Gu Peilan never dreamed that Ji Zizhao, at such a young age, would possess such ruthless methods.
She thought Ji Zizhao was a bronze, but it turned out to be a king!
Looking at her son, who was beaten to the point of being unrecognizable, Gu Peilan knew that even if she wanted to find a doctor now, it would be futile in this desolate wilderness.
Since that was the case, she might as well go with the flow.
Ji Renran looked at her brother, covered in blood, her expression grim.
However, she suspected more strongly that even if Ji Zizhao couldn't stand them, she wouldn't do something so disloyal.
Ji Zizhao was the matriarch of the Ji family, and also a Princess of Ronghe personally enfeoffed by the Emperor.
To commit such a wicked act, wouldn't that be slapping the Emperor's face?
Even with all the courage in the world, Ji Zizhao would not dare.
But now, in a state of utter confusion, Ji Renran couldn't fathom Ji Zizhao's intentions.
Just then, Gu Peilan pulled Ji Renran up. "Come, follow me. I want to see what kind of capabilities Ji Zizhao has to dare to continue making trouble!"
Seeing that her mother was determined to use her brother's incident as a pretext, Ji Renran fell silent.
With things having come to this point, the only apparent way out was that her brother had been beaten.
Since her mother was willing to step forward, she certainly wouldn't stop her.
The bird that sticks its head out gets shot; she just needed to watch from behind.
Of course, Ji Renran didn't consider herself selfish; this was what a mother should do.
For years, she had lived a clandestine life with her mother, and it was time for her mother to give back some of that time.
Ji Renran resolved to watch coldly, but when she followed her mother to the mountaintop, the gazes of the surrounding villagers made her feel as if needles were pricking her skin.
Lin Wanyun's coffin had already been opened, and the bones inside were clearly visible.
Ji Renran frowned as she looked, and with just one glance, she felt a chill run through her.
In the coffin lay Lin Wanyun, her skeletal remains otherwise intact, except for her skull…
It was completely shattered!
Although Ji Renran had been mentally prepared, seeing Lin Wanyun's remains still made her hands tremble with unease.
Gu Peilan looked at the bones in the coffin, also bewildered.
She never expected that after death, bones could reveal such things.
Now, looking at the shattered skull, even she, who knew nothing of medicine, could tell something was wrong.
Of course, Gu Peilan wouldn't admit it. She merely looked coldly at Ji Zizhao and questioned, "Everyone in the capital knows that the late First Madam, missing her eldest daughter, was overcome with grief and hit her head. The shattering of her skull is normal. What else does Jie'er want to say?"
The madams from the other branches nearby listened, their moral compasses shattered by the sheer audacity.
Even if she had truly thrown herself against a wall, how much hatred would she have to harbor for herself to repeatedly smash her head until death?
There was clearly something fishy about these remains.
Ji Zizhao knew that Gu Peilan would deny it and was not in a hurry.
Because before she could even speak, someone from the crowd cried out, "If she truly hit her head against something hard, unless it was instantly fatal, no one would torture themselves like that."
Gu Peilan frowned and looked at the speaker. "You speak so easily. Did you witness it with your own eyes?"
The speaker smiled faintly, but his eyes were full of mockery. "I am but a humble physician from Huichun Hall, Xin Bi."
Gu Peilan: "..."
Why were people from the four major medical halls getting involved in this?
Not only Xin Bi had come, but Wang Can and Sun Zhiting had also accompanied him.
Of course, they wouldn't reveal their employers' information, but they were also residents of the capital, and it was perfectly reasonable for them to come to watch the commotion at the Ji family's incident.
Wang Can gritted his teeth, wishing he could subject this wicked woman to being submerged in a pigsty. "It's obvious that someone grabbed the late First Madam of the Ji family by the head and repeatedly smashed it against the wall until she died!"
Gu Peilan stiffened her neck. "Perhaps the late First Madam had a death wish; who knows?"
Sun Zhiting looked at Gu Peilan sinisterly. "When people feel pain, they instinctively protect themselves. Why doesn't this lady try hitting her head against a wall herself and see if she can truly bring herself to smash her own head against it repeatedly."
Gu Peilan: "..."
The common people were already stunned by the remains of the Ji family's First Madam. Now that three shopkeepers from the four major medical halls had spoken, what was there to doubt? Someone had clearly murdered the Ji family's First Madam, and the most suspicious person was the one desperately trying to become the new First Madam of the Ji family.
Seeing the momentum turning against them, Ji Renran quickly spoke with a pitiable tone. "When Mother and I returned to the Ji family, the First Madam was already... gone. We don't know the specifics. I understand Big Sister's grief, but even so, you cannot unjustly cast blame upon us without regard for the truth."
She had only spoken a few sentences, but tears were already streaming down her face.
If Ji Ziyan didn't believe that her elder sister was not one to make baseless accusations, she would have been swayed.
The Ji family did not have people who were so skilled at acting.
Gu Peilan immediately reacted and angrily pointed at Ji Zizhao. "My son knew nothing! You actually found someone to severely injure my son. Now my son is unconscious, and we don't know if he will live or die. I implore Jie'er not to forget that my son is also the sole male heir of the Ji family, and more importantly, your younger brother!"
Ji Zizhao's eyes were filled with icy coldness and murderous intent.
Ji Zongyou was merely unconscious, still clinging to life, and Gu Peilan was already so unforgiving.
Yet her mother had died tragically and was buried hastily, with no one to seek justice.
What you do not wish for yourself, do not do to others.
Moreover, she was never a benevolent person.
"As soon as I returned to the main city today, I was openly harassed. The harasser was arrogant, overbearing, and utterly lawless. If it were anyone else, that would be one thing, but our Ji family has no room for sycophants or villains! Today, I used family law only to teach him a lesson, and there is nothing improper about it." If it weren't for the need to consider the bigger picture, Ji Zizhao would have directly taken Ji Zongyou's life.
Gu Peilan naturally did not believe Ji Zizhao's words.
But she had no choice but to believe them as the villagers' pointed fingers fell upon her.
Ji Zongyou harassing Princess Ronghe on the street, and speaking such arrogant words, was something the entire flower market's residents could attest to.
Ji Renran hadn't expected Ji Zizhao to be waiting for them like this.
If her brother had truly harassed Ji Zizhao, he was in the wrong. Continuing to use her brother as a pretext would be self-defeating.
But if she didn't use her brother as a shield, should she speak of the deceased Lin Wanyun!
Ji Renran certainly dared not.
Her guilt was secondary; the main reason was that she didn't know what other trump card Ji Zizhao would play.
Her eyes darted, and Ji Renran quickly walked to her mother's side, suddenly letting out a scream. "Mother, what's wrong with you? Don't scare your daughter..."
Gu Peilan was already struggling to find a way to circumvent the situation. Hearing Ji Renran's scream, she immediately rolled her eyes and collapsed to the ground, feigning death.