No matter what, the Qiu family was Old Madam Yun’s natal family, so Eldest Madam Yun had naturally paid careful attention to the Qiu family’s daughters.

“Miss Qiu Second is the only daughter of Old Master Qiu’s legitimate eldest son. She has an elder brother studying at Yunyang Academy who is Wenfang’s classmate. He’s come to our mansion several times to pay respects to you, Mother. You should have an impression of him.”

Old Madam Yun naturally remembered Qiu Yun, who was on good terms with Yun Wenfang, and nodded: “Although Qiu Xinmin was originally just a branch family son of the Qiu family, fortunately my father left him several capable people to assist him. Over these years, the Qiu family hasn’t been ruined under his management. I’ve met the Qiu family’s young master—he’s a good one, so I imagine the Qiu family’s daughter can’t be too bad either.”

When Miss Qiu Second had come to pay respects to Old Madam Yun, Old Madam Yun had been seeing too many visitors recently and couldn’t meet them all, so she had claimed illness and left all the guests to be entertained by her three daughters-in-law. Thus, she hadn’t seen this grand-niece from the Qiu family.

“Tomorrow, when you have time, have someone bring her to see me so I can take a careful look,” Old Madam Yun said. “Also, tell me about the other two young ladies. If suitable, our Yun family needn’t necessarily form marriage ties with the Qiu family.”

In truth, Old Madam Yun still looked down somewhat on Qiu Xinmin, who came from a branch family. No matter how prestigious this Qiu family clan leader appeared now, when her father had been selecting an heir, Qiu Xinmin had been quite timid and cowardly, never having received a proper noble family education from childhood. In Old Madam Yun’s eyes, he was essentially someone who had joined halfway through—not authentic enough.

“The Guo family of Weizhou holds the same position there as our Yun family does in Yanbei. Miss Guo is thirteen this year, outstanding in appearance, with a lively and straightforward personality. Her maternal family also comes from a major clan in Wuzhou. Although the Jiang family of Shunzhou can’t compare to the Guo family’s influence, they’re truly from a scholarly family. Before moving to Yanbei, the Jiang family produced several top examination graduates and explorers. Though they can’t match the Pei and Xu families, they’re still a well-known noble family of the Great Zhou Dynasty, famous for passing down poetry and literature. Miss Jiang Eighth is twelve this year. Her appearance doesn’t match the other two young ladies from the Guo and Qiu families, but her temperament is very gentle and obedient, and she has some literary talent.”

Old Madam Yun nodded with satisfaction: “The families you’ve chosen are all quite good. This way, during these few days of the Thousand Gold Banquet, have these three girls come sit before me more often.”

Eldest Madam Yun quickly agreed, then thought of something else: “What about Wenting’s marriage—should we just leave it be?”

Old Madam Yun rubbed the teacup in her hands as if deep in thought, but her tone held no hesitation: “Leave it be. As long as the princess remains unmarried, Wenting’s marriage cannot be settled.”

A mother’s heart naturally ached for her son, and Eldest Madam Yun felt some dissatisfaction: “What kind of situation is this! Wenfang, the younger brother, would get engaged first… If this drags on, who knows how people outside will laugh at Wenting.”

Old Madam Yun wasn’t worried about this: “If Wenfang’s engagement is settled while Wenting’s still isn’t, we’ll spread word that I had an eminent monk calculate Wenting’s fortune, and his fate is suited to late marriage. If the princess can wait, our Yun family can wait even longer. Besides, what man lacks a wife? I’m not boasting, but looking across all of Yanbei, only the Prince of Yanbei mansion’s second young master can compare to Wenting in character and appearance.”

Though Eldest Madam Yun was dissatisfied, she could only let the matter drop.

“I only see you worrying about your two sons—why don’t I see you worrying about Qiuchen?” Old Madam Yun looked up.

Speaking of her daughter, Eldest Madam Yun’s face finally showed a trace of a smile: “It’s not that I favor my sons—Qiuchen truly doesn’t need my worry. This child has been clever and obedient since childhood.”

Old Madam Yun also smiled: “Qiuchen’s temperament is very much like the princess consort’s was back then.”

Eldest Madam Yun was about to make some agreeable comments when Old Madam Yun’s tone suddenly shifted, turning cold: “It’s just that the princess consort back then didn’t have her audacity—daring to place spies in an elder’s quarters.”

At these words, Eldest Madam Yun’s smile immediately froze on her face, her complexion turning deathly pale.

The room fell into complete silence—so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Finally, Eldest Madam Yun knelt before Old Madam Yun with her head lowered, speaking with difficulty: “Mother—”

Old Madam Yun’s expression was emotionless: “There are plenty of clever people in this world, and those who ultimately meet bad ends are often precisely those clever people, because they’re accustomed to having things go smoothly, yet they always forget there are always people beyond people, heavens beyond heavens. So they don’t die at others’ hands, but under their arrogance.”

Eldest Madam Yun knelt in the middle of the room, not even daring to breathe.

Old Madam Yun looked at Eldest Madam Yun for a while. Seeing that Eldest Madam Yun couldn’t help but tremble with fear, Old Madam Yun finally raised her hand slightly: “Get up! If I had wanted to punish you, mother and daughter, I wouldn’t have made an example of Third Master’s wife back then. My heart is ultimately biased.”

Only then did Eldest Madam Yun understand that the previous incident where Third Madam had been punished by Old Madam for stealing medicine recipes from the old lady’s room had actually been a warning to them.

Seeing that Eldest Madam Yun was so frightened she couldn’t stand up after two attempts, Old Madam Yun’s expression finally softened somewhat: “You are the future authority holder of the Yun family’s inner courtyard, and Qiuchen is my most beloved granddaughter. I can’t let you lose face, so I won’t mention this matter again. Fortunately, Qiuchen isn’t beyond redemption—after I had her two head maids sent away, she hasn’t tried to place anyone else in my quarters.”

Eldest Madam Yun broke out in a cold sweat, opening her mouth but unable to speak.

Placing spies in an elder’s quarters was a matter that could be treated as major or minor. If Old Madam Yun had truly intended to punish her, giving her a letter of divorce would have been met with no objection from anyone. Fortunately, Old Madam Yun ultimately valued this daughter-in-law and truly cherished her granddaughter, Yun Qiuchen.

“Mother, I know I was wrong. Qiuchen—I will properly discipline Qiuchen in the future,” Eldest Madam Yun said with a hoarse voice.

“Mm, you may go now.” Old Madam Yun didn’t argue further with her daughter-in-law.

Eldest Madam Yun bowed and withdrew, but just before leaving, she somehow thought of Old Madam Yun’s teachings about the Yun family’s daughters and couldn’t help but turn back and ask: “Mother, you’ve always placed the greatest importance on family background and birth. But I believe that noble families are noble families precisely because they rely on intermarriage, standing united with one voice. Reproducing generation after generation this way, they can establish firm roots for future descendants to enjoy the shade—such foundations sometimes even imperial power cannot shake. But although our Yun family claims to be Yanbei’s foremost noble family, having marriage connections is like having none, because the Yun family rule forbids women from interfering in their natal family’s affairs once married. I don’t understand why this is.”

After a moment, Old Madam Yun’s voice came through the pearl curtain, carrying the weight of age and vicissitudes: “Noble families? Are there any true noble families left in Yanbei? The real noble families died long ago under the Liao cavalry. Do you think that when the Xiao family held hundreds of thousands of troops, why were they still driven out of Yanbei like homeless dogs by the old emperor? Those deeply entrenched noble families were quite helpful to the emperor back then! Having finally regained control of Yanbei, how could the Xiao family possibly allow those events to repeat? Today’s Yanbei doesn’t need deeply rooted massive noble families capable of shaking imperial power—the existence of noble families is merely for the Prince of Yanbei mansion’s prestige.”

This was the first time Eldest Madam Yun had heard such words, leaving her stunned on the spot.

“This is also why our Yun family could become Yanbei’s foremost noble family—because the Yun family’s late patriarch recognized his position early on and never thought of making the Yun family some great tree,” Old Madam Yun said with a snort.

“As for what you said about having marriage connections being like having none—that’s not entirely true. Why do you think I insist on having Wenting marry the princess?” Old Madam Yun said slowly. “It’s true that Yun family daughters follow their husbands after marriage and no longer interfere in their natal family affairs, but let me ask you—there are quite a few so-called noble families who, like our late patriarch, recognized their position early, such as the Guo family of Weizhou and the Jiang family of Shunzhou. But why does the world unanimously recognize our Yun family as the head of Yanbei’s noble families?”

Eldest Madam Yun thought for a moment and said tentatively, “Because our Yun family produced one principal consort and one side consort?”

“Exactly.” Old Madam Yun smiled slightly. “Acting properly and not forming factions is for the Prince of Yanbei mansion to see, while forming good marriage connections is for the world to see. With both the Prince of Yanbei mansion’s trust and the recognition of Yanbei’s various families, how could the Yun family fail? So when our Yun family forms marriage ties, we never borrow strength—only prestige.”

The doubts that Eldest Madam Yun had harbored in her heart for so long were finally all resolved today.

She had never been able to understand the Yun family’s principle that “married daughters are like spilled water.” She felt her daughter was clever and capable, no less than men, and could support her brothers through her husband’s family’s power after marriage. So her teachings to her daughter had always differed from Old Madam Yun’s. She had never imagined the Yun family held such views about marriage connections.

When Eldest Madam Yun emerged from Old Madam Yun’s quarters, she had the strange feeling that all her years as the household’s matron had been in vain.

Meanwhile, at Ren Yaoqi’s side, a room full of young ladies was chatting happily.

Yun Qiufang was asking the Ren family misses about their planned talent performances for tomorrow’s Thousand Gold Banquet. Ren Yaoyin said she would either compose poetry or write lyrics, while Ren Yaohua, who wasn’t particularly skilled at writing, painting, poetry, or literature, was quite good at playing the flute.

When it came to Ren Yaoqi’s turn, she thought for a moment and smiled: “I’ll paint.”

She had originally wanted to practice calligraphy, since writing was more convenient than painting, but Fifth Madam Lin Shi had given her an early heads-up that Ren Yaoyu had been practicing calligraphy for several days, hinting that she shouldn’t steal her sister’s spotlight. Ren Yaoqi didn’t want to argue with Lin Shi—she didn’t have to write calligraphy.

However, Ren Yaoqi didn’t notice that after she spoke, Ren Yaoying, sitting beside her, had a brief flicker in her eyes.

Yun Qiufang asked Ren Yaoying: “What about you, Cousin Ren Ninth?”

Ren Yaoying smiled with a lowered head: “I haven’t decided yet. I’m not as multi-talented as my sisters. Though my aunt did say my calligraphy is passable enough to be seen by others.”

As soon as Ren Yaoying finished speaking, Ren Yaoyu glared at her fiercely. However, considering they were still on someone else’s territory, Ren Yaoyu didn’t speak up immediately. Truth be told, after her previous experience, Ren Yaoyu had grown somewhat more cautious.