The First Jasmine - Chapter 19
Chapter 19: Guests from the Prince Ding Estate
As expected, Madam Wang very quickly had the clothes and jewelry she prepared for Ye Li delivered. Looking at the lofty, arrogant expressions of the nanny and maidservants who had brought the items, Ye Li did not display any anger. She merely cast a casual glance over the things on the table, threw a smile that was not quite a smile in their direction, and offhandedly instructed the maidservant by her side, "Qingxia, put these things away."
Beholding Ye Li's understated, completely indifferent manner, the maidservant cradling a brocade box of jewelry grew dissatisfied. Tilting her chin, she cast a sidelong glance at Ye Li and said, "Third Miss, this is something our Madam specifically prepared for you." Her clear, tranquil, and beautiful eyes blinking once, Ye Li looked at her with a gentle smile and asked in a warm tone, "I understand. Is there anything else?" That maidservant blanked. She was a favored senior maidservant by Madam Wang's side; who within this manor did not treat her with absolute courtesy? This Third Miss, for some unknown reason, spoke to her with words that sounded exceptionally polite, yet entering the ears, they made a person feel particularly pricked. Recalling Madam Wang's instructions, she bolstered her confidence once more and said, "Madam has instructed that on the day of the Hundred Flowers Grand Gathering, Third Miss must certainly wear these new clothes and jewelry made by Madam, lest others think a young lady of the Minister's Manor does not even possess a single set of new clothes."
"Must certainly?" Ye Li leaned halfway against the back of her chair, her right hand lazily propping up her chin as she looked flatly upon the arrogant maidservant before her. "Is your name Cuizhu?"
"Replying to Third Miss, this servant is indeed Cuizhu." For some inexplicable reason, the maidservant named Cuizhu suddenly felt a wave of chilliness creep up her spine. Looking upon the young lady who sat in a lazy yet elegant posture, she spoke with a trace of unease.
"Are you certain... Madam told you that I must certainly wear this set of clothes?" Ye Li questioned flatly.
Cuizhu hesitated for a brief moment, yet she still replied firmly, "Yes. This was specially prepared by Madam for Third Miss. Could it be that Third Miss intends to go against Madam's painstaking care?" Looking at the delicate yet prideful face of the maidservant before her, Ye Li suddenly burst into laughter. Extending a slender, fair finger, she hooked a section of the fabric from the garment resting inside the brocade box on the table, remarking in a slow voice, "For this sort of quality... would it truly be any better than wearing old clothes?"
The garments inside the brocade box were admittedly indeed new, and moreover, they were new garments crafted from costly cloud brocade. However, given those garish, opulent colors and that rigid, stiff style, if she truly wore them out, it was feared others would think she was not participating in a gathering of the capital's cloistered young ladies, but rather could not wait a single moment to get married. Could it be that Madam Wang assumed that because she had never participated in gatherings over these past years, she truly understood absolutely nothing? Such an intensely bright crimson color and complex, twisting floral pattern would only draw dissatisfaction from the host of the banquet, Grand Princess Zhaoyang, and cause the young ladies of the capital's illustrious clans to look down upon her.
"Third Miss! You... how dare you..." Cuizhu's eyes dilated wide, apparently completely unexpected that the traditionally silent and non-contending Third Miss would actually utter such audacious words. The people who had followed her in likewise revealed shocked and dissatisfied expressions one after another.
"Since it was specially prepared by Madam, take these back and give them to Fourth Sister. Tell her that if she is able to go, she should utilize these, lest Madam's thoughts and kind intentions go to waste. As for me... presumably Madam is unaware of my preferences anyway, so there is no need to trouble Madam to worry over it." Casually letting the garment fall back into the brocade box, Ye Li spoke with absolute flat indifference. A flash of annoyance sliced across Cuizhu's face as she forced out a smile, stating, "Madam has already prepared everything for Fourth Miss; this is for Third Miss."
"Miss." Standing behind Ye Li, Qingshuang laughed in a crisp voice, saying, "Miss, since Madam has prepared them, it would also be improper for Miss to brush aside Madam's kind intentions. If Miss looks down upon them, why not bestow them upon this servant?"
Ye Li turned her head to cast a glance at Qingshuang, nodding as she laughed, "Have I mistreated you, this girl, on ordinary days? Very well, you girls may simply pick and choose whatever you like."
Qingshuang was not courteous either, stepping forward to select a pair of gold-gilded gemstone ear pendants from within. "This servant thanks Miss for the bestowal."
The other several maidservants were by no means as audacious as Qingshuang. Looking at the gemstone ear pendants in Qingshuang's hand, they all revealed envious yet hesitant expressions. Cuizhu had fundamentally never expected that the Third Miss would actually dare to bestow the items prepared by Madam upon a maidservant right before her very face, and her countenance turned exceptionally unsightly. Concurrently, she felt a wave of jealousy toward Qingshuang for following such a generous master as the Third Miss. One must know that even though she was the most favored senior maidservant by Madam's side, Madam had never bestowed such a valuable piece of jewelry upon her. Seeing the expressions of the several maidservants, Qingshuang's eyes darted around as she laughed, "Sister Qingxia, Miss has bestowed these, why have you not come forward to select a piece? If you do not choose, Yun'er and the others will feel too embarrassed to do so as well."
Qingxia cast a swift glance at Ye Li, seeing that she apparently displayed no anger whatsoever and instead looked upon Qingshuang with a gaze that bore a slight trace of indulgence. Only then did she step forward to select a gold hairpins, thanking Ye Li for the bestowal. Seeing that even Qingxia had taken an item, the several junior maidservants likewise stepped forward to select one or two items they favored, their faces entirely replete with joyful expressions. One must know that junior maidservants like them, unlike the senior maidservants by a master's side, rarely possessed opportunities to receive a master's bestowals. While the Miss looked down upon such exquisite and costly ornaments, if they possessed even a single piece to serve as a dowry when they were wedded off in the future, it would be an exceptionally respectable matter.
"Third Miss, you have bestowed the items Madam prepared for you upon maidservants; could it be that you still expect Madam to prepare another portion for you? Each young lady possesses only a single portion, so for Third Miss to act in this manner, is it not making things difficult for Madam?" Cuizhu spoke with an unsightly countenance.
Ye Li rose to her feet and stated, "Once Madam delivered the items to me, they became my property. Since every sister possesses only a single portion, I naturally will be no exception. Or... do you still intend to insist that either I or Fourth Sister don such a magnificent garment?" Looking upon her with a fair measure of amusement, Ye Li deliberately bit down a fraction harder upon the words "magnificent garment."
"This... this servant dares not."
"It is well that you dare not. Return and express thanks to Madam on my behalf."
"Miss, Madam has arrived," Jingwen, the temporary embroideress who had changed her name outside the door, reported.
Before Ye Li could even find the time to open her mouth, Madam Wang had already entered, leading her entourage. It was only that her originally smiling face stiffened for a fraction of a moment upon beholding the items on the table and within the hands of the several maidservants. "Li'er... could it be that you dislike the things Mother prepared for you?"
"I have caused Madam to expend effort to worry over it, however, my Aunt delivered a set over to Li'er two days ago. Li'er likewise could not bear to let Madam's kind intentions go to waste, so I simply bestowed them upon Qingshuang and the others; presumably they will all feel deeply grateful toward Madam." Ye Li spoke in a careless, casual manner, yet her gaze fell upon the several nannies and maidservants who had followed Madam Wang inward. Plainly, these few individuals were by no means members of the Ye family.
Qingshuang led the several maidservants to cleverly express thanks to Madam. Madam Wang forced out a smile and said to Ye Li, "It is still Li'er who is kind-hearted. These few individuals are managing nannies from the Prince Ding Estate; Li'er, come meet them."
Without waiting for Ye Li to step forward, the nanny in the lead stepped forward with a thoroughly solemn expression, offering a bow to Ye Li as she said, "This old servant pays respects to Third Miss. This old servant is a managing nanny by the Prince's side, and my husband's family name is Sun. Acting under the Prince's command, I have delivered some items to Third Miss; I ask Third Miss to kindly accept them."
Nanny Sun extended her hand, and two older maidservants along with two young maidservants stepped forward cradling brocade boxes to pay respects to Ye Li. "We pay respects to Third Miss."
Qingshuang and Qingxia hastily stepped forward to support that Nanny Sun up. Ye Li nodded with a smile, appearing as though she failed entirely to perceive Nanny Sun's covert, sizing-up gaze, as she offered a flat smile. "I have troubled Nanny Sun. Please express thanks to the Prince on my behalf."
Nanny Sun's shrewd, old eyes swept a glance across the items on the table, concurrently taking Madam Wang's expression into her view. A flash of satisfaction flickered within her eyes, and her solemn face gained a trace of a smile. Offering another blessing of a bow to Ye Li, she said, "Since that is the case, this old servant shall take her leave first."
Ye Li nodded and said to Qingshuang, "Qingshuang, escort Nanny Sun out on my behalf."
Qingshuang gave an affirmative response, and Yun'er along with the other several maidservants stepped forward to take over the items, while Qingshuang personally guided Nanny Sun and the others out.