Along the way, she noticed that the maids and matrons of the Lin Family seemed to be breathing with extra caution, their footsteps as light as a cat's.
Ren Yaoqi couldn't help but feel surprised. Had something happened in the Lin Family during her absence?
This question was answered when Ren Yaoqi visited Ren Shijia's courtyard and saw her.
Ren Shijia was delighted to see Ren Yaoqi returning to the residence today. She handed the child to a maid, pulled Ren Yaoqi to sit on the heated brick bed, and inquired warmly about her well-being. Ren Yaoqi also handed the gift list given by Rong Shi to Ren Shijia's matron.
"Has something happened in the residence?" Ren Yaoqi asked softly.
Ren Shijia seemed to be in a very good mood.
"My husband dealt with those people yesterday."
Ren Yaoqi was taken aback. "Which people?"
A hint of sarcasm appeared in Ren Shijia's smile. "Who else? It's those wicked servants who dared to harm my Cen'er. My husband found that kind of medicine in the room of a kitchen supervisor. Several matrons and maids were also implicated. Those people have already been beaten with boards by my husband and are about to be sold off."
Ren Yaoqi was somewhat surprised. Was Lin Kun already planning to break ties with the main branch of the Lin Family?
Just then, a commotion arose outside, mixed with a woman's crying.
Ren Shijia frowned slightly, her expression turning complex.
"Madam, please save your servant, Madam, I am wronged..." The woman's voice grew louder, as if someone was trying to drag her away.
The address "Madam" made Ren Yaoqi pause, and she couldn't help but look at Ren Shijia.
Ren Shijia sighed and finally said, "Let her in."
A moment later, a woman stumbled in and fell to her knees before Ren Shijia with a thud. "Madam, your servant is wronged..."
When she raised her tear-streaked face, Ren Yaoqi recognized her as Qingliu, the concubine maid Old Madam Ren had prepared for the son-in-law.
Qingliu's face was stained with dirty tear tracks, and her hair was somewhat disheveled. However, there were no visible injuries on her body, and her movements were agile, suggesting she hadn't been beaten with boards.
"Qingliu, it's not that I don't believe you. It's just that the wet nurse's food did pass through your hands during those days, and someone saw the kitchen supervisor slip you silver. The maids who committed the offense were also close to you. When they confessed, they implicated you as well. Because you are someone Mother gave me, my husband showed you mercy and spared you from punishment. But I can no longer keep you by my side. You should return to my mother."
"Madam, you also said that your servant is someone Old Madam Ren gave you. My entire family is in Old Madam Ren's hands. How could I possibly betray you? I am wronged."
Upon hearing this, Ren Shijia hesitated.
Qingliu continued, "It must be that those people, to confuse the masters, deliberately threw dirty water on our Ren Family. Madam, you must stand up for your servant."
Ren Yaoqi couldn't help but observe this maid, who was usually low-key, gentle, and compliant. Unexpectedly, at a critical moment, she was quite eloquent. She even dared to drag the Ren Family into this.
Elevating personal behavior to family behavior indeed made it difficult to act against her.
Ren Shijia sighed. "You may leave for now. Stop making a scene. I will discuss it with my husband before deciding."
But Qingliu refused to leave, sobbing incessantly.
Chunlan, Ren Shijia's head maid, sternly scolded her a few times, and finally managed to have her dragged away.Shijia sighed again, "She's from my mother's side, personally chosen by my mother to serve me. I really can't deal with her myself, so I can only send her back and let Mother handle it."
At that moment, someone outside reported that First Madam had arrived.
Ren Shijia frowned slightly.
Soon, Lin First Madam entered, her expression as dignified and amiable as ever.
"Oh, aunt and niece having a private chat? Am I interrupting?" Lin First Madam spoke in a way that was hard to dislike.
Ren Shijia gathered her spirits to deal with her.
Lin First Madam exchanged a few pleasantries with Ren Shijia, then smiled at Ren Yaoqi, "Good child, I need to have a few heartfelt words with your aunt. Would you mind giving us some privacy?" Her tone was somewhat teasing.
Ren Yaoqi took the opportunity to stand up, "Then I'll head back first." She had no intention of getting involved in the Lin Family's conflicts anyway.
Ren Shijia had originally wanted to keep Ren Yaoqi, but since Lin First Madam had spoken, she couldn't say anything. Remembering what Lin Kun had told her before leaving, she secretly bolstered her courage.
After leaving Ren Shijia's room, Ren Yaoqi returned to her own quarters. Noticing no movement from Ren Yaoyin's room next door, she couldn't help but ask, "Where's my fourth sister? Is she not in the residence?"
Xiangqin answered, "This servant inquired. It's said Fourth Miss went to the Yun Family."
Yaoqi raised an eyebrow, "Did she go alone?"
Xiangqin lowered her voice mysteriously, "I heard she sent a letter to Yun Family Eldest Miss, who then invited her over to discuss poetry."
Hearing this, Ren Yaoqi couldn't help but laugh. Her fourth sister really did have some skills.
"You just returned to the residence yourself, didn't you? Where did you get this information?" Ren Yaoqi asked while letting Pingguo help her change clothes.
Xiangqin smiled proudly, "This servant is the best maid among the young misses. Otherwise, Third Miss wouldn't have lent me to you, Fifth Miss."
Ren Yaoqi was both amused and exasperated, waving her away.
Whatever Lin First Madam said to Ren Shijia, by noon when Ren Yaoqi went to Ren Shijia's for lunch, Ren Shijia's complexion didn't look good. Ren Yaoqi didn't ask further and returned to her room after the meal.
In the afternoon, Zhu Ruoju suddenly arrived, bringing news that Old Woman Luo had suddenly passed away from illness.
Hearing this news, Ren Yaoqi was stunned for a long time.
"Wasn't she fine yesterday?"
Zhu Ruoju's eyes were slightly red, "She was originally fine, but this morning she looked very unwell, gasping for breath, unable to even speak. I went to fetch a doctor. The doctor said she was old and had neglected some minor health issues over the years. They accumulated over time and triggered a stubborn illness. He also said she was depressed and had lost the will to live. The doctor told us to prepare for the worst, but as soon as he left, she passed. My mother originally wanted to call Shui Ai back to see her off, but we didn't even get to see her one last time."
Ren Yaoqi hadn't brought Shui Ai back with her, instead leaving her temporarily in Treasure Vase Alley to have Chuchu teach her proper manners. Being at the Lin Family now, she couldn't suddenly bring a new maid back, planning to take her when returning to White Crane Town.
Ren Yaoqi couldn't help but wonder: if she hadn't insisted on bringing Old Woman Luo from the estate, would the old woman have lived longer?Ren Yaoqi knew that such matters should not be dwelled upon, or one could easily fall into obsession. So she forced herself not to think about it.
She had Pingguo take out thirty taels of silver for Zhu Ruoju to arrange Old Woman Luo’s burial, and sent two matrons over to assist. She also sent someone to Treasure Vase Alley to bring Shui Ai back. After Zhu Ruoju left, Ren Yaoqi lay down on the kang to read, spending the entire afternoon that way.
The next day, not long after Ren Yaoqi finished her morning meal, Xiao Jinglin sent someone to fetch her to the mansion.
The Yanbei Prince’s Mansion was located in the center of Yunyang City, facing south with its back to the north. It had four main gates—east, west, south, and north—plus eight auxiliary gates, covering over five hundred mu of land. Most of its buildings were distributed along three central axes—left, middle, and right—appearing grand and majestic from a distance.
Although the Yanbei Prince’s Mansion was not as large as the imperial palace in the capital, it was built according to the palace’s regulations, also divided into front and rear halls.
Ren Yaoqi entered in a carriage from the Yanbei Prince’s Mansion, so she encountered no obstructions along the way. It was difficult to observe much from inside the carriage, but when she alighted, she glanced around casually and noticed that their destination was near the western axis of the mansion.
The buildings of the Yanbei Prince’s Mansion rarely used golden bricks, white marble, or glazed tiles; instead, they mostly employed large slabs of dark bluestone, giving them a somber color palette. While not exquisitely beautiful, they exuded an aura of dominance and weathered history.
Xiao Jinglin’s residence was located in Yanju Courtyard on the western side of the mansion. The name sounded lovely, but the courtyard itself was rather unremarkable. However, the courtyard was exceptionally large, with no flowers or plants planted—only two aged phoenix trees.
When Ren Yaoqi entered, Xiao Jinglin was waiting for her in the courtyard, holding a long spear in her hand. Her expression was calm, and there was no sweat on her face, so Ren Yaoqi couldn’t tell whether she had just finished practicing or was about to begin.
Seeing Ren Yaoqi approach, Xiao Jinglin’s eyes flickered. Then, to everyone’s surprise, she raised her spear and suddenly lunged toward Ren Yaoqi, the spearhead aimed directly at Ren Yaoqi’s face.
Pingguo, the maid walking beside Ren Yaoqi, was startled and cried out, trying to shield Ren Yaoqi. But Xiao Jinglin deftly dodged and pushed her aside, using a clever force to send her stumbling several steps away. The spear continued its path toward Ren Yaoqi.
Throughout this, Ren Yaoqi had been watching Xiao Jinglin with a smile. Even when the spearhead stopped right at the tip of her nose, Ren Yaoqi didn’t even blink.
Before withdrawing her spear, Xiao Jinglin laughed first: “Impressive courage.”
Ren Yaoqi shook her head, watching as Xiao Jinglin moved the spearhead away. “I was startled at first, but I knew I couldn’t dodge it, so I simply didn’t try.”
Xiao Jinglin tossed the spear to her own maid, then glanced at Pingguo and praised, rare for her: “Not a bad maid, just a bit foolish.” This was undoubtedly a compliment.
Pingguo wiped the cold sweat from her forehead, bowed to Xiao Jinglin, and retreated behind Ren Yaoqi.
“I’ll take you to see my mother,” Xiao Jinglin said, taking Ren Yaoqi’s hand and pulling her to leave.
“Jinglin, aren’t you going to change your clothes?” Ren Yaoqi asked, looking at the men’s attire she wore for ease of martial practice.
Xiao Jinglin glanced down at herself, thought for a moment, then pulled Ren Yaoqi back toward her room. “Then I’ll change,” she said, her tone clearly reluctant.
Aside from the plaque hanging in the center inscribed with “Virtuous, Gentle, and Harmonious,” Xiao Jinglin’s boudoir bore no resemblance to a young lady’s chamber. Its furnishings were starkly simple to an extreme.Xiao Jinglin quickly changed her clothes and then pulled Ren Yaoqi along. "The music teacher is at my mother's place. Didn't you bring your qin?" Xiao Jinglin noticed Ren Yaoqi's maid was empty-handed.
Ren Yaoqi shook her head. "My qin is at home. It's fine, I'll just watch you practice."
Xiao Jinglin frowned. "That won't do. Hongying, go find a qin quickly. Go to Second Brother's place, he's sure to have one."
The Princess Consort's residence was not too far from Yanju Courtyard, located at Jiuyang Hall on the central axis of the prince's mansion. This was the residence of successive Princes of Yanbei and their principal consorts. It still had little to do with opulence, though there were quite a few trees in the hall, set against dark bluestone bricks, creating a uniquely simple and elegant atmosphere.
The Princess Consort of Yanbei was sitting in the hall speaking with someone. Before entering, Xiao Jinglin let go of Ren Yaoqi's hand to avoid being seen holding hands.
The Princess Consort of Yanbei was very beautiful. When Ren Yaoqi first saw Yun Qiuchen, she thought the Yun Family Eldest Miss was indeed stunningly beautiful, but compared to her aunt, the Princess Consort of Yanbei, Yun Qiuchen still fell somewhat short. Xiao Jingxi bore some resemblance to the Princess Consort of Yanbei.
Ren Yaoqi stepped forward to pay her respects to the Princess Consort of Yanbei, who smiled gently and bade her rise.
"Is this the Ren Family's Fifth Miss? I often hear Jinglin mention you."
Xiao Jinglin seemed to restrain her temperament somewhat in front of the Princess Consort, her voice lowering a few degrees. "I asked Yaoqi to come practice the qin with me."
The Princess Consort nodded, pointing to the middle-aged woman she had been speaking with earlier. "Then study well with Teacher Zou."
Just then, an elderly maidservant came in to report that the Old Princess Consort had summoned the Princess Consort for a talk. The Princess Consort gave Xiao Jinglin a few instructions, then went inside to change clothes and leave.
The Teacher Zou mentioned by the Princess Consort was a qin master. Her appearance was quite ordinary, even somewhat plump, but her reputation was illustrious. Ren Yaoqi had also heard of her.
"Commandery Princess, Miss Ren, shall we begin?" Though Teacher Zou was round and plump, her speech was rigid and precise—no wonder Xiao Jinglin found her dull.
Xiao Jinglin and Ren Yaoqi followed Teacher Zou to the adjacent side hall. In the center of the room, two qins were placed opposite each other on low tables.
Xiao Jinglin had someone bring another small table, and the three sat in a "U" shape. Soon after, Hongying, who had gone to borrow a qin, returned, indeed carrying one in her arms, which she carefully placed on Ren Yaoqi's table.
"Huh? Why did you bring Second Brother's 'Dashengyiyin'?" Xiao Jinglin exclaimed in surprise.
Hongying replied, "The Second Young Master told me to bring it."
Xiao Jinglin looked at the qin, slowly blinked, and then said nothing more.
Ren Yaoqi had studied the qin and naturally knew of "Dashengyiyin." She couldn't help but take a few more glances, wondering if it was inappropriate for her to borrow such a priceless, famous qin just to accompany Xiao Jinglin's practice. But when she looked up and saw both Xiao Jinglin and Teacher Zou seriously tuning their strings, she swallowed her words of refusal.
Teacher Zou first explained a technique in detail, then had the two practice.
It must be said, Xiao Jinglin's qin playing was truly... unique.
Just as she could make the tranquil and beautiful "Wild Geese Alighting on the Sandbank" sound like the pipa piece "Ambush from Ten Sides," so full of murderous intensity that it was hard to withstand, Ren Yaoqi's fingers couldn't help but slip.
In the end, Teacher Zou praised with great composure, "Very good. Today, you only made eight mistakes."Xiao Jinglin looked up and smiled at Ren Yaoqi, with a hint of smugness.
Ren Yaoqi: "..."
Ren Yaoqi felt that when Xiao Jinglin had said this teacher was strict, she must have misunderstood him.
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