Surprise. Some good things happened to me in real life so I wanted to pa.s.s it on. ?
Chapter 46 part 4: Ye Ying’s Tragic Marital Life
At the time of the Monkey (3PM-5PM), servants announced the arrival of the master.
w.a.n.g-shi was overjoyed as she pulled Ye Ying up. She laughed and said: "Take a look. Your father is still concerned about you." She hurriedly pulled Ye Ying along to greet Minister Ye.
Minister Ye came in and saw Ye Ying. Startled, he said: "Why is Ying-er here?"
Ye Ying gloomily looked down. "Ying-er returned. Naturally would come to mother"s place to talk. Where does father think daughter should be?"
Minister Ye frowned and could not help but take a longer look at Ye Ying. He felt that this daughter who he had not seen for some time had changed. But soon after, he found an excuse. The daughter was married out; of course, she would be more mature. So, he didn"t ask further.
It wasn"t until after Minister Ye had taken a seat and tea was presented that w.a.n.g-shi asked, "Master isn"t accompanying Old Duke Hua and his Excellency Su? Coming at this time?"
Minister Ye said: "Old Duke Hua and his Excellency Su have returned after the banquet. I have come to discuss with you about Ye Li"s dowry."
w.a.n.g-shi"s heart filled with a bad premonition, "Ye Li"s dowry? Isn"t already prepared? Does Master feel that there are still problems?"
Minister Ye nodded and glanced at Ye Ying sitting on the side. He said: "I consulted with mother. In Ye Li"s dowry, add two more small courtyards, a small academy, two shops, and 8000 teals of silver."
"What?!" w.a.n.g-shi couldn"t help but scream, almost knocking over the teacup. Ye Ying also looked at Minister Ye in disbelief.
Dissatisfied, Minister Ye frowned. He said: "This is Old Madam"s intention."
w.a.n.g-shi tried her best to not scream. She stared at Minister Ye with red eyes and said: "Why? Yue-er and Ying-er are both Master"s legitimate children and Old Madam"s blood grandchildren. Old Madam has placed too much weight on one side and lightens the other. Yue-er is in the palace, we can ignore. But how would Ying-er have a foot in Prince Li"s Manor in the future?"
Impatient, Minister Ye said: "What are you talking about? What is wrong with Ying-er"s dowry? Your own heart should be clear. In the end, how much did you add? Do you think that I and Old Madam don"t know?"
w.a.n.g-shi unwillingly said: "Isn"t there something else we can add for Li-er? When Eldest Young Miss married out, the dowry was not as big as Li-er"s sc.r.a.ps."
Minister Ye bluntly said: "Where did the precious things Li-er"s mother left go? Is it that you don"t know? Moreover, most of Li-er"s dowry was left by her mother. It"s from the Xu family. The dowry of Ying-er is more. But it is from the Ye family!"
"Master…" w.a.n.g-shi looked at Minister Ye with sorrow, like she was going to fall. "I knew it… Master has always looked down on me. It"s because I was born low while big sister came from up high…" Not yet finished, w.a.n.g-shi had cried miserably. "Ho..Ho… If I had known earlier, even dragging my daughters in to be scorned by master, I… I should"ve just died…"
"What are you talking about?!" Looking at the pitiful look, Minister Ye"s heart softened. He thought of these past days because of Zhao-shi, he had been cold towards w.a.n.g-shi.
With misty eyes, w.a.n.g-shi looked at Minister Ye, "Does master not look down on me?"
Minister Ye said: "Don"t think about it. When have I looked down on you?"
Only now did w.a.n.g-shi stopped her tears and looked at Minister Ye gratefully, "Bi-er knows that master will always be good to Bi-er."
Minister Ye looked at Ye Ying a bit uncomfortable as he made an affirmative noise. Ye Ying sat on the side and was thinking. Towards the methods her mother used, she was very surprised. Although she witnessed her mother using the shyness of a girl, making others very uncomfortable, her father obviously ate it down. The previous Madam of that year, Ye Ying still remembers. She had taken the Madam as a goal to be achieved. So she never understood why her father would kick aside Madam, a beautiful and talented woman, for her own biological mother. At one point, she even had some doubts if her goal was wrong. However, once she grew up amongst other n.o.ble ladies, with the admiration of young masters, she knew she was not wrong.
"Master, then… Li-er"s dowry…"
Minister Ye frowned and said: "This is something Old Madam decided. If you have an opinion, go and discuss it with Old Madam." Although Minister Ye was a bit biased in his personal affairs, he was not muddled on the bigger picture. He immediately pushed Old Madam Ye out as a shield.
Of course, w.a.n.g-shi did not dare to go ask Old Madam Ye. If she dared to entangle with Old Madam Ye, then these past years she would"ve already found a way to poison Old Madam Ye, someone who only looked at her through their nose.
Seeing his wife and daughter with a grievance, but too scared to speak, Minister Ye sighed. "You also know about the bride price sent by Prince Ding"s Manor. Although common people wouldn"t be able to tell Li-er"s dowry was left by her mother, the n.o.ble families would understand. If there is gossip, our Ye family need not stay in the capital any longer." Getting such extravagant gifts from the son-in-law, but not reciprocating? It would only give others an excuse to attack.
w.a.n.g-shi remembered the long list of gifts from Prince Ding"s Manor. She couldn"t not admit that although Prince Ding"s Manor is on the decline, they were still a great family with a lot of resources.
"If this thing is to spread, the ones losing face would not be Prince Ding"s Manor and Li-er. It would be the Ye family and Imperial Concubine Zhao Yi in the Imperial Harem." Minister Ye continued.
Mentioning Ye Zhao Yi in the harem, w.a.n.g-shi was immediately moved. Just thinking that, in an instant, giving out tens of thousands of silvers, her heart was pained. After thinking for a long time, she said gloomily: "Master and Old Madam is thoughtful. It is I that is wrong. Beg master to not blame. We will handle it how master wishes. Now, I don"t have the strength to manage such things."
After Minister Ye heard her words, he looked at her strangely. "Why? What happened to Ying-er?"
w.a.n.g-shi took Ye Ying and carefully explained the events that took place in Prince Li"s Manor. Minister Ye could not help but be angry after hearing. Ye Ying might not be able to see that Dowager Imperial Concubine Xian Zhao wanted to take over her role to manage the manor, but how could w.a.n.g-shi and Minister Ye not see? Who has heard that the new wife had to manage the household the day she stepped through the door? Moreover, it was directly decided two days after that Ye Ying was not a suitable person to manage the house? Even the most demanding and wicked elder wouldn"t be this way.
"Looking down on someone too much! I am going to find Prince Li. He must give our Ye family a suitable answer!" Minister Ye was angered.
Ye Ying hastily pulled Minister Ye, not letting him go. He frowned and said: "Ying-er, what are you doing?"
Ye Ying whispered: "Father, let"s let this matter cool a bit. The Prince has already promised Dowager Imperial Concubine. Now, even if I say something, it will only make the Prince unhappy." After a bit of crying, w.a.n.g-shi came to comfort. Ye Ying was very clear that her only support was Mo Jing Li; so, she could not make him unhappy.
"Then, we are just leaving it like that?" Minister Ye said. Compared to a gentle and polite Mo Xiu Yao, Mo Jing Li"s eyes were above his head. Minister Ye felt even more dissatisfied towards this son-in-law. Why is it always this Prince Li acting this way? Minister Ye could not help but think regretfully.
"Ying-er will think of ways. If there are still problems, Ying-er begs father to step out for Ying-er."
Minister Ye sighed and said with a bit of pity: "Alright, although Prince Li is the biological son of the Empress Dowager, we do not need to so afraid of him. The Emperor is also not someone who is unreasonable. If there really is a problem, we will go ask the Emperor. Later, prepare some silvers for Ye Ying as insurance."
"Yes, this wife thanks master for Ying-er."