However, Ji Zizhao was not in a hurry. After letting Lian Ju go back to catch up on sleep, she sat on the second floor and reviewed the accounts of the four major medical halls for this period.
The Ji family was now a topic of conversation among the townspeople, and it was the most discussed matter among the patients who came to the four major medical halls. Although each of the four medical halls had two floors, they were not that soundproof.
Xin Bi, standing on the first floor, wished he could give every patient a哑药 (yǎ yào - silencing medicine) to prevent them from talking nonsense and making their mistress sad.
Ji Zizhao could hear the rumors from downstairs clearly but did not feel the expected anger.
Since the Ji family had this incident, they should not be afraid of the townspeople's gossip.
However, this also proved in reverse that the Ji family's popularity had not yet subsided, which was good.
Qing Zhu waited until the moon was high before returning to the Xuan Yi Pavilion.
Her body was covered in the scent of rouge and powder, which made Lian Ju frown.
Qing Zhu herself was disgusted. She stood beside her mistress, holding her breath, and wanted to inform her mistress of the news she had gathered, "There is indeed a person named Ji Zongyou in the Ji family now. If Miss's guess is correct, this person is the widely known hereditary young marquis of the Ji family."
Lian Ju couldn't help but say, "Shameless."
Qing Zhu, however, thought to herself, the more shameless ones are yet to come. "Since Ji Zongyou returned to the Ji family, he has not lived there. He spends his days lingering in the red-light district. When I investigated, I heard that this person had booked a dancer at Hua Man Lou and spent his days indulging in pleasure in the pleasure quarters."
Indeed, they had raised a good grandson for the Ji family.
Ji Zizhao had inquired about Ji Zongyou before and knew that he was not a respectable person. To prevent herself from feeling nauseous, she stopped paying attention to Ji Zongyou.
She did not expect that Ji Zongyou would only get worse over the years.
"When you went to investigate, did you see any suspicious people around Ji Zongyou?" Ji Zizhao asked.
Qing Zhu shook her head, "No."
This was not right.
The reason the Second Prince was able to seize the opportunity to kill the entire Ji family was because the Emperor was wary of the Ji family.
Although the Ji family was not as powerful as before, if another male heir appeared, the Emperor, with his cautious nature, would surely pay attention in secret.
Did the Emperor think that Ji Zongyou was incapable of great things and thus let him go unchecked?
No, even if the Emperor saw the current Ji Zongyou, he would probably think that he was deliberately hiding his sharpness, as the descendants of the Ji family were never useless.
Then, what was the reason that could make the Emperor so careless?
Ji Zizhao thought and thought but could not guess the reason.
She decided to suppress her suspicion and looked at Qing Zhu and Lian Ju. "Tomorrow at Chen Shi (7-9 AM), release the news that I have returned to the city in advance and will go to my mother's grave to dig up the coffin and examine the body. Lian Ju, you and Zhang Ji will go to the Ji family ancestral grave, and do as you see fit. Remember to delay until I arrive."
Lian Ju nodded and accepted the order.
Qing Zhu asked doubtfully, "Miss is not planning to go with Lian Ju?"
Ji Zizhao looked at Qing Zhu and said, "Tomorrow, you will accompany me for another equally important matter."
They wanted the entire city to know that she would be the new mistress of the Ji family, right?
Then she would personally help them, the mother and daughters, three.
She could not guarantee anything else, but after tomorrow, Ji Zizhao would ensure that the mother and daughters would make a name for themselves in the imperial city.
The first watch of the night had already struck, but the servants in the Ji family still could not sleep.
Tomorrow was the day the new mistress hosted the banquet. As servants of the Ji family, they had to rush to prepare.
When the former mistress was still alive, although she rarely smiled at the servants in the mansion, she treated them well. Back then, even the third young lady's wedding preparations were made well in advance, and the servants were not made to stay up all night even the day before her wedding.
But looking at the new mistress now, she smiled as beautifully as a flower, but in reality, she treated the servants in the mansion like beasts of burden.
It was just a banquet for one day, but it made the servants in the mansion stay up for three consecutive days without sleep.
This was quite the show.
In Yan Yuan.
Ji Ziyan was already preoccupied with her thoughts. Now, hearing the footsteps and noises of the servants in the mansion, she had no desire to sleep at all.
She got up and walked to the window, looking at the servants still rushing around in the mansion, and sighed softly, "Counting the days, has it been so busy for several days?"
Shui Huan draped a cloak over her mistress's shoulders and couldn't help but complain, "It's all because of the new mistress who just returned. She says that since she is now a Ji family member, her words and deeds cannot disgrace the Ji family. Now that there is a banquet, she naturally cannot let others look down on the Ji family."
Ji Ziyan sneered, "She talks a good game."
"Indeed, she only knows how to talk. I heard that the new young lady who just returned is also very eloquent. In just a few days, she has already made the people around the old mistress in the main courtyard beam with smiles. Before anything else, she is already calling her 'Big Miss' repeatedly. What will happen when our Big Miss returns!"
Shui Huan felt as if she were dreaming when she thought that the master had another wife and children outside.
When that mother and daughters, three, came to the door, they had shocked the Ji family immensely.
But those mother and daughters were indeed capable. Within a month, they had integrated into the Ji family.
Although the other madams resisted fiercely, they could not withstand the old mistress's favoritism, otherwise, where would this banquet come from?
"How can Big Sister be compared to someone who only knows how to wag her tongue?" Ji Ziyan was stubbornly holding on, refusing to let go of the accounts department, just waiting for her eldest sister to return.
"How is it at Zhao Yuan? Is no one bothering them?"
Shui Huan gestured for her mistress to rest assured, "Qing Zhu and Lian Ju left with Big Miss, but Aunt He in the courtyard is not to be trifled with. As soon as the new mistress entered, Aunt He ordered Zhao Yuan to be closed. I heard that the old mistress sent people to the courtyard several times, but the gate of Zhao Yuan was still not opened. Now, the new young lady who just returned can only temporarily squeeze into the old mistress's courtyard."
Ji Ziyan did not expect that Aunt He could hold on for so long.
However, this could not continue. Now, they could only hope that their eldest sister would return soon.
The same thought was held by the other three madams of the Ji family.
When the former mistress was still alive, they did not think much about it.
But the former mistress was gone just like that, how could they feel at ease?
After all, they had been sisters-in-law for so many years. It was impossible to say they had no feelings.
Moreover, the Ji family was now managed by Zhaojie'er. Even if the newcomer was good at dealing with people and tried to please them all day long, they could not feel close to her.
Tomorrow was the banquet, and by then, the newcomer would officially become the mistress of the Ji family. At that time, it might be too late to turn back.