Imperial Capital 46. Tragic Newlywed Life

"Prince Li and Princess Li are here too? I have met the prince and princess." Old Duke Hua glanced at everyone in the hall, pausing briefly on Ye Li before greeting Mo Jingli and Ye Ying.

Mo Jingli nodded, turned his gaze away from Mo Xiuyao who followed in behind Duke Hua, and frowned, "What is this, old Duke?"

Duke Hua stroked his white beard and smiled proudly, "I am here to be a matchmaker for Xiu Yao and propose marriage. Old Madam Ye, come and take a look at the betrothal gifts. Is there anything that the Ye family is not satisfied with? Third Miss, come and take a look. If there is anything missing, we will immediately ask someone to make up for it." Old Madam Ye had only glanced at the betrothal gift list once, so she dared not be dissatisfied. She smiled and said, "The old Duke and Mr. Su did it personally, so there is no way there would be any mistakes." She handed the list to Ye Li, who just glanced at it casually, turned around and handed it to Qingluan beside her, smiling and saying, "Thanks to Duke and Mr. Su."

Duke Hua looked at Ye Li, then turned around and nodded to Mo Xiuyao and said with a smile: "The Ye family really knows how to teach young ladies. Xiuyao is so lucky."

Mo Xiuyao glanced at Ye Li and smiled without saying anything.

Su Zhe also smiled in agreement and said, "The old Duke is right. The Third Miss is outstanding in poetry, calligraphy and painting among the beauties in the capital. The Ye family has good family education."

After another round of praise and humility, Madam Hua sent the two brides-to-be out on the grounds that they should cultivate their relationship before marriage. Standing outside Lerong Hall, Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao couldn't help but look at each other and finally smiled.

"Let me do it." Ye Li walked behind Mo Xiuyao and took over A Jin's position. A Jin hesitated for a moment and did not let go immediately. Mo Xiuyao raised his hand and said, "A Jin, you can leave first." The young man looked at Ye Li with a hint of surprise on his face, and then a little more respect that was not there before. He respectfully handed the wheelchair to Ye Li, turned around and disappeared in front of the two people.

Ye Li slowly pushed the wheelchair along the flat path towards the garden. Mo Xiuyao tilted his head slightly and said softly, "If you are tired, you can stop. Actually... I can do it myself."

"I know, but you should also know that I'm not a weak lady from a wealthy family." Ye Li smiled. The wheelchair was obviously carefully made, and it didn't take too much effort to push it. Ye Li also absolutely believed that even if no one pushed the wheelchair, Mo Xiuyao would be able to move freely, otherwise he would never send his confidant away. After hearing what Ye Li said, Mo Xiuyao seemed to remember something and coughed lightly, then laughed softly, "Be careful recently. Jing Li's other problems are easy to deal with, but he loves to hold grudges. You can say that he will never let it go. He has suffered several setbacks at your hands recently, and he will not let it go."

Ye Li nodded and said helplessly: "I still don't understand how I offended him."

Mo Xiuyao smiled lightly with some sarcasm in his eyes, "If you were more down and out, lost, or even trying to commit suicide after being broken off, he probably wouldn't do anything to you. He might even compensate you for some reason." Ye Li was speechless, "So, the reason why he treated me like that was because I didn't perform as well as he wanted?"

“It’s obvious.”

“……”You really deserve a beating!

Ye Li stopped at the stone table beside the lotus pond and said with a smile, "Let's rest here for a while." It was the weather in early May, and the lotus pond was only green, which made people feel refreshed and pleasant. The maids who followed from a distance cleverly served tea and snacks and immediately left, leaving only Qingshuang and a few others standing not far away waiting for orders. Mo Xiuyao smiled and said, "The people around you are all very good. Is that girl the one outside the city that night? Her kung fu is not bad."

Ye Li looked back at Qingluan who was talking to Qingshuang, and said a little embarrassedly: "Qingluan and Qingyu both came here with my uncle. Only Qingshuang has been following me." She did not explain in detail which one was Qingyu and which one was Qingshuang. I believe Mo Xiuyao knows the general situation of the people around her. Mo Xiuyao smiled and said: "So you are from the Xu family, no wonder. Ah Li has a good eye. This way, I don't have to worry when I go to Dingwang Mansion in the future."

Ye Li frowned, "Are you not telling me about the future affairs of Dingguo Palace?" She has no problem managing a group of special forces with extraordinary skills, and she can even manage a regiment of soldiers. But she is still a little scared to manage the affairs and industries of a palace, even with the learning and practice these days. Ye Li's tangled expression obviously pleased Mo Xiuyao, and the smile in her eyes became even more, and she said: "You are the future mistress of Dingguo Palace. I tell you about the palace's affairs in advance so that you won't be in a hurry. Is there anything wrong with that?"

"No." Ye Li shook her head. She still understood the principle that one should govern the palace. "I hope I won't mess up the palace."

"I have confidence in A'li." Mo Xiuyao said with a smile.

Ye Li raised her eyebrows helplessly, "For your confidence, I don't seem to have any reason to refuse." In her heart, Ye Li liked this feeling very much. In fact, she and Mo Xiuyao didn't get along like an engaged couple, but more like friends. They both understood each other's thoughts and knew each other's bottom line. Maybe they didn't have a deep relationship now, but they were more comfortable with each other than a real engaged couple. Maybe they could only have the relationship of friends for the rest of their lives, or maybe one day they would become each other's family, but who could say what the future would be like? But we can look forward to it, right?

"My current situation is not suitable for visiting Mr. Xu and Lord Xu. I hope the two elders will not mind." Mo Xiuyao put the teacup in his hand on the table and looked at Ye Li apologetically.

"My uncle already knows the current situation of Prince Dingguo's Palace, and they are not the kind of people who care about false courtesy. But... my brother seemed to say that he had been to Prince Dingguo's Palace last time?" Ye Li looked at him curiously, and was really curious in her heart how a gentle and elegant gentleman like Xu Qingchen would express his criticism and dissatisfaction with his future brother-in-law.

Mo Xiuyao gave a helpless and faintly bitter smile, "It's been many years since we last met, but Master Xu's demeanor is still as enviable as ever."

"I've met Prince Li and Princess Li." At an intersection not far away, Qingluan and Qingshuang both blocked the road.

Mo Jingli sneered, "Why? I can't take this road?"

Qingluan and Qingshuang looked at each other. This path only led to the lotus pond. There was no other way ahead. Prince Li clearly saw his young lady and Prince Ding here, but he still insisted on going forward. Wasn't that looking for trouble? Qingshuang was about to speak when Mo Xiuyao said, "Please ask Prince Li and Princess Li to come over." The two bowed their heads and said respectfully, "Prince, Princess, please come over."

Mo Jingli snorted coldly and walked quickly towards the couple sitting quietly by the lotus pond. Ye Ying followed behind him, biting the corner of her lip with resentment.

Mo Jingli stood beside the table, looking down at Ye Li. Ye Li frowned, very unhappy with Mo Jingli's reckless look.

"Jingli, sit down." Mo Xiuyao said calmly, while extending his hand to Ye Li. Ye Li cooperated very well and held his hand, stood up and sat next to Mo Xiuyao, leaving the opposite seat to Mo Jingli and Ye Ying. Mo Jingli sat down without saying a word, and Ye Ying walked up to the three people with a slight breath. Obviously, Mo Jingli's reckless pace was not something that a woman with a delicate body like Ye Ying could keep up with.

"Third sister, Prince Ding." Ye Ying said softly.

Ye Li nodded and smiled, "Fourth sister, please sit down. How have you been these days?"

Ye Ying lowered her eyes slightly and said softly, "Thank you for your concern, Third Sister. I am fine."

Ye Li nodded, and seeing Ye Ying said so, she stopped asking. Although Ye Ying's appearance really didn't show that everything was fine, she didn't really care about her. If Ye Ying really complained to her, she wouldn't know what to do. Mo Jingli snorted and said, "Ying'er is of course fine, but I wonder how Li'er is these days?" Ye Li raised her eyebrows, glanced at Mo Xiuyao, and then smiled and said, "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. Apart from being a little busy these days, everything is fine."

Mo Jingli's face turned cold, and he stared at Ye Li gloomily for a long time before he said to Mo Xiuyao, "I have something to talk to Miss Ye San alone."

Ye Li couldn't help but find it funny in her heart. In fact, she discovered from the first time she met Mo Xiuyao that Mo Jingli especially liked to put on airs in front of Mo Xiuyao. For example, when Mo Xiuyao was present, Mo Jingli would definitely like to look at people with his chin up and contempt more than usual. In fact, Ye Li really wanted to tell him that most of the time when Mo Xiuyao was sitting in a wheelchair, she could see his nostrils. So Mo Xiuyao rarely looked up at him. In addition, whenever he talked to Mo Xiuyao, he would definitely use the self-proclaimed title of "This King". As if speaking like this would make him superior to others. In fact, everyone knows that although Mo Jingli is the son of the previous emperor and the younger brother of the present. Unless he kills his brother and becomes the emperor himself, his title in this life will be below the super first-class Prince Dingguo.

"Ying'er will take her leave first. Your Highness and sister can chat slowly." Ye Ying stood up first to respond to Mo Jingli's words, although the look in her eyes when she looked at Ye Li was full of resentment. Seeing Ye Ying leaving with a look of reluctance and unwillingness, Ye Li sighed in her heart. In just two or three days, has Ye Ying changed from a proud daughter of a noble family to a resentful wife of a wealthy family? In this way, Mo Jingli may not like Ye Ying as much as the legend says. If so, why did Mo Jingli go against the will of the late emperor and marry Ye Ying? Was it really just a momentary impulse?

"Mo Xiuyao!" Seeing that Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li were both indifferent to his words, Mo Jingli growled angrily.

"Jingli, you really need to learn some rules!" Mo Xiuyao stared at Mo Jingli's gloomy face calmly. An invisible pressure made Mo Jingli pause. "Did the emperor allow you to talk to me like this? Huh?" Compared with Mo Jingli's gloomy and cold face, Mo Xiuyao's indifferent expression was many times more friendly even with a half mask on. But even so, Mo Jingli was still angry to find that he actually had a little secret fear of the man in front of him. This made him angry and ashamed, and even more unbelievable. His last impression of Mo Xiuyao was eight or nine years ago. At that time, their identities and situations were very similar. They were born in the most noble family of Da Chu, and they both had an elder brother. His brother was the emperor, and Mo Xiuyao's brother was Prince Dingguo. They don't need to inherit the title, have no burden, and can live a life of luxury even if they just eat and drink for free. Except that Mo Xiuyao is better than him in everything! So he disliked Mo Xiuyao since he was a child. When he was studying hard to get praise from his father, Mo Xiuyao had already won the praise of everyone including his father. When he was secretly proud of his superb martial arts, Mo Xiuyao had already conquered the battlefield and added more glory to the reputation of the undefeated god of war of the Dingguo Palace. When he was a teenager, he hated Mo Xiuyao, but he was not afraid of him. If he didn't like him, he would fight him. It didn't matter if he lost, because he would win one day. But... he never imagined that after he had classified him as waste for eight years, he - would actually be afraid of him!

What a shame and humiliation!

"Your Highness Prince Li." Ye Li frowned as she looked at Mo Jingli's sinister and vicious expression. She had no doubt that if it was another place or another person, Mo Jingli would have torn the person in front of him to pieces by now. "Your Highness, just tell me what you want to say. There is nothing unspeakable between Xiu Yao and me."

"Is there anything that cannot be said?" Mo Jingli quickly calmed down and put on a mocking look, "Ye Li, are you sure?"

Ye Li looked at him in confusion, but Mo Jingli apparently thought he had caught Ye Li's pigtail, "So do you want to talk about what happened the night before and on the day of my wedding?"

Ye Li looked at him with some sympathy. This guy definitely didn't know that he would faint on the day of his wedding in such an embarrassing way. Mo Xiuyao had played a role in that. "On the day of your wedding? Your Highness, are you saying that you fainted on the spot and delayed the wedding ceremony? At this moment... Ye Li expresses deep regret." And sympathy.

"Ye Li!" Mo Jingli glared at the innocent and sympathetic woman opposite him with gnashing teeth, "Is it not because of your wishes that I cannot marry?"

Ye Li was at a loss, "Prince, what do you mean by this? Although Ye Li and Fourth Sister are not happy with each other, she is not so vicious as to hope that she will not be married. How can I...how can I face Fourth Sister again when you slander Ye Li like this?" Want to frame her and let Mo Xiuyao misunderstand? Mo Jingli's level is obviously not enough. Ye Li stared at Mo Jingli stubbornly with a slight grievance. She perfectly played the role of a wrongly accused rich lady.

Mo Xiuyao, who was originally planning to speak up to help Ye Li out, looked at the beautiful girl in front of him leisurely. Even he couldn't help but applaud her wonderful performance. It seemed that Ye Li really didn't need him to give her any advice. She could handle most things better than he expected. He lowered his eyebrows and thought for a while. Just when Mo Jingli was about to get angry again, Mo Xiuyao spoke up: "Ali, you don't have to be like this. No matter what others say, I still believe in Ali."

Ye Li lowered her eyes and said softly, "It's great that Xiu Yao can trust me. Otherwise... I really don't know what to do."

"Ye Li, you're great!" Mo Jingli finally said this and rushed away like a gust of wind.

Ye Li shrugged helplessly and sighed. If you offend Mo Jingli a little, he will bear a grudge to death. Unless you are willing to trample yourself into the mud and send yourself to him to apologize and let him humiliate you, it is enough. Ordinary concessions are definitely not enough. But this man has extremely powerful backers, the current emperor and the current queen mother. "I seem to have made enemies for you?"

"No, he and I have never been friendly." Mo Xiuyao said calmly.

Ye Li blinked, "Can you tell me about it?"

"When I was young, he hid my homework, which caused me to be beaten by my father. I responded by giving him a beating from the late emperor. When I was a teenager, he suspected that I seduced his sweetheart, so he had someone put drugs in my wine at a banquet, and he ended up drinking the wine himself. Once, during a martial arts competition, I accidentally kicked him off the stage, and the next day, I was beaten by a dozen palace masters. Ten days later, Feng Zhiyao and I hung him on a big willow tree in the capital. Well...his sweetheart happened to see him."

"As expected... the hatred is as deep as the sea." Ye Li was speechless. Although she had heard people talk about how energetic Mo Xiuyao was when he was young, looking at the gentle and quiet man now, Ye Li still found it hard to imagine that Mo Xiuyao was also a mischievous and mischievous boy.

"Feng Zhiyao told me that on the wedding day, he picked up the unconscious Prince Li behind the rockery in the garden of Prince Li's mansion." Now that there were no more troublemakers, Mo Xiuyao looked at Ye Li with a smile.

Ye Li smiled innocently, "It seems that Mo Jingli has offended many people." She can absolutely guarantee that no one saw her attacking Mo Jingli, even Feng Zhiyao should have just guessed it. Mo Xiuyao's eyes flashed with a smile, and he nodded, "That's true. However... Although Jingli has always been stupid, the two people in the palace and Concubine Xianzhao are not stupid. So..."

Ye Li nodded seriously, "I understand." The two in the palace and Concubine Xian Zhao were killed in the blood of the dozens of concubines and dozens of sons of the previous emperor. Naturally, they are not comparable to Mo Jingli, the prince who is too well protected. It is definitely harmful to attract their attention too much. Thinking about it, Ye Li said, "I'm just afraid... I have been targeted."

Mo Xiuyao glanced thoughtfully at the maids standing not far away, nodded slightly and said: "No matter who it is, they will not be at ease. It's not against you, but you are more likely to attract their attention. Before the wedding, the palace should find an excuse to summon you once. Then... bring your maid named Qingyu." Ye Li looked at him in confusion, and Mo Xiuyao explained softly: "Master Xu told me that the girl seems to have good medical skills."

Ye Li understood, raised her hand and touched her forehead lightly, feeling a headache. Mo Xiuyao poured her a cup of hot tea with a smile, and said, "Headache?"

Ye Li nodded honestly, "I think it's probably because I'm not good at this." These intrigues and calculations are really a headache. Don't these people know how tired they are?

"Sorry." Mo Xiuyao looked at her indifferently.

Ye Li waved her hands and said nonchalantly, "I guess even if the emperor doesn't marry me to you, he will marry me to someone he doesn't like." The Xu family's background is too special, and the emperor would not be willing to marry her to anyone. Just like the several sons of the Xu family, Xu Qingchen is already 22 years old, and he has neither married nor engaged, but the emperor has never considered arranging a marriage for him. She even suspected that the emperor hoped that Xu Qingchen would never get married in his life, and even if he did get married, it would be best for him to marry a girl from a family like Xu Qingze who only has a reputation but no rights. Otherwise, he would marry a princess. Thinking of this, Ye Li raised her head and asked, "Are there any unmarried princesses in the palace now?"

Mo Xiuyao nodded and said, "The late emperor's youngest princess, Princess Linlang, and the current emperor's eldest princess, Princess Fangfei, are both twelve years old this year. Why?"

Ye Li shook her head, hoping that she was overthinking. It was unlikely that Xu Qingchen would marry a twelve-year-old girl. But there were still Xu Qingbai and Xu Qingyan...

As soon as he saw Ye Li's expression, Mo Xiuyao guessed what she was thinking. He nodded and said, "The emperor and even the previous emperor did hint that they wanted to marry the princess to Xu Qingchen, but Mr. Qingyun refused." The Xu family's refusal to marry a royal woman is a unique example among the wealthy families in Da Chu. You know, although marrying a princess means that you will no longer have any connection with the court and power, and can only live a life of luxury with the empty title of a consort. This is definitely a nightmare for ambitious and aristocratic children. However, many wealthy and powerful families are still willing to let their second sons who have no inheritance rights marry a princess. After all, this means that the family's bloodline will be integrated with the royal family from now on, which means the emperor's favor and honor. However, in the history of the Xu family, which had been passed down for hundreds of years through two dynasties, at least five of them refused to marry the princess. A hundred years ago, the head of the Xu family even established a family rule that no Xu family member could marry into the royal family, even if they were a concubine. Therefore, the royal family no longer bothered to bring up the idea of ​​marrying the princess to the Xu family.

"The palace should already know that my uncle and his companions are coming to Beijing," Ye Li asked.

Mo Xiuyao nodded and said, "Although he said he came to the capital privately, Mr. Hongyu did not deliberately hide his whereabouts. If this matter is really investigated, it cannot be hidden. Minister Ye is sincere and loyal to the present. Hiding it will only arouse suspicion."

Ye Li smiled and said, "That makes sense. I still need to go and pay my respects to my uncle later. I also have many things to ask him for advice."

"Give my regards to Mr. Hongyu."

In Wang's Fangyi Courtyard, Ye Ying lay in Wang's arms and sobbed miserably. Wang dismissed the maids in the room and hugged her daughter distressedly, "Ying'er, what happened? How come it's like this after you just got married? Did Prince Li treat you badly?" Ye Ying raised her head and looked at her mother's worried and pitiful face, and cried even more miserably, "Wuwu... Mother, Ying'er is so miserable..."

"What happened? Is King Li really not good to you? Don't be afraid, my dear daughter, we will go back and tell your father. Your father loves you the most and will definitely stand up for you." Wang said hurriedly.

Ye Ying wiped her tears and cried, "What use is Daddy? What dares he do to Prince Li's Mansion? When Prince Li's Mansion offered the marriage proposal so casually, he didn't say anything! Daddy doesn't love me at all."

Wang was speechless. She said that the betrothal gift of Prince Li's Mansion was poor only in comparison with the grand gift of Prince Ding's Mansion. With the betrothal gift personally prepared by Concubine Xianzhao, it was impossible to lose the face of Prince Li's Mansion. Besides, Ye Ying was also very satisfied at that time. It was just that now seeing that Prince Ding's Mansion had invited Duke Hua and Elder Su to propose the betrothal gift in such a solemn manner, Ye Ying felt that she was not as good as Ye Li and had no face. Although Wang herself felt a little uncomfortable, she still knew the importance of the gift. Patting Ye Ying's back gently as she cried and choked, he said, "Silly child, how can you blame your father for this? You know that there was nothing wrong with the betrothal gift from Prince Li's Mansion, right? If there was anything wrong, how could your father and grandmother let you get married like this? It's just that Ye Li's wedding date is set after yours, and Prince Ding's Mansion has to let her get a bigger betrothal gift than you just to save face. But think about it, what else does she have after the betrothal gift? Prince Li is the emperor's younger brother, and he is a man of both civil and military talents, and his appearance is one of the best in the capital. Prince Ding is now just an idle prince with no power and no influence, sitting in a wheelchair, and his appearance is ruined. You are much better than her, aren't you?"

Ye Ying bit her lips in grievance and whispered, "But... the prince still has several concubines in his house."

Wang was stunned for a moment, then she started laughing, hugging Ye Ying and saying, "Silly girl, what man doesn't have a few women in his room? You must remember that you are the legitimate wife of Prince Li. Look, there are also many women in our family, so what? Aren't they all obedient to their mother? Come, tell your mother how you have been these days?"

Speaking of Ye Ying's newlywed life, the word "tragic" cannot describe it. On the wedding day, the bride was not welcomed at the auspicious time, and the groom fainted during the ceremony. Mo Jingli was sent back to the bridal chamber after fainting. He was given medicine by the imperial physician but never woke up. As a newlywed wife, Ye Ying could only take off the red veil herself and take care of her sleeping husband with an empty stomach. When Mo Jingli woke up, it was almost five o'clock in the morning. Not to mention the bridal chamber, Ye Ying didn't even have time to rest. She hurriedly washed and dressed up to pay respects to Concubine Xianzhao. Concubine Xianzhao was not satisfied with her daughter-in-law. When she saw Ye Ying's ugly face that couldn't be covered up even with heavy makeup, she had a fit on the spot. Ye Ying was criticized for everything from her clothes to her behavior. What she couldn't stand the most was that the person she was compared to was Ye Li, whom she hated the most. Ye Ying, who was originally confident in herself, listened to Concubine Xianzhao talking about how Ye Li behaved elegantly and dignified when she saw her yesterday, and how Ye Ying was frivolous and rude. How Ye Li spoke properly, and how Ye Ying didn't know how to advance or retreat. Ye Ying finally couldn't help but explode and retorted. Then Concubine Xianzhao was furious, and when serving tea, she made Ye Ying kneel for half a minute. In the end, Mo Jingli let Ye Ying stand up because he was impatient. If it was Ye Li, she would definitely tell Ye Ying: Poor child, you have been fooled by Concubine Xian Zhao. She is deliberately torturing you. Concubine Xian Zhao has been in the deep palace like a fish in water for decades, how could she really get angry so easily? It is obvious that she is deliberately picking on Ye Ying's weaknesses and poking hard, so as to take the opportunity to provoke Ye Ying. It can also be said that she wants to give her a warning.

If the bad things had stopped here, Ye Ying would not have been in a big deal. But after finally serving the concubine to have breakfast and returning to her own courtyard, Ye Ying almost vomited blood when she saw the four or five women who had been waiting for a long time. They were dressed in bright and gorgeous clothes and had their own unique looks. She had never known that Mo Jingli had already had five concubines before the wedding. And she couldn't do anything to these concubines because they were either given by the concubine or the queen mother. They were either the legitimate daughters of small officials or the illegitimate daughters of high-ranking officials. Ye Ying kept thinking about her grandmother's teachings to her, and used all her strength to suppress her anger and deal with those women. When she returned to the room, what was waiting for her was not her gentle new husband, but the cold account books held by the steward and the housekeeper in the mansion. Ye Ying was indeed a talented woman who was proficient in music, chess, calligraphy and painting, but she was not good at managing the household and accounting. She once disliked these vulgar things, which would tarnish her elegant and graceful temperament. But under the frowning expressions of the concubine and the stewards, she felt for the first time that she was a fool. Two days later, when she had not yet figured out the account book that seemed to never be finished, Concubine Xianzhao told her coldly that she would no longer have to manage these accounts in the future. Ye Ying breathed a sigh of relief, but she still understood that she had lost the right to manage Prince Li's mansion.

After hearing what Ye Ying said, Wang's face couldn't help but look ugly. If Ye Ying didn't have the right to manage the palace, then she, the Princess Li, would be a complete decoration. For the first time, Wang regretted that she was too doting and indulgent to her daughter. If she had taught her more at the beginning, she wouldn't have encountered such a problem. But what Wang didn't understand was that compared with Concubine Xianzhao, let alone teaching her more, even if she went there in person, it would be useless. From the beginning, Ye Ying was destined not to get the rights that a mistress of a palace should have.

"Then...what does Prince Li mean?" Wang asked, pulling Ye Ying aside.

Ye Ying wept and said, "The prince said that the concubine helped me manage the palace because she took pity on me because I was young. After two years when I have a child, I will have learned enough and it won't be too late for me to take over."

Wang suddenly had an idea, "Oh right, kid. The prince is right. Ying'er, you should give birth to a legitimate son for the prince as soon as possible. Remember, it's the legitimate son. You can't let those women give birth to the prince's children before you." Ye Ying was startled and looked at Wang hesitantly. Wang said softly, "Good kid, don't be afraid. I will tell you what to do. You are the legal wife of the prince, and it is natural for you to give birth to a legitimate son for the prince. So those women can't get pregnant before you. Do you understand?" Seeing the cold light in Wang's eyes, Ye Ying nodded quickly. Wang then smiled with satisfaction and pulled Ye Ying to sit down and talk in detail.

The mother and daughter were talking, one teaching the other learning, and when they were absorbed in the conversation, the maid serving outside the door came to report that the master had arrived.

Wang was overjoyed, and pulled Ye Ying and said with a smile: "Look, your father still cares about you." She quickly pulled Ye Ying up to greet Minister Ye. Minister Ye was stunned when he saw Ye Ying, and then said: "Why is Ying'er here?" Ye Ying lowered her head with resentment and said: "Ying'er is back home, so she is naturally talking to mother here. Where do you think your daughter is?" Minister Ye frowned slightly and couldn't help but look at Ye Ying more. He always felt that this daughter seemed a little different after not seeing her for a few days. But soon he attributed it to his daughter who had married and grown up, so he stopped asking.

After Ye Shangshu sat down and served tea, Wang asked, "Master, why are you here at this time instead of accompanying Duke Hua and Elder Su?"

Minister Ye said, "The old Duke and Master Su have gone back from the banquet. I'm here to discuss Li'er's dowry with you." Wang had a bad feeling in her heart, "Li'er's dowry? Isn't it ready? Do you think there are any other problems?" Minister Ye nodded, glanced at Ye Ying who was sitting next to him, and said, "I have discussed it with my mother. Li'er's dowry will include two manors, a yard, two shops and eight thousand taels of silver."

"What?!" Wang couldn't help but scream, almost knocking over the teacup in front of her. Ye Ying also looked at Ye Shangshu in disbelief.

Minister Ye frowned in dissatisfaction and said, "This is what the old lady meant."

Wang tried her best not to scream, and looked at Minister Ye with red eyes and said, "Why? Yue'er and Ying'er are also the old man's legitimate daughters and the granddaughters of the old lady. The old lady is too partial to one over the other. It's okay for Yue'er to stay in the palace, but how can Ying'er gain a foothold in Prince Li's Mansion in the future?" Minister Ye said impatiently, "What are you talking about? You know what Ying'er's dowry is. How much did you give as a dowry? Do you think the old lady and I don't know?" Wang said softly with some reluctance, "Didn't Li'er give any other dowry as a dowry? The dowry of the eldest lady when she got married was not even as much as hers."

Minister Ye said coldly: "Don't you know where the dowry that Li'er's mother left for Zhen'er went? Also, the extra dowry of Li'er was left by her mother for her, and it was paid by the Xu family. The extra dowry of Ying'er is all from the Ye family!"

“Master…” Wang looked at Minister Ye with a face full of sorrow, her body swaying as if she was about to fall. “I knew… that you have always looked down on me. Just because my family background is humble and not as noble as my sister’s…” Before she finished speaking, Wang was already crying, “Wuwu… If I had known this would happen, and that my daughter would be looked down upon by you, I… I might as well have died…”

"What are you talking about?!" Seeing his wife in such grief, Minister Ye's heart softened. He said helplessly, thinking of how he had been neglecting her for the sake of the Zhao family.

Wang looked at Minister Ye with tears in her eyes, complaining, "Don't you think highly of me, Master?"

Minister Ye said, "Don't let your imagination run wild. When have I ever looked down on you?"

Wang finally stopped crying and looked at Minister Ye with emotion, "Bi'er knows that Master will always treat Bi'er well."

Minister Ye looked at Ye Ying and hummed uncomfortably. Ye Ying, who was sitting on the side, was also thoughtful. She was still very surprised at her mother's means of entangling her father. Although she felt that her mother's shy look was a little unbearable when she saw it on the spot, her father obviously liked it. She also remembered the eldest lady of that year. It can be said that Ye Ying has been working hard to become a woman like the eldest lady since she was a child. So she actually never quite understood why her father would abandon a beautiful, elegant and talented woman like the eldest lady and favor her mother more. At one time, she even doubted whether she was really working in the wrong direction. But after growing up, the praise from the ladies in the capital and the admiring eyes of men made her realize that she was not wrong.

"Master, that... Li'er's dowry..."

Minister Ye frowned and said, "This is what the old lady decided. If you have any opinions, go and tell her." Although Minister Ye was a little confused about the private affairs in his room, he was not too confused about the official business. He immediately pushed Old Madam Ye out as a shield.

Of course Wang didn't dare to ask Old Madam Ye. If she dared to challenge Old Madam Ye, she would have tried to poison that old hag who always looked down on her and liked to point fingers at her over the years.

Seeing that his wife and daughter both looked aggrieved but dared not speak out, Minister Ye sighed and said, "You also know what the betrothal gift from Prince Ding's Mansion looks like. Although outsiders can't see anything because of the dowry left for Li'er by her mother. But who among the powerful and wealthy families in the capital doesn't know everything? If any slanderous rumors get out, our Ye family won't have a place to stay in the capital." If you covet the generous betrothal gift from your son-in-law's family but cannot provide a corresponding dowry, you will be pointed at by others.

Wang thought of the long list of betrothal gifts from Prince Ding's Mansion, and had to admit that even though Prince Ding's Mansion had declined, it was still a wealthy and powerful family with a rich financial foundation.

“If this gets out, it won’t just be Prince Dingguo’s Mansion and Li’er who will be embarrassed. It will be our Ye family and Empress Zhaoyi in the palace.” Minister Ye continued.

When Ye Zhaoyi in the palace was mentioned, Wang's expression became even more shaky. Just thinking about giving out tens of thousands of taels of silver all of a sudden, her heart ached again. After thinking for a while, she said quietly: "Master and Madam have considered everything very carefully. I was wrong for a moment. Please don't blame me. Just do as you say. I don't have the energy to care about these things now."

When Minister Ye heard this, he looked at her in surprise, "What's wrong? What happened to Ying'er?"

Wang took Ye Ying and told her everything in detail about Prince Li's mansion. Ye Shangshu couldn't help but get angry. Ye Ying might not be able to see that Concubine Xian Zhao was deliberately trying to take away her right to be the housekeeper, but how could Wang and Ye Shangshu not see it? Who has ever heard of a new daughter-in-law asking the housekeeper to settle the accounts on the first day of her marriage? And after two days, they directly concluded that Ye Ying was not suitable for being a housekeeper? Even the most demanding and evil mother-in-law would not do this.

"This is too much! I will go find Prince Li and ask him to give an explanation to the Ye family!" Minister Ye said angrily.

Ye Ying quickly pulled Minister Ye to stop him from leaving. Minister Ye frowned and said, "Ying'er, what are you doing?" Ye Ying whispered, "Dad, let's put this matter on hold for now. The prince has already promised the concubine. Even if we talk to him now, he will only be unhappy." After crying for a while and being comforted by Wang, Ye Ying knew very well that her only support now was Mo Jingli, so she must not make him unhappy.

"Is it just like that?" Ye Shangshu said. Comparing the gentle and polite Mo Xiuyao with the arrogant Mo Jingli, Ye Shangshu was even more dissatisfied with this son-in-law. Why did Prince Ding have to be in such a position? Ye Shangshu thought with regret.

"Ying'er will think of a way. If it still doesn't work, I'll ask Daddy to make the decision."

Minister Ye sighed softly and said to his daughter with pity: "Well, although Prince Li is the Queen Mother's biological son, we don't have to be so afraid of him. The Emperor is not an unreasonable person. If it really doesn't work, we can ask the Emperor to make the decision. Let's prepare some extra silver for Ying'er later."

"Yes, I thank you on behalf of Ying'er."