Gu Peilan did not want Ji Zizhao to continue staying at the Ji family and annoy her. She quickly spoke up to persuade, "I know that what happened yesterday was our Ji family's fault to Madam Zou. I never expected Sister Zhao to do such a thing. I heard that the second daughter of the Zou family is still recuperating. I came today really to vent Madam Zou's anger."
Madam Zou, thinking of Ji Zizhao's arrogance last night, was also extremely angry. Moreover, when she thought of her daughter being implicated because of it, she felt she could not let it go.
"Does the eldest madam of the Ji family have any good solutions?"
Gu Peilan cajoled, "The marriage must still take place. Once married, Sister Zhao will be part of the Zou family. At that time, even Sister Zhao will have to live her life under Madam Zou's watchful eye. As for those intimidating things, won't they be at Madam Zou's disposal?"
Madam Zou was stunned. She had forgotten this.
Seeing a glimmer of hope, Gu Peilan struck while the iron was hot, "I know Madam Zou cherishes the eldest young master of the Zou family. But no matter how meticulous a mother is, she can only help within the household. However, no matter how mediocre Sister Zhao is, she works in the Imperial Hospital. If she can help look after the eldest young master of the Zou family in the Imperial Hospital, Madam Zou will truly have peace of mind."
These words made Madam Zou waver.
She only had this one son and naturally could not bear to see him suffer any grievance.
Looking at Gu Peilan, who was smiling obsequiously, Madam Zou was moved. "Since that is the case, why don't we..."
A maidservant outside the door rushed in, "Eldest Madam, someone says they wish to see the eldest madam of the Ji family. The person is in the front hall."
Both Madam Zou and Gu Peilan were stunned upon hearing this. This was the Zou family's residence.
"Do you know who it is?" Madam Zou inquired.
The maidservant shook her head. "This servant has not seen her. She only said she was looking for the eldest madam of the Ji family."
Gu Peilan could not imagine who would seek her out at the Zou family's residence, but to avoid causing trouble for the Zou family, she had to get up and follow the maidservant to the front hall to see.
As soon as Gu Peilan left, Zou Li entered with a dark expression.
Upon seeing her husband, Madam Zou's face brightened slightly. "Why has my lord returned so early?"
Zou Li's heart pounded with anger, and his voice was so low it could crush people. "If I didn't return, this household would probably be in chaos!"
Madam Zou was stunned. "What does my lord mean by that?"
"You did this yourself, and you still have the nerve to ask me? Who is Ji Zizhao? You can just marry her as a concubine?" Zou Li was truly fortunate to have returned today to take a look, otherwise, he would have died without knowing how.
Hearing this, Madam Zou began to cry with a wronged expression. "Why did I want to bring Ji Zizhao into the family? Wasn't it to ease the relationship between you and Hansheng? Otherwise, do you really think I would let a woman who has been cast aside into our Zou family?"
Given Ji Zizhao's status as a divorcée, she was not even worthy of being a concubine in the Zou family!
Zou Li rarely talked heart-to-heart with his wife, and he never mentioned national or court affairs.
He believed that a virtuous woman was enough to manage the inner household.
However, Zou Li did not expect that his wife not only did not understand worldly affairs but was also a fool!
"Now that both Hansheng and I are serving in the Imperial Hospital, we are already quite prominent. You still want to bring in the only woman in the Imperial Hospital. Are you afraid the Emperor won't notice? Do you truly not understand how the Ji family became what it is today? Do you also want the Zou family to follow in the Ji family's footsteps!"
The Ji family of the past, how glorious it was!
In the past, if Ji Zhengyong stamped his foot, the entire court would tremble!
But under the Emperor's suspicion, everything turned to ashes.
Madam Zou was stunned. She never expected that a marriage would involve so many complications.
"Yesterday, when the Emperor and his princes fell into the lake, it was the Empress herself who took Ji Zizhao with her. Although the reason is unknown, the Empress's status is not something anyone can easily stand beside. What, the Empress herself brought her by her side yesterday, and today you want to marry her as a concubine? Even if you are tired of living, do not drag the entire Zou family down with you!"
Madam Zou's eyes widened. "Didn't they say that Ji Zizhao was not favored in the palace? How, how did she gain the Empress's favor?"
Zou Li looked at his wife, who seemed like a fool, and was too lazy to say another word.
Just then, Zou Hansheng walked in from outside.
He was on leave today and heard that his father had returned. He had intended to mediate, but he unexpectedly overheard his parents' argument.
Then, recalling his mother's words, Zou Hansheng spoke directly, "I will absolutely not marry Ji Zizhao. Mother should dismiss that idea!"
Because he ranked below Ji Zizhao in the last promotion exam, everyone was now comparing him to Ji Zizhao in secret.
He was already hearing Ji Zizhao's name all the time in the palace, and now his mother wanted him to continue facing Ji Zizhao's face after returning home?
Just thinking about that day made Zou Hansheng lose the courage to live!
Madam Zou did not expect her plan to backfire. Seeing her husband and son's increasingly dark expressions, her own face turned ashen, and she dared not say another word.
As for Gu Peilan, who had been sent away earlier, she was directly driven out of the Zou family.
Gu Peilan, bewildered, asked a Zou family maidservant, "Didn't you say someone was looking for me? Why did you bring me here? I am a guest of your Madam Zou. How dare you treat me like this?"
The maidservant looked at Gu Peilan coldly. "It was our master's intention to ask the eldest madam of the Ji family to leave. Our master said that the Zou family's pond is small and cannot afford to keep a big fish like the Ji family."
With that, she directly ordered people to close the main gate.
Gu Peilan felt she had never been so humiliated in her life and returned home dejected.
Fortunately, everything in the mansion was normal. But who would have thought that before Gu Peilan could feel relieved, she saw the Zou family arriving to collect the betrothal gifts.
The Zou family was definitely a group of doers. The wet nurse directly led people to collect the items, not saying a word throughout the entire process.
Gu Peilan still wanted to talk to the Zou family members, but she was stopped by Ji Renran. "Mother, haven't you realized yet? The Zou family is determined to call off this marriage."
Gu Peilan couldn't understand. "Why is it called off just like that?"
Ji Renran felt something was wrong. "Mother, think carefully. Did anything else happen when you went to the Zou family today?"
Gu Peilan frowned and thought for a long time. Apart from knowing from the maidservant that she was driven out by the Zou family master, she really couldn't think of anything else.
When Ji Renran heard about the Zou family master's involvement, she felt that something was amiss.
The more prominent the aristocratic family, the more they valued rules.
Official masters usually disdained to interfere in the matters of the inner court.
Now that the Zou family master had suddenly turned hostile, was it because of some other consideration?
Seeing her daughter lost in thought, Gu Peilan said unhappily, "If you have time, you might as well hurry up and urge the Fifth Prince. He said he would find a doctor for your brother, but why hasn't there been any news yet? If it weren't for the few ginseng roots sent by the Tong family a few days ago to keep your brother's life hanging by a thread, your brother would probably be..."
"The Fifth Prince holds a high position and is naturally very busy." Ji Renran said this, but under her mother's gaze, she still had to write a letter to the Fifth Prince with a nervous heart.
However, in the letter, she did not mention her brother's matter at all, only mentioning that the Zou family master had broken off Ji Zizhao's engagement.
She had not yet married the Fifth Prince, and she absolutely could not let the Fifth Prince find her bothersome because of other trivial matters. Her brother was already in that state; if it affected her future, it would not be worth it.