The First Madam, Lin Wanyun, although aware of the Ji family's decline, never imagined her elder brother would make such a decision. "Since I married Changfan, I never planned to leave. Changfan is gone, and if I leave now, how can I face the decades of love and companionship with him?"
Yang Lang sighed helplessly, "Foolish! Don't you forget, you still have Zizhao!"
This sentence instantly made the First Madam, Lin Wanyun, waver.
Zhao'er was already betrothed to the Fifth Prince. By rights, she should be unrelated to the Ji family's troubles. However, Zhao'er was stubborn and insisted on wading into the Ji family's muddy waters. Now that Zhao'er was the head of the Ji family, if anything happened to the Ji family...
The First Madam, Lin Wanyun, thought she had come to terms with it, but when the moment arrived, how could she bear to watch her only daughter shield the Ji family from harm?
"But if we truly leave, what about Zhao'er and the Third Prince's arrangement..."
"Although Zizhao is engaged to the Third Prince, she has never set foot inside the Third Prince's mansion. By rights, without the formal wedding rites, she is not considered married. If Zizhao truly wishes to sever ties with the royal family, we will go to Bianjing and implore Father to find a solution. With the Emperor having lost the Ji family in this battle of Luoyi, he certainly cannot afford to lose the Yang family over Zizhao!"
The news of Ji Zizhao's主动 (zhǔdòng - voluntary) seeking a divorce had already reached Bianjing.
The elders of the Yang family had always been open-minded. Not only did they not blame Ji Zizhao for her actions, but they felt heartache for her thoughtfulness and filial piety. The Old Madam of the Yang family had lost sleep for days over this.
Therefore, Yang Lang was certain that his father would protect Ji Zizhao!
The First Madam, Lin Wanyun, looked at her brother hesitantly, her gaze growing more resolute. Having already lost her husband, she could not let her daughter suffer misfortune, "If that is the case, then I will..."
"As the matriarch of the Ji family, you cannot go anywhere!"
Before the First Madam, Lin Wanyun, could finish speaking, the Old Madam entered, supported by Madam Xu.
For all these days, the Old Madam had been able to live peacefully in the Ji family thanks to the diligent efforts of the First Madam, Lin Wanyun, and Ji Zizhao. If the First Madam were to divorce and take Ji Zizhao back to her maiden family, what would become of her?
Thus, the Old Madam, who usually paid no mind to external affairs, could no longer sit still.
The First Madam, Lin Wanyun, was startled by the Old Madam's sudden arrival, but she quickly regained her composure. "Zhao'er is still young. Even if I do not consider myself, I must consider Zhao'er's future. I beg the Old Madam for your understanding!"
The Old Madam glared at the First Madam, Lin Wanyun, with a face full of anger. "As the eldest son's wife, you must stand by the Ji family at this critical juncture. Furthermore, Sister Zhao returned of her own accord and willingly took the seal of authority. Now you ask for my understanding? What right do you have to speak of understanding before me?"
The First Madam, Lin Wanyun, trembled from the reprimand and looked at the Old Madam in disbelief. "Old Madam, Zhao'er is only sixteen this year!"
"With the overall situation as it is, let alone sixteen, even a six-year-old would have to shoulder the Ji family!" the Old Madam snapped, her brow furrowed. No matter what, she would not allow the First Madam, Lin Wanyun, and Ji Zizhao to leave today.
The First Madam, Lin Wanyun, looked at the dignified Old Madam with trembling eyes, shaking her head in disbelief. Her husband was no longer with her; must she truly send her daughter to her grave before her time?
The other madams of the Ji family happened to be walking by the courtyard and saw the First Madam, Lin Wanyun, kneeling, unable to rise, crying with her hands over her face.
As mothers themselves, how could they not be moved?
The Old Madam watched as the First Madam, Lin Wanyun, broke down crying, yet she still gripped her walking stick tightly and pressed on aggressively. "Let me tell you, the Ji family is in trouble now, and you, as members of the Ji family, must advance and retreat with the Ji family. As long as I do not give you a letter of divorce, no matter how far you run, you are still of the Ji family. If the Emperor bestows his wrath, as fugitives, you will surely implicate your maternal families!"
Threat!
Naked threat!
Throughout her years of marriage into the Ji family, the First Madam, Lin Wanyun, had always been respectful and filial to the Old Madam. Even when she knew the Old Madam was sometimes too selfish and decadent, she had tolerated and conceded.
She always thought that hearts were reciprocal...
But she never imagined that a heart could be so selfish!
Washed by tears, a trace of tragic hatred veiled the First Madam, Lin Wanyun's eyes. "As the eldest daughter-in-law of the Ji family, merely because I married Changfan, the eldest of the Ji brothers, my daughter naturally became the eldest daughter of the Ji family. From the moment Zhao'er was born, the Old Madam was always making veiled remarks, insisting that Zhao'er must be strong and carry the heavy responsibility of the Ji family..."
The First Madam, Lin Wanyun, could still recall that her daughter was only two years old then, and the Old Madam had secretly arranged for a martial arts instructor to take Zhao'er to the military camp, even intending to keep Sister Zhao there for training. It was only later that the Old Master took pity and sent Zizhao back.
"Because Zizhao was naturally quiet, you despised her for being unremarkable and shaming the Ji family. For years, you haven't even looked at Zhao'er directly! Why did the people of the imperial city start slandering Zhao'er as a good-for-nothing? It's because of you!"
Years ago, she had taken the four-year-old Ji Zizhao to accompany the Old Madam to a banquet for noblewomen in the imperial city. During the event, to showcase the Ji family's prestige, she had coerced and cajoled Ji Zizhao into practicing boxing and studying military strategies. She had even heard that young ladies from other noble families were skilled in both literature and martial arts, forcing Ji Zizhao to learn dancing from lowly dancers on the spot, all to prove the Ji family's innate talent.
It was precisely because the Ji Zizhao of that time refused to do things that pleased others according to the Old Madam's wishes that the Old Madam had publicly berated Ji Zizhao as an incompetent good-for-nothing.
From that moment until now, the common people of Sheng Huangcheng had secretly circulated rumors that Ji Zizhao was a good-for-nothing!
"My daughter, I only wished for her to grow up safely. But because of your oppression, I had to force my daughter against my will to learn things she didn't want to learn. Simply because she refused, she became a good-for-nothing in your eyes!"
As the First Madam, Lin Wanyun, reached this point, she was overcome with grief and wept uncontrollably. "Is it just because of the word 'eldest' that my daughter has to bear what she shouldn't? Is it just because she is the eldest daughter of the Ji family that she deserves to be a shield for the Ji family and die for them?"
Having endured for years, she finally spoke her mind. The First Madam, Lin Wanyun, felt no shame, but rather a sense of cathartic relief.
The several madams standing at the door were all moved to tears.
Indeed, they had always looked down on Sister Zhao, and over the years, they had often joined outsiders in mocking Zhao'er's inaction. Yet, when the Ji family was on the brink of collapse, it was Zhao'er who broke off her engagement and returned, supporting them step by step to where they were now.
Outsiders called the Ji family's eldest legitimate daughter a good-for-nothing, but only those who had been helped up by Ji Zizhao truly understood that this so-called good-for-nothing was always radiating a warm and resolute light!