While the world remained puzzled by the Prince of Yanbei's decision, they also secretly observed the attitude of the Second Young Master Xiao, Xiao Jingxi. It was well known that despite his poor health, this young master had essentially been managing the affairs of Yanbei in the Prince's absence from Yunyang City. Now that the Prince had quietly bestowed the position of heir upon his eldest legitimate grandson far away in the capital, could this second son, who held real power, truly accept it? Many in Yanbei began to worry that this matter might create a rift between the Prince and his son.
Some also began to suspect that the Prince's decision was made out of necessity—that Second Young Master Xiao's health might be deteriorating. To avoid a passive situation, the Prince had no choice but to use his legitimate grandson as a pretext. Otherwise, if something were to happen to Xiao Jingxi, the faction of the Prince's half-brother, Xiao Heng, might seize the opportunity to rise. Compared to letting Xiao Heng's side exploit a loophole, appointing his own grandson as heir earlier was undoubtedly more aligned with his interests.
In the following days, Second Young Master Xiao indeed appeared even less frequently in public. Although Xiao Jingxi had rarely been seen in public even before, he typically participated in Yanbei's important political affairs. Even if he did not appear in person, relevant documents would pass through his hands. However, since the Prince of Yanbei requested the imperial decree to appoint Xiao Weiyong as heir, Xiao Jingxi had almost vanished from Yanbei. Even the trusted and influential ministers of the Yanbei Prince's Mansion had no further opportunities to see him.
Thus, more and more people became convinced that Second Young Master Xiao was gravely ill.
However, regarding Xiao Jingxi's condition, the Yanbei Prince's Mansion remained tight-lipped. The Prince of Yanbei had also been looking quite unwell lately, so no one dared to probe for information from him. As for the inner circles of the Yanbei Prince's Mansion, nothing could be uncovered either. It was only known that Xiao Jingxi seemed to have been staying in his own courtyard, rarely venturing out. Although physicians came and went from Zhaoning Hall, it was not unusual for Second Young Master Xiao to have his pulse checked every two or three days even when he was well, and the scent of medicine constantly lingered in his courtyard.
While speculation about the Yanbei Prince's Mansion and Xiao Jingxi ran rampant outside, Second Young Master Xiao himself had been enjoying a rather relaxed and pleasant time these past few days. At that moment, he and Ren Yaoqi were in the study admiring the calligraphy and paintings he had collected over the years.
Second Young Master Xiao was a man of diverse interests. Although calligraphy and painting were not his greatest passion among his many hobbies, his collection was substantial—at least not inferior to the treasures held by Master Ren, who was obsessed with such works.
Ren Yaoqi took out the calligraphy and paintings collected by Xiao Jingxi one by one to appreciate them, unable to hold back occasional exclamations of awe.
Xiao Jingxi sat beside Ren Yaoqi, watching her with a gentle smile. While she admired the paintings, he admired her.
Since their marriage, due to Yanbei's turbulent times, Xiao Jingxi had been busy every day. This was the first time since becoming husband and wife that they had such ample leisure to spend together.
Ren Yaoqi pulled out a painting and exclaimed in surprise, "You even have Tang Miao's painting of court ladies here! In his youth, my father's two favorite figure painters were Jiang Yuanyi and Tang Miao."Compared to Jiang Yuanyi, Tang Miao's paintings are even harder to obtain. Firstly, because Tang Miao lived in an era far removed from theirs, and secondly, because very few works by this master have survived. Ren Shimin once spent several years sparing no expense to have people search for Tang Miao's paintings, but unfortunately, in the end, he only found one damaged piece—only half remained, making restoration nearly impossible.
Xiao Jingxi wrapped his arms around Ren Yaoqi's waist from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder, and said with a smile, "That works out perfectly. I was just worrying about what gift to give my father-in-law for his birthday. Let's give him this painting."
Ren Yaoqi's shoulder felt both sore and ticklish, and she couldn't help but squirm a little. Turning her head, she smiled and said, "Yes, he'll definitely like it."
Seeing her turn around, Xiao Jingxi couldn't resist lightly kissing her lips. Ren Yaoqi leaned into his embrace, tilting her head slightly to meet his perfect profile. Their breaths mingled, and for a moment, neither spoke, the atmosphere in the study sweet and intimate.
"If Father-in-law is pleased, what about me?" Xiao Jingxi nuzzled Ren Yaoqi's nose and whispered softly.
"Hmm?" Ren Yaoqi blinked.
Xiao Jingxi kissed her while complaining, "I didn't receive a gift from you on my birthday. How are you going to make it up to me?"
Ren Yaoqi was taken aback. "But your birthday has already passed, hasn't it?" It was before they were married.
Xiao Jingxi didn't say anything, just looked at Ren Yaoqi.
Ren Yaoqi couldn't bear his gaze. Even though she knew Xiao Jingxi was likely putting on an act, she still gave in. "Well, what do you want?"
A smile spread across Xiao Jingxi's face, dazzling Ren Yaoqi's eyes. He thought for a moment, then whispered a few words into her ear.
Ren Yaoqi's face flushed uncontrollably upon hearing them. She shot Xiao Jingxi an angry, embarrassed glare and turned away, ignoring him.
Seeing Ren Yaoqi's attention drawn back to the paintings, Xiao Jingxi nuzzled her neck with his nose, persistently asking, "Is it okay? Is it okay?"
Annoyed, Ren Yaoqi pushed him away, her face red with anger. "No! What kind of nonsense are you thinking about all day?"
Xiao Jingxi wasn't bothered by her response. He simply smiled at her, making Ren Yaoqi turn her head away.
Finally, Xiao Jingxi sighed. "Alright, if it's not okay, then forget it. How about something else?"
Ren Yaoqi glanced at him sideways. "What else?" If Xiao Jingxi continued to be improper, she decided she would get up and leave.
Xiao Jingxi seemed to sense what she was thinking and wrapped his arms around her waist, smiling. "You know how to paint, don't you? Paint one for me."
Ren Yaoqi thought this was manageable and nodded. "Alright, what should I paint?"
Xiao Jingxi blinked and said, "Just paint me."
Ren Yaoqi was taken aback and hesitated. "I rarely paint people." Moreover... although she had always been confident in her painting skills, she wasn't sure she could capture Xiao Jingxi's essence.
Xiao Jingxi, however, said, "It's fine. I just want to see how you see me."Upon hearing this, Ren Yaoqi felt somewhat embarrassed and thought Xiao Jingxi must be teasing her again. Just as she was about to get angry, she noticed the tips of Xiao Jingxi’s ears were also slightly red, even though he still wore a calm and teasing expression. For some reason, Ren Yaoqi found Xiao Jingxi like this utterly adorable, so she swallowed the refusal on her lips and nodded in agreement.
Xiao Jingxi smiled at her, then took her hand and helped her up. Just as he was about to grind ink for Ren Yaoqi, Tong Xi entered: "Young Master, Lord Zhu has returned."
Ren Yaoqi’s face lit up with joy upon hearing this—Zhu Ruomei was back? She looked at Xiao Jingxi.
Xiao Jingxi raised an eyebrow: "He’s here?"
Tong Xi glanced at Xiao Jingxi and Ren Yaoqi, his eyes darting thoughtfully, and volunteered, "Yes, but he’s currently catching up with Lord Mu and the others outside. Should I have him come back in an hour?"
Xiao Jingxi was about to agree, but Ren Yaoqi gently tugged his sleeve and said proactively, "I’m a bit tired. I’ll go back and rest first." Zhu Ruomei had been away for several months, and now that he was back, he surely had important matters to report to Xiao Jingxi. Ren Yaoqi didn’t want to delay his official business.
Xiao Jingxi looked at Ren Yaoqi, thought for a moment, then smiled and nodded: "Alright. I’ll join you for dinner after meeting him."
Ren Yaoqi nodded and left the study.
After leaving the study, Ren Yaoqi went to the Nine Sun Hall.
In the Nine Sun Hall, the Princess Consort was receiving several unfamiliar ladies. When Ren Yaoqi entered, the ladies promptly rose to pay their respects.
The Princess Consort beckoned Ren Yaoqi to her side and asked softly, "Have you taken your medicine?"
Ren Yaoqi sensed that although the ladies weren’t deliberately looking their way, their attention was fixed on her conversation with the Princess Consort.
Ren Yaoqi nodded lightly and murmured an indistinct "Mm."
The Princess Consort sighed softly, had her sit beside her, and then resumed speaking with the ladies.
Ren Yaoqi listened for a while and noticed that although the ladies didn’t openly inquire about the Prince of Yanbei appointing an heir, they still probed for information indirectly during gaps in the conversation. The Princess Consort deftly deflected each inquiry.
After the ladies took their leave, Ren Yaoqi asked, "Are these ladies from Shunzhou?" She had detected a Shunzhou accent in their speech.
The Princess Consort nodded, rubbing her temples wearily. "Yes. Quite a few people have come to Yunyang City lately."
Ren Yaoqi also knew that while Xiao Jingxi had more free time now, the Princess Consort had been much busier lately. She rose and walked to the Princess Consort’s side: "Mother, let me massage you."
Seeing no objection, Ren Yaoqi began massaging several fatigue-relieving acupoints on her head.
When the Princess Consort felt more comfortable, she gently patted Ren Yaoqi’s hand: "That’s enough. Don’t tire your hands. Come sit down."
Ren Yaoqi gave a few more presses before sitting beside the Princess Consort.
The Princess Consort smiled at her: "Who taught you this? It’s quite effective."
Ren Yaoqi smiled: "I learned it from my mother at home."
The Princess Consort looked surprised, as if she hadn’t expected Madam Li to know such serving skills.Ren Yaoqi smiled but offered no explanation. Her mother had a gentle and soft temperament, yet she still carried some of the pride of the Li imperial clan. Naturally, she disdained learning how to serve others, but there was one exception: whatever her father needed, she would learn, and learn well.
The Princess Consort didn’t press further. She took a sip of tea and, after a moment of thought, said, “Most of the people who have come to the mansion these past few days are here because of the newly appointed heir.”
Ren Yaoqi wasn’t surprised by this.
Every time power changes hands, it’s a time for those below to choose sides. Although the situation in Yanbei was relatively stable, there were still some who couldn’t sit still. However, those who were restless tended to be families further from the center of power. At the very least, the major families in Yunyang City and the top families in other prefectures had been unusually quiet lately, showing no signs of movement.
It seems the author still owes two chapters from last month and hasn’t made them up?
Originally, because I’ll be traveling starting on the 3rd of this month with no fixed return date, I wanted to stockpile some drafts in advance, but that didn’t happen either.
I’ll try my best not to break the update streak while I’m away. This month, I’ll continue striving for uninterrupted updates… hoping to make it to the end of the month… 〒_〒
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