After reading the letter, Rong Shi placed it on the kang table and looked at Ren Yaoqi. "Did Xiao Jingxi have the Princess Consort of Yanbei give this to you?"
Ren Yaoqi sensed the displeasure in Rong Shi's tone and was about to say something when Rong Shi frowned and said, "I had thought that despite his youth, Xiao Jingxi was steady and trustworthy in his conduct. It seems I overestimated him."
Afraid that Rong Shi would blame Xiao Jingxi, Ren Yaoqi quickly said, "Please don’t be angry, Grandmother. This matter is actually my fault. Second Young Master Xiao has helped me many times before, and we are quite familiar with each other. That’s why he asked me to deliver the letter this time. Actually..."
Rong Shi’s frown deepened. "Are you saying you are close to him?"
Ren Yaoqi was momentarily speechless. How should she answer?
Saying they weren’t close would be a lie, but as an unmarried woman, she couldn’t bring herself to admit she was close to an unmarried man.
Seeing Ren Yaoqi’s expression, Rong Shi grew thoughtful.
Just as Ren Yaoqi was wondering how to explain her connection to Xiao Jingxi, she heard Rong Shi say indifferently, "Xiao Jingxi has gone missing—what does that have to do with our Xianwang Residence? Go back and tell the Princess Consort of Yanbei that we cannot help. As for the person mentioned in Xiao Jingxi’s letter, we don’t know who that is."
Rong Shi’s response took Ren Yaoqi by surprise. She opened her mouth to speak but ultimately let out a bitter laugh and replied softly, "I understand, Grandmother. This time, I acted without careful consideration and caused trouble for you and Grandfather. I’ll be more careful in the future."
Ren Yaoqi thought perhaps the agreement between Xiao Jingxi and Xianwang Residence had not yet been finalized, or perhaps Xianwang Residence had reconsidered for some reason and was now backing out. But in either case, it was not something she could interfere with.
Xianwang Residence had its own stance and considerations. She couldn’t force them to change their position for her own selfish reasons.
Moreover, she knew nothing about the details of this matter. Even if she wanted to facilitate cooperation between Xianwang Residence and Yanbei Prince’s Mansion, she couldn’t offer any meaningful input.
Nevertheless, Ren Yaoqi felt a pang of sadness. She worried that if Xianwang Residence refused to help Xiao Jingxi now, would he be able to return safely?
If Xiao Jingxi didn’t come back, then...
Ren Yaoqi frowned. Perhaps she should find out exactly what agreement Xiao Jingxi had made with Xianwang Residence and see if there was any way to remedy the situation. After all, if Prince Xian was unwilling to help, Yanbei Prince’s Mansion was not without resources.
With this thought, Ren Yaoqi’s mind settled somewhat. However, she didn’t know if Rong Shi would be willing to tell her.
If Rong Shi refused, should she try to persuade her?
Rong Shi observed the changes in Ren Yaoqi’s expression but said nothing. She merely lowered her head to take a sip of tea, her gaze fixed on the rim of the bowl as if lost in thought.
Just as Ren Yaoqi had prepared her words and was about to speak, she suddenly heard Li Qian’s voice outside. "Who’s in there?"
Chuchu replied, "Master, it’s Fifth Miss Ren. She’s inside speaking with the Madam."
Li Qian made a sound of acknowledgment, and as footsteps drew nearer, he lifted the curtain and entered.
Ren Yaoqi quickly rose to greet him. "Maternal Grandfather."Li Qian nodded, stroking his beard as he said, "Yaoqi is here. Rong Shi, have the kitchen roast all that game for her to try."
Rong Shi stood up, waiting until Li Qian had settled on the kang before sitting down again with Ren Yaoqi. She smiled and said, "This humble wife has already given the order."
Li Qian nodded, then noticed the letter on the kang table. He glanced at Rong Shi and Ren Yaoqi before reaching out to pick up the letter, opening it with deliberate calmness to read.
Ren Yaoqi didn't think much of it, assuming Li Qian would refuse Xiao Jingxi's request just as Rong Shi had. To her surprise, she heard Li Qian say with suspicion, "Why is that Xiao family lad only sending a letter now? Didn't he already go over there? Could it be he hasn't arrived yet on the road?"
Hearing this, Ren Yaoqi was taken aback and looked up at Li Qian in confusion. "Maternal Grandfather, are you saying you've already lent him the people he asked to borrow?"
Li Qian nodded, glancing at Ren Yaoqi before turning to Rong Shi. "Didn't she bring this letter? You didn't tell her?"
Ren Yaoqi also looked at Rong Shi.
Rong Shi's expression remained unchanged as she smiled and said, "Oh, I was just about to mention it when you came in."
Ren Yaoqi: "..."
Rong Shi gave Ren Yaoqi a meaningful look and said, "This humble wife was merely curious why he would give this letter to the Princess Consort and have her deliver it to Yaoqi."
Ren Yaoqi felt utterly frustrated. So Rong Shi had known from the moment she saw the letter that her trip here was in vain. Everything she said afterward was just testing her. Caught off guard by her concern and because Rong Shi was her closest relative, Ren Yaoqi hadn't noticed the flaws. Not only had she defended Xiao Jingxi, but she had also racked her brains trying to glean some information from Rong Shi. Looking back now, Ren Yaoqi felt she had been incredibly foolish. It had been a long time since she had experienced such a sense of defeat.
Hearing this, Li Qian also glanced at Ren Yaoqi before picking up the letter to read it again. This time, as he read, his brow furrowed. He then turned to ask Ren Yaoqi, "He gave this to the Princess Consort to have her deliver it to you?"
Ren Yaoqi nodded honestly. She now understood that no matter how clever she thought she was, with Rong Shi here, her cleverness could only be considered petty cunning. A single misstep could lead her astray because of that very cleverness.
Li Qian stroked his beard thoughtfully. Just as Ren Yaoqi thought he might say something, he set the letter down and said, "Rong Shi, I've been thinking all morning—let's also kill and steam that wild goose we've been raising for so long."
Ren Yaoqi: "..."
Rong Shi replied patiently, "We already have angelica chicken soup today. Let's have Yihong keep the wild goose for now."
Wild goose and domestic chicken... was there any necessary connection between them?
Li Qian thought for a moment, then nodded with deliberate calmness. "Hmm, they're both poultry. Let's leave it at that for now."
Ren Yaoqi nearly collapsed in disbelief.
"You two chat. I'll take a casual stroll in the courtyard. I've eaten quite a few snacks and need to digest." Li Qian patted his robe, stood up, and walked out with his hands clasped behind his back.
Rong Shi and Ren Yaoqi quickly stood up to see him off.
After Li Qian left, Ren Yaoqi and Rong Shi sat down again. Only then did Rong Shi ask, "Is there anything else you'd like to ask?"According to common sense, Ren Yaoqi should have blushed with embarrassment and then said she didn't want to know anything to distance herself. However, Ren Yaoqi nodded openly and said, "Yes, Grandmother, I wanted to ask if there was some agreement between Xianwang Residence and Second Young Master Xiao. Of course, if it's truly inconvenient to speak of, you can pretend I never asked."
Rong Shi couldn't help but glance at Ren Yaoqi, then smiled. "Since even an outsider like him trusts you, what can't we, as your closest relatives, say? You mentioned earlier that Xiao Jingxi disappeared in Jinzhou? The Hezhong region where Jinzhou is located was the final retreat Consort Wan left for us in the past."
"The past?" Ren Yaoqi frowned.
What past? Was it no longer a retreat now?
Rong Shi sighed. "Yes, the final retreat Consort Wan left for us wasn't Yanbei, but Hezhong. She instructed us to return to Hezhong Prefecture when Yanbei and the court truly fell out and were too preoccupied with fighting each other to pay attention elsewhere. Your maternal grandfather still holds an imperial edict from the late emperor, appointing him as the Prince of Hezhong. The date on that edict comes after the previous edict that abolished his princely title."
"A snipe and a clam locked in combat, with the fisherman reaping the benefit?" Ren Yaoqi said in surprise.
She had always found it somewhat strange. During the decades-long struggle between Consort Wan and Empress Dowager Yan, the two had been evenly matched, and for a long period, Consort Wan had even held the upper hand. Why, in the end, did Consort Wan's forces collapse like a landslide, not only failing to protect her son but also losing her own life?
Now it seemed that Consort Wan's situation back then wasn't as disadvantageous as she had thought. The forces she had cultivated in the Hezhong region hadn't scattered like monkeys fleeing a fallen tree, as the outside world believed.
Prince Xian had been brought under the watchful eye of the Prince of Yanbei, thus placing his life under the protection of Yanbei Prince's Mansion. Meanwhile, the Hezhong forces escaped the court's attention and continued to develop and consolidate in secret.
At this moment, she couldn't help but admire Consort Wan. Her strategies, methods, and understanding of human nature were all executed flawlessly. She had even planned so far ahead for events after her own death.
Rong Shi sighed again. "Originally, that was the case. But who could have expected that before the fisherman could reap the benefit, one of the snipe and clam would take the initiative to come knocking?"
Ren Yaoqi immediately thought of Xiao Jingxi's previous visit. "You mean Second Young Master Xiao?"
Rong Shi nodded, sighing with emotion. "The younger generation is formidable!"
Ren Yaoqi, however, was thinking that in her previous life, before her death, the conflict between Yanbei and the court had already become clear. The situation between the north and south had grown unprecedentedly tense. Yet, she never lived to see the day when Prince Xian would take the late emperor's edict and become the Prince of Hezhong. Perhaps the timing wasn't right, or perhaps it was due to Second Young Master Xiao's intervention causing some unforeseen change.
"He knew about the retreat Consort Wan left for you in Hezhong, so he used that to threaten you into serving him?" Ren Yaoqi didn't want to think ill of Xiao Jingxi, but when it came to court struggles and political conflicts, there was no way to measure a person by good or bad. All anyone could hold onto and rely on was their own stance.
Rong Shi shook her head. "No, he merely proposed mutual benefit."Seeing Ren Yaoqi looking at her, Rong Shi smiled and reached out to smooth the hair on Ren Yaoqi's forehead. "It's an alliance—an alliance between Xianwang Residence and Yanbei Prince's Mansion. We lend him the influence of Hezhong when he needs it, and in return, he guarantees our safety in Yanbei. When the day comes for us to return to Hezhong, Yanbei Prince's Mansion will not obstruct us and will recognize the late emperor's edict granting the princely title."
So that was it!
Ren Yaoqi thought to herself that her earlier guess about an agreement between Xiao Jingxi and Xianwang Residence had not been wrong. She just hadn't imagined the scale of this game would be so vast.
Seeing Ren Yaoqi lower her head in silence, Rong Shi sighed and said, "Back then, we wronged your mother."
The third update is here. The author has finally lived up to expectations... 〒_〒.
Lastly, seeking early-month pink votes～(^o^)
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