The news that Sun Tang had framed the eldest daughter of the Ji family and caused a scene at Fengtian Prefecture spread like wildfire the next morning.
News in the imperial city traveled with remarkable speed. Within half a day, everyone had heard about the Sun family's young master bullying the Ji family's orphaned heir out of spite.
In a city as starkly divided by wealth as the imperial city, instances of bullying due to privilege were commonplace.
However, the populace was enraged because the Ji family had fallen into such destitution, reduced to widowed and orphaned survivors. Even with his temper, the Sun family's young master shouldn't have relentlessly trampled on their fallen state.
Even worse!
He shamelessly targeted the Ji family's weakest and most timid eldest daughter?
Was he even human?
The more the citizens of the imperial city thought about it, the more their anger simmered. While they dared not gather and cause unrest, many couldn't resist throwing stones at the Sun family's gate as they passed by.
In just a few hours, the Sun family's crimson-painted main gate was significantly damaged, bearing a large hole from the impacts.
Sun Tang, utterly provoked by the thunderous pounding on his gate, pulled out the long saber hanging on the wall, seething and about to rush out.
Sun Yunxiao stopped his son. "Do you think this is not enough of a spectacle?"
Sun Tang, with his neck stiff and face full of indignation, retorted, "Are we just going to let these ignorant people slander me like this?"
Sun Yunxiao understood that it wasn't the ordinary citizens of the imperial city slandering his son, but the Ji family.
After much deliberation, Sun Yunxiao looked at Sun Tang and said, "The Ji family released this information to incite public opinion. If you continue to cause trouble, you'll only be playing into their hands."
"Then, Father, what should we do? Are we, the Sun family, just going to accept this insult?"
Sun Yunxiao was never one to back down from a slight. He took the long saber from his son's hand, patted his shoulder, and advised, "Instead of shouting here, you should spend more time drinking with young master Zhao."
Sun Tang was taken aback. "Father means..."
"The saber should be aimed at the right person to truly satisfy one's anger."
As if struck by divine revelation, Sun Tang grinned, revealing a sinister smile.
The moon hung in the trees. Ji Ziyan, the third daughter of the Ji family, returned to her courtyard, utterly exhausted after a day of work in her mother-in-law's residence.
Shui Huan looked at her young lady's weary state, her eyes welling up with concern. "Madam Zhao is simply too much. When the Ji family was prosperous, they could at least pretend to be polite. Now, they only know how to make things difficult for you, my lady. My lady, let's return to the Ji family."
How could her lady possibly be made to serve tea and water, toiling in the main courtyard like a servant?
Ji Ziyan shook her head and cautioned, "Do not speak such words again in the future."
The Ji family was no longer what it used to be. If she insisted on returning now, she couldn't imagine what gossip she would invite.
Precisely because she had married out of the Ji family, she was even more obligated not to tarnish their reputation.
Seeing her lady's suppressed emotions, Shui Huan, not wanting her to be sad, changed the subject. "My lady might not know, but the entire imperial city is now abuzz. The people are all cursing that Sun family young master, saying he's a scoundrel for bullying our Ji family's orphan. I heard that last night, that young master Sun even summoned the eldest daughter to Fengtian Prefecture and accused her of beating him. I can't believe he's blind! How could the eldest daughter, who can barely utter a few words, possibly...?"
"Shui Huan!"
Ji Ziyan's sharp interruption cut her off. "You should leave for now."
Shui Huan, seeing her lady's face grow cold, dared not linger and quickly exited the room.
The moment the door closed, Ji Ziyan could no longer hold back her tears.
The world said her elder sister was timid and useless, but she knew that wasn't true. If she had listened to her elder sister's advice back then, perhaps she wouldn't have ended up in this state now.
Ji Ziyan fiercely clutched the front of her dress, but she couldn't quell the pain of regret filling her heart.
Elder sister...
Third sister knows she was wrong, truly knows she was wrong...
"Young Master-in-law, have you been drinking again?" Shui Huan's voice suddenly sounded from outside the door.
Ji Ziyan quickly wiped away her tears and looked towards the tall figure standing at the doorway. The sorrow that had clouded her face was instantly replaced by a profound sense of fear and dread.
The Ji family had, of course, also heard about the Sun family's young master making trouble for the eldest daughter.
However, for most of them, this news was hardly surprising.
The eldest daughter was always timid. It was only now, with the Ji family's seal in her possession, that she could act so imperiously within the family. It was perhaps for the best that an outsider was tempering her arrogance.
Lin Wanyun, however, could not sit still and hurried to Zhaoyuan.
Seeing the First Madam arrive, Yongmei quickly moved to announce her. "My lady, First Madam..."
Lin Wanyun waved her hand. "You carry on with your work, I'll go in myself."
With that, she walked directly into the main room and found Ji Zizhao, her daughter, asleep on the soft couch, looking exhausted.
Lin Wanyun's heart ached, a heavy feeling settling in her chest. She quietly stepped forward a few paces and draped the thin quilt over her daughter.
Yongmei, standing nearby, stole a glance at the First Madam's expression and bravely whispered, "I know First Madam dotes on my lady, but His Highness the Fifth Prince also cares for her. The other day, he entrusted me with delivering his personal jade pendant to my lady, but my lady..."
Lin Wanyun was startled. "You mean the Fifth Prince still wishes for Zhao'er to marry him?"
Yongmei was quick to respond. "In the Fifth Prince's heart, my lady has always been part of the Fifth Prince's residence. How can there be talk of remarriage?"
Lin Wanyun found it difficult not to be moved by these words.
Even as a concubine, to be so cherished by the Fifth Prince was a fortunate outcome.
Moreover, the Fifth Prince was inherently timid and weak; Zhao'er would not be bullied if she married him.
Seeing the First Madam wrestling with her thoughts, Yongmei suddenly knelt on the ground and kowtowed. "We cannot persuade my lady. Please, First Madam, advise her. The Fifth Prince's affection for my lady is as clear as the moon. I heard he even fell ill from missing her..."
Since returning the jade pendant, Yongmei had not received any contact from the Fifth Prince's residence.
How could she not fear that the Fifth Prince would gradually forget her young lady?
If her lady couldn't enter the Fifth Prince's residence, what would become of her?
"The Fifth Prince has people in his residence to worry about him when he is ill. I was unaware that someone by my side was worrying about matters that do not concern her." A hoarse yet unusually clear and cold voice suddenly rang out.
Yongmei trembled upon hearing the voice and quickly prostrated herself on the ground, kowtowing. "I did no such thing, First Madam. I merely felt that His Highness the Fifth Prince cared deeply for my lady, so I..."
Ji Zizhao slowly sat up, her dark eyes cold and distant. "Leave."
The icy gaze sent a shiver down Yongmei's spine, and she fearfully scurried out of the room.
Lin Wanyun understood. When her daughter asked Yongmei to leave, it was also a way of silencing her.
Sighing, she changed the subject. "Everyone outside is saying that the Sun family's young master bullied you. Is that true?"
Ji Zizhao did not want her mother to worry. She said with a hint of playful complaint, "How could that be? Daughter hasn't even stepped out of the house."
Lin Wanyun nodded. The imperial city was vast; what kind of baseless rumors were there?
She took another look at Ji Zizhao, and seeing no apparent injuries, she continued, "Your second sister hasn't left her room for days. Although your second aunt hasn't said anything, shouldn't you go and see her?"
Ji Zizhao's lowered gaze did not lift. She simply held her mother's hand and said softly, "Mother, please don't worry. Second sister is fine; she just doesn't wish to leave her room..."
And it was only when she truly stepped out that she would truly grow up.