In the front courtyard, the First Madam, Lin Wanyun, was seeing off the Fourth Prince with the ladies from the various branches of the family.
The Fourth Prince, clad in white robes, had a faint smile on his handsome face. It neither exuded arrogance nor was it without solemnity, as if reminiscing about the heroic spirits of the Ji family's men. The well-measured gentleness in his brows was both courteous and refined, presenting him as noble yet not haughty, and remarkably harmless, like a gentle scholar.
On the day the assassins had infiltrated the Ji mansion, the ladies of the household had only caught a fleeting glimpse of the Fourth Prince. They had never expected him to be so approachable and devoid of royal pretense. Unconsciously, their impression of the Fourth Prince improved greatly. It felt as though by standing beside him, one could be warmed by his presence.
Upon witnessing this scene from the rear courtyard, Ji Zizhao couldn't help but furrow her brows.
A fake!
All of it was fake!
What of his elegant demeanor, his noble bearing, it was all just a pleasing facade. Beneath the surface, he was nothing more than a rotten heart in a radish.
Unfazed by the Fourth Prince's outward appearance, Ji Zizhao stepped forward, leading the young ladies of the Ji family who followed behind her. They curtseyed slightly, "Your subject, Ji Zizhao, respectfully bids farewell to His Highness the Fourth Prince. May Your Highness have a smooth journey."
Xie Jingxi, noticing the flicker of resistance in her eyes, knew he had likely been disliked again. Yet, his smile widened, as warm as the spring breeze. "I hear that the eldest daughter of the Ji family has voluntarily shouldered the responsibility for the entire Ji household. To bear such a burden at such a young age, even I can't help but feel inferior. And seeing the spirited demeanor of the other daughters of the Ji family, they are indeed incomparable to ladies from other households. The Ji family truly lives up to its reputation."
Ji Zizhao: "..."
The black-hearted Fourth Prince's pleasantries were becoming more flawless by the minute.
Indeed, as the Fourth Prince departed, the other young ladies of the Ji family watched him off with expectant eyes.
"They say the imperial family is heartless and cold. Who would have thought this Fourth Prince would be such a good person."
The First Madam, Lin Wanyun, also approached and said, "Just now, His Highness personally ordered a generous amount of expensive floral wreaths. Although they are not of immense value, they still represent his good intentions. Zha'er, if you have the chance, you must properly thank His Highness."
The ladies from the other branches nodded in agreement.
In the bustling imperial city, where status was paramount and people often held their heads high, here was the Fourth Prince, humble and polite, demonstrating impeccable etiquette. He was practically the epitome of the perfect noble in the imperial city.
"It's a pity that His Highness the Fourth Prince cannot gain favor with the Emperor as much as other princes. But he is still a prince. With the current state of our Ji family, even climbing a ladder would not allow us to associate with him."
Within the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn, he had managed to pacify the entire Ji household.
Ji Zizhao was...
Truly speechless.
His Highness the Fourth Prince seemed to be mourning quite ostentatiously at the Ji family's residence.
A gatekeeper hurried over, "Madam, young ladies, another carriage is approaching."
The Ji family, being a general's mansion bestowed with an imperial plaque by the Emperor, would only receive visitors of significant standing.
The First Madam, Lin Wanyun, and Ji Zizhao exchanged a silent glance, then led their respective entourages towards the mansion's entrance.
Just then, a carriage smoothly stopped at the foot of the steps.
Everyone's gaze fell upon the plaque hanging on the carriage, and they couldn't help but be stunned.
The Fifth Prince?
How could it be him!
The amount of hope Lin Wanyun had once held for the Fifth Prince was now matched by her disgust.
Anyone who dared to plot against her Ji family and her daughter was beyond reproach, let alone a prince, even the King of Heaven himself would not suffice.
While the other female relatives did not harbor as much aversion as the First Madam, they held no favorable impression of the prince who had sent Ji Zizhao to the Fifth Prince's manor alone on her wedding day.
Ji Zixiu even stepped forward to shield her elder sister, her hand subtly reaching for the nine-section whip at her waist.
Xie Jingzhou, inside the carriage, looked out the window at the unwelcoming faces at the Ji family entrance. His already gloomy expression turned even darker.
He had never imagined that he would one day set foot in the Ji family mansion again.
Just as he had never imagined that the Ji family, with their necks already on the chopping block, would miraculously escape death.
Even now, Xie Jingzhou remembered the look of shock on Luo Hong's face when she delivered the news, and how contorted and disbelieving his own expression had been.
It took him a full half hour to process that difficult-to-digest piece of information!
Although Luo Hong looked down on Ji Zizhao, she dared not conceal anything in this matter and reported everything that had happened before the palace gates truthfully.
Xie Jingzhou knew that no matter how wary he was of Ji Zizhao, he had still underestimated this woman.
With the Second Prince's fall, a series of uncontrollable consequences were bound to ensue. Fortunately, Ji Zizhao, and indeed the entire Ji family, were still unaware of his relationship with his second imperial brother.
Therefore, he had to use every last means to stabilize the Ji family.
And more importantly, to stabilize Ji Zizhao!
"The Ji family truly has no respect for favors," Luo Hong, standing beside the carriage, said with a full heart, indignant on behalf of her master as she looked at the Ji family members who still hadn't come out to greet them.
Inside the carriage, Xie Jingzhou adjusted his robes and pushed open the door. "Hush! Don't forget the purpose of our visit."
Luo Hong trembled, not daring to speak further, and quickly extended her hand to help him.
Xie Jingzhou, with his feet on the ground, had shed the sinister calculation he held in the carriage. Now, leaning on Luo Hong, he trembled uncontrollably. If not for Luo Hong's full support, he would have likely collapsed to his knees, his legs quivering.
Seeing that the Fifth Prince had reached the steps, the Ji family members quickly curtsied, "Greetings to His Highness the Fifth Prince."
Xie Jingzhou quickly reached out and took the First Madam Lin Wanyun's arm. "I am late, and it is all my fault. I should not have feared the rumors in the city and my father's authority, and delayed visiting the Ji family for mourning. I never imagined that my second imperial brother would commit such... such a cruel act. I hope Madam Ji does not blame me."
As he spoke of his grievances with emotion, his eyes even welled up.
Seeing this, Lin Wanyun began to doubt if Zha'er had misunderstood something. But seeing how timid and cowardly the Fifth Prince appeared, he truly seemed incapable of such a cold-blooded act.
The expressions of the other female relatives of the Ji family also softened.
The Fifth Prince's naturally timid and cowardly nature was well-known in the imperial city. Just a few days ago, the Ji family were criminals, and even they had been filled with anxiety. How much more so for the Fifth Prince, who had always lacked backbone.
Even Ji Zixiu couldn't help but whisper, "Elder Sister, this Fifth Prince seems rather pitiful."
Ji Zizhao remained silent.
With a single sentence, he had completely absolved himself of responsibility, feigned a pitiable state, exploited others' compassion, and harbored malicious intentions while acting wickedly.
How could such a person be pitiful?
Suddenly, the world went dark before Ji Zizhao's eyes. She looked up to see Luo Hong supporting the Fifth Prince as he approached.
Xie Jingxi, whose eyes were already red, could no longer contain his tears upon facing Ji Zizhao. "Zizhao, I know you are still angry with me. I know it was all my fault, that I wasn't there for you when you needed me. Please, don't be angry anymore, okay? Please..."
As he spoke, Xie Jingxi bent his knees, about to kneel on the ground.
The female members of the Ji family were stunned.
He was, after all, a prince. If he were to truly kneel, how would the citizens of the city talk about Sister Zha?
The First Madam, Lin Wanyun, clutched her handkerchief tightly. If she accepted this kowtow, rumors would spread like wildfire throughout the city. If she didn't follow the Fifth Prince back, her daughter would be ruined.