The arrival of people from the Fifth Prince's mansion was not unexpected for Ji Zizhao; rather, it further solidified the suspicions in her heart.
Sun Tang knew some of the inside story of the disastrous defeat in Luoyi, which clearly indicated that Sun Yunxiao had also joined the Second Prince's scheme. The commotion surrounding the yamen incident, coupled with the current instability in the imperial city, made Sun Yunxiao fear that the common people would connect the Sun family with the Ji family's affairs. He was undoubtedly looking for someone to confide in and seek advice from.
If the Fifth Prince had remained inactive, perhaps he would have had nothing to do with the Luoyi incident. But once the Fifth Prince made a move, it would be a confession in itself. The Fifth Prince's initiative to contact her now was, first, to probe whether she knew anything. Second, it was naturally to appease Sun Yunxiao and prevent him from panicking before the Second Prince returned.
Suppressing the coldness in her eyes, Ji Zizhao looked at Yong Mei and said, "You go to the door to greet them first. I'll be there shortly." Yong Mei nodded joyfully and turned to run towards the mansion gate. Ji Zizhao, on the other hand, returned to her room and leaned back on the couch, closing her eyes to rest. The people from the Fifth Prince's mansion were not worth her rushing to meet.
After leaving Zhaoyuan, Yong Mei did not go directly to the mansion gate but instead ran to the First Madam's courtyard to deliver the good news. Lin Wanyun did not expect the Fifth Prince to be so proactive. Not only did he ask Yong Mei to invite the person into the main hall first, but he also changed his clothes before rushing out of the courtyard.
In the main hall, Luohong, flattered by Yong Mei, was sitting on a chair drinking tea. Lin Wanyun, who already knew of Luohong from the Fifth Prince's mansion and had heard that the Fifth Prince was timid and weak, with Luohong managing the entire mansion, was naturally polite. "I never expected Miss Luohong to be so young and beautiful."
Luohong, who had been a person by Consort Xi's side and was always arrogant and self-important, did not even rise to bow when facing the matriarch of the Ji family. She merely replied faintly, "First Madam Ji is too kind." Lin Wanyun felt uncomfortable seeing Luohong not rise, but considering that her forbearance would make things better for her daughter in the Fifth Prince's mansion in the future, she did not make an issue of it and sat in the main seat of the hall.
Yong Mei was a thoughtful person and proactively offered a teacup to Luohong. "Miss Luohong, this is superior Biluochun. Would you like to try it to see if you like it?" Luohong took the teacup and smiled, her lips curving slightly. "I didn't expect the Ji family to still be able to afford superior Biluochun. The saying that a starving camel is still bigger than a horse is indeed true."
She never imagined that the Fifth Prince would proactively contact Ji Zizhao, let alone send her personally to deliver gifts. When had she, who was always aloof, ever done something so demeaning? Especially to have to humble herself before a good-for-nothing! Yong Mei's eyes darted around, and she quickly brought over pastries from the carved wooden tea table. "First Madam knows Miss Luohong is visiting in person, so she naturally wants to host you warmly. These pastries are from Sun Ji in the west of the city. Would Miss Luohong like to try some?"
Luohong curled her lips mockingly but did not reply. Yong Mei continued to bend over, holding the plate of pastries. Lin Wanyun watched Luohong's proud and complacent demeanor, how could she not be angry? But then she thought of her daughter... Lin Wanlin clenched the handkerchief in her hand and forced a smile again, engaging in pleasantries with Luohong.
When Ji Zizhao entered the courtyard with Qing Zhu, she saw this scene. Her own maid was humbly trying to curry favor, and her mother, the matriarch of the Ji family, was also forcing a smile and putting on a brave face. As for Luohong, she sat firmly in the main hall, as proud as if she were royalty. Ji Zizhao did not even intend to indulge the Fifth Prince, so how could she allow a mere servant to be arrogant in the Ji family?
"Qing Zhu."
"I am here."
"You go out of the mansion now and help me with something..." Ji Zizhao turned to Qing Zhu and whispered her instructions carefully.
A moment later, Qing Zhu took her orders and left. Ji Zizhao then strode into the main hall. Ji Zizhao first paid her respects to her mother and then sat beside her, chatting with her mother in a soft voice. As for Luohong sitting beside them, Ji Zizhao did not even greet her or give her a glance.
Luohong's expression darkened. Thinking back to Ji Zizhao's disrespectful words at the Fifth Prince's mansion that day, her face grew even darker. Yong Mei, seeing this, proactively spoke to Ji Zizhao, "Miss, Miss Luohong from the Fifth Prince's mansion..."
"When the master is present, what right do you have, as a servant, to speak? Don't think you can learn from just anyone. While the Ji family has no right to interfere with other households, as long as you are in the Ji family, a servant is a servant. No matter how much you adorn yourself, you are merely arrogant." Ji Zizhao interrupted coldly and reprimanded Yong Mei sternly. Yong Mei was so scared that she knelt on the ground. She dared not even speak, let alone lift her head. She only blamed her mistress for being so unfeeling, humiliating her in front of Miss Luohong.
However, Luohong had no time to mock Yong Mei; her own expression was not much better. If she were deaf, she wouldn't be able to understand such veiled criticism. "Young Madam Ji is truly remarkable. Although I am a servant, I represent the Fifth Prince's dignity." Luohong glared angrily at Ji Zizhao.
Ji Zizhao's expression remained unchanged, and she glanced at Luohong indifferently. "Since Miss Luohong knows she represents the Fifth Prince, she should have the proper awareness and etiquette, rather than sitting shoulder to shoulder with my mother as a servant. I wonder how much face the Fifth Prince has given Miss Luohong that she is willing to discard it like this?" If you want to show off in the Ji family, you have to see if I allow it.
Such sharp words pierced Luohong's heart like a sharp dagger. Luohong stood up in anger, pointing at the servants carrying gifts outside the door. "The Fifth Prince has always regarded Young Madam Ji as a concubine and has personally sent me to deliver valuable gifts to Young Madam Ji today. Young Madam Ji refuses to be a concubine, tramples on the Fifth Prince's sincerity underfoot. Are all the people of the Ji family so ungrateful?"
Lin Wanyun frowned, seemingly wanting to interject and persuade. However, before she could speak, she saw Ji Zizhao suddenly freeze. She looked at the gifts in disbelief, her eyes showing surprise and even overwhelming emotion. Seeing this, Lin Wanyun breathed a sigh of relief. As long as she still had feelings for the Fifth Prince, it was good. She turned to Luohong and smiled. "Zhao'er is young, so why should Miss Luohong take it to heart? Miss Luohong has served by the Fifth Prince's side for so many years. When Zhao'er returns in the future, she will still need Miss Luohong's care."
These words were spoken tactfully, but if one considered them carefully, their sharpness was evident. Lin Wanyun, as the matriarch of the Ji family, could tolerate Luohong for her daughter's future, but she could not stand by and watch a servant trample on her daughter. Luohong's dark complexion instantly turned pale. She had originally thought that Ji Zizhao's firm refusal that day meant she would never return to the Fifth Prince's mansion. But now it seemed... Thinking that Ji Zizhao might actually return to the Fifth Prince's mansion, Luohong could no longer stay. Without even bowing, she turned and left the main hall.
Seeing that her daughter had feelings for the Fifth Prince, Lin Wanyun felt relieved. "Even if you are throwing a tantrum, you shouldn't go too far. I'm afraid the Fifth Prince's decision to make you a concubine was out of helplessness." Ji Zizhao pretended to be shy and nodded, then looked at Yong Mei. "Aren't you going to accept the gifts from the Fifth Prince?" The Fifth Prince was of use to her, and coincidentally, she wanted to go with the flow and stabilize the Fifth Prince.
After sending her mother away, Ji Zizhao looked in the direction Luohong had disappeared. The cold, dark pupils were no longer shy; instead, they were icy and chilling, devoid of any warmth. Luohong had left in a hurry just now and had forgotten to mention that she had prepared a return gift for her. However, whether Luohong would like it was uncertain.