Return Visit

quiet; everything she needed to deal with were some simple paperwork.Raising his eyebrows, Mo Xiuyao smiled oddly. "Not tired Well… how about another round then." With that said, he didn’t give Ye Li...56. Return Visit

The few maidservants following Ye Li saw their usually mild-tempered Miss storm off with a darkened face and could only look at each other in astonishment. The pavilion on the lake was too far from the shore for them to hear what exactly the王爺和王妃說了什麼。Qingxia asked uncertainly, "Could it be that the王爺is bullying the王妃" Qingfeng immediately frowned, "What Could it be that the王爺is bullying our Miss"

Qingluan and Qingyu helplessly held back the about-to-lose-her-tempers Qingfeng. The corner of Qingluan’s mouth twitched involuntarily; she had personally witnessed how capable the王妃was, easily knocking out a strong man without even catching her breath. Could the王爺in his wheelchair really bully the王妃 Qingyu thought for a moment and said, "Let's go ask Ah Jin later. He must know." Qingfeng turned up her nose, "He stayed by the shore like us; how could he know anything" Qingxia agreed, "From childhood, he followed the王爺and surely knows what made the王妃angry. Let’s hurry, the王妃has gone far."

Ye Li cursed Mo Xiurao in her mind as she hurried towards her courtyard. She must have been blind to think that guy was mild-tempered and even thought he was pure-hearted! That bastard had teased… no, joked with her! Jealousy! How could she be jealous over a man she barely knew At most, it was just being annoyed by his interest in her things.

"What's wrong, Lady" Returning to the courtyard, Aunt Wei welcomed them from inside and asked worriedly when she saw Ye Li’s gloomy face. Having been away from her foster daughter for a few years, Aunt Wei had showered all her care onto Ye Li; no one cared more about her feelings than Aunt Wei did. When asked like this by Aunt Wei, Ye Li felt somewhat embarrassed to admit that she had stormed off because Mo Xiurao joked with her. She hurriedly held onto Aunt Wei and said, "Nurse, didn’t you say you were going to rest If you keep following me around, your grandson won't even recognize you." Aunt Lin and the Weis followed Ye Li into the王府, where Ye Li placed their capable men in stores or farms as managers while keeping their womenfolk by her side. She tried not to let them serve her often, especially since Aunt Lin was quite old and following a young person around was no easy feat.

Aunt Wei looked at her sadly and said, "Miss has grown up; she doesn't want Nurse anymore"

"Nurse…" Ye Li felt a headache coming. Here we go again! But this time, it successfully shifted the topic away from earlier events. Pulling Aunt Wei inside, Ye Li spoke in soothing tones that made her smile.

"Lady, Ah Jin has come," Qingfeng said as she entered, still pouting from her quarrel outside with him.

"Let him in," Ye Li joked, "Who could have annoyed our little frost"

Qingfeng's face blushed; stomping her foot, she said, "Miss! It’s that damn Ah Jin again. He acts as if everyone owes him five hundred taels of silver." Sighing helplessly, Ye Li said, "Qingfeng, you're being unreasonable. Ah Jin just doesn't talk much; he's far from deserving the title of 'deadpan face'." Mo Jingli truly had a deadpan face, but Ah Jin at most was merely taciturn. His pale and cold face couldn’t even compare to her second brother’s.

Ah Jin entered with a box, his expressionless gaze sweeping across Qingfeng as if he hadn't heard anything. Realizing she had been caught red-handed, Qingfeng turned away bashfully. Ye Li inwardly smiled but looked at Ah Jin seriously and asked, "Ah Jin, what brings you here" After placing the box on the table and stepping back, he said haltingly, "The王爺sent me to deliver this. The王爺…said it wasn't intentional to annoy Lady; please don’t be offended." Ye Li smiled warmly as she looked at Ah Jin and asked, "Ah Jin, who taught you that last sentence"

Ah Jin's face flushed as he stared blankly at Ye Li, not knowing what to do. Both the王爺and王妃were intelligent; lying in front of them was always doomed to be exposed. Ah Jin silently noted this fact.

Ye Li added with a smile, "Your王爺certainly wouldn't say such things. Besides, I wasn’t angry. I accept your gift and you can go back now."

Ah Jin quietly left as Ye Li happily opened the box to find the portrait she had been thinking about. She was just wondering how to get it back when Mo Xiurao sent Ah Jin with it right away. Unfolding the painting on the table, Ye Li stared at the woman in the painting and sighed softly. Mo Xiurao’s voice echoed in her mind: "I think this is truly Aili."

"How beautiful…" Qingfeng exclaimed excitedly from beside her, "Miss, did the王爺paint this So pretty!"

Aunt Wei also nodded with satisfaction and said, "The王爺is really considerate towards Miss. It seems Great Master and Young Master indeed chose correctly. Haha...

Ye Li was speechless. Was an oil painting really that big of a deal

The day for her to visit her maiden family had arrived, and Ye Li could be described as having adapted well in the Prince Ding’s residence during those three days. Even Nurse Lin and Nurse Wei, who were initially anxious, had put their minds at ease. The only thing that upset them was that neither the prince nor the princess regent had consummated yet. But it wasn't just them who worried about this; even the Prince Ding's manor’s head nurse Sun Nanny also cared about it. Having grown up with Mo Xiuyao, she knew their lord’s temperament well and did not disapprove of the new princess consort. She even hinted to Nurse Lin and Wei that they would come up with a solution. The harmony in the Prince Ding Manor made them very respectful towards Miss Ye. Now that her mistress had returned from visiting her maiden family, what else could two nurses be unsatisfied about Therefore, their faces were as bright as flowers during this visit.

The welcoming ceremony at the Ye Family was also extremely grand. Not only did Secretary of State Ye and Lady Wang bring along Ye Shan, Ye Lin, and Ye Rong, but even Ye Zhen and Ye Ying, who had already married off, returned with their husbands. Although it didn't surprise Ye Li that Ye Ying came back to make a fuss, she was intrigued by the fact that Ye Zhen, the side consort of the Southern Marquis's heir, could bring her husband along.

The room where Ye Li used to live still remained as it was. The sisters sat around a stone table in the courtyard of Qingyi Pavilion and started chatting. Ye Zhen looked at the maids standing by, then glanced at Ye Li who wore a light purple robe, pearl tassels in her hair, pearls dangling from her ears, and an exquisite lotus-patterned warm jade bracelet on her wrist. She appeared serene with a gentle smile on her lips, exuding a regal air that she hadn't had before. Unable to help herself, Ye Zhen sighed softly, "It looks like Third Sister has been very comfortable in the Prince Ding's residence" Ye Li smiled and said, "Thank you for your concern. Everything is fine."

Ye Shan pulled at Ye Li incessantly with questions such as how big the Prince Ding’s residence was, what it looked like, who lived there, and whether they got along well. Ye Li wasn't in a hurry to answer all of them; she only answered some after Ye Shan had asked enough. When she didn't get an answer from Ye Li, Ye Shan tried opening her mouth to ask more questions but was pulled back by Ye Lin sitting next to her. She could only close her mouth in disappointment.

"I heard that there's also a former princess consort and a secondary dowager concubine in the Prince Ding’s residence. Has Third Sister met them" Ye Shan kept asking, leaving Ye Ying with little chance to speak. She stared at Ye Li and asked.

Ye Li was surprised by this question and frowned slightly. "Is Little Sister not feeling well recently" Without much time having passed since they last saw each other, Ye Ying had changed a lot. She seemed thinner and weaker than before. Although she used to be weak when at the Ye Family, Lady Wang did quite a good job in taking care of her: her face always had a rosy glow. But now that it was gone, everything about her looked duller. Even though she applied rouge on her cheeks, it couldn't compare with her natural beauty before. Ye Ying’s gaze shifted slightly and she lowered her eyes indifferently, "Thank you for your concern. I’m just feeling a bit tired."

Ye Li sighed inwardly. Ye Ying had really changed quite a lot; clearly Empress Dowager Xianzhao had extraordinary abilities that Lady Old Mother could not reach. “When you're tired, rest more. In any case, health comes first. Without good health, there’s nothing else,” Ye Li said gently before answering Ye Ying's question: "My aunt-in-law is a long-term Buddhist and I will only visit her after returning home. As for the secondary dowager concubine…" Remembering the eccentric secondary dowager concubine in the residence, even Ye Li couldn't help but frown slightly and said coolly, “The prince’s side consort doesn’t need to meet frequently.”

Ye Shan called out, "That means that there are only Third Sister and Prince Ding as main members of the household" As soon as these words were spoken, not just Ye Shan, Ye Zhen, or Ye Lin but even Ye Ying couldn't help revealing a touch of envy. With no elders overseeing things at home, no brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces, nor nephews to deal with, it was every newlywed’s dream. But after thinking about Mo Xiuyao's situation, Ye Ying felt that she had regained some balance. Compared to being ridiculed and pitied when walking outside, enduring a few grievances at home could be endured.

"It looks like Third Sister is very lucky to have such good relations with Prince Ding," said Ye Zhen with a sigh.

Ye Ying didn’t quite believe this and asked suspiciously, "Is the Prince really that pleasant in temperament I heard people say that those who are physically disabled usually have odd temperaments." Ye Li frowned slightly before saying, “Prince isn't hard to get along with.” She didn't know if he was a good-tempered person or not, but they were getting along well currently. Ye Ying knew that Ye Li wasn’t very happy about her words, but she had never been used to bowing down to Ye Li, making the atmosphere tense for a moment. Looking at the two of them, Ye Zhen shifted the topic by saying, "The palace will hold an banquet in a few days to see off diplomats from various countries. Have Third Sister and Fourth Sister received invitations"

Ye Li shook her head and said, “Not yet.”

Ye Lin smiled and said, “These diplomats came here for the celebration of Princess Consort and Prince Ding’s wedding. Even if others don’t attend, Prince Ding and Third Sister definitely will have to. But how come First Sister knows about this faster than us" Ye Zhen laughed and explained, "His Imperial Majesty entrusted our family's heir with organizing these banquets; naturally, I knew about them first." At that, Ye Shan’s eyes lit up and she asked, “So are you going to the palace” Ye Zhen shyly nodded her head but still looked happy as she replied, “The heir said he would bring me along this time.” She then gave a grateful look at Ye Li, obviously recognizing that the Southern Marquis' heir had decided to invite her to join in the banquet because she was now Prince Ding’s sister. Even though she was just a side consort, Ye Zhen felt more confident standing firm in the marquis family since even a first wife couldn’t have two sisters as princess consorts and one as an imperial concubine.

"Humph, even if First Sister can go to the palace, you definitely won't be able to," sneered Ye Ying at Ye Shan. The latter immediately blushed, stuttering, “Fourth Sister, I didn’t mean it like that." Without looking at her, Ye Ying coldly said, "Who has time to care what you think Some people just can’t see their own status."

"You…" Ye Shan’s eyes reddened with tears welling up. She could only run out of the room. What Ye Ying said was too harsh and even Ye Lin felt uneasy hearing it, so she followed after Ye Shan as soon as the latter left.

Ye Zhen looked at Ye Li in confusion before looking at Ye Zhen. With a sigh, she softly said, "Fourth Sister, don’t take your bad mood out on Little Sister." Clenching her handkerchief tightly, Ye Ying sneered and said to the elder sister, “Do you think I’m happy Ask Third Sister if she’s truly fine.”

"Servant has come to see Three Misses. Lady Old Mother requests Princess Consort's presence," a servant girl from Rongle Hall announced.

Ye Ying glanced at Ye Li and sneered, "If Third Sister wants to know what happened to me, she can go over and find out."

Shaking her head, Ye Li stood up and looked at Ye Ying. “Fourth Sister, it’s fine for you to act like this at home, but now that you’re married, do you think the Lady still has time to protect you"

The expression on Ye Ying's face darkened as she turned her head away without saying anything. Ye Li didn’t force the issue either, since although they were blood-related sisters, her relationship with them wasn't nearly as close as it was with her cousins or even some of her Xu Family’s uncles. If her words could make a difference, she would try to persuade them; if not, there was nothing more she could do.

When she arrived at Rongle Hall, Madam Ye was sitting in the flower parlor dressed festively. Upon seeing Ye Li come in, she immediately broke into a smile and said, "Come here, let your grandmother take a look..."

Ye Li walked over to sit beside Old Lady Ye. After sizing her up, Old Lady Ye nodded with satisfaction and asked, "How have you been adapting at Prince Ding's residence these past few days Are the servants there easy to manage Has anyone tried to make things difficult for you" Smiling, Ye Li replied, "Grandmother needn’t worry about me. I am doing well. The servants in the palace are very respectful." Old Lady Ye nodded repeatedly and said, "That’s good then, that’s good. So how are you getting along with His Highness…" Ye Li said, "His Highness is also quite easy to get along with." Old Lady Ye was somewhat hesitant but looked at Ye Li before asking, "I mean… have you and His Highness decided when you plan on having a child He’s not young anymore..." Embarrassed, Ye Li realized that Old Lady Ye had been pondering for a long while whether they had consummated their marriage. Old Lady Ye stared at her sternly and said, "Don’t lie to your grandmother. If I can’t see it even with my own eyes after all these years then I really would have lived in vain. Are you and His Highness still not intimate" It was obvious that this granddaughter of hers was different from the others and so she quickly stopped beating around the bush and asked directly.

She could actually see through it Ye Li thought for a moment before calmly saying, "Grandmother needn’t worry. My husband and I both feel we are still too unfamiliar with each other to rush into having children just yet. In addition, our relationship is currently very harmonious so there’s no hurry."

Old Lady Ye shook her head in the privacy of her mind as she looked at Ye Li’s calm demeanor. "Then… who manages the affairs at Prince Ding's residence"

"Outward matters are naturally managed by His Highness, and I will handle the internal affairs once I return," replied Ye Li.

Old Lady Ye was slightly relieved. At least this granddaughter of hers knew to grasp control over the prince’s residence. Old Lady Ye found it quite exasperating that her two granddaughters were so different from each other: while Ye Ying seemed intelligent, she was actually rather brainless and had not seized power in Prince Li’s residence but instead fought endlessly with his concubines until she became a shrewish wife. In comparison, the inconspicuous Ye Li seemed much more clever. The attitude of the servants that had followed her from Prince Ding’s residence clearly indicated how well off she was there. However, it also made her feel that Ye Li did not care about His Highness.

“Ye Li, tell your grandmother honestly: is it because… because of Prince Ding’s legs that you…” Old Lady Ye dismissed the attendants around them and asked in a low voice.

Ye Li was speechless. To her grandmother, this confirmed her suspicions. Old Lady Ye sighed and said, "Poor child, I know your life has been hard… but now that things have come to this, what can you do Even if you are Prince Ding’s wife, you still need to be close to His Highness. What is most important is to give birth to a child; once you have a son or daughter no one will touch your position as his wife. Do you understand Does His Highness have any concubines" Ye Li shook her head and Old Lady Ye smiled even more brightly and said, "It looks like he values you very much then. It’s good that he doesn’t have any concubines yet; once you give birth to a child for him…." Seeing the difficult look on her grandmother’s face, Ye Li thought about it for quite some time before finally understanding Old Lady Ye’s meaning. She realized that her grandmother was telling her that even if she did not like Mo Xiuyao being disabled, she still needed to have his child first. Once she had a child and could no longer stand him, she could give him away to another woman. As long as she gave birth to an heir, she would be safe regardless of what happened.

How did she not even doubt Mo Xiuyao’s ability Ye Li thought with some amusement.

"Thank you for your teachings, grandmother. I understand everything," said Ye Li quickly in order to stop her grandmother from continuing her advice.

Old Lady Ye was very satisfied by how receptive she had been and nodded. "You’re a good girl, I always knew that you were more sensible than Ying Er. Originally I shouldn’t have brought this up today when you returned home after your wedding, but since you’ll be busy as Prince Ding’s wife in the future and won’t come back often, I thought I should tell you now. In the coming days if you’re not too busy, why don’t you bring your younger sisters to his residence They could keep you company."

Ye Li frowned slightly at this. Old Lady Ye said, "Shan Er and Lin Er are both good girls. You’ve grown up together with them since childhood. If they can… it would be a great help for you and Ying Er too. What I mean is that Lin Er is more stable; it would be better if she could accompany Ying Er to Prince Li’s residence. Shan Er, however, has a lively personality which suits your temperament well. How do you think of this"

How do I feel about this Ye Li was tempted to lose her temper. Wasn’t the old lady being too presumptuous here She even seemed to have planned out everything ahead of time, with one sister-in-law for Prince Li and one for Prince Ding! It wasn’t surprising that Ye Ying’s face had turned so ugly; she already struggled enough in Prince Li’s residence against his concubines, only to be sent more sisters from her family to make trouble. Clearing her throat, Ye Li straightened up and smiled. "Grandmother, isn’t it a bit premature to talk about this now My husband and I haven’t… how would he feel if we bring my younger sisters into the residence"

Old Lady Ye laughed and said, "I didn’t say you should do so right away either. Shan Er is still young anyway; it won’t matter if we wait another year or two. As long as you have a plan in mind."

Ye Li twisted her lips slightly and asked, "Though my younger sisters are illegitimate daughters, our family’s status is not low. It would be too much to make them concubines of the prince."

Old Lady Ye waved dismissively and said, "The parents decide on marriage matters; what can they complain about Being a concubine in the prince’s residence is more prestigious than being married off to some petty official or son of an illegitimate daughter. Don’t worry too much about them, Shan Er and Lin Er are both obedient girls who won’t have any objections."

I do object, though. Ye Li thought for a moment before saying with hesitation, "I understand what grandmother and father mean but… Our other daughters have either joined the palace or become wives of princes. This is not good for my second sister in the palace. Have you discussed this matter with father" In reality, Ye Li knew very well why Old Lady Ye was so concerned; it all had to do with the imperial bloodline still within the womb of the emperor who didn’t even know whether he would give birth to a male or female child. It made no difference if she joined Prince Ding’s residence now or remained unmarried: Ye Li had never planned on following her mother-in-law’s whimsical plans. She did not understand how Secretary Ye, with so much experience in court politics, could actually endorse a plan proposed by an old lady who stayed at home.

Mrs. Ye was taken aback and squinted her old eyes to examine Ye Li before saying, "What do you mean by that"

Ye Li smiled faintly and said, "I am also a daughter of the Ye family. If Second Senior Sister is well off, then I must be doing fine too. However... Grandmother should not only care about the two royal households. You need to know... The King does not usually concern himself with matters of fact, but the support of officials in court is equally important."

"This..."

Ye Li smiled indifferently and said, "As for Fourth Younger Sister's place, I don't know about that. But regarding the Prince Ding royal household, Grandmother should feel at ease knowing that I do not need any assistance to manage it."

Mrs. Ye pondered for a moment before realizing that what Ye Li said was reasonable. Even if Ye Li was confident in her ability to control the Prince Ding royal household, there would be no need for the Ye family to send another daughter into the household. But even if she did not want to do so and they forced one of them to go, it could lead to conflict between sisters which would look bad. Moreover, from Mrs. Ye's perspective, both Ye Shan and Ye Lin were clearly no match for Ye Li. Once she realized this, Mrs. Ye stopped insisting and smiled, saying, "What you said makes sense; it was I who didn't consider things thoroughly. You can pretend as if I never mentioned it." Although the Prince Ding royal household had a prominent reputation, none of the previous Prince Dings had ever involved themselves in royal affairs. In this regard, the role of the Prince Ding royal household seemed to be less significant than that of the Prince Li royal household.

"Yes, Grandmother didn't say anything and I heard nothing," Ye Li replied softly. It was best to dispel Mrs. Ye's thoughts because the Prince Ding royal household would be her home in the future, and she did not want any presence there that made her feel uncomfortable.

After spending some time with Mrs. Ye, servants came to invite them for a meal. Since it was a family banquet, there were no outsiders present. Only Mrs. Ye, Minister Ye and Madam Wang, Mo Jingli and Ye Ying as a couple, Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li, along with the Southern Marquess's heir, Fu Zhao, attended the gathering. At the dining table, Ye Li could clearly feel cold glances occasionally sweeping over her. Without even looking up, she could guess who it was. Ye Ying was eagerly serving food for Mo Jingli as he continued to stare at Ye Li while still wearing an expression that suggested others owed him thousands of taels and refused to pay back the debt. Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li ate leisurely and occasionally served each other their favorite dishes. Fu Zhao looked contemplative, glancing around and drinking his wine nonchalantly. It was Minister Ye who seemed somewhat embarrassed and awkward; he tried his best to make the banquet atmosphere harmonious but found that none of his three sons-in-law were easy to please. Except for the Southern Marquess’s heir, Mo Xiuyao wasn't too difficult to get along with either. Mo Jingli's face plainly indicated his displeasure.

"Ahem, Your Royal Highness, it has been a few years since we last met. I offer you this cup of wine," Finally, Fu Zhao broke the awkward atmosphere by standing up and offering a toast to Mo Xiuyao, "Also for your Consort, may Your Royal Highness and Consort enjoy eternal happiness."

Mo Xiuyao raised his glass and smiled gently as he said, "I appreciate your good wishes. I was unable to attend your wedding to offer my congratulations; please forgive me," before downing the wine Fu Zhao offered him. The smile on Fu Zhao's face became more sincere as he said, "It’s fine. We’ve known each other since childhood and are now relatives too. My mother also asked me to invite Consort to visit the Marquessate when she has time." This Southern Marquess's heir was clearly skilled at socializing; everyone in the capital knew that even though he hadn't yet inherited his title, it was actually the Marquess’s consort who ran the household now. At this moment, however, he didn’t mention his wife but referred to Lady Marquess instead.

Ye Li raised her glass and smiled as she replied, "The heir wrote a letter on my behalf to Lady Marquess."

Ye Li raised her glass again with a smile. "He wrote for me about the Southern Marquess’s wife."

Mo Jingli observed the lively group before him and snorted as he stood up, saying, "Since Fu Zhao has offered wine to Mo Xiuyao, I will also offer you one glass of wine."

Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow with a faint smile on his face and said, "I haven't had the chance to drink with Jingli in some time. Shall we also toast your Consort Li"

Mo Jingli snorted and waved away the servant girl who was about to pour him wine, then personally poured himself and Mo Xiuyao each a cup of wine before downing it in one gulp and staring provocatively at Mo Xiuyao’s glass. Mo Xiuyao smiled but did not speak as he drank his wine.

"More!" Mo Jingli raised the wine pot to refill their glasses, and the two men proceeded to drink competitively on the table.

—— Excerpt ——

Breath~ That's it for today. The rest will be added to tomorrow’s chapter~ You can't afford the cost of shopping! inside. Compared to other women's screams during childbirth, Ye Li’s wasn't frightening. But those who were waiting weren’t just Mo Xiuyao; even Xu Qingfeng and Xu Qinzhe had pale faces.Usually misch...