Before Old Madam Ren entered, Ren Yaoqi called Nanny Zhou aside and gave her a few instructions.
When Old Madam Ren was ushered into the main courtyard by Madam Li's servants, Ren Shimin and Madam Li were already waiting there with Ren Yaoqi.
Old Madam Ren's expression was quite complex when her gaze lingered on Madam Li.
As Madam Li stepped forward to pay her respects to Old Madam Ren, the old madam quickly put on a smile and was about to reach out to help Madam Li up while saying a few gentle words when Nanny Zhou, standing nearby, stepped forward first to support Madam Li. In a voice loud enough for everyone present to hear, she softly reminded, "Commandery Princess, this is not in accordance with etiquette!"
Madam Li, being kind-hearted, did not immediately react. Nanny Zhou explained, "You are a Commandery Princess personally enfeoffed by the late emperor. According to the etiquette of our Great Zhou, aside from a few distinguished figures in the palace, you only need to bow to the Prince and Princess Consort. Although Old Madam Ren is an elder and should be respected, the ancestral rules cannot be disregarded, and the dignity of the imperial family must not be compromised by anyone."
Upon hearing this, Old Madam Ren's face stiffened, and she could no longer force a smile. She looked at Nanny Zhou with a strained expression, though her words were directed at Madam Li: "So, does that mean I should bow to the Commandery Princess instead?"
Madam Li immediately glanced at Ren Shimin, who stood beside her with a slight frown, just as before, showing no displeasure at Nanny Zhou's words. Madam Li couldn't help but feel relieved.
"Do not be rude."
Madam Li lightly scolded Nanny Zhou, then said to Old Madam Ren, "Old Madam, please take the seat of honor." However, she did not insist on bowing to Old Madam Ren.
After being scolded by Madam Li, Nanny Zhou lowered her head and respectfully stood behind Madam Li without another word. The atmosphere in the room grew somewhat awkward.
Old Madam Ren knew that times had changed and that she absolutely must not lose her composure and clash with Madam Li at this moment. She took a deep breath to suppress the anger in her heart and accepted the opportunity Madam Li offered, seating herself in the place of honor. However, her dissatisfaction with Ren Shimin, who stood by and allowed her to be insulted by a troublesome servant, grew even stronger.
Once seated in the place of honor, Old Madam Ren gradually regained the imposing air she had in the Ren Family mansion in White Crane Town. Just as she was thinking of using her usual tactics to deliberately ignore Ren Shimin and Madam Li for a while to diminish Madam Li's Commandery Princess prestige, Nanny Zhou did not give her the chance.
Nanny Zhou helped Madam Li sit down as well, then deliberately made a grand show of ordering the maids to replace the back cushion of Madam Li's chair and change the tea to the kind Madam Li preferred. She also intentionally scolded Xier in front of everyone for serving water that was too hot, bustling around with a room full of maids attending solely to Madam Li, fully displaying the grandeur befitting a Commandery Princess.
Old Madam Ren sat alone in the seat of honor, her imposing air completely deflated. Her expression grew increasingly unpleasant.
It was only when Ren Shimin glanced at Nanny Zhou that she finally stopped, knowing when enough was enough. Nanny Zhou still showed great respect for Ren Shimin as the son-in-law.
"Old Madam, what brings you here today?" Seeing that everyone had settled down, Ren Shimin, as the head of the household, naturally spoke up.
Old Madam Ren replied righteously, "What? Am I not allowed to come see my son and daughter-in-law?"
Ren Shimin paused briefly before replying coldly, "I have been expelled from the Ren Family and am no longer a member of the Ren Family."Old Madam Ren, seeing Ren Shimin like this, finally softened her tone and sighed, comforting him, "Mother knows you're still angry, but at that time, the situation left the family no choice but to make a decision. Now..."
Ren Shimin frowned and interrupted, "Since a choice has already been made, there's no reason to turn back. I've said it before—once I left the Ren Family, I would never return."
Old Madam Ren's eyes suddenly reddened. "Third son, your mother has come personally to ask you to come home. Are you going to send your own mother away too? You were born from my womb after ten months of pregnancy!"
Ren Shimin pursed his lips. "Even when the family was at its most difficult, I never thought of abandoning it. Yet the family chose to discard me when my own small family's future was uncertain. In truth, I've come to understand things over these past days, so I don't blame anyone. But what's done cannot be undone—I will absolutely not return. There's no need for you to say more, Old Madam."
Old Madam Ren knew Ren Shimin's stubborn temperament. Those unfamiliar with him thought he was easygoing and reasonable, but in fact, among the Ren brothers, Ren Shimin was the hardest to deal with. Old Madam Ren didn't particularly like this middle-born son either; she favored her eldest and youngest sons more.
So Old Madam Ren turned to Madam Li. "Mother knows you're a filial and sensible child. Quickly help Mother persuade Third Son—he's being stubborn again. You should understand that a person without a family is like duckweed without roots, drifting wherever the current takes them. How difficult the road ahead will be is easy to imagine."
Ren Shimin said impatiently, "If even a mere woman like her understands that a person without a family will have a hard road ahead, why didn't you all understand back then and insisted on pushing me to the brink? What kind of family is it that can only share prosperity but not adversity? Since I've already been cast aside by the family, there's no reason for me to be picked back up!"
Old Madam Ren's face paled, and she could only look pleadingly at the soft-hearted and easily swayed Madam Li.
However, Madam Li lowered her head to avoid Old Madam Ren's gaze and whispered, "I... I'll listen to my husband."
Old Madam Ren was so angry she nearly threw her teacup. In the end, she could only place it shakily on the table, force a smile, and beckon to Ren Yaoqi. "Good child, come here."
Ren Yaoqi glanced at Ren Shimin and Madam Li, then lowered her head and stepped forward to stand before Old Madam Ren.
Old Madam Ren's expression improved slightly. She took Ren Yaoqi's hand affectionately and said, "It's been a long time since you've been back, Qi'er. How about coming with your grandmother this time to keep her company? I've saved many precious things for you, waiting to give them to you as dowry when you marry."
Ren Yaoqi let Old Madam Ren hold her hand. "Thank you for your kindness, Old Madam. However, Mother says I still have many rules to learn and cannot leave. Please forgive me."
Old Madam Ren had encountered a soft rebuff.
No matter how earnestly Old Madam Ren tried to persuade them afterward—using coaxing, pleading, or even deception—neither Madam Li nor Ren Yaoqi took the bait. It seemed that as long as Ren Shimin didn't relent, one would obey her husband and the other her father; neither dared to defy Ren Shimin. Yet Old Madam Ren had no way to deal with Ren Shimin.
After struggling for half the day, Old Madam Ren had no choice but to return empty-handed, heading back to White Crane Town first.However, this matter was far from over.
The affairs of the Ren Family were originally just their internal matters, and because they were not particularly honorable, no one had made a big fuss about them. But on the very day after Old Madam Ren left Yunyang City, rumors began to spread outside. It was said that Commandery Princess Jiayi, now feeling proud and elated, was relying on her natal family's influence to show disrespect to her mother-in-law. Even when her mother-in-law went to seek reconciliation, she sent cunning servants to drive her out. As for Ren Shimin, the commandery princess's husband, it was said that he had forgotten his own mother after marrying his wife, now meekly obeying the commandery princess and joining her in showing disrespect to his own birth mother.
When Nanny Zhou heard these rumors, she was furious.
"Fifth Miss, is the Ren Family behind this, trying to force the master to return by spreading such rumors?"
Ren Yaoqi thought for a moment, then lightly furrowed her brows and shook her head. "They should know that with Father's temperament, such rumors won't force him to yield. I'm afraid someone is using the Ren Family's affairs to stir up trouble behind the scenes."
Nanny Zhou was startled upon hearing this. "Who could it be? And what is their purpose?"
Ren Yaoqi did not answer, only saying, "Whoever is behind this will eventually have to step forward. Let's wait and see a bit longer."
"But should we just let those rumors spread unchecked? This will harm the reputations of the master and madam, and it might even have some negative impact on you, Fifth Miss." In any era, disrespect and unfilial behavior toward elders would be condemned by public opinion—even the emperor had to emphasize filial piety. Outsiders would only see Ren Shimin refusing to acknowledge his birth mother; who would care whether he had been driven out of the Ren Family?
Ren Yaoqi shook her head. "Let's wait a bit longer."
The result of waiting was that some people began to question Xiao Jingxi's marriage to Ren Yaoqi. Some felt that parents like Ren Shimin and Commandery Princess Jiayi, who lacked understanding of filial piety, could not possibly raise a good daughter.
Ren Yaoqi finally understood why the enemy had launched such a fierce attack without warning—it was all about her marriage to Xiao Jingxi.
But before Ren Yaoqi could react to this matter, someone else took action first.
The fact that the Ren Family had expelled Third Master Ren from the clan became known to the public. Gradually, except for a few particularly stubborn individuals or those deliberately looking for trouble, the criticism against Third Master Ren diminished significantly.
Unexpectedly, one of those particularly stubborn individuals was soon exposed for visiting brothels during his mourning period for his mother, and his position was suspended by the Yanbei Prince's Mansion. It turned out that this person, who had appeared righteous and spoke constantly of propriety and integrity, had such a flawed character. The public couldn't help but sigh at the revelation.
Some clever individuals realized that this person's swift fall from the moral high ground into the mud was likely because he had displeased the Yanbei Prince's Mansion. Otherwise, how could such a coincidence occur?
Thus, without waiting for the Yanbei Prince's Mansion to speak up, many more people proactively stepped forward to defend Ren Shimin and Commandery Princess Jiayi. These voices were far stronger than the few critical ones and quickly suppressed the discordant opinions.
As a result, Commandery Princess Jiayi and her husband, who had been labeled disloyal, unfilial, unkind, and unjust, were now seen as victims abandoned by their family.
For such provocations, someone in Xiao Jingxi's position as a superior didn't need to take action personally to resolve them. He only had to give a slight hint or point out the direction, and there would be plenty of people rushing to solve his problems. Thus, in many cases, whether justice is served or not depends on one's strength.At this moment, Yun Wenfang, who had been absent from Yunyang City for some time and seemed to have vanished without a trace, suddenly returned, covered in dust and exhaustion.
Though a bit late, it's finally posted 〒_〒～
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