The First Jasmine - Chapter 6
Chapter 6: Your Highness, One Must Pay for Shopping
"Haha... Xiuyao, this fiancée of yours is truly quite interesting."
At some unknown point, a spacious and simple horse carriage had come to a halt outside Shende Pavilion. Although the occupants inside could not witness the scene within, their hearing was evidently far superior to that of ordinary men, allowing them to catch every detail of the events unfolding inside Shende Pavilion with crystal clarity.
Inside the carriage, a man dressed in luxurious crimson silk silk-garments possessed sharp brows that swept elegantly into his temples, his handsome features appearing utterly otherworldly. Wearing a lazy, continuous smile, he leaned casually against the carriage frame, teasingly eyeing the serene man seated across from him.
"Feng Zhiyao, are you simply too idle?" The man across from him was dressed in plain, unadorned attire, sitting squarely in a wheelchair as he cast a calm, flat gaze at the endlessly chuckling man before him. Though bound to a wheelchair, his back remained as straight as a javelin, as if there was absolutely nothing in this world capable of crushing his spine. His refined countenance carried a trace of gentle, scholarly elegance, yet the clarity within his steady gaze caused anyone who met his eyes to feel an involuntary shudder of coldness. As he turned his head slightly toward the crimson-clad gentleman, a somewhat ferocious scar on his left cheek was fully revealed—instantly shattering his original aura of gentle elegance and rendering people hesitant to look at him directly.
With a crisp snap, Feng Zhiyao unfurled the folding fan in his hand and waved it leisurely, remarking, "Am I not precisely too idle? The Old Master refuses to let me leave the capital. However, things shouldn't be too dull lately; after all, both Prince Li and Your Highness Prince Ding are to celebrate your grand weddings within the month. This Emperor is truly far too biased—Ye Ying is hailed as the number one beauty in the capital, yet this Ye Li is the capital's notoriously famous 'Three-Lacking Lady'. Xiuyao, are you genuinely going to marry her? Isn't the Emperor blatantly trying to make things difficult for you? It would be one thing if she were merely a 'Three-Lacking Lady', but she is furthermore a woman who was just jilted by Mo Jingli. The Royal Family is clearly intent on casting the dignity of the Prince Ding Estate to the ground to be trampled upon."
The man in plain attire was none other than the current Prince Ding of the First Rank, Mo Xiuyao. Mo Xiuyao offered a faint smile. Through the carriage walls, the young woman's light yet entirely unyielding voice from inside Shende Pavilion drifted softly into his ears. "If the Monarch decrees the minister's death, the minister has no choice but to perish; what more a mere marriage decree? Did you yourself not just state that the Third Miss of the Ye family is quite interesting?"
Feng Zhiyao knitted his brows, a look of genuine concern entering his expression as he regarded him. "This is a matter of your lifelong happiness. Marrying a primary consort is entirely different from taking a concubine; have you truly thought this through?"
"Even if I cannot think it through, what of it? It is only that... given this appearance of mine, I fear I am wronging the lady."
Feng Zhiyao fell silent. Indeed, whether he could think it through or not, what of it? The imperial edict could not be defied; to do so would bring nothing short of absolute annihilation upon the Prince Ding Estate. Furthermore, Mo Xiuyao was already twenty-five, an age where he should have long since wed. Yet which of the reputable young ladies in the capital did not avoid him as though he were a venomous viper? Now... one could only hope that this Miss Ye was truly a decent woman. But would the Emperor ever deliberately designate a good wife for Mo Xiuyao?
Before Ye Li even had the chance to escort the young man who had sold the painting out of the shop, a pair of exceptionally handsome men and beautiful women stepped through the threshold together. The manager reacted as though he had spotted a savior, shouting continuously, "Ying'er... Ying'er, Your Highness, save me...!"
The couple walking in hand-in-hand were none other than the famously renowned Prince Li, Mo Jingli, and Ye Ying. Ye Ying cast a glance at the handsome man standing by her side, then stepped gracefully toward Ye Li, asking in a sweet, delicate tone, "Third Sister, what are you doing here? Has Maternal Uncle done something wrong to provoke your anger? I pray you will show consideration for his status as an elder and refrain from bickering with him." With a few gentle phrases, she firmly pinned the accusation of disrespecting elders onto Ye Li. Hearing this, Mo Jingli stared at Ye Li and knitted his brows in displeasure. Ye Li looked at Ye Ying with a half-smile, replying calmly, "Fourth Sister must have recognized the wrong person. My maternal grandfather's household possesses only three uncles, and currently, only my Second Uncle resides in the capital. Furthermore, although this Shende Pavilion is part of my mother's dowry, my uncles are far too esteemed to ever personally serve as a shop manager here. This individual is merely a servant of the household; how could Fourth Sister mistake him for Third Sister's elder?" Ye Ying's pink face flushed crimson with fury, and intense resentment surged in her heart. She would be a fool if she failed to comprehend the underlying meaning behind Ye Li's words. In Ye Li's eyes, the relatives of the Wang family were simply not recognized as legitimate relatives at all, and she naturally refused to acknowledge any elder from the Wang family. Therefore, since her grand-uncle served as the manager of Shende Pavilion, in Ye Li's eyes, he was nothing more than her servant. This woman usually maintained an entirely gentle, uncontentious demeanor, yet she actually dared to shatter her face so thoroughly right in front of Prince Li!
Biting her cherry-red lip, Ye Ying forced a smile and countered, "Third Sister must be joking. It was merely that this Shende Pavilion lacked management previously, so Maternal Uncle was entrusted by Mother to temporarily look after the affairs. How could he be a servant?"
Ye Li nodded, offering an understanding smile as she said, "So that is how it is. It seems this elder sister misunderstood. In the future, there will be no need to trouble the Madam's maternal brother with these matters; I shall naturally arrange for people to look after it myself. In a short while, I must trouble this Manager Wang... to accompany me back to the Ye Estate to finalize the official handover in front of Father and Grandmother."
The expressions of both the manager and Ye Ying shifted instantly. The manager was naturally loath to part with such a highly lucrative position. Currently, although the eldest daughter of Madam Wang was the highly favored Consort Ye in the palace, the Wang family's foundation was far too thin—otherwise, the legitimate daughter of the Wang family would never have entered the Ye Estate as a mere concubine years ago. Although their fortunes had improved recently, those serving as officials in the imperial court were still few and far too minor. This manager was Madam Wang's cousin; he had originally spent his days idling about at home with nothing to do. How could his past life ever compare to the comfortable, prosperous days of managing Shende Pavilion? Meanwhile, Ye Ying also knew exactly how much silver her mother extracted from Shende Pavilion each year; even she herself simply pocketed whatever rare treasures or curios she fancied without paying a single coin, allowing her to appear immensely glamorous among the noble young ladies of the capital. If they lost control over Shende Pavilion, such cheap luxuries would no longer be available in the future.
Ye Li cared absolutely nothing for what these two were plotting in their hearts. Maintaining her smile, she pulled gently at Ye Ying'er and asked, "Leaving all that aside, what brings Fourth Sister to Shende Pavilion at this hour?"
Ye Ying's expression stiffened. She hesitated for a brief moment before replying, "His Royal Highness Prince Li took a fancy to a Guanyin statue within the shop and wishes to present it as a gift to the Empress Dowager... I accompanied His Highness here to take a look."
Ye Li's smile never faltered, remaining entirely composed and serene. There wasn't even a fraction of the bitter resentment or sorrow expected of a woman facing the man who had just broken their engagement. In fact, her smile grew even more warm and cordial as she turned her head toward Mo Jingli, smiling as she said, "So it is His Royal Highness Prince Li. This maiden pays her respects. However... why did Fourth Sister allow His Highness to personally make a trip to the shop? Couldn't we have simply delivered the item directly to the Prince Li Estate?"
Ye Ying knitted her brows as she stared at Ye Li, wondering in her heart if this woman refused to give up and was attempting to curry favor with Prince Li. Mo Jingli stood to the side with his hands clasped behind his back, a trace of flat disdain flashing through his eyes as he looked upon Ye Li—evidently also concluding that her behavior was an attempt to solicit his favor. Yet Ye Li simply continued to smile and said, "But since Your Highness has personally arrived—Master He, wrap up the Guanyin statue and present it to His Highness. I wonder... will Your Highness be paying in cash silver or bank notes?" The crowd froze in unison. Mo Jingli's face turned somewhat unsightly as he stared at Ye Li and demanded, "What did you say?"
Ye Li knitted her brows, displaying a face full of blank confusion as she asked, "Is Your Highness not here to purchase the Guanyin statue? However, since you are Fourth Sister's betrothed and this is an offering dedicated to Her Majesty the Empress Dowager... Master He, apply a twenty percent discount to the total. It is quite a auspicious gesture."
Over on the other side, Master He had already carefully brought out the Guanyin statue. Ye Li cast a glance over; it was a statue sculpted from immaculate white jade. Even from a distance, the piece clearly projected the compassionate, merciful aura of the Guanyin toward the mortal world. It was glaringly evident that both the quality of the jade and the craftsmanship were of the absolute highest tier. She truly hadn't expected Shende Pavilion to harbor such an exceptional treasure; had she not made the trip today, she feared she would have suffered a massive loss.
"Miss, it is packaged and ready. The total comes to five thousand one hundred taels." Master He had thoroughly comprehended the Third Miss's intentions. He was originally a veteran servant who had accompanied the Gu family's dowry into the Ye household years ago; now that the Third Miss had assumed control of Shende Pavilion, he naturally aligned himself entirely with his young mistress. Ye Li was immensely satisfied with Master He's quick wit. She nodded and offered a shallow smile to Mo Jingli. "Let us remove the loose change and settle on an even five thousand taels. Your Highness, what do you think?"
"Third Sister! You...!" Ye Ying looked at Mo Jingli with a wave of anxiety, turning back to shout at Ye Li with a face full of intense grievance.
Ye Li sneered in her heart. Over the years, Madam Wang had secretly pocketed an untold fortune in silver and items. Now that Ye Ying was climbing to an even higher station, she actually intended to curry favor with Mo Jingli by allowing him to take items from the shop without paying a single copper. Did they truly mistake her for an easily fleeced fool?
In her heart, Qingshuang thoroughly despised Ye Ying's feigned fragility. She remarked with a bright, cheerful smile, "Whatever is the matter, Fourth Miss? Our mistress has already shaved several hundred taels off the price solely out of consideration for His Royal Highness Prince Li being our future brother-in-law. Any other establishment would never offer such a price. Or perhaps... this servant understands. Presumably, Your Highness simply does not carry that much cash silver on your person today."
Ye Li offered a shallow smile and said, "That is of no consequence; I naturally place full trust in Your Highness. Your Highness may feel free to take the item with you first. Afterward, I shall have someone deliver the invoice to your estate to collect the silver at your convenience. Your Highness, how does that sound?" Mo Jingli's countenance turned thoroughly ash-green. What else could he possibly do? If he refused, outsiders would assume he intended to extort goods from a young lady without paying; if he stated he would no longer purchase it, everyone present knew it was an offering meant for the Empress Dowager, and refusing a purchase out of spite over the price would brand him as unfilial. The entire capital claimed that this Ye Li was devoid of appearance, talent, and virtue, yet none of them had mentioned that her character was actually so profoundly crafty. Issuing a cold snort, Mo Jingli nodded by way of agreement. Appearing as though he refused to remain within this establishment for even a fraction of a second longer, he gripped Ye Ying'er's hand and stormed out of the shop—completely ignoring the desperate cries of Manager Wang behind him. Ye Li smiled with immense satisfaction, waving her hand toward Master He as she laughed. "His Highness is indeed a straightforward man. Master He, remember to dispatch someone to deliver the invoice to the Prince's Estate later. Oh, by the way, check the records to see if there are any prior tabbed balances left unpaid, and settle them all together with His Highness. A grand princely estate will certainly not shortchange us of this pittance of silver."
Hearing this, Mo Jingli—who had just stepped past the entrance—felt his face turn utterly iron-black. His footsteps faltered for a fraction of a second before he dragged Ye Ying along, departing without once looking back.