"How do you want us to repay it?" Ren Yaohua looked at Old Madam Ren and asked coldly.
Once Ren Yaohua spoke, Old Madam Ren and First Madam Ren fell silent instead.
Old Madam Ren remained quiet because she was weighing in her mind whether it was truly worthwhile to demand that the third branch repay the Ren Family's upbringing all at once, and how exactly to make such a demand. Now that the Ren Family was visibly declining day by day, with Old Master Ren gone and Ren Shimin unwilling to return to the Ren Family, perhaps this opportunity could be used to help the Ren Family rise again.
First Madam Ren, however, was hesitating. In the long run, the Ren Family should not abandon Ren Shimin's branch at this time. Now that the main branch was in charge of the family, the Ren Family truly needed someone to lend a helping hand.
Watching Old Madam Ren's calculating gaze, Ren Yaohua felt increasingly disheartened toward the Ren Family and this grandmother. She had only spoken to test the waters, never expecting that Old Madam Ren truly held no familial affection for them, her mind filled entirely with exploitation and profit.
Ren Yaoqi had not originally intended to let Old Madam Ren take the initiative, but since Ren Yaohua had spoken up, she said nothing. No matter how much she resented the Ren Family, it was undeniable that the Ren Family had indeed raised them. That was something no one could refute. Therefore, although she had not initially stopped the Han Family's retaliation, she had never truly intended to let the entire Ren Family be destroyed. However, if Old Madam Ren wanted to seize this opportunity to make exorbitant demands, she would likely only end up disappointed. The help Ren Yaoqi wanted to give the Ren Family was probably not what Old Madam Ren desired.
After what felt like a long time, Old Madam Ren finally finished her calculations and looked at Ren Yaoqi with shrewd eyes. "Back then, to rescue your grandfather from prison, we spent one and a half million taels of silver. Since the money has already been spent, there's no point in asking for it back. However, the requirement to hand over sixty percent of the profits for ten consecutive years... Given the Ren Family's current situation, it's truly becoming too burdensome. I wonder if this could be waived?"
Everyone present was taken aback and couldn't help but look at Ren Yaoqi.
Ren Yaoqi, however, smiled. "Old Madam, this silver is paid by the Ren Family to the government. Whether it can be waived, you should ask the government officials."
Old Madam Ren curled her lips. "Aren't all the officials in Yanbei under the command of the Yanbei Prince's Mansion? You could go back and beg the Prince, the Princess Consort, or Second Young Master Xiao. What's so difficult about that?"
Ren Yaohua sneered. "Why don't you poke a hole in the sky and ask her to patch it up for you? That would be simpler."
Old Madam Ren snorted coldly, not bothering to argue with Ren Yaohua, and simply stared at Ren Yaoqi.
Ren Yaoqi sighed and shook her head. "Not even I, let alone the Princess Consort, can interfere in Yanbei's political affairs. You're putting me in a difficult position."
Seeing that Ren Yaoqi didn't seem to be lying, Old Madam Ren felt somewhat disappointed. However, she hadn't truly expected the government to waive the sixty percent profit payment for the Ren Family. She was merely testing the waters.
After thinking for a moment, Old Madam Ren spoke again. "Since it can't be fully waived, can we at least reduce it by thirty percent?"
Ren Yaoqi shook her head once more. "I've said it before—I cannot interfere in Yanbei's government affairs."Ren Yaoqi understood better than anyone that even if she could do it, she must not, because once she started, their branch would find it even harder to leave the Ren Family. Old Madam Ren would never let go of someone as "useful" as her. Old Madam Ren certainly knew how to push her advantage to the limit, and Ren Yaoqi had no desire to experience it.
Old Madam Ren frowned and said, "Who said anything about you interfering in political affairs? You could just go back and plead with the person in charge at the Prince's Mansion, couldn't you?"
Ren Yaoqi smiled and retorted, "If First Madam came to beg you, saying her maternal relatives wanted to buy the Ren Family's coal at ten percent of the market price, would you and Eldest Master agree?"
Old Madam Ren was left speechless by this, and First Madam remained silent as well.
Ren Yaohua added, "I remember once when the cousin of Second Sister-in-law from the East Mansion wanted to rent a mountain owned by the Ren Family but thought the price was too high, so he asked Second Sister-in-law to plead on his behalf. In the end, Old Madam had Second Brother summoned and scolded him, saying their branch had no sense of propriety and didn't even understand the rule that women should not interfere in external affairs."
Old Madam Ren’s face flushed red and then paled upon hearing this.
Ren Yaohua turned to Ren Yaoqi and said, "I think we should leave now." With that, she took Ren Yaoqi’s hand and started to walk out.
Seeing this, Old Madam Ren grew anxious and quickly signaled to First Madam with her eyes.
First Madam hurried forward and took Ren Yaoqi’s other hand, coaxing Ren Yaohua in a gentle tone, "Young ladies, let’s talk this over properly. Your grandmother has been deeply distressed these past few days and is also ill, so her words may carry some irritation. Yaoyin has been serving her these days and has been scolded to tears several times. Please don’t take it to heart with her."
Old Madam Ren clutched her chest, panting heavily, while secretly glancing toward Ren Yaohua and Ren Yaoqi.
Ren Yaoqi withdrew her hand from First Madam’s grasp and turned to Old Madam Ren, saying, "Old Madam, what you’re asking for is truly beyond my ability. The women of the Yanbei Prince's Mansion, like those of the Ren Family, must also abide by the rules. The most I can do is rely on Lady Xu’s influence to ask the Yu Family to give the Ren Family some time to repay the debt. If you feel that’s unnecessary, then consider it unsaid."
First Madam quickly interjected, "If Fifth Young Lady can help, that would naturally be for the best."
Old Madam Ren said reluctantly, "After all these years, has all the silver the Ren Family spent raising you been wasted?"
Ren Yaoqi thought for a moment and replied, "You have a point, of course we shouldn’t let you spend money raising us for nothing. How about this: I’ll roughly estimate the amount of silver our branch has spent over the years and repay it to you in cash. What do you think?"
First Madam glanced at Old Madam Ren, trying to signal her not to agree, because if she did, the Ren Family and Ren Shimin’s branch would truly have no ties left.
Just as Old Madam Ren was about to speak, her gaze lingered on Ren Yaoyin and suddenly paused, as if she had thought of something. After a moment of contemplation, she said, "That could work, but I have one more condition, as interest."
Ren Yaoqi looked at Old Madam Ren, waiting for her to continue.Old Madam Ren reached out and pulled Ren Yaoyin, who was standing nearby, to her side. Pointing at her, she said to Ren Yaoqi, "Yaoyin is the only obedient granddaughter left by my side now. I want to find her a good match, but as you know, given the Ren family's current situation, it's quite difficult to arrange a suitable marriage for her, and I don't want her to settle for less. I'm not asking for much else—just take her to stay at Yanbei Prince's Mansion for a while."
Everyone present was stunned upon hearing this, unsure what Old Madam Ren was scheming this time.
Ren Yaohua, however, recalled how Old Madam Ren had wanted Ren Yaoying to accompany her as a dowry when she got married. Thinking that Old Madam Ren was planning to repeat the same trick by having Ren Yaoyin and Ren Yaoqi serve the same husband, she couldn't help but flare up in anger: "Are the Ren family's daughters so unmarriageable that you have to rush to send them off as concubines? First it was Ren Yaoying, now it's Ren Yaoyin—aren't you afraid of becoming a laughingstock?"
Old Madam Ren suppressed her anger and said, "What do you know! Doesn't Yaoqi now have Consort Dowager Yun's favor? I've heard that the Consort Dowager often invites her over. If Yaoyin can also gain Consort Dowager Yun's favor by accompanying her, won't she be able to find a good match in the future? Besides, staying at Yanbei Prince's Mansion for a while will naturally elevate her status."
Upon hearing this, Ren Yaoqi couldn't help but glance at Ren Yaoyin, who kept her head bowed respectfully and said nothing.
Ren Yaoqi, however, couldn't help but think of Ren Yaoyin's obsession with the Yun family's eldest young master, Yun Wenting. Was it just a coincidence that Old Madam Ren mentioned Consort Dowager Yun?
Ren Yaoqi shook her head. She was more inclined to believe that Ren Yaoyin hadn't given up on the Yun family's eldest young master and wanted to ride on Consort Dowager Yun's coattails. She just didn't know how Ren Yaoyin had convinced Old Madam Ren. It seemed Ren Yaoyin had put in a lot of effort with Old Madam Ren since her return.
Ren Yaohua also glanced at Ren Yaoyin and sneered, curling her lips: "And she still has the face to stay at Yanbei Prince's Mansion? Back then, she offended both the Commandery Princess and the Princess Consort."
Ren Yaoyin's face paled.
Old Madam Ren said angrily, "I'm sending her to Consort Dowager Yun, not to the Princess Consort or the Commandery Princess!"
Ren Yaohua sneered again upon hearing this, making Old Madam Ren and First Madam feel somewhat embarrassed.
Old Madam Ren said unhappily, "It's just about letting her stay at Yanbei Prince's Mansion for a while and giving her a chance to show herself in front of the Consort Dowager. It won't cost you anything."
Ren Yaoqi looked at Old Madam Ren and Ren Yaoyin: "Just to show herself? Old Madam, if you have something in mind, you might as well say it directly. Otherwise, I won't help with this, and Yanbei Prince's Mansion doesn't just let anyone in."
Old Madam Ren said, "Don't worry, I'm not sending Yaoyin to become a concubine in Yanbei Prince's Mansion. But as you can see, the Ren family's current situation is dire. You all insist on breaking away from the Ren family, and now the Ren family doesn't even have a decent marriage alliance. This is truly inappropriate."
Ren Yaoqi raised an eyebrow: "So you mean..."
Old Madam Ren patted Ren Yaoyin's hand, looking somewhat confident: "If Yaoyin can enter the Yun family, it would be different."
Ren Yaohua scoffed: "The Yun family? As a concubine?"Old Madam Ren shot Ren Yaohua a glare: "What's so bad about being a concubine? Especially when the principal wife is nothing more than a decoration! Now the Yun family's eldest young master has been bestowed by the court with a lowborn daughter from some unknown impoverished family in the capital. Such a woman will surely fail to win the favor of the elders in the Yun family, so the Yun family is bound to arrange a respectable concubine for the eldest young master."
First Madam was startled upon hearing this: "Old Madam, how could Yaoyin become a concubine!"
It turned out Old Madam Ren had not discussed this matter with First Madam.
Old Madam Ren glanced at First Madam: "Why can't she? She is willing herself. If you don't believe me, ask her."
First Madam immediately looked at Ren Yaoyin.
Ren Yaoyin bit her lip, nodded gently, and said tearfully: "Mother, for the sake of the Ren family... I am willing."
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