Mo Li

"Miss, Madam Xu is here."

Ye Li looked up to see her Second Aunt entering and quickly rose to greet her. "Second Aunt."

Madam Xu was only in her mid-thirties, her well-maintained features merely delicate, but the natural grace she exuded spoke volumes of her noble upbringing.

Frowning as she surveyed Ye Li’s room, she couldn’t help but poke her niece’s forehead. "Your uncle and I have long urged you to move in with us, yet you refuse. Just look at the state of your living conditions! And now this marriage… Are you deliberately trying to make your late mother restless in the afterlife?"

Rubbing her forehead, Ye Li pulled Madam Xu to sit down. "Uncle has had his own struggles these years. Besides, with Grandmother and Father still here, how could a daughter move to her uncle’s house? It would only invite ridicule that Mother failed to raise me properly."

Since the current Emperor ascended the throne, he had relentlessly suppressed the old ministers of the previous reign. Ye Li’s grandfather, eldest uncle, and the Xu clan members had successively withdrawn from officialdom. Now, only her second uncle remained in the Hanlin Academy as a third-rank academician. To outsiders, the once-prominent Xu clan had long declined.

Hearing this, Madam Xu sighed. "But seeing you endure such hardship—your grandfather would be heartbroken if he knew."

The Xu family had produced far more sons than daughters for generations. By the time of Old Master Xu, Ye Li’s mother was his only daughter, doted upon beyond measure. If he learned his sole granddaughter was living in such straits, his temper would surely drive him to storm the capital and berate his son-in-law.

Ye Li smiled. "There’s no hardship. Li’er knows how to take care of herself."

Madam Xu gazed at her worriedly. "But this marriage… Prince Ding is hardly a suitable match. And that sister of yours—how shameless! Stealing her own sister’s betrothed—is that something a well-bred young lady should do?"

A glint flashed in Ye Li’s eyes, a far cry from her usual meek demeanor in the estate. She chuckled softly. "Prince Ding has his advantages. Uncle and Aunt needn’t worry for Li’er. The Ding Royal Palace holds an exceptional position in Great Chu. Unless Prince Ding attempts rebellion, even the Emperor wouldn’t dare undermine its standing lightly. And given Prince Ding’s health, he remains entirely detached from court politics. Marrying him means no need to trouble myself with messy affairs."

To Ye Li, it was merely a matter of moving from the Ye residence to Prince Ding’s Estate. In her past life, she had been exhausted. This lifetime, all she wanted was to live peacefully and idle away her days.

Yes—idling away her days. That was the goal Ye Li had set for herself in this life.

In her past life, she had been a soldier, a member of a special forces unit. She had risked life and limb for her country and ultimately died in its service—a fitting end. She harbored no resentment, no earth-shattering ambitions. She believed she had done right by her country, and her country had done right by her. Dying on the battlefield was a soldier’s duty and responsibility. But after a decade of bloodshed, she had simply grown weary.

So, in this life, peace and simplicity would suffice.

Seeing her so composed, Madam Xu felt both relieved and anxious, finally letting out a sigh. But what could be done? The Emperor himself had issued the imperial marriage decree—who could defy it?"This was given to me and your uncle by your grandfather before he left the capital—it's the dowry he arranged for you. Since we couldn't openly give it to you, we've converted it all into banknotes for your trousseau." Madam Xu handed a stack of banknotes to Ye Li, who unfolded them to find one gold note worth a thousand taels, ten silver notes of five hundred taels each, and several smaller gold and silver notes, totaling around twenty thousand taels in all.

Madam Xu didn’t let her speak and continued, "I heard that Wang Shi of the Ye family still wants to withhold the dowry your mother left for you? Don’t worry about this matter—your aunt will make sure it’s settled properly. Hmph, every daughter of the Xu family has married with dignity and splendor. Even in decline, we would never stoop to using a first wife’s dowry to benefit a concubine’s daughter. Haven’t they already ruined enough of your mother’s dowry over the years? Those manors and shops—I’ll definitely get them back for you."

Ye Li frowned. "I can handle this myself, Aunt. There’s no need for you to—"

Madam Xu smiled. "Don’t worry. It’s true that your father holds a higher official rank than your uncle, but if the Emperor still cares about appearances, he won’t dare trouble your uncle further. The Xu family are descendants of the founding heroes of the dynasty and remain the foremost among the empire’s scholars. Even without holding court positions, our influence far surpasses that of the Ye and Wang families. After the Emperor ascended the throne, he forced the Xu clan to resign from office—both openly and covertly—which already looks disgraceful. If anything were to happen to my husband now without a grave justification, the people’s outrage alone would drown the imperial family in disgrace."

Ye Li considered this and realized it wasn’t a major issue, so she nodded in gratitude. Only then did Madam Xu smile in satisfaction. "Your so-called family here likely won’t stand up for you in the future. After your marriage, visit us often—it’ll put your uncle and grandfather at ease."

"Madam has arrived." Footsteps sounded outside the door as Wang Shi appeared at the threshold with her maids and matrons. She stood there, eyeing Madam Xu with a raised brow. "Had I known Madam Xu was coming, I would have arranged a proper welcome."

Madam Xu had always despised Wang Shi’s mannerisms. She gave a faint scoff and replied coolly, "I was merely following my husband’s orders to visit Li’er. The Ye family’s status is so lofty—how could I dare trouble Madam Ye to receive me?"

The Xu family was a distinguished lineage of scholars and officials, one that had never elevated a concubine to the status of a principal wife. Madam Xu had always looked down on Wang Shi’s background, and given that her own sister-in-law had died in sorrow—partly because of Wang Shi—she had no intention of being polite.

Wang Shi, in turn, deeply resented Madam Xu’s disdain. I’m a second-rank noblewoman, while she’s merely a third-rank lady—what right does she have to look down on me? She cast a disdainful glance around Ye Li’s room before seating herself without invitation. "We’ve already sent Third Miss’s birth details to Prince Ding’s Estate. The wedding date should be settled in a few days. As her rightful mother, I’ll naturally ensure she marries with all due splendor—Madam Xu needn’t worry."

Madam Xu smiled faintly and took a seat as well. "A truly grand wedding would indeed be welcome. Though Li’er bears the Ye surname, she is still of Xu blood. If a daughter of the Xu family were to marry in disgrace, even our family’s patriarch would never allow it. By the way… your Rong Ge’er is still studying, isn’t he? Will he be sitting for the imperial examinations next year?"Madam Xu's few casual words made Wang Shi's heart tighten. Her own Rong Ge'er was currently studying at the clan school, yet she had forgotten that although the Xu family had declined, they still managed one of the four best academies in the realm—Mount Li Academy, the finest in Great Chu without equal. Rong Ge'er had been hoping to study at Mount Li Academy this year to better his chances in next year's imperial examinations. If she tampered with Ye Li's dowry now, then... At this thought, she couldn't help but glare resentfully at Madam Xu, who remained unperturbed and merely smiled faintly.

Wang Shi said coldly, "Our Rong Ge'er is Zhaoyi Niangniang's own younger brother. What difficulty could a mere imperial examination pose for him?"

Madam Xu nodded in agreement, smiling. "It's naturally best if Rong Ge'er has confidence. Though, Consort Liu's brother—despite having already topped the provincial and metropolitan exams in the capital—still didn't trust himself and traveled all the way to Mount Li to seek guidance from the old master. That seems rather excessive. Surely your son wouldn’t need to do the same. He’ll undoubtedly achieve the Triple First honors and bring glory to Zhaoyi Niangniang."

At this, Wang Shi's expression darkened further. Consort Liu had been known as the capital's top talent even before entering the palace, and after becoming an imperial consort, she enjoyed unbroken favor. Moreover, after bearing two princes and a princess, she was elevated to Imperial Concubine, firmly overshadowing Wang Shi's own daughter. That Liu family's young master was also renowned for his brilliance, leaving her son utterly eclipsed in the capital. If that Liu boy won the top honors next year, Zhaoyi Niangniang would surely be furious.

Wang Shi gave a light, unwilling hum and glanced at Ye Li before saying reluctantly, "If Rong Ge'er could receive guidance from Old Master Xu, his chances would naturally improve."

This was as good as admitting defeat. Xu Shi made no further comment, only smiling faintly. "I merely spoke in passing. Madam Ye's virtuous reputation is widely known—she would never mistreat the daughter of the first wife. Later, I’ll have my husband send a copy of our eldest daughter’s dowry list to the authorities for re-registration, so as not to delay Li'er's wedding."

In the end, Wang Shi stormed off with a livid expression, earning nothing but a disdainful sneer from Madam Xu.