The Prince of Yanbei’s mansion sent someone to fetch her at exactly the hour of Chen. Ren Yaoqi boarded Xiao Jinglin’s carriage.
Seeing Ren Yaoqi get in, Xiao Jinglin’s eyes lit up, and she praised without reservation: “Yaoqi, you look very beautiful today.”
Today, Ren Yaoqi wore the outfit the Yun family had given her last time—a short jacket with peach blossom patterns on a pink base with white trim, paired with a white silk skirt. The somewhat frivolous and alluring colors only made her appear gentle and charming. The hair ornaments were the jade and pearl set that the Princess Consort of Yanbei had sent last time—understated yet luxurious.
Ren Yaoqi smiled with pursed lips and looked Xiao Jinglin up and down: “Likewise.”
Xiao Jinglin had also undergone elaborate dressing today, wearing a lake-green cross-collar long jacket with gold trim and embroidered phoenix patterns, paired with a matching pleated skirt. Jade-wrapped gold tasseled hairpins hung at her forehead, covering her thick black sword-like eyebrows and giving her an unusual feminine softness.
Xiao Jinglin usually didn’t care about dressing up. This morning, when the princess consort supervised her grooming, she had been helpless to resist, but now, hearing Ren Yaoqi’s compliment, she felt somewhat pleased. After all, if her good friend was beautiful and eye-catching, she couldn’t lose too much face walking beside her.
Xiao Jinglin’s carriage had deliberately taken a small road to pick up Ren Yaoqi and joined the princess consort’s carriage convoy on the main road. The Prince of Yanbei’s mansion convoy was quite large, but despite its impressive procession, it didn’t make much noise. Other family carriages would avoid and make way upon seeing the Prince of Yanbei’s mansion emblem. Many pedestrians stood by the roadside to watch the spectacle, but infected by the solemn dignity of the Prince of Yanbei’s convoy, none dared make noise. All stood with lowered heads and folded hands pressed against the roadside, only daring to look up after the convoy passed.
Ren Yaoqi couldn’t help but remember a time in her previous life in the capital when she’d encountered the Empress Dowager’s procession leaving the palace. The imperial guards had turned out in full force, spectators kept pushing and shoving, and the scene was chaotic. An elderly woman had been pushed out of the crowd and fell onto the imperial road, immediately speared through the limbs by guards and thrown aside. The frightened crowd had suffered a stampede, reportedly killing several people.
When passing the main thoroughfare of Guidong Ward, Ren Yaoqi saw the Ren family carriage also stopped in a nearby alley, waiting for the Prince of Yanbei’s convoy to pass first. Their separate residence was not far from Guidong Ward. It appeared Ren Yaoqi would arrive at the hot spring villa before the Ren family.
The Yun family had arrived earlier than the Prince of Yanbei’s convoy, presumably to make arrangements in advance.
When Ren Yaoqi alighted from the carriage with Xiao Jinglin, she saw Old Madam Yun leading the Yun family womenfolk standing ahead to welcome the old princess consort, princess consort, and others. Since Xiao Jinglin’s carriage was at the end of the convoy, they were some distance away.
Xiao Jinglin didn’t hurry to catch up with the group, still leisurely walking with Ren Yaoqi behind them. Ren Yaoqi also didn’t want to go forward and attract attention, so Xiao Jinglin’s approach suited her perfectly. She casually asked: “Didn’t Grand Madam Yun come today?”
Ren Yaoqi was asking about the old prince’s side consort, Xiao Jinglin’s biological grandmother.
Come to think of it, despite visiting the Prince of Yanbei’s mansion so many times, Ren Yaoqi had never once encountered this Grand Madam Yun.
Xiao Jinglin said, “Grandmother rarely goes out and generally doesn’t attend the Thousand Gold Banquet.” After a pause, she added quietly, “Grandmother generally doesn’t appear where the old princess consort is present. She spends most of her time away from the mansion, either guarding Grandfather’s tomb or recuperating at the estate. Even when she occasionally returns to the mansion for short stays, she doesn’t receive outside visitors.”
Even though Grand Madam Yun was an officially appointed side consort by the court, her position was somewhat awkward in the old princess consort’s presence. Yet she was also the Prince of Yanbei’s biological mother. Although the old princess consort couldn’t put on too many airs as the principal wife before Grand Madam Yun, Grand Madam Yun preferred not to appear in public simultaneously with the old princess consort.
Ren Yaoqi had only asked casually, and hearing Xiao Jinglin’s explanation, she couldn’t inquire further. The princess consort, not seeing Xiao Jinglin, sent her attendant Qiluo to call her over.
Ren Yaoqi was thinking that since they’d entered the estate, she should perhaps wait for the Ren family to arrive and accompany them. This hot spring villa was the Prince of Yanbei’s mansion’s separate estate. The princess consort and Xiao Jinglin would go to the main courtyard to settle in, while others would be taken to the guest courtyards. Ren Yaoqi couldn’t follow Xiao Jinglin anymore.
Unexpectedly, Xiao Jinglin spoke first: “Many people came to participate in the Thousand Gold Banquet this year. A crowd squeezed together would be quite inconvenient. You should stay with me instead. My courtyard is large and quite empty.”
Just as Ren Yaoqi was about to decline, Qiluo smiled and said: “Miss Ren, the princess consort said you should stay with the princess—you two can keep each other company.”
Xiao Jinglin had never formally participated in the Thousand Gold Banquet before. The princess consort feared Xiao Jinglin might lose patience with such an environment and escape at the last minute, so she wanted Ren Yaoqi to accompany her. At least Princess Xiao’s patience and temper were much better when Ren Yaoqi was present.
Ren Yaoqi couldn’t refuse anymore and let Xiao Jinglin pull her along.
This hot spring villa was very large. If not for seeing the scattered rooftops and courtyard walls distributed throughout the estate, Ren Yaoqi could hardly tell she’d entered the villa. The estate’s scenery was quite beautiful—the surface showed almost no traces of artificial carving, yet precision and ingenuity could be seen in the layout and details.
The main courtyard of the villa was a somewhat massive architectural complex, situated on higher ground. A row of blue brick high walls with glazed tiles looked very impressive from a distance, and approaching closer revealed three layers of heavy guard presence inside and out.
Ren Yaoqi and Xiao Jinglin obediently followed behind the princess consort.
Madam Wu, Xiao Wei, and Wu Yiyu supported the old princess consort on either side as they walked ahead. There was also a woman in her thirties with a twelve or thirteen-year-old girl walking not far behind the old princess consort. They should be Second Madam Xiao, née Su, and her daughter Xiao Jingyuan. Second Madam Xiao came from the Su family and was Old Master Su’s niece. She was petite and delicate, giving the impression of a refined lady from a modest family. Xiao Jingyuan took after her mother in build—not as tall as Xiao Jinglin and Wu Yiyu, but with quite delicate features.
Xiao Wei suddenly stopped and looked around, exclaiming in surprise: “Mother, did we take a wrong turn? I remember Lanyue Pavilion is to the right, isn’t it?”
Xiao Wei’s voice wasn’t small, but after she spoke, the surroundings fell eerily quiet.
An old nanny behind the old princess consort quickly whispered in Xiao Wei’s ear, “Princess, Lanyue Pavilion is where the princess consort resides. The old princess consort has been arranged at Jianxue Pavilion.” Her voice, however, could be heard by everyone present.
Hearing this, Xiao Wei turned to look toward the princess consort: “Lanyue Pavilion is the largest, and it even has a Moonlight Spring inside. I thought—” She smiled at this point: “Princess Consort, please forgive me. When I was unmarried, I always stayed at Lanyue Pavilion with Mother. I didn’t expect the rules had changed—I’m just not used to it.”
The old princess consort said flatly, “Why so much talk? Ever since your father passed away, I’ve lived at Jianxue Pavilion. What’s so surprising about that?”
Xiao Wei glanced at the old princess consort, seeming to want to say something but stopping herself, her eyes reddening somewhat, as if the old princess consort had suffered some great injustice.
No one present dared speak, creating a very strange atmosphere.
Xiao Jinglin suddenly said: “Grandmother needn’t blame Aunt. Having been married for over ten years, it’s understandable that Aunt forgot our Prince of Yanbei’s mansion rules.”
Then Xiao Jinglin looked at Xiao Wei seriously and earnestly: “Aunt, you must remember this time—Lanyue Pavilion, like the Prince of Yanbei’s mansion’s Jiuyang Hall, has always been the residence of successive Princes of Yanbei. This was a rule established by Great-Grandfather. How would it look for you to suggest that Grandmother and my father live together? If Grandfather were still alive, your words would surely anger him to death.”
After a moment of eerie silence…
“Pfft!” Xiao Jingyuan couldn’t help but laugh out loud. Second Madam Xiao tugged hard at Xiao Jingyuan’s sleeve and glared at her. Xiao Jingyuan immediately bit her lip and lowered her head.
Xiao Wei’s face alternated between red and white, nearly choking on her anger. The old princess consort’s face twitched as she pointed at Xiao Jinglin, trembling with rage, finally shouting at the princess consort: “This is the good daughter you’ve taught? What nonsense is she spouting!”
The princess consort calmly lowered her head to admit fault: “It’s my poor discipline.” Then she looked at Xiao Jinglin with a frown of reproach: “When is it a child’s place to lecture about elders’ rights and wrongs? Go back and copy the Xiao family rules ten times—submit them to me tomorrow.”
Xiao Jinglin lowered her head obediently: “Yes, Mother.” Then she sincerely addressed Xiao Wei: “Please forgive me, Aunt. Next time, I’ll be more tactful and won’t dare lecture you face-to-face again.”
“Excellent! You’re all excellent!” The old princess consort said this with a cold laugh, then swept away.
Xiao Wei hurried to follow, and Wu Yiyu shot Xiao Jinglin a cold look before leaving as well.
The princess consort’s expression remained unchanged, maintaining her respectful bowing posture.
Second Madam Xiao quickly said: “Princess Consort, I’ll take Yuaner to Lingshuang Pavilion.”
The princess consort straightened up with a gentle smile and nodded: “Go ahead.”
After they’d all left, only the princess consort’s people remained. Hongying, behind Xiao Jinglin, couldn’t help but laugh, and once she laughed, the other maids and servants all struggled to suppress their amusement.
The princess consort swept her gaze lightly over everyone present. Though her look wasn’t fierce, it made everyone restrain their smiles and lower their heads, including Xiao Jinglin.
The princess consort’s gaze lingered on Xiao Jinglin, finally just sighing once before walking away.
The group hurried to follow.
Xiao Jinglin stuck out her tongue at Ren Yaoqi and pulled her along.
The Prince of Yanbei hadn’t come. The princess consort stayed at Lanyue Pavilion with Xiao Jinglin, and Ren Yaoqi stayed with Xiao Jinglin.
Ren Yaoqi examined the disputed Lanyue Pavilion. Apart from being more exquisite, she couldn’t see anything particularly special about it, nor did she see the legendary Moonlight Spring.
Ren Yaoqi followed Xiao Jinglin to the Lanyue Pavilion’s west wing courtyard. The west wing wasn’t large, with only three rooms, the northern one being the bedroom.
Xiao Jinglin pulled Ren Yaoqi around for a general look: “Do you mind sharing a bed? Is it okay to stay together? If you’re not comfortable, you can take the bed and I’ll sleep on the couch.” Xiao Jinglin never put on airs as a princess and habitually looked after Ren Yaoqi when they were together.