The Old Madam sat on the stool, stunned for a long moment. “Is this true?”
“The Grand Eunuch from the Emperor’s side personally delivered the message. It absolutely cannot be false,” Ye Shaoming replied.
It took the Old Madam quite a while to snap back to reality.
A flash of regret passed over her face.
To achieve the top scholar title at fifteen—his future could have been a smooth ascent to high office. Moreover, this fourth grandson seemed intelligent.
If favored by the Emperor, his prospects at such a young age were promising.
Bringing glory to the ancestors would have been merely a matter of time. Ye Shaoming seemed capable, but he truly couldn’t compare to Ye Shaohua. What’s more, Ye Shaoming was already nineteen this year. Even if he climbed high in the future, he would likely only reach Ye Qingweng’s level at best.
The Old Madam had placed all her hopes on this fourth grandson. She never expected that in the end, for some unknown reason, he had offended the Emperor.
The Emperor would rather bestow the princess upon the second-rank scholar than choose the top scholar as consort.
This led to many thoughts. In the end, the Old Madam couldn’t help but sigh deeply. The magnitude of her disappointment matched the height of her former expectations.
**
At that moment, Ye Shaohua was taking Consort Mei to buy a few pieces of jewelry.
At the capital’s largest jewelry store, Xuange, the shopkeeper’s expression immediately turned respectful upon seeing Ye Shaohua.
He had just opened his mouth to speak when Ye Shaohua shot him a look, causing him to quickly change his words.
“Shopkeeper, bring out all the good pieces for my mother to see,” Ye Shaohua said, a fan tapping rhythmically against her left palm. “Charge it all to my account.”
Not daring to say more, the shopkeeper immediately signaled for someone to bring the shop’s most precious items for Ye Shaohua.
Consort Mei was no longer surprised by such things after these past few years. However, as a woman of her age, she didn’t have many needs of her own. When she saw a pretty hairpin, she would imagine how it would look on Ye Shaohua’s hair.
Most of the items she favored were ornaments for young girls.
“Wrap all these up and have them delivered to the Ye Residence later,” Ye Shaohua said, seeing that Consort Mei hadn’t chosen a single item for herself, and casually waved a hand.
Consort Mei, annoyed, pinched Ye Shaohua’s arm. “Auntie doesn’t need anything. You shouldn’t spend your money so recklessly…”
“Yes, yes… I won’t dare to do it again,” Ye Shaohua raised her fan as if swearing an oath.
This scene made the Xuange shopkeeper’s eyelids twitch.
He didn’t dare to look directly at Ye Shaohua’s face.
So it’s true, he thought, one thing always conquers another.
However, a woman is still a woman. Back in the carriage, Consort Mei’s eyes were dazzled by the many beautiful pieces of jewelry and fabrics Ye Shaohua had selected.
“Consort Mei, Fourth Young Master, you’ve returned just in time. The Master and the Old Madam are waiting for you in the main hall,” the steward said respectfully, stopping them as soon as he saw them.
Ye Shaohua instructed Liu’er to take the people delivering the jewelry to the Pear Garden, then followed Consort Mei to the main hall.
The steward, seeing the items in the hands of Liu’er and the others, all bearing the Xuange insignia, was stunned for a long time.
His shock was understandable.
He had heard of Xuange. It seemed to be affiliated with the Evergreen Pavilion. It wasn’t just within their dynasty; it had branches everywhere. Rumor had it the owner behind it was the world’s richest man, Young Master Jinghong, whose wealth even surpassed the imperial treasury.
The eldest young lady had bought jewelry from Xuange once or twice and cherished it too much to wear often.
Yet here was Consort Mei, moving whole batches of Xuange items back home.
How could the steward not find it strange?
Seeing Consort Mei return, the expressions of the Old Madam and the others cooled slightly.
“Please, both of you, sit,” the Old Madam said, looking at Ye Shaohua, a trace of pity flashing between her brows. “His Majesty’s decree has just been announced. You are to accompany Young General Yang to the battlefield. Although it is rare for a civil official to follow a military officer to war, it is not unheard of. You will depart with Young General Yang for the frontier in seven days. This journey is extremely perilous, but Grandmother believes you will surely return to bring glory to our ancestors.”
Her words sounded pleasant, but who didn’t know of the dangers posed by the barbarians?
Even Young General Yang of the Yang family had narrowly escaped death many times, let alone a scholar who probably couldn’t tie up a chicken.
Consort Mei’s face turned pale with shock upon hearing the Old Madam’s words. “What? To the battlefield?”
Seeing her reaction, Madame Ye and Ye Jin both flashed a trace of mocking amusement in their eyes.
The Old Madam’s words about bringing glory sounded nice, but they were merely polite formalities. Everyone knew the Emperor had taken a dislike to the top scholar.
Throughout history, while there had been civil officials who went to war, a top scholar being sent to the battlefield was truly unprecedented.
Before today, many matchmakers had come to the Ye family for Ye Shaohua. But as soon as today’s decree was announced, those matchmakers stopped coming altogether, clearly indicating the shift in the capital’s sentiments.
“Consort Mei, there’s no hurry regarding your elevation to principal wife,” Madame Ye spoke up, seeing the Old Madam had fallen silent. “We can discuss it after Fourth Young Master returns from the battlefield.”
Previously, because Ye Shaohua had achieved the top scholar title, the Old Madam and others felt Consort Mei’s status as a concubine was too low.
After discussing it with Ye Qingweng, they had decided to elevate Consort Mei to principal wife.
This would make Ye Shaohua legitimate.
But now, when Madame Ye suggested postponing the matter of the principal wife status, the Old Madam did not voice any objection.
Consort Mei didn’t care at all about becoming a principal wife. She just stared blankly at the Old Madam, her heart filled with terror. “My… my child is going to the battlefield?”
“That is the situation,” the Old Madam said, not wanting to look at Consort Mei, and directly raised her hand. “You should go back and pack his belongings.”
After speaking, she waved her hand dismissively, sending Consort Mei away.
All the way back, Consort Mei was distraught. Clutching Ye Shaohua’s hand, her eyes reddened.
The top scholar title was one thing, but now her daughter was going to the battlefield… that was the battlefield! A single misstep could mean losing one’s life.
Ye Shaohua walked beside Consort Mei, stroking her chin thoughtfully. Had she… perhaps hidden her capabilities too well?
