There are many famous women in this world, renowned for their beauty, talent, or various coincidental reasons. The "Lady Hairpin-Flower" Liu Suyi mentioned by Ren Yaoqi is one of them.
Liu Suyi was originally just an ordinary woman confined to the inner chambers, whose duties were to assist her husband, raise children, and manage the household. Her father was Liu Xian, a secretary in the Ministry of Revenue, and she married the grandson of an old censor.
One day, the old censor was implicated in a case of examination fraud, resulting in his dismissal and the confiscation of his family property. Liu Suyi suffered alongside her husband's family. Initially, she could have taken her husband to seek help from her natal family, but unfortunately, her biological mother had passed away, and her father had remarried. As the saying goes, "With a stepmother comes a stepfather." This holds true in many cases, and Liu Suyi experienced it deeply.
In the end, Liu Suyi had no choice but to rent a dilapidated courtyard in an old alley of the capital with her proud censor husband, living a life of hardship. Just when things couldn't get worse, the censor husband fell ill after a series of blows, and the couple had no savings, not even enough money for medical treatment.
Watching her husband on the brink of death, she felt like giving up on life herself. Unexpectedly, a turning point emerged.
It turned out that Liu Suyi had been practicing calligraphy since the age of three. While she had no other talents, she excelled at imitating the hairpin-flower regular script of Lady Li from the previous dynasty, to the point where her copies could pass as originals. Originally, this was just a pastime to pass the time. However, one day, her calligraphy was seen by the wife of the manager of a neighboring painting and calligraphy shop, who mistook it for an authentic work by Lady Li. Upon learning it was a forgery, she suggested that Liu Suyi place her works in the shop for consignment to earn some money to support the family.
Initially, Liu Suyi was absolutely unwilling, as a woman's handwriting circulating outside could easily tarnish her reputation if discovered by those with ill intentions. However, seeing her husband unable to afford medical treatment, she had no choice but to humble herself for survival and consign her calligraphy to the shop.
Surprisingly, within a few days, someone actually came to buy it, offering one hundred taels of gold.
With the high price fetched for her calligraphy, the family's living conditions improved, and Liu Suyi's husband recovered from his illness. Coincidentally, not long after, the old censor's case was overturned, and the confiscated family property was returned. The censor husband, remembering that one of his wife's works was still out there, sought ways to buy it back.
Although it remains unknown whether that piece of calligraphy was ever retrieved, Liu Suyi's reputation as a talented woman spread far and wide. Coincidentally, Empress Dowager Yan, who had just entered the imperial harem at the time, for some reason, was willing to promote Liu Suyi and even bestowed upon her the title "Lady Hairpin-Flower." Thus, Liu Suyi's fame spread far and wide.
It is said that although Liu Suyi's natal family was not particularly prominent, it gained significant attention from the world because it produced a talented woman praised by the Empress Dowager. As for Fang Yacun's wife, Madam Liu, if traced carefully, she indeed had some distant, convoluted kinship with Liu Suyi, though the blood relation was too remote, barely traceable to a common ancestor one or two hundred years ago.
However, Ren Yaoqi specifically mentioned this "Lady Hairpin-Flower" at this moment, naturally with her own intentions.
The reason the Empress Dowager was willing to promote this talented woman from the Liu family back then was that the Liu family's main branch belonged to the Empress Dowager's faction. Even that old censor was a casualty in the power struggle between Consort Wan and Empress Dowager Yan.Currently, the relationship between the capital and Yanbei appears stable, but in reality, it is in a delicate state of balance. The Yanbei Prince's Mansion would not welcome interference from the emperor or the Empress Dowager's people. Therefore, Ren Yaoqi intentionally linked Madam Liu to the Liu family in the capital.
Ren Yaoqi was not afraid of the Princess Consort investigating and exposing her, as Madam Liu and the Liu family in the capital merely shared the same surname. However, in these times, connections are often forged through such associations. If the relationship between Madam Liu and the Liu family were too obvious, she would not dare come to Yanbei, but if someone wanted to claim kinship, it could still be done.
This method was not particularly clever, but simple tactics are not necessarily useless.
Ren Yaoqi smiled and said, "So the Princess Consort has also heard of this lady? I only learned about her when Madam Fang mentioned her a few times in front of my grandmother."
The Princess Consort smiled thoughtfully and lowered her head to drink her tea.
Seeing that she had made her point, Ren Yaoqi did not press further about Madam Fang and instead continued discussing music with Xiao Jinglin.
After sitting for a while longer, Ren Yaoqi stood up to take her leave.
Xiao Jinglin agreed with Ren Yaoqi on the time to pick her up the next day and, after informing the Princess Consort, personally escorted her out.
Since the Yanbei Prince's Mansion's carriage had picked her up earlier, Ren Shijia, being thoughtful, worried that Ren Yaoqi might have difficulty returning and sent a carriage from their own mansion to wait for her after she left. Ren Yaoqi boarded her family's carriage.
When the carriage stopped halfway, Ren Yaoqi felt somewhat puzzled.
She glanced at Pingguo, who was about to lift the curtain to see what was happening when a calm and gentle voice was heard from outside: "Is the Fifth Miss Ren in the carriage?"
Hearing this, Ren Yaoqi frowned. Pingguo, who had already lifted the curtain to look, quickly reported, "Miss, it's Young Master Han."
Even without Pingguo's reminder, Ren Yaoqi had recognized Han Yunqian's voice.
Han Yunqian stood alone on his horse in the middle of the road, blocking the carriage's path.
Ren Yaoqi remained silent, but the clever Xiangqin beside her replied, "This is indeed my young lady's carriage. Apologies, Young Master Han, for blocking your way."
As the chief maid by Ren Yaohua's side, Xiangqin was never one to be easily bullied. After saying this, she glanced at Ren Yaoqi and, seeing her sitting there with a cold expression and no intention of speaking, felt more confident. She directly instructed the carriage driver outside, "Move the carriage aside to let him pass. Don't block Young Master Han's way."
The carriage driver felt helpless. No matter how skilled she was, the road was only so wide. Even if she moved aside, if the other party's horse did not budge, there was nothing she could do. So, she could only stare helplessly at the young master who had suddenly appeared and blocked the way.
Han Yunqian looked at the carriage before him, his gaze dark and unreadable, his gentle face revealing no emotion.
However, the standoff did not last long. Han Yunqian tightened the reins in his hand, guiding his horse to make way for half the road.
The carriage slowly began to move again, but Han Yunqian did not leave. Instead, he turned his horse and followed alongside the carriage. This did not attract much attention, as many carriages were accompanied by male relatives or guards on horseback.
"I have a few words I would like to say to the Fifth Miss," Han Yunqian's voice sounded beside the carriage curtain, soft but clear enough for Ren Yaoqi to hear.Ren Yaoqi remained silent.
Han Yunqian waited a moment, and when no response came, he said, "I wonder if the old woman who went missing from Fifth Miss’s side has been found yet?"
Ren Yaoqi was actually prepared for Han Yunqian’s appearance, but for some reason, she felt somewhat weary. Her silence was not due to any prejudice against him or an intentional slight to embarrass him; rather, she simply didn’t know what she and Han Yunqian had to say to each other.
One side had returned for revenge, while the other had been inexplicably dragged into the conflict. Neither could possibly view the other favorably, so why not simply avoid each other and spare themselves the trouble?
"Mr. Han is quite well-informed. Thank you for your concern. I have been staying at my aunt’s home in Yunyang City and am not aware of what has happened at home," Ren Yaoqi replied calmly.
Han Yunqian was not angered by her response. "I came to see you with no ulterior motives. I simply find Fifth Miss’s intelligence truly admirable," he said, pausing briefly before continuing, "However, no matter how clever Fifth Miss may be, she is still just a woman. Many things are not as straightforward as they seem. I hope Fifth Miss will think carefully before taking any action."
Ren Yaoqi smiled faintly, her expression still composed. "Is Mr. Han warning me about something?"
A barely audible sigh escaped Han Yunqian’s lips, so soft it could easily be overlooked. "That is not my intention."
Ren Yaoqi closed her eyes and leaned against the carriage wall to rest, refusing to engage further.
Seeing this, Xiangqin called out to the driver, "What’s going on? Why is it so slow? Hurry up! We’re in a carriage, yet it feels like someone riding a turtle could keep up with us."
Xiangqin had spoken without thinking, and after finishing her sentence, she realized her words contained an unintended insult. She couldn’t help but feel embarrassed. In truth, she hadn’t meant to be so sharp as to insult a young master to his face!
The driver outside, startled by her words, felt aggrieved but couldn’t voice her complaint. She flicked the whip harder, and the carriage suddenly sped up.
Han Yunqian did not follow at an increased pace. He stood quietly, watching Ren Yaoqi’s carriage disappear into the distance, leaving a trail of dust behind. He remained in place for a long while before finally turning his horse and riding away.
As soon as Han Yunqian returned to the Han Family’s villa in Yunyang City, he was summoned to the study by the family patriarch.
Han Dongshan frowned as soon as he saw his grandson. "What have you been busy with lately? Even in Yunyang City, you’re nowhere to be found!"
Han Yunqian paused briefly before lowering his head and replying, "I was visiting a few classmates and friends. Does Grandfather have any instructions for me?"
Han Dongshan’s scrutinizing gaze remained fixed on Han Yunqian, who maintained his composure, appearing as humble and attentive as usual.
After a long moment, Han Dongshan finally shifted his gaze. "I heard you’ve been looking for someone recently?"
The people Han Yunqian had sent to search for Old Woman Luo were all his trusted subordinates, yet he showed no surprise that his grandfather had learned of his activities. He simply lowered his head and replied, "A friend asked for my help with a minor matter. There’s no need for Grandfather to concern yourself with it."
Han Dongshan studied his grandson for a moment before speaking gently, "I won’t interfere with such trivial matters. However, as a descendant of the Zhai Family, you must remain focused on more important affairs and prioritize accordingly."
Han Yunqian softly acknowledged his grandfather’s words.
"Lately, it seems nothing has been going smoothly," Han Dongshan said, turning to sit back in his chair and pressing his fingers against his temples. "It feels as though some unseen force is working against our Han Family."Han Yunqian fell silent for a moment. "It seems the Lei Family has grown wary."
Han Dongshan pondered briefly, then sneered. "Perhaps so. This Lei Ting is still young, but he does have some skill."
OpenNovel