The two concubines of the Zhao family stood around the carriage, hurling veiled insults.
Many guests watched curiously at the entrance of the Zhao mansion.
Inside the carriage, Jin Xueyan's eyes were red, and her whole body trembled uncontrollably.
As a daughter of the Marquis of Xuanping's manor, when had she ever suffered such humiliation?
Peeking through the carriage window, Jin Xueyan saw the increasing number of eyes turning towards their carriage. Overwhelmed with grievance, she let out a wail.
"What do you Zhao family want? Are you going to devour people in broad daylight!" Jin Xueyan cried hysterically in the carriage. She had come to attend the Zhao family's birthday banquet in good spirits, only to be subjected to a torrent of abuse. Who could bear such a thing?
Her piercing cries startled everyone at the Zhao family's gate.
The two Zhao family concubines exchanged triumphant glances, pondering how to claim credit from the Zhao family's Madam later. However, the moment the carriage door opened, they froze as if struck by lightning.
Although they hadn't seen the eldest daughter of the Ji family, they were familiar with the eldest daughter of the Marquis of Xuanping's manor.
Seeing Jin Xueyan trembling and crying inside the carriage, the faces of the two Zhao family concubines instantly drained of color.
So...
The person they had just cursed was the eldest daughter of the Marquis of Xuanping's manor?
How could this be!
The surrounding guests murmured amongst themselves, observing the unfolding scene.
They all said the Marquis of Xuanping's manor and Grand Tutor Zhao's manor had a good relationship, yet their friendship seemed to have capsized as easily as a small boat.
Everyone knew that Grand Tutor Zhao's manor had a high threshold, but they never imagined it to be this high. Some of the more discreet and honest guests, upon witnessing this, turned and left directly. It was better to have less contact with such hypocritical households, lest their own daughters be cursed by others one day.
The two Zhao family concubines were terrified at the sight.
Were not all those who received invitations from the Zhao family influential figures in Sheng Huangcheng?
If they left before even entering the gates, and their lord and Madam found out, they would have no way to survive!
"Esteemed sirs, please don't leave. It's all a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding..."
"Sirs, please stay, please stay..."
The two Zhao family concubines desperately tried to detain them, forgetting their station.
Seeing the Zhao family concubines daring to approach and speak to them, more people began to leave.
They were, after all, people of status in Sheng Huangcheng. If it were known that they were entangled with the Zhao family concubines, their reputation would be ruined.
Jin Xueyan continued to wail inside the carriage.
Outside the carriage, guests at the Zhao mansion gate departed one after another without farewell.
The two concubines, filled with both urgency and fear, also began to sob.
For a moment, the entrance of the Zhao mansion was filled with incessant cries and lamentations.
Passersby looked on with curiosity.
Hadn't they heard that the Zhao family was holding a birthday banquet today? Why did it look like a funeral procession...
It was at this moment that Ji Zizhao alighted from her carriage.
Her dark eyes held a sharp glint as she surveyed the deafening cries at the Zhao mansion's gate.
So this was the true nature of Grand Tutor Zhao's manor.
Qing Zhu, disgusted by the Zhao family's tactics, whispered, "Miss, should we return the way we came?"
Ji Zizhao's voice was calm, "Since we have come, we must pay our respects."
How the Zhao family acted was their business. But since she had accepted the Zhao family's invitation on behalf of the Ji family, there was no reason to turn back. Otherwise, given the Zhao family's methods of using two concubines to hurl insults at the gate even on a birthday, who knew what other slanders they might spread about the Ji family.
She disdained what others said, but she would never allow anyone to besmirch the Ji family's name.
Moreover, she would not be at ease until she saw her third sister.
A gentle breeze blew, carrying a faint, elegant fragrance.
Ji Zizhao turned her head and saw an inconspicuous carriage parked not far down the street.
The carriage was entirely crafted from pine wood, with gilded window frames and door frames. A luminous pearl the size of a child's fist was inlaid on the canopy providing shade.
However, the carriage bore no insignia indicating the owner's identity, making it difficult to guess.
Ji Zizhao's gaze flickered.
She hadn't expected Grand Tutor Zhao to have such influence as to invite such an esteemed guest.
After a moment, Ji Zizhao calmly withdrew her gaze and, with Qing Zhu, walked to the Zhao mansion's gate and presented the invitation.
The doorman took the invitation, looked up at Ji Zizhao, and remained stunned for a long time.
Finally, Qing Zhu, impatiently, gripped the sword at her waist. "Are all of you Zhao family illiterate?"
As the servant snapped back to attention, he quickly let them in. "Two honored guests, please come in."
As he watched Ji Zizhao's receding figure, the servant's eyes widened again with curiosity and admiration.
News of the incident at the Zhao family gate quickly reached the inner mansion.
Upon hearing the report from Granny Sun, Madam Zhao almost fell from her chair.
"What should Madam do now?" Granny Sun held Madam Zhao steady, also flustered.
Were not all the guests arriving to celebrate the Zhao family's birthday people whom the master wished to appease? What would happen if their lord found out that these guests had left before even entering?
Madam Zhao was naturally fearful. She quickly stood up and, with Granny Sun's support, hurried outside.
The crying at the Zhao mansion's gate continued unabated.
After emerging from the mansion, Madam Zhao first reprimanded the two concubines. Then, she personally helped the thoroughly scolded Jin Xueyan out of the carriage and placated her with all sorts of conciliatory words. It took considerable effort to finally stop Jin Xueyan's tears.
Madam Zhao then turned to the guests at the gate with a smile. "It was all a misunderstanding. It was merely two concubines harboring some resentment who acted impulsively without any sense of propriety. Please, esteemed guests, do not hold these two discarded individuals' actions against us."
The guests present were all people of standing, and hearing Madam Zhao's words, they felt it inappropriate to quibble with two concubines. Moreover, they had to give Madam Zhao some face.
The commotion at the Zhao mansion's gate finally subsided, and Madam Zhao breathed a sigh of relief. However, she scanned the crowd for a long time and did not see the Ji family's carriage.
She approached the doorman and quietly inquired, "Did you see the eldest daughter of the Ji family?"
The servant suddenly remembered Ji Zizhao's face and nodded in a daze, pointing towards the mansion.
Madam Zhao looked into the densely crowded mansion. How could she find anyone there?
"What does the eldest daughter of the Ji family look like?"
The servant blinked and blinked again, struggling to utter a single word after a long pause, "Beautiful."
Madam Zhao: "..."
Such an unsophisticated dolt! How beautiful could an insignificant person be!
Jin Xueyan, who had been thoroughly berated for bearing Ji Zizhao's name tag, heard the servant's praise for Ji Zizhao. Unable to contain her anger, tears began to well up in her eyes again.
Madam Zhao genuinely feared Jin Xueyan would start crying again. Without further inquiry, she led Jin Xueyan into the mansion, instructing a maid to escort her to the rear courtyard.
After Jin Xueyan left with the maid, Madam Zhao instructed Granny Sun by her side, "Quickly gather a few people to quietly search for the eldest daughter of the Ji family. Remember not to alert anyone."