Glory

Ye Yaming didn't even glance at the roster. It was only after An Tai provided the list that she carefully reviewed it, circling the names of those who could be retained.

These individuals were either long-serving retainers of the Lu family or those disliked by Shi Shi and Lu Guanyu—simple and honest souls, nine in total.

Additionally, An Tai provided a list of those who had engaged in mischief the previous day.

"What were they trying to do?" she asked An Tai.

An Tai, who had once been a chubby lad, had spent two years with Lu Guanyi at the border. Training alongside the soldiers and riding into battle had transformed him—he'd slimmed down, grown taller, and his skin had darkened, making him nearly unrecognizable from when Ye Yaming first met him.

A faint blush crept across his sun-darkened cheeks. "Well... they drugged the wine, intending to make you and the heir appear foolish."

It was exactly as she had suspected.

Ye Yaming's expression darkened instantly.

"Was it on Second Young Master's orders?" she inquired.

"It appears to be a kitchen maid who received favors from Shi Shi and added the drug to the wine. There's no direct evidence of Second Young Master's involvement, but he's certainly not innocent in this matter," An Tai said indignantly.

"Second Young Master likely thought that without concrete evidence, even if the matter reached the Marquis, he could cry foul and accuse the heir of slander—a classic case of the thief crying 'stop thief.' But our heir didn't confront him directly nor make a scene. He plans to write to the Marquis after he reaches the border. By then, no matter how Second Young Master tries to explain himself, the seed of suspicion will have been planted in the Marquis' mind."

At this point, An Tai looked at Ye Yaming with admiration. "Madam, this is largely thanks to your defensive stance at the time, which left an impression on the Marquis."

In truth, even if Ye Yaming had drunk from that nuptial wine vessel, nothing would have happened, as they had secretly replaced the wine beforehand.

Though the Marquis had been somewhat displeased by Ye Yaming's show of distrust toward the Xuanwu Marquis Household's servants, it undoubtedly raised his suspicions. Later, when Lu Guanyi produced evidence and captured the culprit, whether Lu Guanyu had orchestrated it or the kitchen maid had acted alone, the blame would firmly rest on Lu Guanyu's shoulders.

Ye Yaming gave a thumbs-up. "Both you and your master are formidable."

Back in Ye Jia, she had shouldered responsibilities for every matter, big or small. Now, with Lu Guanyi and his subordinates supporting her, resolving issues before she even needed to intervene felt remarkably refreshing.

Since they were still in their newlywed period and hadn't even completed the customary return visit, she set the matter aside for the time being.

The next day, with nothing particular to do and Lu Guanyi unwilling to be sent to the front courtyard by Ye Yaming, he suggested, "How about I take you to see the old residence today, and then to the villa where I usually stay?"

Ye Yaming brightened up. "That sounds wonderful!"

She understood that marriage required effort. Lu Guanyi could only stay in the capital for a little over two months; after the New Year, he would have to return to the border. It was best for them to spend as much time together as possible to nurture their relationship.

Yet, sitting face-to-face making strained conversation would be awkward. Going out for a stroll together was the perfect alternative.

So Lu Guanyi had a carriage prepared and took Ye Yaming to the old residence.

"My father grew up here. After he was enfeoffed as a Marquis and granted an estate, we moved to the Marquis' residence. But my grandparents continued living here. Before my grandfather passed away, I lived here too. I've only been to the Marquis' residence a handful of times."At this point, he revealed a mocking smile.

Ye Yaming patted his arm in comfort.

"Then why didn't you stay here after your grandfather passed away, and moved to the villa instead?" she asked.

Lu Guanyi had told her that the villa was quite far away, located in an area where commoners lived, unlike the Marquis residence and Laoshi—places inhabited exclusively by the wealthy and noble.

She wanted to know what had driven Lu Guanyi to abandon the old residence and force him to relocate to the villa.

Lu Guanyi's expression grew even more sarcastic: "After Grandfather passed away, I was supposed to stay in the old residence, but Shi Shi sent many maids there to control me. When I drove them out, they cried at the door, making people point fingers at me."

"So I simply went to Jiangnan. When the Crown Prince saw this, he bestowed the estate in Lin'an to me. Later, when I returned to the capital, I didn't go back to the old residence but bought a villa to live in instead."

Ye Yaming felt even more sympathy for him.

In her previous life, although her parents weren't particularly affectionate, they never produced any illegitimate children. Money was never an issue, and they maintained a decent facade, occasionally offering warm gestures. After she came of age and took over the family business, they even had to curry favor with her.

In this life, the Ye family had been nothing short of wonderful to her.

"Now it's better—good deeds bring good rewards, and evil deeds bring evil consequences. Our good days are still ahead, so let's look forward," she said.

"Mm." Lu Guanyi tightly grasped her hand. "Like you, I don't seek great wealth or status, only peace and happiness. Let's live our lives well."

Ye Yaming stopped walking and looked at him, her expression unusually serious and solemn.

"There are some things I should have made clear when we were engaged, but at the time, the engagement was a temporary measure to avoid trouble, so I didn't mention them. Last time when you returned from the border to discuss the marriage, I intended to speak up, but the imperial decree disrupted everything, and I never got the chance."

Lu Guanyi's smile faded, and he asked nervously, "What is it? Tell me."

"Our Ye family has never had the custom of taking concubines. Because of this, our family is harmonious, and our household ethos is upright. You know I originally planned for a matrilocal marriage, and even if that didn't happen, I intended to marry a commoner. The reason I didn't want to marry someone of equal or higher status than the Ye family is that I can't tolerate my husband taking concubines."

Her eyes were filled with determination: "If you want to take concubines, I won't stop you, but don't expect me to treat you the same way. At that point, I'll be in Lin'an, and you'll be at the border or in the capital—we won't be able to stay together."

"I know these words might not align with societal norms, and people might think I'm jealous and intolerant. But this is who I am, and I won't change. I have a cleanliness obsession when it comes to relationships—my husband is like my toothbrush, not to be shared with anyone."

Lu Guanyi looked into her beautiful, intensely serious eyes and laughed.

He slightly restrained his smile and said earnestly, "Don't worry, even if you hadn't said anything, I wouldn't take concubines. Perhaps because my experiences are more complicated than others', I tend to reflect deeply on things that others, like Qi Ji, might not overthink."

"Among the noble families in the capital, those with numerous conflicts and even major disasters are mostly households with complex family structures, many concubines, and numerous illegitimate children. Families that don't take concubines are much more harmonious, with far fewer conflicts.""And your family is one I deeply admire. Perhaps there are minor conflicts among your relatives, but no matter what challenges arise, you always consider each other's perspectives and willingly make sacrifices for one another."