Reborn of the Rightful

"How much do you know about the affairs of the Yanbei Prince's Mansion?" Ren Yaoqi asked Dongsheng, glancing at the sky outside the window.

In her previous life, she hadn't known much about the Yanbei Prince's Mansion, and in this life, she hadn't deliberately inquired either. What she knew was merely common knowledge.

However, Dongsheng had been trained as Li Tianyou's personal attendant. His master was that formidable follower of his maternal grandfather, Zheng Guoliang, who also served as the steward of the Li family.

She had always found Steward Zheng's voice somewhat peculiar, only later realizing that he must have come from the palace—a eunuch.

Li Tianyou's attendant didn't need to know much about social engagements, but he certainly had to understand how to help his master seek advantages and avoid harm. Therefore, Dongsheng should be well-versed in the situations of various families in Yunyang City.

"The late Old Yanbei Prince, Xiao Xingjian's principal consort was the second daughter of the previous emperor, born to Consort Zhang of that time. At the age of fifteen, she was granted the title Princess Changde by the previous emperor and married into the Yanbei Prince's Mansion. However, before the arranged marriage, the Old Yanbei Prince had been betrothed to Yun Yao, the eldest daughter of the Yun Family. At that time, the prince's grandfather, the fourth Prince of Yanbei, Xiao Qishan, was still alive and had petitioned the previous emperor to explain the situation."

"After careful consideration, to silence public criticism and appease Xiao Qishan, the previous emperor permitted the Yanbei Prince's Mansion to marry Yun Yao, the eldest daughter of the Yun Family, as a concubine on the same day the princess entered the mansion. He also promised that if Yun Yao bore a son, she would be granted the position of secondary consort once Xiao Xingjian inherited the title of Prince of Yanbei. Thus, Princess Changde, the principal consort, and Consort Yun, the secondary consort, entered the mansion one day apart."

"However, after entering the Xiao Family, Princess Changde only gave birth to a daughter, Xiao Wei, and had no further children, while Lady Yun gave birth to Xiao Yan, the eldest son of the Old Yanbei Prince, Xiao Xingjian. Later, the princess arranged for a noble concubine from a collateral branch of the Su Family to be taken into the mansion. The old prince's second son, Xiao Heng, was born to this Concubine Su. Concubine Su was in poor health and passed away shortly after Xiao Heng's birth. Xiao Heng was raised from a young age under Princess Changde's care."

Dongsheng was indeed well-acquainted with the intricate affairs of these noble families, recounting them in detail as if listing treasures.

"The fourth Prince of Yanbei, Xiao Qishan, lived to around sixty years old, so the Old Yanbei Prince was already thirty-five when he succeeded to the title. At that time, there was a period of turmoil in the Yanbei Prince's Mansion over the matter of appointing an heir."

"Princess Changde wanted to appoint Xiao Heng, the adopted son she raised, while the Old Yanbei Prince favored his eldest son, Xiao Yan. It is said that Princess Changde even secretly wrote a confidential memorial to the capital, seeking the previous emperor's support without the Old Yanbei Prince's knowledge."

"Coincidentally, this happened during the time when the Crown Prince had just passed away, the previous emperor had fallen ill, and Prince Kang and Prince Rong were fiercely competing for the succession. The princess's secretly sent letter to the capital sank without a trace. Meanwhile, the Old Yanbei Prince, citing Xiao Qishan's dying wish, personally went to the capital to petition for his eldest son's investiture. At that time, Prince Kang and Prince Rong, who were overseeing state affairs, were locked in a tight struggle, and neither wanted to offend the Yanbei Prince's Mansion. Thus, Xiao Yan smoothly became the heir. Two years later, the previous emperor suddenly recovered from his illness. Prince Kang and Prince Rong were successively executed on charges of treason. Not long after, the Old Yanbei Prince, Xiao Xingjian, also died suddenly, and Xiao Yan succeeded as the Prince of Yanbei, petitioning for his eldest son, Xiao Jingkang, to be appointed as the heir.""Due to the 'Rebellion of the Two Princes'—Kang Prince and Rong Prince—the previous emperor, after recovering from illness, initially lacked the energy to manage Yanbei affairs. Thus, Xiao Yan's succession and the petition for his eldest son's title proceeded smoothly. However, the previous emperor demanded that the Prince of Yanbei's heir enter the Imperial Academy in the capital to study, effectively serving as a hostage. As a result, the Prince of Yanbei's heir grew up in the capital and was betrothed in childhood by imperial decree to Zhao Ying'e, daughter of Princess Chang'an. It is said this heir excelled in literature and painting but neglected archery and horsemanship."

Ren Yaoqi listened in silence. Some of what Dongsheng said she knew, some she did not.

She could imagine the complexities within Yanbei Prince's Mansion, but hearing Dongsheng recount it in such detail was still somewhat startling.

"The current Prince of Yanbei, Xiao Yan's principal consort is his birth mother, Dowager Lady Yun's niece—specifically, the eldest daughter of Yun Sheng's deceased elder brother, Yun Chuxue. This Princess Consort bore two sons and one daughter: the heir, Xiao Jingkang, who is in the capital; the second son, Xiao Jingxi; and Commandery Princess Xiao Jinglin. Xiao Yan's younger brother, Xiao Heng, married Su Shi, and they have the third son, Xiao Jingyue, and Second Miss Xiao Jingyuan, along with several concubine-born children. The only daughter of Princess Changde, Xiao Wei, married the current Ningxia Regional Commander, Wu Xiaohe, and they have one daughter."

Ren Yaoqi's heart stirred: "What is the relationship between Prince of Yanbei Xiao Yan and his younger brother Xiao Heng?"

Dongsheng thought for a moment and replied truthfully, "Outsiders see them as fraternal and respectful, but... if you look at the relationship between their respective maternal families, the Yun Family and the Su Family, you'll understand things aren't as simple as they appear. Since Xiao Qishan became Prince of Yanbei, the Yun and Su families have publicly reconciled, appearing as close as kin, yet behind the scenes, disputes between them persist. The Su Family controls several large horse ranches in the northwest; all cavalry horses for the Yanbei Army are supplied from the Su Family's northwestern ranches. The Yun Family is an old aristocratic clan, its foundation unmatched by the Su Family, but in terms of management, it cannot compare to the Su Family. In recent years, the two families have been competing for several large salt fields near Qingzhou, causing headaches for the Prince of Yanbei."

Northwestern horse ranches... Ningxia Regional Commander... the Tangut tribe contending with Great Zhou for horse ranches... the Yun Family and the Xiao Family, the conflicts between the Old Princess Consort and the Prince of Yanbei...

Ren Yaoqi felt a faint thread connecting what she knew from her previous life with what Dongsheng had just said, shedding a ray of light before her eyes...

In her previous life, once the imperial court issued the order to reduce the Yanbei Army, conflicts over horse ranches with the Tangut tribe erupted in the northwest. Subsequently, the Yanbei Army was divided, with part incorporated under Ningxia Regional Commander Wu Xiaohe to assist him in resisting the Tangut tribe.

She had originally thought this was a win-win strategy by the Prince of Yanbei to preserve strength.

But now it seemed, Wu Xiaohe is the son-in-law of the Old Princess Consort, Princess Changde. Could he truly be of one mind with the Prince of Yanbei? Was the Prince of Yanbei truly willing to divide his army for his brother-in-law? Likely not. It seemed more like choosing the lesser of two evils.

Although later, due to the intervention of the Prince of Yanbei's second son, Xiao Jingxi, most of those Yanbei Army troops were reclaimed, and their core strength remained intact, there were still losses.

And Zeng Pu's ability to quickly consolidate his position as Ningxia Regional Commander was related to his successful persuasion of a group of mid-to-lower-level Yanbei Army officers who were originally waiting and watching before Xiao Jingxi reclaimed the army. That small group ultimately became the capital for his promotion.Therefore, if there was a way to prevent the Yanbei Prince's Mansion's army from entering Ningxia, it would cut off one of Zeng Pu's shortcuts to rapid promotion.

It was undeniable that Ren Yaoqi hated the Zeng family, hated Zeng Pu and Zeng Kui.

Even though those events had not yet occurred in this lifetime, she still felt an uncontrollable hatred whenever she thought of the Zeng family—a hatred that was etched into her bones and fused with her flesh.

At that moment, several more people entered the courtyard. Xia Sheng, Xiangqin, and Sangshen had brought Ren Yaohua's maidservants in.

Wujing and the others looked quite disheveled, with two of the maidservants still bearing tear-streaked faces. Even after entering the courtyard, they continued to sob intermittently, clearly having suffered hardships earlier.

Upon seeing Ren Yaohua standing under the eaves, they all rushed over in a swarm, complaining with grievances one after another, instantly turning the small courtyard into a noisy scene.

It was Wujing who couldn't stand it any longer and scolded them into silence.

Ren Yaoqi only heard Ren Yaohua's cold voice ring out in the courtyard: "I will give you an explanation myself!"

Li Tianyou, who had been watching the commotion from the side, rolled his eyes and, with Xia Sheng in tow, walked into the house with his hands clasped behind his back.

Ren Yaoqi's calm voice echoed word by word inside the room: "There is a way, but it requires you to take a risk. Perhaps everyone will have to take risks. Are you willing to do it?"

Dongsheng was taken aback and asked hesitantly, "Who does the young mistress mean by 'everyone'? Will the master and the others also be at risk?"

Ren Yaoqi looked at Dongsheng with unruffled composure: "Do you think my uncle hasn't already been implicated? Rather than waiting for disaster to strike, it's better to turn the tables and strike back."

The situation of Prince Xian Li Qian and his family in Yanbei had always been quite awkward.

Li Qian's birth mother, Consort Wan, was a favored concubine of the late emperor. She was a commoner's daughter whom the late emperor had brought back from outside the palace in his early years, and she gave birth to Li Qian just six months after entering the palace.

Thus, although the late emperor acknowledged Li Qian's status as a prince, after the late emperor's death, Li Qian's birth became a stain on his reputation.

There were whispers in the capital that Consort Wan had actually been a singing girl before entering the palace and had already been pregnant with another man's child. Later, although she gained favor with the late emperor, the child she carried was not actually his. It was only through Consort Wan's skillful maneuvering that the late emperor acknowledged this convenient son and enfeoffed him as Prince Xian.

With the late emperor dead, these rumors could not be verified. However, when it came to discussing the succession to the throne, most court officials still chose to support the son of Consort Yan, who was merely an infant at the time.

In desperation, Consort Wan struck first. She produced the late emperor's edict and promptly demoted her own son, Prince Xian, to a commoner, exiling him to Yanbei, where the Yan clan could not interfere, and decreeing that he and his descendants would never be allowed to enter the capital for generations.

On the very day Prince Xian and his family arrived in Yanbei, Consort Wan drank poisoned wine and took her own life.

In truth, over the years, Prince Xian and his family had relied on the protection of the Yanbei Prince's Mansion. Otherwise, he would not have been able to survive peacefully until today. Though humiliating, he was still alive.

When Mr. Pei recounted this palace secret to Ren Yaoqi, he once sighed and remarked that Consort Wan of those years was indeed a remarkable figure.

Not only was she stunningly beautiful and talented, but she was also adaptable, resolute, ruthless, and knew how to accept defeat.

It was a pity that such a beauty met an untimely fate.

Ren Yaoqi had never met this great-grandmother of hers, but while in the capital, she had seen some portraits of Consort Wan that secretly circulated among scholars and talented men, as well as poems written for her by the late king.Mr. Pei once said with a smile that the reason he had asked Lu Dexin for her was because, at first sight, she resembled a woman in a painting he owned.

She originally thought he was joking, but later, after seeing that painting, she realized Mr. Pei was referring to her great-grandmother, Consort Wan.

It was also then that she understood why Lu Dexin had given her away after just a few words with Mr. Pei.

Lu Dexin was the military supervisor sent by the court to Ningxia. The Great Zhou imperial family had always favored using close attendants as supervisors, and Lu Dexin was actually a eunuch whose entire favor and status came from his master above.

His master, Empress Dowager Yan, was a sworn enemy of Consort Wan from back then. Ren Yaoqi’s resemblance to Consort Wan would have brought him trouble.

At that time, she was actually immensely grateful for this face of hers.

Many eunuchs, due to their physical incompleteness, developed obsessions regarding matters between men and women. Though they were incapable in bed, they still enjoyed taking wives and keeping concubines. Ren Yaoqi was extremely reluctant to recall the unbearable days when she first fell into Lu Dexin’s hands.

Dongsheng was stunned by Ren Yaoqi’s calm voice, which seemed to see through worldly affairs.

Those who followed Prince Xian understood the precarious situation of Prince Xian’s lineage in Yanbei. They not only had to constantly worry about whether the Yan clan in the capital would suddenly send assassins, but also feared that one day the Yanbei Prince’s Mansion might hand them over to the Yan clan for punishment, or even quietly dispose of them on behalf of the Yan clan.

As long as Empress Dowager Yan and her son remained in power, as long as the Yan clan still controlled the government, his masters would never truly have a moment of peace.

“What should this subordinate do? Please advise, Miss Cousin,” Dongsheng gritted his teeth and asked respectfully.

…

By the time Ren Yaohua sent someone in to call Ren Yaoqi out, Ren Yaoqi had already finished explaining everything to Dongsheng.

Dongsheng stood there motionless for a long while, his face as pale as paper, startling the maid who entered. She thought the Fifth Miss had just severely reprimanded Dongsheng.

Ren Yaoqi sighed softly and said before leaving, “Think it over carefully. You can also discuss it with Xia Sheng and the others. If anything happens, send someone to deliver a message to me.”

Seeing Ren Yaoqi come out, Ren Yaohua frowned and said, “What took so long? It’s getting late, and the person is back. Let’s go home.”

Ren Yaoqi had already said what needed to be said, so she nodded and agreed.

However, Ren Yaohua did not immediately move. She looked behind Ren Yaoqi as if waiting for Dongsheng to come out.

Ren Yaoqi smiled and said, “I’ve already scolded him. He won’t dare again, and I’ve also given him some tasks to do. How about letting it go this time?”

Ren Yaohua was somewhat displeased. “What tasks require him to do them? Does our Ren Family have no one else?”

Ren Yaoqi had no choice but to plead softly, “Third Sister, consider it as me owing you a favor? When I scolded him earlier, I already said I would plead for leniency from you on his behalf.”

At that moment, Dongsheng walked out from the inner room. His face still looked terrible, and when Ren Yaohua caught a glimpse, she somewhat believed Ren Yaoqi had indeed reprimanded him.

Ren Yaoqi quickly added, “Moreover, it’s not appropriate for us to punish someone from the Li Family overstepping our maternal grandfather, maternal grandmother, and uncle. After all, our surname is Ren. If others found out, they might gossip. As for the maids and matrons by your side today, give each of them one tael of silver as consolation money.”As she spoke, Ren Yaoqi moved closer and lowered her voice, "We're still outside with Aunt for now, so it's not a good time to cause trouble. There will be plenty of chances to teach him a lesson later—no need to rush."

Only then did Ren Yaohua give a light snort and turn to leave.

Ren Yaoqi glanced at Dongsheng before following Ren Yaohua out at a leisurely pace.

Thank you to Qing Q Qing, Night※Coffee, Shui You, Chun Chun A, Na Jia Xue Fei,

angeljiang_s, Yu 0714, Hua Juzi, and okeeffe for the pink votes!

Thanks to Who Is My Family's Empress Dowager, Xiao Xiang Yu, colabier, and Passing Guest for the rewards～^^