Before Old Madam Ren entered, Ren Yaoqi called Nanny Zhou aside and gave her some instructions.
When Old Madam Ren was escorted into the main courtyard by Li Shi’s people, Ren Shimin and Li Shi, along with Ren Yaoqi, were already waiting there.
When Old Madam Ren’s gaze fell upon Li Shi, her expression was quite complex.
As Li Shi stepped forward to pay respects to Old Madam Ren, Old Madam Ren’s face broke into a smile. She was just about to help Li Shi up and say some gentle words when Nanny Zhou stepped forward first to support Li Shi, reminding her in a voice audible to everyone present: “Princess, this is improper according to etiquette!”
Li Shi, being kind-hearted, didn’t react immediately. Nanny Zhou explained: “You are honored as a Princess personally conferred by the late Emperor. According to our Great Zhou’s protocols, except for a few noble persons in the palace, you need only bow to princes and princess consorts. Although Old Madam Ren is an elder who should be respected, ancestral rules cannot be abandoned, and the imperial family’s dignity cannot be compromised by anyone.”
Upon hearing this, Old Madam Ren’s face stiffened, and she could no longer maintain her smile. Looking at Nanny Zhou with a forced smile that didn’t reach her eyes, she addressed Li Shi: “So you’re saying I should be the one bowing to the Princess?”
Li Shi immediately glanced at Ren Shimin. Ren Shimin stood beside Li Shi with his brows slightly furrowed as before, showing no displeasure at Nanny Zhou’s words. Li Shi couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.
“Don’t be rude.”
Li Shi lightly reprimanded Nanny Zhou, then said to Old Madam Ren, “Old Madam, please take the seat of honor.” However, she no longer insisted on bowing to Old Madam Ren. After being scolded by Li Shi, Nanny Zhou lowered her head and stood respectfully behind Li Shi without another word.
Old Madam Ren knew that now was not the time to lose her temper and fall out with Li Shi. She took a deep breath, suppressed her anger, accepted the graceful exit Li Shi had offered, and sat in the seat of honor. However, she was even more displeased with Ren Shimin, who had stood aside and allowed a mere servant to humiliate her.
After taking the seat of honor, Old Madam Ren gradually regained the authority she had possessed in the Ren family mansion in Baihe Town. Following her usual tactics, she intended to deliberately ignore Ren Shimin and Li Shi for a while to dampen Li Shi’s princely dignity.
However, Nanny Zhou didn’t give Old Madam Ren the opportunity. She helped Li Shi sit down, then deliberately made a great show of instructing the maids to change Li Shi’s chair cushion, replace the tea with Li Shi’s preferred blend, and purposely scolded Xi’er in front of everyone for bringing water that was too hot. She had a roomful of maids busying themselves around Li Shi alone, displaying the full grandeur befitting a Princess.
With Old Madam Ren sitting above, how could she maintain any dignity? Her expression grew increasingly ugly.
Only when Ren Shimin glanced toward Nanny Zhou did she immediately and appropriately stop. Nanny Zhou still showed considerable respect for Ren Shimin’s wishes.
“What brings Old Madam here today?” Seeing everyone had settled down, Ren Shimin, as head of the household, consciously opened the conversation.
Old Madam Ren replied with righteous indignation: “What? Can’t I come to see my son and daughter-in-law?”
Ren Shimin paused, then said coldly: “I have already been expelled from the Ren family and am no longer a member of the Ren clan.”
Seeing Ren Shimin’s attitude, Old Madam Ren’s tone finally softened. She sighed and said, “Mother knows you’re still angry. But given the circumstances at that time, the family had no choice but to make a decision. Now…”
Ren Shimin frowned and interrupted: “Since the choice has already been made, so be it. I said before – once I walked out of the Ren family’s doors, I would never return.”
Old Madam Ren’s eyes suddenly reddened: “Third Son, Mother has come personally to invite you home. Would you drive your mother away, too? You’re the child I carried for ten months and gave birth to!”
Ren Shimin pressed his lips together: “When the family faced its greatest difficulties, I never thought of betraying it. But when my future was uncertain, the family abandoned me. However, I’ve come to terms with it now, so I don’t blame anyone. But what’s done cannot be undone – I will never return. Old Madam need not say more.”
Old Madam Ren knew of Ren Shimin’s stubborn temperament. Those unfamiliar with him thought he was good-natured and easy to talk to. In reality, however, Ren Shimin was the most difficult among the Ren brothers to deal with. Old Madam Ren didn’t particularly favor this middle son – she preferred her eldest and youngest sons more.
So Old Madam Ren turned to Li Shi: “You’re a good child. Please help Mother persuade Shimin – he’s being stubborn again. You should know how difficult the path ahead will be for someone without family backing.”
Ren Shimin said somewhat impatiently: “Since even she, a mere woman, knows that without family backing the path ahead is difficult, why didn’t you understand this then? Why did you insist on forcing me into a dead end? Since I’m already a family outcast, there’s no reason to take me back!”
Old Madam Ren’s face paled. She could only look pleadingly at the soft-hearted and easily manipulated Li Shi.
However, Li Shi lowered her head and said quietly: “I… I listen to my husband.”
Old Madam Ren was so angry she nearly threw her teacup. Finally, she could only place it on the table with trembling hands, force out a smile, and beckon to Ren Yaoqi: “Good child, come here.”
Ren Yaoqi glanced at Ren Shimin and Li Shi, then lowered her head and stepped forward to stand before Old Madam Ren.
Old Madam Ren’s expression improved somewhat. She took Ren Yaoqi’s hand and said lovingly, “Qi’er hasn’t returned for so long. How about coming back with Grandmother this time to keep her company? Grandmother has saved many precious things at the bottom of her chest, just waiting to give them to you as dowry when you marry.”
Ren Yaoqi allowed Old Madam Ren to hold her hand: “Thank you for Old Madam’s kind intentions, but Mother says I still have many rules to learn and cannot leave. Please forgive me, Old Madam.”
Old Madam Ren hit another soft wall.
No matter how Old Madam Ren tried to persuade with honeyed words, using both coaxing and deception, neither Li Shi nor Ren Yaoqi took her bait. As long as Ren Shimin didn’t relent, one would obey her husband’s commands and the other her father’s – neither dared defy Ren Shimin. Yet Old Madam Ren had no way to deal with Ren Shimin at all.
After all that trouble, Old Madam Ren could only return empty-handed to Baihe Town.
But the matter didn’t end there.
The Ren family affair was originally just internal family business. Since it wasn’t particularly glorious, no one had made a big show of publicizing it. However, the day after Old Madam Ren left Yunyang City, rumors began spreading that Princess Jiayi, now riding high, had begun using her natal family’s influence to show her mother-in-law a cold face. Even when her mother-in-law came to seek reconciliation, she had sent a cunning servant to drive her away. Meanwhile, Ren Shimin, the Prince Consort, had forgotten his mother after getting a wife and now meekly obeyed the Princess, joining his wife in showing his birth mother a cold face.
When Nanny Zhou heard these rumors, she was furious.
“Fifth Miss, is the Ren family playing tricks, trying to use this to force Master to return?”
Ren Yaoqi thought for a moment, lightly furrowing her brow and shaking her head: “They should know that, given Father’s temperament, such rumors cannot force him to bow his head. I’m afraid someone is using the Ren family matter to cause trouble in the shadows.”
Nanny Zhou was startled: “Who could it be? What’s their purpose?”
Ren Yaoqi didn’t answer, only saying: “Whoever is causing trouble behind the scenes will eventually have to show themselves. Let’s wait and see.”
“But should we just let those rumors spread? This isn’t good for Master and Madam’s reputation, and I’m afraid it might even affect you, Fifth Miss.” Regardless of the era, disrespecting and being unfilial to elders would always be condemned by both word and pen. Even the Emperor had to emphasize filial piety. The outside world would only see that Ren Shimin didn’t acknowledge his birth mother – who would care whether Ren Shimin had been expelled from the Ren family?
Ren Yaoqi shook her head: “Let’s wait a bit longer.”
The result of waiting longer was that some people finally began questioning Xiao Jingxi’s marriage to Ren Yaoqi. Some felt that parents like Ren Shimin and Princess Jiayi, who didn’t understand filial piety, certainly couldn’t raise a good daughter.
Ren Yaoqi finally understood what the enemy’s sudden fierce attack was aimed at – it was for her engagement with Xiao Jingxi.
However, before Ren Yaoqi could react to this matter, someone else moved first.
The fact that the Ren family had expelled Third Master Ren from the clan became known to the world. Gradually, except for a few particularly pedantic individuals or those deliberately looking for trouble, public criticism of Third Master Ren diminished considerably.
However, no one expected that those with particularly pedantic thoughts would soon be exposed for visiting prostitutes during their mother’s mourning period, resulting in their dismissal from their original positions by the Yanbei Prince’s Manor. It turned out that someone who appeared righteous on the surface, constantly speaking of propriety, justice, integrity, and shame, actually had such character. The world couldn’t help but sigh.
Some clever people also noticed that this person’s rapid fall from moral high ground into the mud must have displeased the Yanbei Prince’s Manor – otherwise, how could such a coincidence occur?
So, without waiting for the Yanbei Prince’s Manor to speak, more people voluntarily stepped forward to defend Ren Shimin and Princess Jiayi. These voices were much stronger than the few scattered critical ones, quickly suppressing the discordant sounds.
Thus, the originally disloyal, unfilial, unkind, and unrighteous Princess Jiayi and her husband became victims abandoned by their family.
For someone in power like Xiao Jingxi, dealing with such provocations didn’t require him to act personally. He only needed to give a slight hint, point out a direction, and plenty of people would rush to solve his problems for him. So many times, whether something was just or not depended on strength.
At this time, Yun Wenfang, who had left Yunyang City some time ago and seemingly vanished without a trace, suddenly returned in great haste.