The incident at Shouren Palace quickly spread throughout the imperial palace.
Even the ministers waiting in the front hall heard whispers of the news.
However, the people in the palace were now extremely tight-lipped, making it impossible to gather any information.
Because of the incident within the palace, the guards at the palace gates were more vigilant than ever, thoroughly questioning everyone entering or exiting.
In a corner not far from the palace gate, Ji Zizhao stood silently.
Seeing the palace servants passing by holding their breath, she knew the Emperor had likely gone to Shouren Palace.
However, compared to the towering palace walls before her, Ji Zizhao was more concerned about the situation outside the palace.
Since the Fifth Prince had sent people to the Dali Temple again, he must have intended to silence them permanently.
To avoid alerting the enemy, she could only send Qingzhu alone to lie in wait nearby.
It had been about an hour since Ji Zizhao entered the palace, but there was still no movement from outside.
This situation not only put Qingzhu in mortal danger but also placed Lianju and Jianqiu, who were waiting outside the palace gates, on the brink of death. If even the slightest mistake occurred at any point, she herself would be unable to escape.
The guards at the palace gates suddenly became serious.
Ji Zizhao was too far away to see clearly what was happening at the entrance.
A moment later, a figure hurried in through the palace gates.
When Ji Zizhao recognized the person, her hands, clenched within her sleeves, trembled with excitement.
Jianqiu saw the Eldest Daughter of the Ji family from afar but did not approach immediately. Instead, she continued walking forward calmly. Only when there was no one else around did she quicken her pace and approach.
"Eldest Daughter of the Ji family, this is something from the outside for you," Jianqiu said, handing an item to Ji Zizhao, her fingers trembling uncontrollably.
Although she didn't know what the Eldest Daughter of the Ji family was planning, the bloodstains on it were undeniable.
Ji Zizhao looked at the item soaked in blood, her eyes also trembling fiercely.
She could only imagine what Qingzhu had gone through to obtain this.
But Qingzhu...
Jianqiu seemed to sense Ji Zizhao's worry and lowered her voice, "Eldest Daughter of the Ji family need not worry. I saw the person who gave me this item carefully. Although they were slightly out of breath, their life was not in danger. That person also said that in half an hour, everything will proceed according to plan."
Ji Zizhao thanked Jianqiu for her thoughtfulness and attentiveness.
Indeed, those who had endured hardship with the Empress Dowager were different.
"Shouren Palace is not peaceful right now. Aunt Jianqiu would be safer if she avoided it for now," Ji Zizhao said kindly, considering the situation at Shouren Palace.
Jianqiu would be her person in the future, and she had to protect her.
Jianqiu had noticed the guards' grim expressions outside the palace earlier. Now, hearing the Eldest Daughter of the Ji family's words, although her suspicion deepened, she dismissed the urge to inquire further. "I am now Eldest Daughter of the Ji family's person. Whatever Eldest Daughter of the Ji family says goes. However, I still have many matters to attend to within the palace. May I ask Eldest Daughter of the Ji family for a few more days?"
Ji Zizhao nodded, "Of course, Aunt Jianqiu, please proceed with your arrangements."
Jianqiu had been in the palace for many years, and her smooth navigation was not solely due to the Empress Dowager but also to the relationships and network she had built over the years.
Although Jianqiu would never be able to return to the palace after leaving, she represented a fallback option for Ji Zizhao within the imperial court.
If she ever needed to gather information from the palace in the future, it would be twice as effective with half the effort.
After exchanging a few more words with Jianqiu, Ji Zizhao turned and walked back towards Shouren Palace.
The item in her sleeve weighed heavily on her heart, yet her spirits were invigorated.
For such a long time, she had been on the defensive, allowing the Fifth Prince's arrogance to grow.
Now, it was time for her to take the initiative.
Shouren Palace was also quite lively.
Apart from the Fifth Prince, who seemed struck by lightning, the expressions of the other princes varied.
With the heir apparent not yet established, which prince did not aspire to the throne?
Although the Fifth Prince had never been taken seriously by others, for the princes, having one less enemy was better than having one more.
However, with no one willing to speak first, the other princes had to suppress their amusement, no matter how much they found the situation hilarious.
After all, no one wanted to be seen by their father as a cold-blooded animal who disregarded his siblings.
The Seventh Prince, Xie Jingqi, didn't think so deeply. He instinctively looked down on the Fifth Prince and said, "What a waste of Fifth Brother's good intentions. It's just a pity the Eldest Daughter of the Ji family can't hear it!"
Seeing that the Seventh Prince had spoken, the surrounding princes could no longer hold back and burst into laughter.
The Fifth Prince, Xie Jingzhou, kneeling on the ground, had his entire face flushed purple.
The Fourth Prince, Xie Jinglan, casually looked at the young eunuch who had delivered the message and asked, "When you relayed the message to Father, you were so confident. How do you explain this now?"
The young eunuch, terrified, knelt on the ground and stammered, "Your... Your servant also heard it from others."
The Fourth Prince, Xie Jinglan, said no more.
Once a beginning was made, the Emperor would undoubtedly figure out the rest himself.
Emperor Xiaochang, upon hearing this, had much to consider.
The conflict between the imperial family and the Ji family had just subsided, and now such rumors were circulating within the palace. What would the common people think of the imperial family if they heard about this?
Not only had the Ji family's male heirs been destroyed, but now the reputation of the Ji family's daughter was to be slandered?
The more Emperor Xiaochang thought about it, the more his anger surged. "Guards! Drag this servant away and hand him over to the Ministry of Punishments for a thorough interrogation!"
The guards stepped forward and dragged away the little eunuch, who had already wet himself in fear.
The commotion seemed to have caused a slight disturbance, startling Yongmei, who was lying on the ground.
As she raised her head, she saw the Fifth Prince, whom she longed for. Under the influence of the medicine, she could not control herself and immediately lunged at the Fifth Prince.
"Fifth Prince, it really is you! Can you touch me again, like you did at the Ji family last time, pressing me down and cherishing me so dearly..."
Hearing these words, the Fifth Prince, Xie Jingzhou, felt as if he had been struck by lightning. He struggled to break free from Yongmei's entanglement and tried to explain, "Father, please listen to your son, your son..."
However, Yongmei, still under the effect of the medicine, threw herself into his arms again. "Fifth Prince, didn't you say I smelled fragrant? You also said you liked the scent of my body, but I'm so hot now. Please help me, help me..."
Yongmei not only spoke but also desperately burrowed into the Fifth Prince's embrace.
Such actions, combined with her earlier words, made it clear to everyone present, even without further explanation.
Oh, so the so-called longing for the Eldest Daughter of the Ji family meant secretly sleeping with her maidservant first. While a man having multiple wives and concubines was normal, who was it that claimed to be deeply devoted to the Eldest Daughter of the Ji family, and who claimed to have profound feelings for her?
Such sincere feelings for sleeping with someone's maidservant, we mere mortals truly cannot endorse!