Xiao Jingxi's words took Ren Yaoqi completely by surprise. How could she not have thought about her father's future path?
It was clear that the Ren Family was unreliable. If the Ren Family insisted on bringing ruin upon themselves, should their branch once again perish alongside them?
If the day truly came when they needed to leave the Ren Family to protect themselves, her father, as the head of the household, would undoubtedly have to shoulder the responsibilities that came with that role.
It was precisely because she understood this clearly that Ren Yaoqi had deliberately mentioned her father's painting restoration in front of Lady Xu, hoping to help her father step out of the small world of the Ren Family.
It was impossible for Ren Yaoqi not to be moved by Xiao Jingxi's words.
As Xiao Jingxi had said, Yunyang Academy was Yanbei's highest institution of learning, essentially an official school controlled by the Yanbei Prince's Mansion, bearing some resemblance to the Imperial Academy in the capital.
Those who served as instructors at Yunyang Academy were all learned scholars from across Yanbei, some even serving as advisors or retainers to the Yanbei Prince's Mansion. This was, in essence, an identity—one that could allow Ren Shimin to step beyond his role as Third Master of the Ren Family and gain a status recognized and respected by society. This was precisely what Ren Yaoqi was striving to secure for her father at the moment.
However...
Ren Yaoqi frowned and said, "My father holds no official rank or scholarly title."
Ren Shimin disliked the study of classical texts and never forced himself to learn them. Third Master Ren had always been willful; he regarded official titles as worthless, and to him, they truly were.
But how could someone without an official rank or scholarly title command respect as an instructor at Yunyang Academy? Even if Third Master Ren aspired to be a renowned scholar, he had yet to earn that reputation.
Seeing Ren Yaoqi's furrowed brow, Xiao Jingxi felt an inexplicable urge to smooth it out. He lowered his gaze and smiled faintly. "Not all instructors at Yunyang Academy hold official ranks or scholarly titles. As long as..."
He paused, pondered for a moment, then looked up and smiled at Ren Yaoqi. "Next year, Yunyang Academy will send ten individuals to the capital to participate in the Literary Contest, competing in essays, classical texts, poetry, music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Given your father's expertise in calligraphy and painting, it would not be difficult for him to stand out at the contest. As long as he secures a respectable ranking for Yanbei, no one would dare question his entry into the academy upon his return."
Ren Yaoqi's eyes lit up at his words, but after a moment of thought, she voiced her doubts. "I have also heard of the Literary Contest and the Martial Contest, but those who participate are usually individuals already renowned in a particular field."
The emphasis of the "Literary Contest" and "Martial Contest" lay in the word "contest." While it was often described as an exchange of talent and culture between Yanbei and the imperial court, in reality, it was a struggle for prestige between the two sides. To secure victory, both parties sent only the most skilled participants. Even if Ren Shimin was talented, he had remained obscure for many years and lacked the qualifications to participate in the Literary Contest.
Xiao Jingxi, however, brushed aside Ren Yaoqi's concerns with a lighthearted smile. "Once he participates in the Literary Contest, his reputation will naturally follow."
Xiao Jinglin, unable to stand Xiao Jingxi's smug, all-knowing demeanor, said expressionlessly to Ren Yaoqi, "There really is nothing to worry about. The final selection of participants for this year's Literary and Martial Contests is ultimately up to him. If he can't even manage such a small matter, what kind of man is he?"
What did this have to do with being a man? Xiao Jingxi twitched the corner of his mouth.Ren Yaoqi asked Xiao Jingxi, "Are you also going to the capital? When?"
Xiao Jingxi was momentarily taken aback, and Xiao Jinglin also glanced at Ren Yaoqi.
However, Xiao Jingxi quickly regained his composure, a smile curling at the corners of his lips as he replied, "If nothing unexpected happens, I should be making a trip there, likely around this time next year, returning before winter sets in."
Ren Yaoqi didn’t notice the slight flush and genuine delight in Xiao Jingxi’s smile, which was more pronounced than usual. She was busy trying to recall events from her past life. It seemed that every time Second Young Master Xiao went to the capital, something unfortunate occurred. She wasn’t sure if Xiao Jingxi had attended the literary competition the following year in her previous life, but she remembered that Ningxia Regional Commander Wu Xiaohe had died suddenly just before winter, and Second Young Master Xiao had not been in Yanbei at that time.
"What’s wrong?" Xiao Jingxi asked, noticing Ren Yaoqi’s silence.
Ren Yaoqi shook her head. "It’s nothing. I was just thinking that after winter sets in, not only will the rivers freeze over, but the south is often rainy, making the roads muddy and difficult to travel. If you’re going, it would be best to return by late autumn."
Xiao Jingxi looked at Ren Yaoqi, his eyes slowly crinkling with a smile, their brilliance almost dazzling. "Alright."
Meeting Xiao Jingxi’s gaze, Ren Yaoqi’s heart skipped a beat, and she couldn’t help but blush slightly. Although she felt that Xiao Jingxi always considered her in his plans, and it was only natural for her to reciprocate his kindness with concern, upon reflection, it now seemed a bit too intimate.
Moreover, while Ren Yaoqi was worried about Xiao Jingxi’s poor health and the possibility of him falling ill if trapped on icy, snowy roads in the dead of winter, she was also apprehensive about potential trouble in Ningxia. If something happened, Xiao Jingxi would be too far away in the capital to intervene.
However, it was still too early to bring this up now. She had no evidence to prove that Ningxia would be in turmoil the following year, so it would be better to find a way to remind him before he left next year.
Xiao Jinglin, meanwhile, sat to the side, resting her chin on her hand as she looked from one to the other, her expression thoughtful and profound.
Xiao Jingxi cleared his throat lightly and asked, "What do you think of this place?"
Ren Yaoqi, lost in thought, snapped back to attention and instinctively glanced around. "This place?" It was just an ordinary small courtyard.
Xiao Jingxi smiled. "It seems you’ve forgotten the suggestion you once gave me."
Only then did Ren Yaoqi realize that Xiao Jingxi was referring to the idea of hiding troops in temples. Of course, she hadn’t forgotten. However, as they had made their way here, she had discreetly observed their surroundings and hadn’t noticed any signs of an army. She had even wondered curiously if the plan hadn’t gone smoothly. But judging by Zhu Ruomei’s demeanor, that didn’t seem to be the case.
Xiao Jingxi seemed to understand what Ren Yaoqi was thinking. He smiled and said, "There are five thousand men here."
Ren Yaoqi was quite surprised to hear this. The place didn’t look at all like it could hide five thousand people.
Xiao Jinglin chimed in leisurely, "He’s not lying. Those five thousand men are currently scattered across the back mountain, clearing land. Next year, White Cloud Temple will have quite a few more fields, and the monks are overjoyed."
Ren Yaoqi: "..." So they were making efficient use of resources and not wasting food.
But this was also good, as it could greatly ease tensions between the temple and the army, preventing any backlash from the temple.
Since Xiao Jingxi had brought up the matter of the army, Ren Yaoqi took the opportunity to ask, "How are things in Ningxia?"What she really wanted to ask was whether there had been any unusual movements in Ningxia, but Xiao Jinglin thought Ren Yaoqi was inquiring about the affairs of Xiao Wei and Wu Yiyu, the mother and daughter. She responded, "What else could happen? With three women in the mix, the backyard of the Ningxia Regional Commander's residence is quite lively these days."
Speaking of this, Xiao Jinglin couldn't help but admire Xiao Jingxi's methods. The new concubine Wu Xiaohe had taken in was indeed a formidable character, capable of holding her own against two opponents without losing ground. After all, she was facing a madwoman who dared to throw a poisonous spider into the tea cup of a commandery princess like herself. Moreover, the concubine had the skill to provoke Regional Commander Wu into punishing Wu Yiyu twice, nearly driving Xiao Wei to her sickbed with anger.
Even Xiao Jinglin, who had never been interested in such inner-household conflicts, couldn't help but follow the developments in the Wu family's backyard. However, Princess Xiao believed she was paying attention only to learn some military strategies and tactics from that concubine—after all, true skill knows no humble origins.
Yet, in this internal conflict within the Wu family, Xiao Wei and her daughter's disadvantage was also related to the attitude of the Yanbei Prince's Mansion.
Xiao Wei had sent someone back to ask the Yanbei Prince's Mansion to intervene and discipline Wu Xiaohe and the concubine. The Prince of Yanbei was not in the mansion, and the Princess Consort refused to respond, citing that it was inappropriate to interfere in the internal affairs of the Wu family. The Yanbei Prince's Mansion, temporarily under Xiao Jingxi's control, also took no substantive action to condemn the Wu family.
Instead, Wu Xiaohe proactively sent over a dozen carts of gifts to the Yanbei Prince's Mansion to express his regard for this marital alliance. He also wrote a letter, jesting and evading before finally revealing his true intentions: he was not blinded by lust but merely wanted to secure an heir for the Wu family, and he asked the Yanbei Prince's Mansion to understand his plight as the sole heir of his generation.
Even the Old Princess Consort, after reading the letter, could only curse a few times and resign herself to the situation. She couldn't very well demand that the Wu family be left without descendants. After all, why couldn't Xiao Wei bear a son? The Old Princess Consort even wondered if she and her daughter were under some curse—why, despite their impeccable backgrounds, they both ended up defeated by lowly women because of children?
With the Yanbei Prince's Mansion ignoring the matter, Xiao Wei and Wu Yiyu had no choice but to continue their feud with the concubine.
While Xiao Jingxi was briefly away attending to some matters, Xiao Jinglin hesitated awkwardly before continuing to share gossip with Ren Yaoqi: "I heard that Wu Xiaohe's concubine was pregnant, but Wu Yiyu caused her to miscarry."
This was the first time Xiao Jinglin had ever discussed such inner-household gossip with anyone. She had always despised those idle women who gossiped about others, but now, whispering about these matters with Ren Yaoqi, she didn't feel out of place at all. In fact, it even gave her a sense of intimacy, though she couldn't help feeling a bit guilty as she spoke.
Ren Yaoqi was also surprised that Xiao Jinglin would talk about such things, but she didn't see it as a bad thing. She asked, "Oh? Is this why Miss Wu was reprimanded by Regional Commander Wu?"
Xiao Jinglin nodded. "However, the people the prince's mansion stationed in Ningxia reported that the concubine's pregnancy might not have been real. Wu Yiyu was likely framed and made to take the blame."
False pregnancies were not unheard of in inner households. Ren Yaoqi nodded understandingly and asked curiously, "Is the Yanbei Prince's Mansion really not intervening? After all, Madam Wu is from the prince's mansion. Shouldn't they be concerned about their reputation?"Xiao Jinglin glanced at Ren Yaoqi, thought for a moment, and said meaningfully, "Xiao Jingxi said that face can't be eaten as a meal. Our royal household has been leading troops into battle since our ancestors. If we wanted to learn the aristocratic demeanor, we shouldn’t have picked up swords and arrows in the first place."
First update delivered~
Still three more updates to go today, clenching fists!
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