Gold and Silver

She pointed to a piece of celestial silk and said, "This one will do."

It was a lotus-blue fabric, a color most young ladies of the inner chambers would avoid. Lotus-blue was notoriously difficult to wear; it tended to make ordinary girls look older than they were. Without an innate air of nobility, the color could easily overwhelm the wearer, making them appear dull and unattractive.

Chen Ruoqiu's eyes flickered slightly as she smiled and said, "Why did Lily choose such a dark color? Young girls should wear bright and cheerful colors, like your two sisters. This deep shade might make you look too mature."

"Indeed," Ren Wanyun chimed in. Though she enjoyed seeing the eldest branch of the Ye family embarrass themselves, this lotus-blue was simply too outlandish. If outsiders saw it, they might think the Ye family's daughters were all old-fashioned and dull. Cindy was planning to shine at the upcoming Chrysanthemum Banquet, and she couldn't afford to be overshadowed by Lily's poor fashion choices.

Cindy and Amy, however, were secretly delighted. Cindy said with a sly smile, "I think the lotus-blue is quite nice. Lily hasn't worn such a deep color before, has she? It's good to try something new. I've heard this color exudes a certain elegance."

"If I hadn't already picked my fabric, I would've tried the lotus-blue too," Amy added with a sweet smile.

Liniang, the seamstress, glanced at the two seemingly kind-hearted Ye sisters and then at Lily, who remained calm and composed. She sighed inwardly. Everyone in the capital knew that Ye Xin's daughter, Ye Lily, was naive and foolish. But who would have guessed that her seemingly gentle and virtuous cousins could be so malicious, constantly scheming to make her look bad?

She felt a pang of sympathy for Lily. While Ye Xin was out defending the nation, his own daughter was being bullied by her relatives at home. It was truly pitiful. Thinking this, Liniang gently suggested, "The lotus-blue is indeed quite heavy. For the Chrysanthemum Banquet, perhaps a lighter color would be more suitable. How about this jade-white fabric?"

Lily glanced at Liniang. She was one of the few honest people in the household. In her past life, Liniang had also tried to warn her, but back then, Lily had blindly trusted her cousins and aunt, ignoring the advice. This time, however, Lily smiled politely and declined, "No need. I like this lotus-blue fabric."

Her response made Cindy and Amy breathe a sigh of relief. Amy smiled and said, "Lily has such good taste. In that case, Liniang, please take our measurements."

Liniang sighed inwardly but didn't press further. She proceeded to measure the young ladies for their new dresses.

Throughout the entire exchange, the Ye matriarch, Old Lady Ye, reclined on her couch with her eyes closed, pretending to be asleep. When it came to matters involving money, she always preferred to feign ignorance. Today's fabrics and tailoring expenses were to be covered by the family's public funds, which were managed by Ren Wanyun.

After the measurements were taken and Liniang had left, Ren Wanyun smiled and said, "The girls are all grown up now. When the Ye family's daughters go out, they mustn't be looked down upon. I've had some jewelry made for each of you, which you can wear at the Chrysanthemum Banquet." She gestured to her maid, Xianglan, who brought out several boxes. One was given to Cindy, and another to Lily.

Lily's box was noticeably heavier. Ren Wanyun looked at her with a particularly affectionate expression and said, "Auntie noticed you've been busy preparing for the Guangwen Academy exams, so I picked these out for you while I was at the jewelry store. They're all the latest styles, and I hope you'll like them."

From her high seat, Old Lady Ye's brow furrowed slightly, as if she wanted to open her eyes, but after a moment's hesitation, she continued her feigned slumber.

"Thank you, Auntie," Lily replied politely. Cindy and Amy had been able to choose their own jewelry styles, but Lily had been left out, with the excuse that they didn't want to disturb her studies. Now, she was stuck with a pre-selected set that she couldn't exchange.

"Let's go back and take a look," Amy said, pulling Chen Ruoqiu along and winking at Lily. "I'm sure Lily's jewelry is the most extravagant."

Lily smiled faintly but said nothing.

Back in her courtyard, Lily tossed the box aside without opening it. Jingzhe, her maid, was puzzled. "Aren't you going to take a look, Miss?"

"What's there to see? It's all the same," Lily replied without turning her head.

Jingzhe hesitated. In the past, Lily had always been thrilled with the jewelry from the second and third branches of the family, even though it was clear to everyone, even the servants, that the pieces were gaudy and tasteless. Lily had been raised by her aunts to have a flashy, materialistic personality, obsessed with gaudy gold and silver.

After a moment, Lily reached over and opened the box.

As soon as the lid was lifted, a blinding golden glare greeted her. Inside were gold and silver bracelets, necklaces, and hairpins, some adorned with large but poorly cut rubies.

Jingzhe couldn't hide her anger.

Lily almost laughed. Before her marriage, all her jewelry had been like this—golden hairpins and silver necklaces that even country girls wouldn't wear. Whenever she dressed in bright colors and adorned herself with these gaudy accessories, she looked like a walking jewelry box. Compared to the elegant Amy and the poised Cindy, she had always seemed like a lowly servant.

Now, seeing these items again, Lily found them utterly ridiculous. Jingzhe watched her mistress carefully, surprised that Lily didn't show the usual excitement. Just as she was about to speak, Lily closed the box and handed it to Jingzhe. "Take this to the pawnshop and sell it. Use the money to buy a simple silver hairpin, nothing too fancy, just something with a floral design."

"Miss…" Jingzhe was shocked. "If the people from the east courtyard find out, they'll surely use it against you." Though she was glad Lily no longer had a taste for such gaudy jewelry, this was a bold move.

"These pieces are unwearable. What's the point of keeping them? It's better to turn them into real money, which will be useful for daily expenses," Lily replied calmly. Practicality was a lesson she had learned well during her time as an empress. The Ye family provided a monthly allowance of two taels of silver for each daughter, but how much extra did Amy and Cindy receive from their own mothers? Lily didn't know, but one thing was certain: she didn't get any extra.

Despite being the daughter of a general, she had always been less well-off than her cousins. She used to think it was because her aunts were generous with their own daughters, but now she knew better.

The family's public funds were managed by Ren Wanyun, but Ye Gui and Ye Wan, who held official positions, often had to spend their own salaries on bribes and networking. They had little left to spare.

Meanwhile, Ye Xin, who had risked his life on the battlefield, received generous rewards from the emperor, all of which he dutifully contributed to the family's public funds.

To think that they used her family's money to treat her like this—such shamelessness could only come from Old Lady Ye and her ilk.

She would have to find a way to separate from the family.