The First Jasmine - Chapter 119
Chapter 119 - Refusing the Marriage in the Imperial Palace
"Miss Helian, are you truly that utterly unable to find a husband?"
The atmosphere in the main hall instantly turned dead silent, and Helian Huimin's flushed cheeks were etched with undisguised astonishment. For any unmarried young woman, such a remark was unquestionably a profound humiliation. Ye Li cast a slightly surprised glance at Mo Xiunyao. She already knew his temper wasn't the gentlest, but he had never deliberately humiliated a woman before. Even last year, when faced with the overbearing Princess Lingyun from Xiling, he had never uttered such caustic words. Yet, as a woman and a wife, Ye Li had to admit that as Mo Xiunyao treated Helian Huimin with such merciless indifference, a subtle, sweet warmth bloomed in her heart.
"Prince of Ding, you have gone too far!" Prince Yelu's face darkened as he stared fixedly at Mo Xiunyao.
Mo Xiunyao raised his eyes, cast a sidelong glance at him, and chuckled lightly, "Where is Prince Yelu getting such an idea?"
"Huimin agreed to marry into Great Chu entirely for the sake of diplomatic relations between our two nations! Even if the Prince holds our Northern Rong noblewomen in contempt, you have no right to utter such humiliating words! This prince will report this matter directly to your Emperor and demand justice for Huimin," Prince Yelu declared with righteous indignation.
"Justice?" Mo Xiunyao raised an eyebrow, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "I am the one who should be demanding justice. In the Golden Luan Hall, I personally rejected the decree of marriage and repeatedly stated that the Prince of Ding's Manor has only one mistress. Yet Prince Yelu and this Miss Helian have repeatedly barged in to disturb us, even attempting to sow discord and slander my wife right in front of her. Does Prince Yelu not realize how vital the mistress of the Prince of Ding's Manor is? If A-Li were to develop a rift with me because of this, who would I turn to for reason? If she were a daughter of Great Chu, she would naturally know to retreat upon facing a subtle refusal. Yet these past few days, the two of you have not only visited daily but also spread rumors everywhere to ruin A-Li's reputation, leaving me with no choice but to suspect that Miss Helian simply couldn't find a husband in Northern Rong and was thus forcefully shoved onto my doorstep. The Prince of Ding's Manor will only ever have one female master. If Miss Helian insists on staying, taking up a position as a menial maid to sweep the floors would be acceptable. A first-class maid is beyond Miss Helian's reach, however; the lowest standard for a first-class maid in our manor requires a virtuous, well-read, and cultured background."
"Prince of Ding, you..." Helian Huimin seemed to finally snap out of the initial shock, and upon hearing Mo Xiunyao's scathing words, her face turned beet red with fury. Crystal tears welled up within her beautiful eyes, yet she neither retreated nor broke down in sobs. Instead, she spun around to face Ye Li directly. "Since the Princess Consort enjoys such deep devotion from the Prince, do you have nothing to say? Or is the Princess Consort only capable of hiding behind the Prince and reaping the rewards without lifting a finger?"
Ye Li sighed softly in her heart; this young woman was truly no ordinary character. An average maiden subjected to such blatant public humiliation by a man would likely burst into tears and flee in disgrace, or at the very least weep uncontrollably. Yet not only was this Miss Helian unbowed, but she still possessed the fighting spirit to counterattack. Blinking innocently, Ye Li smiled with absolute innocence. "Miss Helian, isn't it only natural for a man to protect his woman? With the Prince present to handle everything, naturally this consort has no need to worry. The Prince and I are deeply devoted to one another and wish for no third party to wedge themselves between us. I ask that Miss Helian be understanding."
"A man taking multiple wives and concubines is simply the natural order of things, and Great Chu likewise expects women to be virtuous and gentle. Aren't you afraid of being condemned behind your back for saying such things, Princess Consort?" Prince Yelu challenged.
Ye Li smiled. "In Great Chu, we place an even greater emphasis on women knowing propriety, righteousness, and shame. A woman who aggressively forces herself upon an unwilling man is utterly unacceptable. Furthermore... this consort simply despises the notion of the Prince taking concubines, and whoever wishes to criticize may gossip all they like."
Clearly, Helian Huimin had not expected Ye Li to deviate so drastically from ordinary Great Chu women, proving just as troublesome on this front. Clenching her teeth, she pressed on, "Is the Princess Consort not afraid that His Majesty the Emperor will blame the Prince of Ding's Manor?"
"Blame?" Ye Li arched a delicate brow. Just as others might have thought she was wavering, she bit her lower lip slightly and replied, "Later today, this consort shall enter the palace to confess my faults. Miss Helian... no, anyone who wishes to marry into the Prince of Ding's Manor is welcome to do so. This consort will simply draw a sword across her own neck and surrender the title of Princess Consort. At that point, the Prince can marry whomever he pleases!" With that, she looked up at Mo Xiunyao and asked, "What do you think of this, Your Highness?" The lingering hostility on Mo Xiunyao's face vanished in an instant. Completely unconcerned with the presence of two outsiders, he pulled Ye Li into his embrace and chuckled, "My beloved consort must never speak of such things. If my consort suffered even the slightest injury, I would feel the pain as if it were my own. At that point, I would have no choice but to grind those scoundrels who hurt my wife into dust just to soothe the hatred in my heart."
Ye Li nodded in satisfaction, turned back to look at Helian Huimin, and stated, "You see, Miss Helian? Even if I were dead, the Prince still wouldn't marry you." Helian Huimin opened her mouth to retort, but Prince Yelu stopped her with a gesture. Rising to his feet, Prince Yelu said, "Since that is the case, we have troubled the Prince and Princess Consort enough today. I shall take my leave first."
"We won't see you out," Mo Xiunyao replied indifferently.
Having escorted the two eyesores out of the room, Ye Li turned back to eye Mo Xiunyao with a sidelong, half-amused look. "To have such a beauty captivated by you, Your Highness is truly blessed with remarkable fortune."
Mo Xiunyao looked at her with a helpless expression. "In my eyes, only A-Li is a beauty; that woman... is merely a trouble dropped out of thin air."
Ye Li frowned, voicing her puzzlement, "How is it that prior to this, Northern Rong never once mentioned this so-called marriage alliance?" One only needed to look at how frantic the Ministry of Rites had been over the past two months to understand how much preparation a formal diplomatic marriage required. There was no precedent for someone like Helian Huimin simply dumping herself on their doorstep; it felt less like a political alliance and more like a child's game. Mo Xiunyao explained, "Prince Yelu only brought the matter up after the Northern Rong betrothal envoys arrived in the capital. It likely wasn't the Northern Rong King's idea at all, but rather a spur-of-the-moment whim of Prince Yelu's own." Ye Li remained unconvinced. "A spur-of-the-moment whim? Plant spies inside the Prince of Ding's Manor in such a blatantly obvious manner?" Mo Xiunyao smiled. "Plant spies? Prince Yelu wouldn't engage in a tactic so obviously doomed to fail. Even if he wanted to plant agents, he wouldn't do it with such a lack of subtlety. He simply wanted to kick up a grand fuss to throw a wrench into my plans and cause me annoyance. In any case, that Helian Huimin is merely Helian Zhen's adopted daughter—who actually knows her true background? Whether she's ruined or killed, it won't cause Yelu any real loss."
Ye Li let out a soft huff. "That being the case, would the Prince care to explain what those rumors circulating across the capital are all about?"
Mo Xiunyao smiled warmly. "Are you referring to the rumors claiming A-Li lacks virtue? Those were stories I had people spread intentionally."
"So the Prince has been dissatisfied with me for quite some time now?" Ye Li slanted a glance at him, her tone deadpan.
Mo Xiunyao chuckled, "How could that be? I adore my consort's lack of virtue to no end."
Ye Li raised an eyebrow. "I suppose the palace will be summoning me for a chat soon, then?"
"A-Li should go ahead without worry, and feel free to pin the blame for everything on me. I simply want the entire world to know that even if the Princess Consort is deemed unvirtuous and jealous, she remains my one and only beloved wife." Pulling Ye Li's slender waist closer, Mo Xiunyao spoke in a low, resonant voice.
Ye Li fell silent, resting against Mo Xiunyao's chest as she slowly calmed the turbulent emotions surging within her.
News from the imperial palace arrived with astonishing speed. Refusing to wait even for the following day, a summons arrived that very afternoon ordering Ye Li to enter the palace. Neither of them felt surprised; having orchestrated such a theatrical farce of a marriage bestowal, the palace was bound to react. Setting aside the painting brush he was holding, Mo Xiunyao stood up and prepared to accompany Ye Li into the palace, only to have Ye Li press a hand against his chest, pushing him back down. "The Empress Dowager has summoned me, so what business do you have tagging along?" Mo Xiunyao smiled, "Could it be that the Empress Dowager didn't summon me, meaning I am barred from entering the palace?" Ye Li scoffed, "They want to have a chat with me, and if you insist on crashing the party, won't they just have to go through the trouble of finding another excuse if this one fails? Since that's the case, we might as well let them get it all out in one go. This princess consort would like to see precisely what they have to say!" Thinking of this, Ye Li felt a deep sense of exasperation; she had assumed she was marrying a husband whom no one would dare fight over, yet look at this past year... First came that Princess Lingyun, then that cousin Consort Liu whom Mo Xiunyao had dumped outside the city walls, and now a Miss Helian. Were these women completely starved for things to do, or was Mo Xiunyao's face simply not scarred enough?
Noticing Ye Li's gaze repeatedly darting toward his scarred features, Mo Xiunyao innocently rubbed the bridge of his nose and smiled, "In that case, A-Li, do exercise caution in all things. Also, stay away from that Prince Yelu."
Blinking in bewilderment, Ye Li stared at Mo Xiunyao in confusion. Struck by a trace of awkwardness under her gaze, Mo Xiunyao let out a soft huff, pulled her into his arms, lowered his head, and gently nibbled on her crimson lips before murmuring, "In short, keep your distance from him."
Ye Li curved her lips into a smile. "Is the Prince feeling jealous?"
Refusing to deny it, Mo Xiunyao nodded. "Indeed. Therefore, the Princess Consort must maintain a proper distance from him. Understood?"
Stepping out of his embrace, Ye Li covered her mouth with a hand to hide a sly smile. "Your Highness, consuming too much vinegar is bad for your health." Without waiting for Mo Xiunyao to react, she turned on her heel and walked briskly away. Mo Xiunyao let out a helpless, low chuckle. How could a man not grow frequently jealous when blessed with a wife who was simply too exceptional? If he had his way, he would prefer A-Li to stay right here in the estate keeping him company every single day, never going anywhere or doing anything else. Unfortunately, he knew that was impossible; not only did the political situation and the status of the Prince of Ding's Manor forbid it, but A-Li was never someone who could truly be chained down. Watching her figure vanish around the corner of the corridor, the smile on Mo Xiunyao's face gradually faded, replaced by a layer of chilling, lethal coldness. A marriage alliance and an imperial bestowal? Did Prince Yelu really think his intentions went unnoticed? Prince Yelu, offending this Prince is not a wise decision. It seems the lesson taught to Yelu Ping wasn't enough to make you engrave it into your memory. "Someone come."
"Your Highness."
"Send word back to the man dispatched by Yelu Hong: his proposal is accepted."
"Understood, Your Highness."
The Zhangde Palace remained as opulent as ever, yet Ye Li knew that ever since Prince Li's rebellion, the Empress Dowager's influence within the court had been thoroughly suppressed and constrained by the Emperor, leaving it a shadow of its former self. Still, although the Empress Dowager had favored Prince Li, she remained the Emperor's biological mother; Great Chu placed filial piety above all else, meaning that even with mother and son estranged, the Emperor was obligated to grant the Empress Dowager a facade of respect. Stepping into the Zhangde Palace once more, Ye Li's frame of mind was far more tranquil than it had been in the past.
"Ye Li pays her respects to the Empress Dowager and Her Majesty the Empress." Crossing the threshold into the main hall, Ye Li lowered herself into a graceful curtsy to offer formal greetings.
"The Princess Consort may dispense with the formalities. Take a seat," the Empress said mildly.
Expressing her gratitude, Ye Li walked over to the empty seat at the front and sat down, glancing with mild bewilderment at the assembly of court noblewomen filling the hall, as well as Helian Huimin who sat across from her looking entirely composed. Ye Li couldn't help admiring this young woman; at this moment, all traces of the discomfiture and resentment she had displayed upon leaving the Prince of Ding's Manor had vanished entirely. Even her gaze toward Ye Li was calm and dignified. "What special occasion is today that everyone has gathered here? Could it be that this consort has arrived late?" Once your status reaches a certain height, you no longer need to be overly bound by rigid etiquette when speaking. Given Ye Li's position—provided she wasn't foolish enough to announce a rebellion—even if she misspoke, ordinary people wouldn't dare find fault with her. The Empress smiled and replied, "You aren't late; I only just arrived from within the palace myself. A few days ago, the Northern Rong envoys sent some local Northern Rong specialties to the Empress Dowager, and she thought it would be lovely to invite everyone to share in tasting them. It's just that you were away from the capital; it was only because you returned today that the Empress Dowager issued the decree for us all to gather here in the Zhangde Palace."
Ye Li smiled politely. "Thank you for the kind thought, Empress Dowager. I was merely staying at my Imperial Aunt's estate for a few days." Although the Empress appeared to be making casual conversation, Ye Li fully caught the underlying meaning. Nodding almost imperceptibly, the Empress smiled faintly, turned her head away, and resumed chatting with the imperial consort seated beside her.
The Empress Dowager said with calm detachment, "You rarely enter the palace of your own accord, so I simply took advantage of this excuse to invite you here to join us. How is the Grand Princess faring?"
"My Imperial Aunt enjoys robust health. Thank you for your concern, Empress Dowager," Ye Li replied with a serene smile of gratitude.
A warm gaze landed upon Ye Li, prompting her to offer a soft, reassuring smile to Madam Xu, whose eyes were filled with worry. Beneath that calm exterior, however, a cold smirk formed in Ye Li's mind. These people were plotting quite a clever scheme, weren't they? Did they think that with her aunt—or rather, her maternal aunt—present, she would feel constrained by status and agree to their demands? Calmly withdrawing her gaze, Ye Li looked up to meet another pair of eyes fixed on her. Unlike Madam Xu's worry, this gaze was heavy with complex calculation and smoldering resentment. Even without looking closely, she knew it belonged to Consort Liu, who sat on the other side of the Empress Dowager. Throughout these recent days, not only had the Empress Dowager grown visibly haggard and aged, but Consort Liu had also undergone a drastic transformation. The icy, snow-like detachment that once defined her seemed overlaid with something darker and unpredictable, turning the plum-blossom-cold maiden into someone deeply unfathomable. Ye Li gave her a brief, indifferent nod, but Consort Liu merely stared blankly at her as if she hadn't seen the gesture at all—a piercing gaze that made Ye Li frown in mild discomfort.
"Princess Consort, Miss Helian will henceforth be a member of the Prince of Ding's Manor. Since Miss Helian has traveled all the way from Northern Rong, the Princess Consort must treat her well." Sure enough, before they had even exchanged a few pleasantries, the Empress Dowager spoke up with a smile. Her tone and expression were as utterly natural as if the Prince of Ding hadn't publicly rejected the marriage and walked out on the spot just hours prior.
Ye Li had no intention of playing nice; she had no desire to spend her days repeatedly swatting away unwanted concubines delivered to Mo Xiunyao's doorstep. Setting her teacup down on the table, Ye Li blinked in feigned confusion and asked, "Miss Helian? Does the Empress Dowager mean to say that Miss Helian has agreed to enter the Prince of Ding's Manor as a maid who sweeps the floors? Rest assured, Empress Dowager, the Prince of Ding's Manor has never bullied its servants, and this consort will certainly not pick petty fights with a menial servant."
"A sweeping maid?!" Even the worldly Empress Dowager couldn't help freezing in sheer disbelief.
Ye Li cast a smiling look toward Helian Huimin, asking innocently, "Is that not the case? Earlier today, the Prince made himself completely clear in front of me, Prince Yelu, and Miss Helian herself: he agreed to let Miss Helian enter the estate as a floor-sweeping maid. Since the Empress Dowager brings it up now, could it be that we aren't talking about the same thing, and I've somehow misunderstood?"
The Empress Dowager choked back a breath, her expression turning stern. "The Princess Consort must be joking. How could someone of Miss Helian's status possibly be given the work of a menial maid?"
Ye Li looked perplexed. "Status? Are we speaking of the General's adopted daughter? Treating such a background as fit only for a menial maid is indeed somewhat wasteful. However, those were precisely the words of our Prince. Although I am the Princess Consort, I cannot openly defy the Prince's will. I am afraid Miss Helian simply lacks any predestined affinity with our Prince of Ding's Manor."
The Empress Dowager could naturally see that this was merely Ye Li's excuse to deflect the matter. Frowning slightly, she pressed on, "Princess Consort, how can you speak so flippantly of a marriage personally bestowed by His Majesty before the entire court? Just moments ago, His Majesty asked me to inquire with the Princess Consort regarding when the Prince of Ding's Manor intends to hold the wedding ceremony. It would be best if it could take place before the Northern Rong betrothal envoys depart. What are your intentions?"
Ye Li bit back a smile and replied with serene indifference, "Reporting to the Empress Dowager, the Prince of Ding's Manor has no intention of holding any wedding."