“Are you afraid he’ll use underhanded tricks?” Seeing Ren Yaoqi standing there silently, Ren Yaohua couldn’t help but frown and ask.

Ren Yaoqi was just thinking about Ren Yaohua’s experiences in her previous life, not wanting her to repeat the same mistakes. Reputation was very important for women.

Ren Yaohua glanced in the direction Qiu Yun had left and sneered: “If he dares to use underhanded methods, don’t blame me for not caring about family face! When that time comes, no one should expect to have it easy! Even if I die, I’ll drag someone down with me.”

Upon hearing this, Ren Yaoqi shook her head somewhat helplessly. She believed Ren Yaohua’s words – in her previous life, she had indeed done exactly that. But she still felt it wasn’t worth it.

“How could it be that serious? I was just saying that. With Grandmother and Old Master Qiu around, he wouldn’t dare go too far, otherwise, he wouldn’t have tried to get you to make a scene about this matter first.” Ren Yaoqi smiled and said.

Ren Yaohua nodded: “By the way, I heard that First Aunt wants to send Fourth Sister to Big Sister’s place.”

Ren Yaoqi was startled: “The Gu family of Jiangning Textile Manufacturing?” Ren Yaoyin’s legitimate older sister, Ren Yaochi, had married the legitimate second son of the Gu family’s second branch in Jiangning Textile Manufacturing.

“First, Aunt has already written to Big Sister, asking Big Sister to send someone to fetch her. However, Jiangning is in the south, so it will take some time for the Gu family’s people to come to Yanbei.” Ren Yaohua said.

Ren Yaoqi thought for a moment and smiled: “Fourth Sister is an unmarried daughter, so naturally she can’t travel far on her own. Having someone come to fetch her preserves face, and saying that Big Sister misses Fourth Sister and wants her to come keep her company for a while, gives no one reason to criticize. However, the Gu family is a large clan – just Big Brother-in-law’s branch alone has five brothers, with many people and loose tongues. Fourth Sister going to the Gu mansion in her current state would be inappropriate. I suspect First Aunt isn’t sending Fourth Sister to the Gu family, but will first find a residence in Jiangning where Big Sister can look after her nearby, then, after some time, have Big Sister introduce Fourth Sister to the ladies and misses of Jiangning.”

Currently, Ren Yaoyin has no hair on her head. Even wearing a wig couldn’t hide her hairline, so she definitely couldn’t go out to meet guests. This was also the reason First Madam Ren wanted to send Ren Yaoyin away. If she stayed with the Ren family, gossip would inevitably spread over time.

If Ren Yaoyin stayed in Jiangning for two years, by then Young Master Yun might have already arranged a marriage or even gotten married, and Ren Yaoyin would give up her hopes. At that time, whether she returned to Yanbei to marry or simply married into some prominent Jiangning family would be a good outcome. First Madam Ren had indeed put thought into this daughter.

After the last incident, Ren Yaohua was extremely disgusted with Ren Yaoyin: “She’s so scheming that if she stayed at home, who knows what other methods she might come up with to harm us? So it’s good that she’s leaving, otherwise I don’t know if I’d be able to resist hitting her again when she next appears in public!”

Qiu Yun didn’t stay long in Bailu Town. He returned to Yunyang City that afternoon.

On his way back to Yunyang Academy, Qiu Yun encountered the carriage of the Yun family’s eldest son, Yun Wenting. Young Master Yun got down from his carriage and smiled while nodding at Qiu Yun. He still had the appearance of an elegant young gentleman, showing no trace of the dejected look of someone who had been besieged for many days.

Qiu Yun didn’t seem surprised to see Yun Wenting. He approached with a smile to exchange greetings.

“Returning from Bailu Town?” Yun Wenting looked at his dusty appearance and asked with a smile. Qiu Yun had ridden back to the city on horseback, so his white scholar’s robe inevitably had some dust on it.

Qiu Yun casually tossed his riding whip onto the horse’s back and took out the folding fan from his sleeve to fan himself. He knew this Young Master Yun was capable, so he didn’t hide anything: “Went to help Zishu deliver a letter.”

Yun Wenting wasn’t surprised at all. He nodded, then extended his hand toward Qiu Yun, saying very gently: “The letter?”

Qiu Yun thought for a moment, then smiled as he took out the letter and handed it to Yun Wenting: “You knew I couldn’t deliver this letter?”

After Yun Wenting took the letter, he didn’t even look at it before handing it to a servant behind him, instructing: “Burn it.”

Qiu Yun watched with interest, not stopping him, only saying: “Aren’t you afraid Zishu will lose his temper when he finds out?”

Yun Wenting looked at Qiu Yun and smiled gently: “I know that even if that young lady refuses to accept Zishu’s letter, Young Master Qiu would find a way to convey the message, wouldn’t you? Since that’s the case, keeping this letter serves no purpose and might even cause unnecessary trouble in the future. Moreover…” Yun Wenting paused, “Zishu will be leaving Yunyang City the day after tomorrow. I don’t want any more complications. What do you think, Young Master Qiu?”

Upon hearing this, Qiu Yun blinked and smiled: “Naturally. I was originally planning to tell Zishu when I returned that the letter had been delivered. After all, I did convey his meaning, to prevent Second Young Master Yun from getting angry and storming off to Bailu Town, causing chaos everywhere. Even if you hadn’t asked for this letter, I was planning to destroy it after returning. However, having a brother like you who thinks of him in everything is truly Zishu’s good fortune.”

Upon hearing this, Yun Wenting smiled and looked at Qiu Yun: “Having a friend like you is also his good fortune. Don’t you agree, Third Young Master Qiu?”

Qiu Yun gave a dry laugh.

“I heard Third Young Master Qiu is getting engaged?” Just as Yun Wenting was about to turn and leave, he suddenly seemed to remember something and asked casually.

Qiu Yun looked miserable, half-jokingly saying: “I’d like to learn from Zishu and leave home for three to five years. Let them arrange whoever they want me to marry – this young master won’t do it anymore.”

Yun Wenting laughed: “Young Master Qiu is joking. You naturally wouldn’t do such a thing.”

Qiu Yun also laughed, then thought and said, “That’s because I don’t have a brother like you.”

Yun Wenting smiled and shook his head, then turned to board his carriage.

Qiu Yun watched Yun Wenting leave, then mounted his horse, muttering regretfully to himself: “Why doesn’t anyone believe me when I tell the truth? Could it be that I don’t look sincere enough?”

Two days later, under Yun Wenting’s arrangements, Yun Wenfang quietly left Yunyang City.

Old Madam Yun feared he would suffer hardships at the border, so she arranged two personal maids to serve him and two full carts of clothing, food, and utensils. However, Yun Wenfang left the maids and carts at the retreat house, taking only a young servant who had served him since childhood before setting off.

When leaving Yunyang City, Yun Wenfang dismounted at the fork in the road leading to Bailu Town and stood there for a long time.

This journey would take several years. He very much wanted to go to Bailu Town one more time before leaving to see her and personally say “goodbye,” asking her to wait for his return. But after hesitating for a long time, he finally steeled his heart, turned his horse around, and headed northwest.

Only after Yun Wenfang left Yunyang City did Old Princess Consort Yanbei and Xiao Wei receive the news. The old princess consort was so angry that she immediately ordered her concubine-born son Xiao Heng to lead people in pursuit. However, shortly after leaving the city, Yun Wenfang vanished from the official road. Not only could the old princess consort’s people not find him, but even the Yun family’s people sent to secretly protect him along the way lost his trail.

Xiao Wei made scenes at the princess consort’s place three times a day, asking when Prince Yanbei would return to make decisions for them. Several times, she even instigated the old princess consort to pressure Xiao Jingxi to order the interception of all major and minor passes in Yanbei. Unfortunately, they came up empty every time. Second Young Master Xiao was always elusive.

Just as the old princess consort and her daughter were causing an uproar in Prince Yanbei’s mansion, a nanny that Xiao Wei had left in Ningxia came running over. She said that General Wu was keeping a mistress outside, and during Xiao Wei’s absence from Ningxia, General Wu had brought that mistress back to the Wu family home, doting on her excessively. The mistress who had been brought back had a difficult temperament and flamboyant nature, yet General Wu couldn’t bear to be away from her side each day. It was said that he even brought her along when meeting with subordinates to handle military affairs.

Many of Xiao Wei’s trusted people left in the Wu family had suffered at that woman’s hands, and the Wu family’s backyard was clearly about to change hands.

Upon hearing this news, Xiao Wei’s vision went dark.

Wu Xiaohe only had Xiao Wei as his legitimate wife. Over the years, he hadn’t even taken a single concubine, and even when Xiao Wei couldn’t bear him a son, he hadn’t developed wandering affections. So Xiao Wei thought she had misheard.

But that old woman’s tearful accusations were detailed and convincing, leaving Xiao Wei no choice but to believe.

Xiao Wei could no longer stay in Prince Yanbei’s mansion. On the very day she received the news, she wanted to pack up and return to Ningxia.

Wu Yiyu refused to leave. Although she was now notorious in Yanbei, with even those young ladies who used to eagerly curry favor with her now avoiding her like the plague, Miss Wu didn’t care at all – she had never considered those people friends anyway.

After Xiao Wei tried to persuade Wu Yiyu several times to no avail, she finally lost her temper: “What can you accomplish by staying here? Being laughed at every day? What’s so good about the Yun family people? If you don’t go back, are you planning to let Mother face that vixen alone? I heard that slut has quite a background – she’s the adopted daughter of that old bastard Di Hao.”

Wu Yiyu frowned: “Di Hao? Has the Di family grown tired of their good days? A family with Qiang ethnicity bloodline dares to send a woman to the Wu family?”

“Don’t underestimate the Di family! Although the Di family’s ancestors were once leaders of a Western Qiang tribe, they submitted to the Great Zhou five generations ago. For several generations now, they’ve been intermarrying with prominent Ningxia families, and due to their ancestral bloodline, they maintain good relations with various small tribes living within the Great Zhou territory. By the time the family reached Di Hao’s hands, the Di family’s influence in Ningxia was not to be underestimated.”

Upon hearing this, Wu Yiyu was dismissive: “When we were in Ningxia, didn’t the Di family also eagerly come to curry favor?”

Xiao Wei held back her anger before saying: “That was because they hadn’t had the opportunity to send that slut into the Wu family’s inner quarters! Once that slut becomes pregnant, see if they’ll still come to curry favor with you!”

Upon hearing this, Wu Yiyu’s expression also changed. She was the Wu family’s only legitimate daughter, which was why she could act so recklessly and always walk sideways in Ningxia. But if she had a half-brother…

“I’ll go back with you! After dealing with that slut, I’ll return!” Wu Yiyu thought for a moment, a cold light flashing in her eyes as she said viciously.