The fifth day of the fifth month was the Dragon Boat Festival, and this year’s Dragon Boat Festival was livelier than in previous years.

Because of the heir’s death, all of Yanbei had been subdued for a year, and even the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth of the first month had been somewhat dim. However, the Dragon Boat Festival’s festivities wouldn’t be much affected. Since ancient times, the Dragon Boat Festival had originated from tribal rituals – dragon boat racing, hanging calamus, and bathing with mugwort water were all to ward off evil and avoid disasters. Prince Yanbei’s mansion also ordered that several more racing dragon boats could be added to this year’s races to make the scene more lively.

Dragon boats needed to be launched beforehand, so Yunyang City’s dragon boat races always began in the afternoon.

In the morning, Ren Yaohua sent someone to deliver zongzi – five-nut, honey date, and red bean varieties, as well as meat zongzi that southerners preferred, filling an entire basket. Li Shi kept some and had Nanny Zhou distribute the rest to the servants, saying they were sent back by the eldest young lady.

The Lei family servant who delivered the zongzi said that the Lei family would still have a dragon boat in the water this year, but Ren Yaohua couldn’t go because of her pregnancy – only Lei Ting and Lei Zhen would take Pan’er.

Xiao Jinglin seemed quite busy lately and had sent word to Ren Yaoqi before the Dragon Boat Festival, saying she probably couldn’t watch the dragon boat races with Ren Yaoqi this year. Though Ren Yaoqi felt somewhat regretful, she guessed that Xiao Jinglin’s busyness might be related to the Liao people’s affairs. Xiao Jinglin had spent many years at Jiajing Pass and had clashed with the Liao people multiple times, understanding border affairs better than many others.

So, although this year’s dragon boat races were livelier than previous years, because Ren Yaohua and Xiao Jinglin couldn’t attend, Ren Yaoqi found it considerably less interesting.

In the afternoon, Ren Yaoqi rode with Li Shi in a carriage to the outskirts of the city. This year’s dragon boat races were still held on the Liyang River section outside the city. When Ren Yaoqi and Li Shi arrived, they could see over twenty dragon boats on the river from the riverbank. Among them, one boat was larger than all the others, with its dragon head and body painted in gold lacquer, looking magnificent and eye-catching from afar.

When Ren Yaoqi and Li Shi alighted from their carriage by the riverbank, there were already many maids and matrons from various households scattered about, all pointing and commenting on that golden dragon boat in the center of the river.

Li Shi couldn’t help but look several times, saying in surprise: “That dragon boat is quite impressive, overshadowing all the other boats. I wonder which family it belongs to?” Li Shi’s question was understandable – Prince Yanbei’s mansion’s dragon boat with their heraldic flag was right beside this golden dragon, but Prince Yanbei’s dragon head was quite old. Though maintained annually, it looked somewhat lackluster compared to this golden dragon gleaming in the sunlight.

Ren Yaoqi glanced over and smiled: “I heard the court also has a boat participating in the dragon boat races this year.”

Li Shi nodded in understanding: “I see!”

Just then, someone nearby happened to say: “I wonder which family’s boat will take first place this year.”

“Need you ask? Naturally, it’ll be Prince Yanbei’s mansion’s boat!” someone replied with certainty.

“In previous years perhaps, but this year there’s also the court’s…”

Li Shi and Ren Yaoqi didn’t continue listening because Madam Xu’s maid had spotted them and came over to greet them.

Li Shi followed Madam Xu’s maid with Ren Yaoqi to the Xu family’s pavilion. Though Madam Xu hadn’t arrived yet, several ladies familiar with Li Shi were already seated in the pavilion.

Li Shi sat with Madam Liu and Madam Chen, chatting with them.

After greeting them, Ren Yaoqi also joined Liu Menghan and Chen Zhiyi in conversation. While listening to Liu Menghan speak, Ren Yaoqi also paid attention to Li Shi’s situation. Li Shi had already adapted well to socializing with these ladies, especially when facing those familiar to her – her smile was much more cheerful.

People from other families also arrived one after another, and carriages lined up along the riverbank while enthusiastic greetings could be heard everywhere. Drum sounds echoed from the center of the river. Some people ran out of the pavilion to look, but it was just a few scattered dragon boats warming up. Only Prince Yanbei’s mansion’s azure dragon and the court’s golden dragon remained motionless in the river’s center, very much giving the impression of two armies facing off.

Just as Ren Yaoqi was listening to Chen Zhiyi and Liu Menghan whispering about which family’s dragon boat might win this year, a maid from beside Madam Xu (Ouyang Shi) approached.

“Miss Ren, Madam asks this servant to invite you over.”

Hearing this, Ren Yaoqi couldn’t help but look around: “Has Master already arrived?”

Though Madam Xu had sent Xu family servants to serve tea at the pavilion, neither she nor Xu Wanli had arrived yet.

The maid pointed behind her toward the river: “Madam is on the boat.”

Ren Yaoqi looked in the direction the maid indicated and saw several private boats already moored by the riverbank for convenient viewing of the upcoming races. However, since that year when the dragon boat races had an accident with casualties, the ladies didn’t dare board boats anymore, and all sat in pavilions on the shore, so there were far fewer pleasure boats on the water.

Ren Yaoqi glanced over – those boats all looked similar, and she couldn’t tell which was the Xu family’s.

The maid, thinking Ren Yaoqi was afraid of boarding, quickly said: “Please don’t worry, Miss Ren. The boat is very stable, and we won’t follow the racing boats.”

Ren Yaoqi smiled and nodded: “I’ll go tell my mother.”

Ren Yaoqi went to inform Li Shi, then brought four maids – Leshan, Leshui, Pingguo, and Sangshen – to follow the Xu family maid out.

The ladies and misses present didn’t think much of Madam Xu calling only Ren Yaoqi to board the boat. Setting aside that Ren Yaoqi was Madam Xu’s last disciple, Ren Yaoqi’s current status meant no one would say anything.

Following the maid to the shore, Ren Yaoqi saw the Xu family boat – just a medium-sized pleasure boat that could accommodate seven or eight people, not particularly conspicuous compared to other families’ boats.

As Ren Yaoqi boarded, she heard faint voices and laughter from the pleasure boat. Though she couldn’t make out what the people on board were saying, one voice made her pause involuntarily.

“Miss Ren?” Seeing Ren Yaoqi suddenly stop, the leading maid called to her.

Ren Yaoqi smiled at the maid and asked softly: “Are there other guests on board?”

Just then, Nanny Gao from beside Madam Xu emerged from the cabin. Seeing Ren Yaoqi about to board, she quickly came over personally to help her.

Ren Yaoqi didn’t ask further and, supported by Nanny Gao’s hand, boarded the pleasure boat.

The boat was very stable, almost imperceptibly swaying, but leaving solid ground to step onto the boat still made Ren Yaoqi’s body sway slightly.

Entering the cabin, Ren Yaoqi immediately saw Xu Wanli and Madam Xu seated at a square table in the middle of the boat. Sitting opposite Xu Wanli with his back to Ren Yaoqi’s direction was a man in an azure robe. When Ren Yaoqi entered, this man was speaking in his characteristic languid tone: “…After leaving Yanbei, I plan to continue traveling north. This journey will probably take at least three to five years…”

Seeing Madam Xu looking in the direction behind him, the man realized someone had entered and stopped speaking, turning to glance back.

Ren Yaoqi also clearly saw this man’s appearance. This face was one she had once known very well.

After ten years together, his appearance hadn’t changed much – light eyebrows and eyes, handsome features that made his age indiscernible, always wearing a smile, speaking slowly so that just hearing his voice made one feel the pleasure of a spring breeze.

When the man saw her, he seemed to freeze momentarily, a flash of surprise crossing his eyes.

Because Ren Yaoqi’s gaze also lingered on him, she caught the surprise in his eyes and couldn’t help feeling curious.

This should be their first meeting in this life – how could he show such an expression upon first seeing her? Could there be some connection she didn’t know about?

Ren Yaoqi couldn’t help but recall their first meeting in her previous life.

Back then, when Lu Dexin brought her to the capital, they stopped at an inn in Xiangzhou. Unable to bear the humiliation, she tried to escape at night but was caught before leaving the inn grounds. When being taken to see Lu Dexin, she bumped into a man in the inn’s courtyard. At that time, she was terrified, worried about what methods Lu Dexin would devise to torment her when she returned, so naturally, she didn’t pay attention to a stranger’s appearance. She only learned later that the person she had bumped into was Pei Zhiyan.

Shortly after returning to the capital, Lu Dexin transferred her to Pei Zhiyan.

When taken to the Pei residence, Pei Zhiyan only observed her for a while, said nothing, and had someone take her away.

She thought she was being sent to Pei Zhiyan as a concubine or plaything and remained uneasy for many days. But after that, Pei Zhiyan didn’t see her again, only having the steward assign her a maid to attend to her daily needs, with meals served in her small courtyard.

It wasn’t until nearly a month at the Pei residence that Pei Zhiyan summoned her, but because this meeting was in the study during broad daylight, she felt much more at ease.

When she entered the study, Pei Zhiyan was reclining on a soft couch, reading. Seeing her enter, he didn’t even look up, just instructed her to grind ink for him. After she finished grinding the ink, he got up to write at his desk, continuing for a full hour.

Ren Yaoqi stood far away from him. Initially, she remained somewhat vigilant, but later, watching his earnest writing reminded her of her father, and somehow she relaxed her guard. Taking advantage of Pei Zhiyan’s absorption in writing, she quietly browsed books on the shelves. She didn’t even notice when he finished writing and approached her.

Pei Zhiyan’s first words to her were: “Do you enjoy reading?” He also picked up the book in her hands to glance at it, then raised his eyebrows in some surprise: “And you like calligraphy and painting?”

At that time, she was looking through an ancient scholar’s notes on appreciating calligraphy and painting.

Seeing his gentle voice, Ren Yaoqi nodded and said somewhat sadly: “My father enjoyed them very much.” Her father’s study had also contained this book.