2. Dowry
Although Prince Ding was well-known as a good-for-nothing, he was still the Great Chu Dynasty's sole, supernumerary first-rank hereditary prince. Therefore, Minister Ye and Old Madam Ye, who had never cared for Ye Li, had uncharacteristically summoned her for a talk.
"Greetings to my grandmother and father," Ye Li said upon arriving at Rongle Hall, where Minister Ye, Ms. Wang, and Fourth Miss Ye Ying were already present.
Old Madam Ye nodded and said with a loving smile, "Li'er, you may rise. You are now betrothed to Prince Ding, and Ying'er is to marry Prince Li next month. Our family is truly blessed with double fortune."
Ye Li rose, her gaze lowered, her expression respectful. "Grandmother, you rushed back from outside because of this. It was unfilial of me to cause you such trouble." Although she wasn't particularly fond of Ye Li, Old Madam Ye was quite pleased by these words, and her gaze towards Ye Li softened with a hint of warmth. "This is a joyous occasion for our family; how could I not return? Are the dowries for the two girls ready?" Ms. Wang quickly stood up, a troubled look on her face. "Reporting to Old Madam," she said, "initially, we were only preparing for Fourth Miss. Even though her wedding is next month, we could manage it if we rushed. But now, with Third Miss also needing one, I'm afraid…"
Old Madam Ye was a shrewd woman and naturally understood Ms. Wang's calculations. After a moment's thought, she said, "Li'er's wedding date hasn't been set yet. Let's prioritize Ying'er's preparations for now."
Ms. Wang joyfully assented upon hearing the Old Madam's words.
Old Madam Ye looked at her two granddaughters and ordered a maid to place two boxes on the table. "Both of you are fortunate; one is marrying Prince Li, and the other, Prince Ding. As your grandmother, I won't show favoritism. This is a share for each of you. Fifth Miss and Sixth Miss will receive the same when their time comes. You will each also receive one of my personal dowry manors. As for how much the main household fund will contribute to your dowries, that's for your father and mother to decide." Ms. Wang chimed in with a smile, "Old Madam is truly doting on her granddaughters. My husband and I have discussed it. Since Ying'er is marrying Prince Li, the royal family might be displeased if her dowry is too meager. The main household will provide twenty-two thousand taels to prepare her dowry, along with six manors and six shops. Additionally, I will contribute two manors from my own dowry for her." Grandma Ye frowned. "Isn't that a bit too generous?" she asked. Although it was fitting for Ye Ying's dowry to be substantial as she was marrying a prince, it wouldn't reflect well on the Minister's Mansion if subsequent daughters' dowries were significantly less. "What are your plans for Li'er's dowry?" The Old Madam was, after all, more perceptive than Ms. Wang. Even if Prince Ding was a good-for-nothing, he was a good-for-nothing with a profound family heritage. If Ye Li's dowry was too meager, those loyal to the King of Ding Kingdom's Mansion would likely raise objections.
Ms. Wang clearly hadn't expected such a direct question from the Old Madam. She hesitated before saying, "Prince Ding, after all, is different from His Majesty's biological brother, and our family's finances are also somewhat… strained. I was thinking of waiting for Prince Ding's Mansion to deliver the betrothal gifts before deciding. We can add a couple of manors to that then." Her intention was to use the betrothal gifts from Prince Ding's Mansion as Ye Li's dowry, and the actual amount returned would, of course, be at her discretion.
Upon hearing this, Old Madam Ye's expression turned grim. "Preposterous!" she scolded. "Return the betrothal gifts as dowry? What a fine scheme you've concocted! Does the Ye Family's reputation mean nothing anymore? Does your reputation as a stepmother mean nothing to you? It's true the Xu Family has declined in recent years, but they are still beyond comparison to your Wang Family!"
Scolded so mercilessly by the Old Madam, Ms. Wang's face flushed crimson. She repeatedly cried out, "Old Madam, I am wronged! When have I ever mistreated Third Miss all these years? It's just that… our household is truly facing some difficulties. There are still several unmarried daughters, and Brother Rong's wedding in the future will also require a lot of money…" The Old Madam, exasperated by her shortsighted daughter-in-law, rubbed her chest. Brother Rong is only seven this year; his marriage is still ages away! She glanced at Minister Ye, who had been sitting quietly to one side. "She is your daughter. What do you propose?" Thank goodness I returned and asked about this. If I had truly let Ms. Wang marry Li'er off like that, we would have offended not only Prince Ding's Mansion but also the Xu Family. Though the Xu Family has fewer members in official positions these days, a family with a centuries-old heritage is not one to be trifled with. Minister Ye looked uneasily from his mother to his wife. "Third Miss is also a daughter of the primary wife," he said. "Let her dowry be the same as Ying'er's." Having reached his ministerial position, Minister Ye was no fool; he naturally understood his mother's concerns.
"The same as Ying'er?!" Ms. Wang shrieked. "Where would our household find so much money? Husband, it's not that I, as her di-mother, want to mistreat Third Miss; our family finances are genuinely tight! Ying'er is the biological sister of Zhaoyi in the palace, and she is marrying His Majesty's full younger brother, Prince Li! If her dowry is too small, not only will the Prince lose face, but Zhaoyi will too! At worst… at worst, I'll add the two manors from my own dowry, the ones I was saving for Brother Rong, to Third Miss's dowry!" Ms. Wang pleaded, tears streaming down her face. Yet, inwardly, she seethed with resentment towards Ye Li, who sat silently nearby. How could she let that slut's daughter be treated the same as her precious Ying'er? Not in a million years!
"This…" Minister Ye faltered, casting a troubled glance at Ye Li. Currently, Ye Zhaoyi in the palace is highly favored and pregnant. If she were to give birth to a prince…
Seeing her father waver, Ye Ying bit her lip and whispered, "Father, please don't be troubled. I can share some of my dowry with Third Sister. However, we absolutely mustn't reduce Eldest Sister's expenses in the palace, and we must also set aside some for Fifth Sister and Sixth Sister." Witnessing his most cherished daughter act so sensibly, Minister Ye's expression softened. He looked towards Ye Li, hoping she too would say a few conciliatory words.
Ye Li smiled faintly. Lifting her head to look at the four people in the room, she said softly, "Father, Mother, Fourth Sister, there's no need for you to be in a difficult position." Hearing this, Ms. Wang's heart leaped with joy. For years, Ye Li had never fought or vied for anything, leading Ms. Wang to believe she was soft-natured, easily managed, and about to concede. But then Ye Li continued, "Before my mother passed away, she mentioned to me that when she married into the Ye Family, my maternal grandfather and grandmother provided her with eight manors, twelve shops, and three forest lands as her dowry. These were all left to me as my dowry. As for anything else, Father and Mother can simply follow the precedent set for Second Sister. It is still better to prioritize Fourth Sister." Two years ago, Second Miss Ye had married the Third Young Master of the Imperial Censor's family, and Ms. Wang had only provided a dowry of ten thousand taels.
"What?! How can this be?! Those are…" Ms. Wang couldn't help but shriek. Those were assets she was planning to keep for her own daughter's dowry and for Brother Rong!
Ye Li looked at her with curiosity. "They are what?" She lowered her gaze slightly, turning to Old Madam Ye with a hint of shyness. "Mother said at the time that her entire dowry was to be left to me. My maternal aunt is also aware of this. Isn't that right, Grandmother?"
Old Madam Ye also looked somewhat displeased. When Ms. Xu had married into the Ye Family, her dowry procession was said to have stretched for ten li—a truly grand affair. If all of it were given to Ye Li, Ye Ying's dowry would seem rather shabby in comparison. In recent years, the Ye Family had been extravagant, and their finances were already strained. If they were to provide a dowry as grand as Ms. Xu's had been, the entire family would be left destitute after Ye Ying's wedding. However, Ye Li was not wrong. Before Ms. Xu passed away, the Young Madam of the Xu Family had been present and had personally heard Ms. Xu's final arrangements. Seeing Old Madam Ye remain silent, Ye Li didn't press further. In her heart, though, she sneered. She didn't care much about the size of the dowry, but she absolutely could not allow her mother's dowry to be used for Ms. Wang's daughter. Although she had gained memories of a past life after Ms. Xu's death, she could not change the fact that Ms. Xu was her mother. She had not forgotten the meticulous care and patient teachings from her childhood, nor the grievances Ms. Xu had endured. Since marrying into the Ye Family, Ms. Xu had not known a single day of happiness; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say she died of sorrow and resentment. If her dowry were now to be used to subsidize Ms. Wang's daughter, Ye Li, who didn't believe in ghosts or gods, worried her mother might actually climb out of her grave.
After a long silence, Old Madam Ye finally said, "Let's set this matter aside for now. I will discuss it further with your father and mother later."
Ye Li nonchalantly raised an eyebrow and softly assented.