The elder master of the Tong family was summoned to the old madam's presence immediately upon his return to the mansion.
The matter of sending someone to the Ji family had been the elder master's idea. He had initially intended to install one of their own in the Ji household, which would facilitate intelligence gathering and allow him to curry favor with the Fifth Prince.
However, after hearing the old madam's words, the elder master realized that sending someone to the Ji family was no longer feasible.
Even without Ji Zizhao blocking the way, knowing Ji Zongyou's character, how could the Ji family's elder master bear to send his own granddaughter into such suffering?
"We're just letting today's incident go?" the old madam of the Tong family knitted her brows in dissatisfaction.
The elder master of the Tong family's expression was also unpleasant, but he could only say helplessly, "What else can we do?"
Was being confronted by prostitutes something to be proud of?
If the Tong family were to escalate this matter to the Ji family, would the Tong family truly gain honor?
Moreover, the prostitutes had come and gone swiftly. Even if the Tong family went to the Ji family now to demand an explanation, it would be without proof. Who knew if Ji Zizhao of the Ji family, who could even conceive of such shameless tactics, wouldn't turn around and bite the Tong family back?
It was precisely at this time that the Fifth Prince was in Luoyi, building his reputation. The Tong family certainly did not dare to become a hindrance.
Yet, the elder master of the Tong family found it unbearable to suffer in silence, swallowing his pride. After a long pause, he said, "Rest assured, we will find a way to settle this score."
The old madam of the Tong family: "..."
Looking at your timid demeanor, where would you find a way?
Look at Ji Zizhao; she doesn't wait overnight for revenge.
However, even though the old madam of the Tong family was inwardly complaining fiercely, she dared not send anyone to the Ji family again to discuss the marriage proposal.
On the Ji family's side, neither the old madam nor Gu Peilan thought highly of Wang Jifu, who was impersonating a lady from a noble family. Naturally, they would not proactively bring up the matter again.
However, for several consecutive days, Ji Renran had been visiting the Tong family frequently.
Even though the old madam harbored resentment, she did not wish to offend the Tong family over a minor issue and thus did not obstruct the visits.
Ji Zizhao knew that the Tong family was still under the patronage of the Fifth Prince. Even if there was a rift between the Tong family and Gu Peilan, their relationship would not be severed so easily.
Furthermore, Ji Zizhao herself had no intention of causing the Tong family and Gu Peilan to sever ties over a single incident.
What Ji Zizhao wanted was simply to create a crack between the Tong family and Gu Peilan, and that would be sufficient.
Sounds of a commotion, intermittent and faint, drifted into the room from outside the window.
Shuiling lifted the curtain and entered. Seeing her young lady standing by the window, she couldn't help but say, "It's Young Master Zongyou making trouble again."
Ever since they learned that the Tong family was no longer pursuing the marriage proposal, he had been restless these past few days.
It was rumored that servants were often beaten until they were covered in blood.
Shuiling couldn't understand, "Clearly, the person the Tong family sent wasn't any good. Why is Young Master Zongyou so infatuated?"
For someone like Ji Zongyou, who only thought with his lower body, any new woman would suffice; he wouldn't consider so much.
"Has Grandmother made any move?"
Shuiling shook her head, "Not yet."
"Go tell the people in the courtyard to avoid Crane Egret Courtyard for now."
The grandmother's inaction was partly indulgence of Ji Zongyou, and partly punishment for Gu Peilan.
Gu Peilan was now considered the Tong family's daughter in the grandmother's eyes. Since that was the case, if her maternal family sent such a disreputable person to attempt a marriage alliance with the Ji family, it was naturally Gu Peilan's fault.
The grandmother was biased, yes, but she valued the Ji family's reputation even more.
Now that the grandmother was allowing Ji Zongyou to run amok, she was clearly trying to teach Gu Peilan a lesson.
Whose son's problem is it? Let them deal with it. Only by suffering a lasting trauma would they be more reliable in their dealings next time.
Gu Peilan: "..."
Her head was truly going to split!
Gu Peilan had never expected the old madam's method of punishment to be so insidious. Knowing Ji Zongyou's bad temper, she made her, the mother, clean up his messes daily.
But she was also wronged!
How could she have known that the Tong family would dare to send such an unpresentable person for a marriage alliance!
Seeing her son yet again stripping a concubine and forcing himself upon her, Gu Peilan, as his mother, couldn't bear to watch any longer.
"Mother said a few days ago that she would investigate the reasons. Has there been any result yet?" During this time, Ji Zongyou had grown tired of the concubine maids in the courtyard. He had initially thought he would finally have someone new, but before he could even see the person, the matter had fallen through.
Gu Peilan certainly dared not admit that she didn't want such a woman as her son's concubine. After some thought, she smiled and said, "We still need to wait a bit longer. You know how many eyes were on the main courtyard that day, with ladies from various branches and Ji Zizhao present. To find out who exactly ruined this marriage, we need to be thorough and careful."
Upon hearing Ji Zizhao's name, Ji Zongyou felt an intense pain in his legs, and his entire face contorted.
If he hadn't fallen for that bitch's trick back then, he wouldn't be confined to bed every day!
"Mother, do you think this might be Ji Zizhao's doing?" Ji Zongyou suddenly asked.
Gu Peilan knew very well that even if Ji Zizhao hadn't interfered, she would never have allowed someone like Wang Jifu to enter the family. However, when faced with her son's question, she equivocated, "Ji Zizhao has always disliked us three, mother and children. If it were her doing, what would be so strange?"
Ji Zongyou's violent eyes emanated a murderous aura. In a fit of rage, he brutally twisted the arm of the concubine maid beneath him, snapping it into three pieces.
The concubine maid, in extreme pain, fainted directly.
Gu Peilan, terrified, couldn't bear to watch. She made up an excuse and slipped away.
Ji Zongyou watched his mother flee in disarray, but the rage in his heart still roared. He threw the unconscious concubine onto the ground and yelled at the eunuchs in the courtyard, "Go to Zhaoyuan and summon a maid. Say I have something urgent!"
When the eunuch heard that they were to fetch someone from the eldest daughter's courtyard, he knelt on the ground in fear, "Young Master Zongyou, please calm your anger! The people in Zhaoyuan are not someone we can order around."
Ji Zongyou didn't even think. He picked up a teacup and smashed it at the window lattice, "If you don't go, you can die."
The teacup shattered against the window lattice, its crisp sound piercing the heart.
The eunuch, almost scared to death, quickly got up and ran out of the courtyard.
Outside the courtyard, Xinlan, who was passing by Crane Egret Courtyard, saw the eunuch heading towards Zhaoyuan. Her heart began to pound uncontrollably. Why would Young Master Zongyou be sending someone to find her young lady at this time?