Reborn of the Rightful

Yun Wenfang took the wine pot from beside Yun Wenting and took a sip, saying nothing.

Yun Wenting knew this was his silent acquiescence and couldn’t help but press his fingers to his temples, falling silent.

The two sat quietly for a while before Yun Wenfang suddenly spoke up, “What do you want most?” Though he had already drunk quite a bit, Yun Wenfang’s voice was unexpectedly calm when he asked this question.

Yun Wenting did not answer, and Yun Wenfang did not ask a second time.

It was unclear how much time had passed when Yun Wenfang, having drunk himself nearly senseless again, heard someone softly singing in rhythm beside him: “Three winters come from the north, nine summers have not returned south, the green stream though lush, the white snow still gleams, the evening breeze rustles the low grass, distant mountains catch the setting sun…”

It took Yun Wenfang a long while to recall that this was a folk song from near Jiajing Pass, sung by all Yanbei Army soldiers who had guarded the frontier. He listened silently for a long time, until in the end he could no longer distinguish whether the voice singing this tune was Yun Wenting’s or his own inner echo.

After finishing the last drop of wine, Yun Wenfang tugged at the corner of his mouth and murmured something softly. Whether he had drunk too much or simply failed to speak aloud, no one could make out what he said—it seemed merely like a scoff, as he often did in the past.

After daybreak, Yun Wenfang returned to the Yun Family with Yun Wenting.

This time, Yun Wenfang’s father invoked the Yun Family’s household discipline, tying Yun Wenfang to the long bench outside the family ancestral hall and beating him half to death. The blood that flowed from Yun Wenfang’s body soaked the soles of the executioner’s shoes. In the end, if not for Yun family’s eldest young master, Yun Wenting, pleading with Old Madam Yun to intercede, Yun Wenfang’s life would likely have ended there.

Yet no matter how the Yun Family punished Yun Wenfang, Yun Family Eldest Miss Yun Qiuchen’s ear could not be healed. Moreover, the shame of the siblings stripping the Yun Family of all dignity before so many people could never be undone.

While the Yun Family busied itself with closing its doors to deal with internal affairs, the Thousand Gold Banquet at the hot spring villa continued. Though the original host, the Yun Family, no longer had anyone remaining—after Yun Qiuchen’s incident, the Yun Family’s second and third young misses were also taken back—the Yun Family had lost too much face and had no desire to stay at the hot spring villa to be mocked.

However, on the second day of the Thousand Gold Banquet, to everyone’s surprise, Consort Dowager Yun, who was thought unlikely to attend, appeared. Supported by Princess Consort, she took her seat on the high platform, facing Old Princess Consort in a clear standoff.

Consort Dowager Yun had never been one for such gatherings, nor did she enjoy appearing in the same venue as Old Princess Consort—especially since she had fallen ill the previous day and now looked rather pale.

Yet despite her sickly appearance and simple attire, Consort Dowager Yun did not seem inferior when standing beside Old Princess Consort. On the contrary, in terms of presence and bearing, Old Princess Consort might not have matched her.

When Consort Dowager Yun approached Old Princess Consort, she gave a slight nod as a greeting before walking to her seat and sitting down.

Old Princess Consort found Consort Dowager Yun’s demeanor highly displeasing, especially her failure to offer a formal salute before so many people, which was deeply embarrassing. After all, in terms of rank, Old Princess Consort stood half a step above Consort Dowager Yun."Indeed, those who are not of the same family do not enter the same door. I doubt they even know how to write the words for propriety, righteousness, integrity, and shame." The Old Princess Consort said with a cold, mocking expression.

Her words were meant to allude to the incident involving Yun Qiuchen and Yun Wenfang. Given how widely the events of the previous day had spread, and with the Old Princess Consort staying at the hot spring villa, she had naturally heard about it. Her remark also indirectly criticized Consort Dowager Yun, implying that the Yun Family lacked propriety.

Upon hearing this, Consort Dowager Yun glanced at the Old Princess Consort. "Are you referring to me?"

The Old Princess Consort snorted coldly, her meaning clear.

Unexpectedly, Consort Dowager Yun nodded. "Your criticism is justified. The Prince is often away from the estate and unable to pay his respects to you, which indeed shows a lack of propriety. This is my failure in teaching him properly."

The Old Princess Consort’s expression darkened further.

She had clearly been referring to the Yun Family, but Consort Dowager Yun had shifted the focus to the Prince, as if eager to remind everyone that the current Prince of Yanbei was her own flesh and blood, making them the true family.

In ordinary households, even if a concubine bore children, they would still recognize the principal wife as their mother. However, due to the tangled history between Yanbei and the imperial court, Consort Dowager Yun could not strictly be considered a concubine.

In the past, Consort Dowager Yun had gone through all the proper betrothal rites with the Old Yanbei Prince. Had the imperial court not interfered, she would have been the rightful principal wife. To appease the Xiao Family, the court had granted Consort Dowager Yun an official title, which was why the Prince of Yanbei and the Princess Consort still addressed her as "Mother," and Xiao Jingxi and Xiao Jinglin referred to her as "Grandmother."

As the saying goes, one should not strike another’s face or expose their weaknesses. Yet Consort Dowager Yun relentlessly targeted the Old Princess Consort’s sore spot. Everyone knew the Princess Consort’s greatest regret was her inability to bear a son, which had led to her current awkward position.

While the Old Princess Consort and Consort Dowager Yun sparred, the Princess Consort remained uninvolved. She sat in her seat, quietly summoning Xiao Jinglin and Ren Yaoqi to give them some instructions.

Nevertheless, the tense confrontation between the Old Princess Consort and Consort Dowager Yun did not escape the notice of those present.

Those who had been gloating over the Yun Family’s misfortunes now saw Consort Dowager Yun holding her ground against the Old Princess Consort, and their amusement began to fade. Observing Consort Dowager Yun’s composed demeanor and recalling that the Princess Consort also hailed from the Yun Family, they realized that as long as Consort Dowager Yun and the Princess Consort remained, the Yun Family would not truly fall.

Seated at the head of the room, Consort Dowager Yun quietly observed the expressions of those below, sipping her tea without a word.

Although Ren Yaoqi was listening to the Princess Consort, she also discreetly noted the surrounding dynamics. She seemed to understand the reason for Consort Dowager Yun’s presence.

Consort Dowager Yun had come to uphold the Yun Family’s dignity. Even her open confrontation with the Old Princess Consort served this purpose—she had skillfully used the Old Princess Consort to her advantage.

Clearly, Consort Dowager Yun’s strategy had achieved a favorable effect. Those below who had intended to take advantage of the Yun Family’s predicament now had to restrain themselves and reconsider their actions.

Having made her point, Consort Dowager Yun withdrew gracefully. After gaining the upper hand in her brief clash with the Old Princess Consort, she paid her no further attention.Speaking of which, Consort Dowager Yun held deeper feelings for the Yun Family than the Princess Consort did. The current head of the Yun Family was Consort Dowager Yun’s own elder brother, while the Princess Consort’s parents had passed away early, and the Yun Family head was her uncle—after all, there was a degree of separation.

This year’s Thousand Gold Banquet judges were similar to those of the previous session, still led by Lady Xu and Ouyang Shi. They arrived after the Old Princess Consort, Consort Dowager Yun, and the Princess Consort had taken their seats.

The Princess Consort instructed Ren Yaoqi, “Later, you will sit with Lady Xu and the others.”

Ren Yaoqi was somewhat puzzled upon hearing this.

The Princess Consort said, “You don’t need to participate in the competition with them. Today, you will be scoring them, just like Teacher Ouyang.”

Ren Yaoqi was taken aback and declined, “Princess Consort, I am still young and fear I may not command respect.”

Hearing this, the Princess Consort, unusually stern, lowered her voice to admonish Ren Yaoqi, “Remember, this is Yanbei. If anyone dares to show disrespect on our own turf, let them take it up with our Yanbei Army!”

Xiao Jinglin quietly added from the side, “What Mother means is, whether others respect you or not is their business. If they come looking for trouble, they’re just asking for a beating!”

After a pause, Xiao Jinglin added, “That’s what Father said, but it means the same thing.”

Ren Yaoqi couldn’t help but smile at this, and the pressure she had felt earlier vanished. She nodded, “I understand, Princess Consort.”

The Princess Consort patted her hand, and Ren Yaoqi stood up to join Lady Xu. Lady Xu was speaking with several other ladies invited as judges and, seeing Ren Yaoqi approach, pointed to the seat beside her, saying, “Come, sit here.” The Princess Consort must have informed Lady Xu beforehand, so she was not surprised to see Ren Yaoqi.

Ren Yaoqi sat down beside Lady Xu, and the other ladies smiled at her warmly, showing no signs of displeasure.

However, those below were surprised to see Ren Yaoqi seated with Lady Xu and the others, whispering among themselves. The Old Princess Consort and Consort Dowager Yun also glanced over.

Consort Dowager Yun took a look but said nothing before turning away. The Old Princess Consort paid little attention to the Thousand Gold Banquet and did not comment further at the moment.

The Thousand Gold Banquet was still presided over by Lady Xu, who explained the competition rules in detail. Although the young ladies of Yanbei were already familiar with these, Lady Xu’s explanation was mainly for the ten young ladies who had traveled from afar.

Ren Yaoqi casually glanced below and immediately spotted Yan Ningshuang seated in the first position on the right. Despite being badly frightened by Silly Girl the day before, Yan Ningshuang had still attended today. Dressed in a magenta ruqun with meticulous makeup, she showed no signs of discomfort—truly resilient.

Yan Ningshuang’s gaze seemed fixed on Ren Yaoqi, so when Ren Yaoqi glanced over, their eyes met. Ren Yaoqi nodded politely at her before looking away.

After Lady Xu finished explaining the rules and asked if the young ladies had any questions, someone spoke up, “When we arrived, we heard that the judges at the Thousand Gold Banquet were all respected elders of virtue and talent?”

The speaker was a young lady surnamed Lu from the imperial court. Though her words were tactful, her gaze swept toward Ren Yaoqi seated among the judges, her meaning unmistakable.Lady Xu smiled. "I dare not claim they are both virtuous and talented, but each has their own strengths. As for 'respected elders'... I believe age is not the most important factor. What you are competing in is talent and skill, not seniority. Those who can teach should be regarded as teachers—that is the true path of learning."

"Lady Xu makes a valid point, but may I ask what Miss Ren excels in?" Miss Lu, determined to be the one to speak out today, pressed on relentlessly.

Lady Xu did not answer directly, only smiling as she replied, "Patience. What she excels in will soon become clear to everyone." After saying this, Lady Xu returned to her seat. Seeing that Lady Xu had left, Miss Lu had no choice but to let the matter drop, thinking to herself that Lady Xu's words were surely just an excuse to placate them.

Ren Yaoqi sighed inwardly, sensing that sitting up on the stage would be no easier than sitting below.

Sure enough, as soon as the competition began, an atmosphere of tension filled the air, and most of it was directed at Ren Yaoqi.

The young ladies from the imperial court and those from Yanbei took turns performing. Out of courtesy to the guests, the court ladies went first, and the first to step forward was none other than Miss Lu, who had earlier acted as the spokesperson.

Miss Lu was quite attractive, and she rose gracefully, offering a slight bow to the assembly before making her way to the center of the stage. Today, she was showcasing her skill on the qin. A maid had already prepared the qin table and the instrument, awaiting her performance.

Miss Lu lit incense, cleansed her hands, and sat down properly. As soon as she began to play, she astonished everyone.

It must be said that Miss Lu's qin skills were exceptional. Her posture was elegant, and the gentle, melodious notes she produced were flawless both in technique and emotional expression. Even the judges on the stage nodded in time with the rhythm. When she finished her piece, everyone felt a sense of lingering satisfaction.

Miss Lu stood up and, without waiting for the judges to offer their comments, spoke up. "This humble student would like to ask for Miss Ren's guidance."

Her voice, though not loud, was clear enough for everyone on and off the stage to hear. The way she addressed Ren Yaoqi as "Miss Ren" carried an unmistakable hint of provocation. The atmosphere grew still, and nearly all eyes turned toward Ren Yaoqi.

Ren Yaoqi looked at Miss Lu, who was watching her with a modest expression, and smiled. "Lady Xu and Lady Li are both masters of qin technique. Miss Lu should seek their guidance instead."

Miss Lu also smiled but remained silent and unmoving, her gaze fixed on Ren Yaoqi.

At this moment, the Princess Consort, seated in the center, spoke up. "Since Miss Lu insists, Yaoqi, say a few words."

Lady Xu also nodded toward Ren Yaoqi with a smile.

Ren Yaoqi no longer declined. As she considered her words, she said, "Miss Lu, were you playing the lost ancient piece 'Nine Peaks'?"

Miss Lu was taken aback for a moment before nodding. "Indeed. I found it in a fragmented score, but unfortunately, the original piece was incomplete. I restored the latter half myself."

Lady Xu chuckled. "What a coincidence. Yaoqi has been assisting me in organizing some precious ancient fragmented scores, and among them was 'Nine Peaks'."

Miss Lu glanced at Ren Yaoqi, somewhat surprised.These young ladies selected for the gathering each had their own specialties. Her own forte was the qin, and there were few in the entire capital whose skill surpassed hers. Even with her talent, she had found it somewhat challenging when first studying musical scores, so she did not believe Ren Yaoqi could manage it.

“I wonder if I might have the honor of hearing Master Ren play a piece?”

Ren Yaoqi smiled but did not take the bait. Instead, she asked, “Did Miss Lu once injure her left wrist?”

“How did you know, Miss Ren?” Miss Lu couldn’t help but widen her eyes. In her childhood, her left wrist had accidentally been scratched by a hairpin, nearly damaging the tendons.

Ren Yaoqi explained, “When you play the qin, the fingers of your left hand dare not exert too much force. Although you can conceal it with skillful technique, the sound inevitably carries a sense of stiffness.”

Miss Lu couldn’t help but frown. “That’s impossible! I’ve always been very careful when playing.”

Ren Yaoqi did not argue, merely nodding along with her words and smiling. “Miss Lu is indeed careful. It’s said that the sound of the qin reflects the heart of the player, so I heard you constantly telling yourself in your heart that you were afraid your hand would hurt. If Miss Lu hadn’t played so well, I might not have noticed this.”

As soon as Ren Yaoqi finished speaking, everyone present laughed, and even Miss Lu couldn’t help but curl the corners of her mouth in embarrassment. Back when she injured her wrist, her mother had forced her to practice the qin, hoping she would stand out among her sisters and bring honor to her. Later, although her injury healed, the hardship she endured remained etched in her body, so even though her wrist had long since recovered, she still often felt pain. By the time she had mastered the instrument, she began striving to overcome this weakness, never expecting it to be pointed out today.

Next, Lady Xu and Mr. Li offered Miss Lu a few words of guidance. By now, Miss Lu had lost her earlier arrogance and listened earnestly to their advice before silently returning to her seat.

When Ren Yaoqi sat down, Xiao Jinglin discreetly gave her a thumbs-up behind everyone’s back. Though she maintained the dignified and aloof demeanor of a Commandery Princess, Ren Yaoqi found it quite amusing.

The next to perform was the eldest daughter of the Meng family. She had originally planned to play the qin, but after hearing Miss Lu’s outstanding performance, she felt she couldn’t match it and switched to the flute at the last moment. Her flute playing was fairly good, but she seemed somewhat nervous, causing her to run out of breath and miss two notes. Still, she managed to finish the piece.

None of the young ladies from Yanbei dared to boldly request “Master Ren” for guidance, so in the end, the instructors offered a few comments and words of encouragement.

The third to take the stage was a Miss Zhou from the capital. Miss Zhou excelled in calligraphy. She had a piece of white silk hung in the center of the room and, using both hands simultaneously, wrote the characters for “fortune,” “prosperity,” and “longevity” in various styles. In less time than it takes to drink a cup of tea, the four-foot square of white silk was filled on both sides with egg-sized characters, each in a different style, eliciting gasps of admiration from the audience. Everyone wore expressions that seemed to say, “That looks truly impressive.”Miss Zhou did not seem to be much of a talker. After setting down her brush, she pursed her lips and merely lowered her head to say, "I hope Mr. Ren will not be sparing with her guidance."

Everyone's gaze then shifted back to Ren Yaoqi.

Many were watching with schadenfreude, eager to see the spectacle. Who couldn't see it now? All these young ladies from the capital had formed cliques, united in their determination to make things difficult for Ren Yaoqi, pitting themselves against her.

Ren Yaoqi had already anticipated this situation when Miss Lu stepped forward earlier, singling her out for "guidance." She glanced at the Princess Consort and Lady Xu, and seeing that neither spoke, she rose to her feet once more.

No matter how much Ren Yaoqi inwardly sighed, her expression remained composed as she carefully examined the calligraphy Miss Zhou had presented. After a moment's thought, she said, "Miss Zhou, do you usually practice the Yan style?"

Miss Zhou looked at her and nodded. "Yes."

Ren Yaoqi frowned slightly. "The Yan style emphasizes imposing momentum while balancing strength and softness. Your calligraphy is beautiful, but the excessive ornamentation somewhat mars the characters. If you could return to simplicity, Miss Zhou, you would make great progress."

Miss Zhou bit her lip and lowered her head. She knew Ren Yaoqi was right. She didn’t want to practice these flashy styles all day either, but the Empress Dowager and the ladies in the palace favored them.

Someone from below spoke up, "Mr. Ren speaks eloquently, but as the saying goes, talk is cheap. I wonder how Miss Ren's own calligraphy fares?"

Though Miss Zhou said nothing, she also glanced at Ren Yaoqi.

Indeed, those who appreciate calligraphy and painting are not necessarily skilled creators themselves, just as a food critic may not be a chef.

Princess Xiao glanced at Hongying, who promptly brought ink, brush, and paper to Ren Yaoqi, saying earnestly, "Mr. Ren, please grace us with your writing."

Ren Yaoqi: "..."

Fortunately, Ren Yaoqi was not one to fuss. She picked up the brush and, with a burst of energy, wrote the three characters for "Fortune," "Prosperity," and "Longevity" in an unadorned Yan style. When placed beside Miss Zhou's intricately decorated white silk, the jeering crowd fell silent.

Ren Yaoqi's talent in calligraphy and painting had once made even her teacher, Pei Zhiyan, sigh in admiration. Coupled with her diligent practice, her skills were naturally impressive enough to command respect.

By now, Ren Yaoqi understood: the Yanbei Prince's Mansion did not want to lose at the Thousand Gold Banquet either.

However, openly selecting a few to defeat these young ladies who had come all the way from the capital would make the Yanbei Prince's Mansion appear lacking in grace. After all, the Thousand Gold Banquet was not a dragon boat race, and these young ladies were not rough-and-tumble men.

So, how could they defeat each of the young ladies sent by the Empress Dowager while maintaining an air of effortless, understated dominance?

Thus, Ren Yaoqi transformed into Mr. Ren.

The Princess Consort had not seated her beside Lady Xu to let her avoid the storm but to have her steal the spotlight—and in a manner that pitted one against ten.

No wonder Xiao Jingxi had said earlier that he wasn’t afraid of her winning and offending the Empress Dowager.

As a "teacher," defeating a group of students was nothing remarkable. It would both slight the Empress Dowager and uphold the Yanbei Prince's Mansion's dignified and imposing stance—a win-win situation.

Ren Yaoqi swept her gaze over the young ladies below, each skilled and eager for a challenge. She felt a strong urge to imitate Xiao Jinglin's manner and roll her eyes with elegant disdain.Since Ren Yaoqi was the main force in defeating these young ladies, the other Yanbei maidens present were merely there to accompany the crown prince in his studies—going through the motions. Although they were generally quite good, none stood out as exceptionally outstanding. It seemed Yanbei had left some face for the Empress Dowager.

The third court maiden to appear performed magic tricks. Ren Yaoqi had also seen magic tricks at the previous Thousand Gold Banquet. In truth, the talents showcased by these young ladies were limited to a few categories, and there wasn’t much room for variety.

This young lady's sleight of hand is even better than that of Miss Guo from the last Thousand Gold Banquet. With just a slight flick of her hands, ten small wine cups appeared on her delicate fingers, trembling precariously as if a gentle breeze could make them fall.