After Pingguo got married, the next maid in Ren Yaoqi's room to be considered was Sangshen.
Sangshen and Pingguo entered the mansion together, and they were about the same age. Compared to Pingguo's reserved and quiet nature, Sangshen had a more cheerful personality, yet she was also cautious, somewhat similar to Wujing by Ren Yaohua's side. Both Pingguo and Sangshen were people whom Ren Yaoqi had spent considerable effort training and who had served by her side for many years.
Ren Yaoqi also had plans for Sangshen, wanting to keep her by her side, like Pingguo, as the steward of her room. Therefore, Ren Yaoqi had called Sangshen over several times to ask if she had taken a liking to anyone. However, each time, Sangshen would blush and shake her head, saying no. Among the people Ren Yaoqi had brought from the Ren Family, there were no suitable matches, while there were quite a few of appropriate age in the Yanbei Prince's Mansion. However, since Ren Yaoqi had only recently married into the family and was not yet familiar with the situation, she had not considered it for the time being, so she had temporarily set the matter aside.
One day, Xiao Jinglin came to find Ren Yaoqi, and the two of them went together to the Princess Consort's Jiuyang Hall. On the way, they encountered a team of mansion guards. There were many guards in the outer halls of the Yanbei Prince's Mansion, but in the inner halls where the masters lived, it was rare to see too many guards openly patrolling, though it was not unheard of.
Ren Yaoqi and Xiao Jinglin were walking and talking, not paying much attention at first. Unexpectedly, one person from the team of guards ran out and came to Ren Yaoqi and Xiao Jinglin to pay his respects.
Hearing a somewhat familiar voice, Ren Yaoqi glanced over and realized it was the young officer Mu Hu, whom she had met a few times before.
As soon as Xiao Jinglin saw him, she rolled her eyes and then stared at him sternly without saying a word.
Mu Hu, on the other hand, wore a foolishly sincere smile and racked his brains to converse with Xiao Jinglin. However, after speaking for a long time, he still stammered without getting to the point. Xiao Jinglin had long grown impatient and said, "Don't you have any proper work to do all day? I heard Min Wenqing is short of hands. If you're bored, I can send you over there."
Mu Hu twisted his body shyly for a moment before mustering the courage to say, "No, it's not that... This humble officer... This humble officer has a request."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Jinglin glanced at Hongying, who was following behind her, and looked at Mu Hu with an inscrutable expression.
Mu Hu also glanced at Hongying, smiling somewhat sheepishly, but then turned to Ren Yaoqi and said, "Young Mistress, may this humble officer ask a favor of you?"
Ren Yaoqi was surprised by this and couldn't help but glance at Xiao Jinglin. She had thought Mu Hu was there to ask Xiao Jinglin for something, so why was he turning to her in the end?
However, Ren Yaoqi had a favorable impression of the young officer Mu Hu, so she smiled and said, "What is it that General Mu requests?"
Mu Hu smiled shyly. Even though he had a dark complexion, everyone could sense that he was blushing: "Well... This humble officer wishes to marry... to marry Nan Xing. I hope Young Mistress can grant this request."
Ren Yaoqi was taken aback.
Hongying, who was behind Xiao Jinglin, widened her eyes in surprise and looked up at Mu Hu. However, there was only surprise in Hongying's eyes. She was unaware of many things and did not know that Mu Hu had once been infatuated with her.Before Ren Yaoqi could answer, Xiao Jinglin said unhappily, "Nan Xing isn't her maid, why are you asking her for permission to marry? Besides, hasn't Nan Xing gone on a long trip?"
Mu Hu said awkwardly, "Nan Xing came back yesterday, I saw it with my own eyes. Since she's the young master's person, naturally she falls under the young mistress's management." As he spoke, he gave Ren Yaoqi a shy and ingratiating smile.
Xiao Jinglin snorted, thinking to herself: Did you mistake the person again this time?
Seeing Xiao Jinglin's attitude, Ren Yaoqi knew things might not be so simple. She didn't agree immediately either, just smiled and said, "Marriage is no trivial matter. I still need to discuss this with your young master and Nan Xing herself."
Mu Hu blinked his eyes and asked naively, "How long will that take?"
Ren Yaoqi was both amused and exasperated by him. Meeting his bright, hopeful gaze, she could only say, "Within the next few days." After a moment's thought, she added, "It also depends on Nan Xing's own consent."
Mu Hu's expression turned somewhat troubled, and he glanced at Hongying again.
Hongying was baffled by his look—what did this have to do with her? Why was he looking at her?
Still, since Ren Yaoqi had agreed, Mu Hu felt hopeful. Knowing it wasn't good to linger too long, he offered some simple words of thanks before running off.
After arriving at Jiuyang Hall, when Hongying wasn't around to attend to them, Xiao Jinglin told Ren Yaoqi about the situation between Mu Hu and the Hongying sisters.
Upon hearing this, Ren Yaoqi couldn't help but laugh a little unkindly.
Laughter aside, when Xiao Jingxi returned, Ren Yaoqi told him about the matter. Without saying much, Xiao Jingxi immediately had someone summon Nan Xing. This time, Mu Hu's eyes hadn't been mistaken—Nan Xing had indeed returned.
In front of Ren Yaoqi, Xiao Jingxi explained Mu Hu's marriage proposal and left the decision to Nan Xing herself.
After listening, Nan Xing fell silent, lowering her head to stare at the tips of her shoes for a long while. It was unclear whether she was thinking or simply spacing out.
Just as Ren Yaoqi thought Nan Xing might refuse, Nan Xing raised her head and said one word: "Alright."
Ren Yaoqi blinked and glanced at Xiao Jingxi.
Xiao Jingxi, however, didn't seem surprised. He smiled slightly and then dismissed Nan Xing.
Ren Yaoqi said to Xiao Jingxi, "From what Jinglin told me earlier... I thought she wouldn't agree." Or even if she did, she wouldn't have agreed so readily.
Xiao Jingxi took Ren Yaoqi's hand and led her into the inner chamber. Only after they sat down did he say with a smile, "Why wouldn't she agree? From start to finish, Mu Hu has been fond of Nan Xing, not Hongying."
Ren Yaoqi was surprised to hear this. "Didn't they say he was initially interested in Hongying, but later mistakenly thought Nan Xing was Hongying?"
Xiao Jingxi shook his head. "Nan Xing once disguised herself as Hongying and served by Jinglin's side for a while. Mu Hu mistakenly thought Nan Xing was Hongying. In truth, Mu Hu has never had any contact with Hongying."
Ren Yaoqi was momentarily speechless. After all this time, it turned out to be such a big misunderstanding, and she couldn't help but find it amusing.
"I heard Nan Xing fights with Mu Hu every time she sees him. I thought..."
Xiao Jingxi seemed to recall something and suddenly lowered his head, laughing.
Ren Yaoqi looked at him, utterly bewildered.Xiao Jingxi leaned in with a playful smile, whispering softly into Ren Yaoqi's ear, "I've heard that men who fear their wives are the ones who achieve great things. I wonder if that's true?"
Ren Yaoqi's ear tingled, and she couldn't help but shrink her neck back, annoyed. "How would I know!"
Xiao Jingxi raised an eyebrow, then looked at Ren Yaoqi and leisurely began to untie his own sash.
Ren Yaoqi was taken aback, glanced nervously toward the outer room, and pressed her hand over his, her face flushing as she whispered, "What are you doing!"
Xiao Jingxi chuckled, taking the opportunity to pull her into his arms and hold her close, teasing, "Didn't you say you didn't know? I'll show you the bruise on my waist so you can’t deny it any longer."
At these words, Ren Yaoqi’s face turned even redder. She grew restless in Xiao Jingxi’s embrace, trying to push him away, but he held her tightly, leaving her unable to move and utterly flustered.
That morning, Ren Yaoqi had pinched Xiao Jingxi hard on the waist. She had been deep in sleep when she felt a sudden heat all over her body, eventually waking up breathless, only to find Xiao Jingxi taking liberties with her. In the heat of the moment, Ren Yaoqi had somehow pinched him. Neither of them paid it much mind at first, but when she helped him dress later, she noticed a distinct bruise on his waist—clearly from her earlier pinch.
Now that Xiao Jingxi brought it up so openly, it was as if he was blatantly alluding to their intimate moments. Ren Yaoqi felt both embarrassed and angry, wishing she could pinch him again.
But just as her hand reached his waist, Xiao Jingxi laughed, making no move to stop her. Instead, still holding her, he whispered in her ear, "Hmm, a few more marks would only serve as further proof of how much I fear my wife."
Ren Yaoqi couldn’t bring herself to pinch him after that, though she seethed inwardly. So this was Xiao Jingxi’s true nature! She had truly misjudged him back then!
The next day, Ren Yaoqi sent someone to inform Mu Hu, instructing him to formally find a matchmaker to propose marriage. No sooner had her messenger left than Mu Hu arrived with a matchmaker in tow. His foolish, dazed smile along the way became an unbearable sight throughout the Yanbei Prince's Mansion.
Though Nan Xing wasn’t Ren Yaoqi’s maid, as Xiao Jingxi’s subordinate, Ren Yaoqi took great care in arranging her wedding and prepared a generous dowry for her. All that remained was to set an auspicious date for the two to marry.
Ren Yaoqi spent these days busying herself with her maids’ affairs, so her days were both fulfilling and pleasant.
Yet, in this seemingly calm October, something happened that unsettled all of Yanbei.
During this period, the imperial court had been closely watching the matter of appointing an heir to the Yanbei Prince's Mansion. Initially, no candidate had been mentioned, but gradually, some began to bring up the posthumous child of the former heir, thrusting the child into the center of the storm.
Coincidentally, around the same time, after the Khitan’s defeat in their last war with Yanbei, the Khitan king sent two princesses to Great Zhou for a marriage alliance. Through this, he once again raised the issue of reopening border trade and establishing mutual markets between the two sides.The Great Zhou court welcomed the two princesses of Liao into the capital with grand and solemn ceremonies. After the princesses arrived in the capital, the emperor promptly took one of them into the palace and conferred upon her the title of Imperial Consort. As for the other princess, the emperor issued an edict bestowing her upon the Prince of Yanbei. The princess, along with the emperor's decree, was sent to Yanbei.
Now, the Prince of Yanbei found it difficult to refuse, especially since the emperor himself had accepted one. If the Prince of Yanbei declined, it would appear as though he were putting on too much of a show of pride.
Apologies for the late update today...
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