Only after being reborn did I realize that I was the white moonlight of a powerful minister.

Ye Wanning kept her head down as much as possible, thinking that she must not be recognized by Xie Bohuai. After getting into the carriage, she saw her second brother taking off his fake beard and thought that Xie Bohuai must have recognized her.

Now, her reputation with Xie Bohuai is even worse.

The moment Ye Mingyue's eyes met Xie Bohuai's, he knew he had been recognized. "Oh no, I have to tell Ziqian not to tell anyone."

Ye Wanning nodded in agreement, "It's fortunate that it's Lord Xie. He's busy with many things and isn't the kind of person who likes to meddle in other people's business, so he probably won't say anything out of line."

As she spoke, she grasped her second sister's hand and sighed, "Han Xu is not a good match. There are many good men in the world."

Ye Wanyu leaned sadly against her sister's chest. "If he likes men, why does he associate with me?" She didn't understand. Why not just devote herself to that Liu'er?

Ye Wanning could guess some of this. "Han Xu is of marriageable age. Didn't he say that his stepmother and father don't care about him? Rather than having any random woman in the family to manage him, it's better to find a suitable one ourselves. We should learn from this experience and investigate any men who approach us in the future."

"There won't be any men left, and I won't get married. I'll stay at home and be an old maid for the rest of my life. There isn't a single good man in the world." Ye Wanyu's heart was broken.

Ye Mingyue tried to ease the tension by saying, "You can't say that. My relationship with my older brother is still good. You can't condemn him outright. Who knows, you might meet someone more suitable someday?"

"What if it's someone like Zhou Yu or Han Xu? It's better not to marry at all!" Ye Wanyu was furious. Ye Wanning gave her second brother a look, and the two siblings stopped talking.

No one should say anything more about this. Jiang Si was informed by Ye Mingyue, but as for others, there's no need to specifically inform them; just pretend this never happened.

Two days later, Granny Jiang came to deliver an invitation, saying that three days later would be an auspicious day.

Jiang Si felt rushed, but Granny Jiang smiled and said, "No rush. The Princess's residence has everything. You are honored guests, so just go there."

The princess's residence has everything, but the Ye family can't be left unprepared.

New clothes and headdresses were made; from top to bottom, the Ye family's reputation had to be maintained.

Especially Ye Wanning's attire required extra attention. However, her clothes, sent by Granny Jiang, included six sets of clothes for each of the four seasons, and eight sets of headdresses and jewelry, each piece of which was rich and extravagant, and was made from tribute items.

When the second wife and her husband came over, Ye Xianrong kept praising Ye Wanning for her good fortune, saying, "Wanning is so lucky. When you become successful, you must not forget your family. Look how hard your elder brother works in the officialdom. We are all family. It is truly good when everyone is doing well."

Madam Li smiled and chimed in, "Yes, Wan Ning, I've always thought you were quite good. Among the sisters in the family, you're the most outstanding. Now it seems you really are capable. There have been quite a few people proposing marriage for you these days, but don't worry, once you go to the Princess's residence, with Princess Longyu as your adoptive mother, she will definitely find you a better match. I said before that with your beauty, you should have entered the palace, and now that you're at the Princess's residence, it's the same."

Ye Xianrong nodded vigorously, trying to get Ye Wanning's attention to their second branch of the family.

The couple kept talking non-stop until Old Madam Ye came out and told them to shut up, at which point they stopped smiling, at a loss for what to do.

“Mother, we are praising Wanning,” said Madam Li.

"Those who know you are praising us, but those who don't might think our Ye family is selling our daughter!" Old Madam Ye looked at the second couple with annoyance. "Others only see the benefits of Wan Ning climbing up to the Princess's mansion, but as her uncle and aunt, you can't just see the benefits and not think about how hard Wan Ning has worked, can you?"

Ye Xianrong didn't understand, "Princess Longyu has no children, and Wan Ning became her goddaughter, so how could it be difficult for her?"

In their view, this was something that had no downsides whatsoever.

"There are many difficulties!" Old Madam Ye tapped the ground with her cane. "Are you familiar with Princess Longyu? Do you know how many eyes are watching in the Princess's residence? Is it really that easy to make a living under the watchful eyes of those in power? Besides, given the current situation, would marrying into the royal family be a good thing?"

A series of questions left Mr. and Mrs. Ye speechless. Although they did not agree in their hearts, they could only say yes in front of the old lady.

"You only see their high status in public, but you don't know the hardships they endure behind the scenes. Xianrong, you've been an official for so many years, how come you haven't made any progress?" Old Madam Ye didn't want to blame her youngest son, but she was afraid he would cause trouble if she didn't say something. "The most important thing in a person's life is to know their own limitations and do what they are capable of. Otherwise, if you are not worthy of your position, you will be doomed sooner or later!"

Ye Xianrong was scolded by his mother in front of the younger generation, which made him feel embarrassed, but he didn't dare to leave in a huff. He left angrily after everyone had left.

Li was also quite resentful. "We came here with good intentions to congratulate them, so how did it become our fault? Look at the eldest son's family. Since the eldest brother passed away, their lives have become more and more unbearable. It's because they are incompetent and stubborn. Instead of seizing the opportunity, they are eager to push it away. I have never seen such people before."

"Keep your voice down!" We haven't even left the main room yet!

Li pouted, "They won't even let me speak, I'm so frustrated!"

Once inside the carriage, Li Xianrong insisted, "On the day of the family reunion, we still need to make an appearance in front of Princess Longyu. Even if Wan Ning is unwilling, she will help us make an introduction for the sake of the Ye family's reputation."

Having spent most of his life as a sixth-rank official, Ye Xianrong longed for a promotion. His son was also about to take the imperial examination, and if Princess Longyu were to help him, the Ye family's future would be very promising.

"Alright, I'll prepare well then. If we can win Princess Longyu's favor, we won't have to beg Wanning. Look at how much we've said today, but she didn't respond at all. She even said she was her niece. I think she's the one who only cares about the rich and powerful." Madam Li had many grievances against the eldest branch of the family, but thinking about the opportunity to live a life of wealth, she hoped that Ye Wanning would be alright.

At this moment, Ye Wanning was pulled into the inner room by Old Madam Ye, where only the grandmother and granddaughter were present.

“You’ve always been sensible and obedient since you were little, so Grandma doesn’t need to worry about you. Grandma also trusts your character and conduct.” Grandma Ye held her granddaughter’s hand, her voice choked with emotion. “Grandma just wants to tell you a few things: the good things in the wealthy circle are good if you can have them, but don’t force it if you can’t. You’re a good person, so don’t force yourself in anything. Our family doesn’t necessarily need to produce a particularly outstanding girl. If you really can’t make it, come back. Don’t be afraid of offending Princess Longyu. No matter what, she can’t kill us.”

Ye Wanning was moved to tears and nestled in her grandmother's arms, saying, "You still love me the most."

"If I don't love you, who will I love? You're the child I watched grow up." Old Madam Ye hugged her granddaughter and sighed softly.

Time flies, and the day before the family recognition ceremony arrived, Granny Jiang came to pick them up. Ye Wanning boarded the princess's carriage, feeling a deep sense of reluctance.