Ji Zizhao had not expected such a turn of events after her departure.
It seemed General Xue was dispatched by the Emperor to observe the epidemic in Luoyi.
Given the severity of the plague in Luoyi back then, the Emperor would surely take precautions.
It was just that General Xue turned out to be a good man. Even after learning the epidemic in Luoyi had subsided, he did not leave immediately, but instead accompanied the Seventh Prince and others to Luoyi County.
According to her fourth sister, General Xue had also contributed significantly to the establishment of pharmacies and medical halls in Luoyi County.
"Are you sure it was General Xue Yongnian?" If it was indeed General Xue who had returned, then it signaled that the Seventh Prince's faction should also be on the verge of departure.
However, even if this epidemic in Luoyi had not led to General Xue being ordered by the Emperor to carry out a cleansing by fire and slaughter, it was unlikely he would have been apprehended and escorted back to his residence immediately after reporting to the palace.
"At the time, I was lurking around the Xue residence on North Street with Lian Ju, and we gathered information from the household servants. They said General Xue Yongnian went to the main courtyard upon his return, but as for the specific reason, the servants did not know."
It was during curfew then, and Ji Zibi and Lian Ju decided to wait until dawn at the Xue residence.
It was during that very night that Ji Zibi personally witnessed many doctors from the imperial city being continuously summoned to the Xue residence. However, none of these doctors ever emerged from the Xue family's home.
Ji Zizhao's brows furrowed deeper.
Normally, even if General Xue were ill due to travel fatigue, there would be no need for such a grand mobilization.
In the imperial city, under the Emperor's nose, even a current general would not dare to openly commit wrongdoing.
But, according to her fourth sister, after the doctors who entered the Xue residence failed to reappear, the imperial court had done nothing...
Recalling then that General Xue was escorted back to his residence by soldiers after entering the palace...
Ji Zizhao instinctively tightened her grip on the teacup, "I fear there is more to General Xue's illness."
Even more so, it was an epidemic!
Only then would the Emperor be so vigilant and even enforce a city-wide lockdown.
Ji Zibi had also suspected this, but before she could voice it, her elder sister had already thought of it.
"Although Lian Ju and I followed General Xue back to the city discreetly, we were also worried about implicating the Ji family if the imperial court investigated strictly. Therefore, Lian Ju and I have been lurking outside the Xue residence these past few days. If not for witnessing such an event today, we might not have returned..." Ji Zibi's complexion was not good, pale with a hint of green.
Given that her fourth sister, who usually traveled extensively, was so disturbed by this matter, Ji Zizhao dared not be negligent, "Speak."
"Today, Lian Ju and I saw many young princesses and doctors from the imperial city swarm into the Xue residence, including the Fourth Prince. However, not long after the Fourth Prince and those young lords entered, the doctor brought in by the Fourth Prince was secretly carried out through the back door of the Xue residence. Because the people were in a hurry, the soft cloth covering the doctor's face fell off, and I saw that the doctor was already bleeding from all seven orifices..."
Ji Zibi was not Ji Zixiu; no matter how much she had ventured out, she was still startled by death.
Recalling then that in Luoyi County, her second sister had mentioned the good relationship between the Seventh Prince and the Fourth Prince, and her elder sister also seemed inclined to support the Seventh Prince, Ji Zibi dared not delay and risked returning to the Ji family discreetly with Lian Ju.
Upon hearing this, Ji Zizhao also trembled.
The Fourth Prince had visited to pay respects after the men of the Ji family had set up a mourning hall, so her fourth sister was naturally acquainted with him.
However, Ji Zizhao did not believe that those so-called young lords were truly mere sons of noble families.
Even if the Fourth Prince was not highly regarded by the Emperor, he was still a prince. If those individuals could enter the Xue residence alongside the Fourth Prince, then those so-called young lords were likely also princes.
The current Emperor had a vast harem, and his princes were ranked from one to nine.
If Xue Yongnian was indeed isolated in his residence due to an epidemic, as Ji Zizhao suspected, it was reasonable for the princes to visit him along with doctors to offer their condolences.
There had been no news from the four major medical halls, so they were unaware of this matter.
It was likely the Emperor was explicitly protecting himself; otherwise, he would not have refrained from dispatching even an imperial physician out of the palace these days.
In this case, even if Xue Yongnian had died of the epidemic, the entire Xue family would be dead in the end.
At this juncture, the princes, as sons, had to share the burden of their father, the Emperor, by going to the Xue residence to play the role of the "red face" (the conciliator). Otherwise, if they all played the "white face" (the stern one) now, and Xue Yongnian truly recovered, it would be a clear sign of his disappointment with the imperial court and his estrangement from the Emperor.
"The Fourth Prince was still at the Xue residence when Lian Ju and I returned. If you are worried, Big Sister, I can go back there with Lian Ju now," Ji Zibi said, standing up.
She had not intended to stay long at the Ji residence; she had only intended to deliver a message to her elder sister.
Ji Zizhao also rose, but she raised her hand and pressed it on her fourth sister's shoulder, "There is no need to rush back and forth. Stay in the manor with peace of mind."
"But..."
"You shall stay with me for now. We will see Aunt Fourth after things have settled down."
Ji Zibi also did not wish to continue enduring the cold outside. Although the Dragon Boat Festival was approaching, the nights were still quite chilly.
Ji Zizhao asked Shui Ling to escort her fourth sister to her inner room to rest. After her fourth sister left with Shui Ling, she turned and sat on the soft couch by the window.
The midday sun streamed through the window panes, warm and pleasant, yet Ji Zizhao felt a chill run through her body.
All the princes had visited General Xue with doctors, yet only the doctor brought by the Fourth Prince was secretly murdered.
This was enough to explain that the Seventh Prince's reputation in Luoyi County was too great. Someone wanted to trip up the Fourth Prince, thus blinding the Seventh Prince's eyes.
After all, both the Fourth Prince and the Seventh Prince were adopted under the Empress's care.
The deep bond between the two brothers was something the Seventh Prince had never concealed.
Ji Zizhao opened the drawer beneath the low table on the couch. Inside was a rolled-up snow-white sash.
This was from the Fourth Prince's robe at the time, but she had only returned the robe, forgetting to return the sash along with it.
Recalling the Fourth Prince, Ji Zizhao dared not assert he was a good person.
However, he had never done anything to harm her.
Furthermore, he had extended his help to her on several occasions.
Even if her alignment with him was not voluntary, it was a fact.
To put it simply, if the Fourth Prince were to meet with misfortune, would she be alright?
Of course not!
Having realized this, Ji Zizhao immediately stood up.
Saving a life was as urgent as saving one's own; not a moment could be wasted.
Ji Zizhao asked Shui Ling to go to the main kitchen again and retrieve the pass for going out to procure supplies the day after tomorrow.
The staff at the main kitchen knew that if they gave the pass to the eldest daughter, they would not be able to go out to buy vegetables the day after tomorrow. However, the current eldest daughter was no longer the meek "little melon" who only hid in Zhaoyuan. The staff at the main kitchen could not afford to offend her and handed over the pass quite readily.
With the pass in hand, Ji Zizhao, carrying her medicine box, slipped out through the back door.
On the bustling street, it was eerily empty, which made one feel uneasy.
Occasionally, one could see a servant or two purchasing supplies for a manor, but they hurried past, seemingly in a rush.
Even though the sky was clear at this moment, a lingering gloom hung over everyone's hearts.
Ji Zizhao, recalling the location of the Xue residence mentioned by her fourth sister, quickened her pace, carrying her medicine box, hoping that everything was not too late.