Glory

"Moreover, I must return to Lin'an for a period each year. Once I'm gone, only Princess Yu'an and you will remain as the masters of this household. I worry that neither of you would feel at ease."

Although Princess Yu'an was old enough to be Lu Guanyi's mother, she didn't appear her age. Standing beside Lu Guanyi, they resembled siblings more than mother and son. Additionally, Lu Guanyi was a grown man.

A stepmother and stepson living alone together would feel awkward themselves. While outsiders wouldn't dare spread rumors openly, they might whisper privately.

"But we cannot be too selfish in this matter. We must also consider Father. He would likely be unhappy about living in the princess' residence after marriage. Naturally, everything in the princess' residence would prioritize the princess' wishes. The servants there are imperial staff, and it would be their territory. Father might even have to endure their attitudes - how could we, as children, feel at peace with that?"

"Father is growing older and cannot remain at the frontier forever. When he returns to the capital, we shouldn't let it be that despite his illustrious military achievements and having children and grandchildren, he has no place to call home and must spend his old years enduring others' disdain."

She looked up at Lu Guanyi: "And the inconveniences I mentioned earlier aren't without solutions."

"First, you needn't worry about me. I have no conflicts with Princess Yu'an. Any disagreements can be resolved through communication and adjustment. I believe Princess Yu'an is reasonable. When I travel, she can help care for the children."

Some things she left unsaid.

If Princess Yu'an truly chose to live in the Xuanwu Marquis Household, it would be her accommodating Ye Yaming, not Ye Yaming having to curry favor with her. After all, her moving in would signify her desire to spend her remaining years with Ye Yaming and her children, which prerequisite required maintaining good relations with Ye Yaming.

"As for you, when I go to Lin'an, you can stay at the villa. You lived there before when Shi Shi was around," Ye Yaming said.

"You should discuss this thoroughly with Father. I suspect the Ministry of Rites hasn't made a decision yet, and they haven't approached Father directly due to these considerations. These matters are difficult to put in writing. Send a trusted subordinate who dares speak frankly before Father to discuss this properly with him."

Lu Guanyi nodded: "Alright."

He grasped Ye Yaming's hand gratefully: "Your considerations are correct. They should live in the Marquis Household."

Upon hearing about this matter, his initial reaction had been to resist Princess Yu'an moving into the Marquis Household, precisely because of the two inconveniences Ye Yaming mentioned. Especially Ye Yaming's inconvenience - no one wanted an elder imposed upon them without reason, particularly a member of the royal family whom one couldn't treat disrespectfully.

In his view, since Father remained at the frontier year-round, settling in the princess' residence wouldn't affect him. He hadn't considered Lu Zhongyong's feelings or his future retirement needs.

The next day, Lu Guanyi dispatched someone to the frontier.

After resting for two days himself, he reported to the Ministry of War and attended court when his leave ended.

Meanwhile, Ye Yaming became busy.

Upon learning she had returned to the capital after giving birth, all her previous acquaintances came to visit her and the child. Those who couldn't visit sent gifts instead.

Princess Yu Ning was among the first to visit, smiling as she said: "My second elder sister entrusted me to bring you gifts. As for why she didn't come personally - you know the reason. It wouldn't be proper.""Thank you for your concern, Your Highnesses. Please also convey my gratitude to Princess Yu'an for her gift," Ye Yaming said with a smile. "It's perfectly fine if Princess Yu'an doesn't come now, as we'll have plenty of time together in the future. There's no hurry."

Princess Yu Ning sighed with emotion, "Who would have thought you'd become family?"

She glanced at Ye Yaming, "I'll feel reassured knowing she'll have your company. It's better than leaving her all alone without any younger generation around. Although she has servants attending to her, how could that compare to the joy of having grandchildren to dote on?"

Ye Yaming understood then that Princess Yu Ning had come to sound out her and Lu Guanyi's thoughts.

It seemed Princess Yu'an wanted to move into the Xuanwu Marquis Household, or perhaps Princess Yu Ning hoped she would. Both were concerned about their potential disagreement.

She nodded, "You may not know this, but when I received news of the imperial marriage arrangement, I was so overjoyed I couldn't sleep for most of the night. Princess Yu'an is so gentle and kind-hearted - I couldn't be happier to become family with her and receive her care and companionship." She gestured outside, "Look at this vast mansion, occupied by just our family of four. During festivals when other households are bustling with activity, our mansion only has me, the heir, and two children who can't even speak yet. It's quite lonely."

"When the heir goes to his official duties, if I need to go out for anything, I can only leave the children with a group of servants, which really worries me. With Princess Yu'an becoming our elder, she could help look after the children when I'm unavailable - that would put my mind at ease."

Her meaning was quite clear - she welcomed Princess Yu'an marrying into the Xuanwu Marquis Household.

"However, this isn't something we juniors should dictate. We'll follow whatever His Majesty, Princess Yu'an, and father decide. We have no objections and will accept any arrangement."

Princess Yu Ning was pleased to hear this and patted Ye Yaming's hand, "You're very sensible, no wonder both my second elder sister and I like you. If not for you, my second elder sister might not have agreed to remarry."

She sighed deeply, "I share your sentiment and have been urging my second elder sister to move into the Marquis household. But she has reservations, worried that living together might inconvenience you."

Since Princess Yu Ning had brought the matter into the open, Ye Yaming prepared to state her position clearly. Considering Lu Zhongyong's situation, they had originally wanted Yu'an to marry into the household. Now that Yu'an was also inclined this way, it suited perfectly.

Under these circumstances, she could present her proposal.

"There's no inconvenience at all," Ye Yaming smiled. "But I also understand everyone has their own living habits. Princess Yu'an is the considerate type - she might compromise her own comfort for our sake."

"What do you think of this? When Princess Yu'an marries, the Ministry of Rites should allocate funds for residence renovations, right? If the Ministry doesn't have this expenditure, we can cover the cost to renovate the Marquis residence."

Princess Yu Ning raised her eyebrows, "Oh? What kind of renovations?"

Ye Yaming instructed Ziyuan, "Bring paper and brush."Taking up paper and brush, she casually sketched a diagram: "Due to terrain limitations, the Marquis' residence was originally short in depth but wide on both sides. We'll keep the front courtyard unchanged and erect a vertical wall here at the Moon Gate, dividing the rear courtyard into two halves. Father and the others will occupy the eastern side while we take the western side. Everyone will enter and exit solely through the front courtyard, ensuring minimal daily interference. Meals can be taken separately as well. For occasional visits or family reunions, we can always gather in the front courtyard."