Zuo Qinghua’s chest heaved, as if she might collapse at any moment.
But faced with Ji Zizhao’s words, she dared not, nor could she, continue.
The sum she had casually mentioned was far from her father's salary. If this continued, her father might be sent to the Ministry of Punishments for investigation!
Zhao Xiuying, the second young lady of the Zhao family, upon hearing from her maid that there was a commotion in the rear garden, put down her work and hurried to the rear garden. The result was that she overheard Ji Zizhao’s words just then.
Zhao Xiuying, who was walking up the steps, stumbled and almost lost her footing. Su Dan Novel Network.
Were all the eldest young ladies of the Ji family this brazen?
She didn't look like a good-for-nothing at all…
The other young ladies present were not foolish. If Zhao Xiuying could see the issue, so could they.
She was supposed to be a good-for-nothing, so why had she become like this?
Looking at the Ji family’s eldest young lady, who was so different from the rumored good-for-nothing, everyone felt that the Ji family might have found another girl to impersonate her.
Zhao Xiuying, the second young lady of the Zhao family, walked into the pavilion. "What’s going on?"
The pavilion was eerily silent.
Seeing this, Zhao Xiuying looked at Ji Zizhao and said, "Today is my father's birthday banquet. I was busy and neglected the rear courtyard. If there’s any lack of hospitality, I hope the Ji family’s eldest young lady will not mind."
Zhao Xiuying’s attitude was sincere, and her expression was genuine. Ji Zizhao did not want to make things difficult any further. "The second young lady of the Zhao family is too kind."
With that, she turned and walked towards a corner of the pavilion.
After standing for so long, she was indeed a little tired.
Jin Xueyan, who was about to explode with anger, saw Zhao Xiuying arrive. She pointed at Ji Zizhao and shouted incessantly, "Ji Zizhao, what do you mean by this? Not only did you cause a scene at the Zhao family's banquet! You deliberately hung your token on my carriage just now, causing me to be scolded by two concubines at the entrance of the Zhao family and publicly embarrassed!"
Jin Xueyan said this, naturally hoping that Zhao Xiuying would stand up for her.
Ji Zizhao, who was about to sit down, stood up again upon hearing this.
If they were going to talk about this, she really wasn't tired anymore.
"Is my cousin Xueyan’s speech unclear from eating too much deer antler? On the way here, it was cousin Xueyan who stopped my carriage and verbally abused me. I gave the token to cousin Xueyan with the intention of de-escalating the situation. I thought cousin Xueyan was quite happy when she hung the Ji family’s token?"
Jin Xueyan was stunned and quickly said, "But I didn't know the Zhao family's concubines would scold me!"
Ji Zizhao's voice was faint. "Is cousin Xueyan admitting to the fact that she deliberately made things difficult for me?"
Jin Xueyan’s heart tightened. She wanted to change her words. "I, I didn't..."
However, Ji Zizhao gave her no chance. "I know my reputation in Sheng Huang City has been bad these years, but fundamentally, I must call cousin Xueyan's mother aunt. As the saying goes, blood is thicker than water. I don't expect cousin Xueyan to be so close to me, but how can cousin Xueyan bully me like an outsider?"
Jin Xueyan was speechless and desperate to cry.
The gazes of the surrounding people gradually became subtle.
They might look down on the good-for-nothing from Huangcheng, but they couldn't deny that Ji Zizhao was right. It was impossible to control what outsiders said, but for a relative not only to fail to help but to lead the bullying…
That was not being human!
The surrounding gazes fixed on Jin Xueyan, like sharp thorns.
Jin Xueyan really couldn't hold back and burst into tears.
Ji Zizhao had no time to waste on fools. After a pause, she continued, "I also don't know why the Zhao family's two concubines would block the carriage with the Ji family's token and scold it. Since the second young lady of the Zhao family is here, if cousin Xueyan has any further questions, you can ask the second young lady of the Zhao family."
Zhao Xiuying: "..."
Why was she dragged into this too?
Zhao Xiuying knew nothing about the Zhao family's affairs. She had only just heard from her mother that those two concubines had been punished.
However, she really didn't know how to explain this situation and could only try to smooth things over. "It's good that everything is clarified. It was just a squabble between young ladies. The banquet will start soon, and today is my father's birthday banquet. Everyone should eat more and share in the joy."
What Ji Zizhao wanted was for Zhao Xiuying to de-escalate the situation, and she naturally sat back down.
Besides, the truth of who was right and who was wrong in this matter was clear to everyone present, even without meticulous analysis.
However, facing Ji Zizhao sitting in the pavilion, the people in the rear garden, from initial mockery and contempt, now felt hesitant and awestruck.
Especially those who still wanted to gossip, now shut their mouths tightly.
Jin Xueyan was still standing in the pavilion crying. With such a clear example before them, unless the young ladies present were crazy, they would continue to send themselves into Ji Zizhao’s mouth.
In the small pavilion in the center of the lake, Lu Yong watched in astonishment.
Everyone else’s eyes widened, filled with awe.
Ma Jingbo clicked his tongue and marveled, "Doesn't this eldest young lady of the Ji family have a tongue of iron?"
Otherwise, how could she be so sharp-tongued, confronting everyone and everything?
It took Lu Yong a long while to recover. He sat opposite Xie Jinglan indignantly. "From now on, if anyone calls the eldest young lady of the Ji family a good-for-nothing, I will be the first to raise my fist. Don't you agree, Fourth Master?"
Although everyone present knew that Xie Jinglan was the current Fourth Prince, they tacitly concealed his identity when they were outside.
Xie Jinglan seemed not to have heard Lu Yong’s words. He lowered his head, looking at his book, not even raising his eyelids.
However, in those eyes, which hid a sharp edge, a knowing light flickered.
A woman who dared to publicly kneel at the gates of the Fifth Prince’s residence and declare her intention to divorce, what else could she not do?
Zhao Liang, standing by the window, gazed at the slender figure in the rear garden and secretly clenched his fists under his sleeves.
As noon approached, the banquet hall of the Zhao family was ready.
Maids flocked into the rear garden, leading a group of young ladies from official families towards the banquet hall.
Ji Zizhao slowly rose behind the crowd. As she stepped out of the pavilion, she saw a maidservant approaching.
"This servant is a maid who serves in the Great Madam's courtyard. The Great Madam says there are too many people and chatter here, and she requests the Ji family's eldest young lady to step aside to the small garden nearby for a word."
Ji Zizhao remained still.
The Ji family produced generals, and both men and women practiced martial arts from a young age, so their temperaments were generally straightforward.
Only her third sister was an exception. Despite being skilled in martial arts, her temperament was gentle and refined, and she was intelligent and knowledgeable.
It was disrespectful for her third sister, as the eldest daughter-in-law of the Ji family, not to help out at the banquet. To be secretly called away at this moment would be even more disrespectful and lose face.
It would not only tarnish the Ji family's reputation but also implicate the Zhao family.
She knew her own sister best, and Ji Zizhao did not believe her sister would do something so inappropriate.
Seeing that Ji Zizhao was not following her, the maidservant looked around anxiously. Seeing that everyone in the rear garden had left, she immediately knelt before Ji Zizhao.
"Eldest young lady of the Ji family, please, please hurry and save our Great Madam!"