The Li family matter seemed to settle down just like that. Due to Nanny Yu’s words, no unfavorable rumors about Ren Yaohua spread outside.

Several days later, when Ren Shimin came to Ziwei Courtyard in the evening, he told Li Shi, “Someone from the Qiu family came this afternoon, saying that the marriage between Third Young Master Qiu and Hua’er needs to be reconsidered.”

Li Shi was serving tea to Ren Shimin. She carefully felt the temperature of the tea bowl with both hands, and finding it to be the heat that Ren Shimin was accustomed to drinking in summer, she was about to hand over the tea bowl when she suddenly heard this statement. Li Shi’s hands nearly trembled: “The Qiu family said they need to reconsider? Master, did something happen? Wasn’t everything fine before? Why do they suddenly need to reconsider?”

Concerning Ren Yaohua’s marriage, it was impossible for Li Shi not to worry.

Ren Shimin glanced at the tea bowl in Li Shi’s hands, frowned, and signaled to Nanny Zhou, who was serving nearby, to help Li Shi take the tea bowl. Only after the tea bowl left Li Shi’s hands did he say: “Today, the Qiu family’s people said in Father’s Study that Old Madam Qiu had someone match Hua’er and Young Master Qiu’s birth charts, and the result was incompatible.”

Hearing this, Li Shi couldn’t help but be greatly shocked, and even her face turned pale: “Master, the Qiu family said Hua’er’s birth chart is bad?” A bad birth chart was a life-threatening matter. If there was a problem with Ren Yaohua’s birth chart, finding a husband’s family in the future would be difficult.

Ren Shimin shook his head and raised his hand to signal Nanny Zhou to bring another bowl of tea. Nanny Zhou was anxious at this moment, wanting to hear what Ren Shimin would say next. Seeing him ask for tea, she could only give Xier a meaningful look, telling her to hurry and fetch it.

“It’s not that her fate is bad. The fortune teller said Miss Hua’s destiny is also extremely precious, it’s just that when her birth chart is combined with Young Master Qiu’s, it’s a fate of ‘earth man, wood woman.’ He said something like ‘Earth and wood couple disagree, turning their backs with heartless conflict, having food but no children, bringing ruin to the husband, half a lifetime of marriage with empty family wealth.'”

Hearing this, Li Shi was startled.

Nanny Zhou hurriedly said, “How could it be so serious? Master, isn’t there any way to resolve it?”

Ren Shimin took the tea water that Xier handed over: “The fortune teller also mentioned several ways to resolve it, but Old Madam Qiu and First Madam Qiu are still uneasy, so they sent someone to say they need to reconsider.”

Nanny Zhou asked again: “What did Old Master Qiu say?”

“Old Master Qiu didn’t say yes or no. But when Old Madam Qiu sent someone over, he didn’t stop her.”

Li Shi couldn’t help feeling somewhat disappointed.

Even if incompatible birth charts could be resolved through some means, the Qiu family would surely harbor concerns. Young Master Qiu Yun’s status in the Qiu family was precious. Otherwise, Old Master Qiu, who had always wanted to promote this marriage, wouldn’t have remained silent.

The marriage between Ren Yaohua and Qiu Yun was probably doomed to fail.

Ren Shimin was indifferent to whether this marriage would succeed. He sipped his tea and, after thinking, said: “If the Qiu family marriage doesn’t work out, then so be it. That Young Master Qiu strikes me as mediocre, without a trace of spirit, not even as good as that Han family boy. So there’s nothing regrettable about it. Although Hua’er doesn’t have Yaoqi’s scholarly talents, her character is upright and proper, and she’s the legitimate daughter of the third branch. Are we worried about not finding her a good marriage?”

Third Master Ren said this was rarely comforting, and Li Shi felt somewhat better after hearing it.

Nanny Zhou also said: “Master is right, Madam. Didn’t the fortune teller also say our Third Miss has a good destiny? Third Miss isn’t someone just anyone can match. Old Madam dotes on our Third Miss and will surely find her a good marriage in the future.”

At this moment, Xier reported from outside that Fifth Miss had arrived.

Naturally, no one would stop Ren Yaoqi from coming to the main room, so when she walked in, she happened to hear Nanny Zhou’s last statement.

After paying respects to Ren Shimin and Li Shi, Ren Yaoqi directly asked: “Is there some change with the Qiu family?”

Li Shi felt uncomfortable discussing these matters with Ren Yaoqi, but Ren Shimin had no such reservations. He repeated what the Qiu family’s messenger had said today.

After listening, Ren Yaoqi looked thoughtful: “Does father know who the person the Qiu family consulted for the birth chart matching?”

Ren Shimin thought for a moment: “It seems to be someone surnamed Xiao.”

Ren Yaoqi’s heart stirred: “Could it be that Great Aunt Xiao?”

Ren Shimin thought again before nodding: “It seems the Qiu family’s people did address her that way.”

Ren Yaoqi couldn’t help wondering if this matter was connected to Concubine Fang. Others might not know, but she knew about the relationship between Great Aunt Xiao and Concubine Fang.

Old Madam Qiu had been dissatisfied with the marriage alliance with the Ren family to begin with. If Concubine Fang instructed Great Aunt Xiao to visit the Qiu family at this time, wouldn’t it be like offering a pillow to someone who was drowsy?

Seeing Ren Yaoqi frowning silently, Ren Shimin thought she was also worried about Ren Yaohua and Young Master Qiu’s marriage, so he comforted her: “Your grandmother said she would invite several more masters to help take another look. Besides, this matter of destiny charts works if you believe in it, and doesn’t if you don’t. There’s nothing to worry about.”

Ren Yaoqi nodded without saying anything.

The Qiu family just wanted an excuse for the marriage to fail. Even if masters in the future praised the compatibility of Ren Yaohua and Qiu Yun’s birth charts to the skies, the Qiu family would simply insist on Great Aunt Xiao’s interpretation.

She just didn’t know if the Ren family would want to substitute someone else for Ren Yaohua to marry into the Qiu family. Besides Ren Yaohua, others in the Ren family qualified to be Qiu Yun’s principal wife included herself, Ren Yaoting, Ren Yaoyu, and Ren Yaofeng in the capital.

However, since the Qiu family had finally managed to exclude Ren Yaohua, they probably wouldn’t easily agree to a marriage alliance with the Ren family again.

Later, Ren Yaohua also learned about this matter. After the previous incident where Great Aunt Xiao entered the manor saying she was committing offenses against Taisui in her birth year and should move out of Ronghua Garden, Ren Yaohua had also learned about Great Aunt Xiao’s background from Ren Yaoqi.

She sneered: “She’s quite merciful, still willing to say my destiny is precious. I thought she would give me a fate like ‘lone star bringing calamity,’ making me die of old age in the Ren family.”

Ren Yaoqi shook her head: “Better to destroy a temple than break up a marriage. I guess when Great Aunt Xiao told the Qiu family that you and Qiu Yun’s birth charts were incompatible, she was certainly very discreet about it. At least she didn’t say things like ‘Earth and wood couple disagree, turning their backs with heartless conflict, having food but no children, bringing ruin to the husband, half a lifetime of marriage with empty family wealth.’ She also mentioned many ways to resolve it.”

Hearing this, Ren Yaohua understood: “And Old Madam Qiu wanted exactly this kind of interpretation. So the words she sent someone to tell grandfather were just their way of exaggerating the danger?”

Ren Yaoqi nodded: “Great Aunt Xiao is quite a regular visitor to our Ren family. If someone hadn’t specifically hinted to her this time, even if she truly saw that you and Qiu Yun’s birth charts were incompatible, she would have first privately informed our grandmother. So she absolutely wouldn’t describe your destiny as unbearable; otherwise, how come she didn’t notice when she came to our manor before? She’s not unaware of your birth date and time. When things are abnormally strange, there’s usually a demon behind it. If she did that, it would only make the Ren family suspicious of her, and no families in Yanbei would trust her in the future.”

So the silver the Ren family usually gave people like Great Aunt Xiao wasn’t given for nothing. Of course, people like Great Aunt Xiao weren’t to be easily offended either.

Later, news that the marriage between the Qiu and Ren families would fall through spread within the Ren family as well. After all, everyone had understood what the Qiu family’s several visits to the Ren family were about.

What others thought was hard to say, but Concubine Fang and her daughter were satisfied.

Ren Yaoying hugged Concubine Fang’s arm coquettishly: “Mother, you’re still the most capable. Your daughter indeed did wrong before.”

Concubine Fang touched Ren Yaoying’s head and said gently, “Your concubine taught you long ago that to achieve your goals, you don’t necessarily need to clash head-on. Don’t do things that kill a thousand enemies but damage yourself by eight hundred.”

Ren Yaoying nestled in Concubine Fang’s embrace and nodded obediently: “Mm, I understand now, mother. But grandmother dotes on Third Sister so much. Now that the Qiu family marriage didn’t work out, she’ll surely find another high-ranking family. Should we use the same method then? I should have had Great Aunt Xiao give her a fate that brings ruin to husbands, solving the problem once and for all!”

Concubine Fang shook her head and explained to Ren Yaoying what Ren Yaoqi had explained to Ren Yaohua: “Some things can be done once but not twice. Using the birth chart excuse again next time would arouse suspicion.”

Ren Yaoying nodded with understanding: “Then what should we do? I don’t want to see Ren Yaohua’s arrogant appearance anyway.”

Concubine Fang smiled slightly: “Ying’er, you will be better than all of them in the future. Your concubine guarantees it to you.”

As long as she was here, she would secure a good future for her daughter and wouldn’t let her walk the same old path or suffer the grievances she had endured. For this purpose, she could do anything.

On Old Madam Ren’s side, she summoned Great Aunt Xiao into the Ren family to ask her about matching Ren Yaohua and Qiu Yun’s birth charts.

Great Aunt Xiao was indeed well-experienced. As soon as she spoke, she was articulate and logical, leaving Old Madam Ren unable to find any fault with her. Moreover, Great Aunt Xiao also said that when she was in front of the Qiu family, she hadn’t spoken definitively. If the two families truly wanted to form a marriage alliance, there were ways to turn misfortune into good fortune. But Old Madam Qiu and First Madam Qiu became unwilling to listen after hearing just a few words from her.

How could Old Madam Ren not understand the sister-in-law’s thoughts? Her heart was so angry her teeth itched, but since the Qiu family insisted that Ren Yaohua and Qiu Yun’s birth charts were incompatible, she had no recourse.

Old Master Ren had her try mentioning Eighth Miss Ren Yaoyu and Ren Yaoting from the East Manor to Old Master Qiu. Sixth Miss Ren Yaofeng was in the capital, and Second Old Master Ren Yongxiang and Fourth Master Ren Shixu intended to find her a suitable family in the capital. As for Fifth Miss Ren Yaoqi, it seemed Old Master Ren had other plans for her.

But while the Ren family’s calculations were good, for some reason, no news came back from the Qiu family’s side.