Ji Zizhao had not expected that the serious Fourth Prince could be utterly invincible when he chose to be frivolous.
She had no time to engage in wordplay with him. After some thought, she asked again, "May I ask who Your Highness the Fourth Prince arranged to look after my carriage?"
Fubao had previously served the Second Prince and, as such, was worldly enough not to be easily intimidated. Moreover, Qingzhu and Lianju, if they knew she was alone in the palace with no one to meet her, should have rushed to her side immediately...
Yet, no one around her had made a move.
Ji Zizhao was naturally curious about what method the Fourth Prince had used to intercept the people by her side.
However, before Xie Jinglan could reply, the carriage had already slowly come to a halt at the entrance of the Ji family mansion.
As Ji Zizhao alighted from the carriage, she saw several figures standing in a line at the mansion's entrance.
Upon closer inspection, it was Fubao, Qingzhu, Lianju, and... the Seventh Prince?!
The moment she saw the Seventh Prince, Ji Zizhao had to marvel at the Fourth Prince's cunning. To have such a wild horse stationed there, it was no wonder her people were unable or dared not to struggle.
Xie Jingqi looked somewhat disappointed when he saw Ji Zizhao. "Why did you return so early?"
Ji Zizhao walked over with a smile and said, "It seems Your Highness has been getting along well with my people?"
Xie Jingqi patted his chest. "Naturally. I am so approachable and kind... I've had quite the pleasant conversation with the people by your side."
Fubao was speechless upon hearing this.
Your Highness the Seventh Prince, how could you lie with your eyes open? It was one thing for this servant to be waiting at the entrance for his young lady, and then you, without a word, brought this servant back. But to stand here like a guardian deity, watching over me, has made it difficult for me to even breathe properly.
Your Highness the Seventh Prince, are you sure you don't have a misunderstanding of what 'pleasant conversation' means?
Although Lianju and Qingzhu said nothing, they clearly found the Seventh Prince's boasting hard to digest.
Xie Jingqi, unaware of how much he was resented, offered Ji Zizhao a roguish suggestion. "Ji Zizhao, you rarely have free time. Look at this beautiful night, why don't you let my Fourth Brother take you around the city again?"
Ji Zizhao had no idea what scheme the Seventh Prince was hatching. However, she did indeed have rare free time. "It has been a long time since I last saw Your Highness. I wonder if Your Highness has the time to tell this humble maiden about the development situation in Luoyi county?"
Xie Jingqi froze for a moment.
Ji Zizhao paused and then continued, "I heard that Your Highness has gained considerable popularity in Luoyi. I wonder what Your Highness thinks of this matter, and more importantly, have you considered how to leverage it to gain the greatest possible benefit for yourself?"
Xie Jingqi froze again.
Ji Zizhao then said, "I heard that the Third Prince also accompanied you to Luoyi county. What is Your Highness's opinion on this matter?"
Xie Jingqi: "..."
Is being a matchmaker harder than being an official these days?
Faced with Ji Zizhao's soul-stirring triple interrogation, Xie Jingqi, who was accustomed to shirking his duties, turned pale.
However, considering Ji Zizhao's insidious methods that were as deadly as any poison, Xie Jingqi dared not show his displeasure even when cornered. Glancing left and right, he spotted the carriage not far away and, without a second thought, rushed towards it.
As he got into the carriage, Xie Jingqi almost tearfully pleaded with the Fourth Prince, "Fourth Brother, hurry, let's go!"
If they didn't leave soon, he feared Ji Zizhao would grill him until he was riddled with holes.
Xie Jinglan glanced at his unpromising brother, shook his head in exasperation, and then instructed Tang Di, "Let's go."
Watching the Seventh Prince flee like a beaten dog, Fubao was stunned.
In the imperial city, everyone knew that the Seventh Prince was a reckless demon king who acted like a crab.
Even other princes would give way to him when they saw him. Yet now, he was being interrogated by his own young lady to the point of acting like he was facing a formidable enemy...
Even seeing it with his own eyes, he found it hard to digest.
At a quarter past the hour of Wu (9:15 PM), the candles in all the courtyards of the mansion had been extinguished.
Ji Zizhao, accompanied by several people, entered the mansion and walked towards Zhaoyuan. As she reached the corridor, she saw Granny Xu hurrying towards her, blocking her path.
"Eldest Miss, Old Madam has had an accident!"
Ji Zizhao's brow furrowed slightly. "What happened?"
Granny Xu's face was pale, and her whole body trembled violently. "Old Madam, Old Madam she..."
Seeing that Granny Xu could barely speak coherently, Ji Zizhao knew it was a serious matter. She ordered Qingzhu to quickly retrieve her medicine chest from Zhaoyuan, while she herself led Granny Xu towards the main courtyard.
Servants filled the entire main courtyard, each with their heads bowed, not daring to make a sound.
Inside the room, the Old Madam lay on a soft couch, her mouth half-open, her body stiff and convulsing.
Upon seeing this, Ji Zizhao quickly sat by the couch to check her grandmother's pulse.
Servants from other courtyards, upon hearing the news, also rushed over. Looking at the Old Madam on the couch, who could not even speak, everyone couldn't help but frown with concern.
No matter how troublesome the Old Madam was, she was still an elder of the mansion.
Now that their husbands were gone, if their mother-in-law were to fall ill, how would they have the face to pay respects to their own men?
Soon, Qingzhu entered the room carrying the medicine chest.
Ji Zizhao took the medicine chest, took out the silver needles, and inserted them into several of her grandmother's acupoints. She then instructed Granny Xu to fetch the prescription and prepare the medicine. By the time everything was done, an hour had passed.
Second Madam Yu Fenglan inquired, "Zi Zhao, what exactly happened to Old Madam?"
"An extreme excess of the five emotions causing a violent surge of heart fire, coupled with a rampant liver yang leading to a floating fiery qi, forcing blood upwards and causing immobility in the limbs." Ji Zizhao tried to explain in terms that everyone could understand. In simpler terms, it was a stroke.
Third Madam Yin Wenying listened, stunned. "But can she recover?"
"With careful care and a period of quiet recuperation, there is a possibility of recovery."
Fourth Madam Xiao Jingshu breathed a sigh of relief. "As long as she can recover, there's no problem."
Their mother-in-law had caused no end of trouble. If she could now be quiet for a while due to her illness, it would be a good thing for everyone.
Ji Zixiu and Ji Ziyan stood to the side, quietly watching their grandmother on the couch. While they harbored no schadenfreude, the coldness and indifference in their eyes were clearly illuminated by the candlelight.
In their memory, their grandmother had never been close to them since they were young.
Over time, their relationship with their grandmother naturally grew distant.
Ji Zizhao understood everyone's thoughts. She proactively asked everyone to return first. Even if her grandmother needed attending, the servants in the courtyard were sufficient.
Upon hearing this, the Madams of each branch left as if granted a great favor.
Ji Zizhao then looked at her second and third sisters. "You two should also return and rest early."
Ji Zixiu, seeing that her eldest sister had no intention of leaving, felt extremely uncomfortable.
Everyone had seen their grandmother's favoritism in recent times. Now that their grandmother was ill, shouldn't those people be the ones to take care of her? Why did her eldest sister have to tire herself out?
Ji Ziyan, seeing her second sister about to cause trouble, quickly pulled her arm and shook her head. Eldest Sister always acted with good judgment, so why did they need to comment?