Xiao Jinglin obediently shut up, and the two maids Hongying and Hongxiao couldn't help laughing.
Although most people's attention was not on the Thousand Gold Banquet today, everyone's attention returned when Madam Xu was about to announce the ten winners of the Thousand Gold Banquet.
The result was beyond everyone's expectations, yet seemed reasonable.
Xiao Jinglin won the first place without a doubt, and Ren Yaoqi came in second.
Ren Yaoqi was surprised when she heard the result. In previous years, the top five ladies not only needed to have good talent, but also had a good family background. The ranking of the ladies was basically based on the ranking of their families.
Ren Yaoqi later learned that after Madam Xu brought her up, the princess had no objection, and neither did the other ladies. This was because she was recognized not as the fifth daughter of the Ren family, but as Madam Xu's Ouyang's closed disciple.
As the dean of Yunyang Academy, Yanbei's most prestigious institution of learning, Xu Wanli possessed profound knowledge and considerable influence among the students. While his wife wasn't a professor at Yunyang Academy, she possessed a profound aptitude for the arts of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Every woman in Yanbei who could even read a few words was familiar with this talented woman. As her last disciple, Ren Yaoqi's second-place finish wasn't surprising.
The third winner was quite surprising, it was actually Jiang Yuanniang.
Ren Yaoqi was not surprised. After what happened yesterday, this was the compensation from the princess and the Yun family to Jiang Yuanniang.
After that came Yun Qiuchen, Guo Yujiao, Qiu Hong, Su Fangfei, Xiao Jingyuan, and two other ladies from Yunzhou and Wuzhou. Wu Yiyu wasn't mentioned again; everyone, including the princess, seemed to have forgotten the existence of the eldest daughter of the Wu family. Fortunately, the old princess and Xiao Wei weren't present, so this year's banquet ended peacefully.
After the Thousand Gold Banquet, the ladies from each family were arranged to leave the hot spring villa in batches. Ren Yaohua and Ren Yaoqi said goodbye, and they would return to Baihe Town with Old Madam Ren this time. They asked her to say goodbye to the princess after the Thousand Gold Banquet and go to Wutong Garden first, and then go with them to the Ren family villa in Yunyang City.
Xiao Jinglin escorted Ren Yaoqi out of Lanyue Pavilion and asked, "When will you return to Baihe Town?"
Ren Yaoqi said, "Today or tomorrow." Old Madam Ren and the eldest Madam probably wouldn't stay in Yunyang City for long, and she had been away from Baihe Town for quite some time.
Xiao Jinglin thought for a moment and said, "You can leave tomorrow. I'll take Silly Girl to see you off."
Ren Yaoqi laughed: "It's just less than two hours' drive." But in the end she did not refuse Xiao Jinglin's kindness. She was always happy when she was with Xiao Jinglin.
Ren Yaoqi arrived at Wutong Garden where the Ren family lived, but found that the atmosphere was a little wrong.
She first went to see the eldest lady, but was stopped by her maid Qiufen, who said that the eldest lady was discussing something with Madam Cao, and asked Ren Yaoqi to go to the third lady's room and sit for a while.
Ren Yaoqi clearly heard the crying sound coming from the eldest lady's room, and Qiufen's eyes were still red when he talked to her, and it was obvious that he had cried not long ago.
Ren Yaoqi couldn't help but feel strange. She had never seen the eldest wife cry before. She was always steady and composed. Although she wasn't overbearing, she still had the authority of a mistress. Could she still be upset about Ren Yaoyin's situation?
While thinking about this, Ren Yaoqi went to look for Ren Yaohua. When passing by Ren Yaoyu and Ren Yaoying's house, she found a maid peeking out of the window. After seeing her, she immediately retracted her head.
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