Chapter 756 - 754 - : The Matter of Saving the Beauty
Ye Hongyang was followed by another Attendant, whom Jiang Yifan recognized as someone Duke An had assigned to Ye Hongyang. Changxing bowed to the speaker, saying, "Master Li, please be cautious with your words. You and our Old Master Ye are here for the same reason, to enjoy the music. Stirring up trouble with such remarks is hardly appropriate."
There were several people with Master Li, and another man smiled and bowed, "Brother Ye, please forgive us. We meant no disrespect. It’s obvious that the girl singing is just a novice, and Brother Ye is known to have a fondness for such women. By helping her out, you wouldn’t just be relieving her distress; you would also be creating good karma. Brother Ye, please understand, we have no ill intentions."
Changxing was somewhat annoyed, but those men were all influential figures. While Duke’s Mansion was of high social standing, Old Master Ye was not someone who could handle trouble. If an issue arose that he couldn’t manage on his own, Duke was unlikely to come forward on behalf of his forty-year-old son.
At that moment, Changxing envied the entourage accompanying the young lady of their household, who never had to suffer such disrespect. To avoid any trouble, he decided it was best to wait for the mansion’s Protectors to arrive before taking action.
The individuals causing a disturbance in the teahouse naturally held significant social status and were accustomed to the rowdiness. They wouldn’t back down without seeing real danger. Ye Hongyang’s attempts to pacify the situation only resulted in a momentary hush before the clamor resumed, with people egging the girl on to sing more provocative songs.
Seeing the girl’s expression of both shame and anger, yet unable to protest or show her indignation, Ye Hongyang felt pity rise within him.
He beckoned Changxing over and whispered in his ear, "Go to the teahouse manager and give that girl ten taels of silver. Tell her not to perform here anymore. This place is no fit for a young lady like her."
Changxing was taken aback and reluctantly said, "With such chaos in the teahouse and Changyuan absent, leaving only you alone in this disorder, if Old Master Ye needs anything, there would be no one to take commands." The main issue was that Old Master Ye only earned thirty taels of silver as a monthly salary, and by the end of the month, he’d spent almost all of it. Where would he find another ten taels of silver for the girl?
Ye Hongyang, unaware of Changxing’s concerns, looked around at the noisy crowd and also felt it improper to stay alone. True, he was the Old Master from Duke’s Mansion, but that status mattered when people recognized and protected him. Without his own servants and Protectors around, and if no one recognized him, he would be nothing at all.
"Well... sigh, let’s go. You come with me backstage," Ye Hongyang stood up.