That afternoon, Ren Yaoqi had just returned from the Princess Consort's Jiuyang Hall when she discovered Xiao Jingxi in the room, even though he had already gone out in the morning.
"Didn't you say you wouldn't be back until evening?" Ren Yaoqi asked in surprise.
Xiao Jingxi smiled slightly and stood up. "Are you busy this afternoon?"
Ren Yaoqi thought for a moment. "I was planning to go to the Lanxi Hall later to copy Buddhist scriptures for the Dowager Consort."
Xiao Jingxi walked over and gently pinched Ren Yaoqi's nose. "I'll send someone to inform the Dowager Consort that you won't be going today. Go change into something more comfortable and suitable for going out."
Ren Yaoqi swatted his hand away, puzzled. "We're going out?"
Xiao Jingxi blinked. "I'm taking you somewhere."
Ren Yaoqi was quite curious. "Where?" Since their marriage, the two of them had rarely gone out together. Judging by Xiao Jingxi's demeanor, it didn't seem like anything particularly important.
Xiao Jingxi gently nudged Ren Yaoqi's shoulder, guiding her toward the inner chamber, and chuckled. "Go change first. I'll explain in detail later."
Helpless, Ren Yaoqi could only call in her maid to help her freshen up and change.
Xiao Jingxi sat to the side, waiting until Ren Yaoqi had finished dressing and doing her makeup before approaching. He bent down to examine her reflection in the mirror, but after a long moment, he frowned.
Ren Yaoqi was baffled. "What's wrong?"
Xiao Jingxi turned to look at her directly and said, "Something seems off."
Ren Yaoqi was both amused and exasperated. She glanced at him sideways and teased, "What's off? Did you just realize today that I'm wearing a painted skin? Young Master Xiao, you should read fewer of those nonsensical books in the future."
This remark stemmed from the time Ren Yaoqi had accidentally discovered several popular romance novels among young ladies of the time on Xiao Jingxi's bookshelf.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Jingxi coughed lightly, his ears turning slightly red, which surprised Ren Yaoqi.
In fact, ever since their marriage, a certain someone's skin had grown thicker and thicker, and Ren Yaoqi hadn't seen Xiao Jingxi's ears turn red in a long time.
What Ren Yaoqi didn't know was that Xiao Jingxi had once put in considerable effort to pursue a beauty. As proud and reserved as Second Young Master Xiao was, he naturally couldn't bring himself to ask others for advice on how to court the girl he admired. However, Second Young Master Xiao believed in one thing: any knowledge he wanted to learn, he could master.
So, for a period of time, Second Young Master Xiao would stay up late in his study, reading by lamplight in the dead of night. No one knew that the noble and aloof Second Young Master Xiao was secretly engrossed in reading romance novels.
Everyone has secrets, and Second Young Master Xiao was no exception. He never expected that these books would eventually be discovered by Ren Yaoqi and would be brought up by her from time to time over the next few decades to tease him.
If only he had known earlier...
Xiao Jingxi nonchalantly avoided Ren Yaoqi's teasing gaze, took a piece of shell-shaped eyebrow pigment from her dressing case, dipped it in water, and said seriously, "The right eyebrow is too faint. Let me draw it for you." Without waiting for her response, he lifted her chin with his hand and focused on filling in her eyebrow.
Ren Yaoqi watched Xiao Jingxi with a smile for a while, suppressing her laughter as she let him proceed.
Second Young Master Xiao frowned, still dissatisfied. "Don't laugh, or it'll smudge. Don't blame me if it does."
Ren Yaoqi couldn't help but burst into laughter, and sure enough, Xiao Jingxi's hand trembled, smudging the eyebrow.After the two had tidied up and emerged, Xiao Jingxi had finally regained his usual aloof and elegant demeanor in front of outsiders. Only Ren Yaoqi couldn’t suppress the smile on her face no matter how hard she tried.
Once they boarded the carriage, Second Young Master Xiao finally couldn’t hold back any longer: “Madam, if you keep smiling at me like that, do you want your lip rouge to smudge too?”
Ren Yaoqi was taken aback for a moment before she realized what he meant. She couldn’t help but glare at him fiercely, turning her head away and ignoring him.
Originally, Ren Yaoqi thought Xiao Jingxi was only taking her somewhere within Yunyang City. She hadn’t expected the carriage to actually leave the city gates and head onto the main road. Ren Yaoqi was somewhat surprised to discover that the carriage was heading in the direction of White Crane Town.
“Where are we going?” Ren Yaoqi asked, lowering the curtain.
Xiao Jingxi poured a cup of tea for Ren Yaoqi and smiled slightly. “Guess?”
Ren Yaoqi: “…”
After entering White Crane Town, as the buildings along the way grew increasingly familiar, Ren Yaoqi instead calmed down. When the carriage stopped in front of the familiar main gate, Ren Yaoqi simply silently allowed Xiao Jingxi to help her down from the carriage. She looked up at the dust-covered plaque above the gate for a long while without a word.
Xing Jingxi took Ren Yaoqi’s hand and led her up the steps. When they entered, no one came forward to greet them. The gatehouse was empty, with not a single person in sight.
Ren Yaoqi stood before the screen wall in the front courtyard, gazing at the empty mansion, suddenly feeling as if a lifetime had passed.
“This mansion has already fallen into the hands of the Han Family, hasn’t it?” Ren Yaoqi turned to look at Xiao Jingxi.
Although she rarely left the inner quarters, she was still well-informed about the affairs of the Ren Family.
Xiao Jingxi nodded, pulling her through the moon gate and along the covered walkway toward the inner courtyard.
Ren Yaoqi had walked this path countless times before, but it was the first time she had walked side by side with Xiao Jingxi here. The emptiness and silence around her felt unfamiliar. Perhaps because of the person beside her, this mansion, which she usually found utterly detestable, didn’t seem as oppressive today. After adjusting her emotions slightly, she followed Xiao Jingxi forward, even finding the leisure to discuss the feng shui layout of this grand mansion with him.
Xiao Jingxi smiled and said, “The feng shui layout here is quite unexpected.”
Ren Yaoqi sighed. “Books say that fate and feng shui complement each other. It’s just a pity that no matter how good the feng shui here is, ordinary families like the Zhai Family and the Ren Family ultimately couldn’t hold it down.”
Both former owners of this mansion ended up with unfortunate outcomes.
Xiao Jingxi seemed to think of something, falling into thoughtful contemplation.
“Why did you bring me here?” Ren Yaoqi asked with a sigh.
Xiao Jingxi glanced down at her and was about to speak when Ren Yaoqi interrupted him: “I’m not guessing!”
Xiao Jingxi couldn’t help but chuckle softly, squeezing her hand as he said, “Han Yunqian said he wanted to give the Yanbei Prince’s Mansion a modest gift, so I brought you to take a look.”
Upon hearing this, Ren Yaoqi was momentarily stunned, her mind involuntarily speculating about what Han Yunqian meant by a “modest gift.” She had some guesses in her heart.
Xiao Jingxi, on the other hand, seemed completely familiar with the place, not needing Ren Yaoqi to lead the way at all. Ren Yaoqi couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow and glance at him. “Have you been here before?”
Xiao Jingxi blinked innocently. “No, I wanted to come with you. But Han Yunqian drew me a map earlier.”
Ren Yaoqi fell silent.Xiao Jingxi led Ren Yaoqi to the garden. Ren Yaoqi frowned slightly as she noticed several newly dug deep holes around the garden. Though not particularly large, these holes were exceptionally deep—at least seventy or eighty feet—and they ruined the garden’s usual beauty with their messy appearance. If someone were to come here at night, they might even accidentally fall into one.
However, because of these holes, any underground chambers would likely be discovered easily.
Xiao Jingxi guided Ren Yaoqi around the dark holes and brought her to the pond.
In the center of the Ren Family’s garden was a lotus pond. In May, Yanbei still carried a slight chill, so the lotus flowers had not yet bloomed, and even the lotus leaves looked somewhat listless. Xiao Jingxi led Ren Yaoqi around the rockery beside the lotus pond, then gestured to someone behind them.
Xiao Hua, dressed in gray, appeared seemingly out of nowhere. After bowing to Xiao Jingxi and Ren Yaoqi, he turned and slipped into the rockery.
Ren Yaoqi raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Here?”
Xiao Jingxi responded with a smile.
Ren Yaoqi couldn’t help but feel astonished. The garden was not a secluded place—the daughters and children of the Ren Family often strolled here for leisure, and maids and elderly servants sometimes entered as well. Especially around the rockery, with the lotus pond nearby, it was a popular spot to cool off in the summer. Ren Yaoqi never expected the Han Family’s secret passage to be located here.
Xiao Hua remained inside the rockery for about a quarter of an hour. If not for the faint tapping sounds Ren Yaoqi heard coming from within, she would have thought Xiao Hua had already exited through another opening.
Fortunately, both Xiao Jingxi and Ren Yaoqi were extremely patient, showing no signs of impatience. Just as Xiao Jingxi was about to ask Ren Yaoqi if she wanted to take a walk around, a sudden click of a mechanism echoed from inside the rockery, followed by a faint rumbling and vibration as something was opened.
Ren Yaoqi and Xiao Jingxi exchanged a glance.
Xiao Hua soon emerged from the rockery and reported respectfully, “Master, there is indeed a secret passage inside. It has been opened using the method you described. For safety, I will go down first to investigate. You and the young mistress can follow afterward.”
Xiao Jingxi thought for a moment and nodded. If he were alone, he wouldn’t fear any traps or mechanisms, but it was better to be cautious when entering with Ren Yaoqi.
Without another word, Xiao Hua slipped back into the rockery. This time, he emerged after another half-quarter of an hour.
“Master, there are no traps.”
Xiao Jingxi nodded and led Ren Yaoqi into the rockery.
Ren Yaoqi was naturally familiar with this rockery. As a child, she and her sisters often played here. The center of the rockery was hollow and quite spacious. Since there were openings at the top to let in light, it was relatively bright inside during the day.
However, when Ren Yaoqi entered, she noticed that even inside the rockery, a hole about sixty or seventy feet deep had been dug, and she couldn’t help but smile.
“And the secret passage wasn’t discovered?”
Xiao Jingxi glanced at Ren Yaoqi, then gently cupped her face and turned her head. Ren Yaoqi saw that behind her, the stone wall of the rockery facing the pond had opened. As Xiao Jingxi led her closer, she saw a narrow staircase beneath the wall, just wide enough for one person, sloping downward beneath the lotus pond.Ren Yaoqi exclaimed in surprise, "How could that be? This lotus pond is very deep, and the bottom is all soft mud."
Xiao Jingxi smiled and blinked, "Go down and see for yourself."
Xiao Jingxi walked down the secret passage, and Ren Yaoqi quickly followed. Since the passage was only wide enough for one person, Xiao Jingxi carefully held her hand behind his back with his right hand while reminding her to watch her head. Prepared in advance, he also held a fire starter in his left hand for illumination.
The secret passage was extremely narrow, and Xiao Jingxi had to bend slightly to pass through.
Ren Yaoqi noticed that the passage was not only narrow but also very long. The air around was damp and chilly, and a foul smell of rotting mud filled her nostrils. If not for Xiao Jingxi’s presence, Ren Yaoqi would never have wanted to venture down such a passage, even if she had discovered it herself.
While reminding Ren Yaoqi to be careful, Xiao Jingxi chuckled, "Do you know why Xiao Hua took nearly a quarter of an hour just to open this secret passage?" His clear, elegant voice echoed in the narrow, confined space.
Ren Yaoqi thought for a moment, "Is it difficult to open?"
Xiao Jingxi replied, "Yes, it actually uses a mechanical mechanism. If someone tries to force it open violently, the stone steps of this passage will collapse, blocking the entrance to the inner chamber."
Ren Yaoqi couldn’t help but frown, "Logically speaking, the Zhai Family is just an ordinary wealthy household. Why would they go to such lengths to build such a secret chamber? Could they really be hiding some rare treasure?"
Xiao Jingxi smiled, "Whether there’s a rare treasure or not, we’ll know once we go down."
Because they had to accommodate Ren Yaoqi, their descent was slow, but they finally reached level ground. Ren Yaoqi breathed a sigh of relief. They were now at the bottom of the pond, and the stagnant air made her feel somewhat uncomfortable.
Xiao Jingxi glanced back at her and frowned, "Feeling unwell? Should we go back up? I didn’t think this through."
Ren Yaoqi tugged at Xiao Jingxi’s sleeve and smiled, "We’re already here. I won’t be satisfied if we don’t go in and see the rare treasure. I’m fine—I’ll adjust in a moment."
Seeing that Ren Yaoqi was indeed alright, Xiao Jingxi felt reassured.
Ahead of them was a stone door that had already been opened, still only wide enough for one person to pass through.
Xiao Jingxi used the fire starter to light an oil lamp hanging on the stone wall, then took the lamp and led Ren Yaoqi into the secret chamber.
By now, Ren Yaoqi’s heart was filled with genuine curiosity and anticipation.
She had known about this secret chamber for a long time. The Ren Family, starting from her great-grandfather, had wanted to find the entrance to the passage. Part of the reason the Zhai Family met with disaster was because they were suspected of harboring a treasure. Unfortunately, the Ren Family never succeeded, even after moving out of this residence. She never imagined she would have the chance to see it with her own eyes.
Once inside, Ren Yaoqi couldn’t help but feel disappointed. It was just a very ordinary stone room. Although not as narrow as the outer passage, it was only as large as her bedroom back in her maiden home. On both sides of the stone room were stacked over a dozen large wooden chests, their red paint peeling badly, showing signs of age.Facing the door was an altar table, upon which sat an incense stand and fruit plates. The incense stand was covered in ash, and the fruit plates held something dark and unidentifiable. Ren Yaoqi pulled Xiao Jingxi closer for a look, and upon seeing the jade statue enshrined behind the altar, she couldn’t help but pause in surprise.
“This is…” Ren Yaoqi tilted her head, carefully examining the jade statue, which stood no more than a foot tall.
“It’s the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden,” Xiao Jingxi said.
Ren Yaoqi frowned. “The Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden? It’s rare for someone to enshrine this in their home…”
Xiao Jingxi pondered and added, “Except in the homes of military generals.”
Ren Yaoqi raised an eyebrow and looked at Xiao Jingxi.
Xiao Jingxi smiled. “Legend has it that the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden was the military advisor to the Yellow Emperor, a goddess of war in ancient times, deeply versed in military strategy. That’s why some military families enshrine her.”
Ren Yaoqi nodded, puzzled. “Were the Zhai Family ancestors military generals?”
Xiao Jingxi led Ren Yaoqi closer to the statue and looked down at the wooden chest beneath it. The chest was placed on the altar table, seemingly made of sandalwood, slightly smaller than the dozen or so other chests piled nearby, and secured with a lock.
Ren Yaoqi glanced around, hoping to find a key to open the chest, but found nothing.
Xiao Jingxi stopped her and said with a smile, “What are you looking for? This isn’t an ordinary lock—it’s a mechanism lock. A key won’t open it.”
Ren Yaoqi took the oil lamp from Xiao Jingxi’s hand and leaned in for a closer look. She saw what appeared to be an ordinary double tiger-head brass lock, green with patina from the damp air. Upon closer inspection, she noticed five interlocking gears, each densely engraved with tiny characters.
Ren Yaoqi had once read about such mechanism locks in books. To open it, one simply had to rotate the five gears to align the correct characters in the proper positions.
After examining it with interest for a while, Ren Yaoqi asked Xiao Jingxi, “Since Han Yunqian told you about the secret passage’s mechanism, he must have also told you the passphrase for this lock, right?”
To her surprise, Xiao Jingxi shook his head. “No.”
Ren Yaoqi couldn’t help but feel disappointed. “So we won’t get to see any rare treasures?”
Xiao Jingxi thought for a moment, frowning. “Do you really want to see it?”
Ren Yaoqi deliberately teased him. “Yes, but since you can’t open it, let’s just forget it.”
Xiao Jingxi merely raised an eyebrow and smiled without arguing. Instead, he led Ren Yaoqi away, saying gently, “Let’s see what’s in the other chests first.”
Aside from the chest on the altar, the dozen or so large chests in the room were not locked. Xiao Jingxi casually opened one and found it filled with porcelain, ranging from square famille-rose general’s vases to small snuff bottles of various types and sizes. After carefully examining one of the famille-rose general’s vases, he nodded and concluded, “These are treasures.” He then closed the chest and moved on to open another.
The next large chest contained jade artifacts, all of exceptional rarity. Ren Yaoqi even recognized a pair of luminous cups crafted with techniques from a small southern kingdom.
However, Xiao Jingxi and Ren Yaoqi merely glanced at these treasures without showing any particular excitement.Upon opening the third chest and finding it filled with well-sealed and perfectly preserved calligraphy and paintings, Xiao Jingxi smiled and said to Ren Yaoqi, "This chest must absolutely be taken back—it will surely please my father-in-law." As he spoke, he took out a painting to examine it carefully, looking quite satisfied.
Ren Yaoqi: "..."
The two circled the secret chamber and discovered that the chests contained valuable yet cumbersome artifacts. Even with just a cursory glance, it was evident that the Zhai Family’s wealth had indeed been substantial in its day.
After examining the chests, Xiao Jingxi led Ren Yaoqi to the altar table to inspect the locked sandalwood chest.
Seeing Xiao Jingxi’s thoughtful expression, Ren Yaoqi asked curiously, "What is it? Can it be opened?"
Xiao Jingxi turned to Ren Yaoqi with a radiant smile, nearly dazzling her eyes. "Since you wish to see it, I must find a way to open it."
With that, he handed the oil lamp to Ren Yaoqi and leaned in to fiddle with the lock.
Ren Yaoqi did not stop him, standing by to watch.
Xiao Jingxi rotated the characters on the gears, attempting to guess the lock’s passphrase. Unfortunately, Second Young Master Xiao was no deity—he guessed twice, both times incorrectly.
Seeing him frown with intense concentration, Ren Yaoqi couldn’t help but laugh. "Forget it, let’s have someone take it up and find an expert to open it. This kind of lock is probably..."
Before she could finish, a sharp "click" echoed, followed by the sound of mechanisms turning, leaving her momentarily stunned.
A slow smile spread across Xiao Jingxi’s face as he turned to Ren Yaoqi and blinked.
Seeing the faintly smug expression on his face, Ren Yaoqi found it amusing and generously praised, "How impressive, Young Master! Admirable, truly admirable!"
Second Young Master Xiao looked at Ren Yaoqi and whispered earnestly, "As long as it’s what you desire."
Ren Yaoqi’s face flushed. Xiao Jingxi took the opportunity to lean down and kiss her forehead, then pulled her closer. "If it’s not a priceless treasure inside, will you be disappointed?"
Still dazed by Xiao Jingxi’s gentle kiss, Ren Yaoqi replied without thinking, "Since you opened it, how could I be disappointed?"
Only when she met Xiao Jingxi’s sparkling gaze did she realize her words had matched his earlier sentimental remark.
Feeling a bit embarrassed, Ren Yaoqi blushed further, while Xiao Jingxi chuckled softly and gently squeezed her palm. "That’s good, because I suspect there’s no pleasant surprise in this chest—I just hope it’s not something frightening."
Ren Yaoqi was taken aback. "You know what’s inside before even opening it?"
Xiao Jingxi sighed and looked at the statue of the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden. "Not exactly, but I’ve guessed the true identity of the chest’s owner."
Ren Yaoqi frowned. "The true identity of the chest’s owner? Isn’t this the Zhai Family’s secret chamber? Could it be this chest wasn’t left by the Zhai Family?"
Xiao Jingxi replied, "That’s not it. This person likely had deep ties to the Zhai Family."Ren Yaoqi's curiosity was piqued by Xiao Jingxi's words, and she couldn't help but glance at the sandalwood chest. "So you were able to open that mechanism lock earlier not by random guessing, but because you figured out the identity of the chest's owner?"
Xiao Jingxi nodded. "Exactly." He smiled at Ren Yaoqi. "Don't you want to see? Shall we open it?"
Ren Yaoqi blinked, wondering what Xiao Jingxi meant by a "fright."
Xiao Jingxi remained silent, simply smiling as he watched Ren Yaoqi, as if he would open it if she said yes or lead her away if she declined.
Ren Yaoqi did not hesitate for too long; in the end, curiosity triumphed over everything. Moreover, she understood clearly in her heart that if there were any real danger, Xiao Jingxi would not have let her open the box, so at most, it would only be a fright.
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