The First Jasmine - Chapter 51

Chapter 51: A Maternal Uncle’s Guidance

"Greetings to the two Princesses."

Just as Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao emerged from the inner chamber accompanied by the shopkeeper, they heard the greeter at the entrance speak with immense respect. The shopkeeper froze for an instant before hastily apologizing to the two and stepping forward to welcome the newcomers. The individuals who had just entered the doorway similarly caught sight of the pair. Eldest Princess Zhaoyang froze for a moment, losing her composure as she blurted out, "Xiuyao?" Stepping forward briskly, she came to a halt a few paces away from Mo Xiuyao, speaking softly, "Xiuyao, are you accompanying Miss Ye out to purchase items?" Mo Xiuyao’s eyes flickered slightly as he nodded. "Precisely. It has been many years since we last met, Eldest Princess." A trace of sorrow surfaced upon Princess Zhaoyang's face as she nodded. "It has indeed been many years. As long as you are currently... doing well, that is enough. Once you two celebrate your grand wedding, if Miss Ye possesses the leisure, she ought to frequently visit the Princess Manor to keep this old woman company."

Ye Li nodded gently, offering a shallow smile. "Receiving the Eldest Princess's profound affection, I shall certainly come to disturb you when the time arrives."

Princess Zhaoyang let out a soft sigh, grasping Ye Li's hand as she smiled. "Although this is merely the second time I have met Miss Ye, I shared a bit of friendship with your mother during our youth. Miss Ye, see if there is anything else you favor; consider it a meeting gift from me as an elder." Ye Li felt somewhat helpless and was just about to decline when Mo Xiuyao preempted her, speaking first, "Aunt Zhaoyang... do not frighten Ah Li. We still possess a few matters to handle and shall take our leave first. Are you not accompanied by Princess Zhaoren? Do not disrupt the Princess's elegant mood."

The beautifully adorned, elegant woman who had been cold-shouldered all this time was precisely Princess Zhaoren, whom they had encountered at Mo Jingli's wedding banquet a few days prior. Hearing Mo Xiuyao's words, she merely let out a flat snort. Princess Zhaoyang furrowed her brows, leaving her with no choice but to sigh, "Very well. Miss Ye, if you encounter any difficulties in the future, simply dispatch someone directly to my manor to inform me." Ye Li offered a soft word of thanks, accompanying Mo Xiuyao as they exited Fenghua Lou.

Upon entering the carriage, Ye Li distinctly perceived that Mo Xiuyao's state of mind was not particularly tranquil. Refraining from speaking further, she casually retrieved a volume resting within the vehicle, lowering her head to read. However, recalling Eldest Princess Zhaoyang's words and expressions within the establishment just now, she could not help but sense an inexplicable bizarreness. It felt as though the Eldest Princess's attitude shared a striking resemblance to Han Mingyue's. She appeared to desire closeness with Mo Xiuyao, yet due to some unknown reason, she could only maintain a specific distance. Her expression invariably leaked a faint, imperceptible trace of guilt and a desire to make amends. Furthermore, this manner of compensation was clearly not something Mo Xiuyao was willing to accept, so they single-mindedly transferred it onto her person instead—such as the silver notes delivered by Han Mingyue, and the attitude displayed by Princess Zhaoyang. Exactly what manner of wrong had these two executed against Mo Xiuyao?

"My apologies, Ah Li," Mo Xiuyao spoke softly within the carriage, a faint trace of guilt present within his eyes. Ye Li arched her brows in confusion, prompting Mo Xiuyao to offer a helpless smile. "Originally, I intended to bring you out to distract your mind..." Only now did realization dawn upon Ye Li. Was this man offering an apology to her because his mood had turned sour just now? Yet encountering individuals one disliked and experiencing a dip in one's mood was an entirely unavoidable circumstance, or had she behaved like a willfully troublesome young maiden, causing him to deem an apology and compensation necessary?

"It is nothing. Since you lack the inclination today, let us return first. We can step out another day when your mood improves." In truth, she similarly lacked the inclination to accompany a man wrapped in a gloomy mood to browse the streets; she possessed no skill in comforting others. Rather than wasting that leisure, it was far better to execute other matters; following the events of yesterday, she discovered she possessed a mountain of affairs to handle.

Mo Xiuyao fell silent for a brief moment before nodding. "I shall escort you back."

Ye Li nodded, delivering an instruction to Ah Jin who was driving outside, causing the carriage to proceed toward the Minister's estate. Beholding Ye Li's calm and leisurely expression, Mo Xiuyao's countenance softened considerably. He could not resist laughing as he remarked, "Ah Li appears to harbor not a shred of anxiety." Ye Li shrugged her shoulders. "Originally, there was nothing to be anxious about. However, I surmise the old lady at home is likely worried to an extreme degree." If she were to be rejected by the Ding King Manor a second time, the old lady would likely desire to dispatch her to a nunnery to cultivate. Not only would this utterly tarnish the Ye family's reputation, but it would also forfeit the massive bridal gifts already secured from the Ding King Manor—enough to cause the old lady and the Wang clan intense heartache for quite some time.

"Nothing untoward shall occur. At most, this affair will blow over within another day or two."

Ye Li nodded, refraining from speaking further. What would have occurred had she truly suffered a mishap last night? Ye Li abstained from asking such a question, and Mo Xiuyao similarly refrained from mentioning it, both sharing a tacit understanding. Perhaps even if a mishap had truly occurred, Mo Xiuyao would still have concealed the matter and proceeded to wed her, or perhaps he would have slaughtered Han Mingyue. Perhaps Ye Li would have personally slaughtered Han Mingyue, yet she would no longer have wed him. Exactly who was the culprit behind the scenes? Mo Xiuyao had no intention of informing her, and she had no intention of inquiring. They prepared to share a lifetime together, yet neither possessed the intention to view the other as their most critical, deeply beloved individual. Just as it was forever impossible for Ye Li to deem Mo Xiuyao more vital than her own blood relatives, an individual more critical than herself undoubtedly existed within Mo Xiuyao's heart.

Upon arriving at the entrance of the Ye estate, Mo Xiuyao watched with his own eyes as Ye Li stepped within the grand gates before letting down the curtain, speaking to Ah Jin, "Return to the manor."

Ah Jin silently observed the slowly closing gates, hesitating for a brief moment before inquiring in a low voice, "Your Highness, why did you not inform Miss Ye..."

"Ah Jin, return to the manor."

"...Yes, Your Highness."

—This is not a misunderstanding; this is a boundary line far worse than a misunderstanding. Ah Yao, you are in trouble.—

The instant Ye Li stepped within the grand gates, Qingxia and Qingshuang, who had long been waiting to one side, both stepped forward to report that her maternal uncles had arrived and were currently awaiting a meeting with the Miss. Ye Li was puzzled. Was it her eldest maternal uncle or her second maternal uncle? She had just returned from the Xu family this morning; could another incident have occurred?

Qingshuang stated, "Both maternal uncles have arrived. They are currently conversing with the old lady inside the Rongle Hall."

Ye Li glanced helplessly at the attire upon her person, stating, "Forget it, let us proceed directly over."

Upon entering the Rongle Hall, she indeed beheld her two maternal uncles seated and sipping tea. The Old Madame, Minister Ye, and the Wang clan were all keeping them company to one side, their expressions appearing somewhat peculiar. Catching sight of Ye Li's entrance, Old Madame Ye finally let out a sigh of relief, smiling at Ye Li as she said, "Li'er, your two maternal uncles have made a special trip to visit you. Why did you run outside? Hurry forward to perform your greetings." Ye Li complied and stepped forward to perform the etiquette, prompting Xu Hongyu to wave his hand, stating, "Forget it. Li'er only returned from the Xu family today; how can there be any talk of making a special trip to visit?" Xu Hongyan similarly nodded with a heavy face, adding flatly, "Precisely. Originally, big brother and I possessed a few matters to instruct Li'er on yesterday, which was why we retrieved her over. We truly did not expect it could trigger so many incidents. It was rather our Xu family that failed to consider matters thoroughly."

Old Madame Ye and Minister Ye exchanged a somewhat awkward glance. Although Xu Hongyan claimed it was the Xu family's oversight, how could they fail to discern the accusation directed at the Ye family within his words? After the rumors began circulating, the Ye family had executed absolutely nothing; they hadn't even dispatched a single individual to the Xu family to inquire. How could this fail to leave the Xu family feeling chilled? However, observing the graceful young maiden standing before her, Old Madame Ye still harbored a bit of uncertainty within her heart. She truly could not gauge whether Ye Li had truly visited the Xu family yesterday, or if she had been abducted by bandits as the rumors claimed. In the event that a mishap had truly occurred, then...

Xu Hongyan let out a dissatisfied snort as he regarded Old Madame Ye and Minister Ye. Beside him, Xu Hongyu cast a flat glance at him before turning his head to smile gently at Ye Li. "Was it not said that Li'er went out accompanied by Miss Hua and Miss Qin? When your uncle arrived over, I caught word that those two maidens of the Qin and Hua families were dragged along by General Murong's daughter to seek trouble with the second young master Leng. Could it be that Li'er similarly followed them to create mischief?" Ye Li truly hadn't expected Murong Ting to trigger such a performance, so she hastily shook her head. "Li'er and Prince Ding paid a visit to Fenghua Lou, where we encountered the two Eldest Princesses, Zhaoyang and Zhaoren, before returning. It is Li'er's fault for leaving my uncles waiting for so long."

"Oh? Visiting Fenghua Lou with Prince Ding? No matter. It is no bad thing for young individuals to wander about." Xu Hongyu was clearly exceptionally satisfied with Ye Li's response. Xu Hongyan similarly nodded, casually complaining, "Your maternal aunt frequently reminds that boy Qingze to accompany the maiden of the Qin family out for a stroll, yet that boy is stubbornly a block of wood, behaving as though speaking half an extra word would cause him a loss!" Recalling Xu Qingze's cold expression, Ye Li could not resist a shallow smile. Qin Zheng was clearly the most gentle and lovely among them, yet she happened to possess a fiancé who was cold by nature and rarely smiled. Despite having entered the capital for so long, it appeared that apart from the single instance when he was dispatched by her second maternal aunt to deliver gifts to the Qin family, the two had not formally met.

Paying no heed to the secretly shifting expressions of Minister Ye and Old Madame Ye, Xu Hongyu turned directly to Minister Ye, stating, "I possess a few matters to instruct Li'er on in private. I wonder..." Minister Ye had always feared this eldest brother-in-law; how could he dare voice a refusal upon his opening his mouth? He hastily stated, "In that case, Li'er, conduct your eldest uncle and second uncle to sit within your courtyard. In a short while, this brother shall prepare a wine banquet and begs my two older brothers to grant me face." Rising, Xu Hongyan stated serenely, "Big brother has an appointment to play a few games of chess with Old Master Su tonight; let us dispense with the wine banquet." Beholding Xu Hongyu's flat expression, Minister Ye could only drop the matter listlessly, permitting Ye Li to invite her two maternal uncles to converse in private. Old Madame Ye shot a dissatisfied glare at her son for displaying such a lack of backbone, yet the accumulated prestige of the current patriarch of the Xu clan was far too overwhelming, leaving her with no choice but to drop the matter as well.

Upon returning to Qingyi Xuan, Xu Hongyan evaluated the interior and exterior arrangements. Nodding with satisfaction, he turned and exited the chamber, leaving the room to allow his older brother and maternal niece to converse.

"Eldest uncle and second uncle have made a special trip; do you possess some critical matter to instruct Li'er on?" Ye Li invited Xu Hongyu to sit, personally pouring tea as she inquired.

Xu Hongyu evaluated her for a moment before laughing. "It appears Li'er's complexion is decent, and you have not been affected by those rumors. Is that so?"

Ye Li presented the fresh tea, only sitting down afterward as she offered a helpless smile. "Even when rumors rise from all four directions, life must still be lived. Furthermore, the current scenario is already far superior to what was originally surmised."

Xu Hongyu regarded her with a solemn expression, stating, "In that case, if the affair were far worse than the scenario you originally assumed, what would you execute? Being capable of escaping entirely unscathed last night was indeed a stroke of immense fortune, but if a mishap had truly occurred... Li'er, have you pondered it?" Ye Li gazed silently at the clear tea before her eyes, nodding her head as she stated, "Li'er has caused my uncle to worry. However... regardless of what occurs, one must still survive. Li'er does not necessarily fear death, yet as long as hope exists, I shall certainly survive. At minimum, I shall absolutely never perish because of rumors." Speaking to this point, Ye Li involuntarily bit her lip. Even within Great Chu, where the customs were considered somewhat enlightened, a woman's chastity was still valued far above life itself. She knew not whether her eldest maternal uncle could accept this speech of hers, yet these were her genuine thoughts. Ye Li could absolutely never forfeit her life for an error that did not belong to her.

"Excellent. Only this matches a daughter of my Xu family," Xu Hongyu spoke flatly after a long silence, letting down his teacup.

Ye Li was startled, swiftly raising her head to look at her eldest uncle. The gaze Xu Hongyu directed at Ye Li gained a few extra traces of sorrow. "Although the sons of the Xu family have traditionally favored the literary arts, they have always been sufficiently unyielding. No amount of hardships is enough to cause us to forfeit what belongs to us. However... the daughters of the Xu family are indeed intelligent and wise, yet they are also far more fragile than ordinary women. Just like your mother... Had little sister possessed a fraction of your unyielding nature back then, how could matters have concluded in such a state?"

"Eldest uncle..." Every instance mentioning her mother invariably caused her eldest uncle immense sorrow. Recalling her memory of her frail and beautiful mother, Ye Li similarly could not resist a sigh. During her youth, her mother had been shielded far too well by the Xu family; consequently, the reality following her marriage was something she could not accept, leaving her to gradually wither away within the grand courtyards of the Ye family.

Xu Hongyu waved his hand. "Prince Ding is a highly outstanding man; even now, I still harbor this opinion. However, regardless of the aspect considered, he is not a choice candidate for a fine husband. Does Li'er know why the Xu family did not oppose this marriage alliance?" Ye Li looked at her uncle's gentle yet slightly majestic gaze, hesitating for a moment before stating, "An imperial command is difficult to defy?"

"Consider that a single reason," Xu Hongyu stated. "However, if the Xu family were truly unwilling, it was not as though no method of resolution existed. Your maternal grandfather still commands a fraction of face; if your maternal grandfather had personally entered the capital to beg the Emperor to rescind the command, the Emperor would not have refused." Ye Li was startled, hastily stating, "Absolutely impermissible. Maternal grandfather is advanced in years and has finally distanced himself from these chaotic disruptions of the capital; how can he step into them once more for Li'er's sake? Putting other matters aside, maternal grandfather is already over seventy years old this year; allowing an elder to endure the fatigue of a long journey to the capital is something Ye Li cannot accept." A trace of gratification flashed across Xu Hongyu's face as he reached out to pat Ye Li, stating, "Your maternal grandfather knows Li'er is a filial and good child."

Ye Li lowered her head to ponder for a moment, furrowing her brows in confusion as she stated, "Li'er truly cannot fathom it; I beg my uncle to resolve my doubts."

Xu Hongyu let out a sigh. "Because of your identity. If your surname were Xu, the Xu family could righteously refuse the Emperor's marriage designation on your behalf. We could even directly locate an ordinary scholarly family within Bingzhou for you to marry into, and it would matter not; the Xu family requires no further glory and wealth. However, your surname is Ye. Apart from the imperial family, the Ye family holds the authority over your marriage. Furthermore, you previously held a marriage designation from the late Emperor. Although the current Emperor dissolved your marriage contract with Prince Li, he designated Ye Ying to Prince Li instead. Ye Ying is claimed to be a legitimate daughter of the Ye family, yet in truth, she is merely a concubine's daughter. The Emperor wishes to heavily utilize your father, desires to favor Consort Ye, and must also satisfy the pure officials under heaven; thus, you cannot be married off worse than Ye Ying. Which is to say... if you did not marry Prince Ding, you would still be designated to another prince, or even... enter the palace as a consort. Entering the palace requires no consideration. Your uncle and your maternal grandfather evaluated all the unmarried princes, and we could only select Prince Ding."

Ye Li nodded her head, agreeing with her uncle's speech. "In truth, Prince Ding is similarly far superior to what Li'er originally anticipated. Although I have currently discovered... it might be a touch more troublesome than originally assumed, it is not entirely unendurable, correct? Uncle similarly stated that Prince Ding is an outstanding man." Xu Hongyu cast a peculiar glance at Ye Li, inquiring, "What manner of appearance did Li'er originally assume Prince Ding possessed?"

Ye Li offered a somewhat embarrassed smile. "Was it not rumored outside that Prince Ding is... crippled, and disfigured? And heavily afflicted by illness as well." What manner of appearance such a tragic individual would possess was something anyone could imagine; consequently, the current Mo Xiuyao was truly already outstanding past all expectations.

Xu Hongyu could clearly imagine it as well, shooting an annoyed glare at her as he stated, "If he truly possessed that manner of appearance, it would be far better to devise a method to poison him to death instead. Even if you remained unmarried for a lifetime, it would still surpass marrying a useless cripple."

Whether she married a cripple was something Ye Li paid no heed to; in any case, given the family background of the Ding King Manor, it was impossible for them to require her to personally attend to Mo Xiuyao. She would simply view it as partnering up to live out their days. Currently, the person was rather less of a cripple, yet the troubles were far more numerous than anticipated. For her eldest uncle to feel sufficiently anxious to personally come and speak of these matters to her, Ye Li could already anticipate that life after marriage would absolutely not be as beautiful as she had imagined.

"Yesterday, your eldest cousin mentioned it, and only then did I notice that the Ye family has been utterly absurd all these years! And you as well—remaining within the capital for so many years, yet you possess not a shred of understanding regarding the personnel and affairs of the capital!" Xu Hongyu cast an annoyed, sideways glance at Ye Li. Ye Li hastily lowered her head to adopt a posture of self-reflection, acknowledging her error. Let alone her father fearing her eldest uncle, she feared him as well. In truth, apart from her eldest cousin, she had never witnessed anyone who did not fear her eldest uncle. Mm... perhaps Mo Xiuyao ought to be counted as one too.

Her eldest uncle's scolding was entirely accurate. All these years, she had never stepped out of the grand gates or crossed the inner threshold, deliberately separating herself from the surrounding environment. Of course, the Wang clan deserved plenty of credit for this, yet the primary responsibility still rested upon herself. Even while she had long accepted her current life, within the deepest recesses of Ye Li's heart, she likely still felt that the life of her past existence was the genuine reality, whereas the current one resembled an unexpectedly obtained game or dreamscape. Naturally, the risk encountered last night had granted her a few extra shares of reality.

"Regarding the items Hongyan delivered to you previously, how much have you come to comprehend?" Xu Hongyu inquired directly.

Ye Li understood that her eldest uncle was referring to the information her second uncle had given her regarding the relationships between the capital's nobility and key figures. She hastily stated, "I have committed all of it to memory." Xu Hongyu shook his head. "Committing that manner of item to memory is of no use; you must comprehend the underlying relationships. You are acquainted with everyone from the Duke of Hua’s manor, and you have similarly encountered Noble Consort Liu within the palace. Can you inform me of how you perceive the relationship between the current Empress and Noble Consort Liu, as well as the relationship between the Duke of Hua’s manor and the Liu estate?"

Ye Li was surprised; this was stretching the matter far too distant. However, she still earnestly followed Xu Hongyu's words to ponder for a long while before stating, "Li'er has never encountered the Empress, but I am quite familiar with the personnel of the Hua estate, and I have similarly encountered Princess Changle once. The Empress is the current Emperor's original wife; although she does not receive favor, she ought to still be a magnanimous and virtuous woman. As for Noble Consort Liu, she is slightly arrogant and cold by nature. However, the Emperor favors her immensely, and she possesses two sons and a daughter beneath her knee. Therefore, the relationship between these two... ought to be far from harmonious. Conversely, I have not heard of any discord between the Hua family and the Liu family. Chancellor Liu and Minister Ye do view one another with displeasure within the imperial court, currently considered evenly matched. However, the scenario within the palace clearly displays Noble Consort Liu as holding the superior hand."

Xu Hongyu nodded, offering a reminder, "Excellently stated. However, human hearts are prone to shift. Especially the hearts of the individuals within the palace, which are even more difficult to gauge; you still require more dedication in this aspect. It appears Hongyan only granted you the current information; he likely assumed you were aware of the affairs of earlier years." Ye Li felt somewhat ashamed. During those earlier years—especially when Mo Xiuyao suffered his mishap—it happened to be the period when her memories were chaotic and her body frail. After recovering, she rarely paid any further attention to outside affairs; she truly knew nothing of those old, historical matters. Her second uncle likely also hadn't expected that she would be ignorant even of those incidents that had triggered such an uproar.

"How much does Li'er comprehend regarding the Ding King Manor?"

Ye Li finally understood that her eldest uncle had made a special trip precisely to popularize basic knowledge for her. "The first master of the Ding King Manor was Mo Lanyun, the biological younger brother of Great Chu's founding Emperor, Taizu Mo Chentian. At the beginning of the founding of the empire, Taizu enfeoffed him as a hereditary Prince of the First Rank who shared equal shoulder status, granting him the title of Dingkuo. It was transmitted through three generations. Since the era of the late Emperor, when powerful officials bullied the young monarch, the Prince Ding of that time, Mo Liufang, returned to the capital from the border pass. He slaughtered the powerful officials to support the young monarch, and was enfeoffed as the Prince Regent. When the late Emperor reached sixteen years of age, Mo Liufang returned the governance to the Emperor. In the twenty-ninth year of the late Emperor's reign, Mo Liufang perished from illness, and his eldest son Mo Xiuwen inherited the peerage; the following year, the late Emperor passed away. In the third year of the current Emperor's reign, Mo Xiuwen received a command to launch an expedition against the Rongyi barbarians, perishing from illness along the journey without a son. The mere eighteen-year-old Mo Xiuyao inherited the peerage, leading troops to launch an expedition against the Rongyi. He encountered an ambush, losing troops and generals. He nearly perished upon the battlefield; although he ultimately deployed an extraordinary stratagem to turn defeat into victory, he similarly paid a devastating price. Three months later, Mo Xiuyao's fiancée perished from illness, and from that moment onward, the Ding King Manor could be said to have entirely vanished from the capital."

"Is there more?"

Ye Li furrowed her brows, continuing, "Every generation of the Ding King Manor features a profusion of talents, and they are entirely equipped with both literary governance and martial exploits. Conversely, the imperial family, which emerges from the same lineage, pales in comparison. The most outstanding among them was the first-generation Prince Ding, Mo Lanyun; it is said that had he not wed a commandery princess of the previous dynasty as his wife, he might have possessed a greater opportunity than Taizu to ascend the imperial throne. Following him was Mo Liufang, whose martial skills could stabilize the nation and whose literary skills could govern the world. As for Mo Xiuyao, he was once praised as an unprecedented genius who did not pale before his ancestors; had he not been a mere thirteen years old when Mo Liufang passed away, the princedom might very well have been inherited by him from the very beginning."

An absolute tranquility pervaded the chamber. Ye Li silently lifted the teapot to replenish a bit of tea for Xu Hongyu, only then hearing Xu Hongyu inquire, "Indeed. Within a brief span of five or six years, the Ding King Manor was broken and its personnel dead. What ought to have been a peerless general of a generation consequently tumbled into the mortal dust, and the myth of the Ding King Manor's invincibility was similarly shattered. Does Li'er know... that back then, the judgment that Mo Xiuyao was an unprecedented genius who did not pale before his ancestors was precisely delivered by your maternal grandfather? For this reason, your maternal grandfather has felt remorse for over a dozen years."

"What does my eldest uncle imply?" Ye Li was startled. Political strife had never ceased from antiquity to the present day. Even with the current decline of the Ding King Manor, various private surmises had never ceased. However, hearing it with her own ears from her uncle's mouth still caused Ye Li an involuntary shock. Amidst her shock, Ye Li swiftly calmed down, stating, "I have heard that during his youth, Prince Ding was indeed brilliant and his military exploits illustrious; thus, even if maternal grandfather had not uttered that phrase, those who intended to target the personnel of the Ding King Manor would still have targeted them. Maternal grandfather merely appreciated his talent, it was not as though he could foresee the future. Regarding this matter... maternal grandfather similarly has no need to blame himself."

Xu Hongyu nodded in praise. "For Li'er to possess such insight at a young age is already no easy feat. Your uncle informs you of these matters in the hope that you comprehend the situation of the Ding King Manor. Although in the eyes of outsiders today, the Ding King Manor has already declined until nothing remains but an empty title... yet..." Ye Li looked at him, catching his words as she stated, "Yet the Ding King Manor still retains trump cards that cause the imperial family to not dare move against him recklessly, correct?"

"Precisely. Were it not for this reason, Mo Xiuyao ought to have perished from illness all these years ago. The reason the current Emperor dares not move against him is precisely because he fears breaking the vase to catch the rat. The successive passings of the previous two generations of Prince Ding have already aroused suspicion; if another accident were to occur to Mo Xiuyao, I am afraid it would shake the foundations of the state."

Ye Li let out a soft sigh, feeling a touch of chill as she grasped her teacup to extract the warmth upon it. "Did the Emperor select Li'er because he similarly harbors wariness toward the Xu family? Is he not afraid that after the marriage alliance between the Xu family and the Ding King Manor..."

Xu Hongyu's gaze was cold. "The ancestors of the Xu family established that as long as the imperial family does not move against the Xu family, the Xu clan shall never betray them."

"Does anyone truly believe that manner of speech?" Ye Li was puzzled. Even contracts that had been signed could be torn apart at any moment, let alone a sworn oath. Xu Hongyu shot an displeased glare at her. "This is inscribed within the family regulations of the Xu family; the Xu family has transmitted itself through a century, establishing its presence under heaven via integrity." Ye Li shrank her neck, rubbing the tip of her nose as she inquired with curiosity, "Uncle, that... did the Xu family ever establish any sworn oath to the emperors of the previous dynasty?"

"Cough cough..." Xu Hongyu let out a muffled cough, staring at Ye Li with annoyance. Ye Li could only shrug her shoulders, resting her chin upon her hand as she fell into a silent wordlessness. This was exactly her point—as a famous, grand clan that had endured for several centuries without falling, how could they possibly be that pedantic? We are not incapable of betrayal; it is merely that the compensation for betrayal is not yet high enough. Casting a final glare at Ye Li, Xu Hongyu stated solemnly, "In short, unless pushed to an absolute absolute extremity, the Xu family shall not abandon the imperial family. The personnel of the Xu family do not lack fame, nor do they lack profit, and they have never been attached to power. The imperial throne? What manner of use can that object possess? Desiring to be a wise monarch requires the realization that one will exhaust oneself to death; desiring to enjoy oneself and behave recklessly requires the preparation to leave a foul reputation for ten thousand years."

"Li'er comprehends. Exactly who does my eldest uncle deem is attempting to disrupt the marriage alliance between Prince Ding and me? If it is not the Emperor?" Ye Li inquired.

Xu Hongyu shook his head. "This is truly difficult to state. Qingchen similarly merely stated it was a woman. However, we have filtered through practically every single woman connected to Prince Ding, yet we have failed to unearth exactly who it is. Prince Ding himself invariably knows; did he utter anything?" Mentioning this, a trace of displeasure similarly flitted across Xu Hongyu's scholarly face. Catching sight of Ye Li shaking her head, he let out a light snort, stating, "He himself ought to possess a sense of propriety. If another occurrence that ought not happen takes place, this husband of his might as well be discarded. The Xu family can afford to support a maternal granddaughter."

"Li'er deems it might be a certain woman who admires Prince Ding." Ye Li harbored no embarrassment before Xu Hongyu, directly voicing her suspicion.

Xu Hongyu looked at her with a smile, stating, "An individual who admires Prince Ding? If you are referring to the period of Prince Ding's youth, at least half the cloistered young ladies of the capital admired him back then. However... possessing the capability to bribe Tianyi Pavilion... there is not a single one. Although Han Mingyue loves wealth as though it were his life, he was similarly a bosom friend of Prince Ding during their youth. It is impossible for him to provoke Prince Ding's fiancée for the sake of money."

"In that case... what about a woman who both admires Mo Xiuyao and shares deep acquaintance with Han Mingyue?"

Xu Hongyu arched his brows. "There is one, but it cannot possibly be her."

Ye Li blinked her eyes, prompting Xu Hongyu to calmly let down his teacup as he stated, "Noble Consort Liu."

This time, it was Ye Li's turn to cough. "No... Noble Consort Liu?"

"What is there to be surprised about? Back then, Noble Consort Liu commanded the reputation of being the capital's number one talented woman. Even your eldest cousin never regarded others with a direct eye, yet she happened to speak with gentle and soft words toward the Prince Ding of that time. Regrettably... Prince Ding's heart was already occupied at that time; otherwise, they would indeed have been a rare, perfect match. Furthermore, Noble Consort Liu is skilled in painting, and Han Mingyue's painting skills during his youth similarly claimed supremacy within the capital. The second volume of the Chujing Guose Tu that he painted features precisely Noble Consort Liu, and it remains priceless even now. However, after Noble Consort Liu entered the palace, this painting was similarly purchased by the current Emperor at a high price." For some reason, Xu Hongyu abandoned those heavy topics, speaking of historical gossip to Ye Li instead.

Ye Li recalled that woman within the palace who possessed a cold gaze resembling pear blossoms; she was indeed worthy of the phrase "national beauty." "Why does uncle state it is not her?"

"Your eldest cousin is acquainted with Noble Consort Liu. Although he did not catch sight of that woman's features, and furthermore, so many years have elapsed, your eldest cousin remains certain it was not Noble Consort Liu. Besides, what manner of location do you deem the imperial palace to be? A noble consort can casually lead a group of personnel to wander outside the palace in the middle of the night?" Ye Li nodded her head as she accepted the instruction; she similarly hadn't truly deemed it to be Noble Consort Liu. Within the palace, although she had perceived Noble Consort Liu's slighting of her and her deliberate pickiness, there was no particularly heavy hostility or murderous intent present within that woman's eyes.

"Who was Mo Xiuyao's original fiancée?" Ye Li inquired. She was truly a touch curious regarding exactly what manner of woman could defeat an absolute, talented beauty like Noble Consort Liu to win Mo Xiuyao's genuine heart. Furthermore, logically speaking, being capable of becoming Mo Xiuyao's fiancée meant she must have emerged from a famous, grand clan. Yet Ye Li had searched through her memories for a long while without discovering any famous, noble household that possessed a beautiful daughter who met an early demise seven years ago. Xu Hongyu swept an exasperated glance at her before stating, "Su Xiudie."

Ye Li nodded. "It sounds like an exceptionally beautiful woman."

Xu Hongyu regarded his maternal niece with an expressionless face, once again secretly regretting that he hadn't insisted upon retrieving Li'er back to the Xu family to be raised back then. Look at what manner of state she had been raised into by the Ye family today. He was speaking of her future husband's former fiancée; even if the person was already deceased, she ought to display at least a fraction of interest, correct? Only now did the world-renowned Master Xu belatedly recall that whenever his maternal niece mentioned Prince Ding or Prince Li, she had never displayed a fraction of the maidenly bashfulness she ought to possess—she hadn't even blushed once!

"Which household's daughter is this Miss Su? There appears to be no noble family named Su within the capital."

"On the day the Ding King Manor delivered the bridal gifts, what do you assume Old Master Su came to execute?"

"Old Master Su?"

"Su Xiudie was Old Master Su's granddaughter," Xu Hongyu stated flatly.

"In that case, what did Old Master Su come to execute?"

"To take a look at what manner of woman the Prince Ding—who originally ought to have been his granddaughter's husband—was marrying. Furthermore, Su Xiudie's demise from illness dealt a massive blow to the Prince Ding who was already heavily afflicted by illness at that time. Old Master Su regards Prince Ding exactly like his own biological grandson, so he came to support the presentation of the Ding King Manor."

Beholding her uncle's displeased face, Ye Li offered a helpless smile. "Uncle, Li'er knows what you imply. Prince Ding and I get along exceptionally well; you need not worry." Xu Hongyu regarded her with disapproval, stating, "What does 'get along exceptionally well' imply? If you are the first to be abandoned by him when facing a situation where a choice must be made, can that be called getting along exceptionally well?" Ye Li offered a shallow smile. "However, if I am absolutely required to make a choice between my uncle, maternal grandfather, and maternal cousins against Prince Ding, I would similarly not select him. How long have he and I been acquainted? Relatives are naturally somewhat more vital."

"You are husband and wife! In the future, you must live a lifetime with him, not with your uncle and maternal grandfather."

"Does uncle deem Prince Ding to be the manner of man who can abandon everything as long as he cares?"

"...Yes, provided you can grasp his heart."