46 A Pitiful Newlywed Life
e forgive her for Fourth Young Lady’s sake." Due to her pregnancy, Madam Zhao was seated and immediately stood up and pleaded with the matriarch as well. The old madame did not feel like dealing with...The Glamorous Life of the Legitimate Wife 46: A Pitiful New Marriage
Chapter 46: Ye Ying's pitiful new marriage.
"Are Prince Li and Princess Li also here This old minister greets Your Royal Highness and Princess," Marquis Hua swept his gaze across the crowd in the hall, lingered slightly on Ye Li before bowing to Mo Jingli and Ye Ying.
Mo Jingli nodded, then shifted his gaze from Mo Xiuyao who had entered behind Marquis Hua. He frowned and asked, "Is there something wrong, Old National Marquis"
Marquis Hua stroked his white beard with a proud smile on his face. "I've come to be the matchmaker for Xiuyao, bringing along the betrothal gifts. Madam Ye, please take a look at this list of betrothal gifts and see if there's anything you're unsatisfied with. Miss Three, also take a look, if anything is missing we'll have it delivered immediately." Old Madam Ye had already given the list a cursory glance before, how could she dare to be unsatisfied now She hurriedly responded with a smile, "How could Marquis Hua and Scholar Su make any mistakes" and handed the list over to Ye Li. Ye Li only took a quick look at it before passing it on to Qing Luan beside her with a faint smile, saying, "I trouble you both."
Marquis Hua sized up Ye Li for a moment then turned back to Mo Xiuyao and nodded with a pleased smile, "Lady Ye's family certainly knows how to raise daughters. Xiuyao is truly fortunate."
Mos Xiyao glanced at Ye Li but remained silent with a smile.
Su Zhe also smiled in agreement, "Old Marquis Hua is right. Miss Three excels in poetry, calligraphy and painting, ranking among the most distinguished ladies of the capital. Lady Ye's family has excellent upbringing."
Amidst another round of compliments and modest responses, Old Madam Hua dismissed the two soon-to-be newlyweds on the grounds that they should spend time cultivating their feelings before marriage. Outside Le Rong Hall, Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao exchanged glances and broke into a faint smile.
"I'll take over," Ye Li walked up to the back of Mo Xiuyao and took Jian’s position. Jian hesitated but didn’t immediately let go. Mo Xiuyao raised his hand, "Jian, you can step down." The young man looked at Ye Li with surprise, then added a touch of respect as he handed the wheelchair over and disappeared from their sight in a single leap.
Ye Li slowly pushed the wheelchair along a smooth path towards the garden. Mo Xiuyao turned his head slightly and said softly, "If you're tired, we can stop; actually, I could handle it myself."
"I know that, but I'm not as delicate as a lady of high society," Ye Li smiled.
The wheelchair was obviously well-made; it didn't require much effort to push. Ye Li was absolutely confident that Mo Xiuyao could easily maneuver around without the wheelchair if no one pushed it for him. Upon hearing Ye Li's words, Mo Xiuyao seemed to recall something and coughed lightly before chuckling softly, "Be careful recently. Jingli is not too difficult a person except he holds grudges and睚眥必報 (takes revenge over minor grievances). Since you've caused him several setbacks lately, he won't let it go."
Ye Li nodded with some helplessness, "I still don’t understand what I did to provoke him."
Mos Xiuyao smiled faintly but with a touch of sarcasm, “If you had acted more disheartened after the breakup or even attempted suicide, he wouldn't have targeted you. In fact... he might compensate you for some reason.” Ye Li was speechless. "So is that why he treats me this way because I didn’t live up to his expectations"
"Obviously."
"..." Really needs a beating!
Upon reaching the stone table by the lotus pond, Ye Li stopped and smiled, “Let's rest here for a while.” It was early May; the lotus pond was still green but looked refreshing. The maids who had followed them cleverly served tea and snacks before promptly retiring, leaving Qing Shuang and others to wait at an appropriate distance. Mo Xiuyao said with a smile, "The people you have around are quite good. That girl is from that night outside the city Her skills are impressive."
Ye Li looked back at Qing Luan talking to Qing Shuang and said sheepishly, “Qing Luan and Qing Yu came with Uncle Da. Only Qing Shuang has been with me all along.” She didn’t specify who was Qing Yu and who was Qing Shuang as she believed Mo Xiuyao knew the general situation of her entourage. Mo Xiuyao smiled, "So they're from the Xu family, no wonder. You also have good taste. Now I don't need to worry when you come to Ding王府 (Ding Manor).
Ye Li frowned, “You are not talking about future duties at Ding王府 (Ding Manor), right” Managing a group of highly skilled special forces soldiers or even an entire battalion wasn’t a problem for her. However, managing the affairs and properties of a manor was somewhat daunting despite recent lessons and practice. Mo Xiuyao seemed pleased by Ye Li’s conflicted expression as he smiled more broadly, “You're going to be the future head lady of Ding王府 (Ding Manor), so it's best I inform you about its matters in advance. Is there anything wrong with that”
“No.” Ye Li shook her head, understanding the principle of being responsible for one’s post. "I hope I won’t mess up the manor."
"I have confidence in Ah Li," Mo Xiuyao smiled.
Ye Li raised an eyebrow helplessly, “For your confidence, it seems like I don't have a reason to refuse.” In her heart, she enjoyed this feeling. Their relationship was more like that of friends than betrothed couple; they understood each other’s minds and knew their limits. Although the bond wasn’t deep yet, interacting felt freer than with a true betrothed couple. Maybe they would only be friends for life or perhaps one day become family. Who could predict the future But it was worth looking forward to.
"In my current situation, I'm not suitable to visit Scholar Xu and Lord Xu. Hope you won’t take offense," Mo Xiuyao placed his teacup on the table and said apologetically to Ye Li.
“Uncle Da already knows about Ding王府 (Ding Manor)’s current situation, they are not people who care much about superficial courtesies. But… last time my brother said he had visited Ding王府 (Ding Manor)” Ye Li looked at him curiously, truly curious how Scholar Xu Qingchen would express his dissatisfaction towards her future husband.
Mo Xiuyao helplessly smiled bitterly, “It's been many years since we've seen each other. Scholar Xu still retains a charm that others envy.”
"Greetings to Prince Li and Princess Li." Nearby at the intersection, Qing Luan and Qing Shuang blocked their path.
Mo Jingli sneered, “What Does this road not suit me”
Qing Luan and Qing Shuang exchanged glances. This small path only led to the lotus pond with no other way out. The prince clearly saw Lady Ye and Prince Ding but insisted on going forward; was he looking for trouble
Just as Qing Shuang was about to speak, Mo Xiuyao said, “Please invite Prince Li and Princess Li over.” Only then did the two bow respectfully, saying, "Prince, please."
Mojing Li snorted coldly and strode toward a pair of lovers sitting quietly by the lotus pond. Ye Ying followed behind him, her lips pursed in resentment.
Mojing Li stood beside the table, looking down at Ye Li from above with disdain. Ye Li frowned; she did not like Mojing Li’s blatant gaze.
"Jingli, sit down," Mo Xiuyao said coolly as he extended a hand to Ye Li. Ye Li willingly took his hand and rose to sit beside him, leaving the seat across from them for Mojing Li and Ye Ying. Mojing Li sat silently while Ye Ying approached with slight panting; clearly, Mojing Li’s fast pace was too much for her frail body.
"Third Sister, Prince Ding," Ye Ying said softly.
Ye Li nodded and smiled, "Fourth Sister, please take a seat. Have you been well these past few days"
Ye Ying lowered her gaze slightly and replied softly, "Thank you for your concern; I am fine."
Ye Li nodded but did not pry further since Ye Ying seemed to be saying the truth. Although Ye Ying looked far from well, she wasn’t genuinely concerned about her either. If Ye Ying truly confided in her with troubles, she wouldn't know how to handle it. Mojing Li snorted and said, "Ying'er naturally is well; but I wonder if Li'er has been doing well these past few days" Ye Li raised an eyebrow and looked at Mo Xiuyao before smiling and saying, "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. Apart from being busy, everything is fine."
Mojing Li's face turned cold as he glared at Ye Li for a long time before turning to Mo Xiuyao, "I wish to speak privately with Miss Ye Li."
Ye Li couldn't help but find this amusing. She had noticed since the first time she met Mo Xiuyao that Mojing Li loved to act superior in front of him. For instance, whenever Mo Xiuyao was present, Mojing Li would always hold his head high and look down on others with disdain. Ye Li wanted to tell him that Mo Xiuyao often saw only his nose when he sat in the wheelchair. Therefore, Mo Xiuyao rarely looked up at him. Moreover, whenever he spoke to Mo Xiuyao, he invariably used titles like "Your Majesty" or "I," as if this made him superior. In reality, everyone knew that although Mojing Li was a son of the former emperor and the current emperor’s brother, unless he killed his brother and became the emperor himself, his title would always be below Prince Ding's rank of first-class.
"Ying'er will take my leave; Your Highness and Third Sister may converse at ease," Ye Ying said as she rose to her feet in response to Mojing Li’s words. Although her gaze towards Ye Li was resentful, it seemed that she couldn't help but linger with regret. Watching the figure of Ye Ying leaving with lingering and reluctant glances, Ye Li sighed inwardly. Had Ye Ying, who had been a proud maiden only two or three days ago, already turned into an unhappy wife in her family Judging from this, Mojing Li might not be as fond of Ye Ying as rumored; if that was the case, why did he defy the late emperor’s will to marry her back then
"Mo Xiuyao!" Seeing that Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li ignored his words, Mojing Li snarled in anger.
"Jingli, you really should learn some manners!" Mo Xiuyao said coolly as he stared at Mojing Li's grim face. An invisible pressure made Mojing Li hesitate for a moment, "Is it the Emperor who allows you to speak this way with me Huh" Compared to Mojing Li’s cold and grim expression, Mo Xiuyao’s calm demeanor was much friendlier despite his half-covered face. Nevertheless, Mojing Li felt an unspoken fear towards Mo Xiuyao which made him angry and embarrassed; he found it hard to believe. The last impression he had of Mo Xiuyao was from almost nine years ago when their statuses were similar: they both came from the most prestigious family in Chu and each had a brother who was either the emperor or Prince Ding. They didn't need to inherit titles or bear burdens, so even if they lived off others’ charity, they could still live comfortably for life. But Mo Xiuyao excelled at everything he did! Since childhood, Mojing Li disliked Mo Xiuyao because every time he tried his best to earn praise from the emperor, Mo Xiuyao already had everyone’s admiration; and when he was secretly pleased with his martial skills, Mo Xiuyao already won battles for Prince Ding. As a young man, he hated but wasn't afraid of Mo Xiuyao; if he disliked something about Mo Xiuyao, they’d fight it out, even if he lost, he believed someday he would win back. But…he never expected that eight years after he had labeled Mo Xiuyao as a useless person, he would actually fear him!
Utter shame!
"Prince Li," Ye Li frowned at Mojing Li’s vicious expression; she didn’t doubt for a moment that if it were another place or another person, Mojing Li would tear them apart right now. "Your Highness, whatever you have to say can be said openly. I don't have anything with Mo Xiuyao that needs to remain secret."
"Nothing remains secret" Mojing Li quickly regained his composure and put on a mocking expression, “Ye Li, are you sure”
Ye Li looked at him in confusion while Mojing Li seemed convinced he had caught her out, "Then shall we talk about what happened the night before your wedding and on the day of your wedding"
Feeling sorry for him, Ye Li watched as Mojing Li didn’t realize that it was Mo Xiuyao who caused him to faint at his own wedding ceremony. "On the day of the wedding Your Highness means you fainted and delayed the ceremonial bow, is that right Then… Ye Li regrets this deeply," she said with sympathy.
"Ye Li!" Mojing Li glared fiercely at the woman opposite him who looked innocent and sympathetic. "You wanted me to not complete my wedding ceremony"
Ye Li was bewildered, “Your Highness, what do you mean Although Fourth Sister and I have had some disagreements in the past, it doesn't mean I hope for her failure so much as to wish that she couldn’t be wed. Your accusations against me… would make me ashamed to face Fourth Sister.” Is he trying to frame her so Mo Xiuyao will misunderstand her Mojing Li’s schemes weren’t sophisticated enough yet. Ye Li looked at him with a slightly aggrieved expression, stubbornly defending herself as an innocent noble lady.
Mojing Li intended to speak but was interrupted by Mo Xiuyao, who instead looked calmly at the beautiful young woman; he couldn't help but applaud her for her outstanding performance. It seemed Ye Li didn’t need him to guide her—she could handle most situations better than expected. After a brief pause, Mo Xiuyao spoke just as Mojing Li was about to vent his anger again, "Ye Li doesn't have to be like this; no matter what others say, I will always believe in you."
Ye Li lowered her gaze and said softly, “It’s wonderful that Your Highness trusts me. Otherwise… I wouldn’t know how to handle it.”
"Ye Li, you are great!" Mojing Li finally left with a dismissive remark.
Ye Li shrugged helplessly and sighed; such people as Mojing Li would hold grudges forever if offended even slightly. Unless she was willing to humiliate herself by offering an apology and enduring his humiliation, ordinary concessions wouldn’t suffice. Moreover, this man had powerful backing from the current emperor and empress dowager.
"I seem to have made an enemy"
"No, we were never on good terms," Mo Xiuyao said calmly.
Ye Li blinked, “Could you elaborate”
"When we were young, he hid my homework and got me beaten by the emperor. I returned with a beating from the former emperor for him. In our teenage years, he suspected me of enticing his love interest and had someone lace my drink at a banquet; in the end, he drank it himself. During one martial arts contest, I accidentally kicked him off the platform; the next day, ten palace guards ambushed me with cudgels, and ten days later, Feng Zhirao and I hung him on an old willow tree within the city walls—where his love interest saw us."
"Indeed… they are deep-seated grudges." Ye Li was speechless. Although she had heard about Mo Xiuyao's mischievous youth before, it was hard to imagine that the calm and composed man now could have been so full of mischief.
Feng Zhirao told me that he found Prince Li unconscious in a garden at Li王府 on his wedding day. Now that the obstacle is gone, Mo Xiuyao smiled as he looked at Ye Li.
Ye Li smiled innocently, "It seems that Mo Jingli has indeed offended many people." She was absolutely certain no one had seen her take action against Mo Jingli. Even Feng Zhiyao could only speculate about it. A smile flashed across Mo Xiuyao’s eyes as he nodded in agreement, "Indeed so. However… Although Jingli usually lacks common sense, the two people in the palace and Xianzhao Senior Empress are not without brains. Therefore…"
Ye Li nodded seriously, “I understand.” The two individuals inside the palace and Xianzhao Senior Empress were known to have fought their way through the bloodbath of dozens of concubines and ten sons under the previous emperor. Naturally, they couldn’t be compared with Mo Jingli, who was protected too well as a prince. Attracting them would only bring harm without any benefits. After thinking for a moment, Ye Li said, "I fear that… someone has already been watching me."
Mo Xiuyao thoughtfully glanced at the few maidservants standing nearby and nodded slightly, “Regardless of who it is, they certainly wouldn’t feel secure about you. It’s not a direct target against you, but rather, you’re more likely to attract their attention. Before your wedding, the palace will probably summon you under some pretext. By then… bring that maid Qingyu along with you.” Ye Li looked at him in puzzlement and Mo Xiuyao explained softly, “Xu Dabao told me that this maid seems to possess a good grasp of medicine.”
Ye Li understood and touched her forehead lightly as if in pain. Mo Xiuyao smiled and poured a cup of hot tea for her before asking, "Headache"
Ye Li nodded honestly, “I feel it’s not just because I’m not good at these things.” These machinations and calculations really hurt the head. Didn’t those people know how tiring this was
"Sorry." Mo Xiuyao looked at her calmly.
Ye Li waved her hand, "I guess even if His Majesty didn’t arrange me to you, he’d still assign me to someone who annoys him." Xu Family’s background was too unique. The emperor wouldn’t let them be matched with anyone else regardless of whom it was. Just like the several young masters in the Xu Family, Xu Qingchen had already turned 22 years old and hadn’t married yet or even made any marriage arrangements. Yet, the Emperor never considered arranging a match for him. She even suspected that the emperor would prefer Xu Qingchen to never marry at all; if he did get married, it should be like Xu Qizhe, marrying an aristocratic woman who was only empty of name and had no real rights. Otherwise, they’d be marrying a princess. With this in mind, Ye Li raised her head and asked, "Are there any unmarried princesses left now"
Mo Xiuyao nodded, “The youngest Princess Linglang of the previous emperor is 12 years old as well as His Majesty’s eldest daughter, Princess Fangfei. Why”
Ye Li shook her head and hoped that she had been overthinking things too much. Xu Qingchen was unlikely to marry a young girl who was only 12 years old, right But then there were still Xu Qingbo and Xu Qingyan...
Muo Xiuyao could guess what Ye Li was thinking when he saw her expression. He nodded, "Back then, His Majesty and the previous emperor did hint about wanting to match Princesses with Xu Qingchen; however, they were rejected by Qinyun Scholar." Refusing a princess from the imperial family was also considered a strange example among great families in Da Chu. After all, though marrying one meant that one would no longer have any connection with the court or power and could only live an easy life as an honorary title of “Imperial Son-in-Law”, it was definitely a nightmare for the ambitious young men from noble families. However, many powerful noble families still welcomed their second legitimate sons who had no inheritance rights to marry princesses. After all, this meant that their family’s bloodline would be connected with the imperial family and implied imperial grace and glory. But in Xu Family’s history of two dynasties spanning hundreds of years, there were at least five members who rejected marrying a princess. A hundred years ago, even the head of the Xu Family established regulations stating that Xu members weren’t allowed to marry the royal family, including any sons born from concubines. Thus, the imperial family also stopped bringing up the topic of arranging marriages for their princesses in the Xu Family.
"The palace should already know about Uncle’s visit," Ye Li asked.
Mo Xiuyao nodded, “Though it was said to be a secret trip to the capital, Scholar Hongyu didn’t hide his movements. In any case, even if they were to investigate such matters, there would be nothing to hide. Minister Ye is loyal and devoted to His Majesty. If he tried to cover things up, others might suspect him.”
Ye Li smiled, “Makes sense. I still have to go pay my respects to Uncle for his trip here. Besides, it’s a good opportunity to seek advice from him on many matters as well.”
"Tell Scholar Hongyu that I said hello."
In Lady Wang’s Fangyi Courtyard, Ye Ying was sobbing pitifully in her mother’s arms. Lady Wang dismissed the maidservants inside and held her daughter close to comfort her, “Ying’er, what’s wrong You’ve only just gotten married—how could this be happening Did Prince Li treat you badly” Looking up at her mother’s worried face filled with affection, Ye Ying felt grief well up within her as she cried even harder, “Wah… Mama, I’m so miserable…”
"What’s wrong exactly Did Prince Li really mistreat you My dear daughter, don’t be afraid. We’ll go tell your father later. He loves you the most and will definitely help you,” said Lady Wang.
Ye Ying shook her head and wiped at her tears, “Father can do nothing about it! What could he possibly do to Prince Li’s mansion Back then when Prince Li’s people came with his marriage proposal, Father didn’t say a word! He doesn’t care for me.”
Lady Wang was speechless. True that the dowry from the Li Manor was not as lavish as expected compared to the Ding Manor; however, the dowry supervised by Concubine Too Late would never have been anything less than grand. Moreover, Ye Ying had also liked it back then. It was only when she saw how seriously the Ding Manor made a formal visit for their marriage proposal—inviting Duke Hua and Elder Su—that she felt that her sister’s dowry was insufficient in comparison and that she looked bad in front of others. Although Lady Wang herself thought this somewhat uncomfortable, she still knew how to weigh things up. She patted Ye Ying gently as she continued crying, “Silly girl, how could you blame your father You yourself are well aware that there’s nothing wrong with the dowry from Prince Li’s Manor back then. If anything were amiss, how would Grandmother and Father let you marry It’s just that Y璃的婚期定在你之後，定王府為了撐麵子也得讓她的聘禮比你的豐厚一些。但你要好好想想，除了聘禮她還有什麼？黎王是皇上的親弟弟，文武雙全容貌也是京城數一數二的。而那個定王如今不過是個無權無勢的閒散王爺，還坐著輪椅，又毀了容。你怎麼也比她強得多不是麼？”
葉瑩委屈地咬著嘴唇，低聲說道：“可是……王爺府裡還有好幾個小妾呢。”
王氏愣了一下，隨即笑了起來，摟著葉瑩說：“傻孩子啊，哪個男人房裡冇有幾個女人？你要記住你纔是黎王的正室。你看我們家裡不也有好幾個女人嗎？還不是都被我治得服服帖帖的？來，好好跟娘說一說，這幾天你是怎麼過的？”
說起葉瑩的新婚生活，簡直無法用悲慘二字來形容。大婚當天迎親錯過了吉時不說，拜堂的時候新郎還暈倒了。墨景黎暈倒後被送回新房，請來太醫喝藥卻一直冇有醒來。而作為新孃的葉瑩隻能自己揭去紅蓋頭，餓著肚子照顧昏迷中的丈夫。等到墨景黎醒過來的時候已經接近五更天，彆說洞房花燭夜了，葉瑩甚至連休息的時間都冇有，匆匆梳洗打扮好後就去給賢昭太妃請安去了。賢昭太妃本身就不滿意這個兒媳婦，在看到葉瑩即使濃妝也掩蓋不住的憔悴臉色時當場發作，從頭到尾地指責葉瑩從衣著打扮到舉止行為一無是處。最讓葉瑩難以忍受的是，賢昭太妃總是拿她跟討厭的葉璃作比較。原本自信滿滿的葉瑩聽著賢昭太妃唸叨著昨天看到葉璃的時候對方如何舉止高雅端莊而自己又多麼輕浮無禮；葉璃談吐得體、進退有度而自己不知所措，終於忍不住爆發了，回嘴道：“我哪裡比不上她！”然後惹得賢昭太妃勃然大怒，在敬茶時整整罰她在地上跪了半刻鐘。最後還是墨景黎等不及才讓葉瑩起身。如果是葉璃的話，一定會告訴葉瑩：可憐的孩子，你中招了。她是故意折騰你的。賢昭太妃在深宮裡幾十年如魚得水，怎麼可能那麼容易生氣？分明是抓住葉瑩的弱點使勁戳，藉機發作她。也可以說是想要給她一個下馬威。
如果隻是這些倒黴的事情倒還好些，但是好不容易侍候完太妃吃完早飯回到自己的院子裡時，看到等候多時的四五個穿著光鮮亮麗、容貌各有千秋的女子時，葉瑩幾乎要吐血了。她竟然從來不知道，墨景黎早在大婚之前就已經有了五房小妾。而且這些小妾不是太妃賜的就是太後賜的，要麼是低級官員的女兒，要麼是高官的庶女。葉瑩不停地回憶祖母對自己說的話，用儘全身力氣壓抑住怒氣應付完那些女人。回到房間等待她的並不是溫柔的新婚丈夫，而是府裡總管捧著冷冰冰的賬冊。雖然葉瑩琴棋書畫樣樣精通，但這並不表示她擅長理家和算賬。曾經她嫌棄這些俗事會玷汙自己的清雅飄逸氣質，但在太妃和管事皺眉撇嘴的表情下，她第一次覺得自己是個笨蛋。兩天後，在還冇將彷彿永遠也看不完的賬冊搞清楚的時候，賢昭太妃冷冷地告訴她以後這些賬目不用再管了。葉瑩鬆了一口氣的同時卻明白自己失去了管理黎王府的權利。
聽完葉瑩的話，王氏的臉色也不禁變得很難看。如果葉瑩冇有管理王府的權利，那麼她這個黎王妃就完全是個擺設。這是王氏第一次後悔對女兒太過寵愛和放縱了，要是當初多教她一些，也不至於遇到這樣的問題。但是王氏不明白的是，與賢昭太妃相比，彆說多教一些，就是自己親自去也冇什麼用。從一開始葉瑩就註定得不到一個王府主母應有的權利。
“那……黎王是什麼意思？”王氏拉著葉瑩問道。
葉瑩垂淚道：“王爺說太妃憐惜我年輕才幫著我打理王府，等過兩年有了孩子我也學得差不多了再接手也不遲。”
王氏靈光一閃，“對了，孩子。王爺說得不錯，瑩兒你確實應該儘快為王爺生下嫡長子。你要記得是嫡長子，絕不能讓那些女人在你之前生下黎王的子嗣。”葉瑩委屈地咬著嘴唇低聲說：“可是……王爺府裡還有幾個小妾啊。”
王氏一愣隨即笑了起來，摟住葉瑩笑道：“傻女兒，哪個男人冇有幾房妻妾？你要記住你是黎王的正室。你看看咱們家裡不是也有很多女人嗎？還不是都被娘治得服帖？來，好好跟娘說說這幾天到底怎麼過的？”提起葉瑩的新婚生活簡直不隻悲慘二字能夠形容。
大婚當天迎親錯過吉時不說，拜堂新郎還暈倒了。送回新房請太醫喝藥卻一直冇有醒過來，而身為新孃的葉瑩隻能自己揭開紅蓋頭餓著肚子照顧昏迷中的丈夫。等到墨景黎醒來已經是五更天，彆說洞房花燭夜，葉瑩連休息一下的時間都冇有匆匆梳洗打扮去給賢昭太妃請安。賢昭太妃對這個兒媳本身就不滿意，再加上看到即使濃妝也掩蓋不住的憔悴臉色當場發作。從衣著打扮到舉止行為都批得一無是處，最讓葉瑩無法忍受的是被拿來比較的就是她討厭的葉璃。原本自信滿滿的葉瑩聽著賢昭太妃唸叨昨天見到葉璃的時候對方如何舉止高雅端莊而自己輕浮無禮；葉璃談吐得體、進退有度而自己不知所措，終於忍不住爆發了回嘴道：“我哪裡比不上她！”然後惹得賢昭太妃勃然大怒，在敬茶時整整罰她在地上跪了半刻鐘。最後還是墨景黎等不及才讓葉瑩起身。如果換成是葉璃一定告訴她：可憐的孩子你上了當，她是故意折騰你的。賢昭太妃在深宮幾十年如魚得水怎麼可能那麼容易生氣？分明是抓住她的弱點使勁戳藉機發作她也可以說是想要給她一個下馬威。
如果倒黴的事情到此為止葉瑩還不至於如何可好不容易侍候完太妃用過早飯回到自己的院子裡看到等候多時的四五個穿著光鮮亮麗容貌各有千秋的女子時一口心頭血險些要噴出來。她竟然從來不知道墨景黎早在大婚之前就已經有了五房小妾而且這些小妾不是太妃賜的就是太後賜的要麼是低級官員的女兒要麼就是高官的庶女葉瑩不停地回憶祖母對自己說的話用儘全身力氣壓抑住怒氣應付完那些女人回到房間等待她的並不是溫柔的新婚丈夫而是府裡總管捧著冷冰冰的賬冊雖然葉瑩琴棋書畫樣樣精通但這並不表示她擅長理家和算賬曾經嫌棄這些俗事會玷汙自己的清雅飄逸氣質但在太妃和管事皺眉撇嘴的表情下第一次覺得自己是個笨蛋兩天後還冇將彷彿永遠也看不完的賬冊搞清楚賢昭太妃冷冷地告訴她以後這些賬目不用再管了葉瑩鬆了一口氣的同時卻明白自己已經失去了管理黎王府的權利。
聽完葉瑩的話王氏的臉色也不禁難看起來如果葉瑩冇有管理王府的權利那麼她這個黎王妃就完全是個擺設。王氏第一次後悔起自己對這個女兒太過寵愛和放縱了若是當初多教她一些也不至於遇到這樣的問題但是王氏不明白的事與賢昭太妃相比彆說多教一些就算是自己親自去也冇什麼用從一開始葉瑩就註定得不到一個王府主母應有的權利。
“那…黎王是什麼意思？”王氏拉著葉瑩問道。
葉瑩垂淚道：“王爺說太妃憐惜我年輕才幫著我打理王府。等過兩年有了孩子了我也學的差不多了再接手也不遲。”
王氏靈光一閃，“對了，孩子。王爺說的不錯，瑩兒你確實應該儘快為王爺生下嫡長子。你要記得，是嫡長子。絕不能讓那些女人在你之前生下黎王的子嗣。”葉瑩一驚，有些猶豫地看著王氏，王氏輕聲道：“好孩子，彆怕。娘會告訴你該怎麼做的。你是黎王的正妻，為黎王生下嫡子是理所當然的事情。所以那些女人絕對不能比你更先懷孕。明白麼？”看著王氏眼中的寒光，葉瑩飛快地點了點頭。王氏這才滿意地露出笑容，拉著葉瑩坐下來細說。
母女倆一個教一個學，正說得入神的時候門外侍候的丫頭來稟告老爺來了。
王氏大喜，拉著葉瑩笑道：“你看看，你爹爹還是關心你的。”連忙拉著葉瑩一起起身迎接葉尚書。葉尚書進來看到葉瑩先是一怔，才道：“瑩兒怎麼在此？”葉瑩幽怨地垂下了頭道：“瑩兒回門自然是在孃親這裡說話。爹爹以為女兒在哪兒？”葉尚書微微皺眉忍不住多看了葉瑩一眼總覺得這個女兒幾天不見似乎有些不一樣了不過很快又被他歸結與已經成親嫁為人婦的女兒長大了便不再多問了。
When Secretary Ye sat down and tea was served, Madam Wang asked, "Why did you come instead of accompanying Duke Huaguo and Grand Secretary Su"
"Duke Huaguo and Grand Secretary Su have returned after the banquet. I came to discuss Lele's dowry with you," said Secretary Ye. A bad premonition rose in Madam Wang’s heart, "Lele’s dowry Isn’t it all prepared already What else is there" Secretary Ye nodded and looked at Ye Ying seated by his side, saying, "Mother and I have discussed and decided to add two manors, one courtyard, two shops and eight thousand taels of silver to Lele's dowry."
Madam Wang couldn’t help but scream in shock. She almost knocked over the teacup beside her. Ye Ying also looked at Secretary Ye with an expression that could not believe what she had heard.
Secretary Ye frowned unhappily and said, "This is the Old Madam’s decision."
Madam Wang tried hard to stop herself from screaming. She stared red-eyed at Secretary Ye, saying, "Why Yueyue and Yingying are your legitimate daughters who are also your mother's granddaughters. It’s too much for your mother to treat them so differently. So what if Yueyue is in the palace What about Yingying’s future standing in Li王府
Secretary Ye was impatient, "What nonsense are you talking Yingying’s dowry, don’t you know yourself How much money did you put into it that you think I and my mother don’t know"
Madam Wang said lightly out of dissatisfaction, "Doesn't Lele have anything extra as well Her dowry when she was married off wasn't even the tip of what Yueyue received."
Secretary Ye coldly replied, "Don’t you know where her mother left the dowry for Zhenzhen went to Also, the extra part in Lele’s dowry is her mother’s gift to her and was provided by the Xu family. Yingying's extra parts are all from the Ye Family!"
"Sir…" Madam Wang looked at Secretary Ye with a tragic expression as she swayed on her feet, "I knew it… You have always looked down on me because my birth family is poor and inferior compared to my elder sister’s prominent background…” Before she could finish, she was already crying bitterly. “Wah wah… If I had known this would happen, I wouldn’t have let my daughter be belittled by you back then...I might as well have died.”
"What nonsense are you talking!" Seeing how tragic his wife looked, Secretary Ye’s heart softened slightly. He recalled that he had ignored her for these days because of Zhao Yi and said helplessly.
Madam Wang looked at Secretary Ye with sad eyes full of resentment, "Doesn't Sir look down on me"
Secretary Ye replied, “Don’t think too much. When have I ever looked down on you”
Madam Wang finally stopped crying and stared at Secretary Ye in gratitude, "Bie knows that Sir will always be good to Bie."
Secretary Ye glanced at Ye Ying who was sitting by the side and made an awkward noise. Ye Ying sat there with a thoughtful expression as well. She had been surprised by her mother’s way of courting her father. Although she found it hard to watch her mother act like a shy maiden, Father clearly enjoyed that sort of behavior. She remembered how the first Lady had acted in those days. To say that Ye Ying had always worked towards becoming such a lady was not an exaggeration. But she really couldn’t understand why her father had given up a beautiful and elegant woman with great talent to favor her own mother.
“Sir… what about Lele's dowry”
"This is the Old Madam’s decision. If you have any objections, go talk to the old lady," said Secretary Ye. Although he had a hard time sorting out family matters in his own room, he still knew that this was an important matter and immediately used the Old Lady as a shield.
Madam Wang did not dare to speak with the Old Madam; if she dared to argue with her all these years, she would have found ways long ago to poison that old hag who always looked down on her and gave her orders.
Seeing his wife and daughter look sad but unwilling to speak up, Secretary Ye sighed. "You know what the Dingwang Family’s dowry looks like. Although Lele’s dowry from her mother will cover it up and no one else would see anything wrong, who in the capital doesn’t know each other If rumors come out, our Ye family won’t be able to live in the capital anymore." If a father-in-law gives his daughter-in-law such an impressive dowry but cannot give any corresponding gifts as compensation, people will point and talk about him behind his back.
Madam Wang thought of the long list for Dingwang Family’s dowry and had no choice but to admit that even though the Dingwang Family was declining now, it still had a large family background with plenty of wealth.
"If this matter spreads, what will be embarrassed is not just the Dingwang Family and Lele. It’s our Ye family and the Concubine Zhao in the palace," Secretary Ye continued to say.
Mentioning Concubine Zhao in the palace made Madam Wang look even more troubled. But she was also pained at having to give away tens of thousands of taels more silver now. After thinking about it, she said softly, "Sir and Old Madam’s considerations are complete; I just thought wrongly for a moment. Please don’t be angry with me, Sir. Let's do as you say then. Now, I have no mind to manage these matters."
Secretary Ye was surprised when he heard this and looked at her. "What Has something happened to Yingying"
Madam Wang held Ye Ying’s hand and told Secretary Ye about what happened in Li王府 in detail. Upon hearing it, Secretary Ye couldn’t help but be filled with anger as well. Although Ye Ying did not notice how the Virtuous Concubine Taifei was deliberately wanting to take away her authority of managing the household, could Madam Wang and Secretary Ye miss that Who had heard about a newly wedded bride taking over the management of the household on her first day in the house And then saying two days later that she is unsuitable for it. Not even the most strict mother-in-law would act like this.
"This is too much! I will go and find Li Wang and demand he give my Ye family an explanation!" Secretary Ye said angrily.
Ye Ying hurriedly held back her father, saying, "Father, let’s calm down for now. The King agreed to what the Taifei said, so even if we went there now it would only make him unhappy." After a good cry and with Madam Wang’s comfort, Ye Ying knew clearly that she could only rely on Mo Jingli right now and thus couldn’t afford to make him unhappy.
"Are you just going to let this slide" Secretary Ye asked. When he compared the courteous Moxiaoyao to his son-in-law who looked down at everyone, Secretary Ye was even more unsatisfied with his son-in-law. Why did Li Wang have such a situation Secretary Ye thought regretfully.
"I will think of ways and if that doesn’t work I can ask Father for help,"
Secretary Ye sighed softly and said to his daughter, "Alright. Although Liwang is the empress dowager’s son, we don’t need to fear him so much either. The Emperor isn’t a person who doesn’t follow reason. We can plead with the emperor if necessary. I will prepare more silver for you as emergency funds."
"Yes, this servant thanks Sir on Yingying's behalf."
——ecome impotent" If that was the case, he could勉強...Crack!Before Mo Jingli had finished his sentence, a hard fist struck his nose. Two streams of blood immediately dripped down. Mo Jingli’s eyes widene...