Hehe... Xiu Yao, your fiancée is quite interesting.
Outside the Hall of Prudent Virtue, an unassuming yet spacious carriage had stopped at some point. Though the person inside couldn’t see what was happening within the hall, their hearing was far sharper than an ordinary person’s, allowing them to clearly perceive the events unfolding inside.
Inside the carriage, a man dressed in crimson brocade robes lounged lazily, his handsome features accentuated by sharply arched brows. With an amused smile, he teased the composed man sitting opposite him.
"Feng Zhiyao, do you have nothing better to do?" The man in plain robes sat upright in his wheelchair, his gaze cool as he regarded the incessantly grinning man before him. Despite being confined to the wheelchair, his posture was impeccably straight, as if nothing in the world could bend his will. His refined features carried an air of gentility, yet his clear eyes exuded an inexplicable chill that unsettled anyone who met his gaze. When he turned slightly toward the man in brocade, a hideous scar on his left cheek became fully visible, instantly shattering his otherwise elegant demeanor and making others avert their eyes.
With a flick of his wrist, Feng Zhiyao unfurled his folding fan and waved it leisurely. "Indeed, I have nothing better to do. The old man won’t let me leave the capital. But things shouldn’t stay dull for long—after all, both Prince Li and Prince Ding are getting married within the month. The Emperor is clearly playing favorites. Ye Ying is hailed as the capital’s top beauty, while Ye Li is famously known as the 'Three-Nothings' heiress. Xiu Yao, are you really going to marry her? Isn’t the Emperor deliberately humiliating you? A 'Three-Nothings' heiress is one thing, but she’s also the one Mo Jingli rejected. The royal family is practically stomping on the dignity of the Ding Royal Palace."
The man in plain robes was none other than the current Prince Ding, Mo Xiuyao. He smiled faintly as the composed yet unyielding voice of the young woman inside the Hall of Prudent Virtue drifted softly into his ears: If the ruler demands a subject’s death, the subject has no choice but to comply—let alone an imperial marriage decree. "Didn’t you just say that Miss Ye the Third is quite interesting?"
Feng Zhiyao frowned, his expression tinged with concern. "This is your lifelong commitment. Taking a wife isn’t the same as taking a concubine. Are you truly certain about this?"
"What does certainty matter?" Mo Xiuyao replied. "It’s just... given my condition, I’m afraid I’d only be burdening her."
Feng Zhiyao fell silent. Indeed, what did certainty matter? The Emperor’s decree could not be defied without bringing ruin upon the Ding Royal Palace. Besides, Mo Xiuyao was already twenty-five—long past the age when he should have married. Yet, among the noble ladies of the capital, who didn’t avoid him like the plague? Now... they could only hope that this Miss Ye was truly a decent woman. But would the Emperor really assign Mo Xiuyao a good wife?
Before the shopkeeper could usher out the young man selling paintings, a strikingly handsome couple strode in from the entrance. The shopkeeper, as if spotting a lifeline, cried out in relief, "Ying'er... Ying'er! Your Highness, save me—!"Entering together were the renowned Prince Li, Mo Jingli, and Ye Ying from the capital. Ye Ying glanced at the handsome man beside her before gracefully stepping toward Ye Li, her voice sweetly cooing, "Third Sister, what are you doing here? Did our uncle do something to upset you? Please, for the sake of him being an elder, don’t take it to heart." With just a few soft words, she painted Ye Li as disrespectful toward her elders.
Mo Jingli frowned at Ye Li upon hearing this.
Ye Li looked at Ye Ying with an amused half-smile and replied indifferently, "Fourth Sister, you must be mistaken. My maternal grandfather only had three uncles, and now only the second uncle remains in the capital. Besides, though the Hall of Prudent Virtue was my mother’s dowry, my uncles would never stoop to personally managing it as shopkeepers. This is merely a servant of the household—how could Fourth Sister mistake him for my elder?"
Ye Ying’s delicate face flushed red with anger, her heart seething. She wasn’t foolish enough to miss the implication—Ye Li didn’t consider the Wang family’s relatives as kin, let alone acknowledge their elders as such. In her eyes, since her cousin-uncle worked at the Hall of Prudent Virtue, he was nothing more than a servant. This woman, who usually appeared gentle and unassuming, dared to humiliate her in front of Prince Li!
Biting her cherry lips, Ye Ying forced a smile. "Third Sister must be joking. It’s just that the Hall of Prudent Virtue had no one managing it before, so my cousin-uncle was entrusted by Mother to oversee it temporarily. How could he be a servant?"
Ye Li nodded understandingly. "Ah, I see. Then it was my misunderstanding. In the future, there’s no need to trouble Madam’s relatives—I’ll arrange for someone to take care of it. Later, this… Master Wang can accompany me to the Ye residence to formally hand over the accounts in front of Father and Grandmother."
The shopkeeper and Ye Ying both paled. The shopkeeper dreaded losing his lucrative position. Though the eldest daughter of the Wang family was now Zhaoyi Niangniang in the palace, the Wangs had shallow roots—otherwise, their legitimate daughter wouldn’t have married into the Ye family as a concubine. Though their fortunes had improved over the years, only a few held official positions. This shopkeeper, Wang Shi’s cousin, had once been idle at home—nowhere near as comfortable as managing the Hall of Prudent Virtue.
Ye Ying, too, knew how much silver her mother siphoned from the shop each year. She herself often took rare antiques without payment, flaunting them among the capital’s noble ladies. Losing control of the shop would mean losing such privileges.
Unconcerned with their thoughts, Ye Li cheerfully took Ye Ying’s hand. "Never mind that—what brings Fourth Sister to the Hall of Prudent Virtue today?"
Ye Ying stiffened before hesitantly answering, "Li Wang Dianxia took a liking to a Guanyin statue in the shop to gift to the Empress Dowager… I accompanied His Highness here to see it."
Ye Li’s smile remained unchanged, her demeanor calm and composed, showing no trace of resentment or sorrow toward the man who had broken off their engagement. If anything, her smile grew warmer as she turned to Mo Jingli. "Ah, so it’s Li Wang Dianxia. This humble girl greets you. But… Fourth Sister, why trouble His Highness to come in person? We could have simply delivered it to Prince Li's Palace."Ye Ying frowned as she looked at Ye Li, wondering if she still hadn't given up trying to curry favor with Prince Li. Mo Jingli stood with his hands behind his back, a faint trace of disdain flashing in his eyes as he observed Ye Li, clearly assuming she was attempting to ingratiate herself with him. Then, Ye Li continued with a smile, "But since Your Highness is here, Master He, please wrap up the Guanyin statue for His Highness. May I ask... would Your Highness prefer to pay in silver or banknotes?" Everyone was momentarily stunned. Mo Jingli's expression darkened as he stared at Ye Li and demanded, "What did you say?"
Ye Li furrowed her brows, feigning confusion. "Isn't Your Highness here to purchase the Guanyin statue? But since you're my fourth sister's betrothed and this is for the Empress Dowager, Master He, let's offer a 20% discount. It's an auspicious number."
Meanwhile, Master He had carefully retrieved the Guanyin statue. With just a glance from afar, Ye Li could tell it was a white jade statue of Guanyin. The compassionate expression of the Bodhisattva was vividly captured, and both the jade quality and craftsmanship were clearly exceptional. She hadn't expected the Hall of Prudent Virtue to possess such a treasure—had she not come today, she might have missed out on a great deal.
"Young Miss, it's all wrapped up. The total comes to five thousand one hundred taels," Master He said, having grasped the Third Young Miss's intent. As an old retainer who had accompanied the dowry from the Gu family to the Ye household, he naturally sided with his young mistress now that she had taken charge of the Hall of Prudent Virtue. Pleased with his quick understanding, Ye Li nodded and smiled faintly at Mo Jingli. "Let's round it down to five thousand taels. How does that sound, Your Highness?"
"Third Sister! You..." Ye Ying cast an uneasy glance at Mo Jingli before turning to Ye Li with a pitiful expression.
Ye Li sneered inwardly. Over the years, Wang Shi had secretly taken countless silver taels and goods. Now, Ye Ying had taken it a step further—bringing Mo Jingli along to claim items from the shop without payment, all to please him. Did they really think she was a fool?
Qing Shuang, disdainful of Ye Ying's feigned fragility, chimed in cheerfully, "What's the matter, Fourth Young Miss? Our Young Miss has already discounted several hundred taels out of respect for His Highness as your future husband. No other family would offer such a price. Unless... oh, I see! Perhaps His Highness didn't bring enough silver with him?"
Ye Li smiled gently. "That's no issue. I naturally trust His Highness. He may take the item now, and I'll have someone deliver the bill to his residence later to collect the payment. How does that sound, Your Highness?" Mo Jingli's face darkened further. What could he do? Refusing would make it seem like he intended to take the item without paying, and backing out now—when everyone knew it was a gift for the Empress Dowager—would brand him as unfilial for balking at the price. The capital might dismiss Ye Li as lacking beauty, talent, or virtue, but no one had mentioned her cunning nature. With a cold snort, Mo Jingli nodded in reluctant agreement. As if unwilling to stay in the shop a moment longer, he grabbed Ye Ying's hand and strode out without even acknowledging Shopkeeper Wang's calls.
Ye Li smiled in satisfaction and waved at Master He. "His Highness is truly decisive. Master He, send someone to deliver the bill to the Prince's residence later. Oh, and check if there are any outstanding accounts—settle them all at once. A noble household like His Highness's would never shortchange us over such a trivial sum."
Hearing this, Mo Jingli, who had just stepped out the door, turned livid. Pausing briefly, he stormed off without looking back, dragging Ye Ying along.Haha, the male lead makes a brief appearance, just to make someone spit some blood~ Please add to your collection~ Wuwu, why is no one paying attention to me?
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