Imperial Capital 56. Return to the Home

Qingluan and the others followed behind Ye Li and looked at each other in bewilderment as they watched their usually gentle lady walk away with a dark face. The water pavilion in the center of the lake was too far from the shore and they couldn't hear what the prince and princess said. Qingxia asked uncertainly, "Did the prince bully the princess?" Qingshuang immediately frowned, "What? Did the prince bully the lady?"

Qingluan and Qingyu helplessly held back Qingshuang who was about to explode. Qingluan couldn't help but twitching her lips. She had seen the princess's skills with her own eyes. She could easily knock out a strong man without even breathing. Just because the prince was sitting in a wheelchair, could he bully the princess? Qingyu thought for a moment and said, "Let's ask Ajin later. He must know." Qingshuang pouted, "He stayed on the shore like us, what could he know?" Qingxia agreed, "He has followed the prince since he was a child, he must know how the prince made the princess angry. Let's go, the princess has gone far away."

Ye Li walked quickly towards her yard, cursing Mo Xiuyao in her heart. She must have been blind to think that guy was gentle, and she even thought he was innocent? That bastard actually flirted... No, teased her! Jealous! Jealous... Idiot, how could she be jealous of a man she just met? At most, she just liked that he coveted her things.

"What's wrong with the princess?" After returning to the courtyard, Nanny Wei came out and asked hurriedly when she saw Ye Li with a gloomy face. Having been away from the young lady she had raised since childhood for several years, Nanny Wei gave all the care she had lacked in the past few years to Ye Li, and cared about her mood and body more than anyone else. Ye Li felt a little embarrassed when the nanny asked her this. She knew that she had overreacted a little, but she was too embarrassed to say that she had left in a huff because Mo Xiuyao teased her. She quickly pulled Nanny Wei and said, "Nurse, didn't I tell you to have a good rest? If you keep following me around like this every day, be careful that your grandson won't recognize you." Nanny Lin and Nanny Wei's family followed Ye Li to the palace. Ye Li put all the capable men in their family in the shops or farms outside to work as managers, and the women stayed in their own courtyard. Normally, he would try to avoid having the two of them waiting around. Especially since Nanny Lin was not young anymore, it would definitely not be easy for her to run around with a young man like him.

Nanny Wei looked at her with some sadness and said, "Young lady has grown up, and you are disgusted with your wet nurse, right?"

"Nurse..." Ye Li had a headache. This trick again! But at least she had diverted the matter. Pulling Wei Ma into the house, Ye Li comforted her with gentle words, which made Wei Ma smile.

"Princess, Ajin is here." Qingshuang came in and said, her cute little face still puffed up. It was obvious that she was angry with Ajin outside.

"Let him in." Ye Li said with a smile, "Who has offended our Shuang'er?"

Qingshuang's face turned red and she stamped her feet, saying, "Miss! It's that damn Ajin all the time. He relies on being close to the prince and has a dead face all day long, as if someone owes him five hundred taels of silver and won't pay it back." Ye Li sighed helplessly, "Qingshuang, you are being unreasonable. Ajin just doesn't like to talk, but he is far from having a dead face." Mo Jingli had a dead face, while Ajin was at most taciturn. That cold face that was still a little pink was not even as good as his second brother's.

Ah Jin came in holding the box and looked at Qing Shuang expressionlessly. Qing Shuang also knew that she was heard by the person involved when she said something bad behind his back, so she turned away with a guilty look. Ye Li laughed in her heart, but looked at Ah Jin seriously, "Ah Jin, what's the matter?" Ah Jin put the box on the table, took two steps back and said, "This is what the prince ordered Ah Jin to deliver. The prince... the prince said that he didn't mean to make the princess angry, please be magnanimous and don't take it as a fault." She said it stutteringly, but Ye Li knew what was going on, and looked at Ah Jin with a smile and said, "Ah Jin, who taught you the last sentence?"

Ah Jin blushed and stared at Ye Li blankly, not knowing what to do. The princess and the prince were both smart people, and lying in front of them would always be exposed. Ah Jin silently remembered this fact in her heart.

Ye Li added with a smile: "Your prince would definitely not say such a thing. Besides, I am not angry. I will accept the things, you can go back."

Ah Jin left quietly. Ye Li opened the box in a good mood and found the portrait she had been thinking about. She was still thinking about what excuse she would use to get the portrait back, but she didn't expect Mo Xiuyao to be so considerate and send Ah Jin to deliver it immediately. Spreading the painting on the table, Ye Li stared at the woman in the portrait and sighed softly. Mo Xiuyao's voice could not help but echo in her mind - "I think this is Ah Li."

"How beautiful..." Qingshuang, who was standing next to her, shouted excitedly, "Miss, was this painted by the prince? It's so beautiful."

Nanny Wei nodded with satisfaction and said with a smile: "The prince is really thoughtful of the young lady. It seems that the eldest master and the eldest son were right about her. Haha..."

Ye Li was speechless. What was the point of just a portrait?

In the blink of an eye, it was already the time for the return visit. During the past three days, Ye Li could be said to have adapted well in the Dingguo Palace. Even Nanny Lin and Nanny Wei, who were originally worried, were relieved. The only thing that made the two Nanny very dissatisfied was that the prince and princess still did not have Yuan Fang. However, they were not the only ones who were worried and dissatisfied. Nanny Sun of the Dingguo Palace was also there. Nanny Sun had also watched Mo Xiu Yao grow up since he was a child. She knew her master's temper very well and had no dissatisfaction with the new princess. She even hinted to Nanny Lin and Nanny Wei that they would find a way. The Dingguo Palace was harmonious and respectful to their young lady. When the return visit came, the young lady would officially take charge of the Dingguo Palace. What else could the two Nanny be dissatisfied with? So when I returned home, the smile on my face seemed to be able to bloom a flower.

The Ye family's welcome was also particularly grand. Not only did the Minister of Ye Wang bring Ye Shan, Ye Lin, and Ye Rong, but even the married Ye Zhen and Ye Ying brought their respective husbands back. Ye Li was not curious about Ye Ying coming back to join in the fun, but it was intriguing that Ye Zhen, as the concubine of the Prince of Nanhou, could have the Prince of Nanhou accompany her back. As soon as they entered the door and met the old lady of Ye, Ye Li was pulled by several sisters to talk alone, while Mo Xiuyao stayed in the hall to talk with Minister of Ye and Mo Jingli.

The Qingyixuan where Ye Li lived before still exists, and the sisters are sitting and talking at the stone table in the courtyard of Qingyixuan. Ye Zhen looked at the maids standing not far away, and then looked at Ye Li, who was wearing a lavender dress, a pearl tassel hairpin on her head, pearl earrings on her ears, and a top-quality warm jade bracelet with lotus patterns on her wrists. She looked calm and smiling, and seemed to have added a sense of nobility compared to when she was at home before. She couldn't help but sigh with envy: "It seems that the third sister is living very well in the Dingguo Palace?" Ye Li smiled and said, "Thank you for your concern, everything is fine." Ye Shan pulled Ye Li and asked her questions non-stop, such as whether the Dingguo Palace is big, whether it is beautiful, what kind of people are there in the palace, whether they are easy to get along with, etc. Ye Li was not in a hurry, and waited until she had asked enough questions before answering some of them. Ye Shan did not get an answer, and wanted to ask again, but Ye Lin, who was sitting next to him, pulled him back, and he had to shut up in disappointment.

"I heard that there is a former princess and a concubine dowager in Prince Dingguo's Palace. Third sister, have you met them?" Ye Shan kept asking. Ye Ying had no chance to get a word in and could only sit aside with a sullen face. Only then did she stare at Ye Li and ask.

Ye Li looked at Ye Ying in surprise, frowned and asked, "Fourth sister, have you been feeling unwell recently?" It has not been long since they last met, and Ye Ying's appearance has indeed changed a lot. She seems thinner and more frail. Although Ye Ying was weaker when she was in the Ye family, she was actually well taken care of by Wang, and her face always had an alluring rosy complexion. But now without that rosy complexion, the whole person suddenly looks a lot darker. Although she has rouge on her face, she is still not as beautiful and natural as before. Ye Ying's eyes changed slightly, and she lowered her eyes and said lightly, "Thank you for your concern, Third Sister, but I am just a little tired."

Ye Li sighed in her heart. Ye Ying had really changed a lot. It seemed that Concubine Xianzhao's ability to train people was indeed beyond the reach of Old Lady Ye. "Rest more when you are tired. No matter what, health is the most important. Without a good body, you have nothing." Ye Li advised her briefly before answering Ye Ying's question. "Sister-in-law has been practicing Buddhism all year round. I will go to pay her a visit after I go back. As for the Concubine..." Thinking of the Concubine with a weird temperament in the mansion, Ye Li couldn't help frowning and said lightly, "Father's Concubine doesn't need to be seen often." Ye Shan shouted, "Don't the Dingguo Palace only have two masters, my third sister and the prince?" As soon as these words came out, not only Ye Shan, Ye Zhen, and Ye Lin, but even Ye Ying couldn't help but reveal a hint of envy. There were no elders in the house to put pressure on her, no sisters-in-law or brothers-in-law, and even no sisters-in-law to deal with. It was the dream of every newly married bride. But when she thought of Mo Xiuyao's situation, Ye Ying felt balanced again. Compared to being ridiculed and pitied outside, it was more tolerable to suffer a little grievance at home, right?

"It seems that the relationship between the third sister and the prince is very good. The third sister is so lucky." Ye Zhen sighed and said softly.

Ye Ying was a little unconvinced and asked doubtfully, "Does Prince Ding really have such a good temper? I heard from others that people with physical disabilities usually have strange tempers." Ye Li frowned and said, "The prince is not difficult to get along with." She didn't know whether Mo Xiuyao had a good temper, but at present they got along very well. Ye Ying also knew that Ye Li was a little unhappy about her words, but she was never used to bowing to Ye Li, and the atmosphere was a little stiff for a while. Ye Zhen looked at the two of them and had to change the subject, "The palace will hold a banquet in a few days to see off envoys from various countries. Have the third and fourth sisters received the invitations?"

Ye Li shook her head and said, "No."

Ye Lin smiled and said, "The envoys from various countries came to celebrate the wedding of the third sister and the prince. Even if others did not attend, the prince and the third sister would definitely attend. But how come the eldest sister knew it faster than the third and fourth sisters?" Ye Zhen smiled and said, "This time, the emperor gave it to our prince to be in charge, so I naturally knew something first." Ye Shan's eyes lit up and said, "Then will the eldest sister go later?" Ye Zhen nodded shyly and happily and said, "The prince said that he would take me to the palace this time." After saying that, she looked at Ye Li with gratitude. Obviously, the prince of Nanhou decided to bring her, a concubine, to the palace to attend the palace banquet because she had just become the sister of Princess Ding. Although she was only a concubine, Ye Zhen now felt that she could stand firm in the Marquis's mansion. After all, even the Crown Prince's wife didn't have a sister who was a Soyi and two sisters who were princesses. From this point of view, if I could give birth to a child, I would have a chance to compete with the Crown Prince's wife in the future.

"Humph, even if the eldest sister can go, you definitely can't go." Ye Ying glanced at Ye Shan and said coldly. Ye Shan blushed immediately and said embarrassedly: "Fourth sister, I... I don't think so." Ye Ying didn't even look at her and said: "Who has the time to care what you think? It's just that some people just can't see their own identity clearly."

"You!" Ye Shan's eyes were red, tears welling up in her eyes. Finally, she could only stand up and run away. Ye Ying's words were too harsh. Although she said it to Ye Shan, Ye Lin felt a little uncomfortable. She looked at Ye Shan who was going far away and stood up to chase her. Even Ye Zhen's face was not very good. Ye Li looked at Ye Ying strangely, then at Ye Zhen. Ye Zhen sighed helplessly and said softly: "Fourth sister, don't take your temper out on Sixth sister even if you are in a bad mood." Ye Ying pinched the handkerchief in her hand and sneered: "I am in a bad mood? Big sister, ask Third sister if she would be in a good mood?"

"I have seen the three young ladies. The old lady asked Princess Ding to come over and have a talk." The maid from Rong Le Hall came over to deliver the message.

Ye Ying glanced at Ye Li and sneered, "Third sister, don't you want to know what happened to me? You will know when you go there."

Ye Li shook her head, stood up and looked at Ye Ying and said, "Fourth sister, you only have this temper at home. You are still like this after you got married... Do you think your wife can still protect you all the time?"

Ye Ying's expression darkened, and she turned her head away stubbornly without saying anything. Ye Li didn't force it either. Although they were blood sisters, she didn't have the same affection for them as she had for her cousins, or even for the cousins ​​from the Xu family. She would give them some advice if she could, but she would have no choice if they didn't listen.

Arriving at Rongle Hall, Old Madam Ye was sitting in the flower hall in a festive outfit. When she saw Ye Li coming in, she immediately smiled, "Li'er, come quickly and let grandma take a look..."

Ye Li walked over and sat down next to Old Madam Ye. Old Madam Ye looked Ye Li over, nodded with satisfaction and said, "Have you gotten used to the Prince Dingguo's Mansion these days? Are the servants in the mansion easy to use? Has anyone made things difficult for you?" Ye Li smiled and said, "I'm sorry to have worried you, grandma. Li'er is doing fine. The servants in the mansion are also very respectful." Old Madam Ye nodded repeatedly and said, "That's good, that's good. Then you and the prince..." Ye Li said, "The prince is also very easy to get along with." Old Madam Ye was a little embarrassed. She looked at Ye Li and said, "Grandma, you and the prince...you and the prince, when do you plan to have a baby? The prince is not young anymore." Ye Li was a little embarrassed. It seemed that Old Madam Ye had been thinking for a long time because she wanted to ask them whether they had consummated their marriage. Old Madam Ye stared at her and said, "Don't lie to me. If I can't see the connection, I've lived all these years in vain. You and the prince haven't consummated your marriage yet, right?" Old Madam Ye obviously understood that this granddaughter was a little different from the others. She quickly gave up beating around the bush and asked directly.

Can you tell from this? Ye Li thought for a moment before calmly saying, "Don't worry, Grandmother. The prince and I both feel that we are not familiar with each other, so it won't be too late to spend some time together. And we get along very well now, so there is no rush."

Madam Ye looked at Ye Li's calm and composed face and shook her head secretly, "Then... who will take care of the affairs of the palace?"

"Your Highness will naturally take care of external affairs, and the affairs of the palace will be handed over to me after I return." Ye Li replied.

Old Madam Ye's expression eased up a little. At least this granddaughter knew how to seize the power of the palace. Old Madam Ye was really helpless with the two legitimate granddaughters, Ye Li and Ye Ying. Ye Ying seemed smart but was actually stupid. She didn't know how to seize the power after marrying into the Li Palace. She was jealous of the concubines every day and made herself look like a grudge. In comparison, Ye Li, who didn't show off, was obviously much smarter. Just looking at the attitude of the servants who followed her from Dingguo Palace to Ye Li, we can tell that she lived well in Dingguo Palace. But she didn't care too much about Dingguo. You have to know that even as the Princess of Dingguo, you still have to rely on Dingguo for a life of glory and wealth.

"Li'er, tell grandma the truth. Is it... is it because of Prince Ding's leg that you..." Old Madam Ye waved away the servants in front of her, grabbed Ye Li and asked in a low voice.

Ye Li was speechless, but seeing this in the eyes of Old Lady Ye, this conjecture was confirmed. Old Lady Ye sighed and said, "Poor child, Grandmother knows that you have a hard life... But things have come to this and you have already married into the Ding Wang Mansion, what else can you do? Even if you are the Princess of Ding Wang, you still have to hold on to the prince tightly. The most important thing is the offspring. As long as you have offspring, no one can move your position as the princess. Do you understand? Does the prince have a concubine?" Ye Li shook her head, and Old Lady Ye smiled even more and said, "It seems that the prince still values ​​you. It's better if you don't have a concubine. As long as you have a child with the prince first, the future..." Seeing Old Lady Ye's unspeakable look, Ye Li pondered for a long time and finally understood what Old Lady Ye meant. It seems that Old Lady Ye is telling her that even if she doesn't like Mo Xiuyao's disabled legs, she must give birth to a child first. As long as she has a child, if she really can't accept Mo Xiuyao, she can push him to another woman. Anyway, she is a princess with status, and having children is enough. Men's favor is mostly unreliable.

Why didn't she doubt that Mo Xiuyao was not capable? Ye Li thought with some evil interest.

"Thank you for your teachings, grandma. I know what's going on." In order to avoid Madam Ye continuing to impart her experience, Ye Li quickly agreed.

Old Madam Ye was also very satisfied with her teachings, and nodded, saying, "Good child, Grandmother knows that you understand better than Ying'er. Originally, you shouldn't have said this when you returned home today, but you won't have much time to come home after you become Princess Ding. Grandmother will talk to you now. If you have nothing to do in the next few days, take your fifth and sixth sisters to the palace to accompany you."

Ye Li was startled and frowned lightly. Mrs. Ye said: "Shan'er and Lin'er are both good children, and you sisters grew up together. If they can...it will be a help to you and Yinger. Grandma means that Lin'er should be more stable, and it is best to be able to Follow Ying'er to Prince Li's Mansion. Shan'er has a lively temper, and your temper can hold her back, what do you think?"

What do I think? What do I think? Ye Li couldn't help but want to go crazy. Isn't this old lady taking it for granted? She even allocated the personnel, one for each of Prince Li's Mansion and Prince Ding's Mansion? No wonder Ye Ying's face was so ugly just now. She was already frustrated enough fighting with Mo Jingli's concubine in Prince Li's Mansion, and as a result, her family sent her sisters to make things worse. Anyone would be depressed. After a light cough, Ye Li straightened her face and smiled, "Grandma, isn't it too early to talk about this now? The prince and I haven't even... yet, you are in a hurry to let my sister at home enter the mansion. What will the prince think?"

Madam Ye smiled and said, "Grandmother didn't tell you to do it now. Anyway, Shan'er is still young, so it won't matter if you wait another year or two. As long as you have a clear idea in your mind, that's enough."

Ye Li pulled the corner of her lips and asked, "Although the fifth and sixth sisters are illegitimate, our Shangshu Mansion is of high status. It would be unfair to them to enter the palace as concubines."

Madam Ye waved her hand nonchalantly and said, "Marriage is decided by parents, why should they feel wronged? Isn't it more honorable to be a concubine in the palace than to marry a minor official or a concubine as the principal wife? Li'er doesn't need to worry about them. Shan'er and Lin'er are always well-behaved and won't have any objections."

I have an opinion. Ye Li thought for a moment and said in deep thought: "Li'er understands what grandma and father mean. However... except for the second sister who entered the palace, all other daughters in our family have joined the prince's mansion. This... is not good for the second sister. Have grandma and father discussed this matter?" In fact, after thinking carefully, Ye Li understood why Old Lady Ye was so worried. It was because of the imperial blood in the palace whose baby was still unknown. Not to mention joining the Dingwang Mansion now, even if Ye Li was still waiting to be married, she never planned to cooperate with Old Lady Ye's fantastic plan. I really don't understand why Minister Ye, who is also a long-time official, would actually agree with the plan of an old man who sits at home and never goes out.

Madam Ye was stunned, and squinted her old eyes to look at Ye Li for a while before saying, "What do you mean?"

Ye Liqian smiled and said, "Li'er is also a daughter of the Ye family. What's good for the second sister is naturally good for Li'er. However... Grandmother can't just take care of the two palaces. You know... the prince has always ignored the facts, and the support of the officials in the court is also very important."

"This……"

Ye Li smiled faintly and said, "I don't know about Fourth Sister. But if it's the Dingguo Palace grandmother, you should rest assured that Li'er doesn't need any help."

Old Madam Ye was silent for a moment, and she knew that what Ye Li said made sense. Not to mention that Ye Li was confident that she could control the Dingguo Palace, so there was no need for the Ye family to sacrifice another daughter to go there. But if Ye Li was unwilling and they forced her to go, it would be ugly if the sisters quarreled. In the eyes of Old Madam Ye, it was obvious that neither Ye Shan nor Ye Lin could beat Ye Li. After thinking this through, Old Madam Ye no longer insisted and said with a smile: "Li'er's words made sense, and it was grandma who was not thoughtful. Just pretend that grandma never mentioned this." Although the Dingguo Palace was famous, the Dingguo princes of all generations had never participated in the affairs of the royal family. In this way, the role of the Dingguo Palace was not as great as that of the Li Palace.

"Yes, grandma didn't say anything, and Li'er didn't hear anything either." Ye Li replied softly. It would be best if she could dispel Madam Ye's thoughts. Ding Wang Mansion would be her home in the future, and she didn't want to see anything there that made her feel uncomfortable.

After chatting with Old Madam Ye for a while, the servants came to invite the two to have dinner. Because it was a family dinner, there were no outsiders present. Only Old Madam Ye brought Minister Ye and Wang, Mo Jingli and Ye Ying, Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li, and Nanhou's son Fu Zhao. At the table, Ye Li could clearly feel a cold gaze shooting at her from time to time. Ye Li could guess who that person was without even looking up. Ye Ying served the dishes to Mo Jingli attentively, and Mo Jingli still stared at Ye Li from time to time with an expression as if someone owed him thousands of taels. Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li ate leisurely and calmly, and from time to time they picked up some of each other's favorite food. Fu Zhao looked here and there with a thoughtful look on his face, drinking and eating as if nothing had happened. On the contrary, Minister Ye's expression was somewhat awkward and funny. It was obvious that he was trying hard to make the atmosphere at the banquet more harmonious and natural, but he couldn't afford to offend any of the three sons-in-law. Except for the Prince of Nanhou who gave him a little face, Mo Xiuyao himself was not difficult to get along with. Mo Jingli's face clearly showed that he was unhappy.

"Well, by the way, Your Highness, we haven't seen each other for a few years. Let me toast you." Finally, it was Fu Zhao who broke the strange atmosphere and stood up to toast Mo Xiuyao, "Also to Your Highness, I wish you and your wife a long and happy marriage."

Mo Xiuyao raised the wine glass and said with a gentle smile: "Thank you for your good words. I was unable to go to congratulate you on your wedding. Please do not blame me." He raised his head and drank the wine Fu Zhao offered. Fu Zhao's smile became more sincere, and he said with a smile: "It's okay. We have known each other since childhood. Now we are relatives. When I came, my mother also asked the princess to come to the Marquis' Mansion when she is free." This Nanhou Prince is obviously very good at dealing with people. Everyone in the capital knows that although Nanhou Prince has not inherited the title yet, the Marquis' Mansion is now under the control of the Prince's Consort. At this time, he did not mention the Prince's Consort, but directly said Nanhou's wife.

Ye Li raised her glass in return and said with a smile, "The prince wrote about Nan Hou's wife for me."

Ye Li raised her glass in return and said with a smile, "The prince wrote about Nan Hou's wife for me."

Mo Jingli looked at the people in front of him who were talking and laughing, snorted and stood up, saying: "Since Fu Zhao has toasted, Mo Xiuyao, I will toast you too."

Mo Xiuyao raised his eyebrows and smiled faintly, saying, "It has been a long time since I last drank with Jing Li. Would you like to toast to you and Princess Li as well?"

Mo Jingli snorted, waved away the maid who came forward to pour wine, poured a glass for Mo Xiuyao and himself, raised his head and drank it all, then stared at the wine glass in front of Mo Xiuyao provocatively. Mo Xiuyao smiled and said nothing, picked up the wine glass and drank it all.

"More!" Mo Jingli picked up the wine jug and filled it again. The two of them actually started drinking on the table.