Madam Li was now increasingly satisfied with her son-in-law Lei Ting. Although she was not usually one for many words, seeing Lei Ting make a special trip back to pay his respects to her, she held him for a long while, asking about his well-being and expressing her care.
After finishing her calligraphy practice, Lei Pan'er also came running over. She happily paid her respects to Madam Li and Ren Yaoqi, then obediently sat down beside Ren Yaohua. In the past, this child would often throw herself into Ren Yaohua's arms, but now that Ren Yaohua was pregnant, even without anyone specifically teaching her, she knew her limits and would not recklessly bump into Ren Yaohua. Her well-behaved and sensible nature made it impossible not to adore her.
Madam Li also liked her very much and teased her, saying, "Is the baby in your mother's belly a little brother or a little sister?"
Lei Pan'er giggled, "It's a little brother! Pan'er likes little brothers!"
Madam Li was so amused she couldn't stop laughing. She beckoned Pan'er over and held her in her arms. "Why does Pan'er like little brothers?"
Lei Pan'er pouted, "Mother already has Pan'er, so let there be a little brother. A little sister probably wouldn't be as smart and cute as Pan'er."
Her childish words made everyone burst into laughter.
When Lei Ting took Lei Pan'er out, allowing Ren Yaohua and Madam Li to continue their private conversation, Ren Yaohua asked about Ren Yaoqi's marriage.
She only asked Ren Yaoqi one question: "Are you truly happy with it?"
Ren Yaoqi smiled and nodded.
Ren Yaohua glanced at her and did not ask further.
When Ren Yaohua first heard about the marriage between Second Young Master Xiao and Ren Yaoqi, she suspected that the Xianwang Residence wanted to use Ren Yaoqi for a political marriage, just as they had arranged for Madam Li to marry into the Ren Family years ago for the benefit of the Xianwang Residence. She was about to return to her maiden home to ask for clarification when Lei Ting stopped her.
Lei Ting patiently analyzed the situation for her, helping her calm down.
Ren Yaohua thought that with Ren Yaoqi's intelligence, if she were truly unwilling, she would surely find a way to cause some commotion and refuse the marriage—just as Ren Yaoqi had done in the past when she didn't want to see Ren Yaohua marry Han Yunqian, Qiu Yun, or Zeng Kui. Ren Yaoqi always knew how to find a way.
Now that Ren Yaoqi had personally confirmed her happiness, Ren Yaohua felt reassured. Ren Yaoqi didn't want to see her marry the wrong person, and naturally, Ren Yaohua also hoped Ren Yaoqi could marry a suitable husband.
As for the rumors outside that Second Young Master Xiao was in poor health, in the past, Ren Yaohua might have had concerns. But now, after marrying Lei Ting, she had gained her own insights into marriage.
Some couples spend a lifetime together, yet their affection may not compare to those who have only been together for a few years. She now understood the saying, "Some remain strangers even with white hair, while others become close friends from the first meeting." With Ren Yaoqi's intelligence, if she could see something in Second Young Master Xiao, then he must have his merits—and these merits would at least offset the disadvantage of his poor health.
Having realized this, Ren Yaohua felt at ease.
The mother and daughters also discussed the Ren Family's attempt to bring Ren Shimin back into the family. Uncharacteristically, Ren Yaohua did not voice her opinion. Hearing that Ren Shimin did not want to return to the Ren Family, she said nothing. Even the deepest of affections cannot withstand repeated turmoil and trampling.
At the earnest urging of Lei Ting and Ren Yaohua, Madam Li and Ren Yaoqi stayed at the Lei Family for lunch before returning home.When leaving, both Madam Li and Ren Yaohua had reluctance in their eyes. Madam Li repeatedly instructed Ren Yaohua to take good care of her pregnancy, temporarily entrusting household affairs to Nanny Zhou and others, and not to overexert herself. If there was any need, she should immediately send someone back to inform her. Nanny Zhou would select a wet nurse and maidservants for the child—in short, everything had been thought out for Ren Yaohua.
Ren Yaohua agreed to each point and accompanied Madam Li and Ren Yaoqi to the entrance of her courtyard, but Madam Li would not let her go any further.
After returning from the Lei Family, Madam Li was in a very good mood. As parents, nothing is more important than seeing their children live happily.
Next, Madam Li began preparing for the New Year with Ren Yaoqi. Fortunately, their household was small, and they did not live together with multiple branches of the family, so there were far fewer matters to attend to.
Madam Li did not pressure Ren Yaoqi to embroider her dowry all day long. The wedding attire for the Yanbei Prince's Mansion was prepared by the mansion according to custom, so Ren Yaoqi did not need to embroider her own wedding dress. She only needed to embroider a red bridal veil for herself.
Madam Li even teased Ren Yaoqi, saying it was fortunate she was marrying into the Prince's Mansion; otherwise, with Ren Yaoqi's embroidery skills, to avoid embarrassing both her natal and marital families, she would have had to secretly hire an embroiderer.
In truth, Ren Yaoqi's needlework was not terrible, nor was it so poor as to be unsightly. It was just ordinary compared to Madam Li and Ren Yaohua. The only things she excelled at in needlework were designing patterns and selecting color schemes.
Because Ren Yaoqi saved a lot of time on embroidering her dowry, Madam Li did not restrict her as she had once done with Ren Yaohua. Instead, considering that Ren Yaoqi would face many challenges after marrying into the Prince's Mansion, Madam Li often kept her by her side and had Nanny Zhou teach her more about social interactions. Even if Madam Li was not particularly clever, she knew that what one needed to learn for marrying into an ordinary family was entirely different from what was required for marrying into a Prince's Mansion.
A few days before the New Year, the Ren Family sent someone again to invite Ren Shimin back, but he refused once more. Regarding whether to send New Year gifts to the Ren Family, Madam Li consulted Ren Shimin, who said it was unnecessary. In terms of decisiveness, perhaps no one in the Ren Family could compare to Ren Shimin. Once he said he had left the Ren Family, he truly meant it, with no room for reconsideration.
The year passed peacefully once again. Nanny Zhou did not return until after the first lunar month. Originally, Madam Li wanted Nanny Zhou to stay until Ren Yaohua gave birth safely, but Ren Yaohua refused. Ren Yaohua had sought help from her natal family out of necessity. Now that the fetus in her womb had passed three months, and the affairs of the Lei Family had been largely arranged by Nanny Zhou during this period, if Nanny Zhou, the head steward of the inner courtyard of her natal family, continued to stay at the Lei Family, it would inevitably invite gossip. Thus, after the first lunar month, Nanny Zhou returned. Fortunately, the dowry attendants Ren Yaohua brought with her were all capable. After celebrating the New Year and undergoing Nanny Zhou's guidance, they began handling inner courtyard affairs with ease.
After the New Year, rumors began circulating outside that the Yun family's second young master was to be engaged again. This time, the young lady chosen was the eldest daughter of the Meng Family. The Meng Family was considered one of the top families in Yanbei. The eldest daughter of the Meng Family was the legitimate child of the eldest branch, raised since childhood by the Meng family's old madam. She was well-educated, gentle, and virtuous—naturally a suitable match for the Yun family's second young master.However, the Guo family's First Madam, who was also the birth mother of the Meng family's eldest miss, originally had some reservations about this marriage. Last time, Guo Yujiao and the Jiang family's young lady had a fierce fight, with Guo Yujiao being pushed into a pond in the dead of winter, while the two Jiang family young ladies were exposed for their scandalous behavior. This incident caused Guo Yujiao's mother to face considerable blame from her own family. Unfortunately, all of this stemmed from young girls vying for Yun Wenfang's affection. Consequently, the relationship between the Meng and Yun families also grew more distant.
Nevertheless, it is said that this time, the marriage between the Meng and Yun families was facilitated by the Princess Consort. The Yun family also intended to mend relations with both the Meng and Guo families, so the marriage was ultimately arranged.
It is said that because the Yun family's second young master suffered some injuries on the battlefield and needed several months of rest at home, once the marriage was announced, the person involved was nowhere to be seen. The wedding between the Yun family's second young master and the Meng family's eldest miss was scheduled for October this year.
After Yun Wenfang's marriage was settled, it was the turn of the Yun family's eldest miss, Yun Qiuchen.
Yun Qiuchen and the Han family's young master, Han Yunqian, could be considered a perfect match in terms of talent and appearance. Both families had previously expressed interest in forming an alliance, so they became more active in their interactions once again.
Just as everyone in Yan Prefecture was waiting to witness the Yun family's double celebration, another major event occurred.
Somehow, news of Yanbei's Thousand Gold Banquet reached the capital and even piqued the interest of the Empress Dowager. This year, Her Majesty the Empress Dowager planned to send ten young ladies to participate in Yanbei's Thousand Gold Banquet, where they would compete in various talents with Yanbei's own young ladies.
Once this news spread, everyone in Yanbei, from noble families to commoners, was astonished, wondering if the Empress Dowager had too much free time on her hands.
The essence of Yanbei's Thousand Gold Banquet was to allow the noble families of Yanbei to select suitable brides. What business did the imperial court have interfering in this? Even if the young ladies from the south were all exceptionally beautiful and talented, the noble families of Yanbei would not marry them into their households!
No one understood the Empress Dowager's intentions behind this move. However, throughout Yanbei, from teahouses and taverns to inner courtyards, discussions revolved around the Thousand Gold Banquet. Speculations about the Empress Dowager's motives varied widely, with most leaning toward conspiracy theories.
In truth, the people of Yanbei were overthinking it this time. The Empress Dowager's decision to send participants to the Thousand Gold Banquet was solely due to a rumor.
It was said that Prince Xian's granddaughter resembled the late Consort Wan and was exceptionally beautiful. Even the Xiao family's second young master was captivated by her beauty and insisted on marrying no one else, which was why he resolutely rejected the Empress Dowager's arranged marriage—because he found Miss Yan unappealing.
It is worth noting that Empress Dowager Yan had repeatedly mentioned in public that Miss Yan bore a striking resemblance to her younger self. As a result, Miss Yan was hailed as the capital's number one beauty. Now, someone claimed that Miss Yan was not as beautiful as Ren Yaoqi, who resembled Consort Wan. Wasn't this clearly implying that the Empress Dowager was not as beautiful as Consort Wan?
In her lifetime, the person the Empress Dowager hated and despised the most was Consort Wan—without exception.Back when Consort Wan was alive, despite being of lower birth than Empress Dowager Yan and not as young, she overshadowed her at every turn. Wherever Consort Wan was present, the late emperor’s gaze would never fall upon any other beauty in the harem. Yet Consort Wan was far too clever—even if all the women in the harem united, they could not outmaneuver her alone. Catching her in a misstep was impossible; instead, they would only bring misfortune upon themselves, for the heart of the Son of Heaven rested solely with her.
Thus, in the end, the harem consorts could only follow her lead, and even Empress Dowager Yan had once bowed and scraped before Consort Wan for a time. It was a pity that Consort Wan excelled in everything except fate. Starting from a low position with no foundation, everything she held was earned through her own efforts and schemes. Had the late emperor lived another three to five years, allowing her to firmly establish herself, with her abilities and cunning, securing a vast realm for her son would not have been difficult. Alas, the late emperor’s death came at an inopportune time.
Empress Dowager Yan’s hatred for Consort Wan was intertwined with jealousy, inferiority, resentment, disdain, envy, and other complex, murky emotions. Even after more than a decade, she could no longer clearly recall the late emperor’s face, yet she remembered vividly the subtle curve of Consort Wan’s slightly upturned little finger when she drank tea. She had even imitated it flawlessly, turning it into her own habit when drinking tea.
Thus, anything related to Consort Wan would unsettle Empress Dowager Yan, a pattern that persisted over the years. Even on the day she was laid to rest, if someone spoke a few kind words about Consort Wan before her grave, she might just crawl out of the imperial mausoleum.
When Ren Yaoqi learned that Empress Dowager Yan would send young ladies from the capital to attend the Thousand Gold Banquet, she couldn’t help but recall the conversation she had overheard among the Second Miss Meng and others discussing the banquet.
This year’s Thousand Gold Banquet was proposed by Yun Qiuchen, the Eldest Miss of the Yun Family. Ren Yaoqi wondered what role Yun Qiuchen played in this matter—was it calculated or purely coincidental?
Ren Yaoqi had interacted with Yun Qiuchen on multiple occasions. Though they were not close, she had to admit that Yun Qiuchen was a clever and well-rounded young woman, excelling in appearance, family background, temperament, and talent. Of course, she was also more cunning and ambitious than most women.
The Empress Dowager had explicitly stated she would send people to attend Yanbei’s Thousand Gold Banquet. The Yanbei Prince’s Mansion had no grounds to refuse, nor had the Empress Dowager given them the opportunity to do so. Her Majesty was already in the process of selecting outstanding young ladies from prominent families in the capital. This year’s Thousand Gold Banquet was scheduled for May, and the selected ladies would depart from the capital by April at the latest, traveling north via the thawed waterways. It was already February.
Regardless of the Empress Dowager’s motives for involving herself in Yanbei’s Thousand Gold Banquet, the event had become a grand occasion in Yanbei, further elevating the Yun Family’s prestige in the region. Many young ladies who originally lacked the qualifications to attend were now seeking opportunities and connections to participate.
Everyone has a competitive spirit, and these young ladies had a simple goal: to outshine the women sent by the Empress Dowager. The Thousand Gold Banquet had always been a stage for Yanbei’s young ladies to showcase themselves, and the arrival of girls from the capital felt like a provocation to all the young women of Yanbei.However, because the Empress Dowager was getting involved, the invitations to this year's Thousand Gold Banquet were harder to come by than in any previous year. Originally, due to one session of the banquet not being held, many eligible young ladies from prominent families had missed their chance to attend and were eagerly waiting for this session to make their debut.
Therefore, the Yun Family finally announced that aside from each family receiving only two invitations, young ladies who were already betrothed or fell outside the age range of twelve to fifteen would not be invited.
Upon learning this, Ren Yaoqi felt even more at ease. She truly had no desire to wade into these muddy waters.
Unfortunately, fate had other plans. Some things were simply unavoidable, no matter how much she wished to escape them. Ren Yaoqi was among the first group of young ladies to receive an invitation from the Yun Family.
Any missed updates for the month will be made up by the last day of the month (the author will check the missed updates and take a break at the end of the month).
Regarding the book review section, I hope everyone can express themselves rationally. It’s fine to criticize the author—I’m too busy, my updates are slow, and my character is questionable. This is obvious to all, and there’s really no excuse. So, if I get criticized, I deserve it. Consider it a bit of entertainment for everyone╮（╯_╰）╭
However, I hope you won’t involve other authors. Writing is hard work, and every author who doesn’t abandon their story is a fallen angel with broken wings. Everyone has different tastes—you might like radishes, while I prefer cabbage. That’s no reason to attack other authors in my book review section. I genuinely don’t get any pleasure from it!
(If you really must attack someone, please take it to another book review section where I won’t see it!!!! Are you bullying me, bullying me, or bullying me?!)
Finally, (seriously and earnestly) please refrain from saying negative things about other works or authors in the book review section for Di Mou. Doing so could hinder the author’s ability to connect with friends and disrupt the harmony. Have you considered that the person you’re criticizing might be the author’s beloved? Thank you for understanding!
P.S.: You might notice a bunch of nonsense at the end of this chapter, while the word count shows only a little over 4,000 words, and suspect the author of padding the count. Let me clarify: that’s the original word count before revisions. The actual content of this chapter, excluding the nonsense, is no less than 4,000 words.
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