The elderly lady sat on her stool, stunned for a while, "Is this truly the case?"
"This matter was spoken by the Emperor’s head eunuch himself—there’s absolutely no falsehood in it," Ye Shaoming said.
It was only after some time that the elderly lady came back to her senses.
A shade of regret flashed across her face.
Being able to obtain the title of Number One Scholar at the mere age of fifteen, one could expect smooth sailing henceforth, not to mention that this grandson appeared to be smart as well.
If he could catch the Emperor’s eye at this age, a promising future was definitely expected.
Bringing honor to the family was merely a matter of time; Ye Shaoming looked capable, but indeed he was not as remarkable as Ye Shaohua, and moreover, Ye Shaoming was already nineteen this year. Even if he climbed higher in the future, it would not surpass what Ye Qingweng had achieved.
The elderly lady had placed all her hopes on this fourth grandson and hadn’t expected that he would somehow offend the Emperor in the end.
She would rather promise her princess to a runner-up than to choose the Number One Scholar as a son-in-law.
Upon reflecting, the elderly lady could not help but sigh. The greater the expectations, the greater the disappointment.
**
At this moment, Ye Shaohua was taking Aunt Mei to select a few pieces of jewelry.
The largest Xuange Jewelry Store in the Imperial City immediately treated Ye Shaohua with great respect upon her arrival.
Just as the owner was about to say something, Ye Shaohua sent him a glance, and he immediately changed his tune.
"Storekeeper, bring out your finest treasures for my mother to see," Ye Shaohua said while tapping a fan in her right hand against the palm of her left, "put it all on my account."
The storekeeper dared not say more and quickly signaled for precious items from the store to be brought to Ye Shaohua.
Aunt Mei, having seen such occasions for many years, wasn’t surprised by this anymore. Nonetheless, as someone past her prime, she didn’t have many demands. She just thought about how lovely the hairpins would look on Ye Shaohua’s head.
Most of the items she liked were accessories suitable for a young lady.
"Pack these up and later send them to the Ye Residence," Ye Shaohua said, noticing Aunt Mei hadn’t chosen anything for herself, and gestured with a wave of her hand.
Aunt Mei, annoyed, gave Ye Shaohua’s arm a twist, "Auntie doesn’t need anything; just because you have money doesn’t mean you should spend it like this..."
"Yes, yes, yes... I won’t dare do this again in the future," Ye Shaohua said, lifting her fan and swearing.
The jewelry store owner’s brow twitched at this scene.
He didn’t dare to look directly into Ye Shaohua’s face.
He thought to himself that indeed, every situation meets its match.
But after all, a woman is a woman, and once in the carriage, Aunt Mei was dazzled by the sight of all the beautiful jewelry and fabrics that Ye Shaohua had chosen.
From ancient times to the present, although civil officers had gone to war, Number One Scholars heading to battlegrounds were truly rare—this was the only case.
Before today, many had approached the Ye Family seeking Ye Shaohua’s hand in marriage, but after the Imperial Decree, those matchmakers never returned, indicating the direction of the winds in the Imperial City.
"Aunt Mei, the matter of your promotion to official wife is not urgent," Ye Family began when the elderly lady ceased to speak, "it can wait until the Young Master returns from the battleground."
Previously, because Ye Shaohua had become the Number One Scholar, the elderly lady and others felt that Aunt Mei’s status as a concubine was too low.
After discussing with Ye Qingweng, they decided to elevate Aunt Mei to the status of an official wife.
This would legitimize Ye Shaohua as a child born in wedlock.
But now, when Ye Family proposed delaying the matter of official wife, the elderly lady did not object.
Aunt Mei didn’t care at all about becoming an official wife; she was just staring blankly at the Elder Lady, terrified in her heart, "My... my child is going to war?"
"That’s how it is," the Elder Lady didn’t want to see Aunt Mei any longer and simply raised her hand, "Go back and pack his things."
After speaking, she gestured for Aunt Mei to leave.
All the way, Aunt Mei was distraught, clutching Ye Shaohua’s hand, her eyes red.
It didn’t matter that her child was a Number One Scholar; now her daughter was headed for the battleground... that was the battleground, where the slightest misstep could mean losing one’s life.
Ye Shaohua walked beside Aunt Mei, stroking her chin. Had she been... hiding too deeply?
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