The Name of the Consort (Part 2)

The sound of the drums and cymbals filled the air, and a huge parade came walking down the street in the midst of all the noise. A few hundred eunuchs carrying umbrellas and other items and stern-looking bodyguards filled up the entire avenue. Right in the middle was a sedan carried by eight men. A very realistic-looking phoenix sculpture carved from azurite and ivory was on top of the sedan, while many precious jewels hung from the frame to form a curtain. Each gem was as large as a dragon's eye, and the huge pearls were incredibly gorgeous. The rest of the sedan was made from the most exquisite materials and was extremely luxurious. As it came close, a fragrance filled the air, and it showed off the prestige and magnanimity of the monarchy.

The sedan had a curtain to block the person inside from view. One could make out the shadow of a woman seated inside holding her chin in her hands. She exuded elegance even without saying anything.

This woman was Consort Ye, the woman that the current emperor doted on the most.

The Old Lady and the rest of the family immediately looked joyful as they came forward to the entrance and knelt to welcome her.

The Old Lady, First Madam, and Second Madam were elders of the family, so they only needed to bow to welcome her. Those who were in the same generation as Ye Lin'er and Ye Qing had to kneel down, while all the other extended family members and servants had to lie prostrate on the ground to receive her.

"Everyone may rise. I am here to visit my family, so there's no need to be so formal." A voice called out from within the sedan. It was crisp and moving, light yet clear, and as smooth and rich as a pearl.

"The Consort will now alight from the sedan," announced an older eunuch.

The guards carrying the sedan carefully set the sedan down before the older eunuch stretched a hand out to draw the curtain aside. An incomparably beautiful face appeared in a long, red dress. As she walked out slowly, an invisible pressure made everyone in Ye Manor immediately bow their heads.

This was the Eldest Young Mistress of Ye Manor, a consort to the current emperor, Ye Qing'er.

Consort Ye was beautiful beyond words, so the moment she stepped out, her beauty overwhelmed the entire area, and her presence alone was unmatchable. Even Hu Mei, a woman who was often secretly said to be as beautiful as a Fox Spirit, now looked as ordinary as a woman from a village. She couldn't compare to Consort Ye at all.

Ye Lin'er cautiously lifted her head. Her eyes were overflowing with envy when she saw how bedazzling her Eldest Sister was. If a woman could enjoy this level of glory, then she wouldn't have lived this life in vain.

"Third Sister, why are you stealing glances at me?" asked Consort Ye softly as her lips curled into a faint smile.

The moment she started speaking, the invisible authoritative pressure was instantly lifted, and many people breathed a sigh of relief. First Madam and Hu Mei exchanged glances, and the look in their eyes was filled with jealousy and envy.

Ye Lin'er gave a silly smile and replied, "Eldest Sister, you're simply too beautiful. You're so many more times prettier than you were three years ago."

Consort Ye immediately smiled indulgently and said, "You are very pretty too. The third young lady of the family is now all grown up, have you agreed to any marriage proposals yet?"

Ye Lin'er immediately blushed and replied, "Eldest Sister, I still hope to be with Mother and Grandma for a few more years."

First Madam laughed along and said, "This girl is too used to doing whatever she likes. Quite a number of young men have come to ask for her hand in marriage, but she doesn't like any of them. The Old Lady also just lets her do what she likes. She's already of marriageable age, but she continues to spend time with a group of young men from aristocratic families. It's such an embarrassment to the household."

The Old Lady was immediately displeased by these words and said, "The Ye family is now at one of the highest positions in the land, so we don't need to go through with any marriage of convenience. My third girl can do whatever she likes."

"Grandma is the best to me," said Ye Lin'er sweetly.

Consort Ye bowed to greet the Old Lady and said, "It has been three years since I last saw you. I hope you are in good health?"

"I am in good health," the Old Lady quickly replied.

"That's good to hear. Is everyone in the household gathered here?" asked Consort Ye as she looked around.

"Yes, everyone is here," said the Old Lady as she nodded.

Consort Ye's expression relaxed. She didn't say anything and just kept looking around as she searched the huge crowd of people.

"Who is Consort Ye looking for?" asked Hu Mei quietly as her eyes darted around.

"Where is my Twelfth Brother?" asked Consort Ye in a quiet voice. Her gaze was on First Madam, and it was filled with authority. First Madam immediately felt her entire body stiffen.

"Number Twelve is in his own courtyard," replied First Madam.

"Didn't you say that everyone in Ye Manor was gathered here?" Consort Ye looked toward the Old Lady, and her gaze looked aggressive.

The Old Lady didn't like being looked at like that, so her tone of voice became a little unpleasant as she replied, "Ye Sheng is the child of a concubine, so how could he stand with the direct descendants like Ye Qing and Ye Lin'er? His status is lowly, so he is not fit to stand before the Consort."

"Looks like the Old Lady is getting on in age, and you've forgotten everything. Ye Sheng is my younger brother. Before I left the manor, I taught the servants here and told you as well that you shall not look down on my Twelfth Brother because of who his mother was. It looks like you didn't remember any of what I said," said Consort Ye as she looked straight at the Old Lady with a cold and distant expression on her face.

The Old Lady started to panic on the inside from the way Consort Ye was staring at her. She didn't have to worry about her when she was still living in the manor, but now that she had become a consort to the emperor, her status was much higher, and the Old Lady really didn't dare to argue with her.

"Consort Ye has just arrived back home, so we shouldn't let her just keep standing at the door. Why don't you come in? I'll get someone to fetch Number Twelve immediately, it's no issue at all," said First Madam with a smile as she quickly tried to dispel the awkwardness.

"Indeed. The Old Lady seems to be getting on in age. So if she can't stand for too long, she should go back and rest. Otherwise, others will say that I'm putting on airs and made the Old Lady of the family stand for too long when I went back for a visit and ended up making her ill. That's not something I can be responsible for," said Consort Ye nonchalantly as she turned and walked right into the manor.

The Old Lady was so angry that she was trembling all over. She gripped her walking stick with the dragon's head on it and said, "I'm going back to the temple. I have come to receive you today, but because I'm not feeling well, I will not come to see you again."

Consort Ye froze for a moment, but she didn't turn back. She continued walking further into the manor and didn't try to make the Old Lady stay.

Everyone else exchanged glances and didn't even dare to breathe too loudly. Even the grandchildren who always threw their weight about and got into trouble in the manor like Ye Lin'er and Ye Qing had never seen the Old Lady this infuriated before either.

"Eldest Sister is really too domineering, isn't she?" mumbled Ye Qing. He was even more afraid of her now.

"Eldest Sister was too mean to Grandma. When Father finds out, he'll definitely scold her," remarked Ye Lin'er.

"These are matters between adults, you children shouldn't interfere. Ye Lin'er, go and call Ye Sheng over. Get him a set of new clothes while you're at it," said First Madam in a stern voice.

"Got it." Ye Lin'er nodded and obediently ran off to look for Ye Sheng.

...

Ye Sheng was looking at a stalk of fresh flowers in his little courtyard. His body was standing as straight as a long spear, and he gave off a stern sort of air.

He was facing the flowers, but his eyes weren't focused on anything. It was clear that he was thinking about his own situation.

The sound of the drums and cymbals could be heard from his courtyard, so Ye Sheng knew that Eldest Sister had already arrived in the house. He wasn't invited to go and receive her, so he wondered what she would do.

"According to the way she used to dote on me, she should immediately summon me. If that's the case, then I don't have to endure any of this anymore. I can use Eldest Sister to help me get out of this prison and break free from the shackles of Lord Ye. Once I'm out of this manor, I'll definitely soar to great heights," Ye Sheng started thinking quickly.

That was the best-case scenario. The only problem was that he didn't know if her concern for him had faded or if she had forgotten all about him after these three years had passed.

"Hey, Twelfth Brother! Hurry up and get into some clean clothes, then come with me to see Eldest Sister," Ye Lin'er's shout suddenly rang out at this juncture.

Ye Sheng looked up, and his eyes sparkled brightly. The only thing he had been worrying about was gone.

His Eldest Sister hadn't forgotten him, and time hadn't put any strain on their relationship either.