Ye Ziâan shook his head and stepped forward to embrace her, "Letâs put the Eldestâs matter aside for now. Prepare some things first. Weâll go to the Mu Residence tomorrow to discuss the marriage."
"Mm, youâre right. Iâll get ready now." Yang Chuxia mumbled, "Why did this child suddenly want to advance the marriage?"
Ye Ziâan naturally knew the reason. His sonâs intent to protect his wife meant he should not tell his wife, otherwise it would upset her again.
The next morning, Yang Chuxia and Ye Ziâan went to the Mu Residence with a pile of gifts.
When Mu Shaoling heard they were coming to discuss the wedding date, he was furious and cursed, saying Ye Haoyang was taking advantage of someone in a vulnerable time with impure intentions. Advancing the wedding now would let him gain a reputation for being deeply affectionate and faithful to Huaâen. How wishful of him.
But the Commandery Princess Dongyang agreed, so it was useless even if he disagreed.
Thus, Yang Chuxia happily left the Mu Residence and started bustling around Prince Anâs Mansion with wedding preparations.
Inviting guests, preparing various gifts, and so on...
In a courtyard somewhere in the Capital City, a woman in white sat sipping fragrant tea, while a maid beside her plucked at a lute.
"Master, the Mu and Ye Families have set the wedding date for the twentieth of next month."
"Is that so?" The woman in white curled her lips, "I didnât expect there to be no cancellation. I thought a family like the Ye Family would have high demands for a daughter-in-law and wouldnât want someone with such a bad reputation. Such a waste of my planning."
Yes, the rumors in the Capital City about Mu Huarong killing her sister were spread by her. She just didnât want the Mu Family to have it too easy, whether it was the men or the women, she didnât want them to have a good time.
"What should we do next, Master?"
"Why the rush? On the wedding day, it will be crowded with many eyes, so it will be easy for you all to mix in. Besides, arenât the Mu sisters fighting over a man quite lively? Anyway, both have lost face, who knows who is who then?"
The person beside her understood her intentions, and at the time, planned on making Mu Huarong take Mu Huaâenâs place in the marriage.
After a pause, they heard the woman in white say, "At that time, use some drugs to have one in the bridal chamber of the Ye Residence, and another in a beggarâs den outside the city. By the time morning tea is served, let the news spread throughout the Capital City. Weâll just sit back and watch this great play."
By then, the sistersâ infighting would surely escalate.
No matter how stable the alliance between the Mu and Ye Families was, it would likely be affected by such an incident.
Without the alliance, the Mu Familyâs momentum would weaken even more. Later, if she finds a way to undermine the Mu Familyâs standing with the Emperor, uprooting the Mu Family entirely will just be a matter of time.
The wedding date was set, and Ye Haoyang was overjoyed.
There was only one thing he wasnât satisfied with, which was that the two couldnât see each other before the wedding ceremony.
How could that be acceptable? Already he didnât have much time with his little wife, and now even when both were in the Capital City with no previous worries, they still couldnât meet.
So that night, Ye Haoyang sneaked in like a flower thief.
"Brother Ye Er?" Mu Huaâen thought she was seeing things.
"Itâs me."
"Why are you here?"
Mu Huaâen was delighted but also somewhat conflicted because her father had told her to never meet Ye Haoyang before the wedding, or it would lead to unhappiness.
Thinking of this, she hurriedly pushed Ye Haoyang towards the door, "Brother Ye Er, you need to leave quickly!" But how could Mu Huaâen push him away?
Ye Haoyang was not pleased at this moment. He missed his little wife, even if it meant not sleeping, he had to come to see her. Yet he was pushed to leave without even speaking, "You stubborn girl, you donât want to see me?"
(ps: The side stories are all short, estimated to be about a hundred thousand words each, maybe less, (starting with Yangyang and Leleâs story first, I havenât decided whether to write about the boy-and-girl set of twins). They are all complete new stories with a little supplement to the main text. If youâre anxious, wait until the side stories are complete before reading.)
(ps: The main story has concluded. The side stories are new short stories written for readers who feel itâs not enough. Whether you like it or not, opinions vary, whether to continue or not is up to individual judgment.)