Glory

Princess Yu Ning, upon hearing this, also felt she made a valid point.

"That's true. The capital is never short of those who envy talent and success. Seeing your humble origins yet marrying the handsome and capable young General Lu while running such a large business—who knows how many people resent you? If they accidentally learned of this matter, they’d think they had dirt on you. By openly discussing it, you leave them with nothing to say."

Given her high status, seniority, and age, she spoke without reservation.

Ye Yaming nodded, "Exactly. Walk the path of your opponents, leaving them with no road to take."

Everyone was momentarily stunned, then burst into hearty laughter.

Princess Yu Ning laughed the hardest, clearly appreciating the remark.

She slapped the table and exclaimed, "Ah, that’s so satisfying! That’s exactly how it should be."

Princess Pingyang’s eyes practically sparkled as she looked at Ye Yaming. Good heavens, she really adored this Madam Lu.

Now that Ye Yaming herself didn’t mind, everyone’s curiosity was piqued, and they had many questions.

Madam Chen asked, "So, did young General Lu know about the matrilocal marriage arrangement? What did he say?"

Ye Yaming smiled, "Didn’t he have an aunt in Lin’an and stay there for quite some time? We knew each other before my family began marriage negotiations for me. He often went to Master Zhineng’s place for tea, and the tea I made was Master Zhineng’s favorite. We occasionally met there. After he found out, he came to me and said that most men willing to be grooms who live with the bride's family are unattractive. Rather than settling for that, why not make do with him instead?"

This provoked another round of laughter.

"So, you agreed to him?" Princess Yu Ning asked.

"I told him I intended to be the next head of Ye Jia and manage the family business, so I couldn’t marry out. He said that didn’t matter—I could manage my affairs as I pleased. Anyway, he’d be stationed at the border for at least two out of every three years, so we could each focus on our own pursuits. I thought that could work, discussed it with the elders, and agreed."

Hearing this, the room reacted with mixed expressions. Some pitied her for marrying a husband yet living as a virtual widow; others envied her for winning Lu Guanyi’s admiration and devotion. As long as a man’s heart belongs to you, what does it matter if he’s not by your side? How many men are physically present yet make you wish they were dead?

As for jealousy, there was none. The only person in the room who had once harbored feelings for Lu Guanyi, An Jingning, realized after interacting with Ye Yaming that she fell short in every aspect, and her lingering resentment faded.

"Then how did the imperial marriage decree come about?" This was asked by An Jingning, who had remained silent until now.

Princess Yu Ning glanced at her, but An Jingning seemed oblivious, her eyes fixed intently on Ye Yaming.

She no longer felt resentful and had completely let go of any thoughts about Lu Guanyi. But she still wanted to know the answer.

Ye Yaming spread her hands, "I don’t know either. I was quite startled at the time."

Princess Yu Ning smiled.

Perhaps finding Ye Yaming’s cheeks particularly soft and smooth, with a delightful texture, she couldn’t resist pinching them again. "It just shows how much your young master adores you. He did it to elevate your status."

Princess Yu'an nodded, "Madam Lu is a fortunate woman."

Princess Yu'an was newly widowed, making this a delicate topic for Ye Yaming to respond to—anything she said would be inappropriate. Moreover, with An Jingning present, she simply lowered her head, feigning shyness.At that moment, Princess Yu Ning's maid entered again to report: "Madam Lu, the wife of Minister Li says she has matters to attend to at home and cannot stay long. She wishes to take her leave early."

Ye Yaming quickly rose: "Then please enjoy your tea. I'll see the guest out."

"Attend to your duties," Princess Yu Ning said.

Madam Li was a slender woman in her fifties, rather stern in demeanor and not given to smiling.

When Ye Yaming came out to see her off, Madam Li exchanged a few polite words before boarding her carriage, making no mention of the tea and pastry recipes.

As it was getting late, after Madam Li's departure, others began leaving one after another.

After busy with this flurry of farewells, Ye Yaming returned to the previous elegant room only to learn that the remaining guests had gone off in small groups to stroll through the gardens.

Ye Yaming had no intention of seeking them out. She planned to wait in the front courtyard hall, so when others left, she could see them off directly without having to run back and forth.

A large garden could indeed be troublesome.

But she hadn't walked far when she encountered An Jingning.

"Fourth Miss An, why are you alone? Where is Princess Pingyang?" Ye Yaming remembered that this Fourth Miss An was practically inseparable from Princess Pingyang.

"She went to freshen up," An Jingning replied.

Ye Yaming noticed she seemed hesitant to speak, but she had no desire to engage in lengthy conversation with An Jingning.

Whatever had transpired between An Jingning and Lu Guanyi in the past was over. According to the customs of this era, there would be nothing between them in the future.

Moreover, the Marquis of Zhenbei and Lu Guanyi currently maintained a superior-subordinate relationship. Since An Jingning had caught Princess Yu Ning's eye, she likely wasn't lacking in character. Ye Yaming didn't want any unpleasantness between them.

She smiled and said, "Then please wait at your leisure. I need to go to the front courtyard."

Just as she turned to leave, An Jingning stopped her: "Madam Lu, please wait."

Ye Yaming had no choice but to turn back and look at An Jingning.

An Jingning instructed her maid: "Go keep watch at a distance."

Seeing this, Ye Yaming could only wave Ziyuan and Qingzhi away.

After both their maids had withdrawn, An Jingning took a deep breath and said: "People in the capital used to joke about General Lu and me, saying our families would form a marriage alliance. I admire you and would like to be friends, but I worry others might use those rumors to make you uncomfortable. That's why I wanted to clarify things with you."

"I did admire him once, but he had no interest in me. Now that he's married, I won't entertain any other thoughts. I have my pride—I won't cling to someone who doesn't care for me. Having met you today, the last bit of reluctance in my heart has dissipated. You're more outstanding than me. He made no mistake in marrying you."

Ye Yaming raised an eyebrow.

She stared steadily at An Jingning.

An Jingning grew uncomfortable under her gaze.

The reason she had spoken to Ye Yaming was simply because she wanted to be friends. She didn't want Ye Yaming to be wary or hostile toward her because of rumors.

Having said what she needed to say, she was about to leave after a final remark when she saw Ye Yaming step forward and lower her voice: "Have you ever wondered why people joked about you two? Did you take those jokes seriously? Do you know that even without me, or anyone else, it would never have been you? Because the Emperor and court officials would never allow your two families to form a marriage alliance."

An Jingning had looked at her with complicated expressions multiple times and now came to say these words. Though claiming to have moved on, she hadn't truly let go. Ye Yaming wanted to erase that last trace of reluctance from her heart.

There were some things she never spoke of, but that didn't mean she didn't understand them.The emperor is wary of noble families. With Lu Zhongyong now holding military power, if Lu Guanyi were to marry a noblewoman, the emperor would likely lose sleep over it.