Chapter 24: The Value of Madness, Its Edge Revealed at Last

"Speak! How exactly did you come to know those things? Well?"

Ye Chengzong’s voice was heavy with suppressed fury. Each word struck Ye Qingyan like a hammer blow. Inside the study, the candlelight flickered, and his face was as dark as the sky before a tempest. He sat behind his desk, his gaze sharp as a blade, piercing the girl kneeling on the floor.

"I... I don't know..."

Ye Qingyan hugged her arms, her body trembling slightly as she lowered her head further. Her voice was laced with sobs, sounding like a frightened young beast: "Father, I... I truly do not know! I really don't!"

She looked up, tears blurring her vision, her eyes filled with bewilderment and terror. "Those words just spilled out of my mouth; I couldn't control them at all! Father, am I... am I possessed?"

She performed with vivid realism, perfectly embodying an innocent young girl terrified by a sudden, inexplicable "ability."

In her mind, the system gloated: [It’s just a bug, you rebel. Why are you making such a fuss? Hahaha!]

Deep down, Ye Qingyan cursed, "You lousy system, have some decorum!"

Outwardly, however, she maintained her pitiful, overly-frightened appearance, even beginning to sob softly.

Ye Chengzong stared at her, his eyes full of suspicion. He suspected she was being manipulated by someone behind the scenes or was hiding a power he knew nothing about. "Those secrets—even I, holding such a high position, know little of them. How could a daughter raised in the inner chambers recite them without a single error? Is this madness?"

He fell silent; only the sound of Ye Qingyan’s suppressed weeping remained in the study: "Sob, sob, sob..."

Just then, a servant hurried in and handed over a letter. "Master, it is a plea for help from the Duke of Anguo's estate."

Ye Chengzong took the letter and unfolded it. After a single glance, his brow furrowed deeply. The letter mentioned several strange incidents recently encountered by the Duke of Anguo's estate, revealing secrets known only to a select few. He looked up abruptly at Ye Qingyan, a flash of horror crossing his eyes.

"You..."

The letter from the Duke of Anguo matched the "nonsense" Ye Qingyan had spouted at the banquet with startling precision. He suddenly realized a terrifying fact: his daughter’s "madness" seemed capable of exposing the deepest secrets of others. This was a form of terrifying deterrence and, at the same time, a value beyond imagination. A daughter who only caused trouble and headaches was a hot potato, but a daughter who could solve problems—or even become a trump card—was an entirely different matter.

The way Ye Chengzong looked at Ye Qingyan changed. From initial suspicion and anger, it shifted to scrutiny and calculation.

*Ha, a deadbeat father is always a deadbeat father; he is best at weighing pros and cons,* Ye Qingyan thought to herself.

He stood up slowly and walked over to her, his voice softening with a touch of tenderness. "Don't be afraid, Yan'er."

He tapped her shoulder gently, his movements a bit stiff, yet it was the first time he had shown her any kindness. "Perhaps... your mother's spirit in heaven could not bear to see you bullied and borrowed your lips to speak words others could not understand."

Ye Qingyan’s heart stirred; she knew her father was providing a ladder for her to climb down. She stopped crying, looked up, and gazed at him with tear-filled eyes. "Father..." Her voice choked, filled with grievance and unease.

"Alright, stop crying," Ye Chengzong sighed. "Get up first."

Ye Qingyan stood up obediently and stood to the side, head bowed, appearing as though she were waiting for her father’s disposal.

"Yan'er," Ye Chengzong paced to his desk, his back to her, his voice thoughtful. "You said earlier that you did not wish to marry... was that the truth?"

Ye Qingyan felt a surge of joy; she knew the opportunity had arrived.

"Father, I do not wish to marry." Her voice was firm yet tinged with caution. "If I were to marry into another family with this 'possession' of mine, I fear I would only bring disaster upon them. Rather than that, it is better to remain in the Ye household. Perhaps... this affliction of mine might even be of use to you."

She cleverly hinted at her "value," transforming a potential "trouble" into a "capability" that could be exploited.

Ye Chengzong did not answer immediately. He pondered for a long time, his fingertips tapping lightly on the desk, his mind racing with countless thoughts. A daughter who could see through the secrets of others, even if uncontrollable, was enough to make those with ulterior motives wary. And those "nonsense" words of hers might truly be some heaven-sent secret left behind by her mother.

Finally, he made up his mind and turned slowly. "Very well." He looked at her, his eyes complex. "In that case, your marriage will be set aside for now."

Ye Qingyan was overjoyed, though she showed only a hint of relief and gratitude. "Thank you, Father!"

"However," Ye Chengzong shifted his tone, "since you are to remain in the Ye household, you cannot continue to be as idle as before. Your 'affliction' might indeed be put to good use."

He walked to the desk, took a token engraved with the Ye family crest from a drawer, and handed it to her. "This token will allow you to come and go from the Ye estate freely; you need not be confined to the inner courtyard." He then took several high-denomination banknotes from a money box and placed them in her hands. "Take this money and do as you please. If you run short, come to me."

Ye Qingyan took the token and the banknotes, shocked. Her father had granted her such immense power! This was not mere "freedom," but a privilege reserved for the legitimate daughters of the Ye family.

"Thank you, Father!" she bowed again, her tone sincere.

"Go on now," Ye Chengzong waved his hand, signaling her to leave.

Ye Qingyan retreated respectfully, and only when she was out of the study did she let out a long breath. She quickly found Chen Huai'an.

"Chen Huai'an, this time, I owe it all to your intelligence," Ye Qingyan thanked him sincerely.

Chen Huai'an merely glanced at her, a faint, sunny smile playing on his lips. "I only provided the blade," he said softly. "How that blade is used is the young mistress's own skill."

They exchanged a smile, the mutual understanding left unspoken.

Armed with the startup capital her father had provided, Ye Qingyan stepped out of the Ye estate and stood on the busiest street in the capital, Vermilion Bird Avenue. The crowds surged, carriages clattered, and the cries of vendors were constant. She gripped the stack of thick banknotes tightly, feeling their heavy weight.

"Your Majesty," she said to the system in her mind, "the inner-chamber struggles are too petty. It’s not fun at all!"

The system did not respond, but she knew it was listening.

Ye Qingyan’s gaze swept across the rows of shops, her eyes flashing with confidence. "Next, let me show you what it means to manage... capital."

Her business empire was about to begin.