Those people, men and women, old and young, did not look like vicious ruffians.
Instead...
They looked like ordinary folks from common households.
However, at this moment, not only were they staring at the Ji family's carriage with hatred in their eyes, but as the carriage slowly moved, several of them stealthily followed behind it.
Inside the carriage, the Second and Third Old Madams were chatting with Ji Zizhao.
Although in their hearts they looked down on Ji Zizhao, and even when they had visited the Ji family before, they had never paid any attention to this useless person who couldn't even speak, they had to admit now that Ji Zizhao had somehow lived a life that made them envious.
Whether it was being a favored concubine of the Prince, or the powerful matriarch of the Ji family...
These were things they desired but could not achieve.
Alas, Ji Zizhao's attitude towards them remained indifferent, and she eventually reverted to her former taciturn demeanor.
Second Old Madam, "..."
Seriously, how did she, with this attitude, attract the Prince's attention?
Third Old Madam, "..."
Are Princes blind these days!
A familiar scent wafted in through the carriage window with the autumn breeze.
Ji Zizhao leaned her head out of the carriage and saw Lian Ju walking discreetly beside the carriage.
Years of tacit understanding made Lian Ju instinctively lower her voice to the point where even passersby couldn't hear her, but Ji Zizhao could hear her clearly.
"According to my subordinate's investigation, during the Ji family's funeral procession last time, members of a Ji family branch openly fought and injured surrounding civilians. The Seventh Prince happened to be passing by and, in his anger, sent both Ji Zixiu and Ji Ziliang to Fengtian Prefecture. However, the civilians have yet to receive justice."
Ji Zizhao frowned when she heard the word "yet."
Lian Ju paused and continued, "I heard that the child who suffered a head injury is still bedridden and has not received medical treatment because the Ji family branch refuses to pay for his treatment. These civilians following the carriage are the child's relatives."
Not only were they not receiving compensation, but they were also not receiving a fair judgment.
In such a situation, what was the point of sending them to Fengtian Prefecture, or even to prison?
It was only then that Ji Zizhao realized why the Second and Third Grand-Aunts had squeezed into her carriage.
Although the Ji family branch had a rift with the main Ji family, to outsiders, the Ji family branch was still considered the closest kin to the Ji family. It was likely that after the incident, the Ji family branch was able to act with impunity precisely because they had been operating under the Ji family's banner.
The Prefect of Fengtian was adept at currying favor with the powerful and stepping on the weak. The Ji family had now been elevated to a Marquisate, and the Prefect of Fengtian was naturally unwilling to provoke the Ji family branch, which used the Ji family's name to bolster their own position.
"I heard that Qian Si Wan Lu has gotten a lot of new fabrics in, with very unique colors and styles."
"After we leave the palace, we'll go take a look together. Winter is approaching, and we still haven't made any new clothes for this year."
The Second and Third Old Madams, sitting in the carriage, had not heard Lian Ju's words. They were engrossed in their lively conversation.
Ji Zizhao's eyes were on the civilians trailing behind the carriage, and her ears were filled with the chatter of her two grand-aunts...
The gravely ill simply wanted justice, the compensation that was rightfully theirs for their medical treatment, yet the perpetrators treated human lives as less than ants.
Such a stark difference.
How ironic!
"Miss, shall I take action?"
Lian Ju, outside the carriage, listened to the idle talk of the two old madams inside. At this moment, she truly missed the Second Young Lady.
If the Second Young Lady were sitting in the carriage now, these two old madams, who were all smiles, would likely have been beaten to a pulp.
Ji Zizhao looked towards the front of the carriage again and then shook her head.
The Empress Dowager's funeral procession required solemnity throughout the city. How could she cause trouble at such a time?
Lian Ju clenched her fists. Was she just going to endure it like this?
Endure?
Ji Zizhao hooked her lips carelessly.
Evil people always had others to put them in their place.
It wasn't her turn to endure anything.
Yong Mei, who was following on the other side of the carriage, did not know what her lady was discussing with Lian Ju, but she didn't care about that. They were about to arrive at the Imperial Palace, and she was more concerned about the success of today's matter.
Before the hour of Chen, the palace gates were already crowded with carriages.
It was the Empress Dowager's funeral procession, and no one dared to be late.
Ji Zizhao, helped by Yong Mei, alighted from the carriage, immediately attracting the attention of many noble ladies.
Unlike the Empress Dowager's birthday celebration last time, when the Emperor had invited only a few imperial relatives to maintain a low profile, this time, due to the Empress Dowager's funeral, all the family members qualified to stand in the imperial court had rushed over.
The reputation of the Eldest Daughter of the Ji family had already spread throughout the capital. Now that they saw her in person, who wouldn't want to take a look out of curiosity?
However, what the noble ladies and madams did not expect was that this Eldest Daughter of the Ji family indeed possessed a beautiful appearance. From afar, she looked like a pristine lotus flower, no wonder the Fifth Prince, who had been clamoring for a divorce, was unwilling to let her go.
Yet, as they faced Ji Zizhao, who was slowly walking towards the palace gates, most of the noble ladies and madams felt a sense of disdain in their hearts. No matter how beautiful she was, the Ji family, although now posthumously granted the title of Marquis, had long since lost its male heirs to uphold its status. What achievements could a young lady of a Marquisate, merely holding a title, accomplish?
Ji Zizhao acted as if she hadn't seen the disdainful gazes, walking directly towards the direction of the palace gates.
The Imperial Palace of Yu Lin was divided into three gates.
Princes and nobles, along with ministers, entered through the East Gate to attend court. The Middle Gate was for the Emperor and the Empress during their grand wedding. Everyone else had to enter through the West Gate.
Due to the strict checks at the entrance, the West Gate had already formed a long queue.
The Second and Third Old Madams, looking at the endless line of people, showed signs of impatience. But no matter how impatient they were, the Imperial Palace was not run by them. Even if they were so anxious that they were about to faint, they still had to queue patiently.
Unlike other noble ladies in the capital, Ji Zizhao had always kept to herself and, due to her reluctance to go out in public during her childhood, was not familiar with the noble ladies of the capital. Naturally, those noble ladies who were usually haughty and arrogant could not stand Ji Zizhao's striking face.
As a result, as soon as Ji Zizhao stood at the end of the queue, many noble ladies began to blatantly cut in line, and some even ostentatiously smirked at Ji Zizhao as they did so.
Even if she was the matriarch of the Ji family, this was not the Ji family, and they had no time to indulge any matriarch.