“Father.”

“Grandfather.” Xu Hongyu and the others bowed to Master Qingyun in turn. Master Qingyun looked at his son and grandson before him, as well as his great-grandson being held in Xu Qingchen’s arms. The anger that had been stirred up by Ye Wenhua gradually dissipated. He nodded and said, “Sit down, all of you. When did Chen’er return?”

Xu Qingchen smiled, “Grandfather, I just arrived. I was about to come pay my respects when I heard there were guests. Father, Second Uncle, and Second Brother came along too.”

Master Qingyun nodded with a smile, “You must be tired from your journey. Rest well later.”

Because the Ye family members were already seated, the arrival of Xu Hongyu and the others created an awkward situation with the seating arrangements. Old Madam Ye, relying on her age, naturally wouldn’t rise to give up her seat. Fortunately, Ye Wenhua, having spent decades in officialdom, wasn’t completely ignorant of proper conduct. He quickly stood to offer his seat to Xu Hongyu. Madam Wang Ye, Ye Lin, and the young man sitting on the other side also stood up. Only Ye Rong proved to be extremely inconsiderate – he looked left and right at his parents but refused to stand, causing Ye Wenhua’s face to alternate between shades of green and white with anger.

Xu Hongyu paid no attention to Ye Wenhua’s expression and smiled amiably at Ye Rong, saying, “The Ye family has such good manners.”

Being praised with the same words twice made Ye Rong even more pleased with himself. He remained completely oblivious to why his father’s expression was so unsightly. Although Old Madam Ye understood something was amiss, Ye Rong had been the only male heir of the Ye family for many years, so she naturally doted on him excessively. While in earlier years Old Madam Ye had hoped her son might father another grandson, after several years without any news, that hope had gradually faded. She simply thought that since this was her granddaughter’s residence, it shouldn’t matter much.

Ye Li watched the expressions of the Ye family members and shook her head helplessly in her heart. Although she had some grievances with the Ye family, she wasn’t the type to kick someone when they were down. If Ye Wenhua had raised Ye Rong properly, he might have achieved something in the Northwest. Unfortunately, the Ye family’s current state was truly disappointing. While Ye Li wouldn’t move against the Ye family, it also didn’t mean she would be charitable enough to support relatives who were beyond help – that would only bring shame to the Prince Ding’s mansion.

Xu Qingchen placed Mo Xiaobao on his lap and played with him while smiling faintly at Ye Wenhua, “When did Lord Ye arrive in Li City?”

Ye Wenhua’s smile was somewhat forced. Previously, Xu Qingchen had shown him some face by addressing him as Uncle, but now he wasn’t even willing to maintain that courtesy. His late wife, née Xu, hadn’t left any male heirs for the Ye family, only daughter Ye Li. Now that Ye Li was long married, there was nothing inappropriate about the Xu family not acknowledging this connection with the Ye family.

“It’s been over a month now,” Ye Wenhua forced a smile and said.

Xu Qingchen nodded, “During this time, Li’er and Prince Ding have been away on campaign, and I’ve been at Flying Hong Pass. Father and Second Uncle have been busy with official duties. If there has been any negligence in hosting Lord Ye, I hope you’ll understand.”

How would Ye Wenhua dare complain about any negligence from Xu Hongyu and his brother? Even after becoming a Minister, Ye Wenhua often felt unable to hold his head high in front of Xu Hongyu. While not as severe with Xu Hongyan, he still felt an innate sense of inferiority. That’s why during all those years in Chu Capital, even though Xu Hongyan’s official position and power were inferior to Ye Wenhua’s position as Minister and father of an Imperial Consort, Ye Wenhua never put on airs in front of him. This was precisely why Ye Wenhua had always disliked the Xu family – no man with any ambition enjoys being perpetually inferior to his wife’s family. Unfortunately, now Ye Wenhua stood more than just one level below the Xu family.

Old Madam Ye jumped in before Ye Wenhua could speak, smiling sweetly, “How could that be? We’re all family here. Even if we face some inconvenience, it’s nothing. Li’er is a filial child, she naturally wouldn’t mistreat her own family.”

Xu Qingchen raised an eyebrow and gave Old Madam Ye a cool smile. So… she still felt mistreated?

Xu Hongyu asked, “What are the Ye family’s plans going forward?”

Just as Ye Wenhua was about to say it was all up to his elder brother, Old Madam Ye spoke up with a smile directed at Ye Li, “Previously when Li’er wasn’t home it was different. Now that Li’er is several months pregnant and Prince Ding is away, we naturally should stay in the mansion to look after her.” Upon hearing this, Second Madam Xu was so angered she laughed, saying coolly, “So Old Madam Ye considers us all irrelevant?”

“My lady.” Xu Hongyan calmly stopped his wife’s outburst – there was no point in losing dignity arguing with such people.

Second Madam Xu had been provoked by Old Madam Ye’s thick skin, but with her husband’s reminder, she naturally suppressed her anger. She cast a disdainful glance at Old Madam Ye and said nothing more. If Li’er’s birth mother were still alive, it would be proper for her to stay in the prince’s mansion to care for her daughter. But to bring a promoted concubine-turned-stepmother and an entire extended family to live in her legitimate daughter’s home – only Old Madam Ye would have the nerve to suggest such a thing.

In truth, Old Madam Ye knew her words were somewhat improper. But her life’s journey could be called tumultuous – from a widow with a son in a remote part of Great Chu, to having her son pass the imperial examinations and become the Xu family’s son-in-law, suddenly becoming connected to one of Great Chu’s most prestigious scholarly families. Then becoming the matriarch of a Minister’s household, with granddaughters becoming an Imperial Consort and two princesses – how glorious those days were. Later, when Ye Wenhua was stripped of his rank by the Emperor and they returned to their hometown, although they lived comfortably thanks to their savings, it was a world of difference from their life in the capital. How could Old Madam Ye be content with this? Now in Li City, despite her status as grandmother to Prince Ding’s wife, many noble ladies didn’t think much of her. Looking at the two Xu family ladies, even the still-young Second Young Madam Xu was one of the most sought-after socialites in Li City – wasn’t this all because of Ye Li’s position as Prince Ding’s wife? This only strengthened Old Madam Ye’s determination to move into the prince’s mansion.

Though Madam Wang Ye didn’t speak, her expression revealed she shared Old Madam Ye’s thoughts. Everyone in the hall except the Ye family members was shrewd enough to see through their intentions, making them even more contemptuous of this family’s conduct.

Mo Xiaobao, sitting in Xu Qingchen’s lap, asked curiously, “Mother, are Maternal Grandfather and Great-grandmother going to live in our home?”

Ye Li smiled without answering, instead asking her son with a gentle smile, “Would Xiaobao like that?”

Mo Xiaobao hesitated before asking, puzzled, “Why do Maternal Grandfather and Great-grandmother want to live in our home? Didn’t Great Uncle prepare a house for them? Is their house uninhabitable?”

Old Madam Ye looked at Mo Xiaobao lovingly and smiled, “Your mother is with child, so Great-grandmother should stay in the mansion to take care of her. Your Maternal Grandfather can teach you to read – he was once a jinshi scholar. And your Uncle Rong can play with you.”

Mo Xiaobao was decidedly undiplomatic as he pursed his little lips and buried his face in Xu Qingchen’s chest. Young Master would rather not play with someone so ugly – and not just ugly, but stupid too. He couldn’t even tell when Great Uncle was mocking him and just laughed foolishly! Young Master would rather play with Young Uncle and Han Mingshi.

“What’s a jinshi? Is it very impressive?” Mo Xiaobao blinked and asked.

Xu Qingchen smiled faintly and said, “Your great-grandfather, uncles, and all your uncles earned the jinshi degree.” While being a jinshi might be impressive elsewhere, it was the least valuable achievement in the Xu family. For over a hundred years, every male member of the Xu family had without exception earned at least a first-rank jinshi degree. In other words, in the Xu family, passing the jinshi examination was just the basic requirement for completing one’s studies.

Hearing this, Mo Xiaobao looked at Old Madam Ye earnestly and said, “Our family has… one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight… our family has eight jinshi. And… I have Great-grandfather teaching me to read. Is Maternal Grandfather better than Great-grandfather?”

Ye Wenhua broke out in a cold sweat and hurriedly smiled apologetically, “Your Great-grandfather’s scholarship is the finest in the world. Being able to study under him is an enormous blessing. How could your Maternal Grandfather compare…”

After Mo Xiaobao’s retort, Old Madam Ye’s expression also soured. She grew increasingly displeased with this great-grandson who showed her no respect from the moment they met, though she retained enough sense to know that Mo Xiaobao’s status meant she couldn’t freely scold him.

Ye Li watched her son make a small face at her from Xu Qingchen’s arms and smiled gently before turning to Ye Wenhua and asking quietly, “Father, is there something unsuitable about your current residence?”

Ye Wenhua hurriedly replied, “Not at all. Second Brother arranged a spacious mansion on Xuanwu Street for us. It’s perfectly suitable.” After several years apart, facing his daughter now, Ye Wenhua no longer maintained the superior air of a father he once had, instead feeling inexplicably guilty. Though years had passed and Ye Li remained as elegant and graceful as ever, her position of authority and experience leading military campaigns had inevitably left her with an awe-inspiring presence and dignity. Those who saw her daily might not notice much difference, but Ye Wenhua could clearly sense how different his daughter had become.

Ye Li nodded, “That’s good then. If there’s anything seriously wrong with it, Father should mention it now, to avoid giving others the impression that the Prince is treating his elders poorly.”

Ye Wenhua repeatedly insisted everything was fine. He understood this was Ye Li’s warning to him – if they stayed quietly in Li City, they would want for nothing, but if they harbored any inappropriate ambitions, they shouldn’t blame her for being an unfilial daughter. Although being treated this way by his own daughter inevitably hurt, when faced with the Xu family members, memories of his past neglect of Lady Xu and Ye Li involuntarily surfaced in his mind, making him feel even more guilty.

Seeing Ye Wenhua’s response, Ye Li nodded with satisfaction in her heart. Ye Wenhua wasn’t actually a foolish man. Although he had once single-mindedly pursued connections with the powerful and neglected his legitimate wife, at least he wasn’t stupid. If it were just him alone, Ye Li wouldn’t worry and wouldn’t mind providing him with food and shelter in Li City for life, fulfilling that thin thread of blood relation. Unfortunately, Old Madam Ye and Madam Wang weren’t ones to stay in their place, and Ye Wenhua clearly lacked the authority to restrain his wife and mother. They would have to assign people to watch them to prevent any troublesome incidents.

Xu Hongyu and the others had only come to make an appearance, being too busy to chat idly with Ye Wenhua. After sitting briefly, they left supporting Master Qingyun to rest. Xu Qingchen also took Mo Xiaobao, who had been clinging to him, leaving only Ye Li to catch up with Ye Wenhua and the others. Even so, Old Madam Ye didn’t get the chance to approach Ye Li with any intimate conversation. As soon as the Xu family members left, Qingshuang and Qin Feng entered and stood on either side of Ye Li, vigilantly watching the Ye family members. It would have been even more than this, but the incident at Western Ling’s Imperial City had thoroughly frightened Qin Feng and the others. Now they truly treated Ye Li as a delicate woman without fighting ability. Whenever outsiders were present, at least one of Qin Feng, Zhuo Jinglin, or Lin Han had to stay within three steps of Ye Li. Though Ye Li felt somewhat helpless about this, she knew they were concerned for her safety and didn’t say much.

The flower hall became much quieter with several people gone. Without Master Qingyun and Xu Hongyu present, Ye Wenhua’s expression also improved considerably.

After a moment of silence in the flower hall, Ye Wenhua finally coughed lightly and asked, “How have you been these past few years, Li’er?” Ye Li nodded slightly and replied with a faint smile, “Thank you for your concern, Father. Everything is fine.” With the Xu family members gone, Old Madam Ye also became more uninhibited. Looking at Ye Li, she said, “I heard you went to war with Prince Ding? You’re a woman – instead of staying home to support your husband and teach your children, what are you doing on the battlefield? People will think our family hasn’t raised you properly.” Having been upset by Mo Xiaobao earlier, Old Madam Ye didn’t dare vent her anger at the Xu family members, but she felt no pressure in scolding Ye Li.

As soon as the words left her mouth, seeing the smile fade from Ye Li’s face, Ye Wenhua’s heart sank, knowing this wasn’t good.

Ye Li replied with a cool smile, “Grandmother is overthinking it. Even if people say anything, they’ll say the Xu family’s teaching is poor – it has nothing to do with the Ye family.” Although everyone in the world knew Prince Ding’s wife was surnamed Ye, besides the nobility in Chu Capital, few knew which Ye family it was or who its members were. In a few more years, even the nobles in Chu Capital might forget the once-prominent Ye family, but everyone knew of Ye Li’s connection to the Xu family. Old Madam Ye’s righteous scolding was deflected neither harshly nor gently by Ye Li, leaving her face alternating between white and red as she stared at Ye Li, unable to speak.

Ye Li had no interest in dealing with her further. She turned to look at Ye Lin sitting at the back and asked with a smile, “Is this Sixth Sister? And this is…?” Ye Lin was somewhat nervous. Seeing Ye Li mention her, she hurriedly came forward and curtsied, “Lin’er greets Third Sister. This is my husband, Shen Liang.” The young man standing beside Ye Lin also hurriedly followed Ye Lin in bowing to Ye Li, “Shen Liang pays respects to Princess Ding.” Though his manner was somewhat awkward, he appeared to be an honest person. Remembering how Ye Lin had been clever and ingratiating toward Madam Wang and Ye Ying at such a young age, this kind of husband probably wasn’t what she had hoped for. But Ye Li couldn’t help thinking that marrying such a husband might actually be Ye Lin’s fortune.

“Why didn’t Fifth Sister come?” Ye Li asked. Regarding her half-sisters Ye Lin and Ye Shan, Ye Li wasn’t close but didn’t harbor much ill feeling either. Although they had followed Madam Wang in currying favor with Ye Ying and occasionally picked on her, ultimately it was for survival. If she were to hold these old grudges against two children who had only been twelve or thirteen at the time, it would be somewhat beneath her.

Ye Wenhua sighed lightly and began telling Ye Li about the Ye family’s affairs over the past few years. There wasn’t much to tell, really. When they returned to their hometown, Ye Wenhua had arranged marriages for both Ye Lin and Ye Shan to decent local families. Three years ago, Ye Shan had died in childbirth. Ye Lin now had a daughter but no son. Her husband Shen Liang’s family had been local merchants, but as a concubine’s son, he couldn’t inherit much of the family business. Now that the southwest had been occupied by Western Ling and was in chaos, Shen Liang had taken his share of the money and come with them to the northwest.

Unfortunately, Shen Liang had been unlucky. He had originally thought that since the Ye family had produced Prince Ding’s wife, he could do some small business in Li City and even if he couldn’t get any major benefits, the Princess would at least provide some support for the Ye family’s sake. However, upon arriving in Li City, the Ye family members wouldn’t stay in their place and caused quite a bit of trouble. Being a concubine’s son, Shen Liang had naturally learned to read people’s expressions from a young age. He quickly understood that the Ye family wasn’t nearly as important to Princess Ding as they boasted. Given their conduct, they might anger the Prince’s mansion at any time and he could be implicated. Thinking of this, Shen Liang temporarily put aside his plans to operate two shops. He would wait to see how things developed, and if the situation truly wasn’t good, it would be better to move elsewhere – Li City wasn’t the only city in the northwest.

Ye Li listened calmly as Ye Wenhua finished relating these trivial matters, then nodded and looked at Shen Liang with a smile, “In that case, please do establish yourself well in Li City. While Li City may not be superior in all aspects, it is more stable than other places. If you encounter any difficulties with status, you can seek out the head of the Han family. Since Lin’er is my half-sister, I’ll naturally be happy to see you doing well.”

Hearing this, Shen Liang quickly bowed to Ye Li, “Thank you, Princess. Under the Prince and Princess’s governance, Li City’s prosperity is unmatched elsewhere.” Hearing the Princess speak thus, Shen Liang’s heart settled. He understood the Princess’s meaning – the other Ye family members were one matter, but the Princess wouldn’t hold their actions against him. If he encountered difficulties, the Princess would provide some help for her half-sister’s sake, as long as he understood his place. In fact, getting this one statement from Ye Li was enough to satisfy Shen Liang. As a concubine’s son, life had never been easy for him, and while he might not be destined for great wealth and status, he also didn’t want to be dragged down by his wife’s family. Seeing the hint of envy in his wife’s eyes as she looked at the Princess, Shen Liang secretly resolved to properly restrain his wife when they returned home, determined not to let her join in the troublemaking of those two from the Ye family.

“Li’er…” Madam Wang, who had been sitting quietly to the side, finally couldn’t contain herself and called out. Ye Li raised an eyebrow slightly, but Qingshuang, standing behind her, couldn’t hold back anymore and lifted her chin saying, “Madam Ye, the Old Madam and Lord Ye are our Princess’s elders, so that’s fine, but you have no relation to our Princess. It’s inappropriate for you to call the Princess by her personal name.”

Madam Wang’s face reddened, and she forced a smile, “How can you say that? I am the Princess’s stepmother, how could I not call her by her personal name?”

Qingshuang gave a cold laugh and said, “Madam Ye is merely a promoted concubine. Any respectable noble family wouldn’t recognize the practice of elevating a concubine to wife. You don’t even qualify as a stepmother, do you? At best, you might be considered a lesser mother. Our Princess is now Prince Ding’s wife and the legitimate daughter of the Ye family – what right do you have to address her so? Your previous ignorance of propriety could be overlooked when people held their tongues due to your daughter being an Imperial Consort, but are you still ignorant of proper conduct even now?”

Having her sore spot so mercilessly exposed by Qingshuang, Madam Wang’s expression grew even more unsightly. Just as she was about to say something in her indignant state, Ye Wenhua quietly said, “Address her as Princess.”

Though Madam Wang was unwilling, she dared not defy her husband in front of her mother-in-law, so she quietly called out “Princess.”

Ye Li nodded slightly and said, “What did Madam Wang wish to say?”

Madam Wang’s mouth twitched, her expression growing more rigid. It was one thing for others to call her Madam Ye, but Ye Li specifically calling her Madam Wang was barely different from directly addressing her as Wang shi. Though she was filled with hatred, Wang shi could only suppress her anger and say with a forced smile, “Princess, it’s like this – your brother is almost of age now. He’s still idle at home, so I wondered if the Princess could arrange a position for Rong’er, to help him improve himself.” Hearing these words, Old Madam Ye’s interest was also piqued, and she looked up at Ye Li.

Madam Wang gave Ye Rong a meaningful look, and perhaps because he had been coached beforehand, Ye Rong didn’t act up this time, instead calling out obediently to Ye Li, “Third Sister, Rong’er has grown up and can help Third Sister and Brother-in-law share their burdens.”

Ye Li looked at the pudgy Ye Rong with a pleasant smile, her lips curving slightly as she asked, “Oh? Then… what would Rong’er like to do?”

Ye Rong’s eyes lit up, and he said excitedly, “Rong’er wants to be the city’s Guard Commander!”

Qin Feng, standing behind Ye Li, had an almost imperceptible twitch at the corner of his mouth as he looked Ye Rong up and down, taking in his corpulent figure. He thought to himself: You want to be Li City’s military commander? Any common soldier in the city could beat you until you couldn’t get up.

Ye Li smiled slightly and said, “That’s ambitious. Why do you want to be the Guard Commander?”

Ye Rong said proudly, “A few days ago I met some kid who’s supposedly some general’s grandson. Once I become commander, I’ll lead some men to give him a good beating!”

“Rong’er!” Madam Wang called out, but Ye Rong was too excited and didn’t hear her voice.

“Wretched child!” Ye Wenhua shouted in exasperation.

Ye Li’s eyes narrowed as she said coldly, “So, you want to lead men to beat him up? Do you know what punishment awaits a Guard Commander who instigates violence?”

Ye Rong was stunned, clearly not having considered that leading men to beat someone would be punishable. “What punishment?”

“Immediate execution!” Ye Li said sharply. “Speaking of which, I haven’t yet addressed the incident of you attacking General Yuan’s grandson a few days ago. Who gave you the audacity to abuse Prince Ding’s name and act so atrociously in Li City?!” Old Madam Ye quickly spoke up, “Li’er, this isn’t Rong’er’s fault, it was the other side who relied on…”

Ye Li gave a cold laugh and said, “Grandmother, do you know that General Yuan’s grandson is only ten years old? How old is Ye Rong? He can’t even beat a ten-year-old child yet has the nerve to use Prince Ding’s mansion’s name to bully others. General Yuan is over sixty and still risks his life on the battlefield for Prince Ding’s mansion, yet his grandson is bullied in Li City by the Princess’s family? How am I supposed to explain this to the old general?!” As she spoke, Ye Li’s anger grew, and she slammed her hand on the table with a loud bang that clearly frightened Ye Rong.

Though startled, Ye Rong still twisted his head and said, “It’s not my fault. Who told that kid to block my way when I was hurrying to…”

Slap! Ye Wenhua finally couldn’t hold back and dealt Ye Rong a slap across the face. Since arriving in Li City, apart from two visits to Prince Ding’s mansion, he had stayed behind closed doors and truly didn’t know about this incident. “Wretched child, shut your mouth!”

“My lord, how could you…” Seeing her son struck, how could Madam Wang let it go?

“Silence!” Ye Wenhua gave Madam Wang a cold look, then turned to Ye Li and said, “Li’er, it’s all my fault for failing to raise this wretched child properly. We’ll take our leave now. Take care of your health… rest well, we won’t disturb you further.”

With that, ignoring the expressions of Old Madam Ye and Madam Wang, he led the way out.

Though Old Madam Ye was unwilling, her son was ultimately her support, so she had no choice but to follow.

Madam Wang could only leave weeping and wailing, pulling her son along.