The carriage curtain was suddenly lifted, and Ji Zizhao's face was revealed.
Her plain face was like delicate white jade, fair and smooth, with dark hair and fair skin, possessing an ultimate beauty.
Ji Zizhao was beautiful, her beauty known throughout the capital.
Precisely because of this, many wealthy young men within the imperial city regretted it deeply.
Previously, they had only thought of Ji Zizhao as a useless figure in the capital, never realizing she possessed such a face that made one's mouth water.
Had they known sooner, even if Ji Zizhao had truly been a good-for-nothing, they would have sought to marry her.
Just looking at this face was enough to bring comfort.
Yet now, the common folk, who were already aware of Ji Zizhao's beauty, widened their eyes in shock upon seeing her face.
This was because her dark, bright eyes were brimming with tears, and her elegant brows were as mournful as drooping willows.
In such a state, Ji Zizhao lacked some of her usual assertiveness, displaying a vulnerability she had never shown before.
Fu Bao was dumbfounded.
Her young lady was as tough as steel, powerful enough not to flinch even when facing a Turkic general.
But now, she was crying?
It was evident how excessive the Fifth Prince's actions had been today!
At this, Fu Bao became furious. She grabbed the groom from the Fifth Prince's mansion, her voice sharpening considerably, "Our carriage was traveling along the road when it collided with yours. Tell me, did you deliberately try to make things difficult for my young lady?" Sultan Novel Network.
The groom from the Fifth Prince's mansion shrank his shoulders, intimidated, and dared not say a word.
They were both servants, yet how could the woman beside the Eldest Daughter of the Ji family be so formidable?
She looked like she was about to devour someone!
Xie Jingzhou was also stunned by Ji Zizhao's appearance.
He was not sympathetic, of course, but shocked that Ji Zizhao could cry.
Ji Zizhao would not cry, but if tears were a weapon to eliminate scumbags, that would be a different matter.
"Previously, His Majesty decreed that this subject and the Fifth Prince should divorce. The Fifth Prince clearly said nothing then. Why are you now coming before this subject to say these things? When this subject traveled to Luoyi, where was the Fifth Prince? This subject dares not speculate on the Fifth Prince's feelings for this subject, but since the matter has passed, this subject implores the Fifth Prince to let this subject go and allow me to live a good life."
A beauty in tears was already enough to evoke pity.
Furthermore, for Ji Zizhao, who could even make someone as powerful as the Emperor shed tears, it was even more unbearable to confront.
The common people clearly sided with the weaker party. Seeing the Eldest Daughter of the Ji family crying so heartbrokenly, they were filled with indignation.
Xie Jingzhou's face turned from green to white, clearly at a disadvantage.
He had intended to let the public witness Ji Zizhao's calm demeanor and then accuse her of being heartless and unrighteous.
But now, Ji Zizhao could cry on command?
Even he was shocked!
Seeing his young lady becoming more distressed as she spoke, Fu Bao simply gave up arguing. She whipped the horses and drove the carriage away with a flourish.
Xie Jingzhou was naturally unwilling to let them leave like this. However, with the surrounding crowd watching, he had no choice but to watch Ji Zizhao slip away before his eyes.
Sitting back in the carriage, Xie Jingzhou's gaze turned cold, his hands clenched into fists.
He hadn't expected Ji Zizhao to have learned such superficial tactics.
He had been careless.
In the same carriage, Ji Zizhao had already wiped away her tears.
Her dark eyes were completely indifferent, devoid of any trace of sadness.
Given the Fifth Prince's methods, he would not have acted on a sudden whim. He likely had ulterior motives.
As expected, a few days later, an imperial decree for a selection of concubines was issued from the palace.
The marriages of the princes of appropriate age should have been settled long ago, but due to the war in Tonglin and the suffering of the people, the Emperor could not be preoccupied with his sons' marital affairs at such a time.
However, with the elder General Zhong marching towards Tonglin, regardless of victory or defeat, it provided an explanation to the people.
Thus, the selection of consorts for the princes finally commenced.
Due to the long delay, the consorts of various palaces had already mentally selected their candidates.
As soon as the Emperor gave his command, the consorts of each palace submitted the portraits they had kept.
However, the choices of each palace were one thing; ultimately, they had to be reviewed by the Empress and decided by the Emperor.
Therefore, the young ladies whose portraits had been submitted to the various palaces were now summoned to the palace.
Ji Zizhao remembered that Consort Xi had kept her portrait.
However, when the summons arrived from the palace, it only listed Ji Renran.
Ji Zizhao did not believe that Consort Xi had kept her portrait merely for warding off evil.
But her name was indeed not on the summons to the palace.
This made Ji Zizhao even more vigilant.
Consort Xi was the only one in the harem who had been on equal footing with the Empress for many years, a testament to her cunning.
Therefore, the more things deviated from the norm, the more one could not afford to be careless.
Ji Renran being on the list for the palace summons made Gu Peilan overjoyed.
Upon hearing that Huaqing Palace had kept Ji Renran's portrait, Gu Peilan became even more ostentatious, her tail practically wagging.
That day, she took the summons to the Old Madam. Coincidentally, the wives from each branch were paying their respects to the Old Madam. As a result, they were forced to witness Gu Peilan's excessive boasting.
If one didn't know better, they would think Ji Renran wasn't entering the palace for a selection, but to become Empress.
Truly, a pauper who found a golden nugget.
Bah!
Gu Peilan's objective was naturally not limited to this. She seized the opportunity to instigate the Old Madam, saying, "Seeing that Renran is about to enter the palace for selection, but Zongyou's marital affairs are still unsettled, your daughter-in-law thinks, why not take advantage of our Ji family's current glory to also settle Zongyou's marriage?"
The Old Madam's heart ached with a mixture of guilt and disappointment whenever she heard the name Ji Zongyou.
It was a fact that Ji Zongyou was crippled, but if he truly remained a bachelor, would that bring her any honor?
The Old Madam, who had always refused to be looked down upon, naturally could not allow Ji Zongyou to become a stain on her life.
"Madam Tong is right. Zongyou has indeed reached the age of marriage long ago. Since you are the matriarch of the Ji family, you can handle this matter as you see fit." Since Ji Zongyou was now powerless, penniless, and crippled below, the Old Madam naturally would not act as a matchmaker.
However, in Gu Peilan's eyes, as long as her daughter had a chance to become the Fifth Prince's consort, everything would be manageable.
With the Old Madam's approval, Gu Peilan immediately set about busy herself with her son's marriage.
Originally, no one in the Ji family liked to bother with matters concerning Gu Peilan's branch. However, the problem was that Gu Peilan deliberately leaked the news that her daughter was about to become the Fifth Prince's consort, attracting people to come and propose.
At this, the wives from each branch of the Ji family became uneasy.
It was no secret that everyone was at odds with the eldest branch. If Ji Renran truly became the Fifth Prince's consort...
Would they still have a way to live in the future?