Reborn of the Rightful

Before the courtyard was locked for the night, Xiangqin returned to the Lin Family and recounted the day’s events in detail to Ren Yaoqi.

Ren Yaoqi couldn’t help but smile at her visibly delighted expression.

“Miss, you wouldn’t believe it. Today, as soon as the Lin Family’s nanny saw Madam Fang and Ninth Miss return, she asked for the pouch back. Ninth Miss’s face turned rather unpleasant, but she still had her maid fetch it. Of course, the pouch was nowhere to be found. You should have seen that Lin Family nanny’s expression. Oh, it was hilarious!”

Ren Yaoqi glanced at her with amusement. “No loose ends this time, I hope?”

Xiangqin immediately straightened her expression. “Fifth Miss, rest assured, nothing could go wrong this time. Besides, Madam Fang and Ninth Miss were both out, so this was done without a trace. Speaking of which, that Young Master Fang is really clueless—he didn’t even notice his pouch had been swapped several times.” By the end, Xiangqin couldn’t hold back her laughter.

“Alright, you’ve worked hard today. Go rest and return tomorrow,” Ren Yaoqi said with a smile.

Xiangqin agreed and left beaming. Before going, she added cheerfully, “When Fifth Miss takes charge, it’s different. Let’s see if they dare bully our Third Miss again!”

Meanwhile, at the Ren Family Villa, Ren Yaoying was still directing a roomful of maids to search everywhere for the pouch. They turned the room upside down, but in the end, not a trace of it was found.

Ren Yaoying’s maid, Chuner, looked dejected. “I clearly remember putting it in the cabinet. How could it disappear? Who would steal a pouch?” The fabric of the pouch was fine, but the embroidery was rather mediocre. If it hadn’t been a gift from Miss Lin, their young lady wouldn’t have bothered keeping it and would have given it away as a reward.

Ren Yaoying frowned and patiently instructed, “Look more carefully. See if it’s wrapped inside any clothes.”

“I’ve already checked every piece of clothing one by one…”

Madam Fang, who had been sitting quietly nearby, suddenly interrupted, “Forget it. Stop looking.”

Ren Yaoying turned to Madam Liu. “Aunt, what does the Lin Family mean by this? Why did they suddenly ask for the pouch back? I’ve never heard of anyone demanding a gift back! And of all times, the pouch just happens to be missing!”

Madam Liu lowered her gaze and sighed after a long pause. “I’m afraid we’ve been tricked.”

Ren Yaoying was taken aback. “Aunt, you mean…”

Madam Liu shook her head and was about to speak when a servant woman beside her entered, leaned close to Madam Liu’s ear, and whispered a few words.

Madam Liu’s brows furrowed, growing tighter and tighter, adding a sternness to her otherwise plain features.

Ren Yaoying moved closer and only caught the servant woman’s last sentence: “…that’s all we’ve found out. We didn’t bring many people, and most of them went out with us today.”

Madam Liu, Fang Shuzhou, and Ren Yaoying had all been away from the residence today, leaving only a few of their own people to guard the villa.

Ren Yaoying finally caught on and asked suspiciously, “Aunt, is Third Sister behind this?”

Madam Liu dismissed the servant woman with a wave, then sighed and looked at Ren Yaoying. Though her tone was gentle, it carried a hint of reproach. “Your mother said before that they weren’t worth worrying about, but it seems she underestimated them. I told you earlier to be patient and not provoke her at this critical moment, but you wouldn’t listen.”Ren Yaoying bit her lip, somewhat aggrieved. "I was very careful, and Third Sister didn’t find any evidence either. Besides, they’ve always been our sworn enemies—even without this incident, they wouldn’t have let us off easily."

Madam Liu glanced at Ren Yaoying and sighed again, ultimately saying nothing more.

Before coming to Yunyang City, her husband had repeatedly urged her to carefully plan for her sister-in-law and do her best to meet their demands.

Though her appearance was plain, fortunately, her husband was not a shallow man. Seeing her wholeheartedly managing the inner household for him and struggling to navigate around his legal mother, he had never treated her poorly over the years. Thus, she always put her utmost effort into whatever her husband asked of her.

Having already gone to such lengths to be the good person, she naturally didn’t want to overstep and annoy her niece. After all, this wasn’t her own daughter, so she couldn’t casually reprimand her.

She could only visit the Lin Family again tomorrow to personally apologize to Third Madam Lin and the young lady of the Lin Family.

The next morning, while Ren Yaoqi was in Ren Shijia’s room playing with Cen’er, the gatekeeper reported that Madam Liu of the Fang Family had come again.

Madam Liu had come today to see Third Madam Lin.

Ren Shijia had a soft and gentle nature, and in the end, she couldn’t refuse, so she took Madam Liu to Third Madam Lin’s courtyard. This time, Ren Yaoqi didn’t follow along, but Ren Shijia returned not long after.

Third Madam Lin was feeling slightly unwell today and didn’t wish to receive guests.

Ren Yaoqi asked in surprise, "How did Third Madam suddenly fall ill? We hadn’t heard anything about it in the mansion."

Ren Shijia washed her hands, took Cen’er from the wet nurse, and gently kissed his tender little face. Lin Cen yawned delicately and giggled at his mother, making Ren Shijia’s heart melt as she smiled foolishly at her son.

Old Madam Ren had found another wet nurse for Cen’er, so Ren Shijia no longer needed to breastfeed him herself. However, Ren Shijia didn’t want her son sleeping with the wet nurse at night. Instead, she prepared a small bed in front of her own to settle him. If Lin Cen got hungry in the middle of the night, Ren Shijia would feed him herself.

After all she had been through, Ren Shijia didn’t want her precious son to leave her sight for even a moment. Lin Kun had always been good-tempered with his wife and son and didn’t object. Sometimes, he even helped change their son’s diapers, being so attentive and considerate that even Ren Yaoqi couldn’t find any fault in him.

"I don’t think Sister-in-law is actually ill—she just doesn’t want to see Cousin’s wife. After I saw Cousin’s wife off just now, Sister-in-law sent her head maid to tell me to bring Cen’er over to play with Ling’er when I have time. That was her way of hinting that I shouldn’t bring outsiders along in the future."

Ren Shijia teased Lin Cen and said casually, "I don’t want to get involved in their affairs either. This is for the best—it leaves me in peace."

Hearing this, Ren Yaoqi smiled, sat down beside Ren Shijia, and joined her in poking the bubbles Lin Cen blew, no longer discussing Madam Liu’s matters.

In the afternoon, Ren Yaoqi went to the Yanbei Prince’s Mansion as promised.

Xiao Jinglin was still waiting outside for Ren Yaoqi. Upon seeing her, she said, "I thought you weren’t coming today either."

Ren Yaoqi walked forward with a smile, linked arms with Xiao Jinglin, and followed her toward the Princess Consort’s Jiuyang Hall. She whispered in Xiao Jinglin’s ear, "Of course I came, otherwise the Commandery Princess would slack off playing the zither again. Also, thank you for your help yesterday."Yesterday, Madam Fang and Ren Yaoying did not go to the Su family but instead came to the Yanbei Prince's Mansion because Ren Yaoqi had sent a message to Xiao Jinglin, asking for her help. However, after waiting for half a day, Madam Fang ultimately did not get to see the Princess Consort.

Xiao Jinglin shook her head, showing little concern about yesterday's events, and said, "I haven't been slacking off. My teacher says my qin skills have improved tremendously, advancing a thousand miles in a single day!"

Xiao Jinglin wore a serious expression.

Ren Yaoqi chuckled and gave her a teasing glance. "That's perfect. I haven't heard you play the qin in a day, so let's see if there's a thousand-mile difference."

As the two chatted and laughed while walking toward the Jiuyang Hall, they were stopped halfway by a maid. Xiao Jinglin frowned as soon as she saw the maid.

"Commandery Princess, the Old Princess Consort requests your presence at the Shou'an Hall."

"Did Grandmother mention why she wants to see me?" Xiao Jinglin returned to her expressionless demeanor, as if the liveliness from moments ago had been nothing but an illusion.

The maid lowered her head. "This servant does not know. The Old Princess Consort only instructed me to invite the Commandery Princess."

Xiao Jinglin said nothing more and turned to Ren Yaoqi. "I'll be back soon. You can wait for me at the Jiuyang Hall."

Just as Ren Yaoqi was about to agree, the maid spoke up. "The Old Princess Consort has also invited the young lady of the Ren Family to accompany the Commandery Princess."

Xiao Jinglin glanced at the maid, then looked at Ren Yaoqi, her brow furrowing.

Ren Yaoqi quickly smiled and said, "I haven't had the chance to pay my respects to the Old Princess Consort. I'll go with the Commandery Princess."

Recently, she had been coming to the Yanbei Prince's Mansion almost every day—sometimes in the morning, sometimes in the afternoon—and she always stayed at the Jiuyang Hall. She had never met the Old Princess Consort or the Lady Yun. Neither the Princess Consort nor Xiao Jinglin had suggested that she pay her respects to the Old Princess Consort, so she naturally did not take the initiative.

Xiao Jinglin said nothing more and led Ren Yaoqi past the Jiuyang Hall toward the Shou'an Hall.

As they neared the Shou'an Hall, Xiao Jinglin whispered to Ren Yaoqi, "When we meet my grandmother later, try to speak as little as possible. The less you say, the fewer mistakes you'll make. If there are any questions you find difficult to answer, don't worry—I'll help you respond."

Hearing this, Ren Yaoqi felt a surge of warmth in her heart. She looked at Xiao Jinglin and nodded with a smile.

Xiao Jinglin gave Ren Yaoqi's hand a gentle squeeze before immediately letting go.

The Shou'an Hall was slightly smaller than the Jiuyang Hall but still quite grand, and it was also situated along the central axis of the Prince's Mansion.

When Ren Yaoqi followed Xiao Jinglin inside, several people were already seated in the hall.

The Old Princess Consort sat at the head, wearing a mud-golden sleeveless jacket with a "ten thousand characters" border and embroidered with a "hundred birds paying homage to the phoenix" pattern. Though advanced in years, her skin was well-maintained and very fair. However, her demeanor was imposing, making her appear unapproachable.

Seated below her was a woman in her thirties who bore some resemblance to the Old Princess Consort. She wore a magnificent bright red brocade jacket adorned with floral patterns, the vibrant color complementing her appearance and presence. Whether in looks or mannerisms, she resembled the Old Princess Consort, making it easy to believe that in another twenty years, she would be the spitting image of the Old Princess Consort.

Leaning close to the Old Princess Consort was a young girl in purple attire—Wu Yiyu, who had once fought fiercely with Xiao Jinglin. At this moment, she looked at Xiao Jinglin with a faint, mocking smile.

Ren Yaoqi followed Xiao Jinglin forward to pay their respects. The woman was the only daughter of the Old Princess Consort and the wife of Ningxia Regional Commander Wu Xiaohe."I heard Lin'er has been practicing the qin lately? How is she progressing?" Madame Wu looked at Xiao Jinglin and asked with a smile.

Even though Madame Wu's smile was deliberately meant to convey closeness, it still carried an air of condescension.

Xiao Jinglin replied calmly, "Still practicing. I'm not playing well yet."

Madame Wu smiled at the Old Princess Consort. "I was just saying, it's been so long since she returned, and I've hardly seen Lin'er a few times. I miss her terribly."

The Old Princess Consort glanced at Xiao Jinglin. "Don't say you've hardly seen her—even I find it difficult to get an audience with her. Each time requires repeated urging."

Madame Wu chuckled beside her. "Mother-in-law, you jest. I see Lin'er as quite filial. Just the day before yesterday, Yiyu saw her at Grand Madame Yun's place."

Ren Yaoqi glanced at Xiao Jinglin and saw her standing there expressionless, pretending not to hear these pointed remarks.

The Old Princess Consort gave a cold laugh and turned away to drink her tea.

Madame Wu's gaze shifted to Ren Yaoqi's face, and she smiled. "Oh, this girl looks quite lovely. But... she seems somewhat familiar? Could it be that I've seen her before?"

The Old Princess Consort also looked at Ren Yaoqi thoughtfully. "She's younger than Yu'er. Where could you have seen her? It's just that her face resembles someone you've met before. Are you the maternal granddaughter of the deposed Prince Xian?" The last question was directed at Ren Yaoqi.

Ren Yaoqi lowered her head slightly. "Yes, Old Princess Consort."

The Old Princess Consort nodded to Madame Wu. "When you were young, I once took you to the capital to celebrate the late emperor's birthday. You were still very young then, so you probably don't remember."

After a moment of recollection, Madame Wu suddenly understood. "If you hadn't mentioned it, I would have forgotten." Her eyes swept over Ren Yaoqi, and she said meaningfully, "Looking at her now, she really does resemble that person somewhat."

Although Ren Yaoqi stood there pretending to be mute, her mind was as clear as a mirror.

The person this mother and daughter were referring to was likely the birth mother of Prince Xian, her great-grandmother, Consort Wan.

The Old Princess Consort was the daughter of the late emperor and the sister of her maternal grandfather, Prince Xian, so she had naturally met Consort Wan.

In her previous life in the capital, there were also people who said she somewhat resembled the late Consort Wan.

Wu Yiyu leaned against the Old Princess Consort and asked suspiciously, "Grandmother, Mother, who are you talking about? Who does she look like?"

The Old Princess Consort patted her head, her gaze softening considerably. "Even if I told you, you wouldn't know her. When I took your mother back to the capital, she was about your age."

Wu Yiyu pouted. The girl who was strong-willed and fierce outside now appeared somewhat naive and charming. "Then when will you take me to the capital to play?"

Madame Wu scolded her with a laugh. "What would you do in the capital? When I went to the capital back then, it was by the late emperor's decree." Her tone carried a hint of pride.

The Old Princess Consort said to Madame Wu, "Alright, didn't you have something to ask Lin'er?"

Remembering the main matter, Madame Wu stopped joking with her daughter and turned to look at Xiao Jinglin. She said to the Old Princess Consort, "Mother-in-law, look, the child is still standing."

The Old Princess Consort waved her hand, allowing Xiao Jinglin and Ren Yaoqi to sit down. Ren Yaoqi followed Xiao Jinglin and sat beside her.

"Lin'er has been back for quite some time now, hasn't she? Will she be staying in Yunyang City permanently from now on?" Madame Wu thought for a moment and asked with a smile.

Xiao Jinglin glanced at her and replied calmly, "Jinglin will follow Father's arrangements."Madam Wu took a sip of tea, her smile growing even warmer. "Speaking of which, Lin'er is not young anymore, and she's a girl. It would be better for her to stay by her parents' side. The border is full of rough men. When you were young, it didn't matter, but as you grow older, if you keep going there, what will happen to your reputation?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Jinglin remained expressionless. After a moment of thought, she nodded and said, "Thank you for your concern, Aunt. Speaking of rough men... they're not only at Jiajing Pass. Places like Ningxia have plenty too. Since you and Cousin have stayed in Ningxia for so many years and your reputations remain intact, Jinglin naturally has nothing to fear."

"Outrageous!" The Old Princess Consort snapped coldly. "How dare you speak to your elders like that!"

Madam Wu's expression also turned grim. Wu Yiyu's eyes shot daggers at Xiao Jinglin, her face darkening.

Xiao Jinglin glanced at the three of them and curved her lips slightly. "I'm sorry, Aunt. I grew up at the border and speak rather bluntly. Please don't take it to heart as your junior. However, I believe you should understand that my words, like yours, carry no ill intent."

Madam Wu took a deep breath, forcing a smile onto her face. "As long as you understand that your aunt means well." She didn't want to dwell on this issue with Xiao Jinglin any longer. Xiao Jinglin usually seemed quiet and unassuming, but her words were sharp—much like a dog that bites without barking.

"Lin'er, the reason I returned to Yanbei this time is because the Prince previously sent a letter to your uncle. Have you heard about it?"

Xiao Jinglin shook her head. "No, Father hasn't mentioned it to me."

Madam Wu smiled. "Oh? I heard the Prince trusts you greatly, his daughter, and even allows you to enter and leave his study like your second brother. You know, the Crown Prince is far away in the capital, and your father only has your second brother by his side. Unfortunately, his health is..."

Xiao Jinglin frowned and said directly, "If Aunt has something to ask, please speak plainly. You're beating around the bush, and I'm afraid I won't understand."

She hated this kind of roundabout way of speaking, where nothing substantial was said for the longest time. If it weren't for the fact that those present were her elders, she would have left long ago.

Madam Wu's face twitched, but she held back her temper. "The Prince mentioned in the letter that he would visit Ningxia soon. Since the letter didn't specify a date, he asked me to return and inquire so I can make arrangements in advance after I go back."

In truth, what Madam Wu wanted to ask was whether the Prince of Yanbei had intended to merge part of the Yanbei Army into Ningxia. However, after so long, there had been no movement from Yanbei. Thus, Madam Wu's return to her maiden home was actually to gather information and seek a definitive answer from the Prince of Yanbei, so she could report back to her husband's family.

Xiao Jinglin looked puzzled. "Father is going to Ningxia? How come I didn't know?"

Madam Wu took a deep breath. "Your father isn't going to Ningxia alone. Think about it—have you heard him mention anything?"

Xiao Jinglin was surprised. "Why doesn't Aunt ask Father directly?"

To her dismay, Madam Wu grew angry at the mention of this. Shortly after she returned to her maiden home, the Prince of Yanbei left and hadn't returned to the residence. She had inquired for a long time but couldn't find out where the Prince of Yanbei had gone, leaving her to wait idly at her maiden home.

Madam Wu had also tried to gather information from Xiao Jingxi, but who was Xiao Jingxi? It would be a miracle if Madam Wu could gain any advantage from him.In the end, with no other options left, she could only turn her gaze to this niece.

But now it seemed that Xiao Jinglin was not an easy person to deal with either.

At this moment, the Old Princess Consort interjected with a cold expression: "Lin'er, the one asking you questions is your own paternal aunt. Whatever she asks, you should answer honestly. We are family, what are you so guarded about? Don't let outsiders laugh at us."

Xiao Jinglin nodded and said softly, "Yes, Grandmother, your granddaughter understands." Her attitude was good.

After thinking for a moment, Xiao Jinglin answered her aunt's previous question: "Father did not mention anything to me about going to Ningxia, nor did he say that anyone else was going to Ningxia. Aunt, perhaps you have misunderstood?"

"Misunderstood?" Madam Wu seized on Xiao Jinglin's key words and couldn't help but say, "In the army..."

Xiao Jinglin immediately interrupted: "Aunt, you are my own paternal aunt. I will answer whatever you ask, but only regarding family matters. Matters concerning the army are state affairs. If I speak carelessly, it won't just be others laughing at me. You have always been reasonable, so I believe you will understand your niece's predicament."

However, the moment Madam Wu uttered the words "the army," Ren Yaoqi suddenly understood what Madam Wu had been trying to inquire about in such a roundabout way.

In her previous life, to cope with the imperial court's reduction of the Yanbei Army, the Yanbei Prince's Mansion transferred a portion of the Yanbei Army into Ningxia. At that time, the Tangut tribe happened to be fighting with the Ningxia army over grazing resources and horses with the residents along the Ningxia border, so the deployment of the Yanbei Army into Ningxia was a natural course of action.

But in this life, because she had given Xiao Jingxi an idea, a portion of the Yanbei Army had been dispersed and stationed in temples. From what she had heard from Zhu Ruomei last time, the arrangements were mostly complete, so Ningxia was no longer relevant.

However, it was clear that the Ningxia side was unwilling to "stay out of it," so Xiao Wei had returned to her maiden home to probe for information.

Xiao Wei's face turned extremely unpleasant after being rebuked by Xiao Jinglin. Wu Yiyu lifted her chin and sneered coldly, "Xiao Jinglin, what kind of young general act are you putting on in front of us? Don't use those military rules to pressure my mother. Do you think I've never been to a military camp? When others are already at our doorstep, aren't we even allowed to discuss it?"

Xiao Jinglin glanced at Wu Yiyu: "What do you mean, others are at our doorstep?"

Wu Yiyu looked at Xiao Jinglin disdainfully: "I don't believe you haven't received the news. A few days ago, the Tangut tribe raided several of our horse ranches!"

"Yu'er!" Xiao Wei frowned and interrupted her daughter. After a moment's thought, she looked at Ren Yaoqi and said, "Miss Ren, please step out for now."

Xiao Jinglin glanced at Ren Yaoqi and also stood up: "I'll take my leave as well."

"Did I permit you to leave?" the Old Princess Consort said coldly.

Xiao Jinglin stood there without moving. After a long while, she turned to Ren Yaoqi and said softly, "Go wait for me at the Jiuyang Hall. I'll join you shortly."

Ren Yaoqi nodded and left without another word.

As she walked, she wondered: What was the purpose of the Old Princess Consort and her daughter bringing her along? Simply to satisfy their curiosity and conclude that she resembled Consort Wan?

How utterly idle they were.However, Wu Yiyu had just mentioned the matter of the Dangxiang tribe competing for the horse pasture... She had always believed that in her previous life, the Yanbei Prince's Mansion and the Wu family had conspired together, using a tactic of inviting the wolf into the house to provide an excuse for the Yanbei Army to move westward. Now it seemed that the Yanbei Prince's Mansion might not have been involved in this affair.

Yet, if it were purely a coincidence that the Dangxiang tribe happened to be so considerate, she did not believe it.

So, could it be that the Wu family had acted deceitfully on their own to seek military assistance?

And what role did the Su family, who owned several large horse ranches in Ningxia, play in this matter?