Good Luck Wedding 069

 That day, Ye Yunting wore a dark red cotton robe embroidered with Buddhist motifs, and a cloud-patterned jade belt buckle around his waist. His feet were shod in sheepskin boots, while a black crane cloak draped over his shoulders. His long black hair was tied back by a white jade crown, leaving the ends to fall loosely down. This ensemble lent him an air of gentle elegance, but also exuded a sense of spirited vigor. Li Fengqi dressed in the same style, only in a darker black.

Though their outfits were similar, one exuded warmth and refinement, the while other nobility and aloofness. But when they went together, the pair seemed in perfect harmony.

Ye Boru watched as the pair approached slowly. His eyes seemed slightly enchanted, and he stepped forward to greet them with a smile. "Your Highness Prince, Eldest Brother." He looked at Ye Yunting with an expression of great joy. "I thought you wouldn't be coming today." He even reached out to take Ye Yunting's arm, ready to lead him inside.

The surrounding guests observed them, thinking to themselves that the Second Young Master was indeed quite skilled. How had he managed such closeness with even the Yong'an Wangfei?

Just as everyone was sighing in emotion, however, Ye Yunting pulled his arm free and replied coldly, "This is only the first time we met; we're not particularly close. There's really no need for such familiarity."

Ye Boru's smile faltered. Taking a step back, he looked somewhat apologetic. "Eldest Brother, it may be our first meeting, but I've heard my father speak of you often, and I’ve long admired you. That’s why I couldn't help but try to get close upon meeting you. If it makes you uncomfortable, I'll keep my distance from now on."

"???"

Ye Yunting felt goosebumps from his skin at his words.

Ye Yunting wasn't close with Ye Boru; in fact, he hadn't even known this younger brother existed until recently. Naturally, there could be no familiarity between them. To Ye Yunting, Ye Boru was just a stranger. In his view, Ye Boru should be treating him the same way. But against common sense, Ye Boru insisted on getting close to him. This only served to raise his guard further.

In comparison, he found the silly Ye Wang simple and likeable.

"Then you should keep your distance. I'm not used to getting too close with strangers."

Ye Yunting frowned as his patience wore a little thin. He had come here today with Li Fengqi solely to find out news about Ye Wang, not to waste time on Ye Boru. After spending so many days at the Prince's residence, Ye Yunting had adopted some of Li Fengqi's indifferent demeanor. He wouldn't hesitate to show a cold expression when dealing with people he didn’t like.

Noticing the impatience on his face, the other guests' expressions shifted once again. It became clear that the two brothers didn’t have a close relationship; rather, it was just the second son trying to get close to the eldest. Moreover, it seemed evident that this half-brother held little favor with the Yong'an Wangfei.

Seeing such a blatant snub, Ye Boru’s hands tightened within his sleeve, but he maintained a smile on his face. "Then I'll show the Prince and Eldest Brother in." He looked at Li Fengqi, who had remained silent all throughout, and turned to Ye Yunting. "Since my Eldest Brother is our guest, should I arrange for some servants to push the Prince in?"

"No need. I know this Duke’s Estate better than you do. We can manage just fine on our own. You focus on attending to the guests instead." Ye Yunting replied with a frown, becoming increasingly puzzled as he rejected this suggestion. He pushed Li Fengqi inside.

As they passed each other, Li Fengqi caught Ye Boru's eye briefly. Ye Boru offered him a warm, friendly smile.

“…?”

Li Fengqi felt a vague sense that he'd encountered someone akin to himself. Frowning slightly, he said to Ye Yunting, "Keep your distance from him. Something about him doesn't seem right."

Ye Yunting also sensed that his younger brother was scheming, though he didn't plan to have much contact with him either way, so he just gave a casual nod.

The pair arrived at the main hall where most of the guests had already gathered. As they approached, several officials hesitated visibly. They wanted to approach and converse with them, but they feared that word would reach the emperor's ears. This might be taken as them having ulterior motives for making friends with Prince Yong’an, and such suspicions could land them in the Court of Judicial Review's prison.

So many people wanted to approach but dared not, their eyes flickering with uncertainty.

Li Fengqi sneered inwardly and ignored them. He seated himself at the head of the table. He began pouring tea for Ye Yunting slowly and leisurely.

This was the scene that Ye Boru saw when he arrived alongside Ye Zhili.

Li Fengqi's movements as he poured the tea was remarkably graceful. His slender fingers cradled the teacup with an unmistakable air of ease. He seemed to say something to Ye Yunting, who responded with a smile, accepting the cup from him.

Ye Boru clenched his hands tightly, lowering his gaze to mask any emotion, and followed behind Ye Zhili.

Among all the guests in the room, Prince of Yong'an and his consort held the highest status. Although Ye Zhili could claim seniority by age, Li Fengqi showed no deference; thus, he had to observe the etiquette of a subject due to his superior.

"Wangye, Wangfei, the banquet is ready. Please follow me to your seats."

The seats had been meticulously arranged, and the guests were guided to their places by maids.

Ye Yunting gently pushed Li Fengqi along towards their table. Unexpectedly, however, Ye Boru stepped forward. "Allow me to lead the Prince and Eldest Brother to your seats," he said, his smiling face radiating innocent goodwill. "Our tables happen to be quite close together."

As he spoke, they arrived as the table. Ye Yunting and Li Fengqi took their seats at the VIP table, while Ye Boru sat with Ye Zhili in the host's section. The two tables were indeed positioned very close to each other.

After everyone had settled into their chairs, Ye Boru raised his cup towards them as if in a toast.

Ye Yunting pretended not to see this gesture, turning his eyes away. He frowned and muttered to Li Fengqi, "Why is Ye Boru always trying to be friendly with me?"

He didn’t think that Ye Boru was like Ye Wang, genuinely treating him as an elder brother out of admiration and respect. Ye Wang's affection was pure, but what motive could Ye Boru possibly have?

"Just ignore him." Li Fengqi looked at Ye Boru with discerning disdain. Such limited skills, but daring to show off in front of an expert? How embarrassing. If not for being in the Duke’s Mansion, he would have whipped anyone who dared to curry favor with Ye Yunting in front of him.

The pair continued whispering to each other while sipping their drink, creating an atmosphere of mutual understanding that excluded all others present.

Ye Boru had several times considered approaching for a toast, but neither Ye Yunting nor Li Fengqi spared him even a glance. In front of so many people, he couldn't bring himself to embarrassingly throw himself at those who clearly ignored him. Instead, he held back his temper for the time being and engaged with other guests.

After three rounds of drinks, many attendees were tipsy, and the atmosphere grew more relaxed. The guests now clustered in small groups of three to five, drinking and chatting casually.

Ye Zhili glanced at the pair standing apart from everyone else. Still seething over his earlier humiliation at the prince's residence, he deliberately stepped forward with Ye Boru in tow. "This is your eldest brother, Yunting. I hadn't had the opportunity to formally introduce him to you before." he said to Ye Boru. Then he turned to Ye Yunting. "This is your second brother, Boru. He now works in the Ministry of Personnel."

Ye Boru smiled warmly. "I’ve already exchanged greetings earlier with Eldest Brother.  He’s even more impressive than I imagined."

“?” Ye Zhili found these words odd. Why had his two younger sons so close to their eldest brother?

He shot Ye Boru a disapproving look before continuing, "There's no need for false modesty. You've barely reached twenty but you already hold the position of Assistant Minister in the Ministry of Personnel. In time, this entire estate will rely on you."

Ye Zhili's words carried a deep meaning, a hint of satisfaction on his face.

"What does the Duke of Qi mean by that? In terms of legitimate succession and seniority, it shouldn’t be up to a bastard son to hold up the Duke’s estate, right?" Li Fengqi asked, wearing a half-smile as he turned to Ye Yunting. "Wangfei just told me that he and Ye Wang have a deep brotherly bond; he doesn't want to compete against him. That's why we're here today: to urge the Duke of Qi to submit the petition for Ye Wang's title elevation without delay."

Smiling, Ye Yunting continued, "That's true. Wasn't it for this very reason that Father and Mother were at the Prince's residence earlier? Now I understand, so there's no need for any further concerns on your part."

“…” Ye Zhili’s face twitched as he forced a worried expression. "...But your youngest brother is now..." He left the sentence unfinished, instead letting out a long, deep sigh.

Seeing him act like this, Ye Yunting grew even more certain of his suspicion. Ye Zhili must have sent Ye Wang over to the Yin family while knowing about the Yin family's impending rebellion.

Initially, Ye Yunting couldn’t figure out the reason behind such a move. But now, gazing at Ye Boru, he understood everything.

Previously, Ye Zhili had sent him to Yong’an Palace as part of a wedding arrangement for good luck. Now, he sent Ye Wang to Yunrong.  Both were moves intending to make room for Ye Boru. Over these past few years, Ye Zhili must have planned this meticulously. However, both Yin Hongye and himself had been blind, unable to see his true intentions.

"Father, "ave you ever sent anyone for news on Youngest Brother?" Ye Yunting asked again.

"With Yunrong occupied by rebels, how could I possibly get any information?" Ye Zhili sighed and said pretentiously. "Your mother has also been very worried. She wrote several letters to the Yin family, but none of them had been answered."

Seeing his father's evasiveness, Ye Yunting knew that he wouldn’t get any useful information from him.  . Instead, he said bluntly, "There's no need for Father to worry too much. Wangye has already arranged for people to investigate and find information." He looked around before adding, "Is Mother in the rear courtyard? With what happened to Ye Wang, she must be so worried. I'll go check on her."

With that, Ye Yunting paid no more attention to Ye Zhili's darkening expression, and pushed Li Fengqi towards the rear courtyard.

Behind them, Ye Zhili narrowed his eyes, grinding his teeth. "Now you’re pretending to have a loving mother-and-son relationship." He cast a glance at Ye Boru and said, "Keep an eye on her. Make sure your mother doesn't say something she shouldn't."

This was exactly what Ye Boru wanted. He nodded and followed.

Ye Yunting pushed Li Fengqi along, but hadn't gotten far when Ye Boru caught up with them. Ye Boru maintained his usual amiable demeanor as he walked beside Ye Yunting. "Father asked me to accompany Eldest Brother," he began. "Mother's been in a bad mood these past few days, often losing her temper..." His face took on an embarrassed look. "I'm sure Eldest Brother knows about Mother’s temper. You might have to bear with her later."

“…” Ye Yunting shot him a perplexed look, wondering what Ye Boru was trying to achieve by going to such lengths with this act.

Upon reaching the rear courtyard, the three of them came to a stop.

The rear courtyard was filled with female relatives attending the banquet today. Yin Hongye should have been among them, entertaining the guests. Ye Yunting found a maid to fetch her.

When Yin Hongye heard that it was Ye Yunting who was looking for her, she was initially reluctant to go. Over the last few days, she had been trying hard to pull herself together, trying to find ways to leave the estate and find someone who could give her news about Yunrong. She really didn't have the energy to deal with Ye Yunting anymore, nor did she want him to laugh at her state.

"Wait."

The maid was about to give her reply, but was halted.

Yin Hongye thought for a while. She recalled how Ye Yunting had once tried to stop Ye Wang from going to Yunrong... Perhaps this time he wasn't here just to mock her. Clinging to that sliver of hope, she straightened her clothes and walked out.

The maid led her to a hexagonal pavilion.

In the pavilion, aside from Ye Yunting and Li Fengqi, stood Ye Boru as well.

Yin Hongye glanced at Ye Boru with disdain, frowned, and said to Ye Yunting, "What is he doing here? I see you're quite close to this bastard son."

Ye Boru's eyes dimmed, but still respectfully called her, “Mother.”

As if deaf to Yin Hongye's barb, Ye Yunting turned to Li Fengqi. "There’s something I need to discuss with Mother in private." He then gave Yin Hongye a look, indicating that they have their conversation elsewhere.

With a suspicious glance at Ye Yunting, Yin Hongye ultimately complied.

Seeing this, Ye Boru made to follow, but Li Fengq extended an arm to stop him. His voice cold, he said, "Hasn't Second Master heard? They want to speak alone."

“…” Ye Boru had no choice but to stay put, waiting alongside Li Fengqi in the pavilion.

Seeing that Ye Boru had settled down, Li Fengqi paid him no further attention. Instead, he turned and gazed across the lake opposite the pavilion around, bored.

"The Prince and Eldest Brother seem quite close," Ye Boru remarked from the side but remained still.

His question was astute enough that Li Fengqi lifted his gaze and acknowledged it with a soft sound.

Ye Boru's eyes darkened at his response. He stepped forward until he stood side by side with Li Fengqi, hands clasped behind his back, and continued slowly, "In truth, I've long admired Your Highness. Over these years, I've studied military texts extensively, always hoping for the chance to follow you in your campaigns and achieve great success. When I first heard Eldest Brother would be marrying Your Highness, I even envied him for a while." He sighed. "A pity that such fortune is not mine."

"Now that your bond with Eldest Brother has grown so strong, I don't dare ask for more than what I have. All I hope for is to serve as your advisor, offering whatever assistance I can.” He looked at Li Fengqi with a burning gaze. "I also have some standing with His Majesty.  If Your Highness trusts me, this Boru will be at your disposal."

He gazed confidently at Li Fengqi, convinced that the prince wouldn't refuse such a generous offer of assistance.

The power struggle between the emperor and Prince Yong'an had come out into the open now. If used wisely, a hidden pawn like himself could prove doubly effective with half the effort.

No matter how skilled Ye Yunting might be, could he truly match up as an ally?

He masked the burning ambition in eyes. Whether it was the this Duke’s mansion or the Prince Yong'an, he would seize both from Ye Yunting.

"????"

Li Fengqi looked up at him in disbelief, too shocked to find the right words to scold him.

He had thought Ye Boru's target was Ye Yunting, but it was actually himself?

Ye Boru saw Li Fengqi's silence as a sign of being tempted. Ye Boru lowered his lashes and presented an even more tempting offer. "I've heard that your poison came from Imperial Tutor Han Chan. Now that Han Chan has been placed on house arrest, no one is allowed in or out of the Imperial Tutor’s manor. However, His Majesty trusts me and I’m responsible for matters of security in the Imperial Tutor’s residence... "

If this poison originated from Han Chan, then surely he must have an antidote. Ye Boru looked eagerly at Li Fengqi, convinced that this would sway him.

Li Fengqi looked up at him, finally regaining his composure. "Does this prince look like a beggar?"

For a moment, Ye Boru didn't grasp what Li Fengqi meant. "What?"

"Since I’m not a beggar, nor will I accept just any worthless scum. Do you think you’re worthy enough to be compared to Yunting?" Li Fengqi scoffed unceremoniously. He raised his hand and ran it along the coiled whip on his left arm. "So, are you going to get lost yourself, or shall I give you a push?"

“…” Ye Boru's expression shifted slightly as he instinctively took two steps back. He barely managed to maintain his gentle expression. Your Highness, perhaps you’ve misunderstood me."

Li Fengqi drew out his whip and toyed with it idly in his hand. His gaze remained cold and fixed on Ye Boru, and he didn’t say a word.

Gritting his teeth, Ye Boru retreated another couple of steps. "Since that’s the case, I'll take my leave now. But there’s no falsehoods in what I’ve said today. If Your Highness’s mind changes at any point, you can always find me."

With that, he swiftly turned and left.

Li Fengqi watched Ye Boru's retreating figure before methodically coiling his whip once more.

Such pitiful tricks, and still he dares to show off.  How he overestimates himself.

--

=== Author’s Notes ===

77: Wife! Someone seduced me QAQ

Tingting: ??? ??? ?

Unexpected.jpg

 

=== Translator’s Notes ===

(1) Whenever the three Ye brothers are referred to in this chapter, the text mostly uses First Brother/Second Brother/Third Brother. But sometimes it just doesn’t flow all that well in English (especially dialogue-wise), so on occasion, I rephrase it to something like, “your youngest brother is xxx” instead of “your third brother is xxx”. The meaning of the sentence should stay the same.

(2) Ye Zhili truly not winning any father-of-the-year awards, huh.