Chapter 400 - 399: Come Back Earlier
Dawn breaks late in winter, and only after everyone had exchanged polite courtesies did a streak of light appear in the sky.
As the time to set off arrived, Lian Gui came over to inquire, and Ye Xinyan once again entrusted Qi Yougui and Lady Wang to take good care of her grandfather, before she climbed into the carriage.
In the rural countryside where seldom occur novelties, many villagers who knew that Ye Xinyan was leaving for the capital came out early to watch the excitement. Due to the presence of a dozen fierce-looking guards brought by Lian Gui, these people didn’t dare to come too close, only watching from a distance.
There had been plenty of rumors in the village lately, saying that Qi Ye of the second branch of the Qi family was originally of noble descent from the capital, and it was only because of a change in family fortune that she ended up here, and it was inevitable that she would return to the capital someday.
Given these rumors, Ye Xinyan’s departure was not entirely unexpected. What was surprising, however, was that Qi Ye would actually take Qi Jia and Qi Sanshun with her, indicating that the Qi family was solidly climbing the social ladder.
After all, Qi Jia carried the nominal title of Qi Ye’s younger brother, whom Qi Ye watched over closely, having maidservants supervise his play every day for fear of any mishaps, thus their sibling relationship was exceedingly close.
But it was different with Qi Sanshun, who was merely a grandnephew from a different branch of Qi Younian’s family, several degrees removed from Qi Ye, yet he, too, was going to the capital—a place where the emperor lived, and where, it was said, resided only nobility.
In the midst of all this, the most envious were those of the Qi Family Third Branch, with Madam Song, her son, and daughter-in-law watching from afar as the impressive procession of grand carriages and horses departed, among which one carried Qi Jia—who had once lived in their branch like an insignificant ant—and Qi Sanshun, who had lorded it over others.