Xiao Jingxi’s eyes gradually filled with amusement. He naturally wouldn’t point this out, but simply followed Ren Yaoqi’s question and replied: “Today’s edict was issued to the Prince of Yanbei’s mansion and Jinglin. The court granted her the title of Princess Jingshu. As for the arranged marriage for Xiao Jingyue, that was the Empress Dowager’s oral decree.”

“Princess Jingshu?” Hearing Xiao Jinglin’s title, Ren Yaoqi couldn’t help but look toward her.

Xiao Jinglin glanced at Xiao Jingxi, then said indifferently to Ren Yaoqi: “Perhaps the court saw that I was too troublesome at Jiajing Pass recently, so they granted me this title to make me behave myself and learn the quiet elegance and virtuous conduct of ordinary boudoir daughters.”

Though she didn’t say it aloud, Xiao Jinglin still despised the court’s petty behavior in her heart.

She felt that rather than mocking her as a woman for overstepping her bounds, the court would be better off spending time training those so-called “court elites” with their thin arms and legs. Men being useless yet having the nerve to resent women for being too strong – it was truly contemptible.

Ren Yaoqi also felt the court’s action was rather petty.

She had heard that Xiao Jinglin had accomplished quite a few military feats in recent years. If Xiao Jinglin had been born male, being granted the title of general would have been perfectly normal. However, the court had never commended her over the years. Fortunately, Xiao Jinglin didn’t care about such empty titles. Through her abilities, her prestige among the Yanbei army was considerable. Even though Xiao Jinglin held no general’s title, the Yanbei soldiers below would respectfully call her General Xiao when they saw her, and this had nothing to do with her status as a princess of the Prince of Yanbei’s mansion.

“By the way, what about my courtesy name?” Xiao Jinglin had previously agreed with Ren Yaoqi that they would choose courtesy names for each other during their coming-of-age ceremonies. Seeing no movement from Ren Yaoqi’s side, she couldn’t help but ask.

Ren Yaoqi then said, “What do you think of the name Fengyang?”

“Fengyang?” Xiao Jinglin blinked, waiting for Ren Yaoqi to explain the meaning.

Xiao Jingxi had already recited in a low voice: “The phoenix calls out, upon that high hill; the wu-tong grows, facing the morning sun.”

Ren Yaoqi smiled and nodded: “That’s the source.”

Xiao Jinglin also recited it once, then carefully pondered it in her heart. Gradually, a smile appeared on her face: “Xiao Fengyang… not bad. I like it very much.”

Xiao Jinglin had always felt that being able to do what she liked without restraint was good enough. She didn’t care whether others could understand her, but having someone who could understand her felt nice.

Seeing that Xiao Jinglin liked the courtesy name she had chosen for her, Ren Yaoqi was also very pleased.

At this moment, Hongying came over and said to Xiao Jinglin, “Princess, the princess consort is looking for you.”

Xiao Jinglin then walked a few steps away to inquire of Hongying.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Xiao Jingxi lowered his head and said softly to Ren Yaoqi: “I’ll have people watch Lu Yu. Don’t be afraid.”

Ren Yaoqi looked up and met Xiao Jingxi’s gentle, focused gaze. Her heart jumped as she lowered her eyes and said, “Thank you.”

Xiao Jingxi always felt that Ren Yaoqi’s attitude toward Lu Yu was somewhat strange. Logically, today should have been their first meeting. He couldn’t help but recall the last time Ren Yaoqi had told Concubine Fang about the nightmare she had once had, but Xiao Jingxi didn’t voice his question.

“You…” Xiao Jingxi seemed about to say something.

Ren Yaoqi then looked up at him again.

Xiao Jingxi paused, about to speak, but Xiao Jinglin had already finished talking with Hongying and walked over.

Xiao Jingxi swallowed the words that had been on the tip of his tongue.

Ren Yaoqi glanced at Xiao Jingxi, then turned to ask Xiao Jinglin: “The princess consort has business with you? Should we go back first?”

Xiao Jinglin nodded. Today was her birthday, and many people had come to offer congratulations. People from Ningxia had also sent representatives over. She couldn’t keep hiding and avoiding people. The princess consort wanted her to go out and show her face.

Xiao Jingxi didn’t continue his previous words, only saying: “You go ahead first. I also have some matters to handle.”

Ren Yaoqi then left together with Xiao Jinglin. However, all along the way, she couldn’t help but wonder what Xiao Jingxi’s unspoken words had been.

Although Xiao Jinglin’s coming-of-age banquet had encountered the unwelcome guest Lu Yu, for Prince Xian’s mansion, it was overall a very important beginning.

Princess Consort Xian had made a great show of inviting the deposed Princess Consort Xian, Rong Shi, as the honored guest at the princess’s coming-of-age banquet. This could be said to have given all the noble families of Yanbei a signal. In the more than ten years since Prince Xian’s family had come to Yanbei, due to the court’s taboos and the Prince of Yanbei’s mansion’s indifference, almost all Yanbei noble families had unanimously ignored the existence of Prince Xian’s mansion members, excluding them from the social circle of Yanbei nobility.

Now, this deadlock that had persisted for more than ten years seemed to show signs of breaking.

The day after Xiao Jinglin’s coming-of-age banquet, someone came to visit Prince Xian’s mansion.

The first to visit Prince Xian’s mansion was the Lei family.

The Lei family currently had no matriarch, so Lei family head Lei Ting came in person. Lei Ting said he had previously disturbed Li Qian’s carriage and was now coming to personally pay his respects. Although Lei Ting stayed in Baoping Alley for less than two quarters of an hour before leaving, it still attracted considerable attention.

On the third day, the Yun family also sent someone to Baoping Alley to visit Rong Shi. The visitor was the Yun family’s eldest madam, who stayed in Baoping Alley for half an hour before leaving.

The attitudes of the Lei and Yun families gave all the families who had previously held doubts a clear understanding in their hearts.

Setting aside the Lei family for now, since they had only recently moved back to Yanbei, everyone knew that the Yun family had always followed the lead of the Prince of Yanbei’s mansion. The Yun family’s friendliness toward Prince Xian’s family – how could it not be at the secret instigation of the Prince of Yanbei’s mansion?

So by the fourth and fifth days, the number of people coming to visit Prince Xian’s mansion gradually increased. Even some families from states outside Yanzhou sent representatives.

Although many families didn’t have their heads come personally but sent mansion stewards to deliver ordinary snacks and pastries, or sent invitations asking Rong Shi or Prince Xian and his son to attend banquets.

Prince Xian’s mansion’s attitude was very ordinary – neither overwhelmed with gratitude nor coldly indifferent. For those who brought gifts, Rong Shi accepted them all and instructed the servants below to return appropriate gifts according to protocol. For banquet invitations, most were declined, with only a small portion that were truly sincere invitations from family heads and couldn’t be refused being accepted.

Li Shi and the Ren sisters also heard about these developments outside. Two days after Li Shi returned from attending Xiao Jinglin’s coming-of-age banquet, she was invited to attend a tea gathering hosted by Madam Gu from Yunyang Academy. Madam Gu was also from a noble family background, and besides the madams from Yunyang Academy, she had invited some wives and madams from other families.

Since coming to Yunyang City, Li Shi had only socialized with the madams from Yunyang Academy, but that day there were quite a few people who actively came to chat with Li Shi, and not just the madams from Yunyang Academy.

Ren Yaoqi was not surprised by this situation.

Most of Yanbei’s noble families acted according to the Prince of Yanbei’s mansion’s attitude. From the moment the Princess Consort of Yanbei personally went to Baoping Alley to invite Rong Shi, Ren Yaoqi had already anticipated these developments. However, for them, it wasn’t a bad thing.

As for Lu Yu, whom Ren Yaoqi had previously worried about, there had been no movement, nor had he sent anyone to cause trouble for them. Ren Yaoqi later learned that Lu Yu had hurriedly rushed to Ningxia early on the morning after the princess’s coming-of-age banquet, so naturally, he had no time to come looking for trouble with them.

As for what urgent matter had caused Lu Yu to hastily leave Yunyang City, Ren Yaoqi didn’t know, but Xiao Jingxi’s side had certainly done something.

Xiao Jinglin later sent another letter to Ren Yaoqi, saying that Lu Yu and the people he had brought with him were being watched, so he wouldn’t have the opportunity to act in secret. Only then did Ren Yaoqi feel at ease.

Shortly after Lu Yu arrived in Ningxia, the court issued another edict, giving Lu Yu the position of military supervisor, having him temporarily remain in Ningxia to assist Zeng Kui with military affairs there. Lu Yu was thus tied up.

On this day, Ren Yaoqi and Ren Yaohua were in the main room listening to Nanny Zhou lecture them on household management when the gatekeeper came in to report that the eldest madam of the Ren family had arrived.

This was the first time the eldest madam had come to their mansion since they had moved to Yunyang City.

Li Shi hurriedly brought Ren Yaoqi and Ren Yaohua out to welcome her, and also had someone call Ren Yaoying out.

Seeing them all waiting to greet her at the second gate, the eldest madam hurried forward to support Li Shi’s hand with a smile: “What’s all this about? You all came out to welcome me – are you afraid I can’t find my way?”

Li Shi smiled and invited the eldest madam into the courtyard.

The eldest madam refused to walk first, instead taking Li Shi’s hand and walking together in front, with Ren Yaoqi and Ren Yaohua following behind. The group went together to the main room.

After everyone was seated and Li Shi had ordered tea and refreshments to be served, she said: “Sister-in-law, what brings you to Yunyang City today?”

The eldest madam casually looked around the main room and smiled: “I came to handle some business and stopped by to see you all. I just walked through and saw that although this courtyard isn’t large, it’s arranged quite exquisitely. This must be Third Brother’s handiwork, right?”

Li Shi also smiled: “Indeed, it was arranged by the master.”

The eldest madam then chatted with Li Shi about various household matters. Seeing it was nearly noon, Li Shi invited the eldest madam to stay for lunch, which she didn’t refuse.

The eldest madam had always given the impression of being gentle and reasonable. Previously, at the Ren family, although she hadn’t been particularly warm toward Li Shi, she hadn’t openly suppressed her either. Even Ren Yaohua didn’t have much ill feeling toward the eldest madam.

Seeing the atmosphere growing pleasant, the eldest madam suddenly asked: “By the way, didn’t you attend the princess’s coming-of-age banquet some days ago? I heard that day was quite lively at the Prince of Yanbei’s mansion – not only did all the noble families of Yanbei attend, but even the court from the south sent an edict to grant the princess an additional title.”

As soon as the eldest madam said this, Ren Yaoqi knew she was about to get to the main topic of today’s visit.

After the Prince of Yanbei’s mansion invited Rong Shi, all the major families of Yanbei had gradually shown their goodwill toward Prince Xian’s mansion, but the Ren family had remained silent all along.

Ren Yaoqi had previously wondered in her heart how long the Ren family could hold out this time.

And here they were!