Ye Siyin sat beside Ye Chutang and, seeing her retch, suspicion immediately arose in her heart.
However, she didn’t show it and instead asked with concern, "Eldest Sister, are you alright? Why are you suddenly retching? Should we call a physician to examine you?"
Her voice was loud, drawing the attention of many.
At the mention of "retching," everyone’s first thought was whether Ye Chutang might be pregnant.
Ye Chutang knew Ye Siyin was doing this on purpose.
Using the cover of covering her mouth and nose, she sealed her sense of smell with a silver needle.
The nausea instantly faded, and her stomach settled.
Ye Siyin’s shrill voice rang out again, "Eldest Sister—"
Before she could continue, Ye Chutang pressed her little finger against her stomach and pushed upward while pretending to soothe her chest.
"Ugh!"
She vomited all over Ye Siyin, successfully silencing her and making her shriek as she jumped to her feet.
"Eldest Sister, what are you doing?!"
Ye Chutang wiped her mouth with a silk handkerchief, then rinsed her mouth with tea.
"I ate too much chilled fruit earlier, and it upset my stomach. I feel much better after throwing up. You should go change your clothes so you don’t disturb the guests."
Ye Siyin was disgusted by the filth on her clothes and nearly vomited herself—she was also furious.
But given the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children, she didn’t dare make a scene. She could only apologize to the guests.
"My apologies!"
With that, she hurried off to the inner courtyard to change.
Hearing Ye Chutang’s explanation, the guests quickly dismissed their suspicions.
After all, everyone had seen her eating nonstop before the banquet began.
Old Madam Ye shot Ye Chutang a displeased glare.
"Chu'er, if you’re unwell, go rest. Don’t disturb the guests."
Before Ye Chutang could respond, Concubine Jiang interjected.
"Old Madam, the young mistress seems fine now. Please, go ahead and start the meal."
She was convinced Ye Chutang was suffering from morning sickness!
Otherwise, why would she retch precisely when the steamed perch was placed in front of her?
To test her theory, Concubine Jiang deliberately moved the dish closer to Ye Chutang.
Noticing this, Ye Chutang mentally noted it for later.
Old Madam Ye invited the guests to dine.
Concubine Jiang stood up and began serving tea to each table, acting as the lady of the house.
As she walked, Ye Chutang discreetly rolled a small bead under her feet.
Concubine Jiang slipped and fell hard, scraping her face against the ground.
"Ah! It hurts—my face!"
Old Madam Ye paled at the sight of Concubine Jiang’s bloodied face.
"Someone, help her away at once!"
Blood on a wedding day was an ill omen!
Once Concubine Jiang was escorted out, Old Madam Ye turned to Ye Chutang.
"Chu'er, you serve tea to the guests."
Ye Chutang clutched her stomach and declined politely. "Grandmother, I’m still not feeling well. Drinking too much tea might upset the guests."
With that, Old Madam Ye had no choice but to stand and invite everyone to drink together.
Given her seniority, she didn’t need to serve tea personally—a single toast would suffice.
The guests didn’t mind, but the conversation soon turned to the matter of the household’s new mistress.
Old Madam Ye didn’t beat around the bush, openly stating that Ye Jingchuan intended to take a second wife.
After all, the next lady of the house would have to be chosen from among the noble daughters present.
Though Ye Jingchuan was older, his high rank, the emperor’s favor, and his proven fertility made him an attractive prospect. Some officials of the fifth rank or lower began considering matches—higher-ranking families could offer a lesser daughter, while lower-ranking ones might propose their legitimate daughters.
Seizing the moment, Old Madam Ye also brought up Ye Anzhi’s marriage prospects.
Though his reputation was tarnished, he was the legitimate son, and any son born to his wife would be the legitimate heir.
If the heir proved capable, he could one day lead the household!
Thus, Ye Anling’s wedding banquet turned into a matchmaking event for Ye Jingchuan and Ye Anzhi.
By the time Ye Siyin returned to the garden after changing, the banquet was nearly over.
Her first glance was at Ye Chutang.
Ye Chutang appeared perfectly composed, eating leisurely.
Throughout the meal, Ye Siyin saw no further signs of nausea.
She concluded that Concubine Jiang had overreacted.
After the meal, Ye Jingchuan had a stage set up in the front courtyard for an opera performance.
In Beichen Kingdom, mingling between men and women wasn’t strictly forbidden, so watching a play together was no issue.
Guests who disliked opera gathered in the main hall or garden to chat and drink tea.
Ye Chutang excused herself, citing stomach discomfort, and returned to Ningchu Courtyard.
The first thing she did upon entering was restore her sense of smell with the silver needle.
She knew all too well that forcibly blocking it could cause lasting damage—the longer it lasted, the worse it would be.
"I’ll need dietary adjustments to ease the morning sickness."
With that, she entered her secret space and retrieved several books on pregnancy.
Time flew, and soon it was dusk.
Ye Chutang instructed Dan'er and Le'er to collect the dried meat strips while preparing Jinzhi for the upcoming confrontation.
When she returned to the garden, the sound of gongs and drums announced the arrival of Eunuch De.
Dressed in bright red wedding robes, he was ushered into the main hall by Ye Jingchuan.
"Your Grace, please wait a moment. My daughter will be here shortly."
Ye Chutang eyed the meager betrothal gifts in the courtyard and suddenly found Ye Anling’s dowry far from pitiful.
Amid the melody of "Phoenix Seeks Mate," Ye Anling, veiled and clad in wedding red, entered the hall on the arm of a matron.
Behind her, dowry chests were carried in procession.
Eunuch De had already been informed that Ye Anling would bring one hundred and twenty-eight chests as her dowry, and he was thoroughly pleased.
Together, they served tea to Ye Jingchuan.
"Father-in-law/Father, please drink this tea!"
Seated in the place of honor, Ye Jingchuan accepted the two cups with visible satisfaction.
In this world, aside from the emperor, he was the only one worthy of receiving tea from Eunuch De!
With each cup he drank, he handed the newlyweds a red envelope in return.
"Ling'er, now that you’re married, you must temper your temperament and respect your husband. Do you understand?"
Ye Anling kowtowed deeply. "Father, your daughter will heed your teachings!"
"Your Grace, if Ling'er falls short in any way, I beg your patience."
Eunuch De inclined his head slightly. "Father-in-law, rest assured. This servant will treat Ling'er well."
As long as Ye Anling behaved, he would not mistreat her.
Ye Jingchuan dabbed at nonexistent tears. "It’s getting late. You should return to the palace to prepare."
To honor Eunuch De, the emperor had arranged a palace banquet and would personally oversee the wedding ceremony.
Once the couple departed, the guests would present another round of gifts at the palace celebration.
Just as Ye Anling rose to leave with Eunuch De, an enraged shout erupted from the outer courtyard.
"These dowry items belong to the young mistress by her late mother’s will—they cannot be taken away!"
Hearing Jinzhi’s voice, Ye Chutang smiled faintly.
The show had begun!
