Reborn of the Rightful

Two Chapters Combined into One

Due to her experiences in her previous life, Ren Yaoqi had developed a different understanding of her maternal grandfather’s family, the Prince Xian’s household, compared to outsiders, and had also formed a genuine, heartfelt affection for them.

It is easy to add flowers to brocade, but difficult to send charcoal in snowy weather.

If someone steps forward to help you without any ulterior motives when you are in despair about the world, you can understand this feeling.

Ren Yaoqi suppressed the turmoil in her heart, stood up, and asked Xiangqin, “Where did they go? How long have they been gone?”

Xiangqin hurriedly replied, “Third Miss left right after you and Eighth Miss went to the washroom. Originally, she wanted to tell you, but Third Miss has an impatient temper. She was afraid… afraid that Uncle might run into some trouble again, so she went to look for him first. She also said that if she hadn’t returned in three or four quarters of an hour, I should come and tell you, so you could help cover for her in front of the other masters.”

Upon hearing this, Ren Yaoqi couldn’t help but smile bitterly. Ren Yaohua wasn’t afraid that their uncle would encounter trouble; she was afraid that he would cause trouble for them. Last time, when their uncle sold the house to buy a cricket, Ren Yaohua was furious, fearing he might do something absurd again this time. Because every time Li Tianyou left home, it never ended well.

Moreover, Ren Yaohua didn’t want the other members of the Ren Family to see Li Tianyou. In her heart, this uncle not only failed to support their mother but also constantly held them back, and she felt somewhat ashamed to be associated with him.

In her previous life, Ren Yaohua had never shown any kindness to the people of the Xianwang Residence. Once, when she followed Nanny Zhou to deliver money to her maternal grandfather’s family, she even brought a few matchmakers to confront her maternal grandfather, threatening that if he didn’t sell off those “actors,” she would never give them money for relief again.

Her maternal grandfather, who had always been as gentle as a dough figurine and never lost his temper, flew into a rage that time. He threw the silver at Ren Yaohua’s feet, grabbed a horsewhip used in opera performances, and drove her out, declaring that she was no longer allowed to step into the Li family’s home and that he no longer recognized her as his granddaughter.

Although later, when Madam Li sent money to her maiden family, her maternal grandfather still accepted it without a care, he remained cold and distant toward Ren Yaohua.

But this time, Ren Yaohua had been gone for nearly two hours without returning. As it was almost time for lunch, Ren Yaoqi had no choice but to discreetly send a few trusted maids to look for her.

Finally, someone from the temple came to inform them that the meal was ready and asked Ren Yaoqi to come and dine.

Ren Yaoqi could only continue to secretly send people to search while she went to see First Madam Wang Shi.

Fortunately, First Madam was preoccupied with discussing matters regarding the Liu family with Eldest Young Madam and didn’t pay much attention to the meal, simply telling them to go to the rooms arranged by the temple for their meal.

From what First Madam and Eldest Young Madam said, it seemed the two Liu sisters had complained to Madam Liu, claiming that the Ren Family had bullied them by ganging up on them.

However, after learning about the insults the Liu sisters had hurled at Ren Yijun, First Madam trembled with anger. Far from blaming or reprimanding Ren Yaoqi for helping Ren Yijun teach the Liu sisters a lesson, she treated her with great kindness. No mother could tolerate others cursing her child with a short life.

So, when Madam Liu demanded that the Ren Family show sincerity to settle the matter, threatening to ruin the Ren Family’s reputation otherwise, First Madam only responded with a cold sneer.An elderly maidservant by First Madam's side, observing her mistress's expression, spoke disdainfully to Mrs. Liu: "Our young master certainly has nothing to fear. But your young lady, upon first meeting, casually invited our young master aside to speak, without even bringing a servant along. Is she so eager to become a concubine in our Ren Family? To be honest, our Ren Family is vast and prosperous, and we wouldn't mind having one or two more idle mouths to feed."

Upon hearing this, the Liu family's expressions immediately turned ugly. First Madam lowered her head to take a sip of tea, pretending not to hear the servant's impertinence.

What should have been a pleasant matchmaking meeting had turned tense and confrontational.

However, in the end, for the sake of both families' reputations, everyone tacitly agreed to let the matter pass. As for the Liu family's attempt to use this as leverage to extort money from the Ren Family—which had succeeded in her previous life—this time, it remained merely a thought.

First Madam was somewhat disappointed with this trip to White Dragon Temple and planned to rest briefly after lunch before returning.

Since they were not dining together, Ren Yaoqi informed First Madam that Ren Yaohua had gone to the more distant Kalinga Relic Pagoda and would return later. Thinking that Ren Yaohua was accompanied by maids and elderly servants, First Madam paid it no mind. She was busy discussing with the eldest daughter-in-law the next matchmaking arrangement for Ren Yijun, as his marriage was a constant worry for her.

Unexpectedly, just as they were eating, heavy rain began to fall outside. First Madam sent someone to inform them to rest in their rooms after the meal and wait for the rain to stop before setting off back home.

The people sent to look for Ren Yaohua had not yet returned, so Ren Yaoqi went to First Madam once more, explaining that Ren Yaohua had sent a maid back to say she had encountered their uncle's servant on the way and wished to go pay her respects to him, which was why she had not yet returned.

Although Li Tianyou was widely known as unreliable, he was, after all, the brother of Ren Yaoqi and Ren Yaohua's mother's family—a proper elder. Thus, First Madam said nothing further, only instructing that if Ren Yaohua returned, she should be informed.

As soon as Ren Yaoqi returned to her room, she instructed Xiangqin to find a bamboo hat and raincoat for her. She arranged for Pingguo to stay and guard the room, while she herself took Xiangqin, Sangshen, and two elderly maidservants out of the courtyard. She instructed them that if anyone asked, they were to say she had gone to look for Ren Yaohua.

She was only an eleven-year-old child, and it was perfectly normal for her to be a bit playful. Moreover, the customs in Yanbei were not as strict as those near the southern capital.

Ren Yaoqi led her group toward the place Xiangqin had mentioned, searching all the way, but they saw no sign of Ren Yaohua.

With the rain falling, the people in White Dragon Temple seemed to have vanished. As they walked along the path, the vast ancient temple felt empty and desolate, their footsteps echoing in the silence. The cold rain fell onto the flat stone path, splashing onto Ren Yaoqi's embroidered shoes, which were soon soaked through.

While bamboo hats and raincoats could be found in the temple, suitable wooden clogs were nowhere to be found.

A sense of unease began to grow in Ren Yaoqi's heart.

In her previous life, she and Ren Yaohua had not come to White Dragon Temple at this time, so Ren Yaohua had never encountered Dongsheng back then. Yet, Dongsheng had gone missing in her previous life.

Ren Yaoqi did not know when Dongsheng had disappeared in her previous life, but Ren Yaohua's prolonged absence now filled her with a growing sense that something was amiss.White Dragon Temple's main buildings cover about a hundred acres, with many surrounding outer buildings. Some courtyards are rented to pilgrims who come to burn incense or seek medical treatment, while others are leased to scholars seeking a quiet place to study. For instance, the nearby White Cloud Nunnery actually uses land belonging to White Dragon Temple, with the nunnery paying an annual incense fee to the temple.

Even under the Buddha's gaze, clear accounts must be kept.

From the imperial family to commoners, the people of Great Zhou believe in and revere Buddhism. Major temples receive annual imperial rewards, and each ordained monk with official certification is allotted thirty acres of farmland. Combined with generous donations from pilgrims and reclaimed wasteland, the annual agricultural output of temples constitutes a considerable income.

Most monks do not farm the land themselves but rent it to landless peasants. Thus, every major temple functions as a large landowner. Hence the saying among the people: "Of all the wealth under heaven, Buddhism claims seven-tenths."

If Li Tianyou had come to White Dragon Temple, he would most likely be in one of the surrounding courtyards owned by the temple.

Many scholars rent courtyards at White Dragon Temple, and quite a few scholars enjoy gambling. Though they typically bet on cockfights or cricket fights not with money but with ancient paintings and antiques—essentially any valuable items except actual gold or silver—they consider this practice elegant.

Li Tianyou, however, cares nothing for elegance. He doesn't care whether he's betting silver or property; he gambles simply for the pleasure of it.

"Fifth Miss, your shoes are soaked. You should go back and let us servants search instead," an elderly maidservant whispered as she approached.

Ren Yaoqi glanced at her brand-new pink embroidered shoes beneath her skirt, considering whether to send more people to search, when Xiangqin suddenly pointed ahead and said, "Miss, look! It's your uncle."

Ren Yaoqi immediately looked up and indeed saw two figures approaching through the rain. The man in front was in his mid-twenties, of modest height, wearing a tattered bamboo hat of uncertain origin but no raincoat, leaving him drenched from the neck down. His faded, oversized robe hung awkwardly on him, its sleeves rolled up several times, making him look like a child mischievously dressed in adult clothing.

Following him was an ordinary-looking, dark-skinned man built like an iron tower. Li Tianyou often joked that it was a waste for him to play martial roles—he should instead portray the black-faced Judge Bao.

The man behind spotted Ren Yaoqi first and hurried forward to whisper in the other's ear. The man in front then looked up and saw Ren Yaoqi. After a moment of stunned silence, he suddenly covered his face with his sleeve and turned to flee, but his sleeves were already rolled up. In his frantic attempt to pull them down, he appeared both flustered and comical.

Xiangqin beside her covered her mouth, stifling laughter.

Ren Yaoqi sighed helplessly and called out to the man trying to escape with his attendant in tow, "Uncle, I've already seen you!"Li Tianyou stopped in his tracks, thoroughly exasperated. As Ren Yaoqi walked over, she could hear him scolding his attendant with his back turned: "...I told you to eat less on ordinary days! Look at you, with such a bulky build—every time I try to elegantly turn and run, people recognize me because of you! You're a walking target! From now on, you can only eat two bowls... no... one bowl of rice per meal! Do you hear me?"

The ever-submissive man lowered his head helplessly and replied, "Yes."

Li Tianyou rolled his eyes and lowered his voice further. "Which of my nieces is it? The fierce one or the one who likes to look up at the sky like her father?"

Ren Yaoqi watched, amused and exasperated, as the dark-faced man seriously glanced at her again before replying, "Master, it's the one who 'likes to look up at the sky.'"

Ren Yaoqi: "..."

Li Tianyou, however, breathed a sigh of relief and turned around. When he saw Ren Yaoqi standing right behind him, he jumped in fright and glared at his attendant again. "She was right behind me! Why didn't you warn me?"

Seeing that it was still raining, Ren Yaoqi decided not to dwell on it and simply asked, "Uncle, have you seen my Third Sister?" Though from the conversation between the master and servant, she could tell it was unlikely Li Tianyou had seen Ren Yaohua.

Sure enough, Li Tianyou shook his head, splattering water from his bamboo hat all over Ren Yaoqi's face. "Haven't seen her. Even if I had, I'd have run away."

Ren Yaoqi wiped the water droplets from her face helplessly. "Then where's Dongsheng? Did you only bring Dongsheng and Xia Sheng with you today?"

Li Tianyou was busy rolling up his long sleeves and replied casually, "Don't know. Dongsheng went to help me distract... Dongsheng went to take care of something. That kid may look agile, but he's a fool. He's been gone so long and still hasn't returned, leaving me here in the rain! Just wait till he gets back—I'll teach him a lesson!"

Hearing this, Ren Yaoqi's face turned pale, and she stood there speechless.

If Dongsheng had gone missing this time, could Ren Yaohua, who had gone to look for him and hadn't returned, also be missing?

Li Tianyou noticed Ren Yaoqi's troubled expression and asked suspiciously, "What's wrong with you?"

Ren Yaoqi looked up, glanced at Xia Sheng behind Li Tianyou, and after a moment's thought, said, "My sister said she saw Dongsheng and went after him, but she's been gone for over an hour and hasn't returned."

Li Tianyou was startled. "What? That little hellion went after Dongsheng? She, she, she... she couldn't have been caught by those people, could she?" The last part was directed at Xia Sheng beside him.

But Ren Yaoqi seized on his words and pressed urgently, "What people are you talking about? Why would they want to capture my sister?"

At this, Li Tianyou fidgeted uncomfortably, pulling off his tattered bamboo hat and stammering incoherently.

Ren Yaoqi said seriously, "Uncle, if you don't tell me and something happens to my sister, how will you explain it to my mother?"

Li Tianyou winced, looking pained. After a moment's thought, he glanced sideways at Xia Sheng. "You tell her..."

Just as Xia Sheng was about to speak, Li Tianyou hastily added, "Only the important parts. Leave out the unimportant details."

Xia Sheng remained silent for a while before saying, "Master was originally..."

"Stop!" Li Tianyou shouted, cutting him off. He glared at Xia Sheng and said, "I told you, only the important parts!"Xia Sheng's perpetually expressionless face remained just that, yet inwardly he was roaring: I haven't even said anything yet!

"Forget it, I'll say it myself. Who knows how twisted it would become if I let you speak!" Li Tianyou shot Xia Sheng a disdainful glance before turning to Ren Yaoqi. "I originally had urgent business with someone, so I sent Dongsheng and Xia Sheng away. Unexpectedly, the person I had urgent business with had offended some people earlier, and then... then at the critical moment, they barged in, so I escaped through the back door. Who would have thought that group would come chasing after me!"

At this point, Li Tianyou's face showed some indignation. "They were hot on my heels, but fortunately, Dongsheng hadn't gone far as I'd told him to. So he put on my clothes and lured them away. After that, Xia Sheng found me. Then we went together to look for Dongsheng. That little demon must have seen Dongsheng disguised as me earlier and chased after him."

Ren Yaoqi listened with a somewhat odd expression, couldn't help but size up Li Tianyou a few times, and suddenly asked, "Uncle, what kind of clothes were you wearing earlier?"

Li Tianyou thought for a moment. "A white jacket with a large white crane embroidered on it by Yihong. I looked quite majestic and imposing in it. It was the first time I'd worn that outfit. Tsk—I'm sure Yihong will nag me about it when I get back." Li Tianyou sounded rather frustrated.

Ren Yaoqi, however, grew even more speechless. She felt she had figured something out.

While they were talking, the rain had already stopped.

Ren Yaoqi instructed the two matrons who had followed her, "Go to White Cloud Nunnery. One of you, investigate inside for news; the other, search the nearby area."

Before she could finish, Li Tianyou jumped up as if his fur had been ruffled. "You, you, you, how do you know about White Cloud... that nunnery?"

Ren Yaoqi calmly sent the matrons off before turning to Li Tianyou. "I guessed."

"Then, then, then, what else did you guess?" Li Tianyou pressed, unwilling to give up.

Before Ren Yaoqi could answer, Xiangqin, who had been standing behind her all along, suddenly gasped, covering her mouth with her hand and staring wide-eyed at Li Tianyou. "That, that, that male concubine?"

Li Tianyou was taken aback, baffled. "Why are you imitating the way I talk? What male concubine?"

Xiangqin glanced at Ren Yaoqi, then lowered her head and tightly shut her mouth, refusing to say another word. However, she couldn't help but steal glances at Li Tianyou out of the corner of her eye.

Xia Sheng, however, seemed to know something. He leaned over and whispered a few words into Li Tianyou's ear.

Li Tianyou's face instantly flushed bright red, and he exclaimed in a strange tone, "Which bastard is slandering me behind my back? To hell with that male concubine nonsense! I was just... sampling some pleasures!"

Xiangqin and the other maid blushed deeply.

Ren Yaoqi shook her head and changed the subject. "The rain has stopped. Soon, my First Madam will order us to start the journey back. It's more important to find my Third Sister first. Otherwise, there will be trouble."

Li Tianyou said dejectedly, "Then let's go look for her."

The group turned back toward White Dragon Temple.

They hadn't gone far when they saw several matrons hurrying out. Xiangqin quickly said, "Fifth Miss, those are matrons from First Madam's side."Those maidservants also spotted Ren Yaoqi and hurried over a few steps to bow, saying, "Fifth Miss, we've finally found you. Just now, First Madam sent us to look for you, but the maids in your room said you had gone out. First Madam immediately dispatched us to search for you. Is Third Miss not with you?" As she spoke, she glanced at Li Tianyou with some surprise, silently assessing his identity.

Ren Yaoqi replied, "Third Sister was looking for a place to take shelter from the rain, and I've already sent someone to find her. When I came out, I happened to run into my uncle, who was looking for me."

The maidservant breathed a sigh of relief and quickly bowed to Li Tianyou, addressing him as "Uncle." She then said to Ren Yaoqi, "Since Fifth Miss has met with Uncle, Madam can rest assured. Earlier, Madam sent us to find you to inform you that due to the rain, a flash flood occurred on the mountain road ahead, and several carriages overturned into the ravine. They’ve already sent people to ask the monks from the temple to help retrieve the carriages and rescue those inside. First Madam said we should delay our return for a while to avoid rushing back and encountering any trouble."

Ren Yaoqi nodded, "Thank you for making the trip, Auntie. I’ll personally apologize to First Aunt when I return."

The maidservant then left to report back.

Now that Madam Li was in no hurry to return, there was a bit more time.

Ren Yaohua was missing, and Ren Yaoqi preferred to search for her herself rather than alert First Madam and ask the Ren Family for help. She did not trust the Ren Family.

If something were to happen to Ren Yaohua, she might still be able to keep it hidden. But if the Ren Family found out, who knew what the consequences might be.

Ren Yaoqi and Li Tianyou were about to split up to search when, after walking only a short distance, Li Tianyou called out from behind, "Yaoqi, Yaoqi, come quickly! Dongsheng and the others are back!"

Ren Yaoqi quickly turned and hurried over.

Sure enough, she saw Ren Yaohua, completely drenched from the rain. Behind Ren Yaohua was a man of average height with fair skin but ordinary features—likely the martial artist named Dongsheng.

Ren Yaoqi looked at the silent Ren Yaohua and frowned, asking, "Third Sister, where did you go? Where are the maidservants and attendants who were with you?" She remembered that Ren Yaohua had several people with her when she left, but now only she and Dongsheng had returned.

At this, Ren Yaohua turned and glared fiercely at Dongsheng, snorting coldly, "Ask him what good deeds he’s done!"

Li Tianyou quietly asked Dongsheng, "What did you do?"

But he found Dongsheng standing there ashen-faced, opening his mouth to speak but ultimately swallowing his words without saying anything.

Both Li Tianyou and Xia Sheng were surprised. Dongsheng and Xia Sheng had completely opposite temperaments. Xia Sheng was quiet and rarely smiled, answering only when spoken to, while Dongsheng was lively and cheerful, greeting everyone with a smile.

Thank you to ng for the three pink tickets~

Thank you to Xueyan, Miss Jinxin, and kanshudehao for the two pink tickets~

Also, thank you to Yinchangdege and Qingqingdudu for the rewards~^^******************************************************************************************************************************************************(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please come to Qidian () to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)