The Imperial Capital Rhapsody 44. The Aunt's Destination

  The aunt's whereabouts

  "Miss, your wife is here."

  In the elegantly decorated and serene Qing Yi Xuan, Ye Li was embroidering with needle and thread, when Qing Xia came in to report.

  Ye Li put down her embroidery and raised her head, "How does she still have time to come here?" Ever since Ye Ying's wedding ceremony went awry two days ago, Wang Shi had been busy running around like a headless chicken. These past two days, the manor had also spread rumors that Zhao Niangniang's unborn child was in conflict with Ye Ying and Ye Rong, causing an even bigger commotion. Ye Shangshu was also torn between his daughter who would become the Princess of Li and his only son, and his most favored concubine and future son. It wasn't that Ye Shangshu couldn't distinguish between what was important and what wasn't, it's just that looking at Zhao Niangniang crying with tears streaming down her face made him feel a pang in his heart. Unfortunately, on the second day of Ye Ying's wedding, Ye Rong had inexplicably startled the horse carriage on the way to school and ended up bedridden for two days. Wang Shi was even more frantic.

  When Wang entered, the expression on her face was a rare sight of warmth when facing Ye Li. Unfortunately, Ye Li was neither a concubine nor a young and ignorant child who would be intimidated by her facial expressions. So she simply stood up and greeted her indifferently, "Fourth sister is about to return home, how did you have time to come over?" Wang said with a smile that she thought was warm and friendly, "The Ding Wang Fu has already chosen a date and will come to propose in the next two days. Li's wedding day is also approaching, I came to see if there's anything that hasn't been prepared thoroughly."

  Ye Li invited Mrs. Wang to sit down and said, "With Lin's nanny and wet nurse in charge, your sister-in-law and aunt have also come over several times to check on things, everything is fine now. It was kind of you to worry, madam."

  The smile on Wang's face stiffened, and Ye Li's words sounded to her like she was saying that this legitimate mother had failed in her duties. In fact, Ye Li didn't have such thoughts in her heart, because she never thought that Wang had an obligation to hold a wedding for herself. As long as it looked good on the surface, it was enough.

  "Actually... I came today for another matter that I wanted to discuss with you, Lǐér." Wang Shi quickly regained her composure and looked at Ye Lì with a sincere expression.

  Ye Li raised an eyebrow and looked at her with a puzzled expression.

  "Ah, Lian'er must have heard about the recent events too. It's not that I, as the legitimate mother, can't tolerate others, but it's just that Zhao's child and our family's heir are destined to clash. The day before yesterday, I specifically went to ask Lingxu Daozhang from Shuiyun Temple, and he said that Zhao's child had a grudge against our family in her past life and was born to bring calamity to the Ye family. Look... ever since the news of her pregnancy spread, everything in our household has been going awry. And yet, Master still insists on protecting her..."

  Ye Li listened quietly to Wang's complaints about Zhao and Ye Shangshu. Wang deliberately brought up the topic of Zhao's children and their conflict with the legitimate heirs of the Ye family. If it weren't for the fact that she already knew, she wouldn't have believed these things. After seeing Ye Ying's ill-fated wedding, someone else might have really started to resent Zhao and her low-born child.

  "What do you mean, Madam? No matter what, that child is still a member of the Ye family and Lian'er's younger brother. Father will naturally be heartbroken." Ye Lian lightly tossed the question back to Wang Shi. If it weren't for Zhao Shi's strict guard, Wang Shi wouldn't have been able to find an opportunity to take action, so why would she come to discuss with herself? If she really fell for it and came up with a plan for her, then if something went wrong in the future, she would be the one to bear the consequences. Wang Shi hesitated, gritted her teeth, and forced a smile: "No matter what, that child is probably...Ying'er's affair has already made the Ye family lose face completely. If Lian'er's marriage also encounters problems, our family will truly have no face left."

  Ye Li lowered her eyebrows and smiled slightly: "I'm afraid I won't be able to make the decision on this matter, madam should discuss it with father and grandmother. A daughter's family is determined by her husband's. Besides... Ye Li's wedding doesn't have much face-saving to speak of." Once she gets married, she'll change her surname to Mo anyway, even if that child really wants to harm someone, wouldn't it be the ones still surnamed Ye first?

  Seeing Ye Li being so stubborn, Wang also knew that she wouldn't get the result she wanted here. After pretending to comfort Ye Li for a while, she left with the handkerchief in her hand that was almost deformed from being squeezed too hard.

  "Miss, Wang's intentions are so sinister, you mustn't be deceived by her." As soon as Wang left, Lin and Wei came out from the inner room, with Wei's face full of anger.

  Ye Li raised an eyebrow and smiled: "Did Nai Nang understand her meaning?"

  "Wei said, "What else can be done? She herself wants to harm Zhao Niang but has pulled Miss into the mix. If Miss were to listen to her and spread it around in the future, it would ruin her reputation for being unfilial to her stepmother and unkind to her half-brother." Lin Niang smiled and comforted Wei Niang, "Don't worry, I think Miss has a plan in mind." Ye Li nodded, "Wang Shi must be intolerant of Zhao Niang. She just hasn't had the chance to make a move yet with all the things going on in the household." Lin Niang thought for a moment, "Is Miss trying to save Zhao Niang?" Ye Li shook her head, "It's not exactly saving her, but rather mutually beneficial. These past few days, Zhao Niang has helped me quite a bit. Moreover, I think Rong Er has been taught some improper things by the mistress, and in the future, the Ye family will still need to leave behind a good reputation." Lin Niang said, "I'm afraid that in the future, Zhao Niang's ambitions will grow."

  Ye Li waved her hand and smiled: "If she's clever, she should know that I don't have any conflicting interests with her."

  The old woman thought for a moment and smiled: "Miss is thoughtful, I'm overthinking."

  Ye Li smiled and shook her head: "I'm still young after all, there are always things that I haven't considered. In the future, I'll have to rely on Nian Nian and Nurse to remind me more often."

  By evening, Wang had somehow managed to persuade Ye Shangshu to agree to send Zhao Yiniang back to the Ye family's old mansion to await childbirth. Zhao Yiniang naturally wailed and begged pitifully, and the remaining ladies-in-waiting in the manor couldn't help but show a sympathetic expression upon seeing her miserable state. It was well-known that the Ye family's hometown wasn't exactly a land of prosperity, but rather a remote area near the border in the southwest of Chu State. Not only was it a poor and barren place, but it was also thousands of miles away from the capital city. Since Ye Shangshu had taken office in the capital and brought his mother over, the Ye family hadn't returned to their hometown again. Even the ancestral temple had been relocated to the capital years ago, leaving behind only an old mansion and some land in Bianzhou under the care of a clansman. It wasn't just that Zhao Yiniang's life would be difficult back home; even making it through the journey while pregnant was a test of survival.

  Ye Shangshu's expression was also somewhat unbearable, but looking at his former concubine's bitter pleading, he still didn't relent. Ye Li looked calmly at Zhao Niangniang's expression, which gradually changed from sadness to despair, although there was an element of pretence, it was clear that there were also some genuine emotions mixed in. Ye Shangshu's ruthlessness must have chilled Zhao Niangniang to the bone.

  "Father." Seeing the commotion had almost subsided, Ye Li spoke up: "Not to mention that the journey to Pingzhou is long and arduous, even ordinary people may not be able to withstand it, let alone Zhao Niang who is pregnant."

  Ye Shangshu's expression changed slightly as he looked at Ye Li and asked, "What idea does Li have again?"

  Ye Li lowered her eyes and said lightly: "Since the madam's intention is to send Zhao Yiniang out of the capital for support, why must she be sent all the way to Pingzhou? What if something happens on the road...Zhaoyi sister is now pregnant with a dragon heir, we should accumulate blessings for her instead."

  Wang's face turned pale, her heart was shaking with anger. What did she mean? She even cursed her beloved daughter and grandson!

  Mrs. Ye frowned and said, "Which one does Lian'er think is suitable?"

  Ye Li smiled shallowly: "The saying of fate is not to be believed, but it can't be fully trusted either. In any case, the child that Zhao Niang carries is still our Ye family's descendant. If outsiders find out, they will say that our Ye family doesn't care about kinship. As for where Zhao Niang goes, I'm sure Father and Grandmother have their own plans."

  Ye Shangshu looked at Ye Li deeply, his eyes clearly probing: "Our family has a villa in Yunzhou, and the climate there is also pleasant. Why don't we send Zhao to Yunzhou?"

  "Nature is everything governed by father and grandmother."

  Old Lady Ye looked at Zhao Niang for a moment, then smiled and said to Ye Li: "Your father was right, Yunzhou has been producing talented people and saints for generations, it's no wonder that this child's fate is so strong."

  Ye Li respectfully said: "Grandmother is right. As long as the Ye family is well, we will be well too." What destiny? A child who hasn't even been born yet, what kind of destiny could they have?

  Mrs. Ye nodded in satisfaction, "Still, Lian'er is sensible. Since that's the case, this matter is settled."

  Madam Zhao knelt in the hall, glanced at Wang Shi with a face full of resentment, and respectfully bowed to Old Lady Ye, "I thank you for your kindness, Old Lady. Thank you, Master and Third Miss."

  Ye Li smiled, "Aunt Zhao, get up quickly. This is all the kindness of our ancestors and father, we younger generations can only listen to it. Auntie's journey this time is far away, be careful along the way. When brother is born, I hope aunt will take good care of him, so as not to disappoint grandma and dad's wishes."

  Madam Zhao nodded repeatedly, "I thank you for your reminder, miss."