The First Jasmine - Chapter 22
Chapter 22: The Hundred Flowers Grand Gathering (Part III)
"Humph! And here I wondered who it was. It turns out to be the Third Miss Ye, who was rejected by Brother Jingli."
Within a perfectly peaceful atmosphere, one or two discordant voices were bound to pop up. When the crowd turned around, they saw a young lady adorned in magnificent and noble makeup approaching, surrounded by a cluster of attendants.
Ye Li recalled for a brief moment before understanding the identity of the young lady before her. She was Commandery Princess Ronghua, the daughter of the reigning Emperor's maternal cousin, Grand Princess Zhaoren, and the niece of Grand Princess Zhaoyang. Although Ye Li was unfamiliar with the cloistered young ladies of the capital, her maternal uncle had had her aunt send over a detailed compilation of information regarding all the prominent and eminent clans in the capital. Among them, a few individuals who required special attention were analyzed with heavy emphasis, and this Commandery Princess Ronghua happened to be one of those few.
"Commandery Princess Ronghua has a sharp and impulsive temperament. Miss Ye, please be a bit careful," a voice suddenly whispered softly beside Ye Li.
Ye Li raised her head and happened to see Qin Zheng, the daughter of Censor Qin, offering her a well-meaning smile. Ye Li nodded gratefully in response, and Qin Zheng returned the smile.
"Greetings, Commandery Princess." Everyone present hastily stepped forward to pay their respects to Commandery Princess Ronghua.
Commandery Princess Ronghua let out a soft huff. She walked directly up to Ye Li, staring and sizing her up for a long while before saying arrogantly, "You are Ye Li?"
Ye Li nodded. "Replying to the Commandery Princess, indeed I am." For some unknown reason, Ye Li very keenly sensed a wave of hostility directed at her from this Commandery Princess Ronghua. Given that she had never met Commandery Princess Ronghua before, Ye Li found it somewhat difficult to comprehend where this lady's hostility originated.
"Humph, I heard that you knew you were ugly and didn't dare to come out to meet people. Why is it that after being abandoned by Brother Jingli, you couldn't wait to run out here? Aren't you the least bit embarrassed?" Commandery Princess Ronghua's exquisite features were filled with utter disdain. Hearing her words, the young ladies standing around also began to whisper and discuss among themselves in low voices.
A faint, subtle coldness flashed through Ye Li's eyes, yet her gaze remained steady and unblinking as she stared back at the imperious, coddled young lady before her, who exuded a noble and overbearing aura. Even though Ye Li always prided herself on having a peaceful mindset, she had to admit that this girl was truly far from likeable.
"I am grateful for the Commandery Princess's concern, but Ye Li has been out for so long and has not managed to scare a single person. Perhaps I was simply far too self-deprecating in the past," Ye Li said, her tone gentle yet carrying not the slightest hint of weakness or avoidance. "As for His Highness Prince Li... it is indeed Ye Li who is unworthy of him. That His Majesty was able to select a better match for His Highness Prince Li is truly a testament to his supreme wisdom."
"It is good that you possess self-awareness!" Commandery Princess Ronghua had not expected Ye Li to utter such a response. She blanked for a moment before retorting with disdain.
Ye Ying, who was standing nearby, hastily stepped forward and offered a smiling apology. "Ronghua, my elder sister has never participated in any gatherings in the capital before. If she has offended you in any way, I ask that you please do not take it to heart."
Ye Ying clearly wished to act as a good younger sister who defused the situation for her elder sister in front of everyone. However, Commandery Princess Ronghua had absolutely no intention of granting her this face. With a swift flick of her arm, she brushed away Ye Ying's hand which had reached out to pull her. Casting a disgusted glare at Ye Ying, she snapped, "She is a useless fool, and you are no good thing either. Whether this Commandery Princess takes offense or not, is it your place to say?"
The perfect smile on Ye Ying's face instantly froze. Her hand, which had been slapped to the side, also stiffened in mid-air as if she had momentarily forgotten to pull it back. "Ronghua, you..."
Commandery Princess Ronghua raised her chin arrogantly, looking at Ye Ying with utter loathing. "Is my childhood name something the likes of you can call out?"
Observing the obvious anger, loathing, and jealousy written all over Commandery Princess Ronghua's face as she glared at Ye Ying, Ye Li finally had a general grasp of the situation in her heart. If Commandery Princess Ronghua's behavior toward her could be described as impolite, then her treatment of Ye Ying was blatant exclusion and humiliation. Presumably, this could not be detached from that Prince Li, who was famously renowned throughout the capital. Shaking her head slightly in her mind, though she harbored no affection for this younger sister, Ye Li similarly did not think highly of Prince Li and Commandery Princess Ronghua's prospects. Marrying a close cousin brought no benefits whatsoever.
Ye Ying looked at Commandery Princess Ronghua with an expression of deep grievance, her cherry lips moving slightly as if she wanted to say something. Ye Li took a step forward ahead of her, taking her hand, and turned to look at Commandery Princess Ronghua. "I have heard that the Commandery Princess and my younger sister have always shared a rather good relationship. My younger sister's offense against the Commandery Princess just now was due to my lack of guidance as her elder sister. I ask that the Commandery Princess show magnanimity." Commandery Princess Ronghua arched her elegant brows. "Aren't you afraid this Commandery Princess will punish you? Or do you wish to invite humiliation upon yourself just like Ye Ying?" Ye Li lowered her eyes and smiled softly. "The Commandery Princess is graceful and magnanimous; surely you would not lose your temper over such a trivial matter. Upon our return, Ye Li will definitely report this to Father and Mother, and we will make a special trip to the Grand Princess's Manor to apologize to the Commandery Princess, the Grand Princess, and the Imperial Son-in-law." So can we please stop making a scene now?
Commandery Princess Ronghua stared at Ye Li for a long while before stating thoughtfully, "You are indeed more presentable and fitting for the stage than Ye Ying. Brother Jingli's discernment is truly nothing to write home about."
Clearly feeling Ye Ying's wrist grow somewhat rigid within her palm, Ye Li could not help but mutely look up to the heavens in her mind: Commandery Princess Ronghua, are you a creature from a planet that will perish if you don't instigate conflict?
"The Commandery Princess praises me excessively. His Highness Prince Li's discernment and reputation have always been praised by all."
In the end, Commandery Princess Ronghua gave a heavy, resounding snort, flicked her sleeves, and departed in a grand, sweeping manner with her large entourage in tow. She left behind the sympathetic, pitiful, and worried gazes of the crowd; offending this coddled and arrogant commandery princess was by no means a good thing.
"Fourth Sister, are you all right?"
Seeing Commandery Princess Ronghua walk far away, Ye Shan and Ye Lin finally rushed forward to ask with concern. Several other young ladies who shared good relations with Ye Ying also surrounded her to offer comfort and ask after her well-being. Even if Ye Ying had offended the Grand Princess's Manor and Commandery Princess Ronghua, one must not forget that she was still the future Prince Li Consort. His Highness Prince Li was deeply favored by both the Emperor and the Empress Dowager; the status of the Prince Li Consort was vastly higher than that of a commandery princess.
"Commandery Princess Ronghua simply possesses this kind of temperament, please do not mind it," a gentle and elegant voice spoke softly beside Ye Li.
Ye Li raised her head to look at the smiling daughter of the Censor before her, who was entirely enveloped in a scholarly aura. She smiled frankly and replied, "I am fine. Thank you for your reminder just now, Miss Qin." Qin Zheng also laughed generously. "There is no need for thanks. My mother and Madam Xu were close childhood friends; Madam Xu frequently mentions you. I have long wished to meet you, but unfortunately, you rarely participate in gatherings, so we unexpectedly never managed to cross paths." Ye Li recalled that this Miss Qin's father, Censor Qin, seemed to be a disciple under her maternal grandfather, Mr. Qingyun. Most importantly, Qin Zheng and her second maternal cousin, Xu Qingze, seemed to share a betrothal arrangement made before birth. No wonder her eldest cousin had mentioned that her second cousin was going to stay in the capital long-term this time; at nineteen years of age, her second cousin indeed ought to be married. Thinking up to this point, the smile on Ye Li's face gained a few more traces of sincerity. "Just call me by my name. I didn't like going out in the past, but fortunately, I didn't miss out on making a good friend like you. However... we will become even more familiar with each other in the future, will we not?"
Qin Zheng clearly understood what she was referring to. Her pretty face flushed slightly as she glared at her and said, "I am half a year older than you; you may call me Elder Sister. Let me introduce a few good friends for you to know."
Thus, Ye Li and Ye Ying were drawn into two separate sides. Qin Zheng introduced Ye Li to her own close childhood friends. Unsurprisingly, these few young ladies were the ones who had actively greeted Ye Li earlier. Upon discovering that this Third Miss Ye was not nearly as intolerable as the rumors claimed, but was instead a young lady of a great household who possessed elegant manners and measured speech, everyone delightfully accepted this newly arrived friend.
Sitting together with her newly made friends and discussing some interesting anecdotes from the inner chambers of the capital, Ye Li discovered that these women were not as boring as she had initially assumed. Indeed, the young ladies carefully nurtured by prominent and eminent clans would mostly become the main mistresses of these great families in the future. They were naturally intelligent women equipped with both talent and capability, rather than the love-struck fools written about in storybooks who lived and died solely for romance.
"Miss Ye, it is still better for you to keep your distance from that younger sister of yours." Murong Ting had clearly inherited the frank and straightforward disposition of her father, the General of Spreading Might. She glanced toward Ye Ying, who was currently practicing her qin skills with others not far away, and spoke.
Ye Li arched her brows and asked, "Why do you say that?"
Murong Ting waved her hand and said, "Ye Ying's current reputation is not particularly pleasant to hear. I heard that originally, Grand Princess Zhaoyang had no intention of issuing an invitation to her at all. Who knows how she managed to persuade Grand Dowager Consort Xianzhao to personally speak on her behalf to obtain the invitation. Grand Princess Zhaoyang is an upright person who detests those who do not follow the rules the most. If you stay too close to her, the Grand Princess might take out her anger on you as well."
Ye Li knew that Ye Ying's current reputation was not very good, but she was still somewhat surprised that it had deteriorated to this extent. She had assumed that the requirements for women in this era were not as strict as those in the ancient times of her past life.
"If it were an ordinary betrothal, it would be fine; even if people felt jealous, it wouldn't be right to say anything." Another young lady from the Duke Hua Manor interjected, her delicate brows knitted. "Before the betrothal was even decreed, she secretly gave and accepted tokens with her future brother-in-law. Who could tolerate such a sister? Previously, Commandery Princess Ronghua shared the best relationship with Ye Ying, but the moment the betrothal was decreed, Commandery Princess Ronghua fell out with her."
Murong Ting spoke with disdain, "I heard that back then, the meetings between Prince Li and Ye Ying mostly occurred because of Commandery Princess Ronghua. Commandery Princess Ronghua probably feels she was used by Ye Ying."
Qin Zheng frowned and said, "All right, why are you two saying these things in front of Li'er?"
Only then did the two of them remember that Ye Li was the most direct victim of this matter. Originally the Prince Li Consort who was envied by the young ladies of the capital, she had now become the Prince Ding Consort who was pitied by everyone. They could not help but look at Ye Li with apologetic expressions, temporarily unsure of how to open their mouths to apologize. Ye Li covered her lips and smiled, saying, "It is not some monumental matter; you are just speaking casually, there is no need to be so worried." Qin Zheng looked at her with concern. "Li'er... you..." Ye Li waved her hand and said, "Imperial commands are difficult to disobey. Since things have already turned out this way, we must naturally accept reality. Mourning and feeling sorry for oneself serves no purpose, does it? Furthermore, before his accident, Prince Ding was also an exceptionally outstanding individual, and over these years, I haven't heard anything about him having a bad temper. He shouldn't be difficult to get along with."
The topic that had initially been somewhat heavy instantly lightened considerably under Ye Li's indifferent attitude. After the four of them chatted and laughed for a while, a maidservant from the Grand Princess's Manor came to invite all the young ladies to attend the banquet. The four of them then rose to their feet and departed together. After the crowd drifted away, the originally bustling garden grew much quieter, with only the distant, leisurely laughter of the young ladies floating back. From behind the towering, overlapping artificial rocks, a green silhouette emerged. The slender figure sat straight within a wheelchair, gazing in the direction where the young ladies had departed. Within his gentle yet cool eyes, a trace of deep profoundness flickered…