Rong Shi’s words left Ren Yaoqi stunned and bewildered.

Even if Prince Xian’s manor still had trump cards left, what of it? For these dozen or so years, to make the court relax its vigilance and to give Hezhong a chance to catch its breath in hopes of making a comeback someday, Prince Xian’s manor family in Yanbei didn’t dare expose even a tiny bit of their strength.

Back then, Ren Yaoqi’s mother Li Yuanxiang, despite her noble status as a county princess, could only marry down to the Ren family – a merchant household without any foundation. Uncle Li Tianyou still hadn’t taken a principal wife to this day. Apart from being forced to do so by circumstances, this was also to deceive the court and make Empress Dowager Yan’s faction completely at ease.

It wasn’t until later when the Ren family fell into ruin, Li Shi died, and Ren Yaoqi was given to a eunuch that Prince Xian’s manor could no longer endure it. But even when Li Tianyou went to the capital to rescue someone back then, he had to do so secretly and stealthily, not daring to expose any trace of his movements.

However, thinking about it now, Li Tianyou’s ability to secretly enter the capital while evading the court’s spies and still find Ren Yaoqi – this itself demonstrated Prince Yanbei’s manor’s capabilities.

Ren Yaoqi couldn’t help but ask softly, “Did my mother know about this?”

Rong Shi lowered her hand, sighed, and closed her eyes: “She knew. Your mother followed us like homeless dogs from the capital to Yanbei. She had enjoyed honors that others never experienced, but also went through hardships, great ups and downs. How could she not know? It’s just that marrying into the Ren family was also her wish.”

“Why?” Ren Yaoqi couldn’t help but ask curiously. If Li Shi knew that Prince Xian’s manor still had a chance to make a comeback, how could she have been willing to marry into a family like the Rens back then?

Rong Shi’s eyes grew slightly red: “I also asked her this question. She was my only daughter – if she truly didn’t want to, I wouldn’t have forced her to marry down. But she told me she was doing it for Prince Xian manor’s glory, so that someday when she and her children mentioned their maternal family’s surname, they could still hold their heads high with pride.”

Rong Shi’s answer left Ren Yaoqi astonished. She hadn’t expected this to be the reason. No wonder all these years, even when Li Shi lived so difficultly in the Ren family, she never sought help from her natal family. Because she knew that only by temporarily enduring could Prince Xian’s manor have a chance to rise again.

It was just a pity that Li Shi never lived to see this scene in her previous life. She could only plead with her natal family to save her only daughter before dying, not knowing whether she had regretted her decision at that moment.

For the family’s glory – Ren Yaoqi had heard the Ren family elders instill this countless times in her previous life, but thinking about it now, she only felt mockery. Yet Li Shi had voluntarily sacrificed her marriage for the family and endured the humiliation the Ren family brought her.

Ren Yaoqi was not Li Shi, so she couldn’t understand or do the same.

“I already made one mistake and won’t make a second. You are not your mother, so you can choose.” Rong Shi suddenly said gently to Ren Yaoqi.

It took Ren Yaoqi a long time to react: “What?”

Rong Shi touched Ren Yaoqi’s head, looking at her lovingly: “Although we’ve allied with the Xiao family, it doesn’t mean we need to form a marriage alliance. Though Xiao Jingxi is a person of remarkable talent and stunning brilliance, unfortunately, he has been poisoned with a strange toxin since childhood and has poor health; he doesn’t have the look of longevity. I won’t let you marry into Prince Yanbei’s manor. Yaoqi, you’re a good child. In the future, you can choose a suitable husband and live the life you want to live.”

After hearing this, Ren Yaoqi was dumbfounded and couldn’t speak: “Grandmother, why do you say this…”

Rong Shi glanced at the letter on the table with a knowing expression: “I’m very clear about what scheme Xiao Jingxi is playing. When you came here this time responding to Princess Consort Yanbei’s request, wasn’t the Princess Consort very grateful to you?”

Ren Yaoqi: “…”

If Ren Yaoqi said she still didn’t understand now, she would be playing dumb. Unfortunately, being too clever wasn’t good either – she couldn’t keep up the pretense.

Xiao Jingxi…

She hadn’t expected that he had taken such a big detour, and his purpose was actually to make Prince Yanbei’s manor owe her a great favor and make the Princess Consort feel grateful toward her.

Setting aside everything else, just this thoughtfulness alone – it was impossible for Ren Yaoqi to say she wasn’t moved.

Rong Shi looked at Ren Yaoqi with a slight smile: “Not only did he use this opportunity to express his feelings to us, he also let Prince Yanbei and the Princess Consort know that you’re not simply just a merchant family’s daughter. At the crucial moment when the court and Yanbei confront each other and fall into a stalemate someday, Prince Xian’s manor behind you can influence the situation. This way, you’re much more valuable than women the court forcibly pushes on him, or those so-called daughters of great families from Yanbei who look glamorous on the surface but depend entirely on Prince Yanbei’s manor for their existence.”

Ren Yaoqi: “…”

Rong Shi smiled and sighed: “To be able to guide the current situation toward the direction he wants through adapting to circumstances – this young man is truly remarkable! Even I have to admire him. It’s just a pity… if only he were a healthy man… Sigh! So they say no one is perfect.”

Rong Shi didn’t avoid discussing these matters with Ren Yaoqi. She had experienced much in her lifetime and saw many things more clearly than others. Perhaps it was also because of her daughter’s marriage that she hoped Yaoqi could find someone truly suitable.

Listening to this, Ren Yaoqi’s expression became somewhat strange.

She remembered that time in the carriage when Xiao Jingxi told her his body wasn’t as weak as she thought. Of course, Ren Yaoqi didn’t plan to tell Rong Shi about this.

Afterward, the grandmother and granddaughter chatted about other things. Now that Ren Yaoqi felt more at ease about Xiao Jingxi’s situation, she was also happy to chat with Rong Shi.

When they talked about the Lei family, Rong Shi said: “The Lei family’s mourning period has passed. Recently, the Lei family’s threshold is about to be trampled through by matchmakers, but the Lei family head doesn’t seem to be in a hurry to remarry. Are you and Yaohua very familiar with that child from the Lei family?”

Ren Yaoqi said, “We’ve met several times. Pan’er is a very innocent and lovely child – both my sister and I like her very much.”

Rong Shi held her teacup and pondered: “Lei Ting is a young man who is calm, steady, and not impetuous – quite rare. Though he’s still young now and perhaps can’t match those old foxes in experience, once he encounters opportunities and is tempered for a few more years or decades, the Lei family under his leadership will surely accomplish something. As for the Lei family’s legitimacy issue… speaking of which, how many true aristocratic families are there in Yanbei? If the Xiao family acknowledges you as one, then you are one.”

Ren Yaoqi hadn’t expected Rong Shi to have such a high opinion of Lei Ting and couldn’t help but be surprised.

Seeing this, Rong Shi smiled: “A few days ago, when your grandfather and uncle went out, their carriage collided with his. Originally, the fault wasn’t his, but he actively came forward to apologize, let your grandfather’s carriage go first, and afterward even had someone prepare gifts to apologize. Among young people of his age in Yanbei, how many can remain so composed?”

Prince Xian’s manor was in an awkward position in Yanbei – few families were willing to associate with them, though Prince Xian’s manor was also happy to keep their doors closed and live their own lives. Ordinary people who collided with Prince Xian’s carriage would just let it be after the collision – they wouldn’t be as thorough as Lei Ting. Having seen much of the world’s coldness and warmth, Rong Shi inevitably felt some emotion seeing Lei Ting behave this way.

Ren Yaoqi stayed at Baoping Alley for dinner before returning to the Ren family’s retreat house. Not long after she returned, Sujin from the Princess Consort’s side came. Ostensibly, she came on the Princess Consort’s orders to deliver things to Ren Yaoqi. The Princess Consort had sent Ren Yaoqi several bolts of silk and feather satin, as well as a basket of autumn grapes.

After dismissing all the maids and old women, Ren Yaoqi wrote a letter to the Princess Consort in front of Sujin, telling her that Prince Xian’s manor had already sent people, as Xiao Jingxi said, though she didn’t elaborate on other matters.

After Sujin received the letter, she immediately returned to report to the Princess Consort.

Since Ren Shimin was staying in Yunyang City for several days, Ren Yaoqi stayed at the Ren family’s retreat house in Yunyang City. After Ren Shimin finished lecturing at Yunyang Academy, he would also return to the retreat house to rest.

Another day passed, and Ren Shijia sent someone to fetch Ren Yaoqi to the Lin manor. Since Ren Yaoqi had a good relationship with Ren Shijia, she went when he sent for her.

On the way, Ren Yaoqi heard several scholar-like people outside discussing Ningxia affairs at a teahouse entrance, so she had the driver stop the carriage to listen for a while.

Those people were discussing how, due to General Wu’s sudden death, Ningxia had become completely chaotic. Several of Wu family’s former subordinates were fighting each other without anyone to suppress them. Some people even wanted to support Wu Xiaohe’s only daughter Wu Yiyu to become the new Ningxia general, but as soon as this was mentioned, it was ridiculed by many who said rather than installing General Wu’s daughter, they might as well quickly find Miss Wu a husband and install her husband instead.

After Wu Madam heard this, she was actually planning to do just that, so recently many people had been openly and secretly expressing their desire to form marriage alliances with the Wu family. But for some unknown reason, when Miss Wu heard about this, she caused a great scene at her father’s mourning hall, driving all those people out and greatly embarrassing Wu Madam.

Another scholar sighed: “Miss Wu is so fierce – even with Ningxia’s military power as her dowry, probably not many people could handle it!” This caused a round of laughter, showing that Wu Yiyu’s reputation in Yunyang City was quite poor.

Ren Yaoqi only listened to these words casually. What she cared about was something a slightly older middle-aged scholar said: “I heard that the emperor in the south intends to newly appoint a Ningxia general from the capital to go to Ningxia. The imperial edict is already on its way and should arrive in Yanbei soon.”

As for who this newly appointed Ningxia general from the court was, that person didn’t specify. But a name involuntarily jumped into Ren Yaoqi’s mind: Zeng Pu.

Could it be that in this lifetime, Zeng Pu would still come to Yanbei?

Ren Yaoqi closed her eyes and leaned back against the carriage wall. Her face showed no expression, but her hands slowly clenched into fists.

“Let’s go,” Ren Yaoqi said indifferently, instructing the driver.