Upon hearing this, Eldest Madam Yun found herself unable to speak further.

Old Madam Yun leaned sideways against something, lost in thought, then asked again: “When did they say the Grand Consort would return?”

The Grand Consort mentioned by Old Madam Yun was the birth mother of the Prince of Yanbei, Grand Consort Yun. Grand Consort Yun and the Old Princess Consort did not get along, having feuded for decades. Although Grand Consort Yun had given birth to a son who inherited the Yanbei Prince’s Manor, regardless of everything else, in terms of rank, the Old Princess Consort would always be one level above Grand Consort Yun. Even with the Prince of Yanbei present, the Prince could not openly favor his birth mother.

Therefore, Grand Consort Yun was also unwilling to remain at the Yanbei Prince’s Manor. She had voluntarily gone to guard the late Prince’s tomb, living year-round at the retreat house, eating vegetarian meals, and chanting Buddhist prayers. Thus, since the old Prince’s death, Grand Consort Yun and the Old Princess Consort had managed to coexist peacefully.

Eldest Madam Yun hurriedly replied: “The last person who went to deliver things to the Grand Consort returned saying that the Grand Consort would come back before the end of this year.”

Old Madam Yun made a “hmm” sound and fell silent again.

After a long while, she waved her hand: “You may go first. I still need to think more about this matter.”

Eldest Madam Yun accordingly withdrew.

After leaving Old Madam Yun’s courtyard, Eldest Madam Yun thought for a moment, then still went to Yun Qiuchen’s courtyard.

When Eldest Madam Yun arrived, Yun Qiuchen was copying a volume of Buddhist scripture in her study. She stood at the writing desk, holding her brush with suspended wrist in her right hand, head slightly lowered, expression serious, revealing a section of snow-white neck. Even without looking at Yun Qiuchen’s face, just the temperament she displayed in her every gesture made it impossible to look away.

Eldest Madam Yun sighed inwardly but did not step forward to disturb her. She stood to one side and waited. Only after Yun Qiuchen finished copying a small section did she walk over and say, “Why are you copying Buddhist scriptures again?”

Only then did Yun Qiuchen notice Eldest Madam Yun. She quickly set down her brush and stepped forward to bow: “Why has Mother come?”

Yun Qiuchen instructed her maid to come and tidy up the writing desk, then personally helped Eldest Madam Yun to sit on the heated platform bed in the adjacent room. Only then did she say: “The Grand Consort previously mentioned wanting someone to embroider a ‘Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva’s Fundamental Vows Sutra.’ Seeing that my calligraphy could catch the eye, I took on this task.”

Eldest Madam Yun looked at her daughter and sighed: “The Grand Consort has always doted on you. You must copy it carefully.”

Yun Qiuchen smiled gently: “Naturally.”

Eldest Madam Yun couldn’t help but sigh again.

Yun Qiuchen personally took the tea from her maid’s hands and offered it to Eldest Madam Yun: “Why does Mother keep sighing?”

Eldest Madam Yun took the tea bowl and held it in her hands for a while without drinking: “Chen’er, the Yanbei Prince’s Manor has proposed marriage to the Ren family.”

Upon hearing this, Yun Qiuchen nodded, her habitually gentle and beautiful face showing no readable emotion: “Daughter knows. Daughter also heard that the Princess Consort personally went to meet with Ren Yaoqi’s parents today.”

“Chen’er, what are your thoughts?” Eldest Madam Yun looked searchingly at her daughter. Yun Qiuchen was born to Eldest Madam Yun, and Eldest Madam Yun had always felt her daughter was obedient, sensible, and exceptionally intelligent, very worry-free. However, sometimes Eldest Madam Yun also found this daughter somewhat inscrutable.

Yun Qiuchen pondered for a moment and was about to speak when her head maid, Nanzhu, hurriedly lifted the curtain and entered. Seeing that Eldest Madam Yun was also present, she couldn’t help but pause, her face showing some hesitation.

Seeing her expression, Eldest Madam Yun immediately knew there was something to report, and her face couldn’t help but show some displeasure: “What matter is there that I cannot hear?”

Yun Qiuchen glanced at Nanzhu and said gently, “Mother is not an outsider. Whatever the matter is, just speak.”

Only then did Eldest Madam Yun’s expression improve.

Nanzhu stepped forward and said: “Madam, Miss, news has come from the Capital that the Crown Prince Consort Zhao from the Yanbei Prince’s Manor is already with child.”

Upon hearing this news, Yun Qiuchen’s brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

Eldest Madam Yun was startled: “What? The Crown Prince Consort is pregnant? Why did no one discover this before?”

Speaking of this, Eldest Madam Yun became somewhat suspicious. How had Nanzhu learned of such important news? She had just come from Old Madam’s courtyard, and even Old Madam had not yet received this information.

“Where did you hear this news?” Eldest Madam Yun frowned as she scrutinized Nanzhu.

Nanzhu lowered her head and remained silent.

Just as Eldest Madam Yun was about to speak again, Yun Qiuchen interjected: “Mother, I asked Nanzhu to help me keep track of news from the outer courtyard.”

Eldest Madam Yun suddenly remembered that both Nanzhu’s father and brother were trusted confidants of Eldest Master Yun. Although the Yun family followed ancestral rules forbidding entry to the Capital, a great family like the Yuns always had their sources of information. Nanzhu’s father was responsible for organizing intelligence besides Eldest Master Yun.

After understanding this, Eldest Madam Yun was shocked. She hadn’t expected Yun Qiuchen to be so bold as to extend her reach into the outer courtyard, even having people around her father.

“Chen’er! How could you be so bold! If Old Madam and your father knew…”

Yun Qiuchen remained unconcerned, gently comforting Eldest Madam Yun: “Mother, rest assured. Daughter will not let Grandmother and Father know.”

Seeing Eldest Madam Yun’s obvious disapproval, Yun Qiuchen sighed: “Mother, although we are merely women of the inner quarters, don’t our daily actions still depend on reading the winds from the outer courtyard? Daughter does this only to avoid being too passive.”

Eldest Madam Yun looked at Yun Qiuchen’s calm and composed expression, feeling increasingly worried.

The last time Yun Qiuchen had placed an informant in Old Madam Yun’s room had greatly displeased Old Madam Yun, who had consequently given Yun Qiuchen the cold shoulder for a very long time. The Yun family doted on their daughters but would not allow them to interfere in outer courtyard affairs. In Old Madam Yun’s mind, no matter how intelligent and capable Yun Qiuchen was, she would ultimately marry out.

“Chen’er, Mother knows you are intelligent and capable, but it would be better to be more obedient to your grandmother. With your grandmother’s temperament, she cannot tolerate others defying her. Your grandmother said this time that the marriage between the Yanbei Prince’s Manor and the Prince of Xian’s Manor is a political alliance, and our Yun family cannot prevent it. Moreover, the Crown Prince has left behind a posthumous child. If the one to be born is truly a boy, it’s hard to say who will ultimately become the next Prince of Yanbei. After all, no matter how capable Second Master Xiao is, given his physical condition, the Prince may not necessarily pass the title to him.”

After listening to Eldest Madam Yun finish speaking, Yun Qiuchen slowly shook her head: “Mother, you are mistaken. The Crown Prince has been deceased for some time, yet news of the Crown Prince Consort’s pregnancy only emerges now. What does this indicate? This indicates that the court has designs on this child, and the Crown Prince Consort and the child in her womb are under the court’s control. If the Crown Prince Consort gives birth at the Yanbei Prince’s Manor, that would still be acceptable. But if she gives birth in the Capital, the child’s origins would be unclear. How could the Prince of Yanbei allow a child of unknown origins to inherit the princely title?”

Yun Qiuchen thought to herself that, moreover, this child had not yet been born. By the time he grew to adulthood, Xiao Jingxi would already have fully developed his influence. Furthermore, whether the child could be born safely and grow up safely was also highly questionable.

Although Yun Qiuchen had rarely truly interacted with Xiao Jingxi, she knew he was no simple character. While others might not know, Yun Qiuchen was clear that when the Prince of Yanbei was not in Yanbei, all major and minor affairs of Yanbei were handled by Xiao Jingxi.

“But Second Master Xiao’s health…”

Yun Qiuchen interrupted: “I heard that since returning from the South Sea several years ago, Second Master Xiao’s health has gradually improved. Mother, today’s Yanbei is not the Yanbei of years past. The Prince of Yanbei does not necessarily need to be physically strong and capable of leading troops into battle.”

“Chen’er, the marriage between Second Master Xiao and Fifth Miss Ren seems about to become settled.”

“Isn’t it still not settled?” Yun Qiuchen’s casual remark made all of Eldest Madam Yun’s words disappear in her throat.

“What do you plan to do? Chen’er, this is not child’s play. If something goes wrong, it would mean simultaneously offending both the Yanbei Prince’s Manor and the Prince of Hezhong.” Eldest Madam Yun couldn’t help but feel anxious.

Upon hearing this, Yun Qiuchen fell silent for a while, then finally smiled and spoke gently to Eldest Madam Yun: “Daughter was merely speaking casually. Mother, rest assured, Daughter would not dare act recklessly.”

Eldest Madam Yun looked at Yun Qiuchen’s consistently obedient appearance but felt unable to find peace of mind.

Yun Qiuchen, however, was unwilling to say more. After chatting casually with Eldest Madam Yun for a few more sentences, she saw her off.

A few days after the Yun family received news of the Crown Prince Consort’s pregnancy, this information spread widely. Almost everyone in Yanbei knew that the deceased Crown Prince had left behind a posthumous child. Once this news broke, people began speculating about who would ultimately inherit the Crown Prince’s position, while attention to Xiao Jingxi’s marriage decreased considerably.

While the people of Yanbei were concerned about the Crown Prince’s posthumous child, the Ren Shimin family encountered troubling matters.

The Ren family had sent people again.

The day after the Princess Consort’s visit, the Yanbei Prince’s Manor withdrew the guards stationed at the Ren family’s door. Sharp-eyed observers immediately understood that the Prince’s Manor’s previous deployment of personnel to surround the Ren family, rather than being motivated by anger over the Prince of Xian’s Manor’s affair, was actually for protection.

The Ren family finally understood the situation and immediately sent people to Yunyang City to find Ren Shimin, wanting to formally recognize him back into the family.

Although she had anticipated this, seeing the Ren family react so quickly and act so inconsistently still gave Ren Yaoqi a somewhat ironic feeling.

The Ren family had originally thought that re-accepting a son they had already expelled from the family would be the easiest thing in the world, but they had misjudged Ren Shimin’s temperament.

The people sent by the Ren family didn’t even get to see Ren Shimin’s face before being asked to leave.

The Ren family sent several more waves of people in succession, all meeting with the same result: “not receiving visitors.” Finally, Old Madam Ren had no choice but to take action personally, riding in a carriage to Yunyang City to see her son.

Regardless, Old Madam Ren was still Ren Shimin’s birth mother. Ren Shimin could not treat her with the same indifference he showed Ren Shizhong and other Ren family members. Therefore, Old Madam Ren ultimately did enter the Ren family’s doors.