Ji Zizhao looked at her aunts, who had stayed up all night, and felt a pang of sadness.
Slipping into the deserted front courtyard, she lowered her voice and said, "I've brought back the remains of our grandfather and uncles and buried them in the family grave. From now on, when you go to pay respects, you won't have to face an empty tomb."
The wives of each branch of the family trembled upon hearing this.
They hadn't seen their husbands in their final moments.
But in death, they naturally wished for their husbands to return home.
This way, during festivals, they could have meaningful conversations at the graves.
Seeing tears welling up in the eyes of several wives, Ji Zizhao felt both relieved and reassured.
Living people always needed something to hold onto.
Especially in this backward and chaotic era, without hope, they would truly be mere walking corpses.
Fourth Madam, Xiao Jingshu, was the first to grasp Ji Zizhao's hand. "Sister Zhao, Fourth Aunt thanks you, thank you..."
Luoyi had always been guarded by the Tujue people. How could the remains of the Ji family men be brought back so easily?
Yet, Sister Zhao had truly brought them back.
Even without her saying a word, how could they not imagine the hardships involved?
Second Madam, Yu Fenglan, and Third Madam, Yin Wenying, regained their senses and also held Ji Zizhao's hands.
Tears flowed, laughter followed, everything was unspoken.
The Ji family now was no longer the same as when Ji Zizhao had left.
To quell the unrest, Ji Zizhao asked each of the aunts to keep the matter confidential for now.
Moreover, she supposed their grandmother wouldn't really care if the grandfather's remains returned home or not.
The wives of each branch nodded quickly. Of course, they would keep such a matter secret.
Almost suppressing their excitement, the wives left the mourning hall one by one.
Second Madam Yu Fenglan actually wanted to ask about her little rascal of a daughter, but not wanting to trouble Sister Zhao further, she swallowed the words that were about to escape her lips.
Ji Zizhao watched her second aunt, who was walking last, and softly added, "Second Sister has likely departed with the army. She should arrive at the imperial city within half a month. This time, Second Sister has rendered meritorious service, so Second Aunt can rest assured."
Second Madam Yu Fenglan froze in place, looking at Sister Zhao's gentle smile. Tears streamed down her cheeks. She nodded vigorously, her heart filled with gratitude she didn't know how to express.
The servants of the Ji family, seeing the wives return with red eyes, assumed it was due to their grief for the late First Madam and didn't spread any other rumors.
Ji Zizhao spent a moment alone with her mother in the mourning hall before returning to her own courtyard.
For the next few days, the mourning hall of the First Madam, Lin Wanyun, was conspicuously placed in the front courtyard.
Ji Zizhao paid her respects on time each day, spending the rest of her time in her own courtyard.
On the surface, the Ji family seemed to have quieted down.
But in reality, beneath the calm, a storm was brewing.
Ji Zizhao had not yet brought the matter to the yamen, retaining a sliver of her bottom line.
The Old Madam knew full well that Sister Zhao was waiting for an explanation.
After all, this was an internal Ji family matter, and exposing it would bring shame upon them.
Sister Zhao had now taken charge of the Ji family's affairs and could not afford to tarnish their reputation.
But here was her own daughter, and there was her own grandson.
Both were her flesh and blood, and it hurt no matter which one was cut.
Ji Rujun and Gu Peilan had also completely fallen out. Although they both came to see the Old Madam daily, they treated each other like sworn enemies, their words laced with barbs.
As a result, the Old Madam...
fell ill again.
Consequently, the matter of the First Madam Lin Wanyun was also delayed.
Ji Zizhao was not in a hurry.
The longer the matter dragged on, the less peace of mind those with guilty consciences would have.
She wanted to erect a mountain in the hearts of those villains, a mountain that would crush them day and night.
Rumors continued to swirl in the imperial city.
It was likely that even those in the palace had heard the news. A few days later, a royal decree was posted announcing the approaching return of the army. Although this was a matter of pride for Yu Lin, it ultimately failed to suppress the Ji family's affairs.
After all, the Ji family's current predicament was simply too...
conspicuous!
The coffin of the late First Madam of the Ji family was openly displayed in the courtyard. Even the night watchmen had to detour around it. The citizens of the imperial city, even if they wanted to forget, couldn't.
Such a large coffin, seen every day...
Who was so blind they could forget?
However, the matter was minor, and as it was passed down, it gradually lost its novelty.
Thus, the previous divorce of the eldest daughter of the Ji family was brought up again by the public.
Back then, the eldest daughter of the Ji family had been so fortunate. She was about to become the Fifth Prince's consort, but who would have thought that the Ji family would encounter such trouble? Later, the eldest daughter of the Ji family refused to be a concubine and voluntarily requested a divorce from the Emperor.
Initially, the public hadn't sensed anything amiss.
But now, with the Ji family's renewed troubles, the people suddenly realized.
It seemed the eldest daughter of the Ji family had long foreseen that the Fifth Prince was not a man of responsibility. Looking at how she went from being considered for consort to requesting a divorce as soon as the Ji family encountered trouble.
Indeed, the eldest daughter of the Ji family was wise.
Otherwise, if she had truly become the Fifth Prince's consort now, given the Ji family's troubles, the Fifth Prince would likely have been so terrified he wouldn't dare leave his room, let alone offer any help or support.
As public opinion soared, the unintentionally implicated Fifth Prince was suddenly declared the most undesirable potential groom in the imperial city.
This caused Consort Xi in the palace to become distressed.
For several days, she tried every means to lure the Emperor to her chambers, whispering suggestions constantly. However, the Emperor had no intention of intervening to quell the Ji family's troubles.
Consort Xi, "..."
She became even more vexed.
Empress Zhong, upon hearing this news, was so amused her eyes were almost unable to open.
The Ji family had a male heir. By rights, the Emperor should have intervened to suppress the matter.
But the problem was that Ji Zizhao had incapacitated the male heir beforehand.
Regardless of the reason, it allowed the Emperor to finally relax.
A disabled male heir, even if he inherited the title, would merely be a figurehead.
Zhi Nan, seeing the Empress's joy, was also happy. "I didn't expect that County Princess Ronghe would do this by chance. This time, even if Consort Xi whispers in his ear, the Emperor can only remain indifferent."
Empress Zhong, however, shook her head. "By chance? Where in this world are there such coincidences? I fear this County Princess Ronghe is far more intelligent than I imagine."
This was for the best, and it was not in vain that she had specially suppressed the news of the Ji family's male heir.