As soon as the words left Ren Yaoqi’s mouth, she herself froze.
She had almost forgotten what she was like in her previous life, but in this life, her temperament could hardly be described as impulsive or impatient.
Xiao Jingxi was clearly a dangerous figure, and even though there was no conflict between them now, what would happen in the future was still hard to say. So why had she so impulsively blurted out such a thoughtless remark in front of him?
Xiao Jingxi was also stunned.
The two of them stared blankly at each other, neither speaking.
“Ahem.” Xiao Jinglin cleared her throat softly, glanced at the two of them, and once they regained their composure, she turned her attention back to the competition outside as if completely unaffected by the earlier atmosphere.
Ren Yaoqi was annoyed, while Xiao Jingxi felt somewhat conflicted.
Both lost in their own thoughts, even after regaining their composure, they remained silent for a moment.
“To use or not to use depends on whether they are useful or not.” After a long silence, just as Ren Yaoqi thought Xiao Jingxi would no longer wish to continue the topic, he suddenly spoke.
Ren Yaoqi turned Xiao Jingxi’s tongue-twister-like words over in her mind and suddenly felt as though the clouds had parted to reveal the moon.
She had always thought that the Yanbei Prince’s Mansion intended to use the Han Family. Now, with the emergence of the Lei Family, whose strength and momentum were no less than the Han Family’s, and whose head was very young, completely free from the decline and stagnation typical of other established families, she recalled Xiao Jingxi’s words. The Yanbei Prince’s Mansion likely had more than one option in the background. Families like the Han and Lei Families were not the only ones; it was just that, in the end, only the Han and Lei Families stood out. The other families in the background then shifted to covert roles.
But two tigers cannot share one mountain. In the end, the Yanbei Prince’s Mansion would have to choose between the Han and Lei Families, and the one that emerged victorious would truly become the blade in the hands of the Yanbei Prince’s Mansion.
This could explain why Ren Yaoqi had no impression of the Lei Family in her previous life. In that life, it was likely that in the final confrontation between the Lei and Han Families, the Lei Family had barely surfaced before suffering defeat, leaving only the Han Family to have the last laugh.
“Will the Yanbei Prince’s Mansion not intervene?” Ren Yaoqi asked, looking at Xiao Jingxi.
She was asking whether, in the confrontation between the Han and Lei Families, the Yanbei Prince’s Mansion would not intervene. Though her question was vague, she believed Xiao Jingxi would understand.
Sure enough, Xiao Jingxi understood. Not only did he understand, but he also suppressed his surprise.
Ren Yaoqi’s intelligence, keen insight, and ability to draw inferences were not something he was witnessing for the first time today. To show surprise now would make him seem overly astonished.
Although such matters should not be revealed by him, for some reason, Xiao Jingxi felt no regret at all.
“No.” He took a sip of tea and replied decisively.
The expected answer.
Ren Yaoqi couldn’t help but sigh.
Xiao Jingxi, however, smiled and glanced at Ren Yaoqi. “The Lei Family may not necessarily lose.”
He naturally knew that Ren Yaoqi did not want the Yanbei Prince’s Mansion to ultimately choose the Han Family. So, between the Han Family and the newly emerged Lei Family, Ren Yaoqi hoped the Lei Family would prevail.
Ren Yaoqi couldn’t help but smile bitterly, because she knew the Lei Family would definitely lose, and they would be utterly defeated even before the two families truly confronted each other.At that moment, cheers erupted from both the river surface and the riverbank, accompanied by thunderous drumbeats.
It seemed the first round had already concluded.
"Second place goes to the Yun Family, third to the Su Family," Xiao Jinglin reported the results on her own, regardless of whether the other two were paying attention.
She didn’t mention which family took first place, because everyone knew it would undoubtedly be the Yanbei Prince's Mansion.
However, this was only the first round. Eight of the sixteen competing dragon boats would advance to the next round, where four would be selected from the remaining eight.
For the second round, it wasn’t the Prince of Yanbei who struck the gong, but the elderly head of the Su Family. Since the reconstruction of Yanbei, the Su Family had revived the dragon boat races, so in previous years, the second gong had also been struck by a member of the Su Family.
Outside, the excitement continued unabated, but Ren Yaoqi remained indifferent. Amidst the clamor and festivities, she softly asked, "Is this Lei Family truly that Lei Family?"
Her voice was so faint it was almost drowned out by the cheers and drumbeats outside, yet Xiao Jingxi heard it clearly.
Though he had resolved not to be surprised by Ren Yaoqi, he couldn’t help but feel increasingly astonished each time. His gaze toward her grew complex, and even Xiao Jinglin, who had been staring out the window, turned to glance at her.
"What makes you say that?" Xiao Jingxi asked.
"I guessed," Ren Yaoqi replied candidly, looking directly at him.
She truly had guessed, with no evidence to support her claim.
The Lei Family had rapidly accumulated wealth over the past decade or so, and this undoubtedly owed much to the support of the Yanbei Prince's Mansion, much like the Han Family. However, in her earlier conversation with her grandmother, Rong Shi, Ren Yaoqi sensed that the Lei Family differed from the Han Family. Although the Lei Family also owned numerous shops, they maintained the habits of an ancient aristocratic family. The masters of the Lei Family were not as "diligent" as those of the Han Family—they did not personally manage shops or farmlands, even though the head of the Lei Family appeared to be a highly capable individual. Perhaps he made decisions behind the scenes, but on the surface, it was the stewards who handled affairs.
Ren Yaoqi would wager that both brothers of the Lei Family were proficient in the so-called "Six Arts of the Gentleman," even though such skills were largely impractical.
The impression the Lei Family gave her was that they wanted to make full use of their reputation as an ancient aristocratic family. Given the Lei Family’s historical standing, it was only a matter of time before they replaced the Yun Family as Yanbei’s foremost aristocratic clan.
To strike a snake, one must hit its vital spot. Although Ren Yaoqi was not particularly familiar with the Han Family, she knew how they dealt with their rivals.
Thus, for the Han Family to easily eliminate the threat posed by the Lei Family, they would have to render the Lei Family "illegitimate and unjustified."
"Unfortunately, this Lei Family is indeed that Lei Family," Xiao Jingxi said slowly, his tone ambiguous.
Ren Yaoqi couldn’t help but frown upon hearing this.
Had she guessed wrong?
"However... you’re not entirely wrong either," Xiao Jingxi continued leisurely, his face once again wearing his composed and gentle smile. Yet this smile made Ren Yaoqi want to punch him and wipe it off.
Though Ren Yaoqi’s expression remained gentle and serene, Xiao Jingxi seemed to hear the sound of her gritting her teeth. For some reason, this brought him a sense of satisfaction and delight, and the smile at the corner of his lips took on a teasing edge.
However, Xiao Jingxi’s inexplicable smugness did not last long, as Xiao Jinglin suddenly interjected, "Lei Ting’s grandmother was merely a concubine."Xiao Jinglin's gaze remained fixed outside, presenting only the back of her head to the two, her tone as calm as ever.
As if she had merely remarked, "The wind on the river is too strong." She showed no sign of having said anything extraordinary, nor did she seem the least bit uncomfortable about undermining her brother.
Xiao Jingxi's smile froze on his face.
Ren Yaoqi slowly blinked, turning to look at Xiao Jinglin, who had calmly revealed the truth without so much as a backward glance, then glanced at Xiao Jingxi before letting out an ill-timed chuckle.
Then, to her surprise, she noticed that the ethereal, aloof, and elegantly refined Second Young Master Xiao was gradually flushing with a faint blush from the tips of his ears.
Ren Yaoqi's smile also froze in place.
At this moment, Second Young Master Xiao wore his usual composed expression on his exquisitely handsome face, but it was tinged with a layer of pink, creating an oddly incongruous sight.
Ren Yaoqi gave a light cough and lowered her head, carefully examining the teacup beside her as if a flower had suddenly bloomed on it.
Avoiding Xiao Jingxi, she tried hard to keep a straight face and focused her thoughts on the matter of the Lei Family, hoping to help Second Young Master Xiao cover up his embarrassment.
She truly did not want to provoke him.
Xiao Jinglin had said that the grandmother of the Lei Family head was merely an illegitimate concubine.
The more prestigious and established a family, the more emphasis they placed on bloodline continuity, and the less they could tolerate any confusion in lineage. Thus, truly distinguished families generally did not acknowledge children born to concubines outside the household, as their bloodline could not be verified.
Moreover, deeply rooted families were usually large and prosperous, with numerous descendants, so they had no shortage of one or two heirs of dubious origin. Even if a particular branch truly lacked heirs, there was still the clan to rely on. In such cases, clan descendants were far more reliable than illegitimate offspring of unknown origin.
The scandal that had occurred in the Ren Family only exposed their shallow foundations, and speaking of it would invite ridicule.
Even if the father of the Lei Family head had been a concubine-born son of a maid, he would still have been a legitimate heir of the Lei Family's main line, as he was born within the Inner Gate. Unfortunately, he was born to an illegitimate concubine.
Now Ren Yaoqi understood how the Lei Family had fallen into ruin.
And while the Yanbei Prince's Mansion was well aware of the Lei Family's background, Xiao Jingxi had also said that the Yanbei Prince's Mansion would not intervene.
On the river, the clamor of gongs and drums continued, and judging by the commotion, the second round was about to end. The three on the boat each looked elsewhere, none speaking.
Just as the Yanbei Prince's Mansion's dragon boat reached the finish line and the second boat was about to cross, an unexpected turn of events occurred.
Ren Yaoqi felt a sudden, earth-shaking roar, and the water surface erupted into a curtain of spray several zhang high, blurring her vision.
Then a mist of water swept over them. Ren Yaoqi had no time to notice whether she felt cold, as the large boat she was on began to sway violently.
All the furnishings on the boat tilted to one side. Ren Yaoqi felt as if she were about to be thrown overboard and couldn't help but cry out in alarm. Then, a strong arm wrapped around her waist, steadying her. However, there was only a low table with tea and snacks in front of them, which was not fixed to the boat, leaving nothing to hold onto for stability. So, Ren Yaoqi fell to the floor along with the person holding her.The tea and pastries on the low table came crashing down all at once. Ren Yaoqi instinctively closed her eyes, but she felt that none of it had landed on her. When she opened her eyes, she met a pair of deep, serene eyes as dark as polished lacquer.
I still couldn’t resist staying up late…
Finally, things are about to progress…^^~
***(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, welcome to Qidian () to cast your recommendation votes and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
OpenNovel