The First Jasmine - Chapter 12
Chapter 12: The Virtuous Grand Dowager Consort
The Virtuous Grand Dowager Consort was the current managing matriarch of the Prince Li Estate, yet she was not the biological mother of Prince Li, Mo Jingli. Mo Jingli and the reigning Emperor were both birthed by the Empress Dowager. Grand Dowager Consort Xianzhao, however, was a maternal cousin of the Empress Dowager. Though the two women had entered the imperial palace at roughly the same time, they did not engage in the fierce, underhanded schemes common among other imperial consorts. Instead, they had mutually supported and protected one another through a lifetime. Grand Dowager Consort Xianzhao had originally birthed a daughter, Princess Lin'an, who had married the Grand General of the State a few years prior and accompanied him to garrison the frontier. Meanwhile, Grand Dowager Consort Xianzhao had been escorted out of the imperial palace by Prince Li to be reverently provided for. In reality, it was simply that the Empress Dowager felt uneasy about her youngest son residing alone outside the palace, and had thus requested Grand Dowager Consort Xianzhao to look after him.
Ye Li changed her garments and followed the steward's wife to the Old Matriarch's Hall of Harmonious Joy. Upon entering, she found the atmosphere within filled with a thoroughly harmonious and joyous warmth. The Old Matriarch sat accompanying Grand Dowager Consort Xianzhao, while Madam Wang naturally stood with Ye Ying to the side to keep them company. In addition, several noblewomen bearing the demeanor of titled ladies sat accompanying them further down the hall. What surprised Ye Li a fraction was that Mo Jingli actually sat just below the Grand Dowager Consort as well. Freezing for a brief second, Ye Li only then vaguely recalled that the segregation between men and women in this world was fundamentally not as rigid as the ancient traditions she had heard of in her past life. Furthermore, there was no custom dictating that a man and woman could not meet prior to their wedding. Naturally, if a young lady of a grand clan wished to meet her betrothed, she still required the accompaniment of maidservants and senior nannies. Had it not been for this flexibility, how could Ye Ying have ever found the opportunity to hook up with Mo Jingli?
"This daughter of officials pays respects to the Grand Dowager Consort, and pays respects to His Royal Highness Prince Li. Greetings, Grandmother. This junior greets the various noble ladies."
The noble lady seated upon the primary seat possessed an elevated aura that carried a fair measure of absolute majesty. Her phoenix-like eyes were slightly upturned, and though her youthful prime had departed, not a single wrinkle could be discerned upon a face that was exceptionally well-preserved. This Grand Dowager Consort Xianzhao could not be considered a peerless beauty, yet she triumphed through her loftily refined demeanor, making it impossible for one to look away.
"Old Matriarch, is this the Third Miss?" The Grand Dowager Consort evaluated Ye Li, turning her head toward the Old Matriarch to question.
The Old Matriarch offered a fawning smile and replied, "Replying to the Grand Dowager Consort, this is precisely my Third Girl."
The Grand Dowager Consort nodded and smiled, saying, "She is a thoroughly spirited and fine child, it is only a pity... that our Li'er lacks the fortune." The Grand Dowager Consort pulled Ye Li closer to her side to praise her, casually removing an ice-variety jade bracelet from her own wrist and sliding it onto Ye Li's hand. This action instantly caused the eyes of Ye Ying, who stood beside Madam Wang, to darken. How could Ye Li dare accept a bracelet from the Grand Dowager Consort? She hastily declined, saying, "Deepest thanks for the Grand Dowager Consort's praise, but such a precious item is only fitting when worn by the Grand Dowager Consort. Ye Li does not dare accept such a generous bounty." The Grand Dowager Consort pressed down upon her hand to prevent her from removing the bracelet, feigning displeasure as she said, "You silly girl, could it be that you harbor disdain for this bracelet of mine? This bracelet was originally bestowed upon me by the late Emperor. I have grown old, so it looks far better when worn by you young people, and it brings joy to my heart as well." Since she had explicitly stated it was a bounty from the late Emperor, if Ye Li were to decline further, wouldn't it amount to displaying disdain for an item left by the late Emperor? Ye Li could only let the matter rest, offering an elegant curtsy as she smiled faintly and said, "Deepest thanks for the Grand Dowager Consort's bounty. This daughter of officials will certainly preserve the Grand Dowager Consort's gift with absolute meticulousness."
The Grand Dowager Consort appeared thoroughly satisfied with Ye Li's conduct, nodding with a smile before releasing her. Only then did Ye Li walk properly behind Madam Wang, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Ye Ying.
The various noble ladies in attendance who had arrived alongside the Grand Dowager Consort felt a trace of surprise in their hearts upon beholding Ye Li. The reputation of the Third Miss of the Ye family within the capital could be considered almost as renowned as that of Ye Ying, who was hailed as the number one beauty. It was only that one was replete with talent, beauty, and moral virtue, while the other was entirely devoid of talent, virtue, and looks. Hearing these descriptions made it fundamentally impossible for anyone to believe they belonged to the same household. However, this Third Miss of the Ye family was also an eccentric creature, rarely ever participating in the gatherings of the capital's young ladies; the family merely claimed externally that ever since the passing of the late primary mistress of the Ye family, the Third Miss's health had been consistently fragile. Beholding this Third Miss today, her countenance was clear, elegant, and refined, her speech graceful, and her conduct impeccably measured. It vaguely evoked the elegant posture of the late Madam Ye who had hailed from the illustrious Xu clan years ago. How could such a woman be rumored to be so utterly wretched? Not only had she lost such an exceptional marriage alliance with Prince Li for nothing, but she had also been betrothed to Prince Ding—she could be considered completely ruined for the rest of her days.
Ye Li stood respectfully behind Madam Wang, paying absolutely no heed to Mo Jingli, whose face had completely darkened the moment she entered and who was currently staring at her with an iron-black glare. She merely listened to the crowd offering flattering remarks to the Grand Dowager Consort while staring at the translucent jade bracelet upon her wrist, her mind turning at lightning speed. If one were to claim that the Grand Dowager Consort liked her or felt so overwhelmed with guilt regarding Prince Li breaking the engagement that she presented her with a relic of the late Emperor upon their very first meeting, not only did she disbelieve it, but the others in attendance would absolutely not believe it either. Furthermore, just moments ago, the Grand Dowager Consort had brought up Prince Li as if it were nothing. With both Ye Ying and Mo Jingli present, it was clearly intended to make her feel awkward. What exactly did the Grand Dowager Consort mean by this display?
"We old hags are merely chatting here, which you young people must surely find immensely tedious. Why don't the Third Miss and Fourth Miss take Li'er out for a stroll around the grounds?" Grand Dowager Consort Xianzhao suddenly shifted the topic, speaking with a bright, merry smile.
Hearing this, the countenances of Madam Wang and Ye Ying instantly turned somewhat stiff, and even the Old Matriarch froze for a fraction of a second. However, she recovered her wits swiftly, smiling as she said, "The Grand Dowager Consort speaks the truth. It was this old body who failed to consider thoroughly, allowing Prince Li to remain here wasting time with us. Ying'er, Li'er..."
Ye Li's heart skipped a beat. Stepping forward, she smiled at the Old Matriarch and said, "Grandmother, Fourth Sister and His Royal Highness Prince Li are mutually affectionate, so it is only natural that they harbor thoughts of longing for one another. Li'er does not dare to serve as a massive, blazing lantern, drawing resentment upon herself for nothing." Having finished speaking, she even stuck out her tongue slightly to make a playful face at the Old Matriarch. This display of a young lady's naive and endearing demeanor caused the Old Matriarch and Madam Wang—who were thoroughly accustomed to Ye Li's serene composure—to remain somewhat incapable of recovering their wits. Ye Ying, having her intimate thoughts explicitly exposed, instantly flushed bright red. Sweeping a glare at Ye Li, she offered a shy, timid sidelong glance at Mo Jingli, her beautiful, smiling face tinged with a delicate blush that rendered her breathtakingly gorgeous. Hearing Ye Li's words, Mo Jingli's countenance turned even more unsightly, giving a cold snort as he rose and spoke to Ye Li, "It is enough that you possess a measure of self-awareness!" Ye Li arched her eyebrows, her smile remaining entirely unaltered as she said merrily, "What sort of words are those, Your Highness? I am an exceptionally discerning person. How could I ever disrupt the interaction between Fourth Sister and my future brother-in-law? As for me, I shall simply remain behind to accompany Grandmother, the Grand Dowager Consort, and the various noble ladies. This daughter of officials deeply admires the Grand Dowager Consort's elegant demeanor, and I only pray that the Grand Dowager Consort will not find me tiresome."
The Grand Dowager Consort cast a deeply calculating glance at Ye Li, smiling as she said, "Since that is the case, Li'er shall remain behind."
Mo Jingli gave a cold snort, leading Ye Ying out of the hall. Ye Ying naturally followed Mo Jingli out with a heart full of absolute joy. Beholding this scene, the Grand Dowager Consort knitted her brows in an unnoticeable manner, though she quickly smoothed her expression and resumed her conversation with the Old Matriarch.
Ye Li stood behind Madam Wang out of sheer boredom. While listening to the capital's noble ladies engage in idle chatter, she selected a few chapters from the Art of War in her mind to silently recite twice. This was a habit she had cultivated in her past life. In her past life, she had been born into a military clan; her great-grandfather had hailed from a destitute background and participated in the War of Resistance Against Japan, which made him a rather unrefined man, bluntly speaking. Yet this unrefined man detested nothing more than others calling him unrefined, so starting from the generation of Ye Li's father, everyone was groomed in the direction of scholar-generals. The old man's greatest hobby was punishing the family's juniors by forcing them to memorize books—and all of them were ancient texts filled with archaic prose. The juniors of the household, incapable of enduring the torment, basically chose universities that were located as far away as possible, refusing to return home for holidays even if beaten to death. However, over a decade of such torment had ultimately benefited the younger generation immensely.
The various noble ladies in attendance were all prominent figures within the capital. Although they engaged in casual conversation with perfectly appropriate expressions, they did not overlook Ye Li standing behind Madam Wang. The longer they observed her, the more they felt this Third Miss of the Ye family was entirely different from the rumors. No matter what topic they discussed, this young lady did not display the slightest trace of curiosity or surprise upon her face; even when discussing the marriage alliance between Prince Li and the Fourth Miss of the Ye family, she did not harbor half a fraction of grievance or resentment. Whether this absence was genuine or feigned, to be able to conceal it so perfectly that individuals like them—who had long since looked through the human heart—could discern nothing was a testament to sheer capability. Such tranquility in the face of honor or disgrace was something that very few men could achieve, let alone a cloistered young lady.
"Speaking of which, one rarely encounters the Third Miss within the capital on ordinary days. I wonder if the Third Miss will participate in the Grand Hundred Flowers Festival this year?" While Ye Li was silently reciting her texts, a noblewoman suddenly questioned.
Before Ye Li could offer a response, the Old Matriarch smiled and said, "Over these past two years, Li'er's health has improved significantly; she will naturally participate this year." The Old Matriarch naturally understood Madam Wang's previous intentions in barring Ye Li from participating. However, now that both girls' marriage alliances were firmly established, if they continued to prevent Ye Li from participating, it would be entirely unjustifiable in terms of both custom and propriety. Although she favored Ye Ying a fraction more, the shrewd Old Matriarch had no intention of allowing this granddaughter—who was on the verge of becoming Princess Consort Ding—to harbor resentment toward the Ye family.