Ye Jiayao looked at Chunfeng, her heart aching. Poor boy. Was he going to have to suffer from arguments like this for the rest of his life?
Xia Chunyu said, “Yaoyao, go have a cup of tea with Second Auntie. Big Brother, would you mind taking Second Uncle to go rest up?”
Chunli was more than happy to have the opportunity to rub shoulders with a rich man.
Zhou pulled at Chunsi and said angrily, “Let’s go! I’m not going to let you hang around longer than necessary with these people.”
She was actually hoping to talk more with Princess Liu Li and cozy up to her, but now that their situation’s unclear, she would have to put that plan on hold.
The people left one by one until the only ones left in the hall were Chunyu, Chunfeng, and Liu Li.
Chunyu walked over to Liu Li and asked gravely, “Do you even think about the words you say?”
Liu Li used to be afraid of Chunyu. Before the whole debacle with Jinxuan, Liu Li would have never even thought of going against Chunyu. However, this was now a different time.
“What I think is that this is none of your business,” Liu Li answered him coldly.
“Of course, it is my business. The man you are married to is my brother. You are entering my family.” Xia Chunyu has had enough. He couldn’t just stand by and watch Liu Li disrespect his family just because of the grievances she had with him and Yaoyao. “Did you really think that your bratty attitude will continue to fly here? How dare you disrespect your parents-in-law? In their own home, nonetheless! You might be royalty but you are also now a wife. You have to follow and respect traditions. Do you think that the Empress Dowager will side with you in this matter? If you don’t want things to get out of hand, I suggest you go and apologize to Mother and Father right now.”
“Why should I apologize?” Liu Li pointed at Chunfeng. “He’s the one in the wrong. He’s done nothing but make me angry ever since the early morning.”
Xia Chunfeng shot back, “I was hurrying you up, you spoiled brat. Your servant tried to rush you but you were deliberately dragging your feet to make my family wait for you.”
“I have always been slow in getting ready! Did you want me to go out without being presentable?”
“You can dress up in gold for all I care, no one would ever want to look at you.”
“Enough!” Chunyu said. “You guys are tarnishing the mansion’s spirit with all your bickering.”
He then turned to Liu Li and said firmly, “Princess, if you want to stay in this house, go apologize to my parents. If you want to go home to the palace on the first day of your marriage, then, by all means, leave.”
To his younger brother, he said, “Come with me, Chunfeng. We need to go see Mother.”
When the brothers left, Little Ya hesitantly said to Liu Li, “Princess, I think you should apologize. The Empress Dowager has told you before to follow the customs of your husband’s family.”
“Shut up!” Liu Li yelled at her. “Did I ask for your opinion?”
Little Ya bowed her head in apology. As much as she wanted to stay quiet, if the Princess’ marriage fails, she was also in the line of fire of the Empress Dowager’s anger. “Princess, we can also go to Mother Shu.”
Mother Shu was sent by the Empress Dowager to guide Princess Liu Li. She’s one of the few people that can sway her mind. Mother Shu has been with the Empress Dowager for many years and she has also taken care of Liu Li as she was growing up.
However, Little Ya wasn’t expecting Mother Shu’s answer when they went up to her.
“How dare they treat a princess like this?”
Little Ya barely resisted the urge to protest. Today’s events were clearly the Princess’ fault!
Empowered, Liu Li ranted, “They even said that they’ll tattle to the Empress Dowager. Chunfeng threatened to divorce me!”
“This is unacceptable!” Mother Shu said angrily.
Liu Li cried, “If he wants a divorce, then I’ll request for it even before he can.”
“No, you can’t do that, Princess. This is the first day of your marriage, what would the people say when they find out? Besides, the Empress Dowager would never agree to that,” Mother Shu reasoned.
“What should I do, then? The Old Marquis and Lady Xia You are going to the palace!”
“Then we’ll beat them there. We’re going to get you to the palace before them.”
Little Ya was completely dumbfounded. It was Princess Liu Li who was at fault and yet, they wanted to complain?
So, as Xia Chunyu was speaking to his parents, Liu Li had already taken a carriage back to the palace.
When a servant reported this to Xia You, she was furious.
“She’s going to manipulate this story to favor her!” Xia You said.
The Old Marquis sighed. “This whole thing is just…”
“We can still go to the Empress Dowager!” Chunfeng said. “We can at least tell her our side.”
Xia Chunyu calmly replied, “He’s right. I didn’t want it to come to this but Liu Li has left us with no choice. However, I think it’s best if Father stays home. We can have Mother call the imperial doctor for Father and claim that he’s suffering from a headache. We don’t have to say anything else or do more clarification, the implications will be enough.
The Old Marquis nodded in agreement and turned to his wife. “That’s a good idea, Madame. We should go for it.”
Meanwhile, Ye Jiayao and Xia Peishan were drinking tea in Ye Jiayao’s yard.
Xia Peishan was impressed at how dutiful Jinxuan’s servants were. They were polite and very efficient. They were very attentive if needed, but otherwise, they don’t draw any attention to themselves. It was clear that Jinxuan has trained them well.
She wanted to know more about Jinxuan’s management skills so she asked about the Heavenly Residence. The more she learned, the more she was delighted by her nephew’s young wife.
“I think that if you open a branch of your restaurant in Shanxi, it’ll do very well,” Xia Peishan observed.
Ye Jiayao replied, “I have actually thought of opening another branch. However, Heavenly Residence is mainly based on Huaiyang cuisine. If we want to try and enter the Shanxi market, we’d have to cultivate a whole new menu and flavor to accommodate the people of Shanxi.”
Xia Peishan pursed her lips. “You’re right. If you’re going to open a restaurant in Shanxi, you have to do thorough research and planning. Well, just remember that when you’re ready, I’m here if you need anything.”
Ye Jiayao smiled gratefully. Second Auntie might be tough but she also has a warm heart.
“You’ve been living in Shanxi for so long now, Second Auntie. Do you prefer the cuisine there or do you miss the Huaiyang cooking?” Ye Jiayao inquired.
“I honestly can’t tell. I have been there for so long that I have grown so used to the taste. I only miss the taste of my hometown occasionally.”
“What dishes would you like me to make you for tomorrow, Second Aunt? I know both Shanxi and Huaiyang cuisine, so just tell me which food would you like to eat.”
Xia Peishan looked at her, surprised. “You can make Shanxi dishes?”
Ye Jiayao nodded and said, “Yes, some of them.”
“That’s good. I don’t really mind eating whichever, but your Second Uncle is kind of picky. He is a native of Shanxi and he loves their food. Just make whatever you think is best.”
Suddenly, Jiang Yue called from outside, “Second Young Lady, Qiao Xi wants to speak to you.”
Concerned, Ye Jiayao said, “Let her in.”
Qiao Xi walked in and bowed at Ye Jiayao and Xia Peishan. She began, “Princess Liu Li took a carriage back to the palace.”
Ye Jiayao and Xia Peishan exchanged a look, both knowing what the Princess was planning. She was trying to get ahead of the story.
“Where’s Big Sister?” asked Xia Peishan.
“The Madame also went to the palace.”
“What about the Old Marquis?”
“I heard that the Old Marquis is suffering from a headache so he stayed home.”
Ye Jiayao and Xia Peishan looked at each other again, this time with relief. Both women were smart and crafty in their own right so they immediately understood the plan.
“Very well. Thank you, Qiao Xi. You may go now,” Ye Jiayao dismissed.
After Qiao Xi has left, Xia Peishan started, “Chunfeng marrying a royalty should’ve been a blessing, but instead, all it has given us is trouble!”
Ye Jiayao assured, “We just have to be patient. They are both young and temperamental that’s why they’re clashing together. Once they’ve had more time to adjust to each other, everything will be fine.”
“I hope so!” Xia Peishan worried.
Meanwhile, in the palace, Princess Liu Li was once again crying in the Empress Dowager’s arms. Of course, Liu Li and Mother Shu have retold the story in a way that painted the Princess as the victim.
Angered by her beloved’s plight, the Empress Dowager called for the Old Marquis and his wife to explain themselves. It was only when a servant reported that Madame Xia You was asking for the imperial doctor for the Old Marquis did the Empress Dowager’s anger cleared.
“What happened to the Old Marquis?” Empress Dowager asked the servant.
The servant answered, “It was said that the Old Marquis is suffering from a severe headache. He wasn’t even able to get up.”
Suddenly, the Empress Dowager found everything that her ward has told her suspicious. Why would Xia Zhuofeng fall ill if just not a mere moment ago, according to Liu Li, he was bullying her?
She pulled back from Liu Li and asked her sternly, “Tell me the truth, child. What is going on?”
Liu Li was at a loss, surprised with this new development.
Mother Shu chimed in, “Empress Dowager, don’t believe that so readily.”
The Empress Dowager looked between Mother Shu and Liu Li suspiciously. “Mother Shu, I know that you are fond of Liu Li, but I sent you with her to guide her, not encourage her bad behavior. You’re supposed to keep her away from trouble!”
“We told you the truth!” Mother Shu tried.
“I am afraid I don’t believe you anymore.” The Empress Dowager turned to Liu Li and asked firmly, “What time did you show up for the tea serving ceremony?”
Liu Li has never been at the end of the Empress Dowager’s fierce look and she wasn’t used to it. She stammered, “At nine, I think? Or 11. I’m not entirely sure.”
The Empress Dowager’s eyes narrowed. She looked at Liu Li’s servant and asked, “Little Ya, what time?”
Little Ya looked at Princess Liu Li princess and mumbled, “It was 11, Empress Dowager.”
The Empress Dowager sighed, finally understanding what happened.
This was all her ward’s fault. She made the elders of the Xia family wait for her and that was a huge sign of disrespect.
She realized that Liu Li just raced here so she could control the narrative of what happened.
“Liu Li,” the Empress Dowager sighed, suddenly exhausted. “What have I told you before?”
