met free Chapter 46 Too Much Dowry
Chapter 46 Too Much Dowry
Ye Shiting glanced at the long robe, then raised his eyes slightly to land on her gentle pink cheeks. "Cousin Yunying is truly skillful."
Fan Yunying lowered her head shyly, "Big cousin, we're about to get married, why are you still so distant?"
How could Ye Shiting not understand what she was saying?
He then changed his words, saying, "Ying'er, please sit down. I'll try this robe on after I finish reading the official documents and return to my room. I'll let you know if it fits after I try it on."
Fan Yunying smiled, glanced at him shyly, and then walked to the guest chair.
"Cousin, I heard that Uncle went to the army camp. I wonder when he will return home?"
"Let's wait two more days."
"My cousin has been stationed in the Northwest for many years. I've heard that the Northwest is plagued by sandstorms in the summer and snow and ice in the winter. Do you find it hard? Now that you've returned to Beijing, have you considered staying here to take up a position?" Fan Yunying asked with concern in her eyes.
"What do you think, Ying'er? Should I continue to guard the Northwest, or stay in the capital to take up a post?" Ye Shiting smiled slightly, asking the question instead of answering.
His smile brought a touch of warmth to his usually cold and stern face, and it also made Fan Yunying happy. She became bolder in her speech, "Big Cousin, Ying'er thinks that Uncle and Second Cousin are enough to guard the Northwest. As the eldest son of the General's Mansion, you are the future pillar of the General's Mansion. You should vigorously develop the power of the General's Mansion in the court. In this way, you can work together with Uncle and Second Cousin from the inside and outside, and the General's Mansion will surely become awe-inspiring throughout the entire Da Ye Kingdom."
The faint smile on Ye Shiting's lips vanished instantly, and a dark glint flashed quickly in his deep eyes.
Ye Shijun and Ye Shishu, who were outside the door, couldn't stand it anymore and stepped into the study.
Ye Shijun said coldly and without any politeness, "Does Cousin Yunying think my General's Mansion isn't prominent enough? Does she want my General's Mansion to be in the limelight and become the target of everyone's criticism, so that the Emperor will be wary of it and wipe it out?"
Fan Yunying stood up from her seat, looking at him with a pale face. "Second cousin, that's not what I meant. Please don't misunderstand!"
Ye Shishu recalled her coldness towards her in her previous life, and she didn't give her a kind look this time either. She said coldly, "My father and brothers have guarded the Northwest for many years, never showing off their military achievements, just so they wouldn't give the emperor anything to talk about or make him suspicious. Cousin Yunying, don't you understand the dangers of having too much merit and overshadowing the emperor?"
Fan Yunying's eyes reddened, and she hurriedly pleaded with Ye Shiting, "Big cousin, second cousin and cousin Shu'er have misunderstood me. I just felt sorry for big cousin suffering in the Northwest and hoped that big cousin could stay in the capital for longer."
Ye Shijun continued coldly, "My elder brother and I have followed in our father's footsteps to protect our country and have long since disregarded life and death. How could we possibly seek comfort and enjoyment? Even if we are to stay in the capital, it should be our father who stays there to enjoy his old age. There is absolutely no reason for our father to go to the battlefield in his old age while his sons enjoy themselves at home!"
“I…” Crystalline tears fell from Fan Yunying’s eyes. Overwhelmed with shame, she still wanted to explain something.
"Alright, Ying'er doesn't understand these things, so you two should say less." Ye Shiting raised his eyes slightly and glared at Ye Shijun and Ye Shishu. Then he said to Fan Yunying, "Ying'er, Shijun and Shu'er didn't mean to be harsh. My Ye family is different from ordinary people. Since our grandfather followed the late emperor to expand our territory, our descendants have shouldered the mission of protecting our country. As sons of the Ye family, none of us are afraid of death. Let alone the harshness of the Northwest, we would gladly face even mountains of knives and seas of fire."
"Big cousin, it was Ying'er who spoke without thinking." Fan Yunying curtsied to admit her mistake. "Please don't hold it against me, second cousin and cousin Shu'er."
She looked pitiful at that moment, and after exchanging glances, Ye Shijun and Ye Shishu didn't say anything more.
Ye Shiting changed the subject, asking his brother and sister, "Did you need something from me?"
Ye Shijun's previously cold expression vanished, revealing a set of white teeth as he asked with a smile, "Big brother, you and cousin Yunying are getting married soon. How much wealth have you accumulated? Every time you return to the capital, the Emperor bestows upon you many gifts, and I've kept track of them all. This time's reward hasn't arrived yet, but adding up all the previous rewards, your wealth must be over ten thousand taels, right?"
Ye Shiting frowned and glared at him irritably. "Why are you asking this?"
"I'm not doing anything, I'm just envious and jealous. I don't even have a few copper coins in my private treasury. If everyone saved up enough money to get married like you, I'm afraid I'd be stuck a bachelor for life!"
Just as Ye Shiting was about to roll his eyes at him, Ye Shishu said, "Second brother, don't worry about not being able to marry your sister-in-law. I have so much dowry, I'll give you half of it!"
Ye Shiting immediately frowned and scolded her, "Nonsense!"
Ye Shishu winked at him quietly and said seriously, "Brother, to be honest, my dowry is indeed too much. It was because of so much dowry that the Wei family had their eyes on me before. Besides, His Highness Prince Cheng dared to marry even my 'memorial tablet,' so he doesn't care how much dowry I have. It would be better to give some to Second Brother so that he can marry Second Sister-in-law sooner."
Seeing that Ye Shiting was clearly opposed, Fan Yunying quickly said, "Big cousin, don't be angry. Although cousin Shu'er's distribution is unfair, it is for your sake."
Ye Shiting turned his head and glared at her.
Fan Yunying was glared at by him and thought he was blaming her for being too generous in giving her dowry to Ye Shijun, so she said, "Actually, Cousin Shu'er is right. It's too ostentatious for her to bring so much dowry. It would be better to leave it at home for my eldest cousin to manage."
Ye Shishu and Ye Shijun both looked at her with smiles, as if they were willing to accept her proposal.
Ye Shiting stared intently at Fan Yunying, then suddenly raised his eyebrows and smiled, a rare sight for him, "I didn't expect Ying'er to be so thoughtful. How about this: when Shu'er gets married, she can only take one-tenth of her dowry, and the rest can go to Shi Jun. You just heard Shi Jun say that I've saved enough for my wedding and don't need Shu'er's dowry anymore, so it's better to leave it all to Shi Jun. He's been spending money lavishly since he was little, and if we don't give him more, as he himself said, he'll probably be a bachelor for the rest of his life."
Fan Yunying stared at him stiffly, completely unprepared for his decision, and for a moment she was so astonished that she didn't know how to respond.
"Cousin Yunying, why aren't you saying anything?" Ye Shijun stretched out his arm and waved it in front of her eyes. "Do you think my older brother's way of allocating resources is acceptable?"