Ji Zizhao had never been afraid of being scrutinized from the shadows, but now she was truly terrified by the gazes that fell upon her.
Fearing that the Fourth Prince beside her might do something shocking, she subtly placed her hand on his arm.
Xie Jinglan seemed to be smiling, a subtle curve at the corner of his lips.
Ji Zizhao stood up, quickly withdrew her hand, and bowed her head in thanks, "Thank you, Fourth Prince."
Xie Jinglan nodded slightly, like a graceful gentleman, "It is the Eldest Daughter of the Ji family who is too polite."
Such gentlemanly humility and gentle courtesy stunned the noble ladies in the main hall.
Before, they had only known that the Fourth Prince was not favored by the Emperor and held no significant influence among the princes.
Therefore, for years, no one had paid special attention to him.
Even during the previous selection of consorts, all the ladies had secretly rejoiced that the Fourth Prince had not kept their portraits.
People naturally gravitated towards those of higher standing. Compared to other princes, the Fourth Prince was utterly insignificant.
Yet today, they were utterly taken aback by this seemingly inconspicuous Fourth Prince.
To put it bluntly, what were princes?
They were all accustomed to a life of pampered luxury within the palace.
Even a prince's principal consort had to address them as Your Highness and maintain a subservient demeanor.
But today, the Fourth Prince showed them a different side.
To be cherished in his arms and live a life with such a prince was enough to make one's heart race with just the thought.
Old Madam Zhong's lips twitched as she watched the scene unfold.
If one were to speak of it, the Fourth Prince had been much closer to the Zhong family than the Seventh Prince, often visiting to discuss court affairs with her old man.
Over the years, although the Fourth Prince had been courteous to the Zhong family, he had maintained a distant demeanor. Otherwise, her granddaughter would not still be clinging to her grandson's arm even now.
Yet, this Fourth Prince, who always kept a distance from everyone, was now actively approaching Ji Zizhao for some trivial reason...
Who would believe it?
She certainly didn't.
However, whether she believed it or not, she had to maintain appearances and engage in polite conversation with guests who came to offer congratulations.
The main hall was soon bustling with activity.
Although the attending guests would not actively congratulate Ji Zizhao, as the protagonist of the day, she could not leave first.
"Congratulations." A gentle congratulatory voice suddenly reached her ears.
Ji Zizhao slowly looked up and saw Xie Jinglan by her side, his eyes lowered in a gentle smile.
His dark eyes were deep, his smile serene, like the gentle breeze of March, softly caressing her heart.
Perhaps due to still recovering from his injuries, he had clearly lost some weight, and the angles of his face were more defined.
Ji Zizhao couldn't help but frown. As she averted her gaze, she said softly, "Your wound is on your chest; you should be resting more."
Xie Jinglan's smile did not diminish, "I just came to see, I couldn't be entirely at ease."
Ji Zizhao squeezed her hands within her sleeves, a ripple of emotion stirring within her.
Being recognized as an adopted granddaughter by the Zhong family was both a blessing and a curse.
After all, many wished to be favored by the Zhong family, yet she was the one who stood out.
As the saying goes, "the bird that sticks its head out gets shot."
Though everyone present wore smiles, their true thoughts were known only to themselves.
She suspected that after tomorrow, rumors would spread throughout the imperial city about her having schemed to get close to the Zhong family.
In fact, Ji Zizhao had long been prepared for such eventualities.
Since she dared to stand here today, she hadn't intended to fear anything.
However, all of this was subtly neutralized by Xie Jinglan's arrival.
As the adopted son of the Empress, his personally helping her up and giving his affirmation of her entry into the Zhong family, with Xie Jinglan's strong stance of acceptance, even those who wished to stir up trouble had to back down.
It was a joke, who would dare to question a current prince?
Were they tired of living!
Ji Zizhao took a deep breath, suppressing the fluttering in her chest, "You really didn't need to do all this."
She was not so frail as to require protection from others.
Xie Jinglan glanced at her, understanding her thoughts, "If it were someone else, perhaps not, but for one's own wife, one must show affection."
Ji Zizhao: "..."
I haven't even married yet, you don't need to keep calling me "wife" so soon.
Really, it's completely unnecessary.
Half an hour later, Old Madam Zhong finally finished her pleasantries with the guests.
The ceremony was supposed to conclude here, and the guests should have found excuses to leave. However, the Zhong family's recognition of an adopted granddaughter was not a trivial matter. Madam Zhong had arranged for pastries and dinner to be prepared, and Old Madam Zhong herself personally invited the guests to stay and grace the occasion.
Suddenly, the Zhong family's adoption of an adopted granddaughter caused a stir throughout the main city.
With the Fourth Prince personally escorting her and the Zhong family making such a grand occasion, who could have imagined that someone who had been ridiculed and dismissed for years as a good-for-nothing would rise so steadily?
Not only was she capable of competing with men in the palace, but she also had the protection of the Zhong family...
Nowadays, who saw Ji Zizhao without addressing her respectfully as the Eldest Daughter of the Ji family?
Gu Peilan had already come to terms with Ji Zizhao being recognized as an adopted granddaughter by the Zhong family. But now, every time she went out, people would pull her aside to inquire about the Eldest Daughter of the Ji family. Under such incessant bombardment, Gu Peilan didn't even dare to leave her house and looked at Ji Zizhao with even more resentment.
Ji Zizhao, however, remained unbothered, reading medical books and organizing medicinal herbs daily, living a rather pleasant life.
"Miss, the Fourth Miss has sent a letter." Just after dinner, Xue Ying entered the room with a letter.
Ji Zizhao opened the letter; it contained words of reassurance.
Sun Zhiting's actions were swift. By the time Ji Zibiqu arrived, he had already begun to roll up his sleeves and was supervising the construction of a clinic for the imperial court. Given the living example of Luoyi, the county's residents were not particularly resistant to the clinic being built.
Ji Zibiqu also mentioned in the letter that some residents were already eagerly inquiring about when they could start planting medicinal fields.
Being able to gain the recognition of the common people for the clinic was a good thing, bringing Ji Zizhao's plan closer to fruition.
After Laba Festival passed, the Lunar New Year was fast approaching. While the common people were busy stocking up on New Year's goods, a piece of news sent tremors through the imperial city.
Tonglin achieved victory in the initial battle!
Upon hearing this news, the common people rejoiced, while the court officials wept.
Although the battle report did not mention the Seventh Prince's name, the Seventh Prince was currently in Tonglin. With the resounding success of the initial battle in Tonglin, even if the Seventh Prince had spent his days lounging in Tonglin, his merits were undeniable.
The ministers who had been anxiously vying for their princes to be sent to Tonglin in court had now truly settled down.