The First Jasmine - Chapter 34

Chapter 34: A Great Scholar of the Age

Under the comprehensive guidance of the eldest young master, Xu Qingchen, the several young masters of the Xu family conducted a highly cordial and pleasant meeting with Minister Ye and Old Madame Ye. As for Wang-shi, who sat to one side and had attempted to interject several times without success, she was systematically and deliberately ignored. The fifth young master of the Xu family later expressed that he possessed absolutely no interest in conversing with another man's concubine.

Indeed, in the eyes of the Xu family, Wang-shi's status as the legitimate wife had never once been acknowledged. Setting aside the past grievances between Wang-shi and the late Madame Xu, the Xu family itself did not recognize the practice of elevating a concubine to the status of a primary wife. Of course, this might also be related to the fact that for several generations, with only a few exceptional circumstances, no one in the Xu family ever took a concubine. If Wang-shi were truly a lady from a renowned clan who was virtuous, respectful, and frugal, they might have extended a certain degree of respect; unfortunately, Wang-shi clearly possessed none of these virtues.

Afterward, Xu Qingchen very tactfully and politely brought up how much his father missed the maternal niece he hadn't seen for many years, requesting to take Ye Li to the Xu family's private villa for a short stay. Old Madame Ye naturally rejected the proposal without a second thought, stating that Ye Li was about to be wed and needed to remain at home to await her marriage.

Xu Qingchen, however, countered by stating that because their late aunt had passed away early, his grandfather was deeply concerned that his maternal cousin would not know how to manage a household after her marriage, causing her to be looked down upon by her in-laws. For this reason, Grandfather had specifically instructed Second Aunt to invite several ladies from the capital who were most adept at household management to instruct her. He had also dispatched several senior nannies to re-educate his cousin in proper etiquette. After all... there had been rumors circulating outside that the Third Miss of the Ye family was a "three-lacking" young lady—lacking talent, virtue, and looks. From this, it was evident that his cousin was in dire need of strict guidance regarding her etiquette, deportment, and manner of speech and conduct.

Watching Old Madame Ye fall listlessly silent, looking entirely like someone who harbored immense grievances but could not speak them, Ye Li once again affirmed her belief: when dealing with an old fox like Old Madame Ye, one must absolutely never rip off the facade of politeness to engage in hostile arguments or head-on confrontations. Just look at how elegantly and courteously her cousin spoke; who wouldn't believe that this was a gentle and respectful junior respectfully listening to the counsel of an elder?

Yet looking at Old Madame Ye's expression—which could absolutely not be described as pleasant—could she truly voice any further opinions? In the end, even Old Madame Ye's attempt to have Ye Shan and Ye Lin accompany Ye Li to the Xu family's private villa was smilingly deflected by Xu Qingyan, who stated that "improper mingling between men and women would damage the pure reputations of the two young ladies." She could only watch helplessly as Ye Li was escorted out of the Ye Manor gates by the young masters of the Xu family.

The moment they left the Ye Manor, everyone obviously became much more relaxed and casual; even Xu Qingze, who had been maintaining a cold face throughout, revealed a faint smile. The unfamiliarity born from several years of separation among the siblings seemed to vanish in an instant. As for Xu Qingyan, who had no memory of Ye Li due to his tender age, he was naturally someone who grew close to others easily; within a short while, he was acting as warm and affectionate as a biological sibling who had grown up alongside her from childhood.

Because the current clan head of the Xu family—the father of Xu Qingchen, Xu Qingbai, and Xu Qingyan, and Ye Li's Eldest Uncle, Xu Hongyu—did not wish to be too ostentatious, he had not moved into his younger brother's Censorate Manor. Instead, he had settled directly into a modest private villa owned by the Xu family in the capital. Consequently, Ye Li and the rest of the group headed straight for the Xu family's private villa.

"Eldest Uncle..."

Beholding the man before her eyes—who, despite being middle-aged, still possessed an exceptionally elegant, composed, and scholarly bearing—Ye Li called out in a slightly husky voice.

Xu Hongyu likewise looked at this young maternal niece whom he had doted upon since her childhood. Seeing that face—which bore a seventy percent resemblance to his late younger sister, yet possessed a trace more resilience than her—he could not help but let out a soft sigh. He gestured toward Ye Li, saying, "Li'er, you have suffered these past years. Your uncle knows everything that has transpired in the capital. With your uncle here, let's see who still dares to make things difficult for you!"

Ye Li also felt her eyes grow slightly stinging and warm, forcing a smile as she said, "With my uncles here, who would dare to make things difficult for Li'er? Li'er merely missed Eldest Uncle and Grandfather."

Xu Hongyu cast a rather dissatisfied glance at his younger brother sitting to one side, saying, "If he were of any use, would he have allowed that mother and daughter of the Ye family to be so smug?"

Xu Hongyan also knew the temperament of his elder brother, so he could only offer a helpless, wry smile, saying, "Eldest Brother's reprimand is correct; it is this younger brother who failed to take proper care of Li'er."

"Eldest Uncle!" Ye Li shook her eldest uncle's arm in playful protest. She felt absolutely no pressure when it came to acting spoiled toward this eldest uncle; after all, that was exactly how things had been since her childhood. Who told her to be a genuine child back then? Furthermore, she had been the only child in the entire Xu family who did not fear this eldest uncle.

Xu Hongyu lovingly ruffled the back of Ye Li's head, smiling as he said, "Very well, your uncle was merely speaking casually. You girl, after not seeing each other for so many years, you only side with your Second Uncle now."

"That's not true at all; Li'er has always missed Eldest Uncle and Grandfather immensely."

"Then when your grandfather wanted you to come to Yunzhou, how did you dare to decline?"

"..."

After chatting with her two uncles for a short while, Xu Hongyu had Xu Qingyan lead her to the room that had already been prepared, and to meet the two senior nannies who had been waiting for a long time. Ye Li also knew that her uncles and cousins likely had matters to discuss, so she submissively followed Xu Qingyan out.

Ye Li's room had long since been arranged, situated within the innermost, quietest courtyard of the private villa. Whether it was the Censorate Manor, the former Xu Manor in the capital, or this private villa, the Xu family's residences always maintained the same simple, elegant, and grand style, which perfectly suited Ye Li's tastes. The moment she stepped into the courtyard gates, someone immediately came forward to greet her. "Miss!"

Two neatly and decently attired senior nannies came forward. Upon seeing Ye Li, they froze for a moment, their eyes instantly brimming with hot tears.

"Nanny Lin... wet nurse..." Ye Li called out. Nanny Lin was the personal maid who had followed her mother since childhood, and she was already nearly fifty years old this year. As for Ye Li'er's wet nurse, she was also a hereditary servant of the Xu family, currently forty years of age. Ye Li still remembered how, when she had forcefully insisted on sending Nanny Lin and Nanny Wei back to the Xu family years ago, the two of them had knelt before her, begging desperately and preferring death over leaving her side. Although she had lacked anyone she could truly trust by her side from then until she encountered Qingshuang, Ye Li did not regret her decision. Because she knew very well that with her state at that time—having just recovered her memories, with her mind still frequently muddled and her body exceptionally frail—she was simply incapable of protecting these two people who genuinely cared for her.

"Miss... Miss..." The two nannies quickly walked to Ye Li's side. Nanny Lin said through her tears, "Miss has finally grown up... you look so much like the Eldest Miss..."

Nanny Wei’s affection for Ye Li ran even deeper, for Ye Li had been raised under her personal care. "Wuu... this servant has failed the Eldest Miss, leaving Miss all alone in that Ye Manor for all these years. Fortunately... fortunately Miss is perfectly fine..."

Ye Li let out a quiet sigh in her heart; she was still somewhat clumsy at handling such emotional scenes, so she could only offer rather awkward words of comfort to the two nannies. Xu Qingyan stood to one side, secretly laughing at Ye Li'er's somewhat stiff posture, while simultaneously becoming more convinced that the Ye family had mistreated his cousin.

"Ahem. Nanny Lin, Nanny Wei, you will be staying by Sister Li's side from now on anyway, so there is no need to rush everything in a single moment. Why don't we head into the room to talk slowly?"

Reminded by Xu Qingyan, the two nannies hastily wiped their faces and nodded repeatedly. "The Fifth Young Master speaks the truth; it was our negligence. Quick, Miss, come and see if you like your room. If you find anything amiss, we can change it immediately."

Opening her eyes to find herself being pulled into the room by the two nannies, the forgotten Xu Qingyan stood dazed for a brief moment. He rolled his eyes toward the sky before turning around to walk out.

While Ye Li was pulled into her room to endure the warmth of the two nannies, the atmosphere inside the private villa's study on the other side appeared somewhat cold and solemn.

Xu Hongyu sat behind the writing desk, looking at his younger brother. A smile rested on his lips, yet it inexplicably caused Xu Qingfeng and Xu Qingbai—who were shrinking in the back—to break into an involuntary shiver. "So, His Highness Prince Li believes that Li'er is unworthy of him, turning around to hook up with the Fourth Miss of the Ye family instead. Meanwhile, the Emperor believes that Li'er's reputation as a 'three-lacking' young lady and the humiliation of being cast aside by Prince Li can be perfectly utilized to insult Prince Ding?"

The corners of everyone's lips could not help but twitch. Hook up... Eldest Uncle (Father), you are a renowned great scholar of the age; can you not speak a bit more elegantly?

Xu Hongyan nodded and said, "It is indeed so."

As if he felt the atmospheric pressure in the study wasn't low enough, Xu Qinger—who sat in the lower seat, sporting a smile even more elegant and striking than his father's—retrieved a letter from his sleeve and said, "Just earlier today, Prince Li publicly proclaimed at the Chu Fragrance Pavilion that no matter how much Ye Li attempts to curry public favor through sensationalism, he will absolutely never marry her."

Shiver... Xu Qingyan, who had just snuck inside, inconspicuously leaned closer behind his fourth brother.

Xu Hongyu took the letter and read it for a while, remaining silent for a long time. Just as Xu Hongyan was about to speak out of concern, they heard Xu Hongyu let out a loud burst of laughter. "Excellent... as expected of a daughter of my Xu family..." As he spoke, he handed the letter directly to Xu Hongyan.

Xu Hongyan twitched the corner of his mouth, holding back his laughter. He had remained in the capital all this time, so how could he not know that his maternal niece was absolutely not as docile and delicate as she appeared on the surface? However, to be this... formidable was also a rare sight; she had likely truly been driven to vexation by Prince Li.

"Prince Ding was also present at the time?" Xu Hongyan folded the letter, completely ignoring the eagerly expectant gaze of Xu Qingyan behind him as he tucked it directly into his own sleeve. He intended to go back and study how to add some more flavor to Prince Li'er's troubles; the man was clearly far too idle, which was why he kept looking for trouble with Li'er.

"Li'er also seemed to converse with Prince Ding for a bit. It appears the two have already reached a certain mutual understanding," Xu Qingchen stated with a flat smile.

Xu Hongyu pondered for a moment, then waved his hand and said, "Your grandfather holds a highly elevated opinion of Prince Ding. Since Li'er also appears to have no dissatisfaction toward the marriage, Qingchen, I shall leave the subsequent matters to you."

Xu Qingchen nodded and smiled faintly. "Your son understands. It just so happens that your son has been away from the capital for many years, and hasn't seen Prince Ding for quite some time either.”