Compared to Xiao Jinglin's ear-piercing performance, Ren Yaoqi's musical skill was naturally beyond comparison.
Since childhood, she had been personally instructed by her father. Third Master Ren was a talented scholar proficient in all refined arts—qin, chess, calligraphy, and painting—so her foundation was far more solid than that of ordinary people. Later, she spent ten years by the side of the exceptionally gifted Mr. Pei, receiving constant guidance, and never neglected these elegant pursuits.
After Ren Yaoqi played a piece, Mr. Zou couldn't help but praise, "Miss Ren's qin skills are truly remarkable."
Although Mr. Zou's earlier praise for Xiao Jinglin made Ren Yaoqi feel that this teacher's standards were not particularly high, she still responded with humility.
However, Mr. Zou had immersed himself in this art for most of his life and possessed genuine expertise. He patiently offered a few pointers, which Ren Yaoqi found greatly beneficial.
Ren Yaoqi knew who the main focus of the day was, so after playing just one piece, she refrained from playing further and dedicated herself to being a practice companion.
With Ren Yaoqi accompanying her, Xiao Jinglin began to feel that learning the qin wasn't so unbearable after all.
She had always preferred wielding swords and spears, knew nothing about refined arts, and had never liked them.
However, her second brother once said to her, "Since you intend to befriend Miss Ren, it's necessary to cultivate some shared interests. Otherwise, when you sit together, won't you find yourselves with little to talk about? Over time, such a friendship would be difficult to sustain."
Xiao Jinglin thought it over and felt that Xiao Jingxi made a valid point, so she truly resolved to learn one or two things. She didn't aim for mastery, only to avoid being completely lost when discussing such matters with friends.
Nanny Xin, the most capable attendant by the Princess Consort of Yanbei's side, once said with emotion to the Princess Consort, "Second Young Master is truly remarkable. You asked him to persuade the Commandery Princess, and who would have thought she would actually listen?"
Fortunately, Xiao Jinglin never heard these words. Otherwise, the siblings would have had another dispute.
The two practiced for most of the day. When the Princess Consort of Yanbei returned and saw Xiao Jinglin's earnest attitude toward learning, she was very pleased and treated Ren Yaoqi with great gentleness.
However, Ren Yaoqi noticed that the Princess Consort seemed somewhat weary. Recalling that she had just come from the Old Princess Consort's quarters and thinking of the discord between the Old Princess Consort and the Prince of Yanbei's line, Ren Yaoqi couldn't help but ponder thoughtfully.
Later, someone came to request an audience with the Princess Consort, so she went to the main hall to receive them, leaving Xiao Jinglin and Ren Yaoqi to continue practicing in the side hall.
"Which piece does the Commandery Princess intend to play at the Thousand Gold Banquet?" Mr. Zou asked.
Xiao Jinglin glanced at Mr. Zou, then looked at Ren Yaoqi. "What do you think, Yaoqi?"
Ren Yaoqi thought for a moment. "Which piece has the Commandery Princess practiced most proficiently?" Although their acquaintance wasn't particularly long, Ren Yaoqi had some understanding of Xiao Jinglin and knew she likely didn't have many options to choose from.
"I can only finish playing the one I just practiced," Xiao Jinglin blinked, then added after a pause.
Then why ask me! Ren Yaoqi was speechless.
Mr. Zou calmly interjected, "The Commandery Princess may choose a piece she likes and practice it diligently in the coming days."
Xiao Jinglin frowned, somewhat annoyed by the trouble. "Then let it be 'Wild Geese Alighting on the Sandbar.' I only learned it because I thought it sounded nice when I heard you play it last time, and I've practiced it for quite a while now."
Mr. Zou glanced at Xiao Jinglin but said nothing. However, Ren Yaoqi detected a hint of helplessness and reluctance in his eyes.Recalling Xiao Jinglin's skill at the qin... Ren Yaoqi understood that Mr. Zou was tactfully reminding Xiao Jinglin that this piece was too difficult for her, hoping she would choose a simpler one to avoid falling short of expectations.
Once again, Ren Yaoqi felt that Xiao Jinglin’s complaint about Mr. Zou being too rigid and strict was unfair.
After a moment’s thought, Ren Yaoqi raised her hand and plucked the strings. A series of deep, resonant notes from the guqin flowed from her fingertips, instantly capturing Xiao Jinglin’s attention. She listened intently for a while, and only after Ren Yaoqi stopped did she ask curiously, “This one sounds lovely. What’s it called?”
“Moon Over the Pass. Would the Commandery Princess like to learn it?” Ren Yaoqi looked at her with a gentle smile.
Xiao Jinglin, gazing at Ren Yaoqi’s serene and tender expression, nodded. “Yes, let’s go with this one.”
Mr. Zou gave Ren Yaoqi a thoughtful look and mused, “This piece truly suits the Commandery Princess.”
Ren Yaoqi smiled and proceeded to play the piece in its entirety.
She had noticed earlier that Xiao Jinglin’s fingers were quite nimble, though her technique was unpolished and she often rushed the tempo. The piece she had chosen happened to have a faster rhythm but didn’t require advanced techniques, making it ideal for someone with dexterous fingers.
Mr. Zou then began to explain in detail how to play the piece, and fortunately, Xiao Jinglin listened attentively.
After trying a short passage, Xiao Jinglin nodded. “Yes, this is simpler than the previous one.” A spark of interest in playing flickered in her eyes.
When Xiao Jinglin rubbed her fingers and wrists, Mr. Zou, ever considerate, said, “Let’s stop here for today. The Commandery Princess has made good progress. We’ll continue practicing tomorrow.”
Xiao Jinglin nodded in agreement.
After seeing Mr. Zou off, Xiao Jinglin invited Ren Yaoqi for a stroll outside. “It’s your first time here. Let me show you around so you won’t get lost when you come to visit me later.”
Ren Yaoqi followed Xiao Jinglin out of the side hall. As they passed the main hall, she glanced casually in that direction and was momentarily taken aback when she spotted two women waiting under the corridor to be received by the Princess Consort of Yanbei.
Noticing Ren Yaoqi had stopped, Xiao Jinglin asked curiously, “What’s wrong?”
Ren Yaoqi shook her head with a smile. “It’s nothing. I just saw someone familiar.”
Xiao Jinglin also looked toward the main hall and then turned to her maid, Hongying.
Hongying stepped forward and whispered, “They’re likely the family members of some official. Many female relatives of officials have been coming to pay their respects to the Princess Consort lately. Those waiting outside are probably of lower rank. Oh? They’ve gone in?”
Nanny Xin, who served the Princess Consort, emerged and led the two women waiting at the entrance into the main hall.
Many female relatives came daily to pay their respects to the Princess Consort, but she didn’t receive everyone. Usually, she would summon one or two, while the others waited outside, hoping for a brief word from her.
The person Ren Yaoqi had just seen was Concubine Fang’s sister-in-law, Madam Liu, the wife of Fang Yacun.
Madam Liu had been staying at the Ren Family’s villa these days. Ren Yaoqi had arranged for someone to keep an eye on her, knowing that Madam Liu had been quite active since arriving in Yunyang City, busily making social calls and running errands. However, Ren Yaoqi had been preoccupied with matters concerning the Lei and Han families and hadn’t had time to pay her much attention.
Unexpectedly, she had run into her today.This Madam Liu truly has some capability, actually managing to find connections to come to the Yanbei Prince's Mansion and even successfully meeting the Princess Consort of Yanbei.
Concubine Fang's greatest backers are the Fang family and Fang Yacun. From Ren Yaoqi's perspective, Fang Yacun's flourishing official career truly isn't a good thing for her.
Because she was thinking about Madam Liu's matter, Ren Yaoqi was somewhat absent-minded while following Xiao Jinglin on a leisurely stroll. However, she could finally get a general idea of the Yanbei Prince's Mansion. Xiao Jinglin and the other female family members all lived in the west side of the mansion, while Xiao Jingxi and the others lived in the east side, which made Ren Yaoqi think of the Eastern Palace and Western Palace.
When they returned to the Jiuyang Hall, Ren Yaoqi accompanied Xiao Jinglin for a while longer and discussed qin music with her. One spoke while the other listened attentively, which was quite suitable. Xiao Jinglin couldn't help but feel that her second brother's words were correct.
Now she felt that she indeed had one more common topic with Ren Yaoqi. The reason she said "one more" was because Xiao Jinglin felt they already had one shared interest—eating.
The Commandery Princess believed that everyone needs to eat. She herself was someone who loved eating, so since Ren Yaoqi also had to eat, this common topic was unavoidable. This was also why she repeatedly sought Ren Yaoqi out for meals.
Although she couldn't be considered particularly refined, she wasn't foolish either—she had this basic understanding of social interactions.
When Ren Yaoqi felt it was about time, she proposed returning home, remembering the qin Xiao Jingxi had lent her: "Please help me thank Second Young Master. I'll trouble you to have someone send the qin back for me."
"Aren't you coming tomorrow to accompany me in practicing the qin? Just leave it here for now. It won't get lost anyway. I'll mention it to Second Brother when I see him," Xiao Jinglin said indifferently.
At this moment, the Princess Consort returned and didn't forget to come ask Xiao Jinglin how her qin practice was going, also asking Ren Yaoqi a few questions in passing.
Ren Yaoqi couldn't leave immediately now.
"Mother, it seems many ladies and madams have been visiting the mansion recently? The mansion has become much livelier," Xiao Jinglin asked.
The Princess Consort smiled gently: "Aren't you the one who finds these matters most bothersome? Why are you asking about it today?" After thinking for a moment, she still said, "Some of them have come from other prefectures, and some from Jiangnan. They might stay in Yanbei in the future."
Yanbei recently had several lucrative official vacancies, and this year happened to be an official rotation period, so many people had been coming to the Yanbei Prince's Mansion to make connections.
Although women didn't handle official affairs, given the Princess Consort's status, there were many occasions requiring her to entertain guests.
Xiao Jinglin turned to ask Ren Yaoqi: "Does your family have relatives in Jiangnan and other prefectures? Do you recognize that lady from earlier?"
The Princess Consort raised an eyebrow and looked at Ren Yaoqi.
Ren Yaoqi smiled slightly: "From a distance earlier, one of the ladies waiting outside seemed to be a relative from my grandmother's maternal family. My grandmother's elder sister married into Jiangnan."
The Princess Consort thought for a moment while holding her teacup: "Madam Zhou or Madam Fang?"
"Madam Fang," Ren Yaoqi replied.
The Princess Consort glanced at Ren Yaoqi and smiled: "Madam Fang is quite talkative."
The Princess Consort mentioned this casually, not wanting to discuss it further.Ren Yaoqi then casually interjected, "Indeed, Madam Fang's maiden name is Liu. I heard from my grandmother that the Liu family has produced many talented women, one of whom is quite renowned in the capital and is called the 'Lady of the Hairpin Flower.' It’s only natural that this Madam Fang is more talkative."
Though spoken casually, the Princess Consort took note with interest. "Oh? Is she the lady whose calligraphy once sold for a hundred taels of gold?"
Minor edits made, fixed typos.
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