Back door

  Back door: 56.

  Qing Luan and the others followed behind Ye Li, watching as their usually gentle mistress stormed off with a dark face. They couldn't help but exchange bewildered glances. The Water Pavilion was too far from the shore for them to hear what the prince and princess had said. Qing Xia asked uncertainly, "Could it be that the prince bullied the princess?" Qing Shuang's face immediately fell, "What? The prince bullied our mistress?"

  Qing Luan and Qing Yu reluctantly held back Qing Feng, who was about to lose her temper. Qing Luan couldn't help but twitch the corner of her mouth. She had personally seen the queen's skills, easily knocking out a strong man without even breaking a sweat. Could the king really bully the queen just because he was sitting in a wheelchair? Qing Yu thought for a moment and said, "Let's go ask Ah Jin later. He must know." Qing Feng rolled her eyes, "He stayed on the shore with us, what could he possibly know?" Qing Xia also agreed, "He's been following the king since childhood, he must know why the king made the queen angry. Let's hurry up, the queen is walking away."

  Ye Li hastily walked towards her own courtyard, all the while scolding Mo Xiu Yao in her heart. She was blind to think that guy had a gentle personality and even thought he was innocent? That bastard actually flirted... no, teased her! He's jealous! Jealous...... Idiot, how could she be jealous over a man she just met? At most, it was just because she coveted something that belonged to him.

  "What's wrong, Princess?" As soon as she returned to the courtyard, Wei Niangniang came out from inside and asked hastily upon seeing Ye Li with a gloomy face. Having left the young mistress whom she had raised since childhood for several years, Wei Niangniang poured all her love and care that had been lacking in those years onto Ye Li, caring more about her emotions and well-being than anyone else. Being asked by Niangniang like this, Ye Li felt a bit embarrassed, realizing that she had overreacted and didn't have the face to say that she was sulking after being teased by Mo Xiu Yao. She quickly pulled Wei Niangniang along, saying: "Niangniang, weren't you supposed to rest well? If you keep following me around like this, your little grandson won't even recognize you." Lin Niangniang and Wei Niangniang's family had all followed Ye Li to the palace, and Ye Li had arranged for their capable menfolk to work in shops or estates outside. The women were kept within her own courtyard. Usually, she also tried to minimize the times when the two of them attended to her. Especially since Lin Niangniang was not young anymore, following this young master around must be absolutely exhausting.

  "Miss has grown up and doesn't need her wet nurse anymore, is that right?"

  "Breastfeeding...!" Ye Li got a headache, here we go again! But at least it diverted the attention from what just happened. Pulling Wei Nian in, Ye Li once again used gentle words to comfort her until she smiled and her face lit up.

  "The princess, Ajie is here." Qingfeng said as she came in, her small face still puffed up with anger. Apparently, she had a falling out with Ajie outside.

  "Let him in." Ye Li smiled slyly, "Who provoked our Frost?"

  Qingfeng's small face turned red, and she stomped her foot, saying: "Miss! It's that damned Ajin again, relying on being by the king's side to put on a deadpan expression every day, as if others owed him 500 taels of silver and didn't pay back." Yeli sighed helplessly, "Qingfeng, you're being unreasonable. Ajin just doesn't like to talk, he's far from having a deadpan expression." Mo Jinglei is the one who has a real deadpan expression, Ajin can only be called taciturn, and that slightly pale cold face can't even compare to Second Brother's.

  Ah Jin walked in with a box, expressionless as she glanced at Qingfeng. Qingfeng also knew that speaking ill of someone behind their back and being overheard by the person themselves was not good, so she shifted her small face to the side, feeling guilty. Ye Li smiled secretly in her heart, but on the surface, she maintained a serious expression as she looked at Ah Jin, "Ah Jin, what's going on?" Ah Jin placed the box on the table and took two steps back before saying, "This was sent by the prince, who asked me to deliver it. The prince...the prince said he didn't intentionally anger the princess, please forgive him, Your Highness." Her words were stuttered, Ye Li counted them in her heart, and with a smile, she looked at Ah Jin and said, "Ah Jin, who taught you that last sentence?"

  Ajing's face turned red, staring blankly at Ye Li in a daze. The princess and the king were both intelligent people, and lies would always be exposed in front of them. Ajing silently remembered this fact in her heart.

  Ye Li added with a smile: "Your master Wang would never say such things. Besides, I'm not angry either. I've accepted the gift, you can go back now."

  Ajing quietly retreated, and Yeli opened the box with a good mood, and indeed, the portrait she had been thinking about was lying inside. She was just thinking about what excuse to use to get the portrait back later, but unexpectedly, Mo Xiu Yao was so considerate that he immediately sent Ajing over. Unfolding the painting on the table, Yeli gazed at the woman in the portrait and let out a soft sigh. In her mind, she couldn't help but hear Mo Xiu Yao's voice - "I think this is the real Ali."

  "How beautiful..." Qingfeng exclaimed excitedly from beside her, "Miss, is this painted by the prince? It's so pretty."

  Madam Wei nodded in satisfaction and smiled: "The prince is really thoughtful of the young lady, it seems that the old master and the eldest son have not misjudged her. Hehe..."

  Ye Li was speechless, and a portrait arrived at his doorstep?

  It's been three days since Ye Li arrived at the Dingguo King's mansion, and she can be said to have adapted well. Even Lin and Wei, who were initially worried, have put their minds at ease. The only thing that still makes them unhappy is that the king and queen have not yet consummated their marriage. However, it's not just them who are worried about this; Sun, the nanny of the Dingguo King's mansion, has also been concerned. She has known Mo Xiu Yao since he was young and understands his temperament well, so she doesn't have any dissatisfaction with the new queen. In fact, she even hinted to Lin and Wei that they should think of a way to resolve this issue. The people in the Dingguo King's mansion are all harmonious and respectful towards their young mistress, so what more could Lin and Wei be dissatisfied about? As a result, when Ye Li returns from her visit to her parents' home, she will officially take charge of the household, and the two nannies will have nothing to complain about.

  The welcome of the Ye family was exceptionally grand, not only did Ye Shangshu and Wangshi bring Ye Shan, Ye Lin, and Ye Rong, but even Ye Zhen and Ye Ying, who had already married, returned with their husbands. It's not surprising that Ye Ying would return to join in the excitement, but what's remarkable is that Ye Zhen, as the secondary wife of the Southern Marquis' son, was able to bring him back with her. As soon as they entered the house and paid their respects to Old Lady Ye, Ye Li was pulled away by her sisters for a private conversation, while Mo Xiuyao stayed in the main hall chatting with Ye Shangshu and Mo Jingli.

  Ye Li, who used to live in the Qing Yi Xuan, still had a lingering presence there. Her sisters were sitting at the stone table in the courtyard of the Qing Yi Xuan, chatting with each other. Ye Zhen glanced at the maids standing not far away, then looked at Ye Li, who was wearing a light purple dress, with a pearl-embroidered hairpin on her head, a pair of bright pearl earrings dangling from her ears, and a high-quality lotus-patterned warm jade bracelet on her wrist. Her expression was calm and serene, with a hint of a smile on her lips, seeming to have gained an air of nobility compared to when she was at home. Ye Zhen couldn't help but let out a sigh of envy: "It seems that Third Sister has been living quite comfortably in the Ding Guo Wang Fu?" Ye Li smiled and replied: "Thank you for your concern, Elder Sister. Everything is fine." Ye Shan pulled Ye Li aside and asked her questions nonstop, such as how big the Ding Guo Wang Fu was, whether it was beautiful or not, who were the people living in the palace, and whether they got along well with each other. Ye Li didn't rush to answer, waiting for Ye Shan to finish asking before responding to some of the questions. Ye Shan couldn't get any more answers and wanted to ask again, but was pulled back by Ye Lin, who was sitting next to her, and had to close her mouth in disappointment.

  "I heard that the Dingguo Palace still has a former queen and a concubine, have you seen them, Third Sister?" Ye Shan asked non-stop, Ye Ying couldn't get a word in edgewise and could only sit beside her with a bland expression, it was then that she stared at Ye Li and asked.

  Ye Li was slightly surprised and looked at Ye Ying, furrowing her brow: "Fourth sister has been in poor health lately?" It hadn't been long since they last met, but Ye Ying's appearance had changed quite a bit. She felt even thinner and weaker than before. In the past, when she was at the Ye household, Ye Ying was indeed weak, but thanks to Wang Shi's care, her complexion always had an enticing rosy glow. Now, without that hint of rosiness, her entire person seemed much duller. Although she had applied rouge to her face, it couldn't compare to her natural beauty when she didn't wear makeup. Ye Ying's eyes changed slightly, and she lowered her eyelids: "Thank you for your concern, third sister, I'm just a bit tired."

  Ye Li sighed inwardly, Ye Ying had indeed changed a lot. It seemed that Xian Zhao's method of teaching people was truly unmatched by Ye Lao's wife. "If you're tired, rest more, no matter what, your body is the most important thing. Without a good body, nothing else matters." After offering a few words of advice, Ye Li finally answered Ye Ying's question, "Eldest sister has been devoted to Buddhism for many years, and only goes to pay respects after returning home. As for Consort Xiang..." Remembering the eccentric Consort Xiang in their household, Ye Li couldn't help but furrow her brow, saying lightly, "Father's consort doesn't need to be seen often." Ye Shan called out, "Then isn't the Dingguo King's estate only ruled by Third Sister and the king?" As soon as she spoke, not just Ye Shan, Ye Zhen, and Ye Lin, but even Ye Ying couldn't help but reveal a hint of envy in her eyes. The household didn't have any elderly people to obey, nor did it have any sisters-in-law or brothers-in-law, not even younger sisters-in-law who needed to be catered to - it was simply the dream of every newlywed woman. However, thinking about Mo Xiu Yao's situation, Ye Ying felt a sense of balance again. Compared to being ridiculed and pitied outside, enduring some hardship at home was also tolerable, right?

  "Sanmei and Wangye's relationship seems to be going well too, Sanmei is really lucky." Ye Zhen sighed and said quietly.

  Ye Ying was a bit skeptical and asked suspiciously, "Is King Ding's temper really that good? I've heard that people with physical disabilities usually have strange tempers." Ye Li furrowed her brow and said, "The king is not difficult to get along with." Mo Xiuyao didn't know if the king had a good temper or not, but for now, they were getting along harmoniously. Ye Ying also knew that Ye Li was unhappy about what she said, but she never got used to bowing her head to Ye Li, and the atmosphere became somewhat awkward for a while. Ye Zhen glanced at the two of them and had to speak up to change the subject, "In a few days, the palace will be hosting a banquet to bid farewell to the envoys from various countries. Have Sanmei and Sima received the invitation?"

  Ye Li shook her head and said, "No."

  Ye Lin smiled and said, "The envoys from various countries came to celebrate the marriage of San Jie and Wang Ye. Even if others don't attend, Wang Ye and San Jie will definitely be there. But how did Big Sister find out before San Jie and Fourth Sister?" Ye Zhen smiled and said, "This time it's the Emperor who entrusted our family's Shizi to take charge, so I naturally knew a bit earlier." Ye Shan's eyes lit up and she asked, "Will Big Sister go then?" Ye Zhen nodded with some shyness and joy, saying, "Shizi said he would bring me along to enter the palace this time." After finishing speaking, she looked at Ye Lin with gratitude. It was clear that Nan Hou Shizi had decided to bring her, a side consort, into the palace for the banquet because she had just become Ding Wang Fei's younger sister. Although she was only a side consort, Ye Zhen now felt slightly more secure in her position within the Hou Fu. After all, even if she were the Shizi's main wife, she wouldn't have a younger sister who was a Zhao Yi and two younger sisters who were Wang Feis. From this perspective, if she could give birth to children, she would have a chance to compete with the Shizi Fei in the future.

  "Hmph, even if Big Sister can go, you definitely won't be able to." Ye Ying glanced at Ye Shan with a cold tone. Ye Shan's face immediately turned red as she stammered, "Fourth Sister, I...I didn't think that way." Ye Ying didn't even look at her and said, "Who has the time to care about what you're thinking? Some people just can't see their own status clearly."

  "YOU!" Ye Shan's eyes reddened, tears welling up in her eyes. In the end, she could only get up and run out. Ye Ying's words were too cutting, although they were directed at Ye Shan, but Ye Lin also felt a bit uncomfortable, looking at Ye Shan's retreating figure before getting up to chase after her. Even Ye Zhen's expression didn't look good. Ye Li looked at Ye Ying in surprise, then glanced at Ye Zhen, who let out a helpless sigh and said softly, "Fourth sister, even if you're not feeling well, don't take it out on sixth sister." Ye Ying gripped the handkerchief in her hand, giving a cold laugh as she said, "I'm not feeling well? Eldest sister, ask third sister if she can be feeling good?"

  "The slave has seen three young ladies, and the old lady invites Princess Wang over for a chat." The maid from Rong Le Tang came to deliver the message.

  Ye Ying glanced at Ye Li coldly and said: "Third sister isn't curious about what happened to me? You'll know when you go."

  Ye Li shook her head, stood up and looked at Ye Ying: "Fourth sister, this temper of yours is fine at home. But now that you're married... do you think your husband will always be there to protect you?"

  Ye Ying's expression turned gloomy, and she stubbornly turned her head away without saying a word. Ye Li didn't force the issue either. Although they were blood-related sisters, she didn't have as much affection for these few sisters as she did for her former cousins, nor was it comparable to her feelings towards the Xu family's several male cousins. If she could persuade them with a couple of sentences, then so be it; if not, there was nothing she could do about it.

  In the Rong Le Hall, Old Lady Ye was sitting in the flower hall wearing a festive dress. When she saw Ye Li enter, she burst into laughter, "Li'er, come and let grandmother take a look..."

  Ye Li walked over and sat down beside Ye Lao Furen, who looked her up and down before nodding in satisfaction. "Have you been getting used to life in the Dingguo King's palace these past few days? Are the servants there treating you well? Has anyone been giving you a hard time?" Ye Li smiled and replied, "Don't worry, Grandmother, I'm doing fine. The servants are all very respectful." Ye Lao Furen nodded repeatedly, saying, "That's good, that's good. And how about you and the King..." Ye Li said, "The King is also easy to get along with." Ye Lao Furen looked a bit embarrassed, glancing at Ye Li before continuing, "I mean, when do you plan on having children? The King isn't getting any younger, after all." Ye Li's face turned slightly red as she realized what her grandmother was really asking. Ye Lao Furen stared at her, saying, "Don't try to deceive me, I've lived for so many years and can tell when someone is hiding something from me. You and the King haven't consummated your marriage yet, have you?" It seemed that Ye Lao Furen also understood that this granddaughter of hers was a bit different from her other granddaughters, as she quickly gave up on beating around the bush and directly asked the question.

  This can also be seen? Yeli thought for a moment before calmly saying: "Grandmother, don't worry. Both the king and I feel that we are not familiar with each other, so it's better to spend some time together...it's not late. And now our relationship is going well, so there's no rush."

  Mrs. Ye looked at Ye Li with a calm and composed face, shaking her head inwardly, "Then... who will take care of the affairs of the Wang Mansion?"

  "Foreign affairs will naturally be handled by the prince, and after returning to the mansion, things will be handed over to me." Ye Li replied.

  Mrs. Ye's expression slightly cleared up, at least this granddaughter still knew how to grasp the power of the Wang Fu. Mrs. Ye was really helpless with her two legitimate granddaughters, Ye Li and Ye Ying. Ye Ying seemed smart but was actually brainless, marrying into the Li King's mansion without knowing how to seize power, every day fighting with the concubines, making herself look like a resentful woman. In comparison, Ye Li, who did not show off her abilities, was obviously much smarter. Just looking at the attitude of the servants from the Ding Guo King's mansion towards Ye Li, it was clear that she had a good time in the Ding Wang Fu. However, she was also too careless with the Ding King. It must be known that even as the Ding King's consort, to have a life of glory and wealth still depended on the Ding King.

  "Lier, be honest with your grandmother. Is it... is it because of Ding Wang's leg that you..." Ye Lao Furen waved away the attendants and asked in a low voice, grasping Ye Lier.

  Ye Lian remained silent, but in Ye Old Madam's eyes, her guess had been confirmed. Ye Old Madam sighed and said: "Poor child, Grandmother knows you have a hard life... But things are already like this, what can you do? Even if you're the Crown Princess, you still need to hold on tight to the King. The most important thing is offspring. As long as you have children, no one can shake your position as Queen. Do you understand? Does the King have any concubines?" Ye Lian shook her head, and Ye Old Madam's smile grew even brighter: "It seems that the King still values you highly, having no concubines is better. As long as you have a child with the King first, later things..." Looking at Ye Old Madam's expression, which seemed to be hiding something, Ye Lian thought for a moment and finally understood what she meant. It turned out that Ye Old Madam was telling her that even if she didn't like Mo Xiu Yao's crippled legs, she had to bear him children. As long as she had children, if she really couldn't accept Mo Xiu Yao, she could push him onto another woman. After all, she was the Queen, with a position and offspring, she would be secure. A man's favor is unreliable.

  Why didn't she suspect that Mo Xiuyao was up to no good? Ye Li thought with a bit of malice.

  "Thanks to Grandma's teachings, Lian'er has a number in her heart." To avoid Ye Old Lady continuing to nag and impart her experience, Ye Lian still quickly opened her mouth to respond.

  She was also very satisfied with Ye Lao's teaching, nodding and saying: "Good child, Grandma knew you understood more than Ying'er. Originally, this shouldn't be said today when you returned home, but even after you become the Crown Princess, you won't have much time to come back home. Now, Grandma will tell you more. After a few days, if you're free and have nothing to do, bring your fifth and sixth sisters to the palace to keep you company."

  Ye Li was taken aback, her eyebrows slightly furrowed. Old Lady Ye said: "Shan'er and Lin'er are both good children, you sisters have grown up together since childhood. If they can... be of help to you and Ying'er too. Grandmother means that Lin'er is more steady, it's best if she can follow Ying'er to the Lei Wang Fu. Shan'er has a lively personality, but your temperament can also suppress hers. What do you think?"

  How am I supposed to react? How am I supposed to react? Ye Li couldn't help but want to go crazy. This old lady was being too presumptuous, wasn't she? She had even assigned personnel, with one person each from the Lei and Ding Wang Fu. No wonder Ye Ying's face looked so terrible earlier. She was already suffocating in the Lei Wang Fu, competing with Mo Jing Lei's concubine, and now her own family was sending her sister to add to the trouble - anyone would be depressed. Clearing her throat, Ye Li composed herself and smiled: "Grandmother, isn't it a bit too early to discuss this? The king and I haven't even...and you're already rushing to send my younger sister into the palace, what will the king think?"

  Mrs. Ye smiled and said, "Your grandmother didn't say you have to do it now either. Anyway, Shan'er is still young, waiting another year or two won't hurt. As long as you have a bottom line in your heart."

  Ye Li tugged at the corner of her lips and asked, "Although Fifth Sister and Sixth Sister are born out of wedlock, our Shangshu Fu's family status is not low either. To enter the Wang Fu as a concubine would be somewhat humiliating for them."

  Mrs. Ye waved her hand indifferently and said, "Marriage is decided by parents, what do they have to be wronged about? Entering the Wang Fu as a concubine isn't more honorable than marrying a minor official or a son of a concubine as a legitimate wife? Don't worry about those two, Shan Er and Lin Er are naturally well-behaved and won't have any opinions."

  I have an opinion. Ye Li thought for a moment and said, "Li'er understands Grandma and Father's meaning. However... our family's daughters, except for Second Sister who entered the palace, all joined the Wang Fu. This way... it doesn't benefit Second Sister at all. Has this matter been discussed by Grandma and Father?" In fact, Ye Li understood that Ye Lao Fu was so worried about something, and it was still because of the emperor's bloodline in the palace, which didn't even know whether it was a boy or girl yet. Not to mention joining the Ding Wang Fu now, even if she were still waiting for marriage, Ye Li had never planned to cooperate with Ye Lao Fu's absurd plan. It's really hard to understand that Ye Shang Shu is also an experienced official, but he actually agreed with a plan thought up by an old person who sits at home and doesn't go out.

  Mrs. Ye was taken aback, narrowing her old eyes to size up Ye Li before saying, "What's the meaning of this?"

  Ye Li smiled shallowly: "Li'er is also the daughter of the Ye family, so it's only natural that Second Sister is good to Li'er. However... Grandmother can't just focus on the two royal palaces, you have to know... the king has never been one to bother with actual affairs, and the support of officials in the imperial court is also very important."

  "This..."

  Ye Li smiled faintly: "Fourth sister doesn't know about Lian'er, but if it's the Dingguo King's palace, Grandma should rest assured that Lian'er doesn't need any help."

  Mrs. Ye was silent for a moment, and she also knew that Ye Li had a point. To say nothing of Ye Li's confidence in being able to control the Dingguo King's mansion, it would indeed be unnecessary for the Ye family to sacrifice another daughter. But even if Ye Li was unwilling and they forced one on her, what if it ended up with the sisters competing against each other, which wouldn't look good. In Mrs. Ye's opinion, neither Ye Shan nor Ye Lin could clearly surpass Ye Li. Having thought this through, Mrs. Ye no longer insisted, smiling: "Li'er is right, it was grandmother who didn't think things through. Let's just forget that I mentioned this." Although the Dingguo King's mansion had a great reputation, none of the generations of Dingguo Kings had ever participated in imperial affairs. It seemed that the role of the Ding King's mansion was actually not as big as that of the Li King's mansion.

  "Yes, Grandma didn't say anything, and Lier also didn't hear anything." Ye Lier replied softly. It would be best to dispel Old Lady Ye's thoughts. In the future, Ding Wang Fu will be her home, and she doesn't want to see any existence that makes her feel uncomfortable there.

  Accompanying Old Lady Ye for a while, the servant came to invite the two to have dinner. Since it was a family banquet, there were no outsiders present. Only Old Lady Ye brought Ye Shangshu and Wang Shi, Mo Jingli and Ye Ying couple, Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li, as well as Nanhou's son Fu Zhao. At the dinner table, Ye Li could clearly feel a cold gaze scanning her body from time to time. Without even looking up, Ye Li could guess who that person was. Ye Ying carefully served dishes for Mo Jingli, while Mo Jingli still wore an expression of being owed thousands of taels by others and stared at Ye Li from time to time. Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li had a leisurely meal, occasionally serving each other their favorite dishes. Fu Zhao looked thoughtful, glancing around the table as if lost in thought, drinking and eating without a care. On the contrary, Ye Shangshu's expression was somewhat awkward and comical, trying his best to make the atmosphere at the banquet harmonious and natural, but unfortunately, he couldn't get along with any of his three sons-in-law. Except for Nanhou's son who gave him some face, Mo Xiuyao was not difficult to get along with. Mo Jingli's face clearly showed that he was unhappy.

  "Cough, speaking of which, Wang Ye, it's been a few years since we last met. Let me toast you." Fu Zhao finally broke the eerie atmosphere, stood up and toasted Mo Xiu Yao, "Also toasting the princess, wishing Wang Ye and the princess a hundred years of harmony."

  Mo Xiu Yao raised his wine cup, smiled warmly and said: "Thank you for your kind words. I didn't attend your wedding ceremony, please don't mind." He tilted his head and drank down the wine offered by Fu Zhao Jing. Fu Zhao's smile on his face became more sincere, he smiled and said: "It doesn't matter, we've known each other since childhood. Now we're also relatives. When I came, my mother also asked me to invite the princess to visit our house when you have time." This southern Hou's son was obviously very good at socializing, people in the capital all knew that although the southern Hou's son had not yet inherited the title, the current mistress of the Hou's household was already the son's wife. However, he didn't mention his wife, but instead called her "Southern Hou's Madame".

  Ye Li raised her cup in a toast and smiled: "The young master has written on behalf of Madame Nanhou."

  Ye Li raised her cup in a toast and smiled: "The young master has written on behalf of Madame Nanhou."

  Mo Jingli looked at the crowd in front of him, laughing and chatting, and hummed softly as he stood up: "Since Fu Zhao has toasted, Mo Xiuyao, I'll also toast you a cup."

  Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow and smiled faintly, saying: "I haven't had a drink with Jing Lei for a long time. Shall we also toast to you and Queen Lei?"

  Mo Jingli let out a soft hum, waved away the maid who came to pour wine and personally poured a cup for Mo Xiuyao and herself. She raised her head and drank it all in one gulp, then provocatively stared at the wine cup in front of Mo Xiuyao. Mo Xiuyao smiled silently, picked up his wine cup and drank it all.

  "Come on!" Mo Jingli poured another full glass, and the two of them actually started competing in drinking on the table.

  Digression

  Hehe~ Let's stop here for today and add the rest to tomorrow's ~ The cost of window shopping is more than you can afford~