3. Aunt is Here
"Miss, Madam Xu is here."
Ye Li lifted her head and saw her second aunt entering from outside. She quickly stood up to greet her, "Second Aunt."
Madam Xu was only in her mid-thirties this year. Her well-maintained appearance could be described as refined, but the bearing she naturally exuded revealed her upbringing in a distinguished family.
Frowning as she glanced around Ye Li's room, she couldn't help but tap her on the forehead and say, "Your uncle and I have told you many times to move in with us, but you refuse. Look at the state of this place you're living in! And what about your marriage... Are you deliberately trying to make your mother unable to rest in peace?"
Ye Li rubbed her forehead, led Madam Xu to sit down, and said, "Uncle has had a tough time over the years. Besides, with Grandmother and Father both here, how could a daughter move into her uncle's house? It would only give others a reason to mock Mother for not raising her daughter properly."
Ever since the current Emperor ascended the throne, he had been systematically suppressing the old ministers from the previous Emperor's reign. Her maternal grandfather, eldest uncle, and other members of the Xu Clan had successively retired from official positions. Now, only her second uncle remained, serving as a third-rank Academician in the Hanlin Academy. To outsiders, the centuries-old Xu Clan seemed to have already fallen from grace.
Hearing Ye Li's words, Madam Xu couldn't help but sigh. "It's just heartbreaking to see you wronging yourself like this. If your grandfather knew, he would be terribly distressed." The Xu Family had always had more men than women for generations. In Grand Old Master Xu's generation, Ye Li's mother was the only daughter, so naturally, she was doted upon immensely. If he knew his only granddaughter was being treated so unjustly, Grand Old Master Xu, with his temper, would probably storm into the Capital City and give his son-in-law a thorough scolding.
Ye Li smiled. "How am I being wronged? Li'er won't let herself be taken advantage of."
Madam Xu looked at her with concern. "Now, about this marriage of yours... Prince Ding is truly not a good match. And that sister of yours is truly despicable, snatching her own sister's fiancé! How could a young lady from a prominent family do such a thing?"
Ye Li's eyes sparkled, a stark contrast to her usual meek and yielding demeanor in the mansion. She chuckled softly. "Prince Ding has his merits. Aunt and Uncle needn't worry about Li'er." The status of the King of Ding Kingdom's Mansion in the Great Chu was unique. Unless Prince Ding were to commit treason, even the Emperor would not dare to easily challenge its standing. And since Prince Ding had distanced himself from court affairs due to his health, marrying him meant she wouldn't have to worry about all those troublesome matters. For Ye Li, it was merely the difference between moving from the Ye Mansion to Prince Ding's Mansion. She had been far too weary in her previous life; in this life, she just wanted to be able to live idly, eat her fill, and wait for death in peace.
That was right. To live idly, eat her fill, and wait for death—this was the goal Ye Li had set for herself in this life. In her previous life, she had been a soldier, a member of a special forces unit. To die for her country after risking her life countless times was, in a way, a fitting end. She harbored no deep-seated resentment, nor did she possess earth-shattering ambitions. She believed she had done right by her country, and her country had not failed her. To die on the battlefield, wrapped in a horse-hide shroud, was the duty and responsibility of a soldier. However, after more than a decade of carnage and bloodshed, she had experienced too much and was simply exhausted. Therefore, in this life, peace and simplicity were all she desired.
Seeing her composed demeanor, Madam Xu felt a mixture of relief and worry, which finally resolved into a sigh. What good would dissatisfaction do? The Emperor himself had decreed the marriage; who could defy it?
"Your grandfather entrusted this to your uncle and me before he left the Capital City. It's the dowry he prepared for you. We had no choice but to convert most of it into bank notes for you to keep safely." Madam Xu handed a stack of bank notes to Ye Li.
Ye Li unfolded them and saw a gold note for one thousand taels, ten silver notes each for five hundred taels, and several smaller denomination gold and silver notes, altogether amounting to about twenty thousand taels of silver.
Before Ye Li could speak, Madam Xu continued, "I heard that Ms.Wang of Ye Family is trying to withhold the dowry your mother left for you. Don't worry about that; Aunt will handle it for you. HUMPH! Which daughter of the Xu Family hasn't married in splendor? Even in our decline, we wouldn't stoop to such a disgraceful act as using the principal wife's dowry to benefit a concubine's daughter. Hasn't your mother's dowry been squandered enough by them over the years? Those manors and shops—Aunt will definitely get them back for you."
Ye Li frowned. "Li'er can handle this herself. Aunt, perhaps you shouldn't..."
Madam Xu smiled. "Rest assured, your father's official rank is indeed higher than your uncle's. However, if His Majesty still values his reputation, he won't make things difficult for your uncle again." The Xu Family were descendants of the nation's founding heroes and stood at the forefront of the esteemed scholarly lineages. Even though they were no longer in court, their influence was not something the Ye Family or Wang Family could compare to. It already reflected poorly on His Majesty when he overtly and covertly forced the Xu Clan to resign from their official posts after his ascension. If anything were to happen to my husband now without an extremely compelling reason, the public outcry alone could overwhelm the imperial family.
Ye Li considered this with a slight frown and, realizing it wasn't a major issue, nodded and thanked her aunt.
Only then did Madam Xu smile with satisfaction. "I'm afraid your maternal family might not stand up for you in the future. After you're married, come visit us at home more often. It will also put your uncle and grandfather at ease."
"The Madam is here." A series of footsteps approached from outside, and Ms.Wang, accompanied by maids and older female servants, appeared at the doorway. Standing there, she raised an eyebrow at Madam Xu and said, "Madam Xu, why didn't you announce your arrival? We didn't have time to prepare a welcome."
Madam Xu had always disapproved of Ms.Wang's airs. She snorted lightly and said nonchalantly, "I am merely here on my husband's orders to see Li'er. The Ye Family's status is so lofty; how could we dare trouble Madam Ye to welcome us?"
The Xu Family was an ancient and esteemed scholarly lineage that had never countenanced the practice of elevating a concubine to the status of a principal wife. Madam Xu had always looked down upon Ms.Wang's origins. Moreover, her own sister-in-law's premature death from grief was partly due to Ms.Wang, so there was certainly no goodwill between them. Ms.Wang, in turn, deeply resented Madam Xu for looking down on her. She was clearly a second-rank Madam, while this Madam Xu was merely a third-rank Shuren; on what grounds did Madam Xu look down on her?
Ms.Wang disdainfully scanned Ye Li's room, then walked to the side and sat down. She addressed Madam Xu, "We have already sent Third Miss's birth characters to Prince Ding's Mansion. The wedding date should be set in a few days. As her official mother, I will naturally ensure Third Miss marries in splendor. Madam Xu need not worry."
Madam Xu smiled faintly, also taking a seat to the side. "A grand wedding would naturally be wonderful. Although Li'er bears the Ye surname, she also has Xu Family blood. If a daughter of the Xu Family were to be wronged in marriage, even our Grand Old Master Xu would not approve. By the way... is your Brother Rong still studying? I wonder if he will attempt the imperial examinations next year?"
Madam Xu's casual words made Ms.Wang's heart tighten. Her son, Brother Rong, was currently studying at the clan's academy. She had forgotten that although the Xu Family had declined, they still controlled Lishan Academy, one of the three best academies in the land—indeed, the very best in Great Chu, without exception. Brother Rong was hoping to study at Lishan Academy this year to improve his chances in next year's imperial examinations. But if I tamper with Ye Li's dowry, I'm afraid... Thinking this, she couldn't help but glare resentfully at Madam Xu, who merely smiled faintly, unconcerned.
Ms.Wang said with a cold expression, "Brother Rong is still young; he may need another two years. Besides, he is Her Highness Zhaoyi's younger brother. The mere imperial examination should not pose a great difficulty."
Madam Xu nodded in agreement, smiling. "It is best if Brother Rong is confident. Interestingly, Noble Consort Liu's brother, who consistently achieved top examination ranks in the Capital City, including First-placed Candidate, still lacked confidence in himself. He traveled thousands of miles to Lishan to seek guidance from Grand Old Master Xu. That seems a bit excessive. I trust your esteemed son will not need to do so; surely, he will achieve the 'Triple Firsts' and bring glory to Her Highness Zhaoyi."
Hearing this, Ms.Wang's expression turned even darker. Noble Consort Liu had been known as the Capital City's Number One Talented Woman even before entering the palace, and her favor had been constant since. Furthermore, after giving birth to two princes and a princess, she was elevated to Noble Consort, completely eclipsing Ms.Wang's own daughter. The Liu Family's young master was also exceptionally talented and renowned, overshadowing her own son, who remained relatively unknown in the Capital City. If that Liu boy became the Top Scholar next year, Her Highness Zhaoyi would undoubtedly be furious. In truth, Ye Rong was several years older than the Liu family's young master, so they weren't directly comparable. It was simply that Ye Rong's aptitude was ordinary, and Ms.Wang couldn't stand the Liu young master's brilliance.
Ms.Wang snorted, glanced resentfully at Ye Li, and then said, "If he could receive guidance from Grand Old Master Xu, Brother Rong would naturally be more confident."
This was an admission of defeat. Madam Xu did not press the point, merely smiling as she said, "I was just speaking casually. Madam Ye's virtuous reputation is widely known; surely she would not mistreat the daughter of the original wife. I will have my husband send the dowry list of our family's eldest daughter to the government office for re-registration shortly, so as not to delay Li'er's wedding."
In the end, Ms.Wang, her face ashen, flicked her sleeves and departed, eliciting only a disdainful, cold laugh from Madam Xu.