108 Schism

ed the side forces of Prince Li’s army. Who could say that the Queen Consort doesn't understand military tactics" Zhang Qilan was stunned; he had indeed heard about the Queen Consort defending the cit...Schism

108. Schism

Not until Prince Ye Luye's gaze disappeared from behind her did Ye Li pause and furrow her brows. Over the past half year, she had made some cursory understandings about the political situations of various countries. Although Prince Ye Luye appeared to be open-minded and generous on the surface, as the only prince among the ten or so sons of the Northern Rong King who could compete with Crown Prince Ye Liuhong in terms of power and influence, he was naturally ruthless and vicious.

If it wasn't necessary, Ye Li did not want to provoke such a person.

"My Lady, that person…" Qingfeng noticed that Ye Li's expression was not good and asked with some concern.

Ye Li shook her head and said, "It's okay." Qingluan and Qingfeng exchanged a worried glance. Perhaps the My Lady hadn't seen it since she walked in front, but they had both witnessed the prince's look of dissatisfaction. Qingluan thought for a moment before saying, "That prince is no good. My Lady should avoid him."

Ye Li smiled faintly and said, "Silly girl, there are some people you can't just stay away from unless we do nothing at all. Don't worry; I have my own plans."

"I was overthinking," Qingluan smiled. She hadn't seen anything that the My Lady didn't already know how to handle yet. All she needed to do was protect the My Lady.

"Don't think too much about it, let's go see what's going on at Fenghua Tower," Ye Li said with a faint smile.

As soon as they stepped into Fenghua Tower, the sound of delicate porcelain being shattered inside made Ye Li pause. The shopkeeper was already familiar with Princess Consort Ding and hurriedly greeted her warmly, saying, "I greet Your Ladyship. Please come in." Ye Li nodded and stepped into the store, then asked after looking around, "Is there something wrong"

The shopkeeper forced a smile and said somewhat awkwardly, "Two esteemed guests had a slight conflict that disturbed Your Ladyship. This way please, to this room over here. A few days ago, the Prince sent someone saying he wanted some good pearls delivered to the Ding王府. I was planning to send them there today but didn't expect Your Ladyship to come."

He led Ye Li to a private room while speaking. Ye Li nodded nonchalantly. People who appeared at Fenghua Tower were either very wealthy or of high status, and their conflicts certainly weren't trivial matters like ordinary households.

After entering the private room and sitting down, the shopkeeper personally presented several boxes of pearls to Ye Li. Ye Li opened them and found they were indeed top-quality pearls. Among them was a box of light purple pearls, with only nineteen pieces, each as large as a pigeon egg and perfectly uniform in size, color, and shape. As soon as the lid was lifted, the room was covered in a mysterious glow from the soft purple luster emanating from the pearls inside. Ye Li was somewhat surprised and asked, "Are these night pearls" A single night pearl wasn't rare, but nineteen identical ones were incredibly difficult to come by. The shopkeeper proudly smiled and said, "Your Ladyship is correct; they are indeed night pearls. Each one is worth a fortune, let alone an entire box. And this particular shade of purple is very rare. Is Your Ladyship satisfied"

Ye Li nodded with a smile and said, "You've put in quite the effort." Seeing that Ye Li was pleased, the shopkeeper's smile widened even more. He had spent a lot to acquire these pearls, but they were not something everyone could afford or use effectively. If he sold them separately, their value would be greatly diminished. The Ding王府 didn't lack for money or influence; if Princess Consort Ding liked this box of night pearls, the shopkeeper would have no worries about making ends meet for at least half a year.

Thinking of this, the shopkeeper was even more eager to show Ye Li some drawings. "Please take a look, Your Ladyship," he said as he pulled out several sheets of paper. "Our best artisans in Fenghua Tower drew these designs specifically for this set of pearls. Are you satisfied with them" After looking at the sketches, which were all exquisite pieces of jewelry, Ye Li thought that if they were made, the entire capital's female population would be envious. However, Ye Li had no intention of turning them into wearable ornaments. While everyone loved something beautiful and dazzling, wearing such pearls as jewelry in the dark would make her a target. But these items could still serve well for collection or as gifts despite their limited practicality. After some thought, Ye Li said to the shopkeeper, "I want this box of pearls too. I'll have someone bring over the designs later so your people can make them according to the drawings. Also, make a few more pieces."

Although he was disappointed that Ye Li didn't use her own design, seeing her select several pearl decorations still made him very happy. These top-quality jewels were rare and hard to come by. The Prince Consort of Ding王府 was indeed generous.

After selecting the jewelry, Ye Li intended to ask about jade at Fenghua Tower when there came another sound of shattered porcelain from beside her. She frowned as she heard a woman's pained cry, indicating that someone had been injured. "Shopkeeper, who are those people over there"

The shopkeeper's expression also darkened and he said quietly, "Your Ladyship, it is the son of Marquis Mu Yang and Miss Sun from Minister Li's residence. There… there is also Miss Yao Ji from Qingshi Lane. I will ask them to leave."

Ye Li thought for a moment before raising her hand to stop him. Standing up, she said, "I know all of them. Let me go see what’s going on.

The shopkeeper did not dare to say more and hurriedly led Ye Li to a private room next door.

As soon as the door was opened, everyone inside turned to look at the entrance. Standing behind the shopkeeper, Ye Li looked in and saw some porcelain shards on the ground. A fair young girl wearing yellow cried while leaning into Mu Yang's arms; beside them sat a middle-aged lady dressed simply but with an angry expression. Yao Ji stood by in her red dress, looking pale, with a teacup that had fallen to the floor beside her foot.

"What is going on here" Ye Li stepped inside and closed the door behind her. Seeing Ye Li enter, Mu Yang's expression changed slightly as he gently supported the girl in his arms and nodded at Ye Li: "Duchess."

The middle-aged lady glared furiously when she was suddenly interrupted but quickly suppressed her anger upon seeing Ye Li’s face, rising to bow with a smile: "I am Lady Sun. I greet your Excellency." Ye Li nodded slightly and said indifferently, "I have disturbed you." She had no impression of this Lady Sun, who was the daughter-in-law of the Minister of Rites, her husband being merely a fifth-rank counselor; they would not usually be on speaking terms at social gatherings.

Lady Sun knew that saying she had been disturbed was likely an understatement for how noisy their argument must have been to disturb the Duchess. She quickly invited Ye Li to sit down and smiled: "Your Excellency jests, but it is more likely we disturbed you; please forgive us." Glancing at Lady Sun and her daughter-in-law, Ye Li noticed that neither was particularly beautiful in appearance but their refined mannerisms made them seem pleasant nonetheless—not arrogant like some of the nobility.

The young lady felt Ye Li’s gaze on her and blushed, lowering her head to stand behind Mu Yang.

Ye Li smiled lightly and looked at Mu Yang: "Prince Consort Mu, what a coincidence. You’re here with Lady Sun choosing jewelry I’ve never met this lady before; today when I see how well-matched you both are, it’s obvious that it will be a perfect union. Don’t forget to send the invitations for your wedding so we can come and bring our blessings."

The young lady blushed, glanced quickly at Ye Li, and pulled her sleeve slightly; Mu Yang's expression turned somewhat gloomy as he looked over at Yao Ji standing by, saying coolly: "Duchess jests. It will be an honor for the House of Mu to welcome your Excellency then."

This glance was subtle but did not escape Lady Sun’s and Ye Li’s notice. Lady Sun's face darkened as she snorted: "Blessings from Duchess; it is just that whether this wedding can proceed remains to be seen."

"Mother…" The young lady said anxiously.

Ye Li pretended not to see and smiled: "What do you mean, Lady Sun Although the people of the capital don’t know about the long-standing relationship between the House of Mu and your family, could a mere tussle jeopardize their friendship"

Lady Sun knew that this marriage couldn't be called off so easily; she glanced disdainfully at Yao Ji before sighing to Ye Li: "I don’t mind if Duchess laughs about it. It’s just that the relationship between Prince Consort Mu and this lady has been talked about even though we rarely leave home. We used to think that as a young man, Prince Consort Mu was playing around, but now, with our daughter not yet married, he wants to take in a concubine. Duchess, we from your family are reasonable people; if the marriage takes place, I would have no reason to deny my son his right to marry another wife after that. But this Yao Ji is unacceptable! She’s been entangled with Prince Consort Mu since before the wedding and there’s even talk of her being the capital's number one dancer. Not only will it be hard for the House of Mu and our family to bear losing face, but if she were to become his wife, what place would my useless daughter have"

Ye Li sighed inwardly; these two seemed like enemies from another life. Why did they meet again today after being separated last night

"Why is Yao Ji here" Ye Li asked softly.

Yao Ji's face was pale but her back straight as she sneered: "Does it mean that according to Duchess, Yao Ji isn’t allowed in this place Why not ask Prince Consort Mu and Lady Sun why they’re here instead Or does it mean that in your Excellency’s opinion, Yao Ji is intentionally courting humiliation" Ye Li was taken aback; seeing the anger in Yao Ji's eyes made her feel slightly guilty. She couldn't deny her suspicion of Yao Ji's actions; for Yao Ji to speak so openly proved this encounter at Wind and Blossom Pavilion had nothing to do with Yao Ji. If Yao Ji had been here first, then it would either be a coincidence or someone setting them up. "Sorry," Ye Li said softly.

Yao Ji was stunned before she scoffed: "Forget it; it doesn’t matter. People like us are already looked down upon anyway. Perfect timing for the Duchess to see me here and let’s clarify things. I, Yao Ji, swear that I will never marry into the House of Mu as a concubine, let alone after last night… my reputation in town has probably taken quite a hit; even if the Sun family relents now, wouldn’t Marquis Mu absolutely refuse Prince Consort Mu, I cannot say we have settled our accounts; I’ll repay you with my next life. For this one, there’s no connection between us anymore. Lady Sun, are you satisfied"

Ye Li was moved by Yao Ji's words and frowned but didn’t speak. Mu Yang looked at the stunning woman before him, her pale face making her red dress look even more miserable; a hint of pain and helplessness appeared in his eyes. As the only male descendant of the House of Mu, he bore the responsibility for its prosperity or decline.

But he couldn't help being attracted to this beautiful and strong-willed woman. However, he had underestimated Yao Ji's pride and the backlash from Mu Yang Houfu and the Sun family towards this matter, which led to his current dilemma of being unable to advance or retreat. Today’s events were even more unexpected than what he could have anticipated; originally, it was just following his mother's orders to accompany his fiancée and future mother-in-law on a shopping trip under the pretense of cultivating their relationship.

However, upon arriving at Fenghua Lou, he encountered Yao Ji who had finished buying jewelry and was about to leave. When Lady Sun suggested coming in for a chat, although he felt uneasy, he held onto hope and did not stop them. Yet, Yao Ji’s flirtatious yet stubborn nature quickly angered Lady Sun and led to the arrival of Princess Consort Ding Wang.

"Yao Ji…" Mu Yang could not help but reach out to her as he saw her resolute expression. But with a step, his sleeve was pulled back by Miss Sun, who exclaimed, "Prince Young!" Her fair face was filled with shock and alarm. Mu Yang felt a chill in his heart and instantly became composed. Miss Sun had already agreed to marry him; if anything went wrong with this engagement, given the strict family rules of the Sun household, even if she did not take her own life out of despair, she would likely spend her remaining days as a nun or in solitude. Thinking about it, Mu Yang’s feet simply could not move forward.

Sitting to one side, Ye Li observed everything and couldn't help but shake her head inwardly. The Sun family and Mu family would never accept Yao Ji. This wasn’t because of her background as a courtesan, but due to her excellence and the feelings Mu Yang had for her. As for Mu Yang, he was not a bad person; in fact, he did not indulge himself with women or lead a dissolute life. Yet, he could not solve his present predicament. If he were more promiscuous, he could marry Miss Sun while continuing to chase other women outside of marriage; even without Yao Ji, finding another woman as beautiful as her would be easy for him given his status. But if he had the heart to break off with Miss Sun, Mu Yang Houfu would have no choice but to consent since they only had one heir.

Yao Ji lowered her charming gaze, hiding a hint of bitter laughter behind her eyes as she turned to Ye Li: "Princess Consort, thank you for saving my life last night. Yao Ji takes leave." With a cold look that swept across the faces of the other three people in the room, she said coolly, "Yao Ji is just a courtesan; it's not worth everyone going through such trouble for me. Please do not come bothering me again, Prince Young and others."

"Miss Yao Ji…" Miss Sun suddenly raised her head to call out to Yao Ji as the latter turned around. She then looked at Lady Sun before whispering softly: "Miss Yao Ji, if His Highness truly loves you… after our marriage, please let him bring you into Mu Yang Houfu."

“Lian'er!” Lady Sun hissed in a low voice.

Mu Yang looked at the delicate and graceful girl before him with astonishment. A hint of joy flashed across his eyes; he hadn't expected her to be the first one to speak up.

Yao Ji snorted and turned away.

This arrogant attitude infuriated Lady Sun even further, who shouted, "How dare you! What kind of attitude is this" Yao Ji turned back with a scornful smile: "I have already said I will not enter Mu Yang Houfu. Do Lady Sun and Miss Sun really think I am playing hard to get Yes, I am a courtesan but I am not so lowly that I need to beg for marriage. Mu Yang Houfu is beyond my reach and I no longer wish to pursue it; your kindness, Miss Sun, I cannot accept."

"Yao Ji, you…" Mu Yang frowned, knowing that he was forcing her into a compromising position as his concubine, but this was the best solution he could think of.

Yao Ji glared at him coldly, completely unlike her usual gentle and flirtatious demeanor. With a sigh, Mu Yang said: "Can't you make an exception for me"

The room fell silent for a long time before Yao Ji suddenly smiled faintly: "Mu... Mu Lang, do you know my name"

Mu Yang was taken aback and looked at her with confusion. Yao Ji shook her head and waved her sleeve resolutely: “Unless you marry me properly, we won’t meet again in this life!”

"Marry you properly" Lady Sun glared at Yao Ji, mocking: "What identity do you have to demand a proper marriage from the Mu family Even if Prince Young hadn't been engaged today, you don't have that privilege. Lian'er's willingness to accept you is her generosity and your good fortune; don’t be ignorant of your position or disgrace yourself." Yao Ji replied arrogantly: "So what Since he can’t marry me, should I stay here watching him let others humiliate me"

"Yao Ji!" Mu Yang frowned, his face showing displeasure. When had Yao Ji ever been so unreasonable before Yao Ji seemed completely unconcerned with his displeasure and glanced at Miss Sun disdainfully: "Lady Sun is right; I followed you because I wanted to become the Lady of Mu Yang Houfu. Since you can’t marry me, what’s the point of staying here Should I bow my head and accept being a concubine to some little maid who lacks beauty and talent but has a decent family background Yao Ji isn't that lowly; there are many men willing to take me as their wife..."

"Enough!" Mu Yang’s face turned dark. He pulled the tearful Miss Sun by his side and said to Lady Sun: "Mother-in-law, let's go back."

Lady Sun glanced at Yao Ji and nodded at Ye Li with a smile: "I’ve caused you trouble, Princess Consort. I take my leave."

Ye Li nodded: "No need for an escort, Lady Sun, please walk slowly."

The trio pushed open the door to leave. Throughout this time, Mu Yang did not once look at Yao Ji again. Of course, he didn’t notice the trickle of blood that started to seep from the corner of her lips as they turned white. Until their footsteps faded away outside, Yao Ji swayed as if she was about to fall down. Qing Shuang and Qing Luan who had come in hurriedly supported her into a chair beside them. When Yao Ji calmed down, she looked up at Ye Li with a smile: "Princess Consort, aren’t you tired of watching the show"

Ye Li shook her head softly, saying: "Why do this for Mu Yang Is it worth so much self-degradation"

Yao Ji was stunned and said bitterly: "Love arises without reason...and grows deeper. If I had a choice, why would I..."

Ye Li waved her hand with a smile: "I understand; after experiencing the vast ocean, there's no water to match it, and beyond Mt. Wu, there are no clouds like those. Poets' sighs over nothing, when you starve and go naked, you know that all this talk of love is empty. Do common folk who struggle daily for food and warmth really need love to live"

Yao Ji looked at her strangely: "Princess Consort, as a descendant of the Xu family, the Flower Queen, how can your thoughts be so..."

Ye Li raised an eyebrow with a smile: "Sordid

Yao Ji didn’t speak, but her expression clearly showed something. Ye Li smiled indifferently and said, "When I was a young girl in my family home, I thought I would become the Princess Consort of Li. Later when Li Wang broke off our engagement, I thought it wasn't such a bad thing. At most, I could find someone with lower social status but good character to marry me and live a plain life for the rest of my days. Then later, I was betrothed to Ding Wang. Could I go against the imperial decree when even the entire Ye family and Xu clan wouldn’t dare" Yao Ji naturally knew about Ye Li’s situation in joining the Ding王府的情形，當初她還曾為這位葉三小姐歎息過，卻冇想到纔不過一年的時間，葉三小姐成了京城貴婦們人人欽羨的定國王妃，而她纔是真正被人可憐的對象，“王妃當時是怎麼想的？”

“能怎麼想？儘量讓自己好好以後過的好一些唄。難不成你還想要一時想不開投繯自儘不成？”葉璃挑眉看著她，瑤姬蹙眉看著葉璃，有些不信的道：“難不成王妃就從來冇有期盼過一份感情？” She didn't know that a year later, Ye Li would be envied as the King Consort of Ding Wang while she would become pitiful. "How did your Excellency think back then"

“What else can I think Just try my best to live well for the rest of my life, right Can't you still be so desperate that you'd hang yourself” Ye Li arched her eyebrows as she looked at Yao Ji. Yao Ji frowned and said doubtfully, “Does your Excellency never hope for a genuine relationship” She knew very well that there would be no future between herself and Mu Yang. But being in the dust of life, seeing so many human emotions, she couldn't help but want to grasp any warmth or sincerity. She knew that Mu Yang truly loved her; it was just that his sincerity could not make him give up what he should have done as a responsible man. Therefore, all she could do for him was let him marry in peace and no longer be entangled.

Ye Li sighed softly and said, "Alright, I shouldn't mock you. But I believe that… love requires effort from both sides to maintain it. No matter how much one person gives, the relationship won’t last long if only one side is putting in the work."

"Mu Yang loves me, I know. And I also love him," Yao Ji said solemnly.

Ye Li rested her chin on her hand and looked at her, "Love is a matter between two people, but you three are involved here. You love him, he loves you, so what about Miss Sun She’s the one who is truly innocent."

Yao Ji bit her lip and glared at Ye Li, “Do you think that Lady Sun is really weak and innocent”

Ye Li waved dismissively, "Whether she's weak or not isn't relevant. She’s Mu Yang's fiancée; in this world, not every woman who gets dumped is as unconcerned as me. I heard that the Sun family has strict rules, so if Mu Yang breaks off their engagement, Miss Sun would have no other way than to become a nun. Thus, even if she were just putting on an act, it's only to maintain her legitimate status. And she hasn’t committed any murder or arson either. We may not like her, but we can't say that she’s wrong. If there hadn’t been you and Mu Yang's affair, she could still be a truly delicate and refined young lady, marrying happily and becoming an ordinary wife and mistress of the Mu Yang Marquis Manor. Do you think she would feel happy if her fiancé suddenly told her he had someone else before their wedding The fact that Miss Sun hasn’t hated or tormented both of you to death already proves that her character isn't completely bad."

Hearing Ye Li’s words, Yao Ji was bewildered and said, "So… am I really in the wrong"

Ye Li uncomfortably touched her nose; she couldn’t bring herself to say that Yao Ji was at fault. Yao Ji had known Mu Yang for at least seven or eight years, but their engagement only lasted less than two months. In terms of seniority, it wasn't Yao Ji's fault, but now she alone would have to bear this mistake. "Well… I guess you could say it’s fate playing tricks on people. Don’t worry too much about it; Miss Yao is beautiful and talented with a wealthy family background, so if you can just be optimistic, you won’t have trouble living well. Who hasn't encountered some scum in their youth"

Hearing Ye Li call her a piece of trash, Yao Ji glared at her unhappily. Ye Li smiled and said, "I know he's not a bad person; it’s just an expression."

Yao Ji couldn’t help but smile, saying, “Although your Excellency's words aren't very nice, I understand that you’re trying to comfort me. Yao Ji thanks you. However, why would your Excellency, with such high status, come specially to console someone like me”

"I don’t often comfort people either; if what I say isn’t appropriate, just ignore it," Ye Li said apologetically. "As for my status… Since you’re Phoenix Third’s friend, I can勉強算作鳳凰三公子的朋友，就算看在鳳三的麵子上我也不能不聞不問吧。”瑤姬起身笑道：“那就多謝王妃了，告辭。”葉璃蹙眉看著她道：“你臉色很難看，要不要休息一下再走？”

瑤姬搖搖頭笑道：“不要緊，這幾天實在是有些累了。我打算離開京城休息一……”話說到一半，瑤姬身子一軟往地上跌了下去。站在旁邊的青鸞手腳伶俐連忙扶住了她將她拽了回來。葉璃也嚇了一跳叫青霜去叫外麵的青玉進來看看。不一會兒青玉匆匆進來替瑤姬把了把脈，神色有些古怪的看著葉璃。

葉璃焦急的道：“怎麼回事，有話直說便是。”

青玉看了看昏迷在椅子裡的紅衣女子，抬眼看著葉璃道：“滑脈，有三個月身孕了。可能是動了胎氣所以才……”

動了胎氣……四個字炸的葉璃一陣頭暈眼花，隻覺得頭頂上天雷滾滾。所以…她剛剛是在意圖拆散一對孩子他爹和他娘麼？多管閒事果然是要招報應的……

青玉雖然不是大夫，還是秉著醫者父母心的原則認真的替瑤姬看了看，秀氣的眉頭皺得緊緊地，有些不滿的道，“這位…也太不小心了。已經三個多月身孕了還這麼折騰，這孩子還能保得住真是老天保佑了。”

葉璃挑眉道：“可能她自己還不知道吧。”

青玉不讚同的翻了個白眼，“三個多月的身孕了還不知道，那得多傻的人啊。再過些日子就該顯懷了，遮的遮不住！”

葉璃瞭然的點點頭，明白，大肚子麼。有些為難的看著眼前的昏迷不醒的人，現在該怎麼辦呢？

多管閒事……

－－－－－－題外話－－－－－－

呐呐…沐揚和瑤姬不會在一起的，即使情節如此狗血了…其實吧我真不覺得沐揚是渣男，當然他也絕對冇有一生一世一雙人的意識。瑤姬也不是小三，孫小姐也不是白蓮花但是她也冇有錯。沐揚喜歡瑤姬但是他無法放棄責任，瑤姬喜歡沐揚但是她不能接受做妾，孫小姐什麼都做錯是最無辜的但是她必須維護自己的地位和婚姻。所以…這就是一鍋杯具的狗血而已~ld take good care of Han Mingyue so that he wouldn't cause trouble. These days, Han Mingyue had been living in Han Mingxi’s residence without stepping outside and now looked pale and lifeless, devoid...