In the room, Ji Zizhao hadn't even changed her clothes.
Shui Ling, seeing Granny Xu arrive so late, looked displeased. "Even if the sky falls, the tall ones will bear it. Our Ji family is strange, why do all the troubles come to our young lady's courtyard? If my young lady doesn't return one day, will the gates of the Ji family be unopenable?"
Granny Xu, in terms of status and age, was much higher than Shui Ling.
If these words had been spoken by any other maid in the manor, Granny Xu would have certainly not tolerated it. But now, facing Shui Ling's sarcastic remarks, she merely looked at Ji Zizhao and said with a wry smile, "This old servant knows a late-night visit is improper, but the remarried First Madam has arrived. This matter requires the Eldest Daughter to make a decision."
Jian Qiu, who had just finished preparing the bed for Ji Zizhao, walked out. "Does Granny Xu know what the matter is?"
Granny Xu shook her head with a troubled expression. "This old servant does not know."
Jian Qiu frowned upon hearing this.
It was true that their young lady held power in the Ji family. Jian Qiu had heard that the remarried First Madam was only able to bring her children into the family by relying on the Old Madam's favor.
Now, for some urgent matter, she bypassed the Old Madam and only sought their young lady...
With such a convoluted situation, anyone with a sound mind wouldn't act this way.
But was the remarried First Madam truly unintelligent?
Absolutely not!
Therefore, it was clear that this was an attempt to subtly sow discord with their young lady in front of the Old Madam.
Granny Xu saw that everyone in Ji Zizhao's room had somber faces and felt distressed as well. But given that Miss Renran would soon be the Fifth Prince's consort, the Old Madam was now as biased towards the remarried First Madam as could be.
"Perhaps, this old servant should go back and say that the Eldest Daughter has already gone to bed?" Granny Xu pondered, thinking it seemed the Eldest Daughter wasn't eager to go.
Ji Zizhao certainly didn't want to go, but she couldn't say so directly. "I have to be on duty at the palace early tomorrow. If I really delay matters at the palace, it's fine for me, but I fear it will tarnish the Ji family's reputation. Though the matters of the manor are neither extremely big nor small, no matter how urgent they are, they cannot be more urgent than affairs in the palace. Wouldn't you agree, Granny Xu?"
Shui Ling clenched her fists in anger. Why should the main courtyard be able to treat her young lady with such polite words?
Jian Qiu, hearing this, almost laughed aloud.
The remarried First Madam had spoken ambiguously. If the young lady had sternly refused to appear, it would be easy for the remarried First Madam, who had ulterior motives, to exploit the young lady's busyness.
But now, the young lady had compared the manor's affairs to those of the palace...
This clearly shut the remarried First Madam's mouth.
With this, even if the young lady didn't show up, the remarried First Madam couldn't cause any further trouble.
Granny Xu had dealt with the Eldest Daughter for a long time and, hearing these words, could only hasten back to present them verbatim to Gu Peilan.
However, the lights in the main courtyard did not extinguish with Granny Xu's return.
Ji Zizhao couldn't be bothered to think about Gu Peilan's expression and went to bed after a hasty wash.
Unexpectedly, the very next morning, before dawn, Ji Renran was standing in the courtyard.
Shui Ling, who had just gotten up, was startled to see Ji Renran standing there stiffly the moment she stepped out.
Ji Renran, seeing Shui Ling's displeased expression, spoke politely, "I know it was improper to disturb Eldest Sister so late last night, so I thought I would come early today. To avoid delaying Eldest Sister's departure for the palace, the aunts have already been summoned to Grandmother's courtyard. If Eldest Sister is not free today, it's alright. Whether it's tomorrow or the day after, my other aunts and I can wait."
Shui Ling's anger flared upon hearing this.
She hadn't had a peaceful night's sleep, and now she couldn't even have a peaceful morning.
If she truly considered her young lady's well-being, why would she repeatedly barge into Zhaoyuan late at night and early in the morning?
Shui Ling couldn't hold back and blurted out, "Miss Renran, you..."
However, before she could finish, Ji Zizhao's voice came from the room, "Since Sister Renran has personally come, there must be something important. Please wait a moment while I wash up."
Upon hearing this, Jian Qiu hurriedly lifted the curtain and entered the main room.
Inside the room, Ji Zizhao had indeed gotten up.
Jian Qiu hurried forward to help her young lady change and wash. "If my young lady truly does not wish to get involved in this mess, why not delay a little longer?"
As long as she could delay until it was time to go to the palace, she could leave directly.
Ji Zizhao got out of bed and said, "I refused yesterday, and today the aunts had to get up early to go to Grandmother's courtyard. If I refuse again today, I don't know how else they will trouble the aunts."
The weather in Yulin was cold in winter, and even the servants were reluctant to get up early.
Moreover, even if the servants used charcoal, they would first heat the inner rooms of the masters, then the main hall and the outer hall.
Now, the aunts had been summoned to the main hall so early; one could imagine how much they suffered.
"I truly didn't expect the remarried First Madam to do something like this. Is she truly not afraid that my young lady, in a fit of anger, will reveal what happened to Miss Renran in the palace?" Jian Qiu sighed while picking up a comb to do her young lady's hair.
Ji Zizhao looked at herself in the bronze mirror and smiled faintly, "Perhaps they are just wishing I would lose my temper."
As long as she lost her temper and exposed Ji Renran's secrets, Ji Renran could counterattack, claiming she was slandering her in the palace.
And with Gu Peilan's calculations, she could legitimately wait for the Yang family to come knocking, and then use this to coerce and lure the Yang family into helping Ji Renran plot her path.
The person, indeed, was being manipulated by Ji Zizhao.
But wanting her maternal grandfather's family to go to great lengths for Ji Renran was a dream.
From the moment Ji Zizhao sent Xue Ying to intercept the letter, she had no intention of involving her maternal grandfather's family.
Jian Qiu heard this and sighed even heavier. "This manor doesn't even feel like a home anymore."
Ji Zizhao, however, smiled and stood up. "Soon it will."
Not only would Ji Renran be kicked out, but Ji Zongyou wouldn't be able to linger in the Ji family either.
If she hadn't been concerned about a double-pronged strategy, why would Ji Zizhao have allowed Gu Peilan to be so brazen now?
Jian Qiu didn't know what her young lady was plotting, but looking at the smile on her lips, she had a feeling that something big was about to happen in the manor.
Ji Renran, seeing Ji Zizhao emerge from the courtyard, quickly stepped forward and apologized. "It's all my fault. I shouldn't have disturbed Sister's peace so early in the morning, but Mother's matter is somewhat urgent and requires Eldest Sister's decision."
Ji Zizhao looked at the hypocritical face before her and said with a half-smile, "Sister Renran need not blame herself. Since you won't be in the manor for much longer, it's good to walk around the manor more and leave some memories. This way, you will miss it more when it's gone."
Ji Renran: "..."
What did these words mean?