Just as Ren Yaoqi was about to reach out and open the chest, Xiao Jingxi stopped her.
Xiao Jingxi removed the mechanism lock and gently lifted the chest lid.
It was just an ordinary sandalwood chest with no mechanisms inside, but what was in the chest made Ren Yaoqi pause.
Inside appeared to be a piece of clothing, and what surprised Ren Yaoqi was that this garment was bright yellow.
In the Great Zhou Dynasty, only one person could wear bright yellow as clothing – the emperor in the south.
Ren Yaoqi looked at Xiao Jingxi in surprise.
Xiao Jingxi didn’t seem surprised. He reached in and took out the robe from the chest – it was indeed a dragon robe embroidered with nine-clawed golden dragons.
After glancing at it, Xiao Jingxi set the dragon robe aside and picked up another square object wrapped in bright yellow silk from the bottom of the chest.
Ren Yaoqi curiously leaned over: “What is this?”
Xiao Jingxi smiled helplessly: “I suspect it might be something everyone wants to obtain… trouble.”
Ren Yaoqi couldn’t help but pause.
Xiao Jingxi placed the silk-wrapped object on the altar table but wasn’t in a hurry to open it. Instead, he turned around and asked Ren Yaoqi with a smile: “Do you remember those two imperial edicts from Noble Consort Wan?”
Ren Yaoqi nodded: “Naturally, I remember.”
Noble Consort Wan had two edicts – one that exiled Prince Xian’s family to Yanbei for over a decade, and another that transformed Prince Xian into the Prince of Hezhong.
“Guess whether these two edicts were real or fake?” Xiao Jingxi blinked, his tone as casual as if asking Ren Yaoqi to guess whether he was hiding a chess piece in his left or right hand.
Ren Yaoqi thought for a moment, then said: “Fake.”
Xiao Jingxi couldn’t help but smile: “Oh? Why fake?”
Ren Yaoqi didn’t answer Xiao Jingxi’s question, but instead fixed her gaze on the object wrapped in bright yellow silk on the altar table, saying thoughtfully: “This is the imperial seal? And it’s the real one.”
Xiao Jingxi couldn’t help but reach out and touch Ren Yaoqi’s nose, then unwrapped the bright yellow silk, revealing the square object underneath – jade, warm to the touch, with a dragon-shaped knob, six-sided. It was indeed an imperial seal.
“Do you know why even the Pei family acknowledged those two secret edicts in Noble Consort Wan’s possession?” Xiao Jingxi held the seal in his hands to examine it, asking with a smile.
When Prince Xian had produced the late emperor’s secret edict to assume the position of Prince of Hezhong, if even the Pei family hadn’t recognized that edict as genuine, things wouldn’t have gone so smoothly.
“Even Empress Dowager Yan and the emperor suspected the Pei family of colluding with Noble Consort Wan, but this wasn’t the case. In all of the Great Zhou Dynasty, no one is more loyal to the Li imperial house than the Pei family.” Xiao Jingxi’s expression was half-smiling. “Pei Zhiyan might have some private friendship with Noble Consort Wan, but it’s merely a private friendship. The Pei family wouldn’t have any political entanglements with Noble Consort Wan over such a small matter. Even Pei Zhiyan himself – if the emperor granted him death, he could accept the imperial grace without changing expression and then dash his head against the pillars of the Golden Throne Hall.”
Upon hearing this, Ren Yaoqi couldn’t help but feel shaken. She knew Xiao Jingxi spoke truly – though Master Pei appeared carefree and indifferent to everything, in his heart he believed “when the ruler wants his minister to die, the minister has no choice but to die.”
Ren Yaoqi sighed: “So the reason the Pei family acknowledged those two edicts was because of the seal?”
Xiao Jingxi nodded: “Actually, after Xia Weiming’s death, the real imperial seal went missing. This seal has been passed down through four dynasties. Legend says that only one who obtains the true seal is the Son of Heaven mandated by the heavens. So after the seal disappeared, the founding emperor sent people to secretly search for it while having a fake seal made. The one the current emperor uses is fake. Those who know about this matter today are probably only Yanbei Prince’s Manor, Prince Xian’s Manor, and the Pei family head. Even the current emperor is kept in the dark, thinking the seal in his hands is real.”
Since the current emperor wasn’t personally appointed as crown prince by the late emperor, it made sense that he wouldn’t know this imperial secret.
Xiao Jingxi paused, then continued: “Actually, when the founding emperor had the fake seal made, there were two – both made from the same piece of jade. One had slight flaws, so the founding emperor ordered it destroyed, but whoever received that order secretly kept that seal for unknown reasons, and it somehow ended up in Noble Consort Wan’s hands.”
Xiao Jingxi spoke of these matters as casually as telling a story, but Ren Yaoqi listened with cold sweat.
“So the Pei family didn’t acknowledge the edicts because of collusion with Noble Consort Wan, but because the Pei family head recognized the seal on them as that flawed fake seal, and to avoid the fake seal matter damaging the imperial family’s reputation, they…”
Xiao Jingxi smiled: “The two fake seals differ only in their dragon knobs – Noble Consort Wan’s has slight flaws. When stamped on paper, no difference can be seen, so the Pei family might not be able to distinguish whether these two edicts are real or fake, yet they can’t reveal the truth. They’re truly wronged.”
Speaking of this, Xiao Jingxi couldn’t help but sigh: “Your great-grandmother, Noble Consort Wan, was truly a formidable woman. If she had Empress Dowager Yan’s birth circumstances, this world would certainly have a different configuration.”
Ren Yaoqi couldn’t help but imagine the different configuration Xiao Jingxi spoke of.
If Noble Consort Wan had Empress Dowager Yan’s family influence, Prince Xian’s ascension to the throne would have been without question. Then there wouldn’t have been the political struggles among the great families behind the regent ministers fighting for power, and the court would have had sufficient energy to deal with Yanbei Prince’s Manor. Could Yanbei Prince’s Manor have achieved its current power?
So, from Xiao Jingxi’s standpoint, he should be grateful that Noble Consort Wan was born a commoner. The southern court’s internal strife over so many years gave Yanbei Prince’s Manor an excellent opportunity for rapid rise.
However, Ren Yaoqi didn’t raise this sensitive question again, only asking curiously: “Then where is… the other fake seal?”
Xiao Jingxi blinked: “Guess?”
Ren Yaoqi: “…”
Xiao Jingxi put the seal back in the box and took Ren Yaoqi’s hand with a smile: “Actually, you should be able to guess, right? The other seal is now in your grandfather’s hands.”
Ren Yaoqi: “…”
“The owner of this chest is related to Xia Weiming?” Ren Yaoqi finally found her voice to ask.
Xiao Jingxi nodded: “Legend says Xia Weiming had a female subordinate with whom he had a close relationship, who even bore him a daughter. Before Xia Weiming was killed, sensing something was wrong, he gave the real imperial seal to this female subordinate to take out of the palace. Perhaps the Zhai family had some connection to Xia Weiming’s daughter.”
Ren Yaoqi frowned: “So it’s related to the Xia family – no wonder the entire residence’s feng shui layout is so strange.”
That female subordinate or her daughter probably harbored some ambition to use Xia Weiming’s name for a comeback.
Thinking of this, Ren Yaoqi couldn’t help but look at Xiao Jingxi with a strange expression, muttering: “It seems a useful method for powerful men to preserve their bloodline is through mistresses – cast a wide net.” Weren’t the Lei and Wu families the same?
Xiao Jingxi looked at Ren Yaoqi with a half-smile: “Madam? What are you muttering about? You’re not speaking ill of your husband, are you?”
Ren Yaoqi coughed lightly and changed the subject: “Before opening this chest, you already guessed it was related to General Xia?”
Hearing this, Xiao Jingxi stopped pursuing what she had been muttering about, only giving her face a light pinch as a warning: “Didn’t we look at those dozen chests earlier? The famille rose general vase in the first chest was bestowed by the founding emperor to General Xia. The pair of luminous cups in the second chest was a tribute from the Western Qiang people to the palace. In the fifth chest of calligraphy and paintings, I saw one piece with General Xia’s collection seal. So I confirmed these items were related to him. As for the password for this lock, I guessed three times before figuring out it was ‘Great Shun Red Tiger Army’ – Great Shun was Xia Weiming’s reign title, and Red Tiger Army was the name of his most famous military unit.”
Ren Yaoqi had long known Xiao Jingxi was meticulous, but she hadn’t expected he could deduce the chest owner’s identity from these clues and guess the lock’s password. She couldn’t help but admire him.
“Alright, we’ve seen the rare treasures. We should go up now. Staying here too long isn’t good for you.” Xiao Jingxi put the dragon robe back in the chest and hung the lock, then took Ren Yaoqi’s hand to leave.
Ren Yaoqi couldn’t help but look back at the chest, asking hesitantly: “That… aren’t you taking it?”
She meant the imperial seal. According to Xiao Jingxi, the significance of the imperial seal was extraordinary – didn’t Xiao Jingxi want it?
Hearing this, Xiao Jingxi looked back at Ren Yaoqi, his eyes smiling but also somewhat serious: “Do you want it? If you want it, I’ll take it.”
Ren Yaoqi couldn’t help but freeze. She understood that Xiao Jingxi wasn’t just asking about the seal, but what that seal symbolized…
Meeting Xiao Jingxi’s gaze, Ren Yaoqi was silent for a moment, then replied seriously: “If you want it, then I want you to take it.”
Xiao Jingxi smiled and sighed, holding Ren Yaoqi in his arms, then planted a solemn kiss on her forehead. After that, he said nothing, taking Ren Yaoqi’s hand and leaving the chamber without looking back.
Only when they were halfway up the stairs did Xiao Jingxi smile: “One hand holds yours, one hand holds the fire starter to see the path – I don’t have an extra hand for other unimportant things. I’ll have Xiao Hua come down for it later.”
Hearing this, Ren Yaoqi’s eyes somehow grew warm, and she gripped Xiao Jingxi’s hand tightly.
But Xiao Jingxi suddenly chuckled softly: “Mm, if it were a mistress who came along, I’d have her hold the fire starter in one hand and carry the chest in the other to lead the way. Your husband was truly short-sighted today.”
Ren Yaoqi couldn’t help but giggle, using her other hand to pinch Xiao Jingxi hard.
After emerging from the chamber, Xiao Hua was indeed still dutifully standing by the artificial mountain. Xiao Jingxi instructed him to go down and bring up the locked chest and another chest containing calligraphy and paintings. Second Young Master Xiao never forgot to please his father-in-law.
After both got on the carriage, Ren Yaoqi asked: “Have the Han family been in the chamber?”
Xiao Jingxi held Ren Yaoqi as she leaned against the carriage wall, thought for a moment, and said: “Other Han family members probably haven’t been down, but Han Yunqian… I suspect he has been to the chamber. He might have guessed the connection between the Zhai and Xia families, but he never opened that locked chest. Otherwise, regardless of whether he wanted that thing or not, he couldn’t possibly have left it behind. Also, when I opened the lock just now, from the mechanism’s sound, I could tell that the lock hadn’t been opened for many years.”
Hearing this, Ren Yaoqi couldn’t help but smile: “No wonder he gave all the chamber’s contents as a favor to Yanbei Prince’s Manor – he’s quite clever.”
Xiao Jingxi looked at Ren Yaoqi with a smile: “Oh? Clever how?”
Ren Yaoqi analyzed methodically: “Though those items are all priceless, they’re also all hot potatoes that could cause trouble if mishandled. No wonder the Zhai family didn’t take them when fleeing south. The Xia family remains taboo for the court – currently, only the court, Yanbei Prince’s Manor, and Prince Xian’s Manor dare handle these items. Secondly, by doing this, Han Yunqian personally delivered his fatal weakness to you, allowing you to trust and use him in the future. He traded a pile of items that were like scrap metal to him for Yanbei Prince’s Manor’s trust and support – wasn’t this deal worthwhile? Furthermore, after guessing the connection between the Zhai family and Xia Weiming, he restrained his curiosity and didn’t open that locked chest. People who can control their curiosity at crucial moments usually live longer than others.” Otherwise, if Han Yunqian had opened that chest, because of the imperial seal, his life would probably be forfeit.
Xiao Jingxi narrowed his eyes slightly, then suddenly pulled Ren Yaoqi into his arms, startling her with his sudden movement.
Xiao Jingxi gently touched Ren Yaoqi’s nose with his own, kissed her lips lightly, and murmured coquettishly: “Don’t analyze others so thoroughly – it makes me uncomfortable too.”
Hearing this, Ren Yaoqi’s face reddened. She pushed at him but couldn’t push him away, and instead Xiao Jingxi captured her lips. The gentle kisses quickly became entwined lips and teeth.
Before the carriage entered Yanbei Prince’s Manor, Ren Yaoqi had already tidied herself with Xiao Jingxi’s help. Except for the slight flush on her face, no one could guess what had happened in the carriage.
When they returned, the sun was already setting in the west.
Xiao Jingxi had matters to handle, so he got off the carriage alone at the front hall while Ren Yaoqi returned to the inner palace by herself. Just as she got off the carriage, she saw a group of people walking toward her.
Looking up, Ren Yaoqi discovered it was Zhao Yingqiu.
Zhao Yingqiu still came every few days to pay respects to the Old Princess Consort and Princess Consort. Sometimes she stayed for meals at Shou’an Palace, but mostly left after paying respects. Though Ren Yaoqi wasn’t close to her, they met regularly.
Zhao Yingqiu came forward to greet Ren Yaoqi, glanced at the carriage Ren Yaoqi had just exited, and smiled: “Did Young Madam just go out with Second Young Master?”
Ren Yaoqi smiled and changed the subject: “The tea Miss Zhao gave me last time was delicious – thank you.”
Zhao Yingqiu smiled: “That was something my mother brought from the capital – nothing precious. If Young Madam likes it, I have plenty more and can send some over next time.”
Ren Yaoqi politely expressed her thanks.
Normally, their pleasantries would end here, and they’d go their separate ways, but Zhao Yingqiu didn’t seem ready to leave immediately. Instead, she smiled: “By the way, Ningshuang will be coming in two months – Yanbei Prince’s Manor will have another joyous occasion.”
Only then did Ren Yaoqi remember that Yan Ningshuang had been betrothed by the Empress Dowager to the Xiao family’s Third Young Master Xiao Jingyue. She had heard Nanny Xin mention once that the wedding was approaching, but she hadn’t paid much attention. Now it seemed the wedding was the month after next.
So Ren Yaoqi nodded and smiled: “Indeed, it’s a joyous occasion. The Old Princess Consort and Princess Consort are very happy about it.”
Ren Yaoqi was speaking with her eyes wide open, telling lies. Forget that she rarely saw the Old Princess Consort – how would she know the Old Princess Consort’s emotions? The Old Princess Consort saw her closeness with Dowager Consort Yun as if looking at something dirty, and she wouldn’t seek out such displeasure. Even the Princess Consort’s evaluation of this marriage couldn’t possibly be positive.
Yet Zhao Yingqiu could continue: “Yes, today the Old Princess Consort was asking about it too.”
The two chatted a bit more before Zhao Yingqiu politely took her leave.
Speaking of it, Zhao Yingqiu was a gentle-natured girl who seemed intent on befriending her, but somehow Ren Yaoqi couldn’t grow close to her. Every time they met, they only exchanged meaningless pleasantries.
When passing by Zhao Yingqiu, Ren Yaoqi inadvertently noticed a small locust flower in her hair and raised an eyebrow, but said nothing and left.
After returning to Zhaoning Palace, Ren Yaoqi had Pingguo inquire about where Zhao Yingqiu had gone in Yanbei Prince’s Manor today.
Pingguo returned to report: “Miss Zhao paid respects to both the Old Princess Consort and Princess Consort separately, sat in the Old Princess Consort’s Shou’an Palace for about half an hour, and didn’t go anywhere else.”
“Did the princess meet with her?” Ren Yaoqi asked.
Perhaps because Yanbei Prince was rarely at the manor lately, that Liao princess rarely appeared in public, reportedly spending every day reading and practicing calligraphy in her study, having heard that the prince liked knowledgeable and talented women.
Pingguo said, “The princess happened to encounter Miss Zhao coming from the Old Princess Consort’s place on her way to the library. They only exchanged greetings without much conversation.”
Hearing this, Ren Yaoqi couldn’t help but look thoughtful.
She had Pingguo investigate Zhao Yingqiu and the Liao princess’s movements because only the courtyard where Yelu Sage lived had locust trees in front of it in all of Yanbei Prince’s Manor.
Ren Yaoqi was just asking on a whim and didn’t conclude from this that Yelu Sage and Zhao Yingqiu had any connection. The locust flower in Zhao Yingqiu’s hair might have been brought in from outside.
After asking, Ren Yaoqi set the matter aside.
Recently, Yanbei Prince’s Manor appeared very peaceful. Except for being slightly more active when Yanbei Prince was home, Yelu Sage was usually very low-key and rarely went out.
At the end of May, the Han and Yun families welcomed a long-awaited joyous occasion – Han family’s eldest young master Han Yunqian married Yun family’s second miss Yun Qiuping.
It was said that at the Han family’s request, the wedding date was moved up somewhat. The Yun family agreed because they were very satisfied with this son-in-law. Many knew that the Han family was now almost entirely managed by this eldest young master, with Old Master Han having handed over most Han family affairs to him due to poor health. Some said Old Master Han was dying, so the Han and Yun families feared Han Yunqian would need to observe mourning if the old master passed, thus moving up the wedding date.
Han Yunqian had purchased a three-courtyard residence in Yunyang City a year earlier, and his wedding was held there rather than returning to Baihe Town. Han Yunqian’s grandfather couldn’t attend the wedding due to poor health, and his grandmother stayed to care for Old Master Han, but his stepmother, Jiang Shi, had come to Yunyang City days earlier with Miss Han to help prepare the wedding, working tirelessly and showing great dedication. Soon, Jiang Shi’s reputation for virtue and capability spread.
Both the Yun and Han families were decorated with lanterns and a festive atmosphere that day.
Han family’s eldest young master rode a fine horse to fetch his bride from the Yun family, his handsome and composed appearance making all the young ladies and married women in Yunyang City blush.
Ren Yaoqi naturally knew about Han Yunqian’s wedding that day. Out of gratitude to Han Yunqian, Ren Yaoqi sent a moderately generous gift in her and Xiao Jingxi’s names, which was quite face-giving for the Han family.
That day, Han Yunqian’s new residence welcomed so many guests for the first time.
When he finished entertaining guests and walked steadily toward his courtyard, he found his sister Han You sitting alone on the railing of the covered corridor leading to the main room.
Seeing Han Yunqian enter the courtyard, Han You quickly stood up, walked to Han Yunqian, and hesitantly called: “Brother.”
Han Yunqian was cold toward outsiders, but his gaze was gentle toward his only sister: “It’s so late – why aren’t you sleeping? Be careful not to catch a cold.”
For some reason, Han You’s nose began to sting. She slowly approached and, like when she was small, took Han Yunqian’s hand, looking up at him: “Brother.”
Han Yunqian didn’t avoid her hand, letting her childishly hold onto him, his voice growing gentler: “What’s wrong? Did someone wrong you somewhere?”
Han You shook her head sullenly, saying nothing, just holding onto her brother without letting go.
Han Yunqian was very patient, not rushing her, just standing with her in the corridor.
After a long while, Han You finally gathered the courage to ask: “Brother, why did you move up the wedding date?”
Hearing this, Han Yunqian couldn’t help but smile, patting her head: “Because this timing is more suitable. Why ask this? Are you worried that after your brother marries, he won’t care for you anymore?”
Han You shook her head: “I’m not worried about that. I just… just think that brother, you…” She stole a glance at Han Yunqian, then said in an almost inaudible voice, “You don’t like Miss Yun Second.”
Han Yunqian lowered his eyes slightly, then gently patted Han You’s shoulder: “There’s no such thing. Go to sleep quickly.”