Crowned Consort in Golden Age-Chapter 418 - 415. Goodbye to My Best Friend, Hidden Worries

Chapter 418: 415. Goodbye to My Best Friend, Hidden Worries

415. Reunion with Girlfriends, Hidden Worries

Upon returning to Licheng, Ye Li set aside her other duties to concentrate on taking care of the children. Though they had left their parents not long after their first month, perhaps due to the natural bond between mother and child, the two babies had completely warmed up to their mother within a few days. Their clinginess made it seem as if they had always been by Ye Li’s side and had never left her for a single day.

Speaking of which, Ye Li, in both her lives, was a soldier accustomed to the frontlines. Soldiers who have been on the battlefield often exude an aura of ruthlessness. But Ye Li was different. No matter how brutal the battle, once she changed out of her armor and into casual clothes, she would transform back into a gentle and elegant lady, as if from a scholarly family. The warmth and tenderness in her gentle countenance made the children particularly happy to see their mother. Children are naturally drawn to softer and warmer things.

In the main courtyard of Prince Ding’s Mansion, a spacious room was thickly carpeted with rugs from the Western Region. The corners of all the furniture in the room had been smoothed and covered with cotton fabric. Various toys were scattered on the floor, where the two babies were placed to play freely. The eleven-month-old babies were already learning to walk. Lin’er, her younger brother, could already walk steadily, albeit wobbling. Xin’er, despite being born slightly earlier and thus the older twin, was physically weaker than her younger brother, so she preferred to sit and play. Seeing her brother toddling about, she reached out her little hand to pull him. The floor was covered with a thick wool rug, so when Lin’er was pulled down to a sitting position, he didn’t cry but instead grinned happily at his sister.

Ye Li also sat on the floor, a soft smile playing on her lips as she watched the two babies giggling.

"Your Highness, Second Madam Xu and Madam Leng are here," a maidservant announced softly from outside.

Before they even entered, Murong Ting’s voice drifted in from outside, "Li’er, you certainly are living a leisurely life these days." Ye Li looked up to see Murong Ting, Qin Zheng, Hua Tianxiang, Mo Wuyou, and Shen Yunge all standing at the doorway. She couldn’t help but smile. "Why are you all here? Come in, quickly."

Qin Zheng glanced inside and, covering her mouth to hide a chuckle, said, "It’s quite lively outside, yet you’re here enjoying the quiet. You should come out. It wouldn’t be good for all of us to crowd in there." The room was impeccably clean, clearly prepared especially for the children; so many people entering would surely soil the pristine white carpet. Although they were all women, aside from Murong Ting and Shen Yunge, none of the others, educated as ladies of prestigious families since childhood, would likely feel comfortable removing their shoes in front of others.

Ye Li grinned, picked up a baby in each arm, handed them to Qin Zheng and Murong Ting respectively, and then walked out with them. Murong Ting and Qin Zheng had children of their own and had become very familiar with the two babies over the past six months, so the little ones weren’t the least bit shy in their arms. Murong Ting, cradling the rosy-cheeked Xin’er, exclaimed that she too wished for a daughter.

"Sister Li, oh no, I mean, Your Highness!" Yunge approached Ye Li and curtsied lightly, appearing somewhat more demure and quiet than she had been in Jiangnan. Ye Li took her hand and said with a smile, "Just call me Sister Li. Look around, does anyone here stand on ceremony with me? Are you getting used to living in Licheng, Yunge?"

Shen Yunge nodded. "Both First Madam Xu and Second Madam Xu treat me very well, as do Sister Tianxiang, Sister Zheng’er, Sister Murong, and Wuyou. And... and I have a godfather now."

"A godfather?" Ye Li raised an eyebrow. Mo Wuyou said with a soft laugh, "Yes, my Teacher. Didn’t he tell you when he went to Feihong Pass, Princess Consort? Teacher said Yunge has far more talent for medicine than I do, and he’s exceedingly fond of her for it, so he took her in as his goddaughter." Ye Li raised her eyebrows again. She recalled Shen Yang having some distant familial connection to Yunge’s father, but this seniority... Then it occurred to her that, in this world, Shen Yang and Yunge likely only had each other left as kin. What relationship could be closer than that of a father and daughter? Since Shen Yang had made this decision, he must have had his reasons, so she didn’t dwell on it further.

Shen Yunge nodded enthusiastically. "Right! My godfather is an excellent doctor, even better than my own father. He said that as long as I study hard, I can become as skilled as him in the future." Perhaps due to her family background, Yunge was naturally gifted in medicine, and this, coupled with her innate interest, made her eyes sparkle as she spoke of it.

"As long as you’re happy," Ye Li smiled. Glancing at the young women before her, she added, "Yesterday at dinner, my first and second maternal aunts were saying that now that peace has finally been restored, they’re eager to arrange the marriages for Third Brother and Fourth Brother."

Qin Zheng nodded. "What Li’er said is true. My mother and Eldest Aunt are indeed very anxious. It’s just that Third Brother has gone with the expeditionary force, and Fourth Brother is far away in Xiling and rarely returns. Mother said that this time, no matter what, she wants Third Brother to get married."

"Zheng’er!" Hua Tianxiang’s face turned crimson, and she glared at Qin Zheng. "You always seem so refined and gentle. How could you say such things..."

Murong Ting rolled her eyes at her. "What’s so embarrassing about being happy? We won’t laugh at you. Yesterday, as soon as Third Young Master Xu returned, he eagerly rushed over to give you gifts. Did you think we didn’t see?" As she spoke, she glanced meaningfully at an exquisite and elegant pearl hairpin in Hua Tianxiang’s hair, her face full of good-natured teasing. Mo Wuyou, who was also soon to be a bride, carefully sidled away to avoid becoming collateral damage along with Hua Tianxiang. It wasn’t that she lacked sisterly affection, but she knew she couldn’t withstand Sister Murong’s sharp tongue.

In contrast, the guileless Shen Yunge looked delighted. "Is Sister Tianxiang getting married? I’ll definitely give you a wonderful gift!" Murong Ting chuckled and looked at Shen Yunge. "Yunge, you’re not planning to give medicinal pills again, are you?"

Shen Yunge blinked. "Is there something wrong with that?"

Ye Li was also puzzled. "What’s wrong?" Shen Yunge’s pharmaceutical skills were exceptional, a case of the student surpassing the master; the elixirs she crafted were naturally extraordinary.

Qin Zheng covered her mouth to stifle a laugh. "Last New Year, Yunge gave each of us in the family a bottle of elixirs. It was the same for Uncle’s birthday last October, and then again for Eldest Brother’s birthday early this year. Besides... among everyone in our family, Eldest Brother has received the most elixirs. Now, his face stiffens whenever he sees a gift from Yunge."

The others present also looked like they were trying to suppress their amusement. Ye Li found it quite funny and couldn’t help but laugh as well. She was genuinely curious what Young Master Qingchen looked like when he turned pale at the sight of a small bottle of elixirs.

Shen Yunge pouted, looking somewhat bewildered at the group. What was wrong with her gifts? The ones she gave to the two Aunts Xu were for health maintenance and conditioning, those for Sister Zheng’er and the others were for beauty enhancement, and those for the two Uncles and Xu Qingchen were for general well-being. It turned out that the Xu family, seeing the young girl’s innocence and the sincerity with which she personally crafted the elixirs, didn’t have the heart to tell her about the nuances of gift-giving. Besides, the Xu family didn’t care much for such formalities; a gift given with sincerity was always far more precious than a perfunctory gesture, wasn’t it? However, it was unfortunate for Young Master Qingchen. Miss Yunge was convinced that Xu Qingchen still suffered from lingering health issues due to a past serious injury. So, whenever Xu Qingchen had so much as a headache or a slight fever, the young girl would press a handful of various pills into his hand. Now, when anyone in the Xu family fell ill, they no longer bothered to see a doctor or get prescriptions; they simply asked Xu Qingchen for medicine. After all, Miss Yunge’s pills were always much more effective than those prescribed by ordinary doctors.

Ye Li chuckled as she affectionately ruffled her hair. "It’s nothing. Yunge’s medicine is very good. Your medical skills must have improved a lot recently."

Yunge’s eyes brightened. "Huh? Sister Li, have you used my medicine too?"

Ye Li nodded. "Mr. Shen brought some to Feihong Pass. The effects were excellent."

Yunge beamed proudly. "That’s great! In the future, I’ll definitely become the most famous Divine Doctor in the world. Then, just like my godfather in his youth, I’ll practice medicine to heal the sick and save many, many lives."

Practice medicine to heal the sick? A very noble aspiration. Ye Li raised her eyebrows with a smile. "What did Eldest Brother say?"

Shen Yunge blinked, looking somewhat perplexed. "Xu Qingchen? What would he say? Oh... he said I would definitely become a very skilled Divine Doctor."

Looking at the young girl’s innocently joyful face, Ye Li couldn’t help but cover her face and sigh. Indeed, she had been overthinking things. She’d never imagined that the marriage of the ethereal Immortal Young Master had become such a major, persistent worry for everyone. Even she couldn’t help wanting to pair him off with some girl. Since Xu Qingchen himself seemed to have no particular thoughts on the matter, Ye Li readily nodded and said with a smile, "Eldest Brother is right. Yunge will definitely become a renowned female Divine Doctor of her generation."

Murong Ting scoffed at Ye Li. "Right about what? Yunge is a year older than Wuyou, isn’t she? At this age, a young woman should be thinking about marrying into a good family, not whether she wants to become a female Divine Doctor."

Ye Li glanced sideways at Qin Zheng, who was holding Lin’er and stifling her laughter. A faint smile touched Ye Li’s lips. She gave Wuyou a meaningful look, and Wuyou, understanding immediately, pulled Yunge away to play outside.

Watching the two young girls leave holding hands, Ye Li smiled. "Wuyou and Yunge get along quite well."

Hua Tianxiang said with a smile, "Isn’t it true? They both have pleasant temperaments, and they study medicine together under Mr. Shen. It hasn’t been long, but to outsiders, they seem more like real sisters than Wuyou and I, who are actual cousins."

"About Yunge’s matter..." Ye Li frowned, unsure for a moment what to say.

Murong Ting chuckled. "First Madam Xu is quite pleased with the idea of Yunge becoming her eldest daughter-in-law. However, of the two people involved, one is genuinely clueless, and the other is pretending to be. First Madam Xu doesn’t dare approach the young girl directly, afraid of scaring her. To make matters worse, Young Master Qingchen shows no indication of interest whatsoever. I hear First Madam Xu is quite exasperated by it."

Ye Li pondered for a moment and then said, "Perhaps... Eldest Brother truly doesn’t have such intentions?"

Murong Ting rolled her eyes. "If he has no such intentions, then he shouldn’t keep the girl waiting! She’s Mr. Shen’s goddaughter, a future female Divine Doctor; countless families are eagerly waiting to propose marriage." Murong Ting’s words were not a joke. Yunge was beautiful, highly skilled in martial arts, and had a cheerful, kind, and pure personality. Such a nature might not be ideal for the complex households of high nobility and powerful officials, but it was precisely what captivated the hearts of generals seasoned on the battlefield. Countless generals in the Mo Family Army wished for such a daughter-in-law for their sons, and even more young officers in the Mo Family Army deeply admired such a beautiful and cheerful young woman.

Not to mention, Yunge’s medical skills, highly praised by Shen Yang, were a significant asset. For this alone, even if she lacked beauty or family background, countless men would still present betrothal gifts, hoping to marry her. Unfortunately, by the side of this beautiful and lovely young girl, an otherworldly Immortal Young Master, robed in white and devastatingly handsome, would invariably appear from time to time, leaving countless pursuers to face utter defeat and retreat dismally before they even had a chance to act.

This was also what Murong Ting found most exasperating about Xu Qingchen. If he’s interested in the girl, he should be direct. If not, he should keep his distance and not hinder others’ pursuit. He shouldn’t take advantage of the fact that the young girl grew up in the mountains, is inexperienced in worldly affairs, and doesn’t understand much. After all, Yunge was not that young anymore. Aside from cases like Hua Tianxiang, who was constrained by circumstances, weren’t most girls in this world married by fifteen or sixteen?

"Zheng’er, what on earth is Eldest Brother thinking?"

Qin Zheng smiled and covered her mouth. "Li’er, please don’t ask me. I rarely see Eldest Brother myself. But... I always feel that Eldest Brother... probably feels differently about Yunge." After all, Young Master Qingchen had been so busy for the better part of the year that even First Madam Xu often couldn’t find him. Yet, he still found time to accompany Yunge on outings now and then. It didn’t seem like he was entirely devoid of feelings for her. However... the thoughts of Young Master Qingchen were not something mere mortals like them could easily fathom.

Seeing the three of them discussing gossip about Young Master Qingchen, Hua Tianxiang forgot her shyness and said with a smile, "If you ask me, if Young Master Qingchen really is interested in Yunge, I’m afraid he’s in for a lot of trouble."

"Why do you say that?" the three of them asked in surprise. There weren’t many things in this world that could cause Young Master Qingchen serious trouble, so it was no wonder all three were so curious.

Hua Tianxiang laughed. "Yunge grew up in the mountains; her disposition is as innocent as a child’s. If it were any other girl, being frequently accompanied by someone like Young Master Qingchen, she would be ecstatic, or at the very least, feel incredibly flattered. But you should see the miserable look on Yunge’s little face every time."

Murong Ting and Qin Zheng exchanged a glance and couldn’t help but chuckle. For some reason, although Young Master Qingchen appeared perfectly amiable, Yunge seemed genuinely quite afraid of him. In Qingchen’s presence, she didn’t behave like a young girl experiencing her first love; instead, she resembled a clumsy student who had made a mistake standing before her teacher. If Xu Qingchen truly harbored feelings for Yunge, his romantic journey would undoubtedly be a challenging one.

Ye Li took Lin’er, who was reaching out his little hands towards her from Qin Zheng’s arms, and said with a laugh, "Never mind that. I’ll ask Eldest Brother about it later. More importantly, regarding Third Brother’s and Fourth Brother’s marriages, what do First Aunt and Second Aunt think?"

Qin Zheng laughed. "Mother and First Aunt have agreed to hold the weddings for Third Brother and Fourth Brother together in August this year. They’ve also discussed it with Madam Yang, and she has no objections."

Ye Li laughed. "That’s great. It seems our family will indeed have many joyous occasions this year. When the time comes... Tianxiang and Wuyou can marry directly from Prince Ding’s Mansion."

"Li’er!" Hua Tianxiang’s face flushed a deep red, and she shot Ye Li a glare. "We heard Lin’er and Xin’er are having their first birthday celebration and came to see if there was anything we could help with. Why are you all teasing me?"

Ye Li sighed lightly and said with a gentle smile, "Those matters will be handled by others. Tianxiang, you just need to relax and be a happy bride. These past years... you’ve suffered." Indeed, among their group, she herself had married into Prince Ding’s Mansion early on, and Qin Zheng and Murong Ting had also married one after another. Now, even Mo Xiaobao was almost ten years old, yet Hua Tianxiang’s marriage had been delayed until now. She was twenty-six or twenty-seven. In her previous life, this wouldn’t have been considered old, but in this era, a woman unmarried by twenty was already labeled an ’old maid,’ practically unmarriageable. The pressure Hua Tianxiang must have endured was thus considerable.

Hua Tianxiang’s beautiful eyes reddened slightly as she muttered, "What nonsense. I’m doing just fine."

Ye Li raised her hand to pat hers and said with a smile, "Yes, and things will be even better in the future."

"Li’er... are you going to be the Empress?" Sensing the somewhat heavy atmosphere, Murong Ting quickly changed the subject, asking playfully.

Ye Li raised an eyebrow and chuckled, "Who says I’m going to be the Empress?"

Murong Ting smirked at her. "Now that Prince Ding has defeated Beirong, as well as Mo Jingli and the Southern Garrison Prince of Xiling, isn’t it time for him to ascend the throne and become Emperor? When that happens, if you’re not the Empress, who else could be? We won’t laugh at you. Having a best friend who’s an Empress, how glorious would that be!"

Ye Li smiled faintly. "I suppose I’ll have to disappoint you. I’m not going to be Empress just yet."

"Why?" Murong Ting was bewildered. If Prince Ding became Emperor and Li’er wasn’t the Empress, the entire world wouldn’t stand for it!

Hua Tianxiang rolled her eyes. "That’s obviously because Prince Ding doesn’t plan to ascend the throne yet. But Li’er... does Prince Ding really..."

Ye Li gave a somewhat helpless smile. It seemed Mo Xiuyao’s ascension to the throne was indeed what everyone hoped for. Even close friends like Hua Tianxiang and Murong Ting found it hard to believe otherwise.

Upon receiving Ye Li’s affirmative answer, they all fell silent for a moment. Murong Ting sighed and, looking at Ye Li, said, "Actually, there are benefits to Prince Ding not ascending the throne. These days, I’ve heard quite a few people scheming about how to send their daughters into the palace to become consorts. Zheng’er, there must be many people trying to use the Xu family’s connections too, right?"

Qin Zheng nodded silently. Indeed, many people had been visiting the Xu family recently, trying to establish connections. Although Princess Consort Ding’s surname was Ye, Prince Ding’s Mansion clearly only recognized the Xu family as her maternal relatives. However, since Ye Li had just returned, the members of the Xu family didn’t want to trouble her with such matters and hadn’t told her.

In truth, such things were to be expected. Previously, when Prince Ding’s Mansion was not yet secure and the fight for the empire was fraught with rapidly changing circumstances, anything was possible. Naturally, no one cared whether Prince Ding took one wife or filled his courtyards with beautiful consorts and concubines. Even if Prince Ding was unwilling to form alliances through marriage to consolidate power, people would simply say that Prince Ding possessed an indomitable spirit and disdained such political maneuvering. But once peace was established, whether for ritual propriety and clan law, for the interests among the powerful and noble, for balancing factions, or simply for siring more heirs, filling the Six Palaces with consorts was an unavoidable necessity. No matter how dominant Mo Xiuyao was, he couldn’t kill all the opposing officials, and no single family could support such a vast empire on its own. These people, understanding this point, naturally assumed that as soon as Mo Xiuyao ascended the throne, he would inevitably take consorts and concubines, just like the previous Princes Ding. Throughout history, there were examples of emperors and empresses who were deeply in love while conquering the land, but once they truly ascended the throne, which emperor didn’t end up with three palaces and six courtyards of women?

"Li’er..." Qin Zheng looked at Ye Li with some concern.

Ye Li gave a faint smile. "Don’t worry. Xiuyao will handle these issues."

Murong Ting still looked a little worried. "Prince Ding..." It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Prince Ding’s character; she had watched with envy over the years how Ye Li and Prince Ding had navigated their path together. However, the position of an emperor often entailed countless compulsions and lack of choices.

Ye Li said softly, "I trust him. Whatever happens, we will face it together."

Seeing Ye Li so composed, Murong Ting also felt reassured and nodded emphatically. "No matter what, Li’er, we all support you."

"Thank you," Ye Li smiled.

"Mama..." The little princess in Murong Ting’s arms wriggled her small body, reaching her tiny hands towards Ye Li. Ye Li had no choice but to pass Lin’er to Qin Zheng and, picking up Xin’er, asked with a smile, "Xin’er, what’s the matter?"

Murong Ting looked at Xin’er, whose tender face was filled with a big smile as she sat on Ye Li’s lap, and couldn’t help but say with a pang of mock jealousy, "Aunt Xu was right; she really is a little heartless. When your mama wasn’t back, Aunt Murong held you and played with you every day. Now that your mama is back, you don’t want me anymore."

"Auntie... Mama..." The little princess giggled even more happily in Ye Li’s arms, completely oblivious to Murong Ting’s complaint.

Hua Tianxiang, while teasing Lin’er in her arms, said thoughtfully, "Lin’er, could it be that Prince Ding’s refusal to ascend the throne has something to do with this?" It had to be said that Hua Tianxiang, hailing from a distinguished family with a legacy of meritorious service, often saw many things more clearly than Qin Zheng and Murong Ting.

Ye Li was taken aback for a moment, then smiled. "He said he didn’t want to attend court."

Everyone was speechless. What kind of reason was that, indeed?

"Reporting to the Princess Consort, Young Master Qingchen requests your presence in the study," a guard hastily announced from outside the door.

Hearing this, Ye Li raised an eyebrow, instantly sensing something was amiss. Mo Xiuyao was also in the study at that moment. So why was it Young Master Qingchen requesting her presence, and not the Prince himself? What happened?

The guard looked at Ye Li hesitantly. "The Prince... the Prince is in a terrible rage in the study. Young Master Qingchen has asked the Princess Consort to go over and see."

"I understand. You may go," Ye Li sighed, stood up, and handed Xin’er to Qin Zheng. "I’ll be back soon," she said with a smile. The little princess gurgled, clutching Ye Li’s hair and refusing to let go. Ye Li frowned helplessly, then shook her head with a smile. "Alright, I’ll take you with me. Xin’er, you miss your father, don’t you?"

"Li’er, let me take Xin’er," Qin Zheng said. Although she had never seen Prince Ding lose his temper, she had heard about it. It would be best not to frighten the child. Moreover, she had a fair idea of what might have angered Prince Ding. She added quietly, "Don’t mind what others say."

Ye Li nodded. "Don’t worry, it will be fine." After much persuasion, Ye Li finally convinced the little princess to let go. Ye Li went inside to change her clothes before heading towards the outer study.