The palace refuses the marriage proposal

  The palace refuses the marriage proposal.

  "Miss He Lian, can't you get married?"

  The atmosphere in the hall suddenly became heavy, and He Lian Hui's face, still flushed from her previous excitement, was filled with uncontainable shock. This sentence would be a deep humiliation for any unmarried woman. Ye Li looked at Mo Xiuyao with some surprise, knowing that he had a bad temper, but he would never intentionally humiliate a woman. Even last year, when facing the arrogant Princess Lingyun of Xiling, he hadn't spoken such harsh words. However, as a woman and a wife, Ye Li couldn't help but admit that when Mo Xiuyao treated He Lian Hui so heartlessly, her own heart felt a faint sweetness.

  "Ding Wang, you've gone too far!" Yelü Ye said with a scowl, staring at Mo Xiuyao.

  Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow and glanced at him, smiling faintly: "Where did Prince Yelü get this from?"

  "Huimin was willing to marry into the Great Chu only for the sake of diplomatic relations between our two countries. Even if Your Highness looks down on me, a noblewoman from Northern Rong, you shouldn't speak in such a humiliating manner! I will report this matter to your emperor and demand justice for Huimin." Yelü Ye said indignantly.

  "What's fair?!" Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow, his tone laced with sarcasm. "I'm still seeking fairness myself. In the Golden Hall, I personally rejected the imperial edict for marriage, and I made it clear multiple times that there can only be one mistress of the Dingguo King Manor. Yet, Ye Lü Wangzi and Miss He Lian keep coming to my doorstep, disturbing me, and even slandering my wife in front of her face. Does Ye Lü Wangzi not know how important the mistress of the Dingguo King Manor is? If Ah Li were to take offense at this and become estranged from me, who would I reason with? If it were a woman from Great Chu, she would naturally retreat if rejected, but these two have been visiting daily and spreading rumors to tarnish Ah Li's reputation. It makes me suspect that Miss He Lian was forced upon me because she couldn't marry out in Northern Rong. The Dingguo King Manor will only have one mistress, and if Miss He Lian insists on staying, being a lowly maid is not a problem. However, becoming the top-ranking maid of the Dingguo King Manor is impossible for her - even the lowest-ranking maids here are virtuous women who know books and etiquette."

  "King Ding, you..." He Lian Hui Min seemed to have just come back to her senses from the recent blow, and upon hearing Mo Xiu Yao's words, she was suddenly furious, her face flushing red. Even her beautiful eyes were rolling with crystal tears, but she didn't retreat or cry because of this. Instead, she turned her face to Ye Li, "Since the king favors you so much, shouldn't you say something? Or is it that the queen of Ding Guo only knows how to hide behind the king and enjoy the benefits?"

  Ye Li sighed softly in her heart, this girl was indeed not simple. An ordinary woman would have been humiliated by a man so openly and brazenly, even if she didn't immediately burst into tears, she would probably be crying uncontrollably. But Miss He Lian not only wasn't defeated but also had the strength to counterattack. Blinking her eyes, Ye Li smiled innocently, "Miss He Lian, isn't it a man's duty to protect women? With His Highness around, I don't need to worry about anything. I and His Highness are mutually in love, we don't want anyone else to intervene. Please, Miss He Lian, grant us your blessing."

  "It's common for men to have three wives and four concubines, but you people of the Great Chu also demand that women be virtuous and gentle. Isn't the princess afraid of being criticized for saying such things?" Yelü Ye said.

  Ye Li smiled and said, "In our Great Chu, we have higher expectations for women to understand etiquette, righteousness, and shame. A woman who takes the initiative to ask for marriage is absolutely unacceptable. Moreover... I, the imperial concubine, happen to dislike the king taking concubines. Whoever wants to criticize can go ahead and criticize."

  He Lian Hui Min obviously didn't expect Ye Li to be so different from the usual Da Chu women, and was actually so stubborn on this issue. She gritted her teeth and said: "Doesn't the princess consort fear that the emperor will blame the Ding Guo Wang Fu?"

  "What fault?" Ye Lixiu's delicate eyebrows furrowed, and just as others thought she would falter, she lightly bit her teeth and said: "Later, I will enter the palace to apologize, He Lian Miss... no, anyone who wants to marry into the Dingguo royal family can do so. I'll simply take my sword and cut off my own neck to give up the position of queen. At that time, King Wang can marry whoever he wants!" After speaking, she raised her head and looked at Mo Xiuyao with a questioning gaze: "King Wang, what do you think?" Mo Xiuyao's originally gloomy face instantly cleared, and without regard for the two outsiders present, he pulled Ye Lixiu into his arms and laughed: "My beloved queen must not be harmed. If you are injured in the slightest, I will feel it as if it were my own body. Later, I will have to crush those who harm you into dust to alleviate my anger."

  Ye Li nodded in satisfaction, turned her head to look at He Lian Hui Min and said: "Miss He Lian, you saw it, even if I die, the prince will not marry you." He Lian Hui Min wanted to say something else, but was stopped by Ye Lu Ye. Ye Lu Ye stood up and said: "In that case, today's disturbance of the prince and princess is enough. I'll take my leave first."

  "I won't send it." Mu Xiuyao said calmly.

  After sending away the two annoying people, Ye Li turned around and sized up Mo Xiu Yao with a hint of a smile: "With such a beauty showing interest in you, Your Highness is indeed blessed with great fortune."

  Mo Xiuyao looked at her helplessly, "To me, only Ah Lian is the best woman, this one... is just a trouble that came out of nowhere."

  Ye Li frowned and said, "This so-called marriage alliance was never mentioned by the Northern Rong before?" The two countries' formal marriage alliance requires a lot of preparation, just look at how busy the Ministry of Rites has been for the past two months. Who would have thought that He Lian Hui Min would be sent over directly like this? It's more like child's play than a marriage alliance. Mo Xiu Yao said, "The Northern Rong's envoy only brought it up after arriving in the capital, so it shouldn't be the king of Northern Rong's idea, but rather Ye Lü Ye's own sudden thought." Ye Li was puzzled, "Sudden thought? If he wanted to plant a mole in the Ding Wang Fu, doing it this way would be too obvious." Mo Xiu Yao smiled and said, "Planting a mole? Ye Lü Ye wouldn't do something so blatant. Even if he wanted to, he wouldn't do it without any level of sophistication. He just wants to make a big show out of it to give the king some trouble. After all, He Lian Hui Min is only He Lian Zhen's adopted daughter, who knows what her true background is? Whether she's abandoned or dead, it won't be a loss for him."

  Ye Li hummed softly and said: "Since that's the case, Your Highness might as well explain what's going on with the rumors in the capital right now?"

  Mo Xiuyao smiled and said: "Is that a rumor saying Ah Lian is not virtuous? That was spread by me, the king."

  "So the king has been dissatisfied with me for a long time?" Ye Li gave him a slanted glance and said calmly.

  Mo Xiuyao smiled and said: "How could that be? I, the king, love my queen dearly."

  Ye Li raised an eyebrow, "Shouldn't they be looking for me in the palace by now?"

  "Ah Rui, just go, whatever is inconvenient can be pushed to me. This king wants the whole world to know that Ding Guo Wang Fei, even if she's not virtuous and jealous, is still this king's only beloved queen." Mo Xiu Yao said in a low voice, lightly embracing Ye Rui's slender waist.

  Ye Li was silent, leaning against Mo Xiuyao's chest and slowly calming the turbulent waves in her heart.

  The news from the palace came extremely quickly, and by that afternoon, someone had already arrived to summon Ye Li into the palace. The two of them, who were admiring flowers in the garden, didn't feel surprised at all. Since they had made such a big deal about the imperial marriage, it was only natural that the palace would not remain silent. Mo Xiuyao put down his brush and stood up to prepare to enter the palace with Ye Li, but she reached out and pressed him back down. "The Empress Dowager has summoned me into the palace, what are you going there for?" Mo Xiuyao smiled and said, "Could it be that the Empress Dowager didn't summon me, so I'm not allowed to enter the palace?" Ye Li coldly laughed and said, "They want to talk to me, but you insist on going to join in on the fun. If they can't say what they want this time, then they'll just have to find another opportunity next time. It's better to let them finish speaking once and for all." When it came to this point, Ye Li felt extremely depressed. She had thought that she had married a husband who no one would come after, but look at the past year... First there was Princess Lingyun, then there was Mo Xiuyao's cousin, Consort Liu, whom he had abandoned outside the city walls. Now there was Miss He Lian. Were these women just bored or was Mo Xiuyao's face not ruined enough?

  Ye Li's gaze was fixed on his face, and Mo Xiuyao innocently rubbed his brow and smiled: "In that case, Ah Li, be careful with everything. Also, stay away from Ye Luoye."

  Ye Li blinked in surprise, looking at Mo Xiuyao with a puzzled expression. Mo Xiuyao felt a bit embarrassed under her gaze, and lightly hummed as he pulled her into his arms, lowering his head to gently nibble on those rosy red lips: "In any case, stay away from him."

  Ye Li smiled and said, "Is the prince jealous?"

  Mo Xiuyao didn't hide it either, nodding and saying: "That's right, so the princess should keep her distance from him. Hmm?"

  Ye Li stepped out of his arms, covering her mouth to stifle a smile. "Your Highness, eating too much vinegar is bad for your health." Before Mo Xiu Yao could react, she had already turned around and quickly walked away. Mo Xiu Yao couldn't help but chuckle, how could he not be jealous with such an excellent wife? If possible, he would even hope that Ye Li wouldn't go anywhere or do anything, just staying in the mansion every day to accompany him. Unfortunately, he knew this was impossible, not only because of the situation and the status of the Ding Guo Wang Fu, but also because Ye Li wasn't someone who could be truly restrained by anyone. Watching Ye Li's figure disappear at the end of the corridor, Mo Xiu Yao's smile gradually faded, replaced by a layer of coldness. A marriage alliance? A forced marriage? Did Yelü Ye think he didn't know what he was planning? Yelü Ye, offending this king is not a good idea. It seems that Yelü Ping's lesson was not enough to make you remember it in your heart. "Come in."

  "Your Highness."

  "In reply to the person sent by Yelü Xian, his proposal has been agreed to by our king."

  "Yes, Your Highness."

  Changde Palace is still as magnificent as ever, but Ye Li knows that since the rebellion of King Li, the Empress Dowager's power in the palace has been suppressed by the Emperor everywhere, and it is no longer as powerful as before. However, although the Empress Dowager is biased towards King Li, she is after all the Emperor's birth mother, and the Great Chu values filial piety above all else. Even if the mother and son are estranged, the Emperor must still show respect to the Empress Dowager on the surface. Re-entering Changde Palace again, Ye Li's state of mind is much calmer than before.

  "Yelü has met the Empress Dowager and Her Majesty the Empress." As she entered the palace, Yelü lightly bent her knees in a curtsy to pay respects to the Empress Dowager and the Empress.

  "The Empress Dowager is exempt from courtesy, and is granted a seat." The empress said softly.

  Ye Li thanked and walked to the empty seat in front, looking at the noblewoman who was now calm and composed, as well as He Lian Hui Min who sat across from her with a peaceful expression. Ye Li couldn't help but admire this woman, whose face had completely lost the flustered and resentful look she had when leaving the Ding Guo Wang Fu, even her gaze was very calm and elegant. "What day is it today? Why is everyone here? I'm the one who's late?" As long as one's status reached a certain level, speaking became less restrictive. Ye Li's status meant that unless she said something treasonous, even if she said something wrong, ordinary people wouldn't dare say she was incorrect. The Empress smiled: "You're not late, I just arrived at the palace too. The Northern Yan envoy sent some special products from Northern Yan to the Dowager Empress a few days ago, and the Dowager Empress wanted everyone to try them together. But you've been away from the capital for so long, it's only because you returned today that the Dowager Empress ordered us to gather at Chang De Palace."

  Yelü Xian smiled and said, "Thank you, Empress Dowager, for remembering me. I'll just go to the Imperial Aunt's place for a short stay." The empress seemed to say nothing, but Yelü Xian understood her meaning. She nodded almost imperceptibly, and the empress smiled slightly before turning away to talk to the concubine beside her.

  The Empress Dowager smiled calmly: "You usually don't like to enter the palace, and I can only take this opportunity to invite you to come in and gather with everyone. Is the eldest princess doing well?"

  "The Empress Dowager is in good health, and I have been worried about her." Ye Li smiled faintly and thanked him.

  A warm gaze fell on Ye Li, and Ye Li gave a gentle smile to comfort Mrs. Xu, who had worry in her eyes. But in her heart, she was smiling coldly. These people were indeed good at scheming, thinking that just because they had the empress dowager on their side, Ye Li would compromise due to her identity. She calmly withdrew her gaze. Ye Li looked up at another gaze that fell on her, and unlike Mrs. Xu's worry, this gaze was extremely complex, filled with scrutiny and resentment. Without looking, she knew it was Liu Guifei sitting on the other side of the empress dowager. In recent days, not only had the empress dowager become haggard and old, but Liu Guifei had also changed a lot. Originally, her icy demeanor seemed to have added some other emotions, making the cold and elegant woman somewhat unpredictable. Ye Li nodded slightly at her, but she pretended not to see it, continuing to stare at Ye Li with an unblinking gaze that made Ye Li frown uncomfortably.

  "The king's consort, Miss Helian will be a member of the royal family from now on. Miss Helian has come all the way from Beirong, so you must treat her well." As expected, before she had even exchanged a few words with anyone after taking her seat, the empress dowager spoke up with a smile. Her demeanor and tone were as natural as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened, just like the king's public rejection of the engagement was never an issue.

  Ye Li didn't intend to be polite, she didn't want to have to deal with the concubines that Mo Xiu Yao would send her way in the future. Putting down the teacup in her hand, Ye Li blinked in confusion and said: "He Lian Miss? Is Her Majesty saying that He Lian Miss has agreed to come to the Ding Guo Wang Fu as a maid to do chores? If Her Majesty is at ease, then it's settled, the Ding Wang Fu never bullies those under them, and this princess also won't casually argue with those under her."

  "What's going on with this little girl?!" Even the experienced Empress Dowager was taken aback, puzzled.

  Ye Li smiled and glanced at He Lian Hui Min, puzzled: "Isn't that so? Previously, the king clearly stated in front of me, Ye Lu Wangzi, and Miss He Lian that he agreed to let Miss He Lian enter the palace as a maid. Is the empress dowager referring to something else now, or did I misunderstand?"

  The empress dowager coughed and said seriously: "Queen Dingwang was joking, how could Miss Helian be a lowly maid?"

  Ye Li didn't understand: "Identity? Is it General He Lian's adopted daughter? This identity is indeed a waste for a rough servant girl. However, our king said so, and although I am the queen, I also cannot disobey the king's words. It's just that Miss He Lian and our Dingguo King's Mansion may not have any fate with each other."

  The Empress Dowager naturally saw through Ye Li's evasive words and frowned, saying: "Princess Ding, the marriage bestowed by the Emperor in the imperial court is not something you can casually discuss. Just now, the Emperor asked me to inquire about Princess Ding, when does the Ding Guo Wang Fu plan to hold the wedding? It would be best if it were before the Northern Rong's envoy leaves; what are your plans?"

  Ye Li smiled and said calmly: "I'll report to the Empress Dowager, the Dingguo King's mansion doesn't plan on holding a wedding."