HomeSheng Shi Di FeiChapter 50: Distorted Rumors

Chapter 50: Distorted Rumors

The news that Miss Ye Three, the future Princess Consort of Prince Ding, had been kidnapped by bandits was shocking enough to shake the entire capital. The rumors had begun circulating in various venues throughout the capital not long after Ye Li’s abduction. Trying to forcefully suppress such rumors would only make them spread more vigorously. Therefore, neither the Ye family, the Xu family, nor Prince Li’s manor had publicly commented on the matter.

When Ye Li returned to the Ye residence early the next morning in a carriage, bearing various rewards from the palace and escorted by the Second and Third Young Masters of the Xu family from their villa, people’s certainty in the rumors began to waver. After all, those who happened to pass by, whether intentionally or not, saw that Miss Ye Three appeared perfectly fine in both spirit and body, hardly looking like someone who had just been kidnapped. Even the two young masters of the Xu family, including the Third Young Master who was said to be the most hot-tempered and unable to hide his feelings, showed no unusual behavior. So… was yesterday’s news just a malicious rumor?

Ye Li listened carelessly as Qing Shuang rattled on about the comments she had heard from outside, secretly laughing in her heart. Third Brother could certainly appear calm in public now because he had already vented most of his fury on those foolish bandits last night. Recalling the thick smell of blood permeating the stronghold when she came down the mountain with Mo Xiuyao last night, and Third Brother’s murderous aura, Ye Li believed that the scholarly Xu family was indeed about to produce a military general. As for how Mo Xiuyao dealt with those bandits, Ye Li didn’t intend to inquire. Whether they were bandits who had drifted to the capital from elsewhere or local ones, having one such group eliminated was certainly a good thing.

“Miss Ye Three.”

A clear male voice came from outside the window. Qing Luan immediately drew her sword, pointing it at the young man who had suddenly appeared. Ye Li smiled and pressed down Qing Luan’s arm, turning back to say with a smile, “Young Master Han, how have you been?” Outside the window was Han Mingyue, the kidnapper from just last night. Han Mingyue smiled bitterly, “Miss Three, do you think I look fine? I could feel piercing gazes from the shadows the moment I entered the courtyard. I do not doubt that if I make any rash moves, the Master of Tianyi Pavilion will make me vanish from this world without a trace.”

Taking out a wooden carved box from his sleeve and placing it on the windowsill, Han Mingyue said, “This is to help Miss Three recover from the shock, and also a wedding gift congratulating Miss Three and Xiuyao. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to make it in time to drink a toast at the wedding.”

Ye Li nodded without looking at the box and asked, “Young Master Han is planning to leave the capital?”

Han Mingyue smiled, “I’ve had too many scares lately. I feel more at ease staying in Jiangnan. Miss Ye is welcome to visit Jiangnan with Xiuyao when you have time. I will certainly fulfill my duties as host then.”

Ye Li smiled, “Young Master Han’s words make us feel quite ashamed.”

Han Mingyue raised an eyebrow, “Then… shall we consider our previous misunderstanding resolved?”

Ye Li’s eyes flickered slightly as she smiled, “The misunderstanding between you and me is resolved. As for any misunderstanding between you and Mo Xiuyao, that’s your matter.”

Han Mingyue was slightly disappointed but understood not to force the issue. He also admired Ye Li’s sense of propriety. He cupped his hands and said, “Then, I take my leave.”

“Safe journey.”

After Han Mingyue left, Qing Luan stepped forward to take the box from the windowsill and said disapprovingly, “Young Miss, why be so polite to someone like him?”

Ye Li turned to sit down and smiled, “He was very polite to us yesterday.” Ye Li knew clearly that if Han Mingyue hadn’t been mindful of his relationship with Mo Xiuyao from the start, they might not have had the chance to escape unharmed. While she believed Han Mingyue was wary of Mo Xiuyao, she didn’t quite believe he was truly afraid of him.

“If it weren’t for him, Young Miss wouldn’t have… People outside are still spreading rumors about Young Miss being kidnapped, and they’re saying such ugly things…” Qing Luan didn’t think Han Mingyue had been polite to them at all. If it weren’t for him, how could her Young Miss be subject to such idle gossip and mockery?

Ye Li said calmly, “If it wasn’t him, it could have been someone else. Not everyone happens to be acquainted with the Prince.”

Taking the box Qing Luan handed over and opening it, Ye Li was also surprised. The box contained neat stacks of silver notes. Two notes worth ten thousand taels of gold and more than ten notes worth a thousand taels of silver each. Qing Luan looked and couldn’t help but exclaim, “Young Miss… this…”

Ye Li raised an eyebrow, looking troubled. Twenty thousand taels of gold were equivalent to more than two hundred thousand taels of silver, such a large sum that even Ye Li felt uncomfortable accepting it. Beside the bank notes lay a pair of exquisite white jade dragon and phoenix pendants, their quality alone indicating their extraordinary value. After some thought, Ye Li closed the box again and handed it to Qing Shuang, saying, “Prepare, I need to visit Prince Ding’s manor.”

Qing Shuang carefully cradled the box. She had just seen its contents too. She had never seen so much money in her life, making her nervous…

“Yes, Young Miss.”

“Li’er! Li’er…” Murong Ting’s voice carried in from outside before she even entered. Ye Li smiled brightly and rose to welcome her. Qin Zheng, Hua Tianxiang, and Qin Yuling, the sister of Capital Prefecture Master Qin Mu whom she had only met twice, had come together to visit Ye Li. Murong Ting entered first, grabbing Ye Li and asking repeatedly, “Li’er, are you alright?” Ye Li smiled gently, “If something had happened to me, how could I be standing here? Why have you all come?”

Qin Zheng covered her mouth and smiled lightly, “Ting’er came to fetch me and Tianxiang early this morning, insisting on finding you. I told her you were perfectly fine, but she insisted she wouldn’t be at ease until she saw you herself. We met Miss Yuling on the way and came together.” Murong Ting hugged Ye Li and angrily waved her small fist, “If this young lady ever finds out which scoundrel spread these rumors, I’ll beat them until even their parents won’t recognize them! It’s simply too outrageous, a thousand times worse than that scoundrel Leng Haoyu!” Everyone couldn’t help but laugh, and Ye Li smiled at Qin Yuling, saying, “Miss Qin, thank you for coming specially to see me.”

Qin Yuling smiled somewhat shyly, “Actually… I came on behalf of my brother to apologize to Miss Ye. He has only recently taken the position of Capital Prefecture Master, and such an incident has occurred, affecting Miss Ye’s reputation…”

Ye Li shook her head, seeing from Qin Yuling’s expression that she must have come without Qin Mu’s knowledge. Blaming such matters on Qin Mu as the Capital Prefecture Master was completely unreasonable. Even in her previous life with more advanced technology, crime had never ceased to exist. How could anyone, with limited energy, manage to control everything?

“Prefect Qin is the parent official of the capital’s common people, known for his iron-faced justice and single-minded devotion to the people. These are just some rumors, Miss Qin need not worry. Rumors stop with the wise; if we don’t pay attention to them, those people will lose interest and naturally stop spreading them.”

Hearing Ye Li’s words, Qin Yuling also breathed a sigh of relief. She had grown up relying only on her brother, and although he hadn’t said anything, she knew this incident involved Prince Ding’s manor, the Minister’s mansion, and the Xu family. Her brother was only a third-rank Prefecture Master, and the Qin family had no powerful backing. One wrong move could easily make him a scapegoat. “Thank you, Miss Ye.”

Hua Tianxiang smiled, “Miss Qin, you don’t need to thank her anymore. Those petty people are jealous of Li’er behind her back and want to ruin her reputation. Prefect Qin can’t control everyone’s mouths, can he? Li’er, looking at your attire, were you preparing to go out? Did we come at a bad time?” Hua Tianxiang noticed Ye Li’s dress and asked.

“I was planning to visit Prince Ding’s manor, but it’s nothing important. It can wait until later,” Ye Li said.

“Oh?” Murong Ting’s eyes sparkled mischievously, smiling with ulterior motives, “So our Li’er has become that close with Prince Ding?”

Ye Li gave her an exasperated look, but Murong Ting paid no attention, cheerfully saying, “Why do you need to go to Prince Ding’s manor personally? Just send a card inviting Prince Ding to come out. Also, let those gossiping, scheming people know that no matter how hard they try, they can’t break apart Li’er and Prince Ding!” Qin Yuling looked at Murong Ting with confusion, “Does Miss Murong know who did it?”

“Just call me Murong.” Murong Ting confidently said, “Who else could it be but that Prince Li who can’t stand to see Li’er doing well? I’ve never seen a man with a smaller heart than him in my life. He and Ye Ying are truly a perfect match!”

Ye Li remained silent. Mo Jing Li was truly wronged this time. However, this should be counted as karma for his poor character making him so easily suspected, right? The other three looked at each other, but seeing Murong Ting’s convinced expression and thinking of the grudge between Mo Jing Li and Ye Li, they unanimously agreed with Murong Ting’s guess in their hearts. Even Qin Yuling wore an expression of disbelief that Prince Li could be such a person.

Prince Li’s bad temper was no secret among the capital’s nobility. But if anyone had observed, they would have noticed that after the wedding, Prince Li’s temper, which should have been mellowed by newlywed bliss, had become worse than before the marriage. Especially early this morning when he went out, hearing people discuss that woman Ye Li should have put him in an incomparably good mood. But he found that whenever he passed by, people would give him strange looks, intentionally or not, or quickly change the subject to something completely unrelated. Even when drinking tea, he could feel the eyes of everyone in the teahouse trying to discreetly glance at him. When something happened to that woman Ye Li, it should have been Mo Xiuyao who was being laughed at and ridiculed! Why did he feel like everyone was laughing at him?

Most of the capital’s citizens were kindhearted, so when they first saw Mo Jing Li appear, even knowing they couldn’t afford to offend the Emperor’s brother, they still gave him looks of contempt. Hmph! What kind of person was he? It was bad enough that he broke off the young lady’s engagement without reason, but now he couldn’t stand seeing her happy. First, he damaged her reputation before, and now such malicious rumors were spreading. If this had happened to an ordinary family’s daughter, wouldn’t she be driven to death? Such a person, even if they were imperial family, could only be called scum!

“Your… Your Highness…” The people beside Mo Jing Li were terrified by the oppressive atmosphere around their prince.

“What exactly is going on?!” Mo Jing Li asked through gritted teeth.

Guard A looked around and sadly discovered he was the closest to the prince. The others, B, C, and D, had already retreated to the side. Trembling, he replied, “Your… Your Highness, everyone is discussing Miss… Miss Ye Three’s matter.”

“I know they’re discussing that woman! What does discussing that woman have to do with me?! They’re all looking at me like I’m scum, do they think I don’t see it? Shouldn’t they be mocking and ridiculing that woman, laughing at Mo Xiuyao, that useless fool, for being cuckolded?” (Do you even realize you’re admitting to being scum?)

“Well… people are saying… saying that Your Highness couldn’t bear to see Miss Ye Three happy and hated that she was about to joyfully join Prince Ding’s manor, and because she was disrespectful to you at Chu Xiang Pavilion before, you deliberately spread rumors… ahem, to damage Miss Ye Three’s repu… tation…” Guard A’s face turned red as he tried to explain quickly, but before he could finish, he watched in horror as his prince crushed the folding fan in his hand to pieces.

“What did you say?!” A chilling aura emanated from Mo Jing Li, causing passersby to instinctively take detours around him.

“Your… Your Highness… it wasn’t me who said it, it’s what all the common people in the capital are saying.” Guard A thought miserably to himself that Prince Li’s manor’s reputation had reached a new low after the Crown Prince’s scandal with his fiancée’s sister and not paying for purchases.

“Li’er, Zheng’er, quickly come up. There aren’t many people upstairs, let’s sit outside.” A clear female voice saved Guard A from being frozen solid. When he saw his prince’s gaze quickly turned toward the staircase, Guard A even more quickly curled himself into a ball and hid in a safe place. Murong Ting, wearing a bright red dress, led the way up to the second floor, turning back to wave at her friends behind her. The young servant leading them wanted to cry – Miss Murong, how could she say there weren’t many people upstairs? This was one of the capital’s finest teahouses. It was just that everyone had been scared away by Prince Li!

“Oh?” Turning around, Murong Ting saw Mo Jing Li, whose face was as dark as ink stone. She couldn’t help but look back, considering whether to change to a different teahouse, but in that moment Hua Tianxiang and the others had already come up, so the five young ladies could only helplessly stare at each other. Ye Li was even more helpless, wondering if she truly had some karmic connection with Mo Jing Li from a previous life. No matter where she went, it seemed she would run into him whenever she went out. Ye Li didn’t know that this wasn’t strange – although the capital was the most prosperous city in Da Chu, it wasn’t very large compared to the big cities in her memories. The nobility couldn’t go to the same places as common people, so they only had so many places they could go. Therefore, unless one rarely went out like Ye Li, people who frequently went about like Murong Ting knew everyone they met in any establishment.

“Li’er…” Murong Ting looked apologetically at Ye Li. She truly hadn’t expected that Prince Li, who should have been enjoying his newlywed bliss at home with his bride, would be drinking tea alone in a teahouse in broad daylight.

“It’s fine, let’s stay here.” Ye Li knew it wasn’t Murong Ting’s fault, and besides, she had no intention of deliberately avoiding Mo Jing Li. Living in the same capital, both from noble families, with family ties – where could she avoid him? Giving Mo Jing Li a calm nod, Ye Li pulled Qin Zheng and Qin Yuling toward a quieter corner.

Murong Ting stuck out her tongue and quickly followed with Hua Tianxiang.

“Ah, do you think Prince Ding will come?” Murong Ting asked in a low voice. She hadn’t grown up in the capital and wasn’t familiar with Prince Ding at all. Hua Tianxiang was confident though, nodding, “Don’t worry, my grandfather says Prince Ding is a good person. Since he received the card, he’ll come.”

Qin Yuling said softly, “Then we should leave early, so we don’t disturb Li’er and Prince Ding’s conversation.”

Murong Ting giggled, “It’s still early, we came out early so Prince Ding hasn’t left yet. We can change locations when he arrives. Hehe, did you see the faces of those people downstairs when we came in? They looked so strange. I was worried their eyeballs would pop out into their teacups!” Hua Tianxiang snorted lightly, “Those people probably thought Li’er would be hiding at home crying right now, of course they were shocked to see us appear.”

Qin Zheng covered her mouth and smiled, “I’ve never seen so many people simultaneously dumbfounded before. This is the first time in my life I’ve been stared at like this.”

Ye Li could only shake her head with amusement as she watched her friends chattering about their experiences going out today. The rumors weren’t nearly as fierce as she had expected – Mo Xiuyao and her eldest uncle must have done something behind the scenes. At least most people’s gazes held surprise or sympathy rather than the contempt and disdain she had originally feared might appear. It seemed most people hadn’t believed the news of her kidnapping.

Ye Li and her friends sat in their relatively remote corner, chatting among themselves. Mo Jing Li sat alone by the window with a dark expression, drinking tea as if it were wine. Because of the distance, he couldn’t hear what they were saying, but he could still feel their good atmosphere and cheerful mood. They seemed completely unaffected by the rumors. Mo Jing Li couldn’t help but grind his teeth – it was Ye Li who had gotten into trouble, yet Ye Li herself acted as if nothing had happened, while he had to take the blame. But even Mo Jing Li felt it beneath his dignity to go over and argue with Ye Li about it now. So he could only let his gloomy aura frighten away the surrounding customers while continuing to pour tea down his throat.

“Ah, Li’er! Prince Ding is here!” Just as he was brooding, Murong Ting’s loud voice rang out so the entire second floor could hear. Everyone looked up to see Murong Ting excitedly leaning out the window to look down. Qin Zheng helplessly pulled her back, turning to smile at Ye Li, “Li’er, why don’t you go down to meet the Prince?” Hua Tianxiang covered her mouth to hide her giggle, waving her hand teasingly, “It’s fine if you don’t come back, we’ll go shopping ourselves after we finish our snacks. After all, there’s no extra seat here for Prince Ding.”

Hearing this, the few remaining customers on the second floor regretted choosing seats further inside out of fear of Prince Li’s cold aura, and could now only strain their ears to try to hear what the young ladies in the corner were saying. Ye Li saw this and couldn’t help but be amused – gossip was truly an essential trait of people across all eras. Under everyone’s direct or subtle gazes, Ye Li stood up and walked downstairs. When passing Mo Jing Li’s table, she felt his fierce glare, and could only think helplessly: some people just naturally don’t get along, you can’t force it.

Watching Miss Ye Three go downstairs with such composure, the looks and expressions the diners upstairs gave Mo Jing Li became even more complex. Seeing how calmly Ye Li appeared in public and gracefully went to meet Prince Ding, she truly didn’t seem like someone who had been through any trouble. In contrast, Prince Li’s dark face and fierce expression clearly showed the anger of someone whose scheme had failed. People exchanged glances, having silent discussions. Mo Jing Li seemed to finally be unable to bear such a strange atmosphere. He set his teacup down heavily on the table, stood up, glanced through the half-open window at the street below, then turned and went downstairs with a dark face.

The moment Ye Li came down from upstairs, the entire main hall instantly fell silent. Just as people were about to start discussing after Ye Li walked out with a gentle expression and slight smile, they saw Mo Jing Li come down with his dark face, and another silence fell. However, seeing these two’s behavior, at least the people present were more inclined to sympathize with Ye Li.

When Ye Li walked out of the teahouse, Prince Ding’s carriage had just stopped. A Jin was just about to lift the curtain to invite Mo Xiuyao down. “Xiuyao,” Ye Li called softly. Seeing Ye Li, A Jin respectfully stepped aside. Ye Li nimbly stepped onto the footstool and entered the carriage. Mo Xiuyao looked at her with raised eyebrows, “Why did you come down?” Ye Li sat down opposite him and smiled, “Tianxiang and the others said there were too many people and no place to sit, so they chased me out. They’re just being silly – I had originally planned to visit Prince Ding’s manor tomorrow.”

Mo Xiuyao smiled, “Their silliness was quite timely.”

“What do you mean?” Ye Li asked in confusion. Outside, A Jin had already started driving the carriage forward. Ye Li thought for a moment and leaned out to tell him a destination. She happened to see Mo Jing Li standing at the teahouse entrance, watching their carriage with a gloomy expression. Mo Xiuyao said, “Early this morning, the entire capital was spreading rumors that yesterday’s gossip was deliberately spread by Jing Li to humiliate you.”

Ye Li was stunned, beginning to understand why Mo Jing Li’s expression had been so awful. With Mo Jing Li’s personality, how could he feel comfortable being wrongly accused? Thinking of Murong Ting’s confident guess earlier, it seemed it hadn’t come from anywhere.

“Did you have something to tell me, Li’er?” Mo Xiuyao asked, looking at Ye Li’s lovely face as her thoughts wandered.

Ye Li came back to herself, nodding, “This morning Han Mingyue sent twenty thousand taels of gold notes, over ten thousand taels of silver notes, and a pair of jade pendants. I had originally planned to bring them when I visited Prince Ding’s manor tomorrow. Going out with Tianxiang and the others, it wasn’t good to carry them with me.” Mo Xiuyao shook his head dismissively, “Those were his gifts to you, just keep them.” Ye Li was speechless – giving tens of thousands of taels of silver so casually, even if Han Mingyue dared to give it, she felt uncomfortable accepting it. “I’ll have someone send them to Prince Ding’s manor tomorrow, you can handle it as you see fit. I have enough money to spend.” Mo Xiuyao sighed helplessly, “Li’er… when Han Mingyue sent those things to you, they became yours. Just keep them with peace of mind. You don’t need to feel like you owe him any favor. Han Mingyue is the type to feel pain spending even one tael of silver – if he’s willing to send those things to you as compensation, it must be because he feels they’re worth it. You don’t need to promise him anything.”

Ye Li smiled, “I truly had no intention of promising him anything.” Ye Li had privately guessed that Han Mingyue must have done something to wrong Mo Xiuyao before, and now this situation had come up. She hadn’t expected Mo Xiuyao to let him off so easily. Han Mingyue probably felt guilty or remorseful, but unable to find a way to make amends, he had resorted to trying to curry favor with her regardless of cost. Unfortunately, Ye Li had no intention of meddling to help restore the friendship between former friends, so Han Mingyue’s money was likely spent in vain.

“So you asked to meet me today just for this matter?” Mo Xiuyao asked.

Hearing Mo Xiuyao’s deep, pleasant voice, Ye Li, who had been lost in thought, felt her heart unexpectedly skip a beat. Somewhat embarrassed, she said, “Indeed, it wasn’t anything important. Did I disturb you?” Seeing that Mo Xiuyao seemed truly uninterested in what Han Mingyue had sent, Ye Li couldn’t help but wonder just how wealthy Prince Ding’s manor must be.

“I’m quite free these days anyway,” Mo Xiuyao shook his head. “Since we’re already out, would you like to accompany me somewhere?”

Ye Li nodded, “I’m not very familiar with the capital, you can decide.”

Having obtained Ye Li’s permission, Mo Xiuyao gave instructions to A Jin to drive the carriage, and A Jin immediately turned the carriage in another direction.

In the carriage, Ye Li asked curiously, “Feng Hua Tower? You’re not planning to buy me jewelry, are you? I already have my jewelry store.”

Mo Xiuyao looked at her with a smile, “Isn’t it normal to give one’s fiancée jewelry? Is it not allowed?”

Ye Li fell silent. How could she say ‘You haven’t even patronized my Cang Zhen Pavilion, why let profits flow elsewhere?’ Even though she had never properly been in love before, she knew such words would spoil the mood. But… was Mo Xiuyao trying to please her? Ye Li inexplicably felt a bit flustered, but looking at Mo Xiuyao’s cultured and composed expression, she couldn’t read his thoughts at all, so she could only helplessly give up. Having a man who wasn’t unlikeable and was her future husband buying jewelry to please her should be a happy thing, right?

Feng Hua Tower was a very famous accessories shop in the capital, primarily selling jade items. What made it beloved by the capital’s young ladies wasn’t just its high prices and exquisite goods, but more importantly that none of its accessories were exactly alike. Each piece was unique, which particularly appealed to young ladies and noble women who disliked wearing the same things as others. Ye Li had considered taking Cang Zhen Pavilion in this high-end direction, but unfortunately, Cang Zhen Pavilion didn’t have particularly outstanding designers or master craftsmen, and Ye Li herself only had a superficial understanding of jewelry design, so she had reluctantly given up the idea.

When they entered Feng Hua Tower, the shopkeeper immediately came forward to welcome them. Even upon seeing Mo Xiuyao enter in a wheelchair, he only paused very briefly before displaying an appropriate smile and greeting them. “Ah, it’s Prince Ding and Miss Ye Three. Having you both visit Feng Hua Tower truly brings honor to our humble shop. Your Highness, Miss Ye, please come inside.”

Leading the two into a private room, pretty young maids immediately served spring-scented tea. Ye Li smiled as she drank her tea, examining the room’s elegant and comfortable arrangements, and couldn’t help but sigh at this truly VIP treatment. No wonder Feng Hua Tower had become the favorite shopping destination of the capital’s nobility. With such attentive service, how could they worry about not making money?

Perhaps because of Mo Xiuyao’s status, the shopkeeper personally stood by to serve them. “Does Your Highness wish to select accessories for Miss Ye Three? This seems to be Miss Ye’s first visit to our humble shop – what kind of accessories do you prefer?”

Ye Li looked at Mo Xiuyao, who sipped his tea and said softly, “Bring out some of the fine pieces for us to look at first.”

The shopkeeper acknowledged this and went personally to fetch the items. Ye Li asked in confusion, “We’re here to buy jewelry?”

Mo Xiuyao smiled, “Li’er, you’re thinking too much. Since we’re out, what’s wrong with buying a few pieces if we see something we like?”

Ye Li asked somewhat suspiciously, “Is it that my usual appearance embarrasses you?” Thinking about it, it wasn’t impossible. Ye Li had quite a few pieces of jewelry, all left behind by Madam Xu during her lifetime. However, Ye Li had always disliked feeling encumbered, so her accessories, especially hair ornaments, were generally kept at a level that wouldn’t be discourteous, but anything more elaborate was somewhat difficult for her to accept. Given Prince Ding’s manor’s status, having the future princess consort dress too simply might indeed feel like a loss of face.

Mo Xiuyao shook his head helplessly, looking at Ye Li seriously, “I would be unable to bear it if you were loaded down with pearls and kingfisher feathers. I didn’t know where else to go, so I just brought you here to look around. Feng Zhiyao said the accessories here are quite good.”

Ye Li looked at him suspiciously, trying to find even a trace of discomfort in his expression. However, a certain someone was too composed – even while saying such seemingly innocent words, he maintained the same elegant composure as if reading an ancient book in his study. Ye Li could only tell herself she was overthinking things. Come to think of it, although a certain someone now appeared refined and gentlemanly like pure jade, it was said that in his younger years, he had also gone through a phase of youthful impetuousness, riding horses by crooked bridges with red sleeves beckoning from upper floors.

Soon, the shopkeeper returned carrying two boxes. Placing them on the table and carefully opening them, he said, “It’s rare for Your Highness and Miss Ye Three to visit our humble shop. This set of accessories is our owner’s newest design that he crafted. And this year, it’s likely to be the only set of its kind. What does Miss Ye think?”

Hearing the shopkeeper speak so solemnly, Ye Li also became curious.

It was a set of finest quality celadon jade accessories. While celadon jade wasn’t the most valuable among jade items, Ye Li had never seen jade of this quality even in Shen De Xuan or Cang Zhen Pavilion. More importantly, the style was simple yet elegant, like a refined magnolia flower quietly blooming in the moonlight, giving people a sense of tranquil gentleness from the bottom of their hearts. No woman could escape the temptation of exquisite jewelry, Ye Li sighed inwardly.

“This set includes two jade magnolia hairpins, a bracelet, a bangle, and this frontlet.” Seeing Ye Li’s appreciative gaze, the shopkeeper immediately opened the other box to reveal the frontlet inside. The pale green jade had no complicated patterns or gem inlays. It was simply an ornament composed of beautifully shaped orchid flowers, quietly lying in its brocade box lined with silk, emanating a subtle radiance.

“Do you like it?” Mo Xiuyao looked at Ye Li and smiled, “It suits Li’er very well.”

“It is indeed beautiful,” Ye Li nodded.

“We’ll take this set. Send someone to my manor later to collect payment.”

Seeing that both were very satisfied, the shopkeeper was also pleased at making such a large sale. “Yes, would Miss Ye like to take it now, or shall we have it delivered?” Mo Xiuyao said calmly, “Just have it delivered to the Ye residence.”

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