bookrandom Chapter 196 You don't actually have feelings for her, do you?
Chapter 196 You don't actually have feelings for her, do you?
Ge was trembling, her face ashen.
They were completely naked at this moment. Was there any doubt that something had happened? And the layout of this room was not in the style of the General's Mansion at all!
"Stop yelling! Do you want to attract attention and make us look bad?" she snapped at You Jianbin, regaining her composure.
"But..." You Jianbin awkwardly clutched the blanket to cover himself.
"We've been framed!" Ge Shi dug her nails into her palms, her face twisted with hatred. "It's most likely Ye Shijun who did it!"
Is the night over?
You Jianbin was stunned at first, then said excitedly, "I remember now, it was the pot of wine he gave me... there was something wrong with that pot of wine!"
Ge glared at him fiercely, "You'd better keep what happened today to yourself. If you dare to let a word out, I will not let you off the hook!"
"No, I have to go and settle accounts with that little beast!" Remembering everything, You Jianbin gritted his teeth and got out of bed to find his clothes.
"What are you doing? Do you want to die?" Madam Ge grabbed him angrily. "We're the only ones here now, and we're not at the General's Mansion. What good will it do if you come looking for us? Do you have any evidence that the Ye family did it? You have no evidence, and you'll only let our shameful deeds be spread!"
After saying that, she didn't care about being ashamed anymore, climbed out of bed and started looking for her clothes to put on.
You Jianbin stared in disbelief.
Although the two families had often visited each other, he had never harbored any improper thoughts towards Madam Ge. He never dreamed that such a thing would happen, much less that Madam Ge, now past her prime, would still possess such charm, more full and rounded than Madam Wen's frail figure when she was alive…
He swallowed hard.
Once Ge was almost fully dressed, she noticed his blatant gaze and immediately flew into a rage, "What are you all standing there for? Are you waiting to be caught in the act? Ye Shijun and his gang dared to scheme against us, they definitely won't let us get away with this!"
After saying that, she ran to open the door without looking back, and after making sure no one was outside, she decisively ran out!
You Jianbin remained frozen, her image from just moments before flashing through his mind, and he didn't move for a long time.
……
Once she stepped out of her room, Madam Ge realized it was an inn. Without looking around, she covered her face with a handkerchief and ran back to the Wei residence in one breath.
Back in her own courtyard, she immediately closed the door, gasping for breath. She felt as if her heart was on fire, burning so intensely that she wanted to die!
She never imagined that after scheming against others for half her life, she would stumble and be schemed against herself!
That bastard Ye Shijun!
She will definitely not let him go!
……
General's Mansion.
Two family banquet tables, one for the men and one for the women.
At the men's table, You Jianchuan, not seeing You Jianbin come out, secretly asked Ye Shijun, "Your uncle hasn't come out yet, should I go and call him?"
Ye Shijun laughed and said, "Second Uncle, you have no idea how strong the aftereffects of that pot of wine Uncle drank were. I took him to his room and he fell asleep as soon as he lay down. If you go to wake him now, he probably won't wake up. I've already told the kitchen to leave some wine and food for Uncle, so you don't have to worry about him not having any to eat."
You Jianchuan had no suspicions. Just then, Ye Gengxin invited him to drink, and he didn't have the mind to think about You Jianbin anymore.
And the other table.
Just as Ye Shishu and the others started eating, a maid from the Wei household came over.
"Greetings, Princess Consort Cheng!"
"What is it?" Ye Shishu asked her, feigning ignorance.
"Your Highness, please forgive me. I did not mean to disturb your meal. It's just that I couldn't find my mistress and didn't know where she went, so I came to ask her," Ge's maid explained with her head bowed.
"Has Madam Wei arrived?" Ye Shishu asked Madam Fan, Madam Ma, Gu Simo, and the others. "Has any of you seen Madam Wei before?"
Gu Simo and You Hongxin were the first to shake their heads.
Madam Fan said, "Your Highness, we were talking with you and the Prince in the hall earlier and didn't see Madam Wei."
Mr. Ma nodded in agreement.
Ye Shishu then said to the maid, "None of us have seen Madam Wei. Why don't you go and ask Steward Hao? Maybe your mistress has left on her own."
Seeing that everyone was shaking their heads and didn't seem to be lying, the maid had no choice but to leave and go find Hao Fu.
"Today is my father's big day, and it's also a family banquet, so everyone please don't be shy," Ye Shishu said with a smile.
Now her status is incredibly high. In the past, Madam Fan, relying on her seniority, dared to boss her around, but after suffering so many losses, she now has to curry favor with Yu Chi Ling because of her grandson's imperial examination. She really doesn't dare to offend her in the slightest.
She only dared to pick up her chopsticks after Ye Shishu had done so, and she maintained a kind and gentle smile throughout the entire meal.
"The food at the General's Mansion is so delicious!" Li Yao praised as she ate the chicken leg that Gu Simo had picked up for her.
Ye Shishu couldn't help but chuckle, "These are just everyday dishes. I'll take you to Ziqiong Manor another day; the food there is all unique and truly tempting!"
Hearing this, Li Yao smiled and looked at her, "Really? Then I definitely have to go!"
Although Ye Shishu hadn't been returning to the General's Mansion frequently these days, she was quite familiar with some of the situations that had arisen since Li Yao moved in. She hadn't been to the Jiuli tribe, but Ye Shiting had told her about it, and she knew that their lifestyle was quite different from that of the Daye Kingdom.
For example, the people there live by hunting, and for survival, men, women, and children all revere martial arts, which is why Li Yao's lightness skill is so good. Because the people there don't eat much refined grain and rely on prey as their staple food, Li Yao is used to eating with her hands.
Listening to their conversation, Old Madam Fan carefully examined Li Yao.
When her granddaughter told her earlier that this woman had a close relationship with Ye Shiting, she felt indignant on her granddaughter's behalf. Now, dining at the same table with this woman and seeing her uncouth eating habits, she couldn't help but gently reprimand her, "Whose daughter is this? Why is she so ill-mannered? It's one thing to dine at the same table as the Princess, but to be so rude and uncouth is truly unacceptable!"
Ye Shishu's smile froze, and she glanced at her sideways.
Does this old man have to cause trouble every day?
However, before she could speak, Fan Yunying continued the old lady's words and scolded Li Yao, "How dare you, a mere concubine, sit at the table? You even dare to eat with the princess, you really don't know your place!"
A concubine?
Gu Simo stared at the grandmother and granddaughter in surprise.
What is a concubine?
Whose concubine?
Ye Shishu's face darkened as she asked, "What does Cousin Yunying mean?"
Seeing this, Fan Yunying assumed that Li Yao was unaware of the situation, so she pointed at Li Yao and said, "Your Highness, you don't know, do you? She is my eldest cousin's concubine. My eldest cousin himself has admitted it! How can you allow such a shameless woman who climbs into bed to sit at the table? It's an insult to your status!"
Ye Shishu suddenly frowned and looked at Gu Simo beside her.
Gu Simo quickly gestured with her eyes, indicating that there was no such thing at all.
Their eldest brother was most worried that the people in the manor might neglect Li Yao, their guest, and would occasionally inquire about Li Yao's situation in the manor.
This claim of "concubines" is utter nonsense!
“Cousin Yunying, Li Yao is a guest of my General’s Mansion. How to treat her is my own business, so you and Auntie don’t need to worry about it.” Ye Shishu said coldly.
“But she and her older cousin…” Fan Yunying looked hurt.
"Her relationship with my older brother is their business, I have no right to interfere!" Ye Shishu's tone turned cold and hard.
Fan Yunying was still unwilling to give up, but seeing that the situation was not good, Old Madam Fan quickly gave her granddaughter a wink, "Ying'er, don't be rude! It's not wrong for you to care about Shi Ting, but Shi Ting is a normal man, and it's normal for him to have a few concubines!"
Under her warning look, Fan Yunying bit her lip and remained silent.
Madam Ma watched all this and secretly glanced at Li Yao. Her intuition told her that this woman named Li Yao was nothing like Ye Shiting.
No man in the Ye family has ever been known to have a concubine.
Take Ninth Aunt for example. She used to be a subordinate of Prince Cheng, a very lowly position. When General Ye asked them to be witnesses for the marriage, he gave them the status of a second wife, not a concubine or a noblewoman.
Besides, Ye Shiting is of marriageable age. If he has a woman he likes, he can just propose marriage directly. Why would he need to hide it?
"Mother, eat quickly, the food is getting cold." You Hongxin put a piece of meat on Ma's plate and took the opportunity to whisper in her ear that she should stop looking around.
Ma understood and quickly lowered her head, pretending to eat seriously.
Ye Shishu stretched out his arm and personally picked up a chicken leg for Li Yao, smiling as he said, "Eat as much as you like. I can't guarantee the food in other general's mansions, but there will definitely be enough for everyone!"
"Thank you, Your Highness!" Li Yao grinned, revealing two dimples.
She neither refuted nor explained what the Fan family grandfather and grandson said, mainly because Fan Yunying had already misunderstood her, and she also knew that Ye Shiting was using her as a shield.
She not only didn't care, but was actually quite happy about it.
After all, by helping the young master, she can enjoy more good food here. She can't just eat, drink, and stay for free without doing anything, can she? That would be too much of a hassle.
As for whether she's a concubine or a roommate, who cares what kind of room it is? Let others say what they want; it won't affect her.
……
After the banquet, Ye Shishu had her two elder brothers summoned to her Yuexin Courtyard.
Upon learning that Ge Shi and You Jianbin's plan had succeeded, Ye Shishu covered her mouth and asked with a smile, "Second Brother, you made it so obvious, aren't you afraid they'll come knocking on your door with knives to settle scores?"
Ye Shijun crossed his arms and grinned mischievously. "They dare to make a fuss about something like that? Besides, I had them taken to an inn. They have no proof that it happened in our General's Mansion! I was already being merciful by not sending anyone to the inn to catch them in the act!"
Ye Shishu's red lips twitched slightly.
This is not mercy, this is clearly wisdom!
If someone were to actually go to the inn to catch them in the act of adultery, Ge and You Jianbin would definitely be furious and seek revenge on her second brother. If things escalated, even without evidence proving that her second brother was the one who did it, their General's Mansion would still be criticized.
Without catching them in the act, Ge and You Jianbin, for the sake of their reputation, would simply try to swallow their anger. They would only come forward if they were willing to risk everything and abandon all pretense of decency.
The Ge family's retribution has only just begun...
Thinking about what happened on the table, Ye Shishu couldn't help but say to Ye Shiting, "Brother, I think Fan Yunying still has illusions about you. You have to be careful! Also, she seems to have misunderstood the relationship between Li Yao and you. Did you do something on purpose to make her misunderstand?"
"Yes, I made her misunderstand that Li Yao is my woman."
"Pfft!" Ye Shiting couldn't help but burst out laughing. "Big brother, what are you playing at? You don't actually have feelings for Li Yao, do you?"