Glory

Princess Yu Ning was overjoyed upon hearing this: "That's an excellent idea."

Ye Yaming smiled and said, "To be honest, the marquis residence has far too many rooms, and our family is quite small. With so many empty rooms, I always found it unsettling when I lived here alone. I've long wanted to renovate the marquis residence, and now I finally have an excuse."

Seeing her sincerity, Princess Yu Ning grew even more delighted.

She clapped her hands and said, "Good, I'll go back and discuss it with Second Imperial Sister right away." After a pause, she added, "Should we also consult your father-in-law?"

Ye Yaming nodded: "Officials from the Ministry of Rites have already inquired. The day before yesterday, A Yi sent someone to the border, and we should receive a reply in a few days. Once we have the response, I'll have someone inform you."

"Good. Then we'll discuss this further after we have your father-in-law's reply," Princess Yu Ning said.

Not long after she left, Yin Shi, Ye Yayin, and Ye Yayu arrived.

When Ye Yaming was giving birth, Ye Hongsheng had taken Ye Yayin and Ye Yayu back to Lin'an for a while. After Ye Yaming safely delivered the child, the three of them returned to the capital. Yin Shi stayed behind to help Ye Yaming during her postpartum confinement.

Yin Shi had come to the capital with Ye Yaming and the others.

After the three entered, they first saw the child. Once the wet nurse took the child away, Yin Shi said to Ye Yaming, "The day after tomorrow, Yayin will be engaged to Young Master Li. You and your husband should come over for a meal."

Ye Yaming looked at Ye Yayin and smiled, "Congratulations, sister."

Ye Yayin showed no shyness and giggled, "I've been waiting for you to come to the capital."

In truth, she and Li Shu had already decided to get engaged. But Ye Yayin had hoped that Ye Yaming could attend her engagement banquet, so she repeatedly postponed it, waiting for her sister to come to the capital.

Ye Yaming then turned to Ye Yayu, "What about you, Yu'er? Has the date been set?"

Ye Yayu twisted the hem of her skirt, her face flushed, and said, "Yes, it's on the 26th of this month."

Last time, after Yin Shi consulted Ye Yaming and no one objected, she expressed her feelings to Liu Yuzhang.

Liu Yuzhang actually had feelings for her too, but the significant gap in their family wealth made him hesitant.

He said he wanted to wait until after the autumn examinations this year and become a recommended man before discussing marriage.

Recently, the results were announced, and Liu Yuzhang successfully passed and became a recommended man.

After confirming his success, Liu Yuzhang brought gifts to visit Ye Hongsheng. He explained his family's situation to Ye Hongsheng and discussed how he and Ye Yayu, along with his family, would manage their lives after marriage.

He said he couldn't let his family spend Ye Yayu's money, nor could he abandon his family to enjoy a comfortable life alone. Therefore, for a short while, Ye Yayu would have to endure some hardship with him, but he and his family would work hard to improve their circumstances.

Once he became a presented scholar and secured an official position, their life would improve somewhat, though it would never match Ye Yayu's current standard of living.

He had discussed this with Ye Yayu, and she had no objections. That was why he took the bold step of visiting. If Ye Hongsheng did not approve, he would drop the matter.

Although Ye Hongsheng was not entirely satisfied with the match, Ye Yayu was willing, and over time, they had come to understand the Liu family's character quite well. So, he did not object further and arranged a meeting with Liu Yuzhang's father.

The Liu family's financial situation was different from the Li family's, so the engagement gifts and banquet standards would differ. Thus, the two families decided to schedule the engagements separately—the Li family first, followed by the Liu family."Alright, both your brother-in-law and I will attend your engagement banquet," said Ye Yaming.

Just a few days after Ye Yayin's engagement banquet, An Tai, who had been dispatched to the border, returned with a message from Lu Zhongyong.

"The Marquis said that everything should follow the Emperor and the Ministry of Rites' directives. If his opinion is truly sought, he naturally prefers to reside in the Marquis Estate."

Lu Guanyi stood up. "Come with me to Minister Zhong's residence."

Upon returning from Minister Zhong's home, he told Ye Yaming, "I presented the plan you suggested to Minister Zhong. He will report it to his superiors. If they find it feasible, we'll need to commence construction immediately."

It was already the tenth month, and the wedding was scheduled for March next year. Construction couldn't begin during the first month of the lunar year, leaving only about two months to fully renovate the Marquis Estate—time was indeed tight. "We'll have to celebrate the New Year at the villa this year," he remarked.

This would be the children's first New Year in this world, yet they'd have to spend it at the villa.

"That's not a problem," Ye Yaming said with a smile. "The court is funding it, and the Ministry of Rites is overseeing it. As long as there's no bureaucratic delay in approving the plan, the construction will proceed quickly."

"Tomorrow, I'll send people to clean the villa. Once the imperial decree is issued, we'll move there. I'll also draft a design plan for the Marquis Estate, marking which areas to preserve, which to demolish, and where to create specific landscapes. I'll show it to Princess Yu'an. If she has no objections, she can submit it to the Ministry of Rites."

Lu Guanyi praised, "That's excellent, truly excellent."

This way, the renovated estate would perfectly suit their preferences. It would prevent the Ministry of Rites officials from spending half a month debating before finalizing a construction plan. Even then, their proposed design might not be satisfactory, potentially resulting in inconveniences.

Thus, marrying an intelligent and capable wife who could arrange everything so clearly was the wisest decision he had ever made.

Now newly appointed to the Ministry of War, he needed to familiarize himself with his colleagues and the intricacies of his role. With countless matters demanding his attention, he had no energy to spare for household affairs.

The next day, Ye Yaming took action. She first dispatched servants to clean the villa, then instructed Xu Zan to take several attendants and meticulously measure every part of the estate using the ten-meter-long tape measure she had crafted before her wedding when preparing the bridal chamber. Meanwhile, she sketched a preliminary draft.

The estate had originally been built by a wealthy, prominent family but was confiscated and later bestowed upon Lu Zhongyong. Consequently, both the materials and craftsmanship were of the highest quality, making it a comfortable residence.

However, it had too many buildings and insufficient natural scenery, which felt quite unfamiliar to Ye Yaming, who was accustomed to the Jiangnan-style gardens where one could step outside and enjoy expansive, refined landscapes.

Therefore, she focused on simplification: demolishing some courtyards, transplanting flowers and trees, planting bamboo, constructing rockeries, and adding water features.

Using pathways as lines and buildings as points, by the time Lu Guanyi returned from his office, he saw the design draft Ye Yaming had created.

"Let's eat first. After dinner, you can review it carefully and suggest any revisions. If you have no objections, I'll finalize the drawing tomorrow morning and deliver it to Princess Yu'an's residence."

Lu Guanyi had already examined it and said with a smile, "No need for further review—it's perfect."

Seeing that the maids were not in the room, he stealthily kissed Ye Yaming. "You're so clever and thorough in every consideration. How could anyone be dissatisfied with a drawing you've created?"Ye Yaming shot him an annoyed look, pulling him toward the adjacent dining hall as she asked, "How have you been at the Ministry of War? Has anyone been giving you a hard time?"

Naturally, there had been.