Chapter 50: This Lady Here Arrives Right on Time

"Who is it?"
The door was knocked with a heavy thud.
Ye Qingyan lifted her eyes, full of vigilance.
Chen Huai'an's voice came from outside, carrying a hint of urgency.
"Qingyan, it's me."
Ye Qingyan didn't move, and the maid beside her went to open the door.
Chen Huai'an strode in, still carrying the dust and wind from outside.
His gaze landed straight on Ye Qingyan, looking her up and down.
"Are you alright?"
"I heard... you and your father..."
Ye Qingyan picked up her teacup and blew away the floating foam.
"I'm fine. Everyday quarrels contribute to family harmony."
Chen Huai'an walked to her side, wanting to reach out, but stopped himself.
He lowered his voice: "Are you going to turn against your father?"
Ye Qingyan nodded: "Yes. When forbearance reaches its limit, there is no need to forbear any longer."
Chen Huai'an's brow furrowed into a tight knot.
"He is extremely calculating. A young girl like you..."
Ye Qingyan put down the teacup and suddenly leaned close to him.
The distance between them narrowed instantly, their breaths tangling together.
She reached out a finger and gently tapped his Adam's apple, sliding it slowly downward.
"Lord Chen, are you showing concern for me, or questioning my ability?"
Chen Huai'an's body stiffened, and his Adam's apple bobbed.
"I..."
Ye Qingyan withdrew her hand, smiling like a cat that had stolen some cream.
"Rest assured, I know what I'm doing."
"I won't clash with him head-on."
"As for you, stop running over here all the time. Be careful lest someone sees you and accuses us of having illicit relations."
Having said that, she stopped looking at him and busied herself tidying up the blueprints on the table.
Chen Huai'an looked at her profile, and finally uttered only a few words.
"Exercise caution in all things."
...
Half a month later.
The first thing Ye Qingyan did caused an absolute uproar throughout the capital.
In the West City, there stood a mansion belonging to the previous dynasty's prince.
Its location was prime, and its grounds were vast.
Yet for a hundred years, no one had dared to touch it.
Because it was known as the capital's number one haunted house.
Legend had it that the former prince and his entire household had been executed here, their grievances soaring to the heavens, and weeping ghosts could be heard howling after nightfall.
Not a single person who went inside ever came out sane.
Yet today, this haunted house had been bought.
Purchased at three times its market value.
Three times!
All the onlookers and gossips in the capital went wild.
"Who is it? Is someone so foolish and wealthy that they're burning money for fun?"
"I heard it's an upstart country squire, surnamed Ye, and she's a young girl!"
"Has she lost her mind? Even throwing money into the water isn't done like this!"
"This girl must have something seriously wrong with her brain."
The news spread like wildfire, and Ye Qingyan's name echoed across the capital within a single day.
She became everyone's definition of a sucker and a prodigal daughter.
Faced with the howling storm of public opinion, Ye Qingyan herself remained utterly calm.
Right at the gates of the prince's mansion, in full view of everyone, she hung up a plaque.
Inscribed on the plaque in bold, sweeping calligraphy were three large characters—The Den of Iniquity.
She put her hands on her hips and announced to the surrounding crowd.

"That's right! This old lady bought this haunted house precisely to open the biggest gambling den in the entire capital!"
"There are ghosts? Perfect!"
"Let the ghosts come out and play a few rounds with us gentlemen, how thrilling!"
"Those with money, support me with your money! Those without, support me with your presence!"
"On opening day, all drinks are on the house, and any money lost is on me!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the entire crowd erupted in commotion.
Goodness gracious!
Where on earth did this chaotic demon king spring from?
Her reputation as a good-for-nothing wastrel was now cemented beyond a doubt.
Various factions in the capital, who had previously felt a sliver of vigilance toward this abruptly emerging Ye family daughter, now shared only the sentiment of watching a good comedy.
Just a fool, not worth fearing at all, not worth fearing!
...
Deep in the night, inside the mansion.
Ye Qingyan lay on a rocking chair in the courtyard, leisurely swaying.
In her mind, the system was frantically refreshing the screen.
[Warning! Warning! Traitorous aura detected!]
[Zhang Degui, the city gate captain, is corrupt, taking bribes and lining his own pockets. Take him down for Us!]
Ye Qingyan poked at her ear.
"Got it, got it."
[Li Mao, the Vice Minister of Revenue, has the look of a rat and a thief. He appears honest and upright, but is actually deeply corrupt. Investigate him for Us!]
Ye Qingyan rolled over.
"Received, received."
[And that Junior Minister of the Court of Judicial Review—just looking at his face shows he's no good, there's definitely something fishy going on!]
The system nagged endlessly like an old mother.
Ye Qingyan grew annoyed.
"Your Majesty, you are a tyrant system, not a neighborhood neighborhood-watch system. Can you focus on the main points?"
"Your tyrant intuition is almost catching up with AI facial recognition."
While grumbling out loud, she quietly took out a small notebook in her mind.
City Gate Captain Zhang Degui.
Vice Minister of Revenue Li Mao.
Junior Minister of the Court of Judicial Review...
Goodness, the system practically came with a built-in anti-corruption radar.
Everyone named by the system was a pivotal figure in the capital's power struggles.
Ye Qingyan pacified the system with bureaucratic nonsense like, "Your Majesty is wise, this concubine will handle it right away (and let it gather dust)," while meticulously jotting down every single name.
These would serve as her breakthroughs to infiltrate the inner circles of the capital.
...
The next day, the mansion began grand and boisterous renovations.
Under the guise of recruiting craftsmen and servants, Ye Qingyan widely distributed hero posts.
There was only one requirement: being in need of money.
The more desperate for money, the better.
Those with sick family members needing medical treatment, children unable to afford schooling, or burdened with crushing debts.
Given top priority.
For a time, a long queue formed in front of the mansion gates.
Ye Qingyan sat in the grand master's chair, conducting interviews personally.
"You, why did you come?"
A burly man fell to his knees: "This humble person's elderly mother is gravely ill and needs money to buy medicine!"
"Good, you're hired. Go to the accounting office to collect three months' wages and cure your mother first."
"And you?"
A woman sobbed tearfully: "My husband is a gambler who gambled away our entire livelihood, and my children are starving."
"Hired. Here is your wage. Also, tell your husband that my Den of Iniquity is opening, and he is welcome to come play. Any losses are on me, and any winnings are his."
The woman left expressing profuse gratitude.
Ye Qingyan's subordinates were baffled.
"Miss, what are you doing? Are you hiring people or running a charity?"
Ye Qingyan smiled.
"Naturally, I'm hiring people."
"Hiring people who can sell their lives to me."
"Loyalty bought with money is sometimes more reliable than anything else."
Within just a few days, her personnel were successfully planted across all walks of life in the capital.
A vast intelligence network was quietly established right under everyone's noses.
...
Ye Qingyan's high-profile actions soon attracted "guests."
The first to arrive were people from the Prince Duan's Estate.
A steward with a protruding belly and an oily face stepped forward.
"Miss Ye, our Prince heard that you are about to open, and specifically ordered me to deliver some modest gifts."
As the steward spoke, servants carried in several large chests.
Ye Qingyan played her part to the fullest, her eyes shining as if she had never seen the world before.
"Oh my, I am so embarrassed!"
Even as she said she was embarrassed, her hands were already caressing the gleaming gold ingots.
Seeing her behavior, the contempt in the steward's eyes deepened.
Ye Qingyan felt not a ripple of emotion internally, and was even slightly amused.
Activating the [Severing Ties and Affections] ability.
Information on the steward before her instantly became crystal clear.
[Prince Duan's Estate's moneybag, greedy, cowardly, exploitable.]
Just as they sent off the people from Prince Duan's Estate, people from the Crown Prince's Estate arrived.
The visitor was a scholarly retainer, refined in appearance, speaking with flawless tact.
"Miss Ye is a youthful talent whom His Highness the Crown Prince greatly admires. He specifically instructed me to come and cultivate your acquaintance."
Ye Qingyan switched to a lovestruck expression.
"Really? His Highness the Crown Prince knows of me? Oh my, I'm so excited!"
The retainer's mouth twitched slightly, though he maintained his smile.
Ye Qingyan's internal analysis initiated.
[Crown Prince's faction, outwardly righteous but ambitious underneath, deeply calculating, can be observed from the sidelines.]
She realized that the waters of this capital were even deeper than she had imagined.
Commercial networks were deeply intertwined with power blocs like the Crown Prince's faction and Prince Duan's faction.
For a minor household like hers to grab a share of the pie here was no different than snatching food from the jaws of a tiger.
These people were watching her make a fool of herself now, but once she truly opened the "Den of Iniquity" and threatened their interests, they would likely strike ruthlessly from the dark.
Danger lurked on all sides.
Yet it was also... thrilling!
Just as Ye Qingyan was pondering her next chess move, a servant delivered an invitation.
Gilded stationery, exceptionally ornate.
Opening it, the signature at the bottom read: Young Marquis Anle.
A well-known dissolute scoundrel in the capital, and the biological nephew of Prince Duan.
He invited her three days hence to attend a night banquet at the capital's largest auction house, "The House of Rare Treasures."
Ye Qingyan tapped her finger lightly against the characters "Anle."
A banquet at Hongmen?
Or a new patch of leeks ready for harvesting?
Whichever it was.
She would find out once she went.
"Reply to the post."
"Tell the young marquis that this young lady will arrive punctually."