The First Jasmine - Chapter 2
Chapter 2: The Dowry
Although it was common knowledge that Prince Ding was a cripple, this "useless" man was, after all, the Great Chu Dynasty's sole hereditary Prince of the First Rank. Consequently, Minister Ye and the Old Grandmar—both of whom had always treated Ye Li with total indifference—went completely out of their way to summon her for a talk.
"Granddaughter pays respects to Grandmother, pays respects to Father." When Ye Li arrived at the Old Madam's Rongle Hall, Minister Ye, Madam Wang, and the Fourth Miss, Ye Ying, were already present.
Old Madam Ye nodded, her face glowing with a look of maternal affection as she smiled. "Li'er, rise. Now that you have been granted in marriage to Prince Ding, and Ying'er is celebrating her grand wedding to Prince Li next month, our household can truly be said to have a double blessing at our door."
Ye Li stood up, keeping her eyes cast downward toward the floor. Her expression, however, remained entirely respectful. "To have forced Grandmother to rush all the way back from outside—it is this granddaughter's lack of filial piety that has caused Grandmother such exhaustion." Although she didn't particularly care for Ye Li, these few words pleased Old Madam Ye immensely. The warmth on her face deepened slightly as she said, "This is a joyous milestone for our family. How could I not return? Have the dowries for the two girls been properly arranged yet?" Madam Wang immediately stood up, looking at the old matriarch with a visible expression of difficulty. "To inform the Old Madam, originally there was only the Fourth Girl. Even with her marriage next month, we could have managed to scrape by in time if we rushed. But now that we also have the Third Miss, I fear..."
Old Madam Ye was a shrewd woman who had weathered many seasons; how could she not see through Madam Wang's petty calculations? After a brief pause, she remarked, "The date for Li Girl's wedding hasn't been set yet. Let us prioritize Ying'er first."
Having secured the old matriarch's directive, Madam Wang happily chorused her agreement.
Old Madam Ye looked at her two granddaughters and ordered her maid to bring out two boxes, placing them on the table. "You two girls are both blessed—one marrying Prince Li, the other marrying Prince Ding. As your grandmother, I will not favor one over the other. Each of you shall receive a share of these items, and it will be the same for the Fifth Girl and Sixth Girl in the future. As for the manors from my own dowry, you shall each receive one. Regarding how much more the family's shared coffers will contribute, that is a matter for your mother and father to decide." Madam Wang replied with a flattering smile, "The Old Madam truly dotes on her granddaughters. This daughter-in-law and the Master have discussed it—Ying'er is marrying Prince Li, and if her dowry is too meager, I fear the Royal Family will not be pleased. The family coffers have set aside twenty-two thousand taels of silver to procure her dowry, along with six manors and six shops. Furthermore, I am contributing two manors from my own personal dowry to give to her." Old Madam Ye's brows knitted slightly as she noted, "Isn't that a bit too generous?" While it was true that a thicker dowry was better for Ye Ying since she was marrying a prince, if the subsequent daughters married off with too stark a difference, it would reflect poorly on the reputation of the Minister's Estate. "What are your plans for Li Girl's dowry?" The old matriarch was, after all, far more clear-sighted than Madam Wang. Even if Prince Ding was currently a cripple, he was a cripple backed by a family of deep, historic heritage. Were it not for his personal misfortunes, his status would likely be even more noble than Prince Li's. If they were too stingy with Ye Li's dowry, those who had been loyal to the Prince Ding Estate for generations would undoubtedly have something to say.
Madam Wang clearly hadn't expected the old matriarch to ask so directly. She hesitated for a moment before replying, "Prince Ding is, after all, different from the Emperor's full-blood brother, and our estate is genuinely a bit... This daughter-in-law was wondering if we should wait until the Prince Ding Estate sends over the betrothal gifts before deciding. When the time comes, we can just add two manors to accompany it." Her underlying meaning was to simply recycle the Prince Ding Estate's betrothal gifts and send them right back as the dowry. As for how much would actually make it back, that would entirely depend on her whim.
Hearing this, Old Madam Ye's face darkened instantly as she snapped, "Absurd! Sending the betrothal gifts right back as a dowry—how dare you even think of such a thing? Do you care nothing for the reputation of our Ye family? Do you care nothing for your own reputation as a stepmother? It is true that the Xu family has declined over these years, but they are still not a lineage your Wang family can compare to!"
Being reprimanded so ruthlessly by the old matriarch caused Madam Wang's face to flush crimson. She immediately cried out her grievances: "Old Madam, this daughter-in-law is wronged! When have I ever mistreated the Third Miss over these years? It is truly... truly because... our estate is facing some financial strains. There are still several daughters who haven't married yet, and Rong Master will also need silver when he marries in the future..." The old matriarch was so provoked by this short-sighted daughter-in-law that she massaged her chest in irritation. Master Rong was only seven years old this year; his marriage was a matter for some distant, unknown year. She cast a glance at Minister Ye, who was sitting quietly to the side, and demanded, "She is your own daughter. Speak up—what do you think should be done?" Fortunate it was that she had returned to ask this single question. If Madam Wang had truly married Li Girl off in such a manner, they would have offended not only the Prince Ding Estate but also the Xu family. While the Xu family had fewer people in the imperial court these days, how could a century-old noble clan be so easily crossed? Minister Ye looked awkwardly at his mother and then at his wife before saying, "The Third Girl is also a legitimate daughter. Let it be the same as Ying'er's." To have reached the position of a Minister, Minister Ye was no fool; he naturally understood what his mother was worried about.
"The same as Ying'er's?!" Madam Wang screamed in a high-pitched voice. "Where would our estate get that much money? Master, it is not that this primary wife wishes to mistreat the Third Miss, but our household finances are genuinely stretched tight. Ying'er is the full-blood sister of Consort Ye in the palace, and she is marrying the Emperor's own birth brother. If the dowry is too meager, it won't just look bad on the Prince's face; it will look bad on Consort Ye's face as well. At worst... at worst, this concubine-turned-wife will take the two manors from my own dowry that I intended to leave for Master Rong and give them to the Third Miss instead." Madam Wang wiped at her tears as she wailed about her grievances, but in her heart, she deeply loathed Ye Li, who sat to the side in absolute silence. How could she allow that dead wench's daughter to have the exact same as her own Ying'er? Don't even think about it!
"This..." Minister Ye paused, looking at Ye Li with a wave of indecision. Currently, Consort Ye was enjoying the peak of imperial favor in the palace and was even carrying a child. If she could give birth to a prince...
Seeing the shift in Minister Ye's expression, Ye Ying bit her lip and said in a low, gentle voice, "Father need not worry. Ying'er can just yield a portion of her dowry to Third Sister. It's just that we absolutely cannot shortchange Elder Sister's expenses in the palace, and we must also leave some shares for Fifth Sister and Sixth Sister." Seeing his most cherished daughter behave so sensibly, Minister Ye's expression softened into tenderness. He turned his gaze toward Ye Li, wanting her to say a few words to smooth things over as well.
Ye Li smiled faintly in her heart. She raised her head, looked at the four people present, and said softly, "Father, Mother, and Fourth Sister need not fret." Hearing this, Madam Wang felt a surge of joy in her heart. Over the years, Ye Li had never fought or grabbed for anything, making her believe that Ye Li possessed a soft, easily manipulated nature. She assumed the girl was about to back down. However, Ye Li simply continued, "Before Mother passed away, she mentioned to me that when she originally married into the Ye family, Maternal Grandfather and Maternal Grandmother accompanied her with eight manors, twelve shops, and three forested lands. All of these were left to serve as my dowry. As for anything else, Father and Mother may simply arrange it according to Second Sister's precedent. It is better to prioritize Fourth Sister." Two years prior, the Second Miss of the Ye family had married the third son of the Imperial Censor's household, and Madam Wang had provided a mere ten thousand taels of silver for her dowry.
"What?! How can that be?! Those are..." Madam Wang could not help but shriek. Those were the assets she intended to keep to serve as a dowry for her own daughter and to leave for Master Rong.
Ye Li looked at her with an expression of mild confusion and asked, "What are they?" Lowering her eyes slightly, she looked at Old Madam Ye with a touch of maidenly shyness and said, "Mother said back then that her dowry was entirely left for this granddaughter. My Maternal Aunt is also fully aware of this. Grandmother, am I right?"
Old Madam Ye's expression turned somewhat unsightly as well. Back then, when Lady Xu had married into the Ye family, her dowry could truly be described as stretching for ten miles. If all of it were handed over to Ye Li, then Ye Ying's dowry would look rather pathetic by comparison. Over the years, the Ye family had spent money like water, causing their expenses to outpace their income. If they wanted to put together a dowry as grand as Lady Xu's for Ye Ying, the entire household wouldn't be able to survive after she married out. Yet what Ye Li said was entirely correct; before Lady Xu passed away, the Young Madam of the Xu family had been present at her bedside and had heard Lady Xu's final arrangements with her own ears. Seeing that Old Madam Ye remained silent, Ye Li was in no hurry to speak either. She merely sneered in her heart. She didn't hold a massive obsession over the absolute size of her dowry, but her mother's personal assets could never be used to subsidize the dowry of Madam Wang's daughter. Although she had regained the memories of her past life after Lady Xu's passing, it did not alter the fact that Lady Xu was her birth mother. The meticulous care, the dedicated teachings from her childhood, and the endless grievances Lady Xu had suffered were things she had not forgotten. Ever since entering the Ye household, Lady Xu had not enjoyed a single day of true happiness; to say she died of a broken heart was no exaggeration. If her personal dowry were to be used to subsidize the daughter of her husband's former concubine, Ye Li—even as someone who didn't believe in ghosts or gods—would worry that her mother might literally climb out of her grave.
After a long silence, Old Madam Ye finally spoke: "Let us set this matter aside for now. I will discuss it further with your mother and father later."
Ye Li elegantly arched an eyebrow and gave a soft nod of assent.