Ren Yaoying seemed not to notice Ren Yaoyu’s expression and turned to smile at the two Yun sisters: “I wonder what Sister Yun will perform tomorrow?”
Yun Qiuping wasn’t much of a talker, but out of politeness still replied: “We’ll see tomorrow. My various talents are ordinary—I’m just participating for fun.”
Yun Qiufang, however, laughed carelessly: “We don’t mind. After all, this event is held every two years. While you find it fresh and new, we find all the coming and going rather tiresome.”
Though she said this, the Ren family’s young ladies present still detected a sense of superiority in Yun Qiufang’s words.
Ren Yaoying smiled with pursed lips: “That’s true. Earlier, I heard Miss Yun mention that these past few days she’s been helping the elders with Thousand Gold Banquet affairs. I imagine you all haven’t been idle either. As the host family, the Yun family must be quite busy.”
Unexpectedly, as soon as Ren Yaoying finished speaking, Yun Qiufang’s expression suddenly turned unpleasant.
Yun Qiuping glanced at Yun Qiufang and lowered her head to play with the ornamental cord at her waist.
Seeing Yun Qiufang’s expression, Ren Yaoying didn’t understand which of her words had been wrong. She naturally didn’t know that among the three Yun family misses, Old Madam Yun had only assigned Yun Qiuchen to manage the tea and refreshments for the Thousand Gold Banquet, while Yun Qiuping and Yun Qiufang were quite leisurely compared to Yun Qiuchen.
Ren Yaoyin, however, knew about the friction between the three Yun sisters. Seeing the atmosphere grow cold, she smiled and changed the topic: “Ninth Sister, couldn’t you tell that Miss Yun Second and Miss Yun Third were being modest? I’ve heard that the Yun family misses have studied needlework, embroidery, music, chess, calligraphy, and painting with their family’s female teachers since childhood. Miss Yun Second’s double-sided embroidery can rival that of the capital’s skilled craftswoman Mu Ying, and Miss Yun Third even impressed everyone at the last Thousand Gold Banquet with her ocarina performance.”
Yun Qiufang’s expression finally improved somewhat.
Just then, Yun Qiuchen returned.
Seeing her, Yun Qiufang looked up and curled her lips: “The tea and refreshments have been served for ages—where has Elder Sister been?”
Yun Qiuchen smiled at these words: “When I went out, I happened to run into Second Brother, who said he had originally arranged to meet Elder Brother and Young Master Qiu at the water pavilion to escape the heat. Seeing that we had occupied the place first, they were just about to find somewhere else.”
As soon as Yun Qiuchen finished speaking, Yun Wenfang walked in, his gaze sweeping around the water pavilion before raising an eyebrow: “So there are guests here.”
Yun Qiuchen shook her head: “Of course, there are guests—would I lie to you?”
Yun Wenfang sighed: “In that case, Elder Brother, I, and Jinyuan will have to find somewhere else.”
“This water pavilion is so large—if Elder Brother, Second Brother, and Young Master Qiu want to come, just come,” Yun Qiufang said unconcernedly.
Qiu Yun had visited the Yun family many times. With his handsome appearance and witty conversation, all the Yun family ladies had a good impression of him.
Ren Yaoyin also said: “After all, Young Master Yun, Second Young Master Yun, and Young Master Qiu are all our male cousins, so it wouldn’t be improper.”
Yun Qiuchen glanced at Yun Wenfang and sighed inwardly, about to agree, when Ren Yaohua suddenly spoke up: “It’s getting late, and Cousin Yun has already explained to us what we need to pay attention to at tomorrow’s Thousand Gold Banquet. We should take our leave.”
As soon as Ren Yaohua saw Yun Wenfang enter, her eyelid twitched. Thinking of this, Second Young Master Yun’s feelings toward Ren Yaoqi, Ren Yaohua naturally didn’t want her sister to be under the same roof as him.
As for Ren Yaoyin’s little schemes, Ren Yaohua snorted coldly in her heart—was she afraid people wouldn’t notice?
Yun Qiuchen quickly said: “Since you’ve come so rarely, please stay and sit a while longer.”
Miss Yun thought that perhaps the Ren family sisters didn’t want to share a room with men. Since she was, after all, a respectable young lady from a good family, she could only say to Yun Wenfang: “Second Brother, you, Elder Brother, and Young Master Qiu should go to the pavilion over there instead.” Fearing Yun Wenfang might throw a tantrum, she also gave him meaningful looks.
Yun Wenfang glanced at Ren Yaohua, his gaze settling on Ren Yaoqi’s face. Ren Yaoqi lowered her head to drink tea as if it had nothing to do with her.
Yun Wenfang said with a half-smile: “The pavilion it is, then.” After saying this, he turned and left.
Once Yun Wenfang left, Ren Yaohua no longer insisted on going home.
However, as soon as Yun Wenfang left, Eldest Madam Yun arrived.
Eldest Madam Yun had just come from Old Madam Yun’s courtyard and was passing through the garden when she heard her daughter was at the water pavilion, so she came to take a look. Seeing the Ren family sisters, Eldest Madam Yun spoke with them kindly for a while.
Seeing Eldest Madam Yun’s arrival and thinking she might have something to discuss with Yun Qiuchen, after sitting briefly, Ren Yaohua again proposed taking their leave. Eldest Madam Yun sent a nanny from her side to escort them out.
But just as they left the garden, Ren Yaoyin suddenly stopped and said: “Oh! Qiuchen said she’d lend me a poetry collection, and I forgot to take it.”
Ren Yaohua frowned: “Have a maid go back to fetch it.”
Ren Yaoyin shook her head: “This collection is Qiuchen’s treasure—she values it greatly. I should go back myself.”
The nanny who was escorting them quickly said, “This servant will accompany Miss Ren back.”
Ren Yaoyin smiled: “Nanny, please escort my sisters out. I’ve been to the Yun family several times and have toured this garden many times—I’m quite familiar with it. Qiuchen should still be in the garden and not have gone far. I’ll go and return quickly.”
Unable to dissuade her, they could only let her take her maid back to find Yun Qiuchen.
Ren Yaohua glanced at Ren Yaoyin’s retreating figure, looking thoughtful.
Meanwhile, after the Ren family sisters left, Yun Qiuping and Yun Qiufang also returned to their respective courtyards. Eldest Madam Yun and Yun Qiuchen dismissed the attending maids and servants to speak privately by the pond.
“Aunt wants Fangfei to marry Second Brother?”
Eldest Madam Yun nodded: “But your grandmother didn’t agree. Instead, she instructed me to use the Thousand Gold Banquet as an opportunity to carefully observe several young ladies.”
Yun Qiuchen couldn’t help but frown: “But Second Brother’s feelings—”
Eldest Madam Yun shook her head and interrupted: “His feelings will have to be put away sooner or later. He thinks we don’t know about his little schemes.”
Hearing her mother speak this way, Yun Qiuchen understood that Grandmother must have already made plans for Yun Wenfang’s marriage. She couldn’t say more and instead asked: “Did Grandmother say anything about how to arrange Elder Brother’s marriage?”
Not far away came the barely audible sound of fallen leaves crackling underfoot, which the Yun mother and daughter didn’t notice.
“The Yun family’s preferred choice for the legitimate eldest daughter-in-law is the princess. Your grandmother won’t easily change this, unless the Prince of Yanbei’s mansion has other plans.”
Yun Qiuchen thought for a moment, hesitating briefly before saying: “Mother, what do you think of the Wu family of Ningxia?”
“The Wu family? I’ve heard that since the time of the old Prince of Yanbei, the Wu family has maintained good relations with the Prince of Yanbei’s mansion. The Wu family’s current influence in Ningxia is partly due to support from the Prince of Yanbei’s mansion.”
Yun Qiuchen shook her head: “That’s not what I’m asking. I’m asking about Miss Wu Yiyu of the Wu family.”
Eldest Madam Yun had also met Wu family’s eldest daughter Wu Yiyu several times. Hearing her daughter bring this up now, Eldest Madam Yun immediately thought of something and couldn’t help but frown: “Does Wenting have some thoughts about this?”
Yun Qiuchen quickly said, “It has nothing to do with Elder Brother. He—”
Yun Qiuchen paused: “I just heard that Miss Wu has recently been having Third Young Master Xiao frequently invite Elder Brother to the prince’s mansion. Miss Wu seems to have feelings for Elder Brother—”
Eldest Madam Yun thought that the Wu family had deep connections with the Prince of Yanbei’s mansion, and Miss Wu could be considered half from the Prince of Yanbei’s mansion. If the Yun family couldn’t marry the princess in the end, Old Madam Yun might consider the Wu family.
However, the Wu family was currently connected to the old Princess Consort of Yanbei. Remembering Old Madam Yun’s earlier words, Eldest Madam Yun felt somewhat uncertain about Old Madam Yun’s thoughts.
“Don’t worry about this for now. Your elder brother is the most prudent person—he’ll surely maintain proper boundaries. Oh, and don’t let your second brother know that we’re currently looking at potential principal wives for him.”
Eldest Madam Yun then told Yun Qiuchen about Old Madam Yun’s warning to them. Both mother and daughter were unsettled by Old Madam Yun’s words and didn’t notice a shadow flicker behind them.
It wasn’t until a while later that Yun Qiuchen’s head maid, Nanzhu, came to report: “Miss, Fourth Miss Ren has come, saying she forgot to take the poetry collection you lent her. She went to the water pavilion but didn’t find you, so she found this servant instead.”
Yun Qiuchen remembered that she had indeed promised to lend Ren Yaoyin a poetry collection and nodded: “Go back and fetch it. I remember placing it on the desk this morning.”
Eldest Madam Yun said, “You go ahead with your business. I still need to find your two aunts to ask about the supplementary invitations. After dinner tonight, come to my room—I have more things to discuss with you.”
By the time Ren Yaoyin got the poetry collection from Yun Qiuchen and left, quite a bit of time had passed.
In the carriage, Ren Yaohua lowered the curtain in her hand, the corner of her mouth curving into a mocking smile: “This Fourth Sister is really—”
Ren Yaoqi looked toward Ren Yaohua: “What about Fourth Sister?”
Only after the carriage had left the Yun mansion’s side gate did Ren Yaohua say: “When she got in the carriage just now, I saw that her shoe soles and the lining of her skirt’s hem had some mud on them. I wonder what she was doing earlier.”
Ren Yaoqi couldn’t help but laugh: “Third Sister, your eyes are truly sharp.”
Ren Yaohua glared at Ren Yaoqi: “If my eyes weren’t sharp, wouldn’t I just be waiting to be schemed against? Just watch—tomorrow’s Thousand Gold Banquet will be quite a spectacle, with everyone having their little schemes and no one being worry-free!”
Ren Yaoqi smiled as she poured tea for Ren Yaohua.
Ren Yaohua looked at her sideways: “Don’t take tomorrow’s Thousand Gold Banquet lightly. Keep your eyes open and don’t let anyone scheme against you. And that Yun Wenfang—he’s a troublemaker. Stay away from him. Don’t let yourself be taken advantage of.”
Although Ren Yaohua’s tone was fierce and harsh, Ren Yaoqi felt warmth in her heart hearing it. She smiled and nodded playfully: “Don’t worry, Third Sister. If anyone dares scheme against me, I’ll make sure they regret it.”
This day passed quickly.
The next day, the triennial three-day Thousand Gold Banquet officially began.
Ren Yaoyin had moved back to the Ren family’s separate residence the night before to make it convenient to go out with her sisters. Ren Yaoqi, however, had received an invitation from the Princess Consort of Yanbei and remained at the Lin mansion, waiting for the Prince of Yanbei’s mansion carriage to pick her up.