fine. Even if I have to sell the pots and pans, I’ll scrape together another ten thousand!"
Just three more days. He only needed to endure three more days!
Ye Chutang hadn’t expected him to agree.
Now she was genuinely curious—what kind of marriage arrangement was worth swallowing such humiliation?
"Then I’ll thank you in advance… Minister Ye."
She didn’t actually mind calling him "Father." It was all part of the revenge plan.
Soon, the carriage halted before the Minister's Mansion.
Chen Zhong jumped down and lifted the curtain. "Master, we’ve arrived."
Ye Chutang was the first to look out.
The gilded characters spelling "Minister's Mansion" loomed overhead—neither elegant nor bold.
"Who wrote this plaque? It’s so—"
Before she could say "ugly," a horrified Ye Jingchuan cut her off.
"This plaque was personally inscribed by His Majesty! It represents the Ye family’s honor—hold your tongue!"
Among the six ministers, only his residence bore the emperor’s calligraphy, granting it the singular title of "Minister's Mansion."
The other five had to settle for surnames in their estate names.
Ye Chutang leaned in, grinning. "So even Minister Ye thinks the emperor’s handwriting is hideous."
"You—" How dare you!
"Don’t shout. Startle me, and I might blurt out something… unwise. Wouldn’t want to offend His Majesty and doom the Ye family."
With that, she ignored his apoplectic expression and hopped off the carriage.
For the first time, Ye Jingchuan questioned whether bringing her back had been a mistake.
A foreboding crept over him—that she wouldn’t just destroy the Ye family, but the entire capital along with it.
His second wife, Kong Ru, had just stepped out to greet him when she saw a slender, breathtakingly beautiful woman leap from the carriage.
She paused, startled.
She’d expected a timid, malnourished country girl—not this radiant beauty.
Though her manners were crude, she carried herself like nobility.
Kong Ru quickly composed herself and descended the steps with a smile.
"You must be Chu'er. You look just like your mother."
Turning to her maids, she said, "Come greet the young mistress."
The servants bowed. "Welcome, Young Mistress."
Ignoring them, Ye Chutang studied the woman in the blue gauze dress, her hair laden with jewels—undoubtedly Kong Ru, her stepmother.
Without pretense, she remarked, "If you can’t manage a household, you shouldn’t be in charge of its finances."
Kong Ru: "???"
"What do you mean, Chu'er?"
"The Ye family is so poor we can barely afford rice. Clearly, you’ve no talent for wealth. Compared to my mother, you’re not even fit to lick her shoes."
Kong Ru's forced smile froze on her face, her nails digging into her palms as she used the pain to remind herself to stay composed.
The maidservants were taken aback—how could the eldest young miss, raised in the countryside, dare to be so insolent toward the mistress of the household?
Just as one of them was about to reprimand her, Kong Ru silenced her with a sharp glance.
For her daughter's sake, she had to endure!
Her gaze shifted to Ye Jingchuan as he approached, and she quickly stepped forward to greet him with a bow. "My lord, you must be weary from your journey. You've worked hard."
Ye Jingchuan gave a slight nod. "Let's speak inside."
Then he turned to Ye Chutang, his expression stern.
"Chu'er, the capital is not like the countryside. You must mind your words and actions, or you'll bring disaster upon yourself—even risk your life."
"Rest assured, Lord Ye, I value my life dearly."
Ye Chutang understood perfectly well that to thrive in this transmigrated world, she had to fully assimilate into it.
Not like in those transmigration novels, where the protagonist foolishly believed they could single-handedly overturn the rules of an entire era.
How idiotic!
What she needed to do was learn the rules, wield them to her advantage, and master them.
And within the bounds of her capabilities, accumulate as much merit as possible.
