The first wife of the Jiang family didn't even bother to explain, hastily rising and looking at Jian Qiu. "It's the juniors of the Jiang family who lack manners. I beg Jian Qiu auntie not to mind. Back then, when the late Empress Dowager was still alive, the medicinal herbs offered to her were personally selected by me. Speaking of which, I did have a chance encounter with Jian Qiu auntie in front of the palace gates."
Those sent to the Ji family by someone close to the late Empress Dowager, how could it be a coincidence? In the end, it was all the late Empress Dowager's will.
The Emperor's filial piety was known throughout the land. Even though the late Empress Dowager had passed away, the Emperor was still following her last wishes by sending Jian Qiu out of the palace.
The first wife of the Jiang family dared to openly and secretly cross Ji Zi Zhao, but who would dare to disrespect the late Empress Dowager's people?
If this got out, would the Jiang family be able to live?
The first wife of the Jiang family was angry at her daughter-in-law's incompetence and hated Ji Zi Zhao's arrogance. Deliberately bringing up Jian Qiu was only to make the Jiang family understand that they would always have to speak with their heads bowed in front of Ji Zi Zhao.
If Cui Shi couldn't understand such attempts to curry favor, she would be truly foolish.
Therefore, Cui Shi's eyes widened even further.
So...
This seemingly insignificant servant was someone close to the late Empress Dowager?!
Cui Shi truly couldn't stand still this time, and with a "thump," she knelt on the ground.
The first wife of the Jiang family swept the invitation card in front of her onto the ground. "As a daughter-in-law of the household, how dare you be so presumptuous as to send an unsolicited invitation to the Fourth Prince's Consort? Have the rules I taught you daily been fed to dogs?"
Cui Shi looked at the invitation card spread on the ground, her face turning pale. "My husband said the Fourth Prince's Consort is unlike other women in the inner court, so I wanted to invite the Fourth Prince's Consort to visit our manor."
Even at this point, she still intended to shift the blame onto Ji Zi Zhao.
"I didn't expect the Jiang family to pay so much attention to my young lady. But my young lady is now a royal daughter-in-law. It's already against the rules to discuss a royal daughter-in-law in private. Now that the Second Young Madam of the Jiang family says such things, are you blaming my young lady for not giving you face?" Jian Qiu raised an eyebrow and looked at Cui Shi.
Cui Shi's heart tightened under Jian Qiu's gaze, and she no longer dared to speak.
The first wife of the Jiang family was also so angry at Cui Shi's lack of discretion that her heart pounded. "During this period, Sheng'er has been busy with business matters and has had very little time to sleep. Cui Shi, if you dare to spout nonsense again, don't blame me for using family law!"
Cui Shi looked at the first wife of the Jiang family, her eyes filled with unspoken grievance and unwillingness. Clearly, her mother-in-law had often belittled the Fourth Prince's Consort in private, but now she was blaming her for her faults.
The first wife of the Jiang family's face turned as dark as a pot's bottom from Cui Shi's gaze. She had always felt that by marrying Cui Shi, the Jiang family would at least be able to hold their heads high in front of the Ji family, given Cui family's status. What could the Ji family offer the Jiang family?
And the result?
The daughter-in-law she thought had surpassed Ji Zi Zhao had completely disgraced her in front of the Ji family, almost beyond redemption!
"It's getting late, so I won't stay any longer. First Wife of the Jiang family, please stay." Jian Qiu had seen enough and heard enough. She turned and walked out the door.
Jian Qiu had left, but the face of the first wife of the Jiang family was still as dark as ever.
Today's events had provoked the Ji family to come to their door, so the Jiang family had to give an explanation to settle the matter. The first wife of the Jiang family, with a hundred unwillingnesses in her heart, took Cui Shi that very night to knock on the Ji family's door, intending to apologize to Ji Zi Zhao in person.
But who would have thought that the door would be opened, but the person herself would not be seen.
Shui Ling, who came to deliver the message, spoke even more harshly than Jian Qiu. "My young lady accepts the Jiang family's intentions. First Wife of the Jiang family, instead of having time to stand in front of our door and feel the cold, you might as well take some time to properly discipline your daughter-in-law. After all, it is the Ji family's reputation that is being tarnished. It's getting late and it's quite chilly outside. First Wife of the Jiang family should take your people and return quickly."
With that, she directly had Zhang Ji lead people to close the manor gate.
The first wife of the Jiang family looked at the manor gate that opened and then closed in front of her. She was so angry she almost died on the spot. But what else could she do besides take Cui Shi back and punish her severely?
Was she really going to stand in the night wind and suffer in distress!
Speaking of which, Ji Zi Zhao really had no time to bother with the first wife of the Jiang family. Because her third sister was about to get married, she was now rushing to Yun Yuan to add to the dowry.
Ji Zi Yun, upon hearing that her eldest sister had arrived, quickly came out to greet her personally. "Eldest Sister."
Ji Zi Zhao pulled her third sister's hand and entered the room. After they sat together on the arhat couch, she said, "I've already spoken to Grandmother on your behalf. Grandmother hasn't agreed, but she hasn't spoken against it either."
"How did Eldest Sister know I planned to get married?" Ji Zi Yun asked in surprise. She had called her eldest sister over today to discuss how to tell Grandmother, but before she could even speak, her eldest sister had already handled it.
"When I returned to the manor, I heard people in the courtyard mention that after Third Aunt paid her respects in the main courtyard today, she lingered for a long time before leaving."
Ji Zi Zhao couldn't think of anything else that would make Third Aunt so troubled, other than her third sister's marriage.
"I was also calculating that it was about time for you and Han Xian to discuss marriage, so I went to Grandmother's ahead of time. I didn't expect that shortly after I returned, you would send someone to invite me."
"Mother said that my affairs have already troubled Eldest Sister too much, and she didn't want to bother Eldest Sister anymore. I only intended to ask Eldest Sister for her opinion, but I didn't expect that in the end, I would still have to trouble Eldest Sister to intervene." Ji Zi Yun looked at Ji Zi Zhao with deep apology.
Ji Zi Zhao smiled and said, "You are my sister, it is only right for me to be troubled."
Ji Zi Yun knew that Grandmother's neither nodding nor shaking her head clearly meant she hadn't yet accepted Han Xian as a son-in-law of the Ji family, but she was still grateful to her eldest sister. If it weren't for her eldest sister's influence, Grandmother would surely have refused outright, as Grandmother had been competitive her whole life and would never admit to a son-in-law who lived with the bride's family.
Ji Zi Zhao saw through Ji Zi Yun's thoughts at a glance. "Although Han Xian cannot enter the Ji family's genealogy for now, getting your marriage settled is the most important thing. In a few years, when the stewards in the family reach the age to leave the household, you can then secretly promote Han Xian to take over. Once you and Han Xian completely control the Ji family's household affairs, Grandmother, even for her own comfort in the manor, will no longer obstruct anything."
Ji Zi Yun: "..."
She was stunned.
She had intended to find her eldest sister to discuss how to get married, but her eldest sister had even shown her the way forward. Thinking back to the previous period, when her eldest sister had actively suggested letting Han Xian work as a minor steward under the steward...
So, Eldest Sister had planned everything from the very beginning?!