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Chapter 105: The Separate Residence (Part 2)

Prince Jing was utterly confused, while Yun Yichen seemed to have figured something out. This matter seemed to have a significant connection with that little girl. Yes, it must be her. He recalled that on the day at Biyun Temple, his mother had invited the Xiao family sisters to attend his sister’s birthday banquet.

Hearing the laughter dissipate from the main hall, Prince Jing entered with Yun Yichen.

“Your humble concubine greets His Highness,” Yin Qianhua quickly stood up to welcome him. Because of the northwest expedition, her husband had been too busy to rest for several days. Yet today, he put aside his official duties to attend their daughter’s birthday. Yin Qianhua felt both heartache and gratitude. For such a family-oriented husband, for their children, she believed enduring grievances and criticism was worthwhile.

“Your humble servant greets His Highness and the Heir Apparent,” a group of young ladies from noble families stepped forward to curtsy. Several, who were closer in age to Yun Yichen, stood at the front.

Xiao Yao, upon seeing the father and son from the Yun family, quietly moved to the back. Being on their territory, she hoped her act of retreating would prevent the heir from causing her trouble again.

Prince Jing glanced around at the young ladies, recognizing most of them. However, two stood out—a plumper one and another in a blue dress whom he didn’t recognize.

“Your Highness knows most of these young ladies here, but I assure you, there are two you haven’t met before,” Yin Qianhua said softly.

Please don’t mention me, Xiao Yao silently pleaded, wishing she could disappear.

“Ping’an, Ruyi, step forward.” Yin Qianhua searched for a moment before spotting the Xiao sisters at the back of the crowd. How had these young ladies pushed them to the back?

“Your humble servant Xiao Yao greets His Highness and the Heir Apparent,” Xiao Yao said in a flat tone, staring at her toes as she delivered the formal greeting.

“Your humble servant Xiao Yuan greets Uncle Jing and the Heir Apparent,” Xiao Yuan said, omitting the term “Cousin” when addressing Yun Yichen.

“Little girl, you addressed Uncle, Aunt, and Cousin, so why not call him ‘Cousin’ too?” Yin Qianhua asked.

“I, I…” Xiao Yuan felt frightened and uneasy around him but couldn’t voice such reasons. She lowered her head, avoiding Yin Qianhua’s gaze.

“Who are they?” Prince Jing inquired.

“These are the granddaughters of General Xiao. The elder is Xiao Yao, and the younger is Xiao Yuan.”

“Ah, General Xiao’s granddaughters,” Prince Jing said. He gave them a closer look. The younger one had a lovable face and dared to meet his gaze—quite bold. The older one, however, kept her head lowered, standing quietly, her features hard to discern.

Yun Yichen briefly glanced at Xiao Yao. She was surprisingly behaving today. First impressions could easily fool someone unfamiliar with her. Why wasn’t she pulling her usual tricks? Could it be she had decided to play the role of a refined young lady instead?

Why does she keep her head down? Is she scheming something, or has she had a sudden change of heart?

“Ping’an, look at this,” Yin Qianhua said, attempting to catch Xiao Yao’s attention.

Xiao Yao instinctively glanced up at Yin Qianhua, only to find nothing. Was the dignified princess consort resorting to tricks now?

Although brief, her lifted head gave Prince Jing a clear view of her appearance. It was hard to imagine that General Xiao, a rugged and burly man, would have such an outstandingly beautiful and delicate granddaughter. Reflecting on Xiao Jingyan, Prince Jing thought he understood—the girl resembled her uncle. Ten years from now, the title of Tianyu’s most beautiful woman would surely belong to her.

What a pity! She’s still too young. Otherwise, she would make a fine daughter-in-law. He recalled both Xiao Jingkang and Xiao Jingyan speaking highly of General Xiao’s doting affection for this granddaughter. He had been skeptical in the past, but now he believed it.

If Yun Yichen knew his father was contemplating making Xiao Yao his daughter-in-law, he would probably want to bang his head against the wall. To him, she was an enemy—not a friend or anything more.

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“Everyone has been sitting for a long time. Why not take a stroll in the garden? To the south, there’s a small theater today with performances suitable for young ladies. Feel free to request anything you’d like to hear. Go and enjoy yourselves,” Yin Qianhua warmly invited the noble ladies, taking charge in her daughter’s absence.

Upon receiving the princess consort’s invitation, the young ladies broke into groups of threes and fives, curtsied, and headed outside.

“Our daughter has done wonderfully today,” Yin Qianhua said with satisfaction. Not only had her daughter spoken, but she had also stayed throughout without withdrawing early.

“Indeed. I believe Ruonan’s progress will continue to improve,” Prince Jing encouraged. Seeing his wife’s happiness and his daughter’s lingering smile, he felt compelled to offer his support.

“Xiao family… your cousin is quite pleasant,” Yun Ruonan said shyly.

What kind of taste do you people have? How could none of you see what I see? Yun Yichen mused, his thoughts trailing to Xiao Yao. Admittedly, today she appeared a little more like a proper young lady from a noble family. Still, he knew this wasn’t her true nature.

From the moment he entered the hall, she hadn’t even dared to glance at him. Was it guilt or an act? He had refrained from exposing her solely out of respect for the Xiao family patriarch. Otherwise… well, if she continued behaving sensibly as she had today, he might just let bygones be bygones.

Still, the nerve of that girl! Why ignore him entirely? She was the one who had wronged him. And yet, it felt as though he were the guilty party. This unsettled him in an odd way. No one had ever dared disregard him like this. He couldn’t allow her to form such bad habits. He would definitely set her straight if the opportunity arose.

There are people in this world who, if you give them attention, they dismiss you, but if you ignore them, they think you’re rude. It’s as though no matter what you do, it’s always wrong.

“I have matters to attend to and only came to check on things. Ruonan, how about Father stays for dinner with you tonight?”

Yun Ruonan nodded slightly in response.

“Achen, stay behind and look after your mother and sister, understood?”

“Father, this gathering is full of women. I don’t want to stay.” Yun Yichen protested.

“You can remain in the front courtyard. If all goes well, there will be no need for you to show your face. But should anything arise, there needs to be a man present.”

“There are plenty of guards here. If you’re concerned, you can assign more.”

“You represent the royal family. They are merely guards. Can their presence equate to yours? By staying, you symbolize the family’s respect and concern for the officials’ families. Clearly, the past days of teaching you have been wasted.”

“Father, don’t be upset. I’ll stay, alright? Just say you want me to stay, no need to make such a fuss,” Yun Yichen conceded, muttering under his breath about his father’s exhausting reasoning.

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The royal family’s separate residence was breathtaking. Combining the elegance of southern gardens with grand, majestic details, it featured beautiful gardens, serene pavilions, and exquisite architecture. Every corner spoke of artistic brilliance.

The Xiao sisters, along with Yuan Jing, strolled through the gardens, admired the rockeries, and eventually settled in a pavilion overlooking the landscape.

Other young ladies lingered closer to the main hall, reluctant to wander far. Yuan Jing, with her straightforward personality, never hesitated to speak her mind. It was her nature to joke even at inappropriate moments, as seen in her earlier remark about Xiao Yao and the parrot.

“Third Sister, look at those people. They’re all sticking close to the hall,” Yuan Jing remarked mockingly.

“Could you lower your voice a bit? Where they stand has nothing to do with us. Let’s just focus on ourselves,” said Yuan Min, the eldest of their group, always mindful of propriety.

In Tianyu, countless noble and aristocratic families harbored hopes of marrying into Prince Jing’s family. Yun Yichen, being a handsome, exceptional prince, was a dream match. Even if he were a spoiled rake, many families would still eagerly push their daughters forward.

“Are they waiting for dinner?” Xiao Yuan asked, puzzled.

“Then why don’t we join them?” Yuan Ying chimed in, her tone lighthearted. “Seems smarter to stay where we don’t have to climb up and down.”

“You two are hopeless. Look at Ping’an—she never asks such silly questions,” Yuan Jing teased, smirking at her younger cousins.

“I don’t compare myself to Ping’an,” Yuan Ying retorted. Why compete against someone so beautiful and smart? That would only invite misery.

“Big Sister is Big Sister. We’re us. No comparison needed,” Xiao Yuan agreed, echoing her usual mindset.

Xiao Yao, despite her silence, couldn’t help feeling exasperated. No matter what she did, she seemed to draw unnecessary attention. Why couldn’t they leave her alone?

“Look! The heir is coming out!” Yuan Ying exclaimed, spotting Yun Yichen leaving the hall with Prince Jing. The prince soon departed for the front courtyard, leaving Yun Yichen behind.

“Well, now the lamb has walked into the tiger’s den,” Yuan Ying remarked confidently.

“Have you been reading too many storybooks? I should tell Grandmother to arrange for a nanny to teach you proper decorum,” Yuan Min chided.

“Young ladies, the princess consort invites you to the banquet,” a maid announced, interrupting their chatter.

Yin Qianhua had arranged the banquet in the flower hall. By the time Xiao Yao and her group arrived, the table was already laden with delicacies.

“We’ve been waiting to start. Where did you all wander off to?” Li Yuer, feigning concern, masked her barbed comment.

Most of them had remained in the gardens, but these five had strayed elsewhere. With some being the princess consort’s relatives and others prominent rivals, they were threats Li Yuer couldn’t ignore.

“This estate is truly picturesque. We lost track of time while exploring,” Yuan Min replied courteously, smoothing over the situation.

Yin Qianhua frowned slightly at Li Yuer’s remark. For someone so young to speak with such hidden barbs, she was clearly not suited to marry into their family. Such a daughter-in-law would only bring turmoil to the household.

What kind of daughter-in-law would her son eventually bring home? The thought filled Yin Qianhua with both anticipation and a twinge of worry as she continued to host the young ladies.

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