Although the feud and romantic entanglements between the Jiang sisters and the Yun family's second young master had stirred up quite a commotion in Yunyang City, Jiang Yuan Niang and Jiang Qianniang were, after all, not young ladies from Yanbei. After they left Yunyang City, the matter gradually subsided. What people became more concerned about was which family would ultimately win the favor of the Yun family's second young master, the coveted prize. However, because of this incident, the Yun family had also suffered a great loss of face, so Yun Wenfang's marriage plans were temporarily put on hold.
As for Guo Yujiao, whose reputation had been damaged in this matter, she was taken back to Weizhou by her family shortly after Jiang Yuan Niang's scheme to frame her cousin was exposed.
The elders of the Guo family were now filled with regret. Two years earlier, the Qiu family had expressed their intention to form a marriage alliance with the Guo family. However, Guo Yujiao's mother had hesitated at the time, wanting to wait until Qiu Yun passed the provincial examination before formally settling the engagement. As expected, Qiu Yun achieved the second rank in this year's autumn imperial examinations. Just as the Guo family began discussing the marriage with the Qiu family, this unfortunate incident occurred. The Qiu family fell silent, and it seemed this promising marriage alliance was about to fall through.
Not long after this incident passed, the Lunar New Year approached. On the twenty-third day of the twelfth lunar month, the Kitchen God Festival, Second Old Master Ren Yongxiang and his wife, along with Second Master Ren, returned to Yanbei. The eastern mansion of the Ren family's old residence became lively again, though this liveliness only added to Old Master Ren's distress.
The Ren family's properties in the capital and Jiangnan had all been squandered away by the second branch, and in a baffling manner at that. Compared to their triumphant departure from Yanbei, the second branch of the Ren family now returned like stray dogs, utterly defeated.
Despite his distress, Old Master Ren could not simply drive Ren Yongxiang and his family out. He had no choice but to let them continue living in the eastern mansion, separated only by a wall.
Third Master Ren did not return to White Crane Town with his wife and daughter until the twenty-sixth day of the twelfth month. When they went to pay their respects to Old Master Ren and Old Madam Ren, they found the doors closed to them. It turned out that ever since Ren Yongxiang and his wife returned, they had been visiting the western mansion daily. Madam Liao, contrary to her previous confrontations with Old Madam Ren, now showered Old Master Ren and Old Madam Ren with pleasantries. Between the lines, her words conveyed nothing but a desire to return and jointly manage the family business with the main branch of the Ren family, sharing both prosperity and adversity.
Old Master Ren was so infuriated by their unreasonable pestering that he nearly fell seriously ill. Old Madam Ren then used Old Master Ren's poor health as an excuse to close the doors and decline visitors, refusing to see anyone.
Ren Yaoqi actually thought this was just as well. It gave her some peace and quiet, sparing her the need to perform the daily drama of familial affection and filial piety at the Glory and Splendor Courtyard.
Due to the commotion caused by the second branch, it seemed destined that the Ren family would not be able to celebrate the New Year peacefully. Therefore, as soon as the third day of the new year passed, Third Master Ren used the pretext of visiting relatives and friends to take his wife and daughter back to Yunyang City.
Although Ren Yaoqi had returned to Yunyang City, knowing that the Han family would surely take further action, she left people behind in the city to keep an eye on the Ren family's movements. While she did not intend to interfere in the feud between the Han and Ren families, she needed to ensure she had enough time to react appropriately before any sudden changes occurred.After the New Year, Old Master Ren finally called Ren Yongxiang over for a talk. Old Master Ren handed over the management of several coal depots owned by the Ren Family in Shunzhou and Jizhou to the second branch. Naturally, Ren Yongxiang was dissatisfied. He considered himself a man of great ambition, having once managed half of the Ren Family's enterprises. Now, he was reduced to being a mere manager, and only of a few small coal depots at that. Ren Yongxiang couldn't help but harbor resentment toward his elder brother, and in the end, the two parted on bad terms.
However, no matter how indignant Ren Yongxiang felt, he swallowed his discontent and took over the coal depots handed to him by Old Master Ren. The second branch of the Ren Family was no longer what it used to be. Although his second son, Ren Shixu, still intended to rely on his in-laws' influence to make a comeback and had not returned with him this time, Ren Yongxiang understood that now was not the moment to openly clash with the main branch.
After the first month of the lunar year passed, Ren Yongxiang delegated the management of the coal depots to his subordinate managers and began indulging in drinking and opera outings with old friends. Old Master Ren had never held high expectations for him in the first place. Seeing that he wasn’t making a fuss or demanding another division of the family’s assets, Old Master Ren let him be, ensuring his monthly allowance and annual expenses were never shortchanged.
In mid-February, the Xianwang Residence held a wedding—the disgraced heir of Prince Xian, Li Tianyou, was getting married.
The wedding banquet at the Xianwang Residence was not a grand affair. Invitations were only sent to families with whom they had maintained connections in recent years, making it far more low-key compared to the extravagant celebrations of Yanbei's prominent families. The invitation listed Li Tianyou’s fiancée as "Madam Ji." Most people in Yanbei had no idea who this seemingly out-of-nowhere "Madam Ji" was, but those familiar with the history of that era, recalling the marriage Li Tianyou had once been engaged in, began to form their own speculations.
Regardless of how outsiders viewed Li Tianyou’s marriage, Madam Li was overjoyed that her younger brother was finally settling down. She even returned to her maiden home several times to help with the preparations.
On the day of Li Tianyou’s wedding, Madam Li brought Ren Yaoqi and Ren Yaohua back to attend the ceremony. Third Master Ren, not wanting to be absent on such an occasion, finally stepped through the doors of his father-in-law’s home.
Since Ji Fuying no longer had a family of her own, Rong Shi arranged for her to stay in an external residence a few days prior, so that Li Tianyou could fetch her as the bride on the wedding day.
Ren Yaoqi stayed by Rong Shi’s side alongside Madam Li. When someone came to announce that the bride’s sedan chair had entered the alley, Ren Yaoqi noticed Rong Shi’s eyes turning red.
Although Li Tianyou’s wedding was low-key, influential families in Yanbei, such as the Yanbei Prince's Mansion, the Yun Family, the Su Family, and the Lei Family, sent generous gifts. Lei Ting, the head of the Lei Family, attended in person, while representatives from the Su Family, Yun Family, and others also came to the banquet. Compared to the desolate state of the Xianwang Residence in previous years, this turnout was both surprising and poignant. Some even speculated that the Xianwang Residence might not be far from a restoration of its former glory.
Ren Yaoqi remained by Rong Shi’s side, assisting her in receiving female guests, while Ren Yaohua stayed with Madam Li. Although Madam Li and her daughters were technically half-guests, with so few hosts in the Xianwang Residence, no one thought it inappropriate. Third Master Ren, meanwhile, accompanied his father-in-law in entertaining the male guests outside.The banquet had not been underway for long when someone came in from outside to announce the arrival of the Princess Consort of Yanbei and the Commandery Princess. Everyone present was astonished.
It was widely known that the Yanbei Prince's Mansion had sent congratulatory gifts for the wedding of Prince Xian's heir, but no one had expected the Princess Consort of Yanbei to personally attend the wedding banquet. Although she had previously visited Xianwang Residence to invite the Princess Consort of Xian to serve as the principal guest at the Commandery Princess's coming-of-age ceremony, she had not entered Xianwang Residence in full view of the public. Thus, her sudden appearance at the wedding banquet at Xianwang Residence surprised many.
Rong Shi showed no sign of surprise on her face. She rose and personally went out to welcome them.
When the Princess Consort of Yanbei appeared before the crowd, everyone saw her entering hand in hand with the Princess Consort of Xian and Rong Shi. All those seated stood up and paid their respects to the Princess Consort of Yanbei with reverence.
Rong Shi invited the Princess Consort of Yanbei to take the seat of honor. As she sat down, the Princess Consort of Yanbei spotted Ren Yaoqi. In full view of everyone, she smiled warmly and beckoned to Ren Yaoqi, saying, "Yaoqi, come over and sit beside me."
Ren Yaoqi was momentarily taken aback. She glanced at Rong Shi, who nodded to her, so she rose and took a seat between Rong Shi and Xiao Jinglin. Xiao Jinglin secretly winked at her before resuming her expressionless, dignified, and aloof demeanor.
Witnessing this scene, those present couldn't help but form their own thoughts.
Although many knew that the fifth young lady of the Ren Family was not only close to Princess Xiao but also well-liked by the Princess Consort of Yanbei, few had seen it with their own eyes.
Throughout the banquet, the Princess Consort of Yanbei remained cheerful and smiling, occasionally leaning over to whisper to Ren Yaoqi, further confirming Ren Yaoqi's favored status in her eyes.
Naturally, the Princess Consort of Yanbei could not stay until the end of the banquet like the others. After making her intentions clear, she excused herself and left. Rong Shi and Ren Yaoqi stood to see her off, but Xiao Jinglin did not leave immediately. After the Princess Consort of Yanbei departed, she sat beside Ren Yaoqi. Although she hardly spoke a word throughout the banquet, she quietly drank nearly half a pot of wine. It was only when Ren Yaoqi signaled the maids not to pour her any more that she stopped.
When leaving Xianwang Residence, Xiao Jinglin waited for Ren Yaoqi and insisted on taking her in her own carriage, escorting her all the way to her doorstep.
Seeing the slight flush on Xiao Jinglin's face, Ren Yaoqi assumed she was a bit drunk from the wine and obliged by boarding her carriage.
They left later than the other guests, and by the time they emerged, there were only a few carriages left in the alley. Madam Li and Ren Yaohua's carriage was ahead, while Xiao Jinglin had her guards ride alongside the carriage for protection.
After traveling some distance from Xianwang Residence, their carriage encountered a patrol of city guards.
Xiao Jinglin ordered the carriage to stop. The leader of the patrol gestured for his subordinates to continue ahead while he dismounted and approached.
"Subordinate pays respects to Deputy General Xiao!" The man saluted the carriage with military precision. Ren Yaoqi was momentarily stunned before realizing that the "Deputy General Xiao" he referred to was Xiao Jinglin. She couldn't help but glance at Xiao Jinglin, finding the situation both intriguing and novel.
Xiao Jinglin lifted the carriage curtain and nodded slightly to him. "Is there any situation to report?"
The man glanced into the carriage, seemingly noticing that Xiao Jinglin was not alone, and hesitated before saying, "Subordinate will report to the young master later. Could the Commandery Princess inquire with me then?"Xiao Jinglin glanced at him, seemingly aware of his temperament, and did not reprimand him, merely waving her hand to dismiss him.
Instead, the man jogged after the carriage, stammering, "Commandery Princess, the, the weather is still chilly. Please wear a few more layers when you go out." After a pause, he added awkwardly in a low voice, "And Miss Hongying too."
Posted later than expected~ 〒_〒
From now on, don’t wait for updates. It’s perfect for you to read in the morning while sitting on the toilet, right...
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