“The two Princesses have arrived.”

Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao had just exited the inner room with the shopkeeper when they heard the shop assistant respectfully announce this at the door. The shopkeeper started, hurriedly apologized to the two of them, and went forward to greet the new arrivals. The people who had just entered also saw the pair. Princess Imperial Zhaoyang froze and exclaimed, “Xiuyao?” She quickly walked over, stopping a few steps away from Mo Xiuyao, and said softly, “Xiuyao, are you here shopping with Miss Ye?”

Mo Xiuyao’s eyes flickered slightly. He nodded and said, “Indeed. It’s been many years, Princess Imperial.”

Princess Zhaoyang’s face held a trace of sadness as she nodded, “It truly has been many years. You now… it’s good that you’re well. After your wedding, if Miss Ye is free, she should visit the Princess’s manor frequently. It would be nice to keep this old woman company.”

Ye Li nodded gently and smiled faintly, “I’m honored by Princess Imperial’s kindness. I will certainly come to visit then.”

Princess Zhaoyang sighed softly and took Ye Li’s hand, smiling, “Although this is only my second time meeting Miss Ye, when I was young, I had some friendship with your mother. Miss Ye, please look around and see if there’s anything you like – consider it a meeting gift from your elder.”

Ye Li was somewhat helpless, and just as she was about to decline, Mo Xiuyao spoke first, “Aunt Zhaoyang… don’t frighten Ah Li. We have some matters to attend to and must leave now. Weren’t you here with Princess Zhaoren? Don’t let us spoil the Princess’s pleasure.”

The elegantly dressed beauty who had been ignored at the side was Princess Zhaoren, whom they had seen at Mo Jingli’s wedding feast days ago. Hearing Mo Xiuyao’s words, she merely snorted coldly. Princess Zhaoyang frowned slightly but could only sigh and say, “Very well. Miss Ye, if you need anything in the future, just send someone to my manor to let me know.”

Ye Li thanked her softly and accompanied Mo Xiuyao out of Fenghua Tower.

Once in the carriage, Ye Li sensed that Mo Xiuyao’s mood was unsettled. She didn’t say much, simply picked up a book that had been left in the carriage and began reading. However, thinking back to Princess Imperial Zhaoyang’s words and expressions in the shop, there was something oddly strange about them. She felt the Princess Imperial’s attitude was similar to Han Mingyue’s. They seemed to want to get close to Mo Xiuyao but had to maintain a certain distance for some unknown reason. Their expressions always revealed a vague sense of guilt and desire for compensation. This compensation was something Mo Xiuyao was unwilling to accept, so they had redirected it toward her instead – like Han Mingyue’s bank notes and Princess Zhaoyang’s attitude. What exactly had these two done to Mo Xiuyao?

“I’m sorry, Ah Li,” Mo Xiuyao said softly in the carriage, his eyes showing faint remorse. Ye Li raised her eyebrows in confusion. Mo Xiuyao smiled helplessly and said, “I had originally planned to take you out to relax…” Only then did Ye Li understand – was this man apologizing to her for his bad mood earlier? But surely having a bad mood after encountering someone you dislike was unavoidable? Or had she acted like an unreasonable little girl, making him feel he needed to apologize?

“It’s nothing. If you’re not in the mood today, let’s head back first. We can go out another day when you’re feeling better.” In truth, she wasn’t in the mood to go shopping with a depressed man either – she wasn’t good at comforting people. Rather than that, she might as well do something else. After yesterday’s events, she’d discovered she had a huge pile of things to do anyway.

Mo Xiuyao was silent for a moment before nodding, “I’ll take you back.”

Ye Li nodded and gave instructions to Ajin to drive outside, and the carriage headed toward the Minister’s mansion. Looking at Ye Li’s calm and relaxed expression, Mo Xiuyao’s expression also softened considerably. He couldn’t help but smile and say, “Ah Li doesn’t seem worried at all.”

Ye Li shrugged, “There wasn’t anything to worry about in the first place. Though I guess the old lady at home is probably worried sick.” If she were to have another engagement broken off by the Prince of Dingguo’s family, the old lady would probably want to send her to a nunnery. Not only would it tarnish the Ye family’s reputation, but they would also lose the substantial bride price already received from the Prince’s manor. Enough to make the old lady and Madam Wang distressed for quite some time.

“Nothing will happen. This matter will blow over in another day or two at most.”

Ye Li nodded, not saying anything more. What would have happened if she had been in trouble last night? This was a question Ye Li didn’t ask, and Mo Xiuyao didn’t bring up – they had a tacit understanding. Perhaps even if something had happened, Mo Xiuyao would still have covered it up, would still have married her, and perhaps would have killed Han Mingyue. Perhaps Ye Li would have killed Han Mingyue herself, but would not have married him. Who was the real culprit behind it all? Mo Xiuyao had no intention of telling her, and she had no intention of asking. They were prepared to spend their lives together but had no plans to treat each other as the most important, most beloved person. Just as Ye Li could never consider Mo Xiuyao more important than her own family, there must also be people more important than her in Mo Xiuyao’s heart.

At the Ye mansion’s gate, Mo Xiuyao watched Ye Li enter through the main door before lowering the curtain and telling Ajin, “Let’s return.”

Ajin silently watched the slowly closing gate, hesitated for a moment, then asked in a low voice, “Your Highness, why don’t you tell Miss Ye…”

“Ajin, return to the manor.”

“…Yes, Your Highness.”

*This isn’t a misunderstanding – it’s a divide worse than a misunderstanding. Ah Yao, you’re in trouble.*

As soon as Ye Li entered the gate, Qingxia and Qingshuang, who had been waiting at the side, came forward to report that her uncles had arrived and were waiting to see her. Ye Li was confused, “Is it First Uncle or Second Uncle? I just returned from the Xu family this morning, has something else happened?”

Qingshuang said, “Both uncles are here. They’re talking with the Old Madam in Rongle Hall.”

Ye Li looked helplessly at her attire and said, “Never mind, let’s go directly.”

Entering Rongle Hall, she indeed saw both uncles sitting and drinking tea. Old Madam Ye and Madam Wang were sitting at the side, their expressions somewhat strange. Seeing Ye Li enter, Old Madam Ye finally breathed a sigh of relief and smiled at Ye Li, “Li’er, your two uncles came specially to visit you. Why did you go out? Come quickly and pay your respects!”

Ye Li came forward and performed the greeting as told. Xu Hongyu waved his hand and said, “Enough. Li’er just returned from the Xu family today, what’s this about a special visit?” Xu Hongyan also nodded with a stern face, “Indeed, yesterday my brother and I had some matters to instruct Li’er about when we invited her over. We hadn’t expected so many things to happen. It was our Xu family’s oversight.”

Old Madam Ye and Minister Ye exchanged somewhat awkward glances. Although Xu Hongyan was saying it was the Xu family’s fault, how could they not hear the reproach toward the Ye family in his words? After the rumors spread, the Ye family had done nothing, not even sending someone to the Xu family to inquire. How could the Xu family not feel hurt? But looking at the graceful young woman before her, Old Madam Ye still couldn’t make up her mind. She really couldn’t be sure if yesterday Ye Li had truly gone to the Xu family or if, as the rumors said, she had been kidnapped by bandits. If something had happened, then…

Xu Hongyan looked at Old Madam Ye and Minister Ye and snorted in displeasure. Beside him, Xu Hongyu gave him a bland look, then turned to smile at Ye Li, “Wasn’t it said that Li’er went out with Miss Hua and Miss Qin? When your uncle came, I heard that those two young ladies from the Qin and Hua families were causing trouble for Young Master Cold with General Murong’s daughter. Don’t tell me Li’er also went to join in the commotion?”

Ye Li hadn’t expected Murong Ting to make such a scene. She quickly shook her head, “Li’er went to Fenghua Tower with Prince Ding, where we met Princess Imperial Zhaoyang and Princess Zhaoren. Then we returned. It was my fault for keeping Uncle waiting.”

“Oh? Did you go to Fenghua Tower with Prince Ding? No matter, it’s not bad for young people to get out and about.” Xu Hongyu was very satisfied with Ye Li’s answer. Xu Hongyan also nodded, casually complaining, “Your aunt often reminds Qingze to accompany Miss Qin out, but that boy is such a blockhead – acts like saying half a word more would cost him something!”

Ye Li couldn’t help but smile slightly at the thought of Xu Qingze’s cold demeanor. Zheng’er was the most gentle and agreeable among them, yet she had ended up with such a cold and taciturn fiancé. In all the time since coming to the capital, apart from once when Second Aunt sent him to deliver gifts to the Qin family, the two hadn’t formally met.

Ignoring the secretly changing expressions of Minister Ye and Old Madam Ye, Xu Hongyu turned directly to Minister Ye and said, “I have some matters to instruct Li’er about privately if you don’t mind…” Minister Ye had always been afraid of this brother-in-law. How could he dare say no when asked? He hurriedly said, “In that case, Li’er, take your First Uncle and Second Uncle to sit in your courtyard. Later, I will prepare a feast and hope my two elder brothers will honor us with their presence.”

Xu Hongyan stood up indifferently and said, “First Brother has arranged to play Go with Old Su tonight, so let’s skip the feast.” Seeing Xu Hongyu’s bland expression, Minister Ye could only dejectedly give up, letting Ye Li take her two uncles to speak privately. Old Madam Ye watched her son’s spineless behavior and glared at him in displeasure, but the current Xu family patriarch’s accumulated prestige was too great, so she had to let it go.

Back at Qingyi Pavilion, Xu Hongyan examined the interior and exterior arrangements, nodded in satisfaction, and then turned to leave, leaving the room for his elder brother and niece to talk.

“Did First Uncle and Second Uncle come specially to give Li’er some important instructions?” Ye Li asked as she invited Xu Hongyu to sit down, personally pouring tea for him.

Xu Hongyu looked her over and smiled, “You seem to be in good spirits, Li’er, not affected by those rumors. Is that so?”

Ye Li served the clear tea and sat down with a helpless smile, “Life goes on even with rumors flying about. Besides, the current situation is already much better than what I had originally anticipated.”

Xu Hongyu looked at her seriously and said, “Then, what would you do if things turned out worse than you initially thought? Though it was fortunate you emerged unscathed last night if something had happened… Li’er, have you thought about it?”

Ye Li silently gazed at the clear tea before her, then nodded, “Li’er has caused uncle to worry. But… no matter what happens, one must go on living. Li’er may not fear death, but as long as there’s hope, I will certainly live on. At the very least, I won’t die because of rumors.” At this point, Ye Li unconsciously bit her lip. Even in the relatively open-minded Great Chu, a woman’s chastity was still valued far above her life. She didn’t know if her First Uncle could accept what she was saying, but these were her true feelings. Ye Li would never give up her life for mistakes that weren’t her own.

“Very good, this is what a daughter of the Xu family should be like,” Xu Hongyu said calmly after a long while, setting down his teacup.

Ye Li started, quickly raising her head to look at her First Uncle. Xu Hongyu’s gaze toward Ye Li held several traces of sadness, “Though the men of the Xu family have always valued scholarly pursuits, they have never lacked strength. No amount of hardship is enough to make us give up what belongs to us. But… while the daughters of the Xu family are indeed intelligent and clever, they are also more fragile than ordinary women. Just like your mother… If your mother had been as strong as you back then, how could things have ended up like that?”

“First Uncle…” Every time her mother was mentioned, it always deeply pained her First Uncle. Ye Li thought of her mother’s frail beauty in her memories and couldn’t help but sigh. Mother had been too well-protected by the Xu family in her youth, so she couldn’t accept the reality after marriage and could only gradually wither away in the Ye family courtyard.

Xu Hongyu waved his hand, “Prince Ding is an excellent man, even now I still think so. But from any perspective, he’s not a good candidate for a husband. Do you know why the Xu family didn’t oppose this marriage, Li’er?”

Ye Li looked at her First Uncle’s gentle yet somewhat authoritative gaze and hesitated before saying, “The imperial decree is difficult to defy?”

“That’s one reason,” Xu Hongyu said, “but if the Xu family truly didn’t want it, there would have been ways to resolve it. Your grandfather still has some face at court. If he went to the capital to request the Emperor to withdraw the decree, His Majesty wouldn’t refuse. Ye Li was startled and hurriedly said, “That absolutely cannot happen. Grandfather is already advanced in years and has finally gotten away from all the complications of the capital. How could he get involved again for Li’er’s sake? Not to mention, grandfather is already over seventy this year – Li’er couldn’t accept making him endure such a long journey to the capital.” A trace of satisfaction flashed across Xu Hongyu’s face as he reached out to pat Ye Li, “Your grandfather knows Li’er is a filial good child.”

Ye Li lowered her head in thought, then frowned in confusion, “Li’er truly can’t figure it out, please enlighten me, uncle.”

Xu Hongyu sighed, “It’s because of your identity. If you had the Xu surname, the Xu family could legitimately refuse the Emperor’s marriage decree on your behalf. We could even have married you to an ordinary scholarly family in Binzhou without issue – the Xu family doesn’t need more wealth and glory. But you bear the Ye surname, and besides the imperial family, the Ye family has a say in your marriage. Moreover, you had the previous Emperor’s decree before. Although His Majesty dissolved your engagement to Prince Li, he betrothed Ye Ying to him instead. Though Ye Ying is called the Ye family’s legitimate daughter, she’s just a concubine’s daughter. His Majesty wants to heavily employ your father and favor Noble Consort Ye. He also wants to satisfy the scholarly class, so you can’t marry someone inferior to Ye Ying. In other words… if you don’t marry Prince Ding, you would still be betrothed to another prince, or even… enter the palace as a consort. Entering the palace is out of the question – your uncle and grandfather considered all the unmarried princes and could only choose Prince Ding.”

Ye Li nodded in agreement with her uncle’s words, “Actually, Prince Ding is much better than Li’er had originally expected. However, now I’ve discovered… he might be more troublesome than initially thought. But it’s not unacceptable, is it? Uncle also said Prince Ding is an excellent man.”

Xu Hongyu looked at Ye Li strangely and asked, “What did Li’er originally think Prince Ding was like?”

Ye Li smiled somewhat embarrassedly, “Wasn’t it rumored outside that Prince Ding was… disabled, and disfigured? And gravely ill too? Anyone could imagine what such a tragic person would look like, so the current Mo Xiuyao is truly unexpectedly good.”

Xu Hongyu could imagine it too, and glared at her in exasperation, “If he were really like that, it would be better to find a way to poison him. Even if you never married, it would be better than marrying a cripple.”

Ye Li wasn’t concerned about marrying a cripple – given the Prince Ding Manor’s status, she wouldn’t have had to personally attend to Mo Xiuyao anyway. It would just be like having a companion through life. Now the person wasn’t so useless, but the troubles were more than imagined. For First Uncle to personally come to tell her all this, Ye Li could already predict that married life definitely wouldn’t be as wonderful as she had imagined.

“Last night your eldest brother mentioned it and I finally noticed – the Ye family has been outrageous these years! And you, staying in the capital all these years without understanding anything about the people and affairs here!” Xu Hongyu shot Ye Li a disapproving look. Ye Li quickly lowered her head in acknowledgment of her error. Not only did her father fear First Uncle, but she did too. In fact, besides her eldest brother, she’d never seen anyone who wasn’t afraid of First Uncle. Well… perhaps Mo Xiuyao counted as one too.

First Uncle’s scolding was right – over these years, she had deliberately isolated herself from her surroundings by rarely leaving home. Of course, Madam Wang had contributed to this, but the main responsibility lay with herself. Even though she had long accepted her current life, deep in Ye Li’s heart she probably still felt that her previous life was the real one, while the present seemed more like an unexpected game or dream. Of course, last night’s danger had given her a stronger sense of reality.

“How much do you understand of what Hongyan gave you earlier?” Xu Hongyu asked directly.

Ye Li knew her uncle was referring to the materials Second Uncle had given her about the relationships between the capital’s powerful families and important figures. She quickly replied, “I’ve memorized it all.”

Xu Hongyu shook his head, “Memorizing that kind of thing is useless – you need to understand the relationships within it. You know all the people of the Hua Duke’s manor, and you’ve met Noble Consort Liu in the palace. Can you tell me what you think about the relationships between the current Empress, Noble Consort Liu, the Hua Duke’s manor, and the Liu family?”

Ye Li was surprised – this seemed to be straying quite far from the topic. But she still seriously considered it for a long while according to Xu Hongyu’s words before saying, “Li’er hasn’t met the Empress, but is quite familiar with the Hua family and has met Princess Changle once. The Empress is His Majesty’s original wife – though not favored, she should be a magnanimous and virtuous lady. As for Noble Consort Liu, she’s somewhat proud and cold in temperament. But His Majesty greatly favors her, and she has borne him two sons and a daughter. So, these two… probably don’t have a harmonious relationship. However, I haven’t heard of any discord between the Hua and Liu families. Minister Liu and Minister Ye do view each other unfavorably in court, currently considered equal in power. But in the palace, the situation favors Noble Consort Liu.”

Xu Hongyu nodded and reminded her, “Well said, but people’s hearts can change easily. Especially the hearts of those in the palace are harder to fathom – you still need to work more on this aspect. It seems Hongyan only gave you current information, probably thinking you already knew about the earlier years.”

Ye Li felt somewhat ashamed. During the earlier years, especially when Mo Xiuyao had his accident, she had been experiencing confused memories and physical weakness. After recovering, she rarely paid attention to outside affairs, so she didn’t know about those old matters. Second Uncle probably hadn’t imagined she wouldn’t even know about those widely discussed events.

“How much does Li’er understand about the Prince of Dingguo’s manor?”

Ye Li understood that First Uncle had come specifically to educate her on basic knowledge. The first master of the Prince of Dingguo’s manor was Mo Lanyun, the younger brother of Great Chu’s founding Emperor Mo Chengtian. At the founding of the dynasty, the Emperor granted him the title of Hereditary Prince of the First Rank, bestowing the title of Dingguo. After three generations, during the previous Emperor’s time, when court officials were bullying the young emperor, the then Prince Ding Mo Liufang returned from the frontier, executed the corrupt officials, supported the young emperor, and was appointed as Prince Regent. When the previous emperor was sixteen, Mo Liufang returned power to him. In the twenty-ninth year of the previous emperor’s reign, Mo Liufang died of illness, and his eldest son Mo Xiuwen inherited the title. The following year, the previous emperor passed away. In the third year of the current reign, Mo Xiuwen was ordered to campaign against the Rong barbarians but died of illness en route, leaving no sons. The eighteen-year-old Mo Xiuyao inherited the title and led troops against the Rong. He fell into an ambush, suffering heavy casualties and nearly losing his life. Though he ultimately achieved victory through an unexpected strategy, he paid a heavy price. Three months later, Mo Xiuyao’s fiancée died of illness, and from then on, the Prince of Dingguo’s manor practically vanished from the capital’s scene.

“Is there more?”

Ye Li frowned slightly and continued, “The Prince of Dingguo’s manor has produced talented individuals in every generation, excelling in both civil administration and military affairs. In contrast, the imperial family from the same lineage pales in comparison. The most outstanding was the first Prince Ding, Mo Lanyun – it’s said that if he hadn’t married a princess from the previous dynasty, he might have had a better chance at the throne than the founding Emperor. Then there was Mo Liufang, capable of both protecting the country through military might and governing through civil wisdom. Mo Xiuyao was once praised as an unparalleled genius no less than his ancestors. If Mo Liufang hadn’t passed away when he was only thirteen, he might have inherited the throne from the beginning.”

The room fell silent. Ye Li quietly picked up the teapot to add some tea for Xu Hongyu before hearing him ask, “Yes, in just five or six short years, the Prince of Dingguo’s manor was destroyed. One who should have been a legendary general of his generation fell into obscurity. The invincible myth of the Prince of Dingguo’s manor was thus shattered. Do you know, Li’er… that assessment of Mo Xiuyao being an unparalleled genius no less than his ancestors was made by your grandfather. He has regretted it for over a decade now.”

“What does First Uncle mean?” Ye Li started. Political struggles have never ceased throughout history. Even now, private speculations about the decline of the Prince of Dingguo’s manor had never stopped. But hearing it directly from her uncle’s mouth still shocked Ye Li. After the initial shock, Ye Li quickly calmed down and said, “I’ve heard that Prince Ding was indeed brilliantly talented in his youth with outstanding military achievements. So even if Grandfather hadn’t said those words, those who targeted the Prince of Dingguo’s manor would still have done so. Grandfather merely appreciated his talent, not foresaw the future. In this matter… grandfather needn’t blame himself.”

Xu Hongyu nodded in approval, “For Li’er to have such insight at such a young age is already remarkable. Your uncle tells you these things hoping you’ll understand the Prince of Dingguo Manor’s situation. Although in outsiders’ eyes, the manor has declined to merely an empty name now. But…”

Ye Li looked at him and continued, “But the Prince of Dingguo’s manor still has cards that make the imperial family hesitate to move against him, right?”

“Correct. If not for this, Mo Xiuyao would have ‘died of illness’ years ago. The reason His Majesty doesn’t dare move against him is because he fears the consequences. The successive deaths of the previous two Princes Ding already aroused suspicion. If anything were to happen to Mo Xiuyao, it might shake the foundation of the state.”

Ye Li sighed softly, feeling cold as she held her teacup to draw warmth from it, “Did His Majesty choose Li’er because he also fears the Xu family? Isn’t he afraid that after the Xu family and Prince of Dingguo’s manor are joined by marriage…”

Xu Hongyu’s gaze was cool, “The Xu family ancestors swore that as long as the imperial family doesn’t move against the Xu family, the Xu clan will never betray them.”

“Do people believe such promises?” Ye Li asked, puzzled. Even written treaties could be torn up at any time, let alone oaths. Xu Hongyu glared at her in displeasure, “This is written in the Xu family rules. The Xu family has maintained its reputation through honesty for hundreds of years.” Ye Li shrank back a little, then quietly asked curiously, “Uncle, did the Xu family… make any oaths to the previous dynasty’s emperor?”

“Ahem…” Xu Hongyu coughed several times, glaring at Ye Li in exasperation. Ye Li could only shrug and rest her chin on her hand in silence. After all, how could a great clan that had survived hundreds of years without falling be so inflexible? It wasn’t that they wouldn’t betray – it was just that the reward for betrayal wasn’t high enough yet. After giving Ye Li one final glare, Xu Hongyu said seriously, “In any case, unless necessary, the Xu family won’t betray the imperial family. The Xu family doesn’t lack for fame or fortune, nor do we obsess over power. The throne? What use is that thing? To be a wise ruler requires the resolve to work oneself to death; to enjoy oneself recklessly requires the preparation to be infamous for ten thousand years.”

“Li’er understands. Who does First Uncle think wants to ruin my marriage to Prince Ding? If it’s not the Emperor?” Ye Li asked.

Xu Hongyu shook his head, “That’s hard to say. Qingchen only said it was a woman. But we’ve gone through almost every woman connected to Prince Ding and haven’t found out who it is. Prince Ding himself must know, has he said anything?” Mentioning this, a trace of displeasure crossed Xu Hongyu’s elegant face. Seeing Ye Li shake her head, he snorted and said, “He should know his limits. If anything improper happens again, he’s not worth having as a husband. The Xu family can support our granddaughter.”

“Li’er thinks it might be some woman who admires Prince Ding,” Ye Li said directly to Xu Hongyu, not feeling any embarrassment.

Xu Hongyu looked at her with amusement, “Someone who admires Prince Ding? If you’re talking about when Prince Ding was young, at least half the young ladies in the capital admired him. However… none of them could buy off the Tianyi Pavilion. Though Han Mingyue loves money like life itself, he was also Prince Ding’s close friend in his youth. He wouldn’t mess with Prince Ding’s fiancée just for money.”

“Then… what about a woman who both admires Mo Xiuyao and has a close relationship with Han Mingyue?”

Xu Hongyu raised his eyebrows, “There is one, but it couldn’t be her.”

Ye Li blinked, and Xu Hongyu calmly set down his teacup and said, “Noble Consort Liu.”

This time it was Ye Li’s turn to cough, “Noble… Noble Consort Liu?”

“What’s strange about that? Noble Consort Liu was once known as the capital’s foremost talented woman. Even your eldest brother never gave anyone a second glance, yet he would speak gently to the then-Prince Ding. Unfortunately… Prince Ding’s heart already belonged to another at the time, otherwise, they would have made a rare perfect match. Moreover, Noble Consort Liu was skilled in painting, and Han Mingyue’s painting skills were also renowned in the capital in his youth. The second volume of his ‘Chu Capital Beauty Scroll’ featured Noble Consort Liu, and it’s still priceless even now. Though after Noble Consort Liu entered the palace, His Majesty bought that painting at a high price.” Somehow, Xu Hongyu had abandoned those heavy topics and started telling Ye Li about old gossip.

Ye Li thought of that cold-eyed woman in the palace, as beautiful as a pear blossom, truly worthy of being called a national beauty, “Why does Uncle say it’s not her?”

“Your eldest brother knows Noble Consort Liu. Although he didn’t see that woman’s face, and so many years have passed, your brother is still certain it wasn’t Noble Consort Liu. Besides, do you think the palace is a place where a Noble Consort can casually lead a group of people wandering outside at night?” Ye Li nodded in understanding – she hadn’t thought it was Noble Consort Liu either. Though she had sensed Noble Consort Liu’s disdain toward her in the palace, and the woman had deliberately picked on her, there hadn’t been particularly strong hostility or killing intent in her eyes.

“Who was Mo Xiuyao’s original fiancée?” Ye Li asked, truly curious about what kind of woman could defeat a peerless beauty and talent like Noble Consort Liu to win Mo Xiuyao’s true heart. Moreover, logically speaking, someone who could become Mo Xiuyao’s fiancée must have come from a prestigious family. But searching through her memories, Ye Li couldn’t find any famous noble family that had a beautiful but ill-fated daughter seven years ago. Xu Hongyu gave her a somewhat exasperated look before saying, “Su Zuidie.”

Ye Li nodded, “She sounds like she was a beautiful woman.”

Xu Hongyu looked at his niece expressionlessly, once again silently regretting not having insisted on bringing Li’er back to the Xu family to be raised. Look what the Ye family had turned her into! He was talking about her future husband’s former fiancée – even if the person was dead, shouldn’t she show at least a little interest? It was only then that the world-renowned Master Xu belatedly realized that his niece had never shown any of a young woman’s proper bashfulness when mentioning Prince Ding or Prince Li – she hadn’t even blushed once!

“Which family’s daughter was Miss Su? There don’t seem to be any prestigious Su families in the capital.”

“What did you think Old Master Su was doing there the day Prince Ding’s manor sent the betrothal gifts?”

“Old Master Su?”

“Su Zuidie was Old Master Su’s granddaughter,” Xu Hongyu said flatly.

“Then what was Old Master Su there for?”

“To see what kind of woman Prince Ding – who should have been his grandson-in-law – was marrying. Also, Su Zuidie’s death dealt a heavy blow to Prince Ding, who was already seriously ill at the time. Old Master Su treats Prince Ding like his own grandson, so he comes to support Prince Ding’s manor.”

Seeing her uncle’s displeased face, Ye Li smiled helplessly, “Uncle, Li’er knows what you mean. Prince Ding and I get along very well, you don’t need to worry.” Xu Hongyu looked at her disapprovingly, “What do you mean ‘get along very well’? If when faced with some necessary choices, you’re the first one he abandons, can that be called ‘very well’?” Ye Li smiled faintly, “But if I had to choose between uncle, grandfather, cousin, and Prince Ding, I wouldn’t choose him either. How long have I known him? Family is naturally more important.”

“You’re husband and wife! You’ll spend your whole life with him, not with your uncle and grandfather.”

“Does uncle think Prince Ding is the kind of man who would abandon everything for someone he cares about?”

“…Yes, if you can capture his heart.”

—Author’s Note—

I always felt I had nothing to say, but unexpectedly talked a lot in this chapter. But at least one thing has been made clear – Noble Consort Liu isn’t Nanzhu’s ex-girlfriend. Although Noble Consort Liu’s personality is indeed somewhat annoying, and she’s not a good person, she can’t personally leave the palace to harm the female lead. The Empress, Noble Consort Ye, and the Empress Dowager who’s waiting to catch her mistakes aren’t just for show. Earlier I saw everyone discussing this, making even me think the villain was Noble Consort Liu.

Feng isn’t obsessed with the setting, but this chapter still simply introduces Nanzhu’s family background and his former girlfriend. Just like that~