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Ren Yaoqi instructed Pingguo and Sangshen, "Wait outside."
Pingguo and Sangshen dared not say anything and both lowered their heads in acknowledgment.
Ren Yaoqi raised her hand, pushed the door open, and entered the private room.
The room consisted of inner and outer sections. Though not particularly spacious, its decor was exquisitely refined, with subtle touches in the furnishings revealing an air of elegance.
Ren Yaoqi walked straight into the inner room.
Xiao Jingxi sat at the table, head bowed as he quietly fiddled with something. The light streaming through the window cast a warm golden glow over the hand closer to the window. Even from the side, his profile was strikingly handsome.
As Ren Yaoqi approached, she noticed Xiao Jingxi was toying with a jade nine-linked ring. Just as she looked over, he happened to solve it.
Xiao Jingxi looked up and smiled at Ren Yaoqi, then raised the nine-linked ring in his hand. "Care to give it a try?"
Ren Yaoqi reached out to take it, but Xiao Jingxi slightly lifted his hand to avoid her grasp. He then lowered his head and restored the solved ring to its original state.
Ren Yaoqi sat down in the seat beside him and watched quietly.
Only after Xiao Jingxi finished did he hand the nine-linked ring to Ren Yaoqi.
"Shall I time you?" With that, Xiao Jingxi produced a small hourglass from somewhere, placed it on the table, and smiled at Ren Yaoqi.
Ren Yaoqi glanced at the hourglass, then lowered her head and began unhurriedly working on the ring. She had played with such things as a child, but she had somewhat forgotten how to solve it and could only explore slowly as she went.
Xiao Jingxi sat beside her, watching. He neither spoke nor offered guidance.
By the time most of the sand had trickled through the hourglass, Ren Yaoqi still hadn’t solved it. She looked at the hourglass, then at Xiao Jingxi, who was smiling without a word, and finally placed the nine-linked ring back on the table.
Xiao Jingxi raised an eyebrow. "What’s wrong?"
Ren Yaoqi replied, "It’s not my forte. No point wasting time."
Xiao Jingxi chuckled teasingly. "Giving up so easily?"
Ren Yaoqi shook her head at his words, then picked up the nine-linked ring again to examine it. "If the goal is simply to solve it, there’s an easy way—smash it open. But this ring seems to be a cherished possession of yours, so I refrained." The ring appeared well-worn and polished, as if frequently handled.
Xiao Jingxi smiled lightly. "Indeed. Tong He found it while sorting through my trunks a few days ago. It was a favorite of mine before I turned ten."
Ren Yaoqi looked at the ring curiously. "It’s very well-preserved. It seems you’re someone who values the past."
Xiao Jingxi smiled without comment and poured Ren Yaoqi a cup of hot tea.
"Zeng Pu seems to be thriving lately?" Ren Yaoqi asked softly, watching Xiao Jingxi pour the tea.
Xiao Jingxi set down the teapot and smiled faintly. "Even with the Wu family’s arrival, Ningxia has never been an impenetrable fortress. Though Zeng Pu’s title as Ningxia Regional Commander is more nominal than real, the title itself carries weight. For the sake of profit, there will always be those who flock to him."
Ren Yaoqi frowned thoughtfully. "But if he’s allowed to pick them off one by one, won’t Yanbei also face difficulties?" The Yanbei Prince’s Mansion sought stability in Yanbei, and Ningxia played a pivotal role in this. This was precisely why the court had targeted the Wu family this time.Xiao Jingxi looked thoughtfully at Ren Yaoqi. "You seem quite concerned about matters in Ningxia? Is there any particular reason?"
Ren Yaoqi fell silent for a moment before replying, "A few days ago, the Zeng family came to the Ren Family to propose a marriage."
The marriage arrangement between the Zeng and Ren families was still in private negotiations and had not yet been made public. Moreover, Xiao Jingxi had not spent much time in Yunyang City recently, so he had not paid attention to such minor matters.
Hearing Ren Yaoqi's words, Xiao Jingxi clearly misunderstood. His expression changed. "To whom did they propose?"
Only then did Ren Yaoqi realize she had not made herself clear and quickly added, "It's for my Third Sister. Zeng Pu proposed a marriage between Zeng Kui and my Third Sister."
Xiao Jingxi breathed a sigh of relief and coughed lightly. "Oh, I thought..."
He did not finish his sentence, and Ren Yaoqi was not foolish enough to ask. The two fell silent for a while.
After some thought, Xiao Jingxi continued, "Zeng Kui? That man is likely not a suitable match."
Hearing Xiao Jingxi say this, Ren Yaoqi knew he must have investigated the Zeng family himself before Zeng Pu arrived in Yanbei and was aware of the things Zeng Kui had done in the capital.
Ren Yaoqi nodded. "I have also heard some rumors about Zeng Kui, so I do not agree with Third Sister marrying into the Zeng family. However, the Ren Family's patriarch—my grandfather—has expressed interest in forming an alliance with the Zeng family through marriage."
Xiao Jingxi could not help but raise an eyebrow, but remembering that the Ren Family patriarch was Ren Yaoqi's own grandfather, he refrained from commenting.
Though Xiao Jingxi remained silent, Ren Yaoqi did not hold back. "I only have one sister, and I do not wish to see her sacrificed by the family for the sake of some laughable benefits."
Xiao Jingxi nodded. "What do you plan to do?" He paused, then added gently, "I will help you."
Ren Yaoqi had come to see Xiao Jingxi today precisely to ask for his help, but hearing his words still stirred a flutter in her heart.
Lowering her head, Ren Yaoqi said softly, "I do need your help with this matter. The Ren Family has come this far, and it is time they learned a lesson."
Xiao Jingxi was somewhat surprised by this. "What kind of lesson?"
Ren Yaoqi spoke slowly. "If you want to play both sides, you must have the weight to do so. The Ren Family rose to prominence in Yanbei, yet my grandfather wants to expand the family's coal depots throughout the entire Great Zhou. Now is the time for him to make a choice: he can only choose between Yanbei and the capital. If the Ren Family chooses the capital, then they should relinquish the coal mines and depots they hold in Yanbei."
Xiao Jingxi paused. "If the Yanbei Prince's Mansion were to seal the Ren Family's coal mines, the lives of everyone in the Ren Family would likely be affected, including yours."
Ren Yaoqi smiled. "It's fine. My grandfather is a clever man; he knows how to choose."
Xiao Jingxi liked seeing Ren Yaoqi smile, but at this moment, her smile made his heart ache slightly.
Ren Yaoqi looked at Xiao Jingqi and blinked. "Of course, I cannot let you work for nothing. Isn't the Yanbei Army currently short on funds? The Ren Family's wealth should be enough to ease your urgent needs for a while. You can hold onto it for a bit longer."
Xiao Jingxi shook his head with a wry smile. "Who else would say something like that?"
Ren Yaoqi smiled but said nothing.
How the Ren Family rose to prominence—she knew, and so did Xiao Jingxi."By the way, is there any news from Fang Yacun?" Ren Yaoqi hadn't seen Xiao Jingxi for a while, and knowing he was busy with Ningxia affairs, she hadn't asked him about the Fang family.
Xiao Jingxi said, "Fang Yacun can be considered a capable official. Do you know where his foundation lies?"
Ren Yaoqi thought for a moment, then affirmed, "It's the Fang family!"
Xiao Jingxi nodded: "So if you want Fang Yacun to have no chance of fighting back, you should start with the Fang family. As for official matters, they change rapidly. For example, back then, Feng Mian, the prefect of Chuzhou, took a liking to Fang Yacun simply because the Fang family had money to handle things for him. The Fang family contributed greatly to Feng Mian's promotion, so of course he would in turn promote Fang Yacun. If Fang Yacun loses the backing of the Fang family, no matter how capable he is, he will find it difficult to advance in the Jiangnan official circles."
Xiao Jingxi's words made Ren Yaoqi's eyes light up.
Thanks to Xiao Jingxi telling her these intricacies, otherwise, with her in Yanbei and Fang Yacun in Jiangnan, it wouldn't be easy for her to know both herself and her opponent.
"Thank you, I know what to do now," Ren Yaoqi said sincerely.
Hearing this, Xiao Jingxi smiled softly and said, "You don't need to thank me."
Just then, Pingguo reported from outside the door, "Miss, the two matrons have bought the pastries."
Hearing this, Ren Yaoqi knew it was time for her to leave.
Although she believed Xiao Jingxi must have arranged everything here properly so that no one would know they had met privately, it wouldn't be appropriate for her to disappear from public view for too long.
Ren Yaoqi glanced at Xiao Jingxi, stood up, and said, "I should go now."
Xiao Jingxi looked at her and nodded, "Alright."
Ren Yaoqi curtsied and was about to turn and leave when Xiao Jingxi spoke again, "By the way, if you have any matters that need handling in Jiangning, you can send someone to find Ninth Master Chu of the Chu family in Jiangning. Just say you're from the Yan family. I remember Fang Yacun's eldest legitimate daughter, Fang Yahui, married into the Qin family. Ninth Master Chu's principal wife is from the Qin family."
Ren Yaoqi couldn't help but stop in her tracks, hesitating, "I wonder if this Ninth Master Chu can be trusted? What I need to do is probably..."
This was exactly what Ren Yaoqi had been thinking about. She had a way to bring down Fang Yacun, but finding the right person to facilitate this was a problem. If necessary, she could only borrow people from Xianwang Residence or seek Zhu Ruomei's help. However, whether it was Xianwang Residence or Zhu Ruomei, extending their reach to Jiangning would take some time.
Knowing Ren Yaoqi's concerns, Xiao Jingxi said gently, "You can entrust matters to him without worry. He won't say an extra word."
Hearing Xiao Jingxi say this, Ren Yaoqi understood somewhat—this Ninth Master Chu was probably someone planted in Jiangning by Yanbei Prince's Mansion.
But this made Ren Yaoqi feel even more uneasy.
Seeing Ren Yaoqi lost in thought without speaking, Xiao Jingxi thought for a moment, then looked at her with a smile and said, "Well, I can lend you my people, but afterwards I'll collect payment from the Ren Family."
Remembering their previous conversation, Ren Yaoqi couldn't help but laugh.
"Alright, thank you."
Ren Yaoqi bid farewell to Xiao Jingxi and left the private room.Tong Xi saw Ren Yaoqi come out and immediately led her downstairs, saying, "I've already had the teahouse staff arrange for Fifth Miss's people to have tea in the front. Once you board the carriage, I'll have them wait for you at the front gate."
When Ren Yaoqi entered through the side door, she only brought Pingguo and Sangshen with her, leaving the others outside.
Ren Yaoqi nodded and expressed her thanks.
After Ren Yaoqi boarded the carriage, Tong Xi arranged for someone to drive it out, and sure enough, the other maids and older women she had brought emerged from the front door of the teahouse.
Because I was too tired, I fell asleep right after posting.
Then I heard I posted the wrong thing...
The author is here to make amends...〒_〒.
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