Mo Li

Hall of Glory and Joy

Ye Li sat in her usual seat as always, her gaze lowered as if oblivious to the varied expressions of those present. Lord Ye looked at his third daughter’s calm demeanor and his fourth daughter’s aggrieved face, feeling a throbbing pain in his temples. Though he was accustomed to reprimanding Ye Li out of habit, the indifference in her expression made the seasoned court official suddenly wary—this might not be the best course of action. Moreover, it could provoke consequences he’d rather avoid.

Ye Laofuren observed everything from her elevated position, her sharp eyes taking in every detail. Recalling the earlier report that Prince Ding’s carriage had personally escorted her granddaughter to the estate’s entrance—though no one had seen the prince himself—it was almost certain that Prince Ding had indeed brought Ye Li back. Glancing at Ye Ying’s resentful expression, Ye Laofuren felt a pang of disappointment toward her once-doted-upon granddaughter. Ever since Ye Li’s betrothal to Prince Ding was announced, Prince Li’s attitude toward Ye Ying had grown noticeably colder, far from the legendary devotion. Of course, this might be due to Ye Ying’s recent tarnished reputation. But such an obvious shift was apparent even to an old woman like her who rarely left the house—how could her clever granddaughter remain oblivious? Instead of focusing on securing Prince Li’s favor, she kept provoking her sister. Did she not understand that no matter how little Ye Li was favored, she was still a daughter of the Ye family and would one day be an asset to them? For the first time, Ye Laofuren began to doubt whether swapping Ye Ying into the betrothal with Prince Li in place of Ye Li had been the right decision.

“Enough. Ying’er, Li’er is your elder sister. Mind your place as the younger sister,” Ye Laofuren spoke sternly.

Ye Ying froze, disbelief flashing across her face at her grandmother’s unexpected defense of Ye Li. Her eyes reddened with grievance as she bit her rosy lips. “But Grandmother… she—how could she embarrass Prince Li in public? This makes Ying’er…”

Thud! Ye Laofuren slammed her hand on the table, her voice icy. “Embarrass Prince Li? Prince Li was the one who publicly humiliated Li’er—did he ever consider whether that would embarrass the Ye family? Or does he think our family has no choice but to cling to him?” Her gaze turned disappointed as she watched Ye Ying, who seemed ready to argue further. A granddaughter who would sacrifice her family’s reputation and interests for a man—could she truly be relied upon to bring any benefit to the Ye family in the future? Who knew if she might one day sell out the entire family for Prince Li’s sake? Or did she believe that tarnishing Ye Li’s reputation would somehow elevate her own? When one thrives, all thrive; when one falls, all fall. How could she not grasp such a basic principle? What exactly had Wang Shi been teaching her all these years? Her cold glare swept over Wang Shi, who shrank back, not daring to meet her eyes.

“Father…”Lord Ye frowned in frustration, feeling somewhat displeased with Mo Jingli. While he could turn a blind eye if Prince Li wanted to make things difficult for Ye Li in private, doing so openly was unacceptable. Such blatant humiliation wasn’t just an insult to Ye Li—it was trampling on the Ye family’s dignity. If not for his second daughter in the palace and the unborn grandchild, he wouldn’t have tolerated this, even if Prince Li was the emperor’s own brother.

"Ying’er, your grandmother is right. Even as Princess Li, you remain a daughter of the Ye family. Do you think you could stand firm in the Prince Li’s household without the support of your family and your second sister? Whether it’s your second sister, your eldest sister, third sister, fifth sister, or sixth sister—as long as you sisters remain united and support one another, no one will dare bully you in the future. Do you understand?"

"But… Third Sister offended not just Prince Li today, but also Qixia Princess. Who knows if even Princess Zhaoyang will blame us now?" Ye Ying shot Ye Li a resentful glance, barely registering Lord Ye’s words. In her heart, apart from her second sister in the palace, none of the other Ye daughters were worthy of comparison. As the future Princess Li, why would she ever need their support?

Ye Li raised her eyes and said softly, "Fourth Sister, there’s no need to worry. On our way back, I already sent letters of apology and gifts to Princess Zhaoyang’s manor. The Ding Royal Palace will also send someone to explain matters to the princess. Given her magnanimity and sense of justice, she surely won’t hold a grudge over such a trivial matter against us young and ignorant juniors. Of course, the Qin family, the Murong family, and Duke Hua’s household also sent apologies."

Hearing this, Ye Laofuren smiled approvingly. "Li’er handled this very well. Since it happened in public and Qixia Princess was at fault first, Princess Zhaoyang has always been fair-minded and won’t take it to heart with younger generations. Prince Ding was also thoughtful—later, send a return gift to Prince Ding’s Estate to thank him for personally escorting Li’er home." She hesitated briefly before adding, "This matter… let Li’er handle it herself. Take whatever you need from the family treasury."

Though she was uneasy about Wang Shi’s involvement, Ye Laofuren still entrusted the task to Ye Li. While the Ye family had no need to curry favor with the Ding Royal Palace, they certainly couldn’t afford to worsen relations.

"Li’er understands. Please rest assured, Grandmother." Ye Li stood and bowed in acknowledgment.

Wang Shi’s face turned ashen. Managing social relations was the duty of the household’s matriarch. If Ye Li had acted in her personal capacity, it would have been one thing—but handling it in the Ye family’s name while bypassing her was a blatant humiliation. Yet Ye Laofuren didn’t even give her a chance to speak, frowning as she said, "If you have time, you might as well focus on preparing Ying’er’s dowry properly. Don’t forget, the wedding is just around the corner."

"Yes," Wang Shi replied meekly.

"Master, Madam—"

A maidservant from Ye Laofuren’s side hurried in, glancing meaningfully at Ye Li before approaching the old matriarch. "Madam, Young Master Xu, along with the second, third, fourth, and fifth young masters of the Xu family, have come to visit."

"What?!" Lord Ye nearly leaped from his chair in shock. If all the Xu brothers had arrived at once, did that mean his troublesome brother-in-law had also reached the capital? Of course, given Young Master Xu’s pride, he would never personally visit the Ye family—the very household responsible for the death of his beloved younger sister.It was Ye Laofuren who reacted first, quickly saying, "Hurry, invite the young masters of the Xu family in."

Ye Li was also surprised, unaware that her uncles and cousins had already arrived in the capital without her going to greet them. This made her feel slightly guilty. Her eldest uncle had doted on her the most when he was still in the capital, and after so many years apart, even Ye Li felt somewhat at a loss.

"Grandmother, Li'er will personally go to greet my cousins," she said.

Ye Laofuren nodded. "Go ahead. Ying'er, Shan'er, and Lin'er, you go too."

Ignoring the delighted expressions of Ye Lin and Ye Shan, who were watching the scene with interest, as well as Ye Ying's displeasure, and paying no mind to whatever schemes Ye Laofuren might be harboring, Ye Li rose, excused herself, and hurried out. Ye Lin and Ye Shan quickly followed behind, leaving only Ye Ying, who looked unwillingly at Lord Ye. She was the future Princess Li—why should she have to greet Ye Li's cousins?

"Ying'er!" Lord Ye felt a headache coming on. This daughter of his had truly been spoiled too much. Seeing her father's expression, Ye Ying knew he was genuinely angry and had no choice but to bite her cherry lips and follow Ye Li and the others.

"Before Ying'er's wedding, have her come to the Hall of Glory and Joy every day to serve me, her grandmother," Ye Laofuren said coldly to Wang Shi.

"But... this daughter-in-law still has many things to teach Ying'er. I'm afraid..." Wang Shi replied uneasily.

"You teach? Look at what you've taught all these years!" Ye Laofuren said icily. "No sense of propriety, arrogant because of favor. Just because she has some talent and beauty, she thinks she’s above everything. These traits might not matter in the inner chambers, but once married, she’ll have to manage an entire household. The poetry, songs, and petty schemes you’ve taught her—can they uphold the dignity of Prince Li's Palace?"

Lord Ye nodded. "Mother is right. Zhaoyi Niangniang was personally instructed by you. If Mother can guide Ying'er even a little, it would be her good fortune." Seeing her husband’s firm and unyielding expression, Wang Shi had no choice but to suppress her objections. Recently, those little vixens had also been restless, especially that Zhao Yiniang, leaving her no time to manage Ying'er’s affairs.