“Uncle, do you dislike Min Wenqing?” Ren Yaoqi couldn’t help but ask.
Ren Yaoqi asked Li Tianyou this question instead of asking her grandmother, Rong Shi, because she sensed that Rong Shi’s attitude toward Min Wenqing was somewhat different from Li Tianyou’s.
Rong Shi’s attitude toward Min Wenqing was very objective. Although she couldn’t say she liked him, since they were now in a cooperative relationship, she would give him the respect he deserved.
However, Li Tianyou knew all this as well, yet still showed Min Wenqing a cold face.
This indicated that Li Tianyou’s attitude toward Min Wenqing carried some emotional factors. Perhaps when the Min family’s true identity was discovered, Li Tianyou had invested his feelings, which is why he felt disgusted with Min Wenqing after learning the truth.
Although Ren Yaoqi couldn’t figure out whether Li Tianyou’s current temperament was a means of protecting himself by keeping a low profile or his true nature, she believed that Li Tianyou had genuine feelings.
Sure enough, after hearing Ren Yaoqi’s words, Li Tianyou’s expression became somewhat uncomfortable. He waved his hand as if shooing away mosquitoes: “Don’t mention it!”
Seeing that Li Tianyou was unwilling to discuss Min Wenqing, Ren Yaoqi didn’t pursue the matter further and simply said: “Uncle, regardless of whether you dislike Min Wenqing as a person, he was right about one thing—it’s better to stay away from someone like Zeng Kui.”
Li Tianyou’s temper came quickly and left even faster. Ren Yaoqi’s words ignited his inner gossipy fire. He looked around, then leaned close to Ren Yaoqi and whispered: “By the way, I heard from Mother that the Zeng boy went to propose marriage to your family? Your family’s Old Master Ren didn’t agree, did he? From what you’re saying, it seems you don’t think highly of that Zeng boy either. Hey, I won’t even mention his character, but that appearance… tsk, it could scare people to tears! If someone got up to pee at night and opened their eyes to see such a face, wouldn’t ordinary people just faint? Although I don’t like that fierce sister of yours, she’s still my niece. I can’t just watch her jump into a fire pit, right? How about Uncle thinks of a way to mess up this marriage arrangement? But how should we mess it up?”
Li Tianyou rambled on enthusiastically, talking to himself, and then began stroking his chin, thinking of ideas.
Ren Yaoqi: “…”
Li Tianyou pondered for a long time by himself, then frowned: “How about I have Qiusheng and the others go over in the middle of the night and directly cripple him? Qiusheng, what do you think?”
Qiusheng: “…”
Ren Yaoqi held back her response, then said helplessly: “Uncle, my third sister won’t marry into the Zeng family. Thank you for your kind intentions.”
Li Tianyou looked up: “Eh? Do you have your good idea? What idea? Tell me so Uncle can analyze it for you. Uncle has eaten more salt than you’ve eaten rice!”
Ren Yaoqi paused, then said sincerely: “Then can you eliminate Zeng Kui without alerting the Yanbei Prince’s Manor, the Zeng family, or anyone else?”
Li Tianyou raised his eyebrows and looked at Qiusheng.
Qiusheng thought for a moment, then shook his head: “Not alerting others wouldn’t be a problem. But the Yanbei Prince’s Manor side probably won’t work.”
Li Tianyou blinked and looked at Ren Yaoqi.
Ren Yaoqi said gently: “So you still need to eat more salt, and I need to work hard to eat more rice. Killing and robbery aren’t things that can’t be done, but if it can’t be done without anyone knowing, it’s better not to do it at all. Otherwise, there will be endless troubles.”
Li Tianyou opened his mouth, looked at Ren Yaoqi, then looked at Qiusheng.
Qiusheng lowered his head and pretended to be a wooden statue.
Ren Yaoqi smiled and curtsied: “I’ll head back first. Uncle should also go home early.”
After Ren Yaoqi got in her carriage and the carriage left the alley, Li Tianyou blinked and asked Qiusheng: “What did she say? That killing and robbery aren’t things that can’t be done, but if you’re going to do it, you have to do it without anyone knowing?”
Qiusheng, whose professional skills had been disparaged, said sullenly: “That’s what the young miss said.”
“Ah! I always said little kids are fun when they’re small—they cry ‘wah wah’ when scared, but why do they become so unlikable when they grow up!” Li Tianyou shook his fan and walked away indignantly.
Li Tianyou had a childlike heart and loved to play pranks and tease children. Back then, Min Wenqing, Ren Yaoqi, and even Ren Yaohua had all been frightened by him.
Then, when the children grew up, not only could Li Tianyou no longer frighten them, but he was often frightened back by them. This was something Li Tianyou was very unhappy about!
After returning from her maternal grandmother’s house, Ren Yaoqi was still worried that Zeng Kui might target the Prince’s Manor. She sent a letter to her grandmother Rong Shi, telling her about Zeng Kui and asking them to be careful not to provoke him.
Rong Shi had a maid bring back a message with only two words: “Don’t worry.”
Knowing that Rong Shi was prepared, Ren Yaoqi truly felt at ease.
Whether it was because of Min Wenqing’s interference or because the Prince’s Manor itself had become vigilant, Ren Yaoqi indeed heard nothing more about Zeng Kui seeking out Li Tianyou.
However, later when Lei Pan’er came to visit the Ren family, Ren Yaoqi noticed that there were several more robust women servants accompanying the carriage, and the number of guards had also increased significantly.
After Ren Yaoqi and Ren Yaohua inquired, they learned that since the incident at White Dragon Temple, several shops under the Lei family name had caught fire in the middle of the night, burning quite a few things and forcing them to suspend operations for reorganization. Fortunately, because Lei Ting had been prepared early on, they only lost some property without any casualties.
Since the Lei family’s shops weren’t in Yunyang City, neither Ren Yaoqi nor Ren Yaohua had known about it.
Ren Yaoqi felt that the Lei family’s troubles might be related to Zeng Kui—otherwise, why would perfectly good shops catch fire?
Lei Ting also felt that this incident was deliberately caused by someone, so during this period, he wouldn’t allow Lei Pan’er to go out. Even for Lei Zhen, Lei Ting had assigned many people to follow him.
When Lei Ting allowed Lei Pan’er to visit the Ren family this time, Lei Zhen still complained to his brother: “Just a few days ago, several shops were burned. If there is someone causing trouble behind the scenes, how can you let Pan’er go out now? What if something happens?”
Lei Ting said calmly, “Burning some worthless things was just for show. Once that person vents their anger, you’ll all be much safer.”
Lei Zhen frowned: “This person is too lawless!”
Lei Ting was dismissive: “If they were truly lawless, they wouldn’t have avoided the Lei family’s properties in Yunyang City. This shows they also fear the Yanbei Prince’s Manor.”
It was precisely because he knew the Zeng family feared the Yanbei Prince’s Manor that Lei Ting was willing to let Lei Pan’er go out. However, aside from the Ren family, which wasn’t too far from the Lei family, she wasn’t allowed to go anywhere else.
Ren Yaoqi and Ren Yaohua were still worried that something might happen to Lei Pan’er, so they sent people to personally watch her return to the Lei residence before feeling at ease.
Because of this incident, Ren Yaohua’s disgust for Zeng Kui grew even stronger, and she also felt very sorry that the Lei family had been implicated because of her.
However, Lei Ting had never mentioned this matter even once. If Ren Yaoqi hadn’t noticed the increase in people around Lei Pan’er and become suspicious enough to send people to inquire, they probably wouldn’t have known about the Lei family being implicated.
A few days later, when Ren Shimin returned home, he said he would make a trip back to Baihe Town the next day because Old Master Ren had sent word asking him to return.
Ren Yaoqi calculated the timing and felt it was about right. Having some premonition in her heart, she didn’t ask many questions.
Ren Shimin left for Baihe Town early the next morning. By noon, Old Madam Ren had sent someone over, saying she missed her granddaughter Ren Yaoqi and wanted to bring her back for a visit.
It would be understandable if she missed Ren Yaohua, but Old Madam Ren missing Ren Yaoqi left Li Shi somewhat puzzled. Ren Yaohua was also suspicious, feeling that there must be some matter requiring Ren Yaoqi to be urgently called back.
“I’ll go back with you,” Ren Yaohua said to Ren Yaoqi.
Ren Yaoqi shook her head: “Father isn’t home either. You should stay and accompany Mother. I’ll just make a quick trip and return.”
Ren Yaohua thought that Ren Yaoqi had always been clever, so even if something happened, she should be able to find a way to delay things. So she didn’t insist on going back together.
Ren Yaoqi took a carriage back to Baihe Town by herself.
Speaking of which, Ren Yaoqi hadn’t been away from the old Ren family residence for very long, but when the carriage once again entered the Ren manor gates, she felt her mindset seemed somewhat different.
After getting off the carriage outside the second gate, Ren Yaoqi was immediately led by someone waiting at the second gate to Ronghua Garden.
When Ren Yaoqi arrived at the main room of Ronghua Garden, she discovered that the Ren family members were quite completely assembled today: Old Master Ren and Old Madam Ren, First Master and First Madam, Third Master, Fifth Master and Fifth Madam, and even the old madam from the Eastern Residence along with Second Master and Second Madam had come over.
From her generation, besides herself, only the eldest young master Ren Yiyan was present. Among the previous generation, the only one not present was her mother, Third Madam Li Shi.
The atmosphere in the room was somewhat strange, but Ren Yaoqi acted as if she knew nothing, lowering her head as she stepped forward to pay respects to Old Master Ren and Old Madam Ren.
Old Madam Ren pulled Ren Yaoqi up: “Enough, don’t kneel. Come here, your grandfather and grandmother have some questions for you.”
Ren Yaoqi obediently stood up and positioned herself beside Old Madam Ren.
Old Madam Ren glanced at Old Master Ren, and seeing that he didn’t speak, she began asking: “Qi’er, have you been to the Yanbei Prince’s Manor recently?”
Ren Yaoqi looked confused: “I went a while ago, but last time I went, I heard that the Princess Consort was very busy with affairs in Ningxia and the old Princess Consort’s illness, so I haven’t gone to pay my respects recently.”
Old Madam Ren frowned and exchanged glances with Old Master Ren before asking again: “Then have you written any letters to the Princess? And has the Princess written back to you? What did the letters say?”
As Old Madam Ren spoke, she glanced at the woman servant who had come in behind Ren Yaoqi.
It turned out that Old Madam Ren had instructed the woman servant she sent to fetch Ren Yaoqi to secretly take the correspondence between her and Xiao Jinglin from Ren Yaoqi’s study. Old Madam Ren knew about the correspondence between Ren Yaoqi and Xiao Jinglin. When Ren Yaoqi was still at home, Old Madam Ren would occasionally inquire about the content of their correspondence, but out of respect for the Princess, she had never personally examined it.