The Old Madam’s attitude towards Ji Zongyou confirmed Ji Zizhao’s suspicion.
How could someone who schemed against her husband, daughter, and sons truly be selfless?
While her grandmother doted on Ji Zongyou and Ji Renran, this affection might not have been entirely devoid of retribution against the Ji family.
The energy and time her grandmother spent on Ji Zongyou and Ji Renran were merely securing a retreat for herself.
Given this, Ji Zizhao felt even more confident.
They were both people used and schemed against by their grandmother; who was truly superior to whom?
Now, facing impending disaster, her grandmother could sacrifice Ji Zongyou.
In the future, when calamity struck, her grandmother would surely be willing to discard Ji Renran as well.
Ji Zizhao only needed to subtly nudge things along to achieve unexpected results.
Therefore, there was no rush. Things would be settled slowly.
What was owed to her would, little by little, be repaid tenfold.
When Ji Zizhao emerged from the inner room, Ji Zongyou was being held down on the couch by Granny Xu and others.
The moment Ji Zongyou saw Ji Zizhao, his bloodshot eyes instantly flared with fierce hostility. However, with his mouth gagged, he could do nothing but glare resentfully at Ji Zizhao.
Ji Zizhao, who had been waiting in the main hall, hurried forward. Seeing her elder sister, she truly let out a heavy sigh of relief.
Fortunately, her elder sister had arrived in time today, otherwise, Ji Zongyou might have achieved his desires long ago.
On the couch, the struggling Ji Zongyou continued to make muffled sounds.
Ji Ziyan looked at her elder sister, hesitating to speak. “Elder Sister…”
Ji Zizhao nodded with understanding. “I know you’ve been holding it in. Go ahead.”
Ji Ziyan: “…”
It was as if she had received a great pardon!
Ji Zongyou, still struggling on the couch, watched as Ji Ziyan, who had walked to the doorway, headed towards them.
Ji Ziyan raised her fist and struck!
With two muffled thuds!
Two precise and forceful punches landed on Ji Zongyou’s chest. Ji Zongyou’s struggles ceased, and he directly fainted.
Watching Ji Zongyou foam at the mouth, the nannies beside him couldn’t help but tremble.
Aside from the eldest young lady, any one of the remaining young ladies of the Ji family could split a wooden stake in two with a single punch. One couldn't help but wonder where Young Master Zongyou found the courage to provoke the Ji family's daughters in such a manner.
Fortunately, it was the third young lady and the eldest young lady who came today. These two were known for their reasonableness.
If it had been the second or fourth young lady, Young Master Zongyou would likely have been laid to rest by now.
Ji Zizhao looked at her third sister, who had returned to her side, and softly asked, “Feeling better?”
Ji Ziyan smiled and nodded, immensely relieved. “So much better!”
Ji Zizhao: “…”
She was truly quite angry.
Ji Ziyan left the main courtyard with her elder sister, still feeling a little uneasy. “Grandmother has kept that beast this time, but the remarried First Madam will likely not let it go. If she then takes her own daughter to cry and beg Grandmother, Grandmother might just go back on her word tomorrow.”
She hadn’t forgotten that the remarried First Madam’s daughter was adept at putting on a show.
“Don’t worry. Even if the remarried First Madam has the ability, Grandmother won’t give her the chance.” Ji Zongyou’s detainment in the main courtyard was now a life-saving elixir for Grandmother. When her own interests were at stake, let alone grandchildren, even her own parents would not be spared.
If Gu Peilan had the patience, she could try to beg. As long as she wasn’t disappointed.
The news of the Old Madam keeping Ji Zongyou in the main courtyard quickly spread throughout the manor.
Gu Peilan, who was still waiting for news in her courtyard…
It was like a bolt from the blue!
Ji Renran, watching her mother’s shocked and stunned expression, felt a sense of satisfaction.
Grandmother wouldn’t keep her brother in the courtyard for no reason, so Ji Zizhao must have had a hand in this.
Even if her mother had schemed against her for her brother, in the end, wasn’t she still outmaneuvered by Ji Zizhao?
However, while inwardly gloating, Ji Renran also felt a twinge of unease.
She had known since childhood that Grandmother did not favor Ji Zizhao. When Grandmother used to visit her and her brother at the residence, she often spoke to her mother about Ji Zizhao’s various shortcomings. Why, then, was Grandmother now listening to Ji Zizhao and detaining her brother in the main courtyard?
Upon hearing that her son had been detained, Gu Peilan was utterly shaken. With no mind for anything else, she rushed to the main courtyard, crying and demanding to see the Old Madam.
Granny Xu, with the Old Madam’s permission, righteously blocked Gu Peilan at the door.
Despite Gu Peilan’s desperate cries, she couldn’t even see the Old Madam.
Ji Zizhao, hearing the commotion from the main courtyard, let out a cold laugh.
Since Grandmother had cruelly decided to detain Ji Zongyou, she would surely keep him for a full week.
Gu Peilan, completely unaware, could only go to the main courtyard each day with hope, only to return to her own courtyard filled with disappointment.
Ji Renran had been preoccupied with figuring out why her grandmother was helping Ji Zizhao, and had been quite quiet.
As a result, the wives from the other households began to move about the manor more frequently.
The sisters-in-law often gathered for tea and conversation, and to watch the drama unfolding in the main courtyard. Life had become so much more comfortable without the constant annoyance of Gu Peilan and her son.
Ji Zizhao went to the palace for her duties as usual. After work, she returned to the manor and busied herself with her own affairs. Her life was quite pleasant.
However, compared to those who had been promoted and were increasingly busy in the palace, Ji Zizhao became more and more idle.
Ji Zizhao had always been the only woman in the Imperial Medical Academy. Even though she had entered through her own merit, gaining everyone's recognition was not something that happened overnight.
Therefore, despite Ji Zizhao’s title as an official scribe, no one sought her medical attention.
Of course, Ji Zizhao was not foolish enough to completely believe what she saw.
The patients treated by officials like herself were officials ranked below the fifth rank. These officials had no capital to provoke the Imperial Medical Academy; in essence, they had to accept whoever the Academy sent.
Yet, since Ji Zizhao took office, she had never been assigned to make a house call, clearly indicating that something had been manipulated.
Ji Zizhao knew who was behind such a scheme without even having to think about it.
Her master had taken her to familiarize herself with the palace last time, which must have caught Zou Hansheng's eye. How could Zou Li stand idly by?
Coincidentally, the Emperor had not been in good health recently. Zhang Shuzhong had been caring for him day and night, thus neglecting Ji Zizhao.
Ji Zizhao had no intention of troubling her master with such trivial matters. She spent her days diligently organizing case files in the Imperial Medical Academy.
Jiang Guang Sheng felt sorry for Ji Zizhao, but dared not show it too obviously. He could only share his experiences from his consultations outside the palace with Ji Zizhao each day, fearing she might become disheartened and sad.
Although Ji Zizhao truly did not need such comfort, she could not refuse Jiang Guang Sheng's good intentions.
However, no matter how much Jiang Guang Sheng wished to keep Ji Zizhao busy, it could not change the fact that Ji Zizhao was the only person in the Imperial Medical Academy who had not yet made a house call.
Just as her fellow candidates were secretly mocking Ji Zizhao, a summons for a physician from the Marquis of Zhongyong’s manor was delivered to the palace.
The invitation explicitly requested the eldest young lady of the Ji family to attend to a patient at their manor.