The crowd at the entrance of the Fifth Prince's mansion erupted.
Today, they had merely wanted to catch a glimpse of the Eldest Daughter of the Ji family.
Who would have thought they would hear this?
Acting recklessly, stubbornly going their own way…
How dare the Ji family be so presumptuous on the battlefield!
Luo Hong scanned the indignant faces of the crowd, then her gaze fell upon the bridal sedan.
"The Ji family has suffered defeat, a disgrace to Yulin. However, His Highness the Fifth Prince is benevolent and takes pity on the Eldest Daughter of the Ji family. Therefore, he still wishes to marry her. But since the Ji family is now a family of condemned officials, we hope the Eldest Daughter of the Ji family will voluntarily demote herself to a secondary consort and crawl from the side entrance into the mansion!"
Xin Lan, standing below the steps, burst into tears upon hearing this.
How could this be called benevolence?
It was sheer bullying!
Qing Zhu's entire body tensed.
The people from the Fifth Prince's mansion were clearly looking down on them, kicking them while they were down, and now they intended to make their young lady willingly humiliate herself by crawling into the mansion?
Luo Hong, standing on the steps, hid a smile of revenge in her eyes, filled with envy and hatred.
She was nothing but a stray dog. For her to be allowed to crawl in was already the Fifth Prince's greatest mercy.
A useless wretch. Let alone crawling, she would have to grovel to enter the Fifth Prince's mansion.
The commoners surrounding the Fifth Prince did not find anything amiss with the announcement.
If the Ji family was indeed the true culprit behind the defeat at Luoyi, the Ji family members should be grateful to marry the Fifth Prince. After all, he was still willing to grant them the position of a secondary consort.
Some of the indignant citizens directly shouted, "The Eldest Daughter of the Ji family must be crying tears of joy in the sedan, unable to contain herself!"
"She should hurry and crawl into the Fifth Prince's mansion, or if His Highness changes his mind, the Eldest Daughter of the Ji family won't even know where to direct her tears!"
"To think that such a useless person could be so fortunate. Truly, His Highness is kind."
Xin Lan's vision blurred with tears.
Her young lady was not a useless person…
Her young lady was praised by the old master himself for being exceptionally intelligent!
Qing Zhu turned and shot a cold glance at the jeering crowd, a palpable killing intent leaking from her.
Just then, the tightly closed sedan door was pushed open from the inside.
Instantly, all eyes turned towards the bridal sedan.
Dressed in red, Ji Zizhao stepped out of the sedan, steady and composed, under the gaze of countless eyes.
The humid warm breeze caressed her, stirring the hem of her peony-embroidered skirt, yet it could not sway the slender figure standing upright at the foot of the steps.
Luo Hong, on the steps, frowned slightly. For a moment, she caught a glimpse of a cold, proud bone and extraordinary demeanor from this widely known good-for-nothing of the imperial city.
But!
In the very next second, Ji Zizhao's legs bent, and she knelt at the entrance of the Fifth Prince's mansion.
Instantly, the surrounding crowd erupted in derisive hisses.
Luo Hong's heart sneered.
How could a pampered, useless woman raised in the inner chambers possess any pride?
She must have been mistaken.
"Since the Eldest Daughter of the Ji family is willing to demote herself to a consort, please quickly crawl to the side gate," Luo Hong said with a cold smile, her tone unable to hide the sarcasm.
Seeing this, the commoners at the Fifth Prince's gate turned around, preparing to leave.
It was merely a good-for-nothing crawling on the ground like a maggot. They had no interest in continuing to watch under the scorching sun.
But!
A clear, calm, and composed voice suddenly echoed.
"The defeat at Luoyi is a loss of public trust. Regardless of the reason, it is my Ji family's fault for betraying the Emperor's trust and the expectations of the people of Yulin. The cause needs to be investigated by His Majesty to determine the responsibility. However, as the eldest daughter of the Ji family, I am willing to be the first to apologize with my own person. I hope His Highness the Fifth Prince will grant me a letter of divorce. I, Ji Zizhao, will turn and leave, and never again step upon the steps of the Fifth Prince's mansion!"
Divorce?!
Upon hearing this, Luo Hong's body trembled. Her eyes, always arrogant, carefully scrutinized the person whose face was hidden by the red veil.
Everyone in the imperial city knew that the Eldest Daughter of the Ji family was a good-for-nothing, and even an idiot.
Could it be…
The rumors were mistaken?
The Eldest Daughter of the Ji family was willing to initiate a divorce?
The commoners who had already turned away now turned back.
Luo Hong was eager for the Ji family's good-for-nothing to leave, but she never expected Ji Zizhao to dare to openly declare divorce!
The Fifth Prince offered her the position of a secondary consort, yet she wanted a divorce…
Whose face was she slapping?
"The imperial city all says the Eldest Daughter of the Ji family is a mute who cannot be seen. I didn't expect her to speak now and be so impertinent. No wonder the military report just now rebuked the Ji family for acting recklessly and stubbornly. It turns out to be in their nature." Luo Hong, unwilling to concede, looked at Ji Zizhao.
All the male heirs of the Ji family had perished on the battlefield. How could the people from the Fifth Prince's mansion speak such sarcastic words!
Qing Zhu and Xin Lan clenched their teeth, wishing they could rush forward and fight Luo Hong to the death.
Ji Zizhao, kneeling on the ground, her dark eyes solemn, her clear voice distinct with each word, "My Ji family, generation after generation, regardless of gender, has gone to battle, protecting Yulin with their blood! Defending the people of Yulin with their lives! Until all the invaders of Yulin's land are slain, we vow not to return! How the Ji family truly is should be decided by the Emperor after the military dispatches are retrieved, not by others slandering my Ji family with baseless accusations!"
Such a powerful and resonant speech brought tears to the eyes of the assembled commoners, filling them with righteous indignation.
The Eldest Daughter of the Ji family was right. Their current peace and prosperity were undoubtedly due to the Ji family's contributions. How could their guilt be judged based solely on a military report?
Luo Hong's heart skipped a beat as she saw the surging emotions of the crowd.
Why…
These commoners, who were just moments ago reveling in the Ji family's misfortune, were now starting to switch their allegiance!
"The Ji family's defeat is a foregone conclusion. It is the Fifth Prince's benevolence that allowed you to enter. As the chief steward of the Fifth Prince's mansion, I gave you a secondary consort position, considering you are from a military family. Not only are you ungrateful, but you also vainly attempt to divorce. Are all members of the Ji family so lawless!" Luo Hong was furious, her eyes burning with a desire to incinerate the slender figure kneeling at the steps. Su Dan Novel Network
"Miss Luo Hong, as the chief steward of the Fifth Prince's mansion, indeed deserves respect. However, a servant is a servant! Even if I were to be demoted to a secondary consort today, I would still be a master. His Highness the Fifth Prince is benevolent and kind, and he can distinguish between masters and servants in his mansion. But my Ji family's teachings are strict; we cannot overstep the laws and rites of the nation!"
As Ji Zizhao spoke, she turned to the surrounding commoners and kowtowed three times, each bow heavier than the last.
Even with the auspicious red veil still covering her head, the thudding sounds of her forehead hitting the ground could not help but draw attention.
"Regardless of why the Ji family was defeated, they have betrayed the Emperor's trust and disappointed the people's expectations. How can I, Ji Zizhao, with my limited virtue, marry the Fifth Prince? Please convey to His Highness the Fifth Prince that whether it is a letter of dismissal or a divorce, I, Ji Zizhao, will never regret it!"
These words were undoubtedly Ji Zizhao demeaning herself and trampling her own reputation in the mud.
Yet, it was these words that prevented a single person in the crowd from smiling.
They cherished the past glory of the Ji family and looked at the Eldest Daughter of the Ji family kneeling before them, feeling an unspeakable bitterness and surge of emotion.
So this was how the Ji family raised their children.
Even the most overlooked, secluded good-for-nothing eldest daughter possessed such unyielding pride and resilience.
"The Ji family is in trouble. What does it have to do with a woman who has been married off?"
"The people of the Fifth Prince's mansion are clearly bullying and kicking us while we're down!"
"Open the main gate and let the Eldest Daughter of the Ji family walk in with dignity as the Fifth Prince's primary consort!"
The commoners shouted with fervor, their surging voices pushing Luo Hong, who stood at the mansion's entrance, back several steps until her waist struck the cold mansion door behind her, finally stopping her.
Ji Zizhao then turned resolutely and strode away, leaving the Fifth Prince's mansion behind without a trace of hesitation.