55 Consorts of the Prince Regent's Mansion

sing with Nan Hou, saying, "We still need at least seven days before we can reach Jiangxia. I'm afraid that accelerating our march is difficult as you mentioned, Your Excellency."Nan Hou frowned and s...55. Female Relatives of the Prince Ding's Mansion

“My Lady, Concubine Taifei is here to see you.” In her study, Ye Li was sorting through account books brought over from the Ye Family Manor when a maid informed her of this. Ye Li looked up and saw the maid standing at the door, slightly taken aback. Qing霜 then spoke up, "Jingwen, what are you doing here" This maid, Jingwen, had been sent by Ye Li to the needlework room in the Ye Family Manor, originally named Hancheng. The maids of Prince Ding's Mansion all wore plain white gowns with simple waistbands, but even such a plain and elegant outfit made her look quite fetching.

Jingwen looked at Ye Li with a mix of panic and fear, whispering softly, "The head matron said that the clothes I embroidered are not to my Lady's taste. The needlework room now has four first-rate embroidery ladies, so she asked me to serve elsewhere." While Jingwen was relieved to leave the needlework room, she felt ashamed at her skills being criticized as worthless. Ye Li thought to herself coldly; this girl had spent a couple months in the needlework room and still hadn't learned anything. Did she think that having good looks would solve all her problems

"Alright, you may go now. Please show Concubine Taifei in." Ye Li waved her hand.

"Yes, My Lady," Jingwen curtsied and respectfully left the room.

Qing霜 grumbled unhappily, "Why did Nurse Lin and Nurse Wei put this troublemaker near Miss" It was clear she wasn't a quiet sort. Qingluan and Qingyu had come later and were unfamiliar with Jingwen who had always been in the needlework room, thinking her too overly charming for comfort. Hearing Qing霜's words, they both looked over at Jingwen curiously. Qing霜 stomped her foot in frustration, saying, "I forgot to tell Nurse Lin." Qingxian smiled faintly and said, "Qing霜, calm down. Nurse Lin has been with Madam since the beginning; she knows what kind of person Jingwen is. She's just a second-class maid now, less than Yun'er and Cuier. Prince Ding's Mansion is new to her and she won't be able to cause trouble."

Ye Li put down her book and smiled, "Qing霜, you still have much to learn from Qingxian. Don't act so rashly in everything."

Qing霜 stuck out her tongue, "Yes, My Lady, I'll follow your orders."

The moment Ye Li stepped into the specially designated flower parlor for female relatives, she was taken aback to see a middle-aged woman of around fifty sitting in the main seat. She wore luxurious cloud-patterned brocade robes and her hair was adorned with gold-embroidered jeweled ornaments that gave her an air of great nobility. If Ye Li hadn't known who this was beforehand, she would have thought this lady was not Concubine Taifei but rather the principal wife. At this moment, Concubine Taifei had closed her eyes and was resting against a chair. Behind her stood two maids; one held her shoulders while another fanned her gently with an ornate fan. Ye Li couldn't help but smile inwardly— it wasn't even June yet, and the weather in Chu Capital was hardly hot enough to warrant such attentiveness. Was she not afraid of catching a cold

"My Lady," everyone hurried to rise and greet her as soon as they saw Ye Li enter.

"You may sit down," Ye Li waved, dismissing them with a frown before sitting on the opposite side. Concubine Taifei slowly opened her eyes, scrutinizing Ye Li disapprovingly. With a smile playing at her lips, she let Concubine Taifei observe her as she turned her gaze to a young maiden dressed in white sitting below her. This girl seemed very timid and shrank back when their gazes met.

"Did you come here for something" Ye Li asked, turning towards Concubine Taifei.

Concubine Taifei narrowed her eyes unhappily; her already withered face grew even more stern. She sniffed and said haughtily, "My Lady is rather high-handed, isn't she Even after the wedding, you didn't bother to visit your elders. This old Concubine had no choice but to come here herself."

Ye Li understood— this was just a pretext for an argument. She frowned slightly and smiled at Concubine Taifei apologetically, "If so, I am indeed rude. However, yesterday when I asked the Prince about it, he only mentioned that I should visit my sister-in-law after returning from the bride's family home. He never said anything about visiting any other relatives in the mansion."

Concubine Taifei's face froze with anger, and after a moment she looked at Ye Li angrily, "The Prince has been rather gloomy these past years; no wonder he made such an oversight. As his wife, you should have reminded him! Instead, you act so rudely!"

Remind Mo Xiuyao hadn't even mentioned it to her— clearly she didn't care for her at all. Ye Li certainly wouldn't remind him of something like this.

Long before the marriage, Ye Li had already memorized the status and hierarchy within Prince Ding's Mansion. Take Concubine Taifei here as an example; her status was indeed quite peculiar: not only was she the sole concubine to the late Prince Ding Mo Liufang, but also his eldest son Mo Xiuyao and second son Mo Xiwen's aunt, and younger sister of their first wife. Yet this unique position hadn't earned her much respect within the mansion; in fact, whether it was during Mo Liufang’s lifetime or later with Mo Xiwen, everyone treated her as if she were invisible. Concubine Taifei was still under fifty years old, similar to Princess Shao Yang's age, yet both women looked at least a decade younger due to their prolonged widowhood.

But Ye Li felt no sympathy for her— this was entirely self-inflicted. She had married into the mansion when Mo Xiwen was born, and shortly after, his mother fell ill; the affection between the prince and his wife became cold as ice. Seven years later, she gave birth to Mo Xiuyao before dying soon after. Compared to Mo Xiuyao's disregard for her, Mo Xiwen’s attitude toward Concubine Taifei was one of outright loathing. Therefore, Ye Li believed that Concubine Taifei must have used unconventional methods to enter the mansion which led to a rift between Mo Liufang and his wife. Even if she ignored this past, she would never accept Ye Shan or Ye Lin into her household; sharing a husband with someone was one thing, but doing so with a blood relative was pushing it too far.

"I truly didn't know that I had to personally visit a concubine," Ye Li said coolly as she lowered her eyes.

“You! How dare you!” Concubine Taifei’s face turned red with fury, pointing at Ye Li but unable to speak for the moment. Being merely a concubine was indeed a lifelong source of pain; when she had entered the mansion as such, she didn’t expect much due to her status as an illegitimate daughter. After her elder sister's death, she thought she might become principal wife due to being the only concubine— but even then, Prince Ding never looked at her again until his death. Since Mo Liufang’s passing, she knew there would be no chance for her; all she could ever hope for was a life as a concubine.

"The rules of Prince Ding's Mansion are well known to Concubine Taifei. Who exactly is being disrespectful here" Ye Li looked at her steadily from above. In the mansion, the prince outranked everyone outside, while internally, the queen was supreme; even a proper concubine couldn't afford to be disrespectful towards the queen. After Mo Xiwen’s death, the servants in the mansion stopped calling her the Queen and instead addressed her as "Big Sister-in-Law," indicating she was merely the elder sister of the prince's wife.

Suppressing Concubine Taifei's anger, Ye Li’s expression softened slightly; she smiled gently, "Why did Concubine Taifei come so early today Is there something you need to discuss

Left speechless by the sudden change in her expression, Concubine Side Duchess recovered and was about to get angry when a white-robed lady next to her nervously said softly, "Aunt..."

The Concubine Side Duchess looked at the young woman in white and actually suppressed her anger. She turned her head to Ye Li and said, "This is my niece from my family’s side, Qianru."

The white-robed lady stood up and bowed gracefully before Ye Li. With a soft voice, she said, "Qianru greets Auntie Senior Sister-in-law. I have seen Auntie Senior Sister-in-law."

Ye Li frowned. If Concubine Side Duchess was the daughter of the Yang Family, then Qianru would be Prince Moyouxiao’s cousin sister. Ye Li had never heard of this cousin sister before. Mainly because the Yang Family wasn’t from a prestigious family to begin with. In fact, apart from the first generation Dingwang Duke who married a princess from the previous dynasty, none of the generations’ Wangfis came from prominent families. This was also partly due to the fact that there was no need for them to rely on relatives in the case of male members of their family. On the other hand, it would prevent them from being wary of the imperial family. As far as Ye Li knew, Yang Wifedao’s birth family didn’t have any legitimate brothers and her only illegitimate brother had died years ago. Therefore, this Qianru was the orphan of an illegitimate son of the Yang Family. "Cousin sister doesn’t need to be polite. Sit down. Previously, since Your Highness forgot to mention cousin sister, I also didn’t have time to prepare a gift for our first meeting. Please don’t blame me." As she spoke, Ye Li removed her Ice Crystal Cloudy Flower Jade Bracelet and placed it in Qianru’s hand. She turned her head to the Concubine Side Duchess sitting next to her and asked with a smile, "Is cousin sister living together with Concubine Side Duchess"

The Concubine Side Duchess looked at Ye Li and nodded. "Qianru is still young and doesn’t have any other relatives. I brought her here so that I could look after her as well. She isn’t a lady from the prince’s manor, so there’s nothing wrong with us living in the same compound."

Ye Li didn’t intend to make things complicated by arranging another courtyard for her. Ye Li smiled and said, "As long as Concubine Side Duchess and cousin sister are not unhappy, that’s all good. If you need anything, just send someone over to tell me. There’s no need to feel embarrassed." The Concubine Side Duchess’s eyes flickered with movement before she said, "I’m precisely here because I wanted to talk about this matter. Qianru is already almost seventeen years old and it’s time for her to think of marriage. Prince Your Highness rarely sees people either. This old lady doesn’t have much knowledge on these matters. Since you are cousin sister’s aunt, please look at the matter carefully for her. And a young lady shouldn’t be so plain all day long. We should add some more clothing and accessories."

The Concubine Side Duchess kept talking to herself while sitting next to her was Yang Qianru whose face had turned red with her head lowered, unwilling to look anyone in the eye. Ye Li was comfortable leaning against her chair as she listened to what the Concubine Side Duchess said. Initially it still sounded like a request, but by now, her tone had changed completely into that of an order. Ye Li looked at Yang Qianru’s white clothing and couldn’t help frowning too. "Are you being short-changed on your expenses in the manor" Even if Prince Moyouxiao didn’t favor Concubine Side Duchess much, he wouldn’t be so cruel as to cut off a young lady’s allowance Seeing Yang Qianru dressed in such plain clothes, even her hair was decorated with white ribbons. Those who did not know the situation would think that she was mourning someone. Even servants of lower ranks were better dressed than her.

Yang Qianru suddenly raised her head, her eyes brimming with tears and confusion. She hurriedly said, "No… The prince’s manor hasn’t treated me harshly. Don’t misunderstand Senior Brother-in-law… It is myself, it is my own doing…" Ye Li couldn’t help rubbing her forehead. What was all this about Rubbing her temples, she looked at Qinglun beside her and said, "Go check if Auntie Seng has some time, bring her over."

Auntie Seng came quickly. It seemed that Qinglun had already told her the situation. She also brought two servants in charge of the household accounts and expenses.

"Greetings, Your Highness’ Wifedao. Greetings Concubine Side Duchess."

Ye Li nodded and said, "No need for formalities."

Auntie Seng stood up and said, "Thank you, Your Highness’ Wifedao. When I heard that Your Highness’ Wifedao wanted to see me about Concubine Side Duchess’s expenses, I called Wang Manager who is in charge of the household accounts as well as Zhang Aunty, who is responsible for household expenses. Please forgive me."

Ye Li said with a smile, "There’s no need to be so polite. Since this is my first time here, I don’t know much about these things. Concubine Side Duchess asked about cousin sister’s expenses, so I invited you here to ask for details. If there are any problems, it would not look good on our part if other people knew."

Zhang Aunty hurriedly stepped forward and said with a rather bad expression, "Your Highness’ Wifedao, cousin sister has always been given expenses according to the allowance for a princess from an illegitimate line. Although we haven’t had ladies in our family for many generations, the previous regulations are still being followed. We would never dare to deduct cousin sister’s allowance."

"Then how much is cousin sister’s monthly expense If it does not suffice according to the past rules, we can make appropriate adjustments. Alternatively, we could also allocate some of our expenses," Ye Li said.

Zhang Aunty looked at Yang Qianru sitting next to her and said, "Cousin sister has thirty taels of silver as monthly expense. Her cosmetics are all bought separately by the manor. In spring and summer she is given four sets of clothing each season, while there are also two sets of head decorations and jewelry for winter and summer. The stipend during festivals isn’t reduced either. We’ve been serving in Your Highness’ Manor for generations, so we would never dare to treat cousin sister harshly."

The account manager standing on the side said, "Your Highness’ Wifedao knows, Prince Your Highness and Your Highness’ Wifedao’s wedding has given rewards from top to bottom. First Lady received an extra five hundred taels of silver while Concubine Side Duchess two hundred taels. Cousin sister received one hundred taels. The servants have also been rewarded accordingly. We will send the accounts as proof." Everyone turned their gazes towards Yang Qianru, seeing her dressed in white and looking weak, they couldn’t help but think she had not suffered any injustice. Auntie Seng’s straight and serious face showed some displeasure. Not to mention that Your Highness’ Manor hadn’t treated her badly. Even if it did treat her badly for so many years, it was still the manor who raised her. Prince Your Highness and Your Highness’ Wifedao had just gotten married, what did she mean by dressing in white

The maids who followed Ye Li from the Ye Family also felt resentful towards this weak young lady. Fourth Miss already looked extremely beautiful as it was. This one was even weaker than her. And the treatment given to this cousin sister wasn’t much different from a legitimate daughter of the Ye Family either. Their own miss used to only have thirty taels of silver allowance per month in the Ye Family, and she never had any reputation in the capital city, which suggested that she didn’t go out at all for social engagements, so naturally there was no expense involved. A newly married miss came here crying poor, this was really too much.

Ye Li frowned as she looked at Concubine Side Duchess. It wasn’t because she was stingy. She had just arrived in the manor and couldn’t go against the previous rules to raise Yang Qianru’s allowance. Even if Dingwang Manor was a large family, it wouldn’t casually allocate funds without any consideration. There were no rules without principles, let alone that the Manor treated Yang Qianru quite well. Unfortunately, Concubine Side Duchess clearly didn’t think so. Seeing Ye Li looking troubled, she said angrily, "Cousin sister has already reached almost seventeen years of age, it’s time to consider marriage arrangements. But since Your Highness rarely sees her, I’m also not knowledgeable enough. Since you are Cousin Sister’s cousin, why don’t you have a good look for her Also, it doesn’t make sense for a young lady like her to dress so simply every day, we need to add more clothes."

Concubine Side Duchess went on by herself, while the Yang Qianru sitting beside her blushed and lowered her head, afraid to look up. Ye Li leaned back in her chair comfortably as she listened to Concubine Side Duchess’s demands. Initially, there was still some negotiation involved, but later it became completely commanding. Ye Li frowned when seeing Yang Qianru dressed entirely in white like snow; had the manor been skimping on her expenses Even if Mo Xiuyao disliked Concubine Side Duchess, he wouldn’t go so far as to withhold a young lady’s allowance, right Looking at Yang Qianru dressed simply in white, even her hair was tied with white ribbons. Anyone who didn’t know might think she was mourning for someone. The maids in the manor were also better dressed than her.

Yang Qianru suddenly raised her head, tears glistening in her eyes and a look of panic on her face as she hurriedly said, "No... Your Highness’ Manor has never treated me badly, please don’t misunderstand my cousin... It’s me, I’m not doing well..." Ye Li couldn’t help but press her forehead. What was all this nonsense Rubbing her temples, she looked at Qinglun beside her and said, "Go see if Auntie Seng is free and bring her over."

Auntie Seng came quickly. It seemed that Qinglun had already told her the situation. She also brought two servants in charge of household accounts and expenses.

"Greetings, Your Highness’ Wifedao. Greetings Concubine Side Duchess."

Ye Li nodded and said, "No need for formalities."

Auntie Seng stood up and said, "Thank you, Your Highness’ Wifedao. When I heard that Your Highness’ Wifedao wanted to see me about Concubine Side Duchess’s expenses, I called Wang Manager who is in charge of the household accounts as well as Zhang Aunty, who is responsible for household expenses. Please forgive me."

Ye Li said with a smile, "There's no need to be so polite. Since this is my first time here, I don't know much about these things. Concubine Side Duchess asked about cousin sister’s expenses, so I invited you here to ask for details. If there are any problems, it would not look good on our part if other people knew."

Zhang Aunty hurriedly stepped forward and said with a rather bad expression, "Your Highness’ Wifedao, cousin sister has always been given expenses according to the allowance for a princess from an illegitimate line. Although we haven't had ladies in our family for many generations, the previous regulations are still being followed. We would never dare to deduct cousin sister’s allowance."

"So what is cousin sister's monthly expense If it doesn’t suffice according to past rules, we can make appropriate adjustments. Alternatively, we could also allocate some of our expenses," Ye Li said.

Zhang Aunty looked at Yang Qianru sitting next to her and said, "Cousin sister has thirty taels of silver as monthly expense. Her cosmetics are all bought separately by the manor. In spring and summer she is given four sets of clothing each season, while there are also two sets of head decorations and jewelry for winter and summer. The stipend during festivals isn’t reduced either. We’ve been serving in Your Highness’ Manor for generations, so we would never dare to treat cousin sister harshly."

The account manager standing on the side said, "Your Highness' Wifedao knows, Prince Your Highness and Your Highness' Wifedao's wedding has given rewards from top to bottom. First Lady received an extra five hundred taels of silver while Concubine Side Duchess two hundred taels. Cousin sister received one hundred taels. The servants have also been rewarded accordingly. We will send the accounts as proof." Everyone turned their gazes towards Yang Qianru, seeing her dressed in white and looking weak, it seemed she was not being mistreated but was still making a fuss.

Ed嬤嬤正直嚴肅的臉上閃過不悅。彆說王府冇有虧待她。就算真的虧待了這麼多年也總是王府養活你的吧？王爺王妃剛剛大婚你穿著一身白得是什麼意思？

The straight-faced and serious expression on Sun Auntie’s face flickered with displeasure. Not to mention the fact that the Wangfu hadn’t mistreated her, even if she had been treated poorly for so many years, it was still the Wangfu that supported her. What did it mean for the newlywed Prince and Princess Consort to see her dressed in all white

跟著葉璃從葉家過來的幾個丫頭對這個嬌弱的表小姐也很有意見。四小姐就已經夠楚楚動人了，這一位比她還要弱不禁風。而且王府對這位表小姐的待遇跟葉家的嫡小姐也不差多少了。自家小姐在葉家的時候一個月也才三十兩的例銀，而且在京城裡並冇有這位楊小姐半點名聲，可見這位是從不出門應酬的自然也就冇有什麼花用了。小姐才新婚就跑過來哭窮，實在是太過分了。

The maids who had followed Ye Li from the Ye family also had their opinions about this delicate cousin. Fourth Miss was already quite attractive, but this one was even more fragile. The Wangfu’s treatment of this cousin wasn’t much different from that given to a legitimate daughter in the Ye family. When their mistress was in the Ye family, she only received thirty taels of silver per month as an allowance. Moreover, there was no mention of this Miss Yang in the capital city, which indicated that she rarely went out for social engagements and thus didn’t have much expenses. It was simply too excessive for a newlywed to come crying about her poverty.

葉璃皺眉看著側太妃。並不是她小氣，她剛剛到王府不可能大肆違背前人定下的規矩提高楊芊茹的待遇。就算定國王府家大業大也不可能毫無顧忌的隨意支取銀兩。冇有規矩不成方圓，何況王府對楊芊茹真的算是不錯了。可惜側太妃明顯不是這樣認為的，看著葉璃為難的模樣不由怒道：“王妃這是什麼意思？芊茹總算是王爺的親表妹，難道花用幾兩銀子還用不得了？若是外人知道咱們定國王府苛待一個父母雙亡的孤女，王爺的麵子也不好看。”總之，側太妃就是要把苛待的名聲按在墨修堯頭上就是了。

Ye Li frowned as she looked at Concubine Side Taisi. She wasn’t being miserly; it was impossible for her, who had just arrived in the Wangfu, to drastically change the rules set by previous generations and improve Yang Qianru’s treatment. Even if Dingguo Wang Fu was large and prosperous, they couldn't casually take out money without any restraint. Without regulations, there would be no order. Moreover, the Wangfu's treatment of Yang Qianru wasn’t bad at all. Unfortunately, Concubine Side Taisi didn’t see it that way. Seeing Ye Li’s difficulty, she angrily said, "What is Your Highness' Consort trying to say As a close cousin of His Excellency, shouldn't several taels for expenses be acceptable If outsiders find out the Dingguo Wang Fu mistreats an orphan who has lost both parents, it will tarnish His Excellency’s reputation." In short, Concubine Side Taisi was determined to pin the blame on Mo Xiuyao.

“那麼，側太妃認為要多少纔算合理？”

"Then how much do you think is reasonable"

側太妃皺著眉，一臉不甘願的模樣道：“一個月怎麼也要八十兩，還有頭麵首飾，隻有兩套怎麼夠？芊茹這些年不能出去見人了，如今連婚事都拖下來了。以後跟在你身邊出去走動的時候肯定不少，讓風華樓再送四套過來。”看著側太妃一臉理所當然的模樣，葉璃忍不住在心裡翻白眼。她什麼時候同意楊芊茹跟在她身邊了？連這些年不怎麼在外麵走動都能扯到王府身上，如果不是在定王府，以楊家的家世隻怕也未必記得上定王府的庶女。

Concubine Side Taisi frowned and said reluctantly, "At least eighty taels per month is necessary. And the head ornaments and jewelry Two sets are insufficient. Yang Qianru hasn’t been able to go out these past few years, delaying her marriage arrangements. In the future, she will have many occasions to accompany you outside, so order Fenghuanglou to provide four more sets." Seeing Concubine Side Taisi's matter-of-fact expression, Ye Li couldn't help but roll her eyes in her mind. When did she agree for Yang Qianru to follow her around Even the fact that Yang Qianru hasn’t been out and about these past few years was somehow attributed to the Wangfu’s treatment. If not because of the Dingguo Wang Fu, given the Yang family's background, they might not even remember a concubine’s daughter from the Dingguo Wang Fu.

“側太妃請慎言，王妃是定國王府的當家主母。在外麵走動萬不可能帶著一個未出閣的姑孃家。就算是也應該是王府的姑娘或者王妃孃家的嫡妹還差不多。”孫嬤嬤一臉嚴肅的道。葉璃也不由在心裡讚一聲說得好。她可不想帶著一個見花落淚見雨傷心的弱女子到處相親。

"Concubine Side Taisi, please be careful with your words. Princess Consort is the head of the Dingguo Wang Fu. She cannot possibly take an unmarried girl along when going out. Even if she does, it should be a Wangfu’s own lady or her legitimate younger sister," Sun Auntie sternly said. Ye Li couldn’t help but silently praise her for saying that correctly. She certainly didn’t want to drag around a weak woman who would cry at the sight of flowers and rain.

“既然問清楚了，王管事和張嬤嬤便先回去吧。另外每月從我的例銀裡再撥十兩給表小姐。來者是客，咱們也不能委屈了表小姐。”

"Since we have clarified things, Wang Manager and Zhang Auntie may return first. In addition, ten more taels from my allowance will be given to Cousin Yang each month. As a guest, she should not feel slighted," Ye Li continued.

“是，謹遵王妃吩咐。”王管事和張嬤嬤應聲退下。

"Yes, we will follow Your Highness' Consort’s orders." Wang Manager and Zhang Auntie replied respectfully before leaving.

葉璃繼續道：“側太妃和表小姐也先回去吧。至於表小姐的婚事回頭我會與王爺商量一下再給側太妃答覆。”

Ye Li continued, "Concubine Side Taisi and Cousin Yang may return first. As for Cousin Yang’s marriage arrangements, I will discuss with His Excellency later and give you an answer."

The side Concubine Dowager was unwilling, but seeing Ye Li's expression of sending guests away, she didn't dare to really defy Ye Li. She could only take the resentful Yang Qianru and angrily leave.

After sending them off, Ye Li looked at Auntie Sun and said, "Auntie Sun, increase the wages for Manager Wang and Auntie Zhang by ten taels this month; it will come from my share."

Auntie Sun agreed. She looked at Ye Li and said, "Actually, there's no need for Concubine Dowager to mind the side Concubine Dowager or her cousin-in-law. Our王府 has never shortchanged the cousin-in-law; we haven't even touched any of the inheritance Yang Family left her." Ye Li helplessly replied, "Look at what she’s wearing today; how would others think if they saw her" Auntie Sun pursed her lips and said, "Concubine Dowager doesn’t know. This cousin-in-law is rather peculiar. She supposedly prefers white very much, but the seasonal clothes we send are all colors girls love. However, she thinks it’s too common and only wears a plain white robe. If there's no white in the clothes sent, she'd prefer to wear her old ones. It has wasted quite a bit of fabric. The steward had no choice but to pick mostly white clothes for her. For this time when王爺and Concubine Dowager got married, Auntie Zhang specially made a set of peach blossom red and another light purple one for her. But who knew..."

Too common It's unlikely, isn't it Ye Li recalled someone else who also preferred plain-colored clothes.

"There will likely be many guests at our王府in the future; we can’t let her come out like this to greet people." After all, the former Prince Ding’s王府hardly interacted with outsiders. Now that Mo Xiuyao has gotten married and met some people, it wouldn't do to shut doors and refuse guests again. "I'll ask王爺if he wants to replace all his plain-colored clothes," Ye Li smiled as she thought.

Auntie Sun was taken aback before realizing what Ye Li meant.

"I didn’t say anything; I just don’t particularly like white clothes."

"Concubine Dowager, the王爺has invited you."

Mo Xiuyao didn't have a servant girl around him, so he sent one of his guards to deliver the message. Ye Li nodded and asked, "Where is the王爺now" The guard replied, "The王爺is waiting for Concubine Dowager in the pavilion on the lake."

"Understood, you can go back now."

The Prince Ding’s王府could be considered the largest residence in Jing City, which naturally had to do with its status among the nobility. After more than a hundred years of successive princes' renovations, though the area remained unchanged, it was crowned as the most scenic place in Jing City. The southwest corner of the王府had a natural lake occupying one-sixth of the entire residence, with wooden corridors built over the water extending to a three-room pavilion at its center. The lake's surface was filled with green lotus leaves, reflecting shimmering waves on the water, and as soon as one stepped in, they felt a cool breeze, making it an ideal place for summer relaxation.

Ye Li waved her hand to stop the servant girls and walked alone across the wooden corridor towards the pavilion. Sure enough, she saw Mo Xiuyao sitting by an open window lost in thought. Hearing her footsteps, he smiled and greeted "A璃." Ye Li went inside and asked, "What are you thinking about" Mo Xiuyao shook his head with a smile, saying, "Busy these days with trivial matters; haven't had time to ask if you're settling in well"

Ye Li shrugged and sat down opposite him. Smiling, she said, "I adapt pretty well. The people here are also nice, so I'm comfortable." Seeing Mo Xiuyao's somewhat strange look, Ye Li blinked and joked, "Could it be you're the one who can't get used to things" To her surprise, Mo Xiuyao actually nodded, saying softly, "Indeed, it feels like years since there was just me in this王府."

"Hmm... Should I leave then" Ye Li felt a bit remorseful; she hadn’t expected her presence would trouble Mo Xiuyao. Mo Xiuyao laughed awkwardly and shook his head, saying, "Why A璃, we’re husband and wife."

So

"I think we need more time together," Mo Xiuyao said.

Ye Li understood; some people would retreat from what they're not used to, while others would face it head-on. Mo Xiuyao clearly belonged to the latter type. Couples like them who didn't have feelings before marriage indeed needed to cultivate their relationship afterward. "Do you have any good suggestions" If she had time, she could chat or read books together with him, or if he felt comfortable, they could take walks outside.

Take a walk Ye Li was somewhat tempted; she forgot that after getting married, it became more convenient to go out.

"No problem," Ye Li nodded in agreement.

Moved by her decisive response, Mo Xiuyao smiled faintly and said, "Yesterday I promised to paint a portrait of A璃. Come see how it turned out." Ye Li walked over in surprise and asked, "So fast"

The table before Mo Xiuyao held an open scroll painting showing a red-robed woman standing with her sword; she instantly recognized the attire and headwear as what she wore on her wedding day. However, instead of the heavy and intricate phoenix embroidery wedding gown, it was a light and simple red robe edged with golden cloud patterns, tied at the waist by a gold belt. The peony flower between her eyebrows had been replaced by a fresh flame, her hand holding a sword as if dancing, looking bright and dignified yet also proud and sharp.

"Is this me" Ye Li looked at the woman in the painting with astonishment, whispering softly. She recognized her familiar face but felt it was somewhat strange; yet that strangeness seemed more true to herself. For some reason, Ye Li thought the portrait was incredibly beautiful, far surpassing how she saw herself in the mirror.

Mo Xiuyao smiled and said, "In ancient times, a beauty’s sword dance moved all around, A璃 possesses the spirit of the young Yunyun Princess."

"I haven't... " Ye Li shook her head; she had never wielded a sword in public. To be precise, she did not know how to dance with a sword. Staring at the woman in the painting holding the radiant Lan Yun Sword, Ye Li was lost in thought.

Mos堯 smiled faintly and said, "I think this is who A Li truly is."

Ye Li remained silent, unable to tear her eyes away from the woman's face in the painting. Indeed, she had seen such an expression on a familiar face before. The carefree and unrestrained demeanor when navigating through gunfire and bloodshed, the sharpness and pride when killing enemies barehanded amidst bloody storms. It was a completely different life compared to now. Since accepting reality, she had been striving to fit in with the standards of women in this era, thinking that she had gradually forgotten about the woman who laughed freely amidst mud and sweat. But... if she truly forgot everything, how could she still possess such hidden martial skills

"When A Li held the Lan Yun Sword on that day… I felt that you were more beautiful than at any other time before," Mos堯 sighed as he recalled Ye Li drawing the sword. Although it was just a fleeting moment, her completely different and sharp aura, coupled with her carefree and heroic manner in wielding the sword, made him think she was a renowned general commanding battles.

"You... Can I take this painting" Ye Li asked hesitantly.

Mos堯 smiled and said, "This is originally for you." Since he casually mentioned painting yesterday, Mos堯 knew that A Li thought it was just a joke. However, the image of his new bride's beauty on their wedding night and her pulling out the sword at Ye Manor had often appeared before his eyes since then. Therefore, despite having much to do in the王府over these two days, he still painted this picture last night, "But there’s no inscription yet What would you think is suitable"

Ye Li shook her head and hesitated a moment, saying, "It might be better not to. It doesn’t need to be shown to others." She loved the painting very much; if she inscribed it and messed things up, wouldn't that be too bad

Mos堯 raised an eyebrow and nodded, "Alright then, but we should still sign off on it." He picked up a brush from the pen rack on the desk and said, "Grind the ink for me."

Ye Li was also curious about Mos堯's calligraphy. Judging by its artistry alone, he had been right that his painting wasn’t inferior to Han Mingyue’s; it just remained to be seen how good his handwriting was Seeing her smile, Mos堯 said, "A Li has a unique style in calligraphy, and I might disappoint you." As she watched him dip the ink and write on one side of the painting: “Ding Wang Xiu Yao presents to wife A Li.” His writing was upright and elegant yet had an aura that did not seem overly showy. Ye Li was very satisfied; carefully picking up the painting, she let it dry before putting it away. Seeing the words "presented to wife" on the painting made her feel inexplicably strange. Looking up at Mos堯, who was staring at her, if she simply turned her head away wouldn’t that seem guilty Ye Li could only look back with wide eyes; Mos堯 smiled faintly and averted his gaze first.

The awkward atmosphere made Ye Li want to leave, but the painting on the table made her reluctant to go. Besides, leaving now would mean she had lost, wouldn't it She just agreed that they should spend more time together. Thinking quickly, Ye Li changed the subject, "By the way, I wanted to talk about something with you just now. Can all your white clothes be replaced" Seeing Mos堯 raise an eyebrow in puzzlement, she asked, "Or do you particularly like wearing white clothes"

Mos堯 shook his head, "I have no preference for colors; it's merely habit. But where did this idea come from" From what he knew about Ye Li, there was absolutely no way she would interfere with the color of his clothing.

Ye Li smiled and recounted what happened in the courtyard earlier. Mos堯 looked speechless at her, "So you think it's because I wear white that she insists on wearing it"

Ye Li nodded, “That’s my assumption.”

"But I don’t wear white every day," although his clothes were mostly in light colors, there were other colors too.

"Obviously, whenever you appear before her, it just so happens to be when you are wearing white." Ye Li shrugged lazily.

“Haha… A Li, are you jealous” Mos堯 stared at her for a long time and then said with a soft laugh.

Jealous!

Ye Li couldn't help but turn red in the face; she got up abruptly and woodenly said, "Sorry, our household is short of vinegar!"說完，她來不及管畫像，轉身就往外走去。

"Prince"

In no time, Ah Jin appeared at the door looking at Mos堯. Madam Sun was right; the prince wasn't good at getting along with the princess. In such a short time, he had managed to drive her away.

Mos堯 smiled faintly and said, "Give this painting to the princess later."less for me to meddle in this. Little lady, pack up your things; we need to leave as soon as possible." Ye Li was startled, "Leave What about the villagers here"Doctor Lin snorted and said, "I will na...