g. An San glumly discovered that they were originally supposed to do nothing more than follow their masters as secret bodyguards, then become second sons’ personal guards, and now they were expected t...415. Saying Goodbye to Best Friend, Hidden Worry

Returning to Li City, Ye Li put aside her previous tasks and focused on taking care of the children. Although they had just been a month old when they left their parents, in no time at all, these two little babies became very familiar with their mother. Their clingy behavior was as if they had always been by Ye Li's side since birth.

Speaking of which, in both her past and current lives, Ye Li could be considered a soldier who fought on the battlefield. Especially those soldiers who have experienced actual warfare tend to carry an aura of killing intent unconsciously. However, Ye Li was different; no matter how fierce the battle, once she changed into civilian clothes off the battlefield, she appeared like a gentle and elegant lady from a scholarly family, with warmth in her gaze as well. No wonder the children were so delighted when they saw their mother. Children always tend to be naturally drawn to softer and warmer things.

In the main residence of the Ding Prince’s mansion, there was a spacious room covered with thick carpets brought from the Western Regions. All corners in the room had been polished smooth and wrapped in cotton cloth. Toys were laid on the floor where two babies could play freely. At eleven months old, they started learning to walk; the elder twin Ling Er could already stand steadily on his own. Xing'er was born later and was slightly frail, so she preferred sitting and playing on the ground. When she saw her brother walking around, she reached out with small hands to pull him down. With a thick carpet cushioning the fall, when Ling Er sat down, he didn't cry or feel pain but instead laughed joyfully at his sister.

Ye Li also sat on the floor and smiled slightly as she watched the two babies laughing.

"My Lady, Xu's Second Madam and Cold Family's madam have arrived," a maid announced softly from outside the door.

The voices of Murong Ting and others could be heard before they entered. Ye Li looked up to see that Murong Ting, Qin Zheng, Tian Xiang, Mo Wuyou, and Gu Yun Ge were all standing at the entrance. She smiled and said, "Why have you come Come in quickly."

Qin Zheng glanced inside and covered her mouth with laughter, saying, "It's rather quiet here while it’s bustling outside. You should come out. With so many of us, we might dirty the carpets if we enter." The room was clearly prepared especially for children; such a large group wouldn’t be appropriate to tread on that pristine white carpet. Although they were all ladies now, with the exception of Murong Ting and Gu Yun Ge, none of them would feel comfortable removing their shoes in front of others.

Ye Li smiled and handed one baby each to Qin Zheng and Murong Ting before joining them outside herself. Both Murong Ting and Qin Zheng had given birth themselves, so they were very familiar with the babies over these past months; the little ones didn’t act shy around them. Holding the pink and chubby Xing'er in her arms, Murong Ting said she wanted a daughter too.

"Sister Li, ah no, it’s now Your Highness!" Yun Ge approached Ye Li and lightly performed a bow with a slightly more mature demeanor than before. Smiling, Ye Li pulled her closer and said, "Just call me Sister Li; have you seen anyone else here being so formal Are you used to living in Li City"

Gu Yun Ge nodded and replied, "Both of the Xu family’s madams were very kind to me. Tian Xiang and Zheng sisters also treated me well, as did Ting sister and Wuyou. And... I have a father figure now."

"Father" Ye Li raised her eyebrows. Mo Wuyou smiled slightly and said, "It's my master; didn't he tell Your Highness Master mentioned that Yun Ge has more talent in medicine than me, and he really likes Yun Ge, so he took her as his adopted daughter." Ye Li lifted an eyebrow. She remembered that Shen Yang was related to Yun Ge’s father somehow but not sure how close this kinship was… Then she thought about it again; possibly Shen Yang and Yun Ge are each other's only family now in this world. What relationship could be closer than being father and daughter Since Shen Yang made this decision, there must be his reasons for doing so, so she decided not to ponder further.

Gu Yunge nodded repeatedly and said, "Yes, Stepfather is so skilled in medicine that he's even better than my father. Stepfather told me as long as I work hard at studying, I'll be just as good as him one day." Perhaps because of her family background, Gu Yunge had an innate talent for medicine and a great interest in it from the moment she was born. Her eyebrows seemed to shine with more luster when she talked about it.

"That's good then," Ye Li smiled and said after looking at the ladies around her again, "Last night, Big Auntie and Second Auntie told me that now that the peace has finally been restored, they are eager to arrange the marriages of Third Brother and Fourth Brother."

Qin Zeng nodded and said, "Li'er is right. Mother and Big Auntie can't wait any longer. Unfortunately, Third Brother is away on a military campaign while Fourth Brother is far in Western Ling and has not come back yet. Mother also said that this time, she will do everything she can to get Third Brother married."

"Zeng'er!" Hua Tianxiang blushed red with embarrassment and glared at Qin Zeng fiercely, "I always thought you were so well-mannered, how could you be like this..."

Meng Ting rolled her eyes and said, "If we're happy, there's no need to hide it. Didn't Xu Family Third Young Master rush over to give us a present as soon as he got back yesterday Pretending not to see it" Finished speaking, she also glanced at the exquisite pearl hairpin on Hua Tianxiang’s head and had an expression of playful mischief. Mu Wuyou, who was about to become a bride herself, cautiously hid to one side to avoid suffering the same fate as Hua Tianxiang. It wasn't that she lacked sisterhood but rather because Meng Ting's sharp mouth was too much for her to handle.

Instead, Gu Yunge with an open heart and mind looked delighted, "Are you going to get married, Tianxiang Sister I'm definitely going to send you a great gift." Hearing this, Meng Ting burst out laughing and said to Gu Yunge, "Yunge, aren't you planning to give her medicine pills again"

Gu Yunge blinked her eyes and asked, "Is there anything wrong with that"

Ye Li was also puzzled, “What's the matter” Gu Yunge’s skills in making medicines were excellent. The medicinal pills she made naturally weren’t ordinary ones either. Qin Zeng covered her mouth and said with a smile, "Last year during Chinese New Year, Yunge gave each of us a bottle of medicine pills; last October on Father’s birthday, she gave another bottle of medicine pills. This time for Big Brother’s birthday at the beginning of this year, guess what She also gave him a bottle of medicine pills. And... among our family members, Big Brother has received more medicine pills than anyone else. Now whenever he sees medicine pills, his face turns stiff."

The people around them were all trying to suppress their laughter as well; Ye Li found it amusing and couldn't help but laugh along. She was rather curious about how the Ice Dust Prince had a pale face after seeing a small bottle of medicine pills.

Gu Yunge pouted, looking at everyone in confusion. What was wrong with her giving medicine pills The medicine pills she gave to the two Xu mothers were for nourishment and regulation; those given to Sister Zeng and others were beauty-enhancing ones. Those for the two uncles and Xu Qingchen were health-preserving medicine pills. Originally, since they saw this little girl as innocent, and because of her sincere handmade medicine pills, it wasn't proper for them to tell her about the rules of gift-giving. Moreover, the Xu family didn’t really care much about such formalities—genuine gifts always meant more than fake ones, right But then again, poor Ice Dust Prince; Lady Yunge was convinced that he had a lingering illness due to his serious injury in the past. Therefore, every time Xu Qingchen had any discomfort, this little girl would stuff him with all sorts of medicine pills. Now when someone in the Xu family gets sick, they don’t even go see a doctor but directly ask Xu Qingchen for medicine pills. After all, Gu Yunge’s medicine was much more effective than those prescribed by regular doctors.

Ye Li smiled and patted her head gently as she said, "Nothing is wrong; the medicines that Yunge made are great. In these few days, your medical skills must have improved a lot."

Gu Yunge’s eyes lit up, “Eh Then has Miss Li also used my medicine”

Ye Li nodded and said, "Mr Shen took some when he went to Feihong Pass; they were very effective." Gu Yunge proudly replied, "That's good. I’ll definitely become the most famous doctor in the world one day, just like how Stepfather was in his youth. Then I will go out into the world and save many people."

To heal the world It was a great ideal. Ye Li raised an eyebrow and smiled, "What did Brother say"

Gu Yunge blinked her eyes in confusion and said, “Xu Qingchen What does he want to say Oh... He says that I will definitely become a very powerful deity doctor."

Looking at the carefree girl before him, Ye Li couldn’t help but sigh. Indeed, she had overthought things. She hadn't expected that Xuan Yun's marriage would already be a difficult issue for everyone’s heart to resolve. Even she couldn’t help wanting to matchmake for him. Since Xu Qingchen didn’t have any intentions, Ye Li smiled and said with sincerity, "Brother is right. Yunge will definitely become the goddess doctor of her generation."

Meng Ting rolled her eyes at Ye Li and said, “What do you mean by agreeing Isn't Yunge a year older than Wuyou A girl of this age should be thinking about marrying into a good family instead of whether or not she should become a goddess doctor.”

Ye Li glanced sideways at Qin Zeng. Qin Zeng was holding Liren and laughing silently to himself. Ye Li smiled inwardly, turning her gaze towards Wuyou and giving him a signal. Wuyou immediately understood and pulled Yunge out to play.

Seeing the two little girls pulling each other’s hands as they went out, Ye Li said with a smile, "Wuyou and Yunge have good rapport." Hua Tianxiang smiled and said, “Indeed, both of them are not bad tempered. They study medicine together under Mr Shen every day; so much has happened that it seems more like I am Wuyou’s cousin while the two of them look like sisters.”

"Yunge's matter…" Ye Li frowned, at a loss as to how she should explain.

Meng Ting said with a smile, "The Xu family’s matriarch is very satisfied with Yunge being her eldest son's wife. But the two involved are one who acts stupidly and another who pretends to be mad. The Xu family’s matriarch doesn’t dare to go directly tell the little girl for fear of scaring her off, while that Qingchen Scholar shows no indication of anything at all; it is said that she was so furious."

Ye Li thought about this and said, "Perhaps… Brother really does not have such intentions"

Meng Ting rolled her eyes. “If he doesn’t mean to marry Yunge, then why bother letting the girl suffer Shen’s adopted daughter, who will be a future goddess doctor; countless families are waiting eagerly for the chance to propose.” However, this was no jest. Gu Yunge looked beautiful and she had high martial arts skills. Her personality was also outgoing and kind-hearted. Such a personality might not suit those from prestigious noble houses but it was precisely what generals who fight on battlefields desired. How many officers of Mo Family’s Army wished to marry such a wife for their sons There were even more young officers who had romantic feelings for such beautiful and amiable girls.

Moreover, Gu Yunge's medical skills which Shen Yang praised highly could earn her countless suitors regardless of whether she was beautiful or from an influential family. Unfortunately, around this lovely girl would always appear a scholar-like gentleman in snowy white clothes who was handsome and ethereal. This made all the pursuers give up before even starting.

This was also the reason why Meng Ting disliked Xu Qingchen the most; if he had feelings for someone then just be straightforward about it, or else keep his distance and don’t get in the way of others’ pursuits. He couldn't take advantage of a girl who lived in the mountains her whole life and knew nothing about worldly affairs. After all, Gu Yunge was already old enough. Except for Hua Tianxiang being forced by circumstances to marry at that age, wasn’t it the case that there were many girls who married when they were around fifteen or sixteen

"Zeng'er, what does Brother really mean"

The Qin Zeng covered her mouth and giggled, saying, "Liyu, don't ask me about this. I hardly see my big brother either. However… I feel that Big Brother should have feelings for Yun Ge."

Since the Mr. Qingchen had been busy with work for most of the past half a year that even Xu Dafuren often could not find him, yet he still found time to accompany Yun Ge shopping and sightseeing from time to time, it didn't seem like he was completely indifferent toward her.

But… no one could guess what Mr. Qingchen was thinking anyway.

Hua Tianxiang joined in the gossip about Mr. Qingchen when she saw the three of them talking and forgot to be shy, smiling sweetly and saying, "In my opinion, if Mr. Qingchen really has feelings for Yun Ge, he might have a lot of trouble."

"Why" The trio asked curiously as there weren't many things that could make Mr. Qingchen think it would cause him much trouble. That was why the three of them were so curious.

Hua Tianxiang giggled and said, "Yun Ge grew up in the mountains all her life, and she's as innocent as a child. If other girls had Mr. Qingchen accompanying them often, they would at least feel honored. But look at Yun Ge's unhappy face every time."

Meng Yuqing and Qin Zeng looked at each other and couldn't help but laugh out loud too. They didn't know why, but although Mr. Qingchen seemed kind enough, Yun Ge actually seemed rather scared of Xu Qingchen. She did not look like a young maiden in love when she was around him; instead, it felt as if she had done something wrong and stood timidly before her teacher. If Xu Qingchen really liked Yun Ge, his path to romance would be quite difficult.

Ye Li took the little Lin Er that reached out for her from Qin Zeng's arms and smiled, saying, "Forget it, I'll ask my big brother about this later. How do Daomother and Maomother feel regarding Third Brother and Fourth Brother’s marriage"

"Mother and Daomother think they should arrange the wedding for both Third Brother and Fourth Brother in August," Qin Zeng replied with a smile, "We also discussed it with Lady Yang who had no objections."

Ye Li smiled. "That's good news then. It seems like we have quite a few happy events this year. When that time comes… Tianxiang and Wuyou can just leave from the Ding Prince’s mansion."

"Liyu!" Hua Tianxiang was flushed with embarrassment as she glared at Ye Li, saying, "We heard Little Lin Er and Xing'er are celebrating their first birthday. We came to see if there's anything we could help with, why do you keep teasing me" Ye Li sighed lightly before smiling gently and said, "These matters will be taken care of by others. You just have to focus on being a happy bride, Tianxiang. I'm sorry for keeping you waiting these years…" To begin with, she had been the first to marry into the Ding Prince’s mansion among them, followed by Qin Zeng and Meng Yuqing. Now even Mo Xiaobao was nearly ten years old while Hua Tianxiang's wedding still hadn’t happened. At 26 or 27 in her previous life, it wasn't a big age, but here at this time, girls who had not been married before the age of twenty were already considered as unsuitable brides. The pressure on Hua Tianxiang could only be imagined.

Hua Tianxiang's beautiful eyes reddened slightly as she said softly, "What nonsense are you talking I'm just fine."

Ye Li patted her hand and smiled, saying, "Of course, everything will get better from now on."

"Liyu… Are you going to be the empress" Seeing things getting a little heavy, Meng Yuqing quickly changed the topic with a teasing smile.

Ye Li raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Who said I'm going to be the empress" Meng Yuqing looked at her with a sweet smile, saying, "Now that Ding Prince has defeated the Northern Rong army and defeated Mo Jingli and the Western Ling Southern King, isn't he supposed to ascend the throne soon Who else could you be other than an empress then We won’t laugh at you. It's quite prestigious to have a royal friend."

Ye Li smiled and said, "You might be disappointed then. I don't think I'll become the empress anytime soon."

"Why" Mu Tong was bewildered. If Ding Wang ascended to the throne, no one in the world would agree that Ye Li wouldn't be his empress.

Hua Tian Xiang rolled her eyes and said, "That's probably because Ding Wang hasn't decided to ascend to the throne yet. But for Ye Li… Has Ding Wang really…" Ye Li smiled helplessly. It seemed that Mo Xiuyao’s ascension was indeed what everyone hoped for. Even women like Hua Tian Xiang and Mu Tong didn’t believe otherwise.

After receiving Ye Li's affirmative answer, the group fell silent for a moment. Mu Tong sighed and looked at Ye Li, saying, "Actually, there are benefits to Ding Wang not ascending to the throne just yet. These days I've heard many people discussing how they will send their daughters into the palace as concubines or wives. Zeng Er, aren't there quite a few who are trying to approach the Xu family"

Qin Zeng silently nodded. In recent days, indeed, there had been many visitors coming to the Xu residence in an attempt to build connections. After all, although Consort Ye was surnamed Ye, Ding Wang's residence clearly recognized the Xu family as her maternal relatives. However, since Ye Li had just returned and the Xu family didn’t want to trouble her with these matters, they hadn't told her about them.

In truth, such a situation was foreseeable. When Ding Wang was still stabilizing his position in power and fighting for the empire, circumstances changed rapidly, making anything possible. Naturally, no one cared whether Ding Wang married just one wife or took several concubines into his harem. Even if Ding Wang refused to form strategic alliances through marriage, it would only be seen as a mark of his integrity that he despised such connections. However, once the empire was stabilized, for the sake of rites and laws, power interests among nobles, or balancing factions, expanding the imperial harem became an inevitable necessity. Even though Mo Xiuyao was strong enough to eliminate all oppositioning officials, this vast empire couldn't be sustained by the Xu family alone. These people clearly understood this point and therefore naturally assumed that once Mo Xiuyao ascended to the throne, he would inevitably follow the precedent of previous Ding Wangs by taking concubines and wives as his predecessors did. Throughout history, there were examples of deep affection between emperors and their consorts during times when they fought for the empire, but once an emperor truly ascended the throne, how many didn't end up with three palaces and six harems

"Ye Li..." Qin Zeng looked at Ye Li with some concern.

Ye Li said calmly, "Don’t worry. Xiuyao will handle these matters."

Mu Tong expressed her unease, saying, "Ding Wang…" She didn't doubt Ding Wang's character; she had seen how Ye Li and Ding Wang had been together over the years and was envious of their relationship. But often, the position of emperor meant endless compromises and choices that couldn’t be made.

Ye Li said softly, "I believe in him. No matter what happens, we will face it together."

Seeing Ye Li so composed, Mu Tong too felt reassured and nodded heavily, saying, "Whatever the case, Ye Li, we support you."

"Thank you," smiled Ye Li.

"Lady Consort..." The little princess in Mu Tong’s arms wriggled her small body and reached out to Ye Li. Reluctantly, Ye Li handed Ling'er over to Qin Zeng and picked up Xin'er, holding her close with a smile as she asked, "Xin'er, what's wrong"

Meng Mu Ting looked at Xin’er sitting in Ye Li's arms, her chubby little face beaming with a big smile. She couldn't help but feel bitter and said to herself, "Mother Xu was right; you really are an ungrateful brat. When your mother wasn't around, Aunt Meng held you every day and played with you, but now that your mother is back, you don’t want me anymore."

"Aunt… Mother…" The little princess giggled even more joyfully in Ye Li's arms without understanding Meng Mu Ting’s complaints.

Hua Tian Xiang was holding Lin Er and playing with him while thoughtfully saying, "Lin Er, could the reason why Prince Ding refused to ascend the throne be because of this" It couldn't be denied that Hua Tian Xiang, born into a family of meritorious officials, understood many things more clearly than Qin Zeng and Meng Mu Ting.

Ye Li was taken aback and smiled. "He said he doesn’t want to attend court."

The others were speechless; what kind of reason was this

"To report to the princess, Young Master Qingchen invites the princess to come to the study." Outside, a guard hurriedly reported.

Ye Li raised her eyebrows upon hearing this and immediately picked up on something different. Mo Xiuyao was also in the study at this time, so why did Young Master Qingchen invite her instead of the prince "What happened"

The guard looked troubled as he said to Ye Li, "His Royal Highness… His Royal Highness is raging in the study. Young Master Qingchen invites the princess over."

"I understand," Ye Li sighed and stood up, calling Xin’er into Qin Zeng’s arms with a smile. "I’ll be back soon." The little princess cooed and grabbed onto Ye Li's hair, not wanting to let go. Ye Li frowned helplessly and shook her head with a smile. "Forget it; I'll take you along too. Don’t you miss your father"

"Li Er, please leave Xin’er to me," Qin Zeng said. Although she hadn't seen Prince Ding throw a tantrum before, she had heard about it from others. She didn’t want the little one to be scared. And she also had an idea of what the prince might be angry about. In a soft voice, she added, "Don’t pay attention to what others say."

Ye Li nodded and said with reassurance, "Rest assured, nothing will happen." After much persuasion, the little princess finally let go. Ye Li changed clothes before heading towards the outer study.

—— Excerpt ——

I recommend my friend Feng Yican's new work, "Love Before Marriage: Military Pet in Prosperous Times." as he frowned and asked, "Have you given up on Prince Ding yet!"Seeing Empress Liu’s determined eyes, Chancellor Liu felt choked with frustration. What had he done to deserve such an unambitious daug...