“Moreover, I’ll need to return to Lin’an for a period each year. After I leave, there would only be Princess Yu’an and you as the masters of the household. I’m afraid you both would feel uncomfortable.”

Although Princess Yu’an was old enough to be Lu Guanyi’s mother, she didn’t look her age. Standing next to Lu Guanyi, they resembled siblings rather than mother and son. And Lu Guanyi was a grown man.

A stepmother and stepson living alone together would be awkward for them. Even if outsiders wouldn’t dare gossip openly, they might whisper behind their backs.

“But we can’t be too selfish in this matter; we need to consider father as well. Father might not be happy living in the Princess Manor after marriage. In the Princess Manor, everything would naturally be according to the Princess’s wishes. The servants there are royal servants, and it’s her territory. Father might have to mind the servants’ attitudes there—how could we as his children be at ease with that?”

“Father is also getting older and can’t stay at the border forever. But if he returns to the Capital, it would be terrible if he, with his illustrious military achievements and many descendants, doesn’t even have a place of his own, and has to live his old age subject to others’ moods.”

She looked up at Lu Guanyi. “And the inconveniences I mentioned earlier are not without solutions.”

“First, don’t worry about me. I have no conflict with Princess Yu’an, and if there are any disagreements, we can communicate and adjust. I believe Princess Yu’an is a reasonable person. When I’m away, she could even help look after the children.”

There were things she didn’t say.

If Princess Yu’an truly chose to move into the Xuanwu Marquis Manor, it would be her accommodating Ye Yaming, not Ye Yaming trying to please her. After all, her moving in would mean she wanted to spend her later years with Ye Yaming and her children. The prerequisite would be to maintain a good relationship with Ye Yaming.

“As for you, when I go to Lin’an, you can stay in the side courtyard. After all, you lived there when Lady Shi was alive,” Ye Yaming said.

“You should discuss this thoroughly with your father. I think the Ministry of Rites hasn’t made a decision and hasn’t directly asked your father for these very considerations. These issues are not suitable for writing on paper. You should send a trusted person who dares to speak frankly with your father to discuss this properly.”

Lu Guanyi nodded. “Alright.”

He took Ye Yaming’s hand and said gratefully, “You’re right. They should live in the Marquis Manor.”

When he first heard about this matter, his only thought was to avoid having Princess Yu’an move into the manor. The reasons were precisely the two inconveniences Ye Yaming mentioned. Especially Ye Yaming’s inconvenience—no one wanted an elder, particularly a royal one to whom they couldn’t show the slightest disrespect, suddenly positioned above them.

In his view, since his father spent most of the year at the border, they could set up their home in the Princess Manor without affecting him. He hadn’t considered Lu Zhongyong’s feelings or his retirement plans.

The next day, Lu Guanyi sent someone to the border.

As for himself, after resting for two days, he reported to the Ministry of War and attended court on the day his leave ended.

Meanwhile, Ye Yaming became busy.

Learning that she had given birth and returned to the Capital, those who had previously been acquainted with her came to visit her and the children. Some who didn’t come in person sent gifts.

Princess Yuning was among the first to visit. She smiled and said, “My second royal sister asked me to bring gifts. As for why she didn’t come in person, you know the reason—it’s not convenient.”

“Thank you for the concern from both Your Highnesses. Please also thank the Second Princess for her gifts,” Ye Yaming smiled. “It’s fine that Princess Yu’an didn’t come. After all, we’ll have plenty of time together in the future, so there’s no rush.”

Princess Yuning sighed, “Who would have thought you would become family?”

She glanced at Ye Yaming. “With you as her companion, I feel reassured. It prevents her from being all alone, without even a younger relative around. Although she has servants to attend to her, how can that compare to the joy of having grandchildren to dote on?”

Ye Yaming realized that Yuning had come to probe her and Lu Guanyi’s thoughts on the matter.

It seemed that Princess Yu’an wanted to move into the Xuanwu Marquis Manor, or Princess Yuning hoped Yu’an would move in. They were concerned that Ye Yaming and Lu Guanyi might disagree and were hesitant.

She nodded and said, “You don’t know how happy I was when I heard about the imperial marriage decree. I was so excited that I couldn’t sleep for most of the night. The Second Princess is so gentle and kind. I’m overjoyed to become a family with her and to have her companionship and care.”

She pointed outside, “Look at this enormous manor, housing just our family of four. During festivals, other families are bustling with joy, but in our manor, it’s just me, the heir, and two children who can’t even talk yet—how lonely it is.”

“Usually, when the heir goes to court, if I want to go out and do something, I can only leave the children with a group of servants, which makes me uneasy. If the Second Princess becomes our elder, she could help me look after the children when I’m unavailable, wouldn’t that ease my mind?”

Her words made it clear that she welcomed Princess Yu’an marrying into the Xuanwu Marquis Manor.

“However, this is not something that we as juniors can dictate. We’ll abide by the wishes of His Majesty, Princess Yu’an, and father. We have no objections and can accommodate any arrangement.”

Princess Yuning was pleased to hear this and patted Ye Yaming’s hand. “You’re so sensible. No wonder both my second royal sister and I like you. If it weren’t for you, my second royal sister might not have agreed to remarry.”

With that, she let out a long sigh. “I share your thoughts and have urged my second royal sister to move to the Marquis Manor. But she has concerns, worried that living together might be inconvenient for you.”

Since Princess Yuning had made her point clear, Ye Yaming was prepared to state her position. Considering Lu Zhongyong’s interests, they had wanted Princess Yu’an to marry into their family all along. Now that Yu’an herself was inclined to do so, it seemed quite fitting.

Given this, she could now present her plan.

“There’s no inconvenience at all,” Ye Yaming smiled. “But I also understand that everyone has their living habits. The Second Princess is considerate by nature and might compromise herself to accommodate us.”

“How about this? When the Second Princess gets married, the Ministry of Rites will renovate a residence for her, right? If the Ministry doesn’t have to spend this money, we can cover the cost to renovate the Marquis Manor.”

Princess Yuning raised an eyebrow. “Oh? How would you renovate it?”

Ye Yaming instructed Zi Yuan, “Bring paper and brush.”

With the writing materials, she casually drew a diagram. “The Marquis Manor is currently limited by its terrain—it’s shallow in depth but wide on both sides. We can leave the front courtyard untouched and build a wall vertically from the middle of the hanging flower gate, dividing the back courtyard in half. Father and his household would live on the east side, while we would live on the west. Everyone would enter and exit through the front courtyard, which would allow us to avoid disturbing each other in daily life, and we could even dine separately. When we want to meet or have a family meal, we can do so in the front courtyard.”