Chapter 6: Your Highness, Things Must Be Paid For

                  

"Heh... Xiuyao, your fiancée is quite interesting."

Outside Shende Pavilion, a spacious yet understated carriage had stopped at some indeterminate point. Though its occupants couldn't see inside the shop, they possessed hearing far superior to ordinary mortals, catching every nuanced detail of what was transpiring within.

Inside the carriage sat two men presenting stark contrasts. One wore crimson brocade robes that shimmered with wealth, his handsome features accentuated by slanting eyebrows, his demeanor ethereally beautiful. He lounged with calculated laziness against the carriage wall, watching the composed man opposite him with undisguised amusement.

"Feng Zhiyao, are you really that idle?" The other man wore plain-colored clothing devoid of ornamentation and sat properly in his wheelchair. Though seated, his back remained perfectly straight, as if nothing in heaven or earth could bend him. His refined features carried traces of gentility, but his clear eyes caused those who met his gaze to feel an inexplicable chill run down their spines. As he turned his head to regard the man in brocade, a rather fierce scar on his left cheek became visible, suddenly disrupting his otherwise scholarly appearance and making others instinctively reluctant to look directly at him.

With a swift flourish, Feng Zhiyao snapped open his fan and began waving it with leisurely elegance. "How can I not be idle? The old man won't let me leave the capital. Though things shouldn't be too boring lately—after all, both Prince Li and Prince Ding are to be married within the month. The Emperor is showing blatant favoritism here. Ye Ying is called the capital's greatest beauty, while Ye Li is famously known as the 'three-lacks' young lady. Xiuyao, do you truly intend to marry her? Isn't the Emperor deliberately trying to humiliate you? Being a 'three-lacks' lady is one thing, but she's also Prince Li's rejected fiancée. The imperial family seems intent on grinding Prince Ding's estate's face into the dirt."

The man in plain clothes was none other than the current Prince Ding, Mo Xiuyao. Mo Xiuyao smiled faintly as the young woman's clear, unwavering voice from within Shende Pavilion reached his ears with crystalline precision: "When the Emperor commands death, a subject cannot refuse to die—how much simpler is it merely to accept an arranged marriage? Didn't you just say the Third Miss Ye was quite interesting?"

Feng Zhiyao frowned, studying him with genuine concern. "This is your lifelong marriage—taking a Princess Consort is fundamentally different from taking a concubine. Have you thought this through?"

"What difference does it make whether I've thought it through or not? It's just..." Mo Xiuyao paused, his voice taking on a self-deprecating edge. "With my appearance, I fear I'm the one who will disappoint her."

Feng Zhiyao fell silent. Indeed, what difference did it make whether one had thought it through? The Emperor's decree could not be defied, or it would bring catastrophic disaster upon the Prince Ding estate. Moreover, Mo Xiuyao was already twenty-five, well past the conventional age for marriage. But which respectable young lady in the capital didn't avoid him like a venomous snake? Now... one could only hope this Miss Ye truly turned out to be a decent woman. But would the Emperor assign Mo Xiuyao a good wife?

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Before they could send away the young man selling paintings, a handsome couple walked in from outside. The shopkeeper, as if seeing a savior descend from heaven, called out repeatedly: "Ying'er... Ying'er, Your Highness, save me..."

The pair who entered were none other than the renowned Prince Li, Mo Jingli, and Ye Ying. Ye Ying glanced meaningfully at the handsome man beside her, then gracefully glided to Ye Li's side, saying in a delicate, affected voice: "Third Sister, what are you doing? Has our uncle done something to anger you? Please consider his status as an elder and don't take offense." These few gentle words effectively accused Ye Li of disrespecting her elders. Hearing this calculated accusation, Mo Jingli frowned as he fixed his gaze on Ye Li.

Ye Li gave Ye Ying a meaningful smile and replied with cool precision: "Fourth Sister must be mistaking someone else. My maternal grandfather's family only has three uncles, and only my Second Uncle is in the capital now. Besides, although Shende Pavilion was part of my mother's dowry, if my uncles were worried about it, they wouldn't need to personally serve as shopkeepers. This is merely a servant of our household—how could Fourth Sister mistake him for my elder?"

Ye Ying's face flushed crimson with suppressed anger, her heart burning with indignation. If she couldn't understand the implications of Ye Li's words, she would be a fool. In Ye Li's eyes, she didn't consider their Wang family relatives as real relations, naturally not recognizing their elders as her own. So since her uncle worked as a shopkeeper at Shende Pavilion, in Ye Li's eyes, he was merely her servant. This woman, who usually appeared so mild and conflict-averse, actually dared to shame her in front of Prince Li!

Biting her cherry lips until they paled, Ye Ying forced a smile and said: "Third Sister is joking. It's just that Shende Pavilion had no one managing it before, so Uncle took charge at Mother's request—how could he be a servant?"

Ye Li nodded, smiling with apparent understanding: "Oh, I see. It seems I misunderstood. From now on, we won't trouble your mother's brother with this. I'll have someone manage it myself. Would this... Manager Wang please come with me to the Ye residence to handle the turnover in front of my father and grandmother?"

Both the shopkeeper's and Ye Ying's expressions changed dramatically. The shopkeeper naturally worried about losing this extraordinarily lucrative position. Though the Wang family's eldest daughter was now Noble Lady Zhao in the palace, the Wang family's foundations were far too weak—otherwise, their legitimate daughter wouldn't have married into the Ye family as a mere concubine. Although their situation had improved over the years, they had only a few low-ranking officials in court. The shopkeeper was Lady Wang's cousin, originally idle at home—how could any other position be as comfortable as managing Shende Pavilion? As for Ye Ying, she knew exactly how much silver her mother received from Shende Pavilion each year, and she could directly take whatever rare treasures and antiques she fancied, making her quite prestigious among the capital's young ladies. If they lost control of Shende Pavilion, such benefits would no longer come so easily.

Ye Li paid no mind to what these two were thinking. She smiled and pulled Ye Ying closer with deceptive friendliness: "Never mind all that—what brings Fourth Sister to Shende Pavilion at this hour?"

Ye Ying's face stiffened, and after hesitating for a long moment, she replied: "Prince Li saw a Guanyin statue in the shop that he wants to give to the Empress Dowager... I accompanied His Highness to take a look."

Ye Li's smile remained unchanged, still composed and serene, showing not the slightest trace of resentment or sorrow at seeing the man who had broken off their engagement. Her smile grew even warmer as she turned to Mo Jingli and said: "So it's Prince Li. This humble one pays her respects. But... why did Fourth Sister have Your Highness come to the shop personally? We could have sent it directly to your residence."

Ye Ying frowned as she watched Ye Li, wondering if she still harbored pathetic hopes of winning Prince Li's favor. Mo Jingli stood to the side with his hands behind his back, looking at Ye Li with faint contempt in his eyes, clearly believing her actions were an attempt to curry his favor. Then Ye Li continued with a smile: "But since Your Highness is here—Master He, please wrap up the Guanyin statue for the Prince. May I ask... would Your Highness prefer to pay in silver or bank notes?"

Everyone froze in stunned surprise. Mo Jingli's expression darkened considerably as he stared at Ye Li and said: "What did you say?"

Ye Li frowned, wearing a puzzled expression as she replied innocently: "Isn't Your Highness here to purchase the Guanyin statue? Since you're Fourth Sister's betrothed and it's a gift for the Empress Dowager... Master He, let's give a 20% discount—that's an auspicious number."

Master He had already carefully retrieved the Guanyin statue with reverent hands. Ye Li glanced at it—it was flawless white jade. Even from that brief look, one could sense the statue's exquisite depiction of Guanyin's compassion for humanity, revealing both the exceptional quality of the jade and the master craftsmanship. She hadn't expected Shende Pavilion to house such a treasure; if she hadn't come today, they might have suffered a devastating loss.

"Young Miss, it's wrapped. The total comes to 5,100 taels." Master He had caught Third Miss's meaning perfectly. He was originally one of the Gu family's servants who had come with the dowry to the Ye family. Now that Third Miss had taken over Shende Pavilion, he naturally sided with his young mistress. Ye Li was quite pleased with Master He's quick understanding. She nodded and smiled gently at Mo Jingli: "Let's round it down—5,000 taels. What does Your Highness think?"

"Third Sister! You..." Ye Ying looked anxiously at Mo Jingli, then called out to Ye Li with a wronged expression.

Ye Li laughed coldly inside. Over the years, Lady Wang had secretly taken so much silver and goods, and now that Ye Ying's status was even higher, she wanted to curry favor with Mo Jingli by letting him take things from the shop for free. Did they think she was a fool?

Qingshuang, despising Ye Ying's affected weakness, said with a grin: "What's wrong, Fourth Miss? Our Young Miss has already given a discount of several hundred taels considering Prince Li is to be the Fourth Miss's husband. Other establishments wouldn't offer this price. Unless... ah, this servant understands—perhaps Your Highness didn't bring enough silver with him."

Ye Li smiled faintly: "That's no matter—I naturally trust Your Highness. You may take the item first, and I'll have someone send the bill to your residence later to collect the payment. How does that sound?"

Mo Jingli's expression was quite unpleasant. What could he do? If he refused, people would think he wanted to take things without paying. If he said he didn't want it anymore, everyone present knew it was meant as a gift for the Empress Dowager—saying it was too expensive would be considered unfilial. Everyone said Ye Li lacked beauty, talent, and virtue, but they never mentioned how devastatingly cunning she could be. With a cold snort, Mo Jingli nodded in stiff agreement. Seemingly unwilling to remain in the shop a moment longer, he grabbed Ye Ying's arm and headed out, ignoring the shopkeeper's desperate calls.

Ye Li smiled with profound satisfaction and waved to Master He: "The Prince is indeed decisive. Master He, just have someone deliver the bill to the prince's residence later. Oh, and check if there are any previous unpaid accounts—have him settle those too. Such a prestigious prince's estate surely won't begrudge us this small sum."

Hearing this, Mo Jingli, who had just reached the doorway, turned ashen-faced. He paused for a moment, then pulled Ye Ying away without looking back.

Outside, in the carriage, Feng Zhiyao burst into laughter. "Xiuyao, your future princess consort is truly... extraordinary."

Mo Xiuyao's lips curved slightly. "Indeed. Quite interesting."

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