At the end of April, the Ye family sent someone to fetch Ye Li back home. Ye Ying’s wedding was scheduled for the last day of April, said to be the only Auspicious Day that month. Xu Hongyu calmly dismissed the people sent by the Ye family to pick up Ye Li, only allowing Xu Qingbai and Xu Qingyan to personally escort her back the day before Ye Ying’s grand wedding. Though Lord Ye was displeased, his inexplicable, innate fear of his brother-in-law kept him from saying much. He merely instructed Ye Li to return to Qingyi House and rest well.
When Ye Li had left for the Xu residence, she had only taken Qing Shuang and Qing Xia with her. But upon her return, she brought back Mama Lin, Mama Wei, and their entire family—over a dozen people in total—along with two senior maids, Qingluan and Qingyu, personally selected by her grandfather. The already small Qingyi House suddenly felt rather crowded. Mama Wei’s eyes welled with tears as she took in the furnishings, lamenting that this was no place for a noble young lady to live. Ye Li didn’t mind, smiling as she reassured her, "No matter how beautifully we decorate, it’ll only benefit others once we leave." But Mama Wei refused to relent, insisting that the young mistress should not suffer and promptly directing the maids to rearrange Ye Li’s room. Left with no choice, Ye Li let her have her way. It seemed everyone found fault with her quarters—even her aunt never failed to comment on it during her visits.
"Miss, the eldest miss is here," a maid announced from outside.
Ye Li set down her embroidery and looked up with a smile. "Please invite the heir’s consort in."
Moments later, a graceful woman in palace attire stepped inside. Spotting Ye Li seated by the table, her face brightened. "Third Sister."
Ye Li quickly rose to greet her. "Greetings to the heir’s consort." This woman was none other than the eldest daughter of the Ye family, Ye Zhen, the secondary consort of Nan Hou Shizi.
Ye Zhen took her hand with a laugh. "There’s no need for such formality. After your wedding, I’ll be the one paying respects to you. Since there are no outsiders here, let’s just call each other sisters."
Ye Li nodded with a smile. "Please sit, Eldest Sister."
Ye Zhen’s birth mother had been Lord Ye’s childhood maidservant, but she passed away from illness when Ye Zhen was five. Raised under Xu Shi’s care, Ye Zhen had already turned thirteen by the time Xu Shi passed. As a result, Ye Li and Ye Zhen got along fairly well. Before Ye Zhen left home, she had occasionally looked out for Ye Li. However, before she even turned fifteen, Wang Shi had arranged for her to marry Nan Hou Shizi as a secondary consort. Rumor had it that the heir of Marquis Nan showed little favor toward Ye Zhen—after nearly eight years of marriage, she had yet to bear a child, and she rarely returned to the Ye residence. The sisters hadn’t seen each other in nearly two years, and this visit was likely for the purpose of sending off Ye Ying and contributing to her dowry.
Ye Zhen lightly brushed her fingers over the bright red brocade on the table, her heart stirring slightly. "Is this… Phoenix Brocade? Third Sister, are you sewing your wedding dress?"Ye Li nodded. She wasn't particularly particular about wedding dresses, which was why she hadn't rushed to make one earlier. Otherwise, she wouldn't have known what to do with the Phoenix Brocade that her eldest uncle had specially brought over. After all, according to the customs of Great Chu, each woman could only have one wedding dress—making another was considered extremely inauspicious.
Ye Zhen stroked the soft red brocade with a hint of envy and looked at Ye Li. "This wasn't prepared by Madam, was it? I saw that Fourth Sister was only using Mandarin Duck Brocade. I heard it was bestowed by Her Majesty the Empress Dowager from the palace."
Ye Li frowned slightly, hesitating as she looked at the wedding dress before her. If the Empress Dowager had granted Ye Ying Mandarin Duck Brocade, and she used the even more precious Phoenix Brocade, it might reflect poorly on the Empress Dowager's dignity.
Having been a concubine to the heir of a princely household for so many years, Ye Zhen was not without insight. After a moment's thought, she said, "Phoenix Brocade is a fabric exclusively used by the imperial family of Dongling. Not only is it impossible for commoners to weave, but its sale is strictly prohibited. Originally, like Nanzhao, Dongling would gift some to our Great Chu imperial family every year. However, it's said that during the late emperor's reign, Dongling's production techniques were lost due to an accident. Third Sister, this Phoenix Brocade must be one of the two bolts the late emperor bestowed upon the Xu family when your mother was born, right?"
"Eldest Sister has sharp eyes. Indeed, Grandfather had Eldest Uncle bring this to the capital," Ye Li nodded.
A wedding dress made of Phoenix Brocade had once been the most coveted item among the noble young ladies of the capital. Unlike the dazzling Mandarin Duck Brocade, Phoenix Brocade appeared unremarkable at first glance—more like an ordinary bolt of red silk. But when exposed to light, lifelike phoenix patterns would emerge. If worn and moved in, the shifting fabric would create the illusion of a phoenix in flight. The best way to craft it was to embroider additional patterns, such as hibiscus or peonies, onto the brocade. That way, when still, it would appear as a wedding dress adorned with blooming flowers, but under sunlight or lamplight, the exquisite phoenix-and-peony motif would astonish anyone.
Ye Li had already finished the bridal veil and had been amazed to discover that the phoenix's color and form would shift depending on the intensity and angle of the light. The craftsmanship of this world truly astonished her, a modern woman who had seen much.
Moreover, unlike Mandarin Duck Brocade, which was rare but still obtainable, Phoenix Brocade was nearly impossible to find—not just in Great Chu, but likely across all nations. In fact, it could be said that the loss of Phoenix Brocade was what had elevated Nanzhao's Mandarin Duck Brocade to its current fame.
"Since it was bestowed by the late emperor, and now His Majesty has issued the imperial marriage decree, Third Sister wearing this would be perfectly fitting. It will surely leave the entire capital in awe," Ye Zhen said with a smile, a fleeting trace of satisfaction flashing in her eyes. She could practically imagine the expressions on Wang Shi and Ye Ying's faces when Ye Li walked down the aisle in such a dress.
Ye Li nodded and casually handed the unfinished wedding dress to Qingluan, who was waiting nearby. Smiling at Ye Zhen, she said, "We've been talking about me all this time. It's been so long since I've seen you, Eldest Sister—how have you been?"
Ye Zhen lowered her gaze, her smile fading slightly. "What could be wrong with me? Life just goes on as usual."Ye Li had heard some rumors about the Heir of Marquis Nan, but unfortunately, these were not matters she could interfere with. Moreover, her relationship with Ye Zhen wasn’t close enough for her to meddle in her private affairs, so she could only say, "No matter what, one’s own well-being is the most important. If you don’t take care of yourself, who else can you expect to do so?"
Ye Zhen was taken aback and looked at Ye Li, saying, "Third Sister is right. All these years… Third Sister hasn’t had it easy either. In the future… with the Xu family, Third Sister won’t have a harder time than at home."
Ye Li smiled faintly and stood up. "Has Eldest Sister visited Fourth Sister yet?"
Ye Zhen shook her head. "I just paid respects to Grandmother. Fourth Sister was busy selecting the newly delivered head ornaments, so I didn’t want to disturb her."
Ye Li chuckled. "Then let’s go together. Qing Xia, bring out that set of the Red Phoenix Facing the Sun Headdress. We’ll take it to Fourth Sister."
Qingshuang said, "Miss, wasn’t that a gift from the Old Madam to you? And it’s the most precious piece among them. Fourth Miss had wanted it before, but the Old Madam didn’t give it to her. Wouldn’t it be a waste to give it away now?"
Ye Li waved her hand dismissively. "I won’t have much use for it. If Fourth Sister likes it, let her have it."
As for that set of dignified and luxurious ornaments, Ye Li could only keep a respectful distance. She had no doubt that if she wore the full set, her neck would ache afterward. In truth, Ye Ying probably wouldn’t wear them either, given her usual delicate and ethereal image. She was just resentful that Ye Laofuren had given the set to Ye Li instead of her.
Ye Zhen studied Ye Li’s indifferent and composed smile carefully before sighing softly. "Among us sisters, Third Sister truly has the best temperament."
Ye Li laughed. "It’s not that my temperament is good. After all, we won’t be seeing each other day in and day out forever. It’s just this last month or so—arguing over such trivial matters is pointless."
Ye Zhen lowered her head and smiled faintly. "Fourth Sister is right."
－－－－－－Author’s Note－－－－－－
Happy New Year!
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