Ren Yaoqi's feelings towards the Han Family were rather complex. However, she had met Mrs. Han before, who was an extremely gentle and kind person. Ren Shijia and Ren Yaoqi settled on their departure time for the next day before leaving.
Early the next morning, Ren Yaoqi followed Ren Shijia and her husband to return to White Crane Town. Ren Yaoqi had previously arranged to meet Xiao Jinglin at Willow Pavilion outside Yunyang City. However, just as her carriage passed through the city gate, something tapped against the carriage wall while it was still moving. Sangshen lifted a corner of the curtain to peek outside, then exclaimed softly, "Miss, it's the Commandery Princess. She's outside."
Hearing this, Ren Yaoqi lifted the curtain to look out and indeed saw Xiao Jinglin and Hongying standing under a large locust tree not far from the city gate, both dressed very plainly.
Ren Yaoqi called for the carriage to stop and asked Sangshen to get down and inform Ren Shijia, who was traveling ahead. Sangshen quickly returned, saying that Ren Shijia would wait for her at the fork in the road three li ahead.
Ren Yaoqi then had her carriage leave the Lin Family's procession and head toward the large locust tree where Xiao Jinglin stood.
There were many carriages and vendors coming and going at the city gate. Xiao Jinglin, not wanting to attract attention, had chosen a spot with few people. Ren Yaoqi got down from the carriage.
"Didn't we agree to meet at the pavilion ahead? When did you arrive?" Ren Yaoqi asked with a smile.
"I just got here not long ago," Xiao Jinglin replied as she walked over.
Ren Yaoqi looked at her, then at Hongying, and deliberately feigned disappointment. "Didn't you say Silly Girl was coming to bid me farewell? Why don't I see her?"
Xiao Jinglin said, "Silly Girl is still being cared for at the mountain villa. I returned yesterday. Xiao Jingxi happens to be returning to the city this morning and will bring Silly Girl back with him."
Ren Yaoqi felt a bit embarrassed. "That's too much trouble for the Second Young Master." She had truly only mentioned it in passing.
Xiao Jinglin, however, looked expressionlessly toward the fork in the road leading to the hot spring villa. "Hmm, I should have expected he'd be troublesome. If Silly Girl gets into his carriage, Tong He will surely give her several baths, and who knows how much fur she'll lose. We agreed to meet at the city gate at exactly Chen hour, and he still hasn't arrived!"
Hongying whispered a reminder, "Commandery Princess, there's still a quarter of an hour left until Chen hour."
Xiao Jinglin glanced at Hongying and frowned. "Is that so?"
Ren Yaoqi: "..."
Fortunately, Princess Xiao's complaints proved useful. Just then, several carriages bearing the Yanbei Prince's Mansion emblem emerged from the road leading to the hot spring villa. Hongying immediately ran over.
Seizing the moment, Xiao Jinglin said to Ren Yaoqi, "My grandmother and aunt are searching everywhere for Yun Wenfang and nearly surrounded the Yun Family, but they still haven't found him."
Ren Yaoqi wasn't surprised. The Yun Family had been established in Yanbei for so long; hiding someone would be simple. But then Xiao Jinglin continued, "Be careful. Make sure you're always accompanied, even when you're at the Ren Family. Don't stay alone."
Ren Yaoqi was taken aback.
Xiao Jinglin asked her, "Did something happen at the Ren Family Villa the night before last?"
Ren Yaoqi then told Xiao Jinglin about how Ren Yaoyin's hair had been shaved off.Xiao Jinglin fell silent for a moment, then said seriously, "I used to think Yun Wenfang was completely useless, but now I see I was mistaken. He can still serve as a competent scout—at least he has the skill to infiltrate the enemy's inner courtyard. He might even manage to bring back an enemy's head."
Ren Yaoqi wanted to laugh but held it back.
Xiao Jinglin glanced at Xiao Jingxi, who was just stepping down from the carriage, and said, "But you don’t need to worry too much. Yun Wenfang has been under surveillance all along. He won’t be able to harm you." Just because the Old Princess Consort and Xiao Wei couldn’t find Yun Wenfang didn’t mean no one could.
Ren Yaoqi was about to ask something when she caught sight of Xiao Jingxi and the Silly Girl he was holding in his arms.
Ren Yaoqi quickly bowed in greeting, and Xiao Jingxi nodded with a smile.
Surprisingly, Silly Girl was exceptionally well-behaved in Second Young Master Xiao’s arms. Even the way she rested her paws on his arm seemed cautious. It had to be said that a beast’s intuition was remarkably sharp—they could sniff out who would tolerate them and who must never be provoked.
Silly Girl looked at Ren Yaoqi and then at Xiao Jinglin with her moist eyes, letting out a soft "aowu" but not daring to move.
Xiao Jinglin stared at Silly Girl for a long moment before frowning at Xiao Jingxi. "What did you do to her?"
Xiao Jingxi looked genuinely innocent. He glanced down at Silly Girl and lightly flicked her forehead with his finger. "Wasn’t she quite rowdy when Tong He was giving her a bath earlier? She splashed water all over him."
Xiao Jinglin looked at Ren Yaoqi with an expression that said, "See? I wasn’t wrong." Then, under Silly Girl’s pleading gaze, she took her away.
Silly Girl let out another "aowu" and came back to life, clinging to Xiao Jinglin’s sleeve and nibbling on it.
"By the way, did you bring the sword?" Xiao Jinglin asked Xiao Jingxi, handing Silly Girl off to Hongying with a look of disdain.
Xiao Jingxi nodded, and before he could give the order, Tong He turned and retrieved a box from the carriage, presenting it to Xiao Jinglin.
Xiao Jinglin then handed the box to Pingguo and said to Ren Yaoqi, "The Snow Garment Sword is for you. Practice the forms I taught you twice daily. I’ll teach you more the next time we meet."
Ren Yaoqi nodded.
"It’s getting late. I’ll take you to meet up with the Lin Family," Xiao Jinglin said, pausing for a moment with a hint of gloominess.
Ren Yaoqi also felt reluctant at the thought of parting from Xiao Jinglin, but she couldn’t stay in Yunyang City forever.
Xiao Jinglin boarded Ren Yaoqi’s carriage, while Xiao Jingxi’s carriage followed behind.
Along the way, Ren Yaoqi and Xiao Jinglin shared some heartfelt words, but the journey was short, and they soon saw the Lin Family’s carriage waiting at the fork in the road ahead.
Ren Yaoqi’s carriage gradually came to a stop.
Just then, Ren Shijia’s voice came from outside the carriage. "Qi’er?"
Ren Yaoqi lifted the curtain and saw Ren Shijia holding Cenge’er, with Lin Kun emerging from a small path beside them. They had no maids or servants with them. Ren Shijia walked ahead, carrying her son, while Lin Kun followed closely behind, his arms slightly outstretched as if to protect them. The scene looked exceptionally harmonious and warm.
Ren Yaoqi and Xiao Jinglin stepped down from the carriage. Ren Shijia and Lin Kun hurriedly bowed to Xiao Jinglin. When Xiao Jingxi emerged from the carriage behind them, Lin Kun was momentarily taken aback but quickly bowed again. "This humble commoner, Lin Kun, greets Second Young Master Xiao."Although Xiao Jingxi rarely appeared in public, Lin Kun had once seen him from afar and recognized him, for the face of Second Young Master Xiao was difficult to forget once seen.
Xiao Jingxi smiled faintly, his every gesture naturally elegant. "Is Sixth Master Lin heading to White Crane Town to offer condolences to the Han Family?"
Lin Kun felt both flattered and overwhelmed. "This commoner does not deserve to be addressed as 'Master' by you, Young Master. Please just call me Lin Six. The Han Family and the Lin Family have some business dealings, and my wife also had some interactions with the recently deceased Mrs. Han. My wife and I are going to White Crane Town to offer condolences, and also to send my niece back to the Ren Family while visiting my humble in-laws."
Xiao Jingxi nodded, then turned to Xiao Jinglin and said gently, "If you have parting words, say them quickly. Don't keep others waiting." He appeared as though he were escorting his sister to meet a friend.
Xiao Jinglin inwardly rolled her eyes.
Lin Kun hurriedly said there was still time, then called over the maidservants from afar and had them bring a table and stools from the carriage to set up under the tree, carefully inviting Xiao Jingxi to sit.
Xiao Jingxi graciously accepted and went to sit down.
Ren Shijia carried the already sleeping Chen Ge'er back to the carriage.
As Ren Yaoqi spoke with Xiao Jinglin, she couldn't help glancing a few times toward Xiao Jingxi and Lin Kun. Although she couldn't hear what they were saying, Xiao Jingxi's attitude seemed quite amiable.
By the time Ren Yaoqi and Xiao Jinglin finished their conversation, Xiao Jingxi had also risen and walked over. Lin Kun returned to the carriage, tactfully not following.
"Time to go?" Xiao Jingxi looked at them with a smile.
Xiao Jinglin voiced the question Ren Yaoqi wanted to ask: "What were you two talking about just now?"
Xiao Jingxi smiled. "Just casual conversation."
After a moment's thought, he tilted his head slightly and looked at Ren Yaoqi. "Your uncle is not a simple man."
Ren Yaoqi grew curious and couldn't help asking, "Oh? What do you mean by 'not simple'?"
Xiao Jingxi had only offered a casual remark and hadn't expected Ren Yaoqi to press further, but the amusement in his eyes deepened. "There is a kind of person in this world who, if given the opportunity, can fulfill their own ambitions. Ambition itself is not entirely a bad thing—it depends on how you look at it."
Ren Yaoqi tilted her head in thought, then smiled. "I only want to know how much a person is willing to sacrifice to fulfill their own ambitions. For those in power and for the person themselves, ambition may not be a bad thing, but for those close to them, it might not be so." Because they might be the first to be sacrificed—though Ren Yaoqi did not voice this last thought.
Hearing this, Xiao Jingxi seemed lost in thought for a moment, then chuckled softly. "Hearing you say that reminds me of an interesting incident that happened in Shunzhou a few years ago."
"Oh?"
"In Shunzhou, there was a man who inherited a small southern goods shop from his parents. He married, had children, and lived a peaceful life. Later, he partnered with others to trade Jiangnan silk and bought Guanxi furs at low prices to sell in Jiangnan, thus making a fortune."
"After that, did this man, once wealthy, become unfaithful, divorcing his wife to marry into a higher family?" Xiao Jinglin rarely interjected.
Xiao Jingxi looked at Xiao Jinglin with some surprise.Xiao Jinglin snorted lightly, "I watched a few plays with Mother before, and that's how the scripts always go." She looked at Xiao Jingxi with disdain, "I never expected you to share the same interests as those women."
Xiao Jingxi remained unfazed and continued speaking to Ren Yaoqi, "This man never got the chance to divorce his wife and marry another. His wife, upon learning he intended to give her away as a concubine to secure a major business deal, took the initiative to help their rivals sabotage their own shop. In the end, the man lost everything."
Xiao Jinglin nodded and sighed, "What boldness!"
Xiao Jingxi chuckled but turned to Ren Yaoqi, "So, rather than worrying about becoming a sacrificial pawn, it's better to take control of others' ambitions in your own hands."
I had something to attend to on Sunday, so I didn't have time for an extra update~
But I'll continue with extra updates tomorrow~ ^^~
Striving for pink votes! Fist pump!
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