Ren Yaoqi had naturally heard the rumors. Even if she hadn't taken the initiative to inquire, because of her current engagement with Xiao Jingxi, someone would have taken the initiative to bring the matter to her attention.
So one day, when Ren Yaoqi and Li went to attend an old lady's birthday party, they heard people talking about this matter in the garden.
One woman said with great interest, "I heard that Miss Yan is a rare beauty. Because she resembles the Empress Dowager in her youth, she is favored by the Empress Dowager. It's a pity that we haven't had the chance to meet her. I wonder who compares to Miss Ren in appearance?"
Another person said, "It's not like there's no chance of meeting her. Who knows, maybe she'll marry us in Yanbei in the future? Then we'll have a chance to meet her."
"By the way, isn't the eldest daughter of the Su family from Kyoto? I heard that she met the young lady of the Yan family when she was in her boudoir. If you are really that curious, you can ask the eldest daughter of the Su family."
Some people were not convinced and said, "Are girls from Jingdu prettier than those from Yanbei? I think the one from the Ren family is very beautiful. I heard that she looks like the concubine Wan, who was the most favored concubine in the harem back then."
"That's true. We were lucky enough to meet Concubine Wan. However, since Concubine Wan was so favored back then, her appearance must be better than... well, her appearance is better."
Ren Yaoqi listened for a while. Although she did not deliberately hide her whereabouts, these young girls were chatting enthusiastically and did not notice her coming at all.
Until footsteps were heard on another path, and a few more people were coming towards this side.
Then Ren Yaoqi heard the two groups of people greeting each other. Ren Yaoqi also walked out and was about to walk around them when he heard someone say, "Eh? Isn't this Miss Ren?"
Now the third branch of the Ren family has been separated from the Ren family, and Ren Yaohua is married, so everyone calls Ren Yaoqi Miss Ren and no longer adds the ranking in the title.
Ren Yaoqi had no choice but to stop and turn around, and she saw that the person who called her was the second daughter of the Meng family. Although she was not familiar with this Miss Meng, she had met her several times.
Ren Yaoqi smiled and nodded, then walked over to greet several ladies she knew.
The few people who were talking about Ren Yaoqi before had obvious discomfort on their faces. They didn't know whether Ren Yaoqi had heard their discussions behind his back. However, although the two young ladies of the Meng family were also present before, they didn't say a few words from beginning to end, so there was no embarrassment on their faces.
"Miss Ren is also here to visit the garden?" someone asked cautiously.
Although Ren Yaoqi's previous status was insignificant, her transformation from Prince Xian to Prince of Hezhong, coupled with her engagement to Xiao Jingxi, changed the way people viewed her. Even the ladies of noble families were divided into different classes. Naturally, there was no shortage of envy, jealousy, and resentment.
Ren Yaoqi nodded and smiled, "I was just about to go to the warming hall."
Seeing her normal expression, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. The atmosphere also became more lively. These girls were all three or four years younger than Ren Yaoqi, and they didn't usually play together. Although they had occasionally seen each other, Ren Yaoqi's current status was different, and everyone had a new curiosity and exploration of her that they hadn't had before.
Youzi was more lively. She asked in a familiar manner, "Sister Ren, what do you like to do at home? I like to play shuttlecock. It's a pity that it's cold now, and the elders usually don't allow us to leave the room."
Ren Yaoqi smiled and said, "I'm afraid of the cold, so in winter I just stay in my room and read books and practice calligraphy."
Seeing that she was friendly and easy to talk to, everyone became more friendly.
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