Mo Li

At the entrance of the Ye residence

Ye Li had barely stepped out when she saw Ye Ying approaching gracefully, surrounded by her maids, with Ye Lin and Ye Shan following behind, their faces brimming with joy. It seemed the issue of the Hundred Flowers Festival invitations had been resolved. Ye Li wasn’t very familiar with these two younger sisters, so even when they occasionally acted against her to curry favor with Wang Shi, she usually let it slide as long as they didn’t truly provoke her. After all, she had never fulfilled her duties as an elder sister, so she couldn’t expect sisterly affection from them either.

Upon seeing Ye Li, Ye Lin and Ye Shan reluctantly stepped forward to greet her.

"Greetings, Third Sister."

Ye Li nodded. "Fourth Sister, Fifth Sister, Sixth Sister."

Ye Ying was dressed in a snow-white gown with wide sleeves, adorned with delicate pink cherry blossom petals. Her dark hair was tied up in a simple bun, adorned with a golden hairpin of twin butterflies in flight. As she moved, the intricately crafted wings of the butterflies trembled, appearing almost lifelike. Ye Ying was undoubtedly a young lady who knew how to dress herself well. In truth, all the Ye sisters were quite beautiful, but even Ye Lin and Ye Shan, who were also well-dressed, paled in comparison to Ye Ying. The faint pink cherry blossom petals painted between her brows lent her an ethereal, almost celestial aura. The title of the capital’s top beauty was well-deserved.

As Ye Li observed Ye Ying, the latter was also scrutinizing her third sister, whom both she and her mother disliked. Ye Ying had never paid much attention to Ye Li, who had never attended any social gatherings in the capital and seemed indifferent to fashion. From afar, Ye Li’s plain pale-green gown had only reinforced this impression. Though Ye Li hadn’t worn the clothes Wang Shi had sent her, that didn’t mean she could dress herself any better.

But as Ye Ying drew closer, she realized Ye Li’s attire wasn’t as unremarkable as she had assumed. The seemingly simple pale-green fabric shimmered subtly in the sunlight, revealing intricate patterns woven into the material, along with silver-thread embroidered peony branches. The ensemble gave the young woman before her an air of restrained elegance and noble grace.

And then there were the two jade orchid hairpins inlaid with luminous pearls—new arrivals at Elegance Pavilion this month. Ye Ying had long coveted them, but her mother had refused to buy them. To her surprise, they now adorned Ye Li’s hair.

Looking at Ye Li’s understated yet sophisticated, simple yet dignified attire, Ye Ying, who had initially taken pride in her own appearance, suddenly wished she could turn back and tear her own clothes to shreds.

The recent news that the Ding Royal Palace had sent gifts to Ye Li only deepened Ye Ying’s frustration. Since her engagement to Prince Li, he had never given her a single present!

"Since everyone’s here, let’s set off. It wouldn’t do to be late," Ye Li said, withdrawing her gaze as she addressed her three sisters.

Outside the gate, three carriages were already waiting. The first was Ye Li’s, followed by Ye Ying’s. As the daughters of concubines, Ye Shan and Ye Lin had to share a single carriage. The youngest, Ye Shan, glanced at the rosewood carriage with its carved floral patterns, then at Ye Ying’s pearwood carriage with its delicate gauze curtains, before pouting resentfully at the shared carriage assigned to her and Ye Lin.

Watching Ye Ying and Ye Li board their respective carriages without hesitation, Ye Shan’s eyes sparkled with mischief. She darted toward Ye Li.

"Third Sister, may Shan’er ride with you?"Ye Li, who had already boarded the carriage, snapped out of her thoughts and looked at Ye Shan's innocent, eager face before her. She nodded indifferently, "Come on up."

Ye Shan quickly stepped onto the carriage with joy, using the embroidered footstool. Behind them, Ye Ying, who had evidently overheard their conversation, lifted a corner of the gauze curtain and smiled at Ye Lin, who was still standing aside. "In that case, Fifth Sister, you can ride with me. It'll save me from being bored alone." Ye Lin hurriedly expressed her gratitude and boarded Ye Ying's carriage as well.

The carriage moved slowly and steadily toward the Peony Garden. Inside, Ye Li observed the obvious and poorly concealed frustration on Ye Shan's face, finding it rather amusing. Is she regretting her earlier actions for fear of upsetting Ye Ying? Girls in this era really overthought things. Ye Shan wouldn't even turn thirteen for a few more months. Recalling her past life, even at twelve, when she had been forced to memorize countless military treatises and strategies, she had still been nothing more than a clueless kid. Back then, the most she could manage was occasionally playing small tricks on her grandfather or cousins—far from scheming like this. But then again, this was just their way of surviving, so Ye Li had no intention of deliberately making things harder for the sulking girl.

Being overly competitive wasn't necessarily a good thing. Handing her book to Qing Shuang to put away, Ye Li studied Ye Shan's fluctuating expressions with interest. She was still young, after all, and couldn't always hide her thoughts and feelings.

"Y-you... what nonsense are you saying? I didn't do anything!" Ye Shan's childish face flushed red as she bit her lip and glared at Ye Li.

"Is riding in my carriage really that different from riding in your own?" Ye Li asked calmly.

Ye Shan glared at her fiercely, her eyes filled with resentment and unwillingness, but soon her expression turned dejected. "That's right. Even if you're the least favored, you're still the legitimate daughter. Even after Prince Li annulled the marriage, you can still marry Prince Ding as his principal wife. But no matter how smart I am or how much I please Father and Grandmother, I'll always be a concubine-born daughter. In the future, I'll either become someone's concubine or marry a bastard son as his wife." Ye Li stared speechlessly at the indignant little girl. Twelve years old and already worrying about these things? Even after all these years, she still wasn't quite used to it. Besides, this girl really had a sharp tongue—hurting others with words wasn't a good habit.

"Hmph!"

Ye Li couldn't be bothered to argue with her. Only as they neared their destination did she murmur, as if to herself, "If your status is unchangeable, instead of longing for what you can't have, why not make the best of what you can within your means?"

Ye Shan froze, taking a long moment to process the words before glaring at Ye Li in outrage. "Are you warning me not to aspire to better things?"

Ye Li felt momentarily choked. After a pause, she replied, "I meant you're still young. There's plenty of time to think about these things. Also, I think we should get off now."

Watching Ye Shan storm off the carriage ahead of her, Ye Li shrugged in amusement. Qing Shuang's pretty face darkened. "Miss, why bother with the Sixth Young Miss? She's never missed a chance to belittle you. Truly ungrateful."

Ye Li patted her hand and lifted the carriage curtain with a smile. "She's just a child. Everyone has their own way of surviving. As long as she doesn't actually harm me, why should I hold a grudge against a child?"The Peony Garden was the largest peony viewing site in the capital and even the entire Great Chu, attracting visitors from across the nation and beyond who traveled thousands of miles just to admire the peonies' unrivaled beauty. April was the season when peonies bloomed in full splendor, and their delicate fragrance could be detected from afar.

The Shangshu Mansion had recently gained considerable fame in the capital—one daughter was enfeoffed as a Zhaoyi and carried the imperial heir, while two others were betrothed to become the future Princess Li and Princess of the State. Thus, when their carriage arrived at the entrance, it immediately drew many sidelong glances. While people marveled at the grace of the capital's number one beauty, more sympathetic (or perhaps pitying) gazes were directed toward the carriage ahead. When Ye Shan stepped out, the onlookers, pretending to be casually observing, were momentarily stunned. Recovering, they then saw a charming maidservant descend from the carriage before lifting the curtain to reveal a serene and elegant young woman.

Was this the future Princess Ding?

The crowd wasn’t sure whether to be surprised or disappointed. This Third Miss Ye was clearly not as coarse or unattractive as they had imagined. Her composed and graceful demeanor unmistakably reflected an excellent upbringing, reminding them of her maternal grandfather’s family—the Xu Clan, a centuries-old aristocratic lineage known for its scholarly traditions. Compared to the ethereal and delicate Fourth Miss Ye beside her, the poised and dignified Third Miss seemed far more suited to be the mistress of a household. Perhaps out of envy for Ye Ying, many young noblewomen present began to question the judgment of Prince Li, whom they admired, while also feeling a newfound confidence in themselves.

Inside the Peony Garden, flowers bloomed in abundance, and colorful butterflies flitted about, while the young maidens lingering among them added to the vibrant scene. The girls strolled in small groups with their close friends, chatting and laughing softly, creating an atmosphere of prosperity and peace.

By the time Ye Li’s group arrived at the central gathering area of the Peony Garden, many had already arrived. The young ladies were clustered together—some playing the qin, others engaged in chess, painting, or composing poetry. Attendants from the Princess Manor moved gracefully among them, impeccably serving these noble-born maidens.

"Ying'er..."

As soon as Ye Ying approached, she was greeted warmly. Several girls her age came forward, clearly close friends of hers, while others smiled in welcome.

"Ying'er, you’ve finally come! We haven’t seen you since your betrothal to Li Wang Dianxia," a brightly dressed girl said cheerfully, taking Ye Ying’s hand.

Ye Ying smiled, a faint blush coloring her beautiful face. "Mother kept me at home. I’ve missed everyone dearly."

After the flurry of congratulations, the same girl asked, "Ying'er, is this... Third Miss Ye?"

"I am Ye Li. Greetings to all the young ladies," Ye Li replied with a gentle smile.

The girls exchanged glances, realizing that Third Miss Ye was not as unrefined as the rumors suggested. Moreover, as the future Princess of the State, the true legitimate daughter of the Shangshu Mansion, and the granddaughter of the esteemed Elder Xu, some quickly extended their goodwill.

"Pleased to meet you, Miss Ye. I am Qin Zheng, the second daughter of Censor Qin."

"My name is Murong Ting, daughter of General Yangwei."

...

"Hmph! So this is the Third Miss Ye who was rejected by Jing Li gege."