After returning to the city, Ren Yaoqi asked Ren Shijia's head stewardess to help her find some high-quality medicinal herbs and tonics, intending to send them in her and Ren Yaohua's names to the Lei Family's estate for Lei Pan'er.
Lei Pan'er was still a child and had no use for those nourishing herbs—it was merely a gesture of courtesy. Ren Yaoqi then borrowed a cook from Ren Shijia's small kitchen to prepare several types of pastries, specifically instructing that they be made to look appealing.
Ren Shijia usually enjoyed pastries, and after Sister-in-law Wen left, Lin Kun had someone find a cook from Jiangnan who was skilled in making various kinds of pastries.
Finally, Ren Yaoqi sent her senior maid, Sangshen, to the Lei Family's villa with the medicinal herbs, two boxes of pastries, and two jars of preserved fruits to visit Lei Pan'er on behalf of herself and Ren Yaohua.
After Sangshen returned from the visit, she told Ren Yaoqi that Lei Pan'er had already woken up and was in good health. She herself didn't know how she had fallen into the well, only remembering that she was chasing a flightless myna bird before everything went black. Fortunately, when she woke up again, she was already in her own bed, so she hadn't been frightened.
Upon hearing that Sangshen had been sent by the two Ren sisters to visit her, Lei Pan'er even invited Sangshen into her room to talk. She was overjoyed by the pastries and preserved fruits Sangshen brought and said she would visit the two sisters once she recovered.
Hearing that Lei Pan'er remained as lively, spirited, and mischievous as ever, Ren Yaoqi couldn't help but feel uplifted.
"What about the maid named Yuegui?" Ren Yaoqi thought for a moment and asked.
"This servant did not see Yuegui. When leaving, I asked the wet nurse, who only said that Yuegui had been sent back to Yunyang City by the steward. She didn't know anything else," Sangshen replied.
Ren Yaoqi thought that although Lei Ting was young and didn't involve himself in the inner courtyard affairs, he was not foolish. This incident with Lei Pan'er should have made him more vigilant about his daughter's situation.
The next day, Ren Yaohua sent Xiangqin over, saying that the Lei Family's steward had delivered some valuable fabrics, bird's nests, and aged ginseng as return gifts early in the morning. The Lei Family's return gifts were far more valuable than what Ren Yaoqi had sent.
Since Ren Yaoqi was staying with the Lin Family, the Lei Family sent the gifts to the Ren Family's villa. Ren Yaohua had Xiangqin deliver all the items to Ren Yaoqi.
Ren Yaoqi had her maids select some fabrics and bird's nests to send to Ren Shijia, while the rest were stored away by Xiangqin.
With three days left until the Thousand Gold Banquet, Yunyang City saw an influx of noble young ladies who had traveled to Yan Prefecture.
Xiao Jinglin sent a letter saying that the Princess Consort wanted her to play the zither in front of guests the next day to assess the results of her recent practice, so someone would come early the next morning to take her to the Yanbei Prince's Mansion.
When Ren Yaoqi received the letter, she initially thought of writing back to tease Princess Xiao for being nervous, but she was stunned upon seeing the name of the guest invited by the Princess Consort of Yanbei.
Ouyang Shi, wife of Xu Wanli, the headmaster of Yunyang Academy.
As the highest institution of learning in Yanbei, Yunyang Academy's headmaster, Xu Wanli, held an extremely high status among scholars in Yanbei and was a leading figure among the pure and upright literati.
Xu Wanli came from the main branch of the Xu Family in Jiangnan. The Xu Family and the Pei Family were jointly regarded as the leaders of the scholarly community in Jiangnan. Some had counted on their fingers that among the families that had produced prime ministers and cabinet ministers in the past three hundred years, the Pei Family ranked first, and the Xu Family second.The Xu family's roots were in Jiangnan, yet this headmaster Xu, after achieving the top scholar title in the thirty-fifth year of Emperor Qinglong's reign during the previous dynasty, refused to enter court service and began traveling extensively. Eventually, Xu Wanli came to Yanbei and, somehow, became the headmaster of Yunyang Academy in Yanbei.
The relationship between Yanbei and the imperial court was delicate, and many members of the Xu family served as officials in the court. The current chief grand secretary, Xu Yuan, was Xu Wanli's cousin. After arriving in Yanbei, Xu Wanli never returned to Jiangnan. The Xu family also treated him coldly, never mentioning this highly respected Xu family scion in Yanbei to outsiders.
Ren Yaoqi, however, knew that shortly after Xu Wanli became the headmaster of Yunyang Academy, the Xu family had already removed him from the family register. Neither the Xu family nor Xu Wanli publicized this matter, so while outsiders speculated about the relationship between Xu Wanli and the Xu family, few knew the truth.
Ren Yaoqi also knew that Xu Wanli left Jiangnan for Yanbei because of his wife, Ouyang Shi. This Ouyang Shi was a remarried woman; she was originally the wife of Xu Wanli's elder brother, making her his sister-in-law.
Shortly after Ouyang Shi married into the Xu family, her husband passed away. In a prestigious family like the Xu clan, which valued reputation, Ouyang Shi should not have remarried. Yet, she ended up marrying her younger brother-in-law.
The Xu family of Jiangnan could not tolerate such an unfilial descendant as Xu Wanli, so he had no choice but to bring Ouyang Shi to Yanbei. Compared to Jiangnan, Yanbei was far more lenient regarding social etiquette. Moreover, after arriving in Yanbei, Xu Wanli gained the appreciation of the then Prince of Yanbei, Xiao Qishan. Coupled with Xu Wanli's exceptional talent and high academic cultivation, he quickly established himself among the scholars of Yanbei.
Ren Yaoqi knew this hidden story of the Xu family because Xu Wanli and her teacher, Pei Zhiyan, were brothers-in-law. Mr. Pei's wife was also surnamed Ouyang and was the youngest sister of Ouyang Shi.
Although Xu Wanli's relationship with the Xu family was strained, he got along exceptionally well with his wife's brother-in-law, Pei Zhiyan. The two were long-time friends and confidants, often corresponding by letter.
The next day, Xiao Jinglin indeed sent someone early to fetch Ren Yaoqi to the Yanbei Prince's Mansion.
When Ren Yaoqi arrived, Xiao Jinglin was still practicing her spear techniques in her courtyard.
Standing under the eaves and watching for a while, Ren Yaoqi approached with a smile after Xiao Jinglin finished her routine, teasing, "Is the Commandery Princess feeling nervous?"
Xiao Jinglin replied seriously, "How could that be?"
Ren Yaoqi blinked, leaned in, and whispered, "It's easy for the Commandery Princess to deceive others, but not me. I know a secret of yours."
Xiao Jinglin glanced at her. "What secret?"
"When you're nervous, you like to swing a stick."
Xiao Jinglin fell silent for a moment. "This is a spear, not a stick!"
Ren Yaoqi laughed. "The Commandery Princess knows I'm not skilled in martial arts, so naturally, I can't tell the difference between a stick and a spear. Please forgive my ignorance."
Xiao Jinglin looked at Ren Yaoqi for a while before suddenly saying, "Then how about I teach you martial arts?"
Ren Yaoqi was taken aback and quickly replied, "No need, I'm not cut out for martial arts."
Xiao Jinglin scrutinized Ren Yaoqi critically, even circling her a few times, before saying slowly, "Although you lack natural talent, it's not impossible to learn."
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