Regardless of whether Madam Xiao Qiao herself was willing to leave the Lei Family, under Ren Yaohua's orders, the servants worked swiftly and efficiently. Before noon, Liu Gui's wife went to the main courtyard to report that Madam Xiao Qiao's belongings had all been packed. When Madam Xiao Qiao had first sought refuge here, she had brought nothing with her, so aside from packing everything from her room, there was little else to prepare.
Ren Yaohua merely nodded and replied indifferently, "Since everything is packed, let her depart. I won’t see her off. Instruct those accompanying her to serve her well, and if there are any needs, report back to me or the stewards."
At the time, Ren Yaohua was in the study accompanying Lei Pan'er as she practiced calligraphy. While Liu Gui's wife was reporting to Ren Yaohua, Lei Pan'er kept peeking furtively from behind the nearby desk, but she did not interrupt even after Ren Yaohua finished responding.
After Liu Gui's wife left, Ren Yaohua returned to the desk and carefully examined Lei Pan'er's writing. "Hmm, there's improvement. Take a break, have some snacks, and then continue."
Lei Pan'er, pleased with the praise, immediately beamed at her, set down her brush, and obediently allowed the maid waiting nearby to bring water for her to wash her hands.
Ren Yaohua led her to sit at the table, picked a piece of honey cake from the plates of snacks, and placed it on the dish in front of her.
"Thank you, Mother," Lei Pan'er said, picking up a small spoon to eat the cake.
Although Lei Pan'er appeared well-behaved, Ren Yaohua noticed she was quieter than usual today. Even during snack time, she usually chattered nonstop. Ren Yaohua did not point this out, simply watching her eat.
After a few bites, Lei Pan'er set down her spoon and sat there, fiddling with her fingers.
"Not eating anymore? Do you want to go play in the garden?" Ren Yaohua wiped her mouth with a handkerchief and looked at her.
Lei Pan'er shook her head, looking at Ren Yaohua as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.
Ren Yaohua watched her, neither asking nor urging.
Finally, Lei Pan'er couldn't hold back and asked, "Mother, is Auntie leaving?"
"No, she's going to live at the estate. Does Pan'er not want Auntie to leave the manor?"
Lei Pan'er thought for a moment, her expression serious. "Will the food be good at the estate? Will there be servants to attend to her? Will someone take care of her if she falls ill?"
Ren Yaohua nodded. "Yes. The maids and elderly servants who previously attended to Auntie will accompany her. Her food, clothing, and daily necessities will be the same as in the manor. If she falls ill, the stewards will call for a physician. If Pan'er is worried..." Ren Yaohua paused thoughtfully. "Why not send one of your personal maids to accompany Auntie? The maid can go and see for herself, then report back to you?" Two of Lei Pan'er's personal maids had served her for several years, and Ren Yaohua had not replaced them after her arrival.
After listening, Lei Pan'er thought it over again and nodded. "Alright, and she can also check on my wet nurse."
Lei Pan'er had a good memory and still remembered that her wet nurse had also been sent to the estate.
"Does Pan'er want to see Auntie one last time?" Ren Yaohua asked carefully.
Lei Pan'er shook her head. "I heard Auntie didn’t have a good life before coming to our family. As long as I know she’ll be well from now on, that’s enough."Lei Pan'er was precocious, understanding many principles without needing constant reminders. What was rare was her reasonableness; she wouldn't make unreasonable demands.
Ren Yaohua patted her head, called over her maid to give a few instructions, then let her go.
After that, Lei Pan'er seemed to have put aside matters concerning Madam Xiao Qiao, no longer mentioning her. She played as usual when it was time to play and ate as usual when it was time to eat.
When Madam Xiao Qiao saw Lei Pan'er's personal maid Hua Die'er and learned that Lei Pan'er did not intend to bid her farewell, her face immediately turned pale. She was even helped onto the carriage without remembering to resist.
Madam Xiao Qiao's departure seemed like a minor matter to the Lei Family. However, the day after she left, a major event occurred.
Prince Xian, who had vanished from sight after leaving Yanbei, finally reappeared before the world. He surfaced in Hezhong Prefecture and, on the very day of his appearance, took up residence in the Hezhong Prince's mansion.
The next day, Prince Xian publicly announced a posthumous edict from the late emperor.
This edict was issued after the imperial decree that had stripped him of his title. In the edict, the late emperor explicitly pardoned Prince Xian and his family, enfeoffing him as the Prince of Hezhong, with Hezhong Prefecture as his fiefdom. Moreover, after Prince Xian formally accepted the title of Prince of Hezhong, neither he nor his direct descendants were permitted to leave Hezhong for five years.
Once this edict was announced, the entire Great Zhou Dynasty was thrown into shock.
Of course, some doubted the authenticity of the edict in Prince Xian's possession. If it were genuine, why hadn't he produced it earlier?
After announcing the edict, Prince Xian had a copy printed and posted on the bulletin board beside the gates of Hezhong City. Before long, many people obtained printed copies of the edict. After examination by countless individuals, the handwriting of the edict was confirmed to be that of the late Grand Secretary Pei Xun, and the "Fengtian Treasure" seal stamped on it was undoubtedly the emperor's imperial seal.
Although Pei Xun had passed away, many of his calligraphic works remained, making it easy to verify the handwriting. The Pei Family was the foremost among the scholarly elite, with many of its members serving as officials in the court. Several ministers heading the Six Ministries and Grand Secretariat of Great Zhou bore the surname Pei, making the Pei Family an "indestructible" force among the bureaucratic clans of the dynasty. No one believed that Pei Xun would have conspired with Consort Wan and Prince Xian to forge the edict.
Thus, once the edict was announced, those who had doubted its authenticity fell silent.
As for the most intriguing part of the edict, it was the deeply veiled and thought-provoking decree: "For five years, Prince Xian and his direct descendants are not permitted to leave Hezhong."
Throughout history, feudal princes were typically forbidden to leave their fiefdoms without imperial permission, let alone enter the capital without summons. However, as long as the emperor issued an order to summon them, princes, no matter how far away, had to travel to the capital to present themselves before the emperor. The late emperor's edict, however, was remarkable: for five years, the direct line of the Xianwang Residence was forbidden to leave Hezhong. This meant that even if the emperor issued a decree summoning Prince Xian or his heir to the capital, they could ignore it as if the emperor had merely passed gas. No emperor could override his own father—though this father had to be deceased, as a living one might not command such authority.
How Empress Dowager Yan and the Yan Family reacted upon learning this—whether with rage or frustration—remained unknown. In Yanbei, however, Madam Li was overjoyed and wept once more upon hearing the news, while Ren Yaoqi finally breathed a sigh of relief.Five years is neither long nor short, but it is the most suitable period for the development of Xianwang Residence. With the foundation left by Xianwang Residence, as long as they smoothly pass these five years, it will not be so easy for the imperial court to take action against Xianwang Residence in the future. It must be said that Consort Wan's methods are truly beyond ordinary comparison.
However, Ren Yaoqi was still quite surprised that the imperial edict was connected to the Pei family. When she was by Mr. Pei's side, although he had mentioned Consort Wan, it was only in a few words—merely a man's admiration and regret for a peerless beauty.
Ren Yaoqi had never heard of any connection between the Pei family and the lineage of Consort Wan and Prince Xian, nor had Pei Zhiyan ever mentioned Prince Xian in front of her. Of course, if there were any connection between the two sides, the credibility of this imperial edict would be significantly reduced.
Yet Ren Yaoqi could not help but worry about Pei Zhiyan's current situation. Although, given the Pei family's foundation, it would be difficult for the imperial court to move against them in the short term, and they would also need to consider public opinion, it would still be easy to give the Pei family some trouble. Among the Pei family members currently serving in the court, the highest-ranking official is Pei Zhiyan's uncle, Pei Ji, who holds the position of Minister of Rites, a second-rank official and a member of the Grand Secretariat, ranking third within it. Pei Zhiyan is currently a scholar of the Hanlin Academy, holding only a fifth-rank position, but he is the emperor's tutor and is expected to succeed Pei Ji in the future. Compared to targeting Pei Ji, the imperial court would likely prefer to target Pei Zhiyan.
Even if Ren Yaoqi was worried about court affairs, there was nothing she could do.
Although more people believed in the late emperor's edict than doubted it, the vast majority remained in a wait-and-see position. After all, no one knew the true strength of Xianwang Residence, as it had almost no interactions with the major families in Yanbei over the years. No one was foolish enough to offend the imperial court for a newly emerged, unstable, and uncertain feudal prince.
Under these circumstances, Yanbei Prince's Mansion was the first to extend an olive branch to the Prince of Hezhong. Although they only sent some gifts to Hezhong, it represented Yanbei's willingness to acknowledge this Prince of Hezhong.
Once Yanbei Prince's Mansion took action, other forces followed suit due to various interests. The rise of Xianwang Residence would bring earth-shaking changes to the political landscape of the entire Great Zhou dynasty, and many had already sensed the unusual political winds between Xianwang Residence and Yanbei Prince's Mansion.
Amid this atmosphere, Xiao Jingxi, the second son of Yanbei Prince's Mansion, proposed marriage to Ren Yaoqi, the fifth daughter of the Ren family.
When this news came out, families outside Yan Prefecture might have been somewhat slow to react, wondering who this fifth daughter of the Ren family was.
However, it did not take long for everyone to learn that Ren Yaoqi, the fifth daughter of the Ren family, was the biological granddaughter of the former Prince Xian, now the Prince of Hezhong, and the second daughter of Commandery Princess Jiayi, the legitimate daughter of Prince Xian.
When Prince Xian was demoted to commoner status and exiled to Yanbei, all titles from Prince Xian to the heir and commandery princess were stripped. Commandery Princess Jiayi, forced by circumstances, married a merchant. Now, with the late emperor's edict pardoning Prince Xian, the titles of Xianwang Residence were restored, and Commandery Princess Jiayi's title was also reinstated.
Some might think that the status of a merchant's daughter was not worthy of Xiao Jingxi, the second son of Yanbei Prince's Mansion. After all, although Xiao Jingxi's health was poor, he was the most likely to succeed as the heir of Yanbei after the death of Xiao Jingkang. It might be more fitting for the Prince of Hezhong to marry off his granddaughter, but marrying off his granddaughter was still one step removed.However, the Prince of Hezhong had only one legitimate son and one legitimate daughter. The Prince of Hezhong's heir had been married for less than a year, with no children yet. Among the direct blood relatives of the Prince of Hezhong's lineage, the only suitable candidate for a marriage alliance was the youngest daughter born to the legitimate daughter. Fortunately, the title of Commandery Princess Jiayi had been restored. No matter what, Madam Li was a true blue-blooded princess of royal descent.
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