"Eldest Miss Ye and Prince Chen are a perfect match, the most compatible couple I've ever seen."
"I heard the wedding date was chosen by the Imperial Astronomers—five days is far too rushed."
"Exactly! There's so much to prepare for a wedding, they probably won't have enough time."
"The Ministry of Rites is handling the arrangements, so they’ll manage. It just won’t be as grand as it could be."
"The Emperor himself arranged the marriage, and the Ministry of Rites is overseeing it—how could it not be grand? It’ll likely rival a royal prince’s wedding!"
"I agree. The Emperor has bestowed many treasures upon Eldest Miss Ye, showing how much importance he places on this wedding."
Ye Chutang walked for a while, only to find that almost every conversation revolved around her upcoming marriage to Qi Yanzhou.
It was as if the earlier scandals surrounding the Minister's Mansion had never happened.
She knew very well that Ye Jingchuan had been pulling strings behind the scenes.
No matter—on the wedding day, she would give him a gift he’d never forget!
Ye Chutang slipped into a secluded corner, entered her hidden space to change back into women’s attire, and returned to the Minister's Mansion.
As she reached the entrance, she saw the dignified Qi Yanzhou stepping out.
He had come to deliver the betrothal gifts.
Though the wedding was hastily arranged and the Emperor’s decree had disrupted the traditional "Three Letters and Six Etiquettes," the basic formalities couldn’t be skipped.
Qi Yanzhou bowed courteously to Ye Chutang and said, "The pair of wild geese I owe you will be delivered tomorrow."
The Ministry of Rites kept domesticated geese for such occasions, but he hadn’t taken them.
Wild geese symbolized loyalty and fortune—hunting them himself would show greater sincerity.
Ye Chutang didn’t care much for such formalities, but she wouldn’t refuse his gesture either.
"Very well. Take care, Ah Zhou."
After Qi Yanzhou left, Ye Chutang entered the mansion.
Ye Jingchuan frowned at her. "Where have you been? You’re back so late! The Emperor’s gifts arrived, and you weren’t here. Prince Chen came with the betrothal gifts, and you were missing again."
"Everything went smoothly without me. Why are you so worked up?"
"You’re about to become a married woman. You can’t keep acting so recklessly. In a place where people devour others without spitting out bones, even the most capable won’t survive long."
Ye Chutang knew he was referring to the palace.
She ignored him and held out her hand. "Where are the Emperor’s gifts?"
Ye Jingchuan had long accepted her single-minded focus on wealth.
"They’ve been sent to Ningchu Courtyard. For the next few days, don’t wander off. Focus on embroidering your wedding veil."
"Understood."
Then, she suddenly remembered the deceased Kong Ru.
"Father, what do you plan to do with Kong Ru?"
He couldn’t possibly keep her corpse in the mansion without holding a funeral.
She refused to marry while a rotting corpse lay in the Minister's Mansion!
Ye Jingchuan hadn’t decided whether to bury Kong Ru directly or divorce her posthumously and send her body back to the Kong family.
So he asked Ye Chutang for her opinion.
"Chu’er, what do you think I should do?"
Ye Chutang rolled her eyes.
"As a concubine, Kong Ru persecuted the legal wife, murdered the heir, and later poisoned my mother. She violated the Seven Grounds for Divorce and committed crimes. If you don’t divorce her, are you planning to keep her for the New Year?"
Ye Jingchuan knew divorce was the best option, but he didn’t want to make an enemy of the Kong family.
"Chu’er—"
"Stop right there. If you don’t divorce Kong Ru and cast her out of the mansion, don’t blame me for cutting ties with you once I gain favor in the palace!"
Naturally, Ye Jingchuan wouldn’t risk offending a future imperial consort over a dead woman.
He sighed irritably. "Who do you take after, with this temper? I never said I wouldn’t divorce her."
"If Grandmother had been poisoned, you’d be even more furious than I am. The sooner you divorce her, the better."
With that, Ye Chutang glanced at the courtyard filled with betrothal gifts and returned to Ningchu Courtyard.
Jun'er sat on a stone stool in the courtyard, craning his neck to look outside.
When he saw Ye Chutang return, he rushed over and asked, "Elder Sister, do you really want to marry Prince Chen?"
The imperial decree had come suddenly, and the wedding was rushed. He worried she was being forced into an unhappy marriage.
Ye Chutang crouched down to meet his worried gaze and smiled. "Of course I do. I was the one who proposed it."
Relieved but saddened, Jun'er said, "Then I’ll eat well, study hard, train diligently, and grow up quickly—so I can protect you."
Thinking of Ye Jingchuan’s eventual fate, Ye Chutang asked, "Would you dare to speak the truth and come live with me at Prince Chen’s residence?"
Jun'er stared at her in surprise.
Seeing she was serious, he nodded firmly. "I would!"
He immediately turned to leave, as if to find Ye Jingchuan right away.
Ye Chutang stopped him. "Not now. I’ll tell you when the time comes."
Jun'er sensed something major was about to happen, but he didn’t ask. He trusted his elder sister completely.
Standing up, Ye Chutang noticed Jinzhi hesitating nearby.
"Jin Auntie, I’m hungry. You and Dan'er should prepare dinner."
"Yes, Miss."
The meal followed Ye Chutang’s medicinal recipe, carrying a faint herbal aroma.
She casually explained, "This medicinal meal nourishes the body. Everyone should eat more."
Though its main purpose was to ease morning sickness, it also strengthened the spleen and stomach—suitable for all.
After dinner, Ye Chutang took Jun'er for a walk in the garden to aid digestion.
There, they overheard maids gossiping.
"Divorcing a dead woman—I’ve never heard of such a thing!"
"Kong Ru persecuted the legal wife and killed the heir. She doesn’t deserve burial in the Ye family tomb. Serves her right."
"The Minister sent Kong Ru’s corpse along with the divorce letter to the Kong family. I wonder if they’ll accept it?"
"She was just a concubine-born daughter, and now she’s useless. The Kongs won’t take her."
As predicted, the Kong family, ashamed of the disgrace, refused to accept Kong Ru’s body. They wrapped it in a straw mat and dumped it in a mass grave.
Ye Chutang learned of this from Qi Yanzhou.
By then, she had already left the city, riding with him toward the stronghold of the "Night Fiends."
They weren’t alone—over a hundred of Qi Yanzhou’s elite guards accompanied them.
Once they were more than ten miles from the capital, Qi Yanzhou turned to Nan Xiao.
"Take the vanguard and capture the Night Fiends. Ah Tang and I will join you shortly."
Puzzled, Ye Chutang followed Qi Yanzhou onto a narrow path.
Amid the rhythmic clatter of hooves, she asked, "Ah Zhou, where are we going?"
