Thus, Ren Yaoqi learned that no matter how clever Chun’er’s calculations were, she ultimately could not escape Ren Yaohua’s grasp. For those who dared to act presumptuously against their superiors, Ren Yaohua would never show mercy. Presumably, after Ren Yaohua returned and learned of Chun’er’s role in assisting tyranny, she had taken the servant away.

Ren Yaoqi’s guess was correct. After Ren Yaohua finished playing the flute and returned, Xiangqin came to report the matter, and Ren Yaohua was quite furious upon hearing it.

However, as Ren Yaoying had anticipated, no matter how willful and reckless Ren Yaohua usually was, she dared not have an outburst at this time and could only glare at her across the table a few times.

What Ren Yaoying hadn’t anticipated was that Ren Yaohua only endured until after she took the stage.

Because the vermilion red mixed from the cinnabar prepared by the Yun family was not the color Ren Yaoying was accustomed to using, she sent Chun’er to fetch her pre-prepared materials. However, Chun’er never returned.

Ren Yaohua had instructed Xiangqin to call two matrons to wait for Chun’er on her return path. They directly knocked her unconscious and carried her away, without stopping for even half a step as the carriage sent her straight back to Baehe Town to be handed over to Nanny Zhou. To the Yun family, they simply said the maid had suffered from heat stroke.

Ren Yaohua ordered Nanny Zhou to give Chun’er thirty lashes with the rod before selling her off.

The reason for sending her back to Baehe Town for punishment rather than to the Ren family’s villa in Yunyang City was that Old Madam Ren and Concubine Fang’s sister-in-law were currently at the villa. Ren Yaohua feared that Old Madam Ren would consider Concubine Fang and the Fang family’s reputation and prevent her from punishing Chun’er.

Ren Yaohua believed that if Chun’er’s behavior could not be promptly punished, others would eagerly follow suit in the future. So she cut through the chaos with a swift blade to resolve the matter and serve as a warning to others.

After Chun’er was sent away, Ren Yaohua had Xiangqin deliver the cinnabar to Ren Yaoying. When Ren Yaoying saw Xiangqin, her expression was quite unpleasant, but aside from calming herself to paint, there was nothing else she could do.

Xiangqin also memorized Ren Yaoying’s painting and returned to describe it in detail to Ren Yaohua, so Ren Yaohua completely understood why Ren Yaoying had sent Ren Yaoqi away.

After Ren Yaoqi had modified Ren Yaoying’s painting last time, the overall composition and layout of that painting had improved by more than just a little. Ren Yaoying alone could never have created such work.

Besides painting, Ren Yaoying could only present her calligraphy skills. Unfortunately, with Jiang Yuanniang and Su Fangfei present today, even if she wrote like a flower blooming, she couldn’t stand out. In the end, she could only paint again the version that Ren Yaoqi had modified for her to bluff her way through.

After listening to Ren Yaohua’s account, how could Ren Yaoqi not understand?

Ren Yaohua whispered instructions to Ren Yaoqi: “When she comes down, you go up. Paint seriously – you’ll paint better than this little wretch!”

Ren Yaoqi shook her head: “I won’t paint today.”

Ren Yaohua frowned: “Why? Are you afraid of losing to her?”

Ren Yaoqi smiled: “She can only use underhanded tactics.” Ren Yaoqi had never intended to compete with Ren Yaoying for superiority.

“Then why are you—”

Ren Yaoqi quickly interrupted Ren Yaohua: “I’ve already agreed with the Princess that I’ll play the qin while she performs sword dance.”

Upon hearing that Ren Yaoqi would take the stage with the Princess, Ren Yaohua couldn’t voice her objections, although she felt Ren Yaoqi was better at painting than playing the qin. Moreover, she didn’t want to see Ren Yaoying succeed.

Seeing Ren Yaohua’s expression, Ren Yaoqi knew what she was thinking and quietly comforted her: “If you’re worried that Ren Yaoying will distinguish herself this time, you can rest easy. She probably won’t be able to stand out.”

Ren Yaohua was somewhat skeptical: “With her original painting, she couldn’t stand out, but after your modifications, it’s hard to say. Didn’t Father also praise your improvements?”

Ren Yaoqi thought for a moment: “Are you certain she painted exactly as I modified it? Not a single stroke different?”

Ren Yaohua glanced at Xiangqin, who was staring wide-eyed at their conversation: “This girl has no other merits, but her eyesight is quite good.”

No other merits… no other merits…

Xiangqin pouted and hung her head dejectedly.

Seeing Xiangqin’s appearance, Ren Yaoqi couldn’t help but smile, then said to Ren Yaohua: “That’s it then. No matter how well she paints today, it won’t be useful.”

Ren Yaohua looked disbelieving. Ren Yaoqi didn’t elaborate further.

Just then, Ren Yaoying completed her painting, and Eldest Madam Yun had someone present it.

The painting first went to the Dowager Princess Consort, who, as usual, merely glanced at it casually before setting it aside. Then the painting went to the Princess Consort.

Ren Yaoying nervously watched Princess Consort’s expression. Princess Consort had been a talented woman in her youth, and whenever she found something good, she would praise it or offer some guidance. The other ladies, even if only to give Princess Consort face, would say a few kind words and give a higher evaluation.

Princess Consort first glanced at the painting and seemed to find it somewhat interesting. She had someone bring it closer for a better look.

Ren Yaoying’s eyes lit up with joy, her heart pounding.

She had been waiting for an opportunity to distinguish herself, and this Thousand Gold Banquet was undoubtedly the best timing. As long as she could earn a good reputation at the Thousand Gold Banquet, no one would remember her past embarrassments. When people mentioned her, they would only think of her splendor at the Thousand Gold Banquet.

The incident at last year’s ice play competition had been a nightmare she couldn’t forget this entire year.

So this time she had schemed exhaustively, because for a concubine’s daughter, such an opportunity might only come once in a lifetime. She had to seize it.

But just then, Princess Consort suddenly frowned while looking at her painting.

After pondering for a moment, Princess Consort quietly instructed her maid Qiluo a few words, then, without saying anything, had Qiluo take the painting to Madam Ouyang and the other ladies, paying no further attention to her.

Ren Yaoying was somewhat bewildered. She had seen Princess Consort show some appreciation for her painting just now – why didn’t she say anything? Previously, Princess Consort would comment on outstanding calligraphy and paintings.

Ren Yaoying looked at the ladies who were passing around her painting. Like Princess Consort, they only looked briefly before setting it down. Only Madam Xu smiled when she saw her painting, but she also said nothing.

Then Qiluo collected Ren Yaoying’s painting back without letting the young ladies view it.

“We’ve been sitting for quite a while. Let’s take a rest. We’ll continue after half an incense stick’s time.” Princess Consort said with a smile, then rose and had her maids and matrons assist her to change clothes.

Ren Yaoying’s painting attracted even less attention, and everyone simply assumed it was quite ordinary.

Ren Yaoying stood in place for a long time without moving, head lowered, lost in thought.

Ren Yaoyin looked thoughtfully at Ren Yaoying, then at Ren Yaoqi and Ren Yaohua.

Ren Yaoyu sneered from the side: “I thought she was so capable, but she’s still just someone else’s backdrop!” She then pulled Ren Yaoyin along to change clothes.

After they left, Ren Yaohua asked Ren Yaoqi in surprise: “What happened?” She felt that a painting worthy of Father’s praise should certainly be quite good.

Ren Yaoqi said, “Do you remember when I modified her painting, I added a pair of bamboo?”

Ren Yaohua had been present then and remembered these details: “I remember. It was a pair of bamboo bent by heavy snow. Father said you added it extremely well with great artistic conception.”

Ren Yaoqi shook her head: “Adding that pair of bamboo had a finishing touch effect then, which was naturally excellent, but today it was inappropriate.”

Ren Yaoqi didn’t keep them in suspense and quietly explained: “Double bamboo has a meaning that describes a woman remarrying.”

Ren Yaohua was stunned, then remembered the rumors she had heard about Madam Ouyang, the wife of Master Xu.

At this moment, someone approached and stopped in front of them.

Ren Yaoqi looked up to see that Ren Yaoying had returned, staring at them with a pale face and deadly silence.

“What exactly is going on?”

Ren Yaoqi looked at Ren Yaoying with some helplessness.

When she had originally modified Ren Yaoying’s painting, she truly hadn’t anticipated today’s situation. If Ren Yaoying hadn’t used underhanded tactics to send her away before taking the stage, but had instead revealed any hint that she wanted to paint that particular painting, she might have reminded her. Not for Ren Yaoying’s sake, but to avoid embarrassing Madam Xu.

Now she could only say that Ren Yaoying’s self-inflicted misfortune cannot be survived.

Because the old Prince had issued a gag order when he was alive, even those in Yanbei who knew the inside story dared not openly gossip about Madam Ouyang and Xu Wanli’s affair. The noble families of Yanbei had always been tight-lipped about Madam Ouyang’s remarriage to her brother-in-law.

Women who had learned social etiquette knew what to avoid with certain people. For example, one should not give items with double bamboo patterns to remarried women, as this would be considered mockery.

So when Princess Consort saw Ren Yaoying’s painting, she frowned, and those ladies all pretended not to see it.

Ren Yaohua sneered: “You still have the face to ask us what’s going on? Don’t you know what you’ve done yourself? How would we know what’s going on!”

Ren Yaoying bit her lip, walked away with reddened eyes.

Seeing that Ren Yaoying gained no advantage, Ren Yaohua felt more comfortable and didn’t pursue her attitude further, just said casually: “She has malicious intentions herself, and after lifting a stone only to drop it on her own feet, she still has the audacity to question others. How absurd.”

Ren Yaoqi stopped concerning herself with Ren Yaoying’s affairs because Hongying came to find her.

Ren Yaoqi said to Ren Yaohua, “I’ll go over first. Third Sister, don’t quarrel with her later.”

Ren Yaohua said impatiently: “If I didn’t know to consider the occasion, do you think she could still be sitting here peacefully! Go quickly!”

Hearing this, Ren Yaoqi smiled and said no more, taking Pingguo to find Xiao Jingling.

Princess Consort was talking with Xiao Jingling on the side. Seeing Ren Yaoqi approach, she smiled and beckoned her over.

“Ling’er says she wants to perform sword dance while you play the qin? I didn’t know she could do sword dancing?”