As if as Ji Zizhao had said, rumors in the imperial city were now like air, everyone grasped a mouthful and took a deep breath.
Where was it possible to ignore them, to simply leave them be?
In the main courtyard, the Old Madam's heart was in utter disarray, a tangled mess.
She had thought that once Lin Wanyun was buried perfunctorily, the matter would be over.
But who could have foreseen that Lin Wanyun's affairs would resurface, throwing the entire imperial city into an uproar?
Lin Wanyun's death had been sudden, and the Old Madam had been stunned at the time. She hadn't thought much about the implications, only wanting to conceal the matter as it involved people she cared about.
The result…
was the current mess.
Thinking again of Sister Zhao's difficult personality, the Old Madam had no idea how to explain herself.
Granny Xu hurried in, her face somewhat pale. "Old Madam, a message from the back courtyard says the Eldest Young Lady has returned!"
The Old Madam trembled all over. "You, you say Sister Zhao, has returned?"
Granny Xu nodded. "I heard that the coffin of the First Madam has returned with her."
"Wh-what..."
The Old Madam's heart was already a chaotic mess. Now, hearing that Ji Zizhao had returned, and with a coffin...
This was no less than being forced to the brink by the King of Hell himself!
Guilty conscience coupled with urgency, she fainted before she could even finish speaking.
Granny Xu, seeing the Old Madam faint so abruptly, was startled. "Old Madam? Old Madam! Quickly, someone go fetch a doctor! The Old Madam has fainted!"
The main courtyard was in complete pandemonium.
Ji Rujun, who was currently at the Jin family's residence, was no better off.
Lin Wanyun was well and truly dead, and her heart had settled with it.
But who could have known that Lin Wanyun's death was now the talk of the imperial city, with whispers that Lin Wanyun had died at the Jin family's, and under suspicious circumstances...
Already guilty, Ji Rujun could no longer sit still.
Because of these rumors, the Jin family had completely stopped speaking to her.
Even her own daughter, upon seeing her, wished she could take a detour.
Ji Rujun understood that she could no longer allow the rumors in the imperial city to fester. She immediately ordered her carriage to leave the Jin residence.
Since the rumors pointed to her, she had to return to the Ji family. Otherwise, wouldn't it be an admission of guilt? Su Dan Novel Network
Besides, she was not the one who killed Lin Wanyun. Why should she bear this blame?
Sitting in the carriage, Ji Rujun grew increasingly indignant. By the time the carriage stopped at the entrance of the Ji family, she dismounted, eager to have her mother administer justice.
However, the moment she entered the courtyard, she was met with Lin Wanyun's mourning hall.
Ji Rujun's legs went weak with fright, and she collapsed onto the ground.
The Madams from the various branches naturally saw her, but recalling that it was the Eldest Aunt who had delivered the coffin, they felt a chill run down their spines. At such a time, why would they proactively approach and inquire?
From the Second Madam to the Fourth Madam, they all pretended not to see.
Ji Rujun scrambled to her feet from the ground, practically crawling to the main courtyard.
The news she heard was that the Old Madam had fainted...
Ji Rujun sat in the outer hall of the main courtyard, feeling as if the sky was about to collapse.
It was all the fault of that little vixen, Ji Zizhao. The person was already dead, why cause such a disturbance?
But no matter how much she cursed, Ji Rujun truly dared not confront Ji Zizhao directly to argue.
However, Ji Rujun also understood that sitting idly was not a solution. She beckoned to a maidservant. "Go, summon those who entered the household later!"
Those who entered later referred to Gu Peilan's faction.
Unfortunately, at Gu Peilan's side, they were also in a big predicament.
Gu Peilan had woken up, but Ji Zongyou was still unconscious.
Ji Renran had ordered several maids, but none of them paid her any heed. Finally, with no other choice, she had to leave the estate herself to fetch a doctor for her brother.
At some point, the night had deepened.
Yet, the Ji family remained illuminated.
Zhang Ji looked at the various courtyards, lit by lanterns behind him, and felt a genuine sense of satisfaction.
The Eldest Young Lady had only just returned, and she had already thrown these pretentious people into disarray.
But they did not know.
This was only the beginning.
Compared to the sleepless nights in other courtyards, Ji Zizhao truly slept until dawn.
Now that the matter of the First Madam was no longer being hidden by Granny He, the servants in the Zhaoyuan breathed a collective sigh of relief.
While Ji Zizhao was having breakfast, Shuiling proactively said, "Miss, you wouldn't believe how lively the main courtyard was yesterday."
Ji Zizhao raised an eyebrow.
Shuiling continued, "I heard from the young servant who sweeps the main courtyard that the Eldest Aunt returned yesterday. Later in the night, the Second Madam also went over. It's said they argued about something, waking up the Old Madam, who was already unconscious. In her anger, the Old Madam chased them both out, and now they're both confined to their respective courtyards."
With this commotion, those with guilty consciences were bound to stir.
As soon as Ji Zizhao heard that her mother had been carried out of the Jin family, she knew that Ji Rujun and Gu Peilan must have joined forces.
Now that the truth was out, how long could their alliance, driven by mutual interest, last?
Ji Zizhao's unhurried demeanor suggested she was watching them clash like two tigers fighting.
They had colluded to put her mother to death; now, she would calmly watch them tear each other apart.
Revenge, after all, was best served like slicing meat with a dull knife – painful and prolonged.
Seeing that her mistress's complexion was no longer so pale, Shuiling thought for a moment and then added, "I also heard that the Eldest Young Master's legs were completely broken. Several doctors were called in yesterday, and all said he would never be able to stand again."
In fact, when Qingzhu had taken action, Ji Zizhao had no intention of letting Ji Zongyou walk again.
However, thinking about it was one thing; hearing about it was another.
This news was indeed good.
Ji Zizhao did not expect Shuiling to be so capable. In just a few months, she had forged connections in all the courtyards of the manor, making it effortless to gather information.
After rewarding Shuiling with some silver, Ji Zizhao rose and went to the front courtyard.
After a night of diligent work, her mother's mourning hall had been erected.
Although hastily done, the specifications and arrangements were befitting a First Madam, showing the thoughtfulness of the various aunts.
Ji Zizhao lit three sticks of incense, knelt on the prayer mat, and bowed to her mother's spirit tablet, offering incense. She then saw the other Madams entering.
The perfunctory burial of the Eldest Sister-in-law had been at the Old Madam's command. Now that the First Madam's mourning hall was set up, they dared not openly defy the Old Madam by offering incense to her.
But now that Sister Zhao had offered incense, they had nothing to fear.
It was only natural for Sister Zhao to offer incense to her mother. If the Old Madam had any objections, she could send someone to find Sister Zhao.
However, the Madams also knew that the Old Madam lacked the resolve. Otherwise, she wouldn't have fainted yesterday.
Indeed, it was precisely because of this that the Madams' hearts grew colder.
It seemed the Old Madam knew how the First Madam had died.
Otherwise, why the guilty conscience now?