The Zhao family's madam watched the Ji family's carriage depart from their doorstep, her legs so weak she could barely stand.
Everything that had happened today, no matter how long she had plotted, had not only failed to drag the eldest daughter of the Ji family down, but had instead cost them Ji Ziyan.
"Hurry and call for the master and young master! We absolutely cannot let the Ji family just leave!" Madam Zhao gripped the hand of the old woman Sun beside her.
Lu Yong, standing nearby, rolled up his sleeves. "Is it time for us to make an appearance?"
Xie Jinglan glanced at the alley not far away, and said softly, "It seems we won't get the chance."
Lu Yong: "..."
How could this be?!
At the Zhao family's entrance, as Sun Mammy was about to run towards the alley, she saw a guard rushing towards them.
"Madam, this is bad! The master is surrounded by the common folk and cannot move!"
Madam Zhao's heart tightened. "And the young master? Go fetch the young master!"
"The young master... the young master has been beaten unconscious..."
Madam Zhao felt a wave of dizziness, her body slumping like a puddle of mud.
"Doctor, Madam?"
"Someone quickly, the Madam has fainted!"
Inside the carriage, Ji Zizhao looked at the fainted Madam Zhao on the ground, her eyes cold.
Ji Zizhao was not surprised by the Zhao family's hypocritical facade. Otherwise, she would not have stopped her third sister from marrying into their family back then. It was just a pity that she hadn't been completely ruthless in dissuading her then, or her third sister would not have ended up in such a comatose state now.
The carriage jolted slightly. Ji Zizhao lowered her gaze slightly and pulled the thin quilt wrapped around Ji Ziyan tighter.
Ji Zixiu, sitting beside her, stared blankly at the scene, her heart filled with a mixture of shock and something else she couldn't name.
She had never been one to mince words; speaking her mind was her usual style. So, when her eldest sister had blocked her just now, she had felt that her eldest sister was as useless as ever.
Yet, this very eldest sister, whom she had deemed useless and unpromising, had thrown herself in front of her without hesitation.
"I say, are you out of your mind? No one dares to stop my whip. Don't you want to live? Fortunately, I didn't use my full strength, or your arm would have been separated from your shoulder!" Ji Zixiu said this, but looking at Ji Zizhao's torn and bleeding arm, a flicker of unwilling guilt and self-reproach flashed in her eyes.
Ji Zizhao steadied Ji Ziyan in her arms. "The Zhao family intended to incite the anger of the common folk to suppress the Ji family. If your whip had landed on the common people, nothing could have been undone. By then, all the people in the city would say that the second daughter of the Ji family was unreasonable and arrogant, barging in to snatch someone and beat the common folk. In doing so, the Zhao family would have reaped the benefits. At that time, the common folk who were blocking the Zhao family would be standing in front of you, blocking your way."
Ji Zizhao's words were light yet heavy.
Light in tone, heavy in meaning.
Ji Zixiu frowned, finding it troublesome. "The situation was urgent, who had the time to think of other things? It would have been more satisfying to just fight."
Ji Zizhao slowly raised her head, her gaze sharp, patiently and with authority, she taught, "Doing things is no different from martial arts. Acting impulsively and rashly is like scratching an itch through a boot. But if one can grasp the soft and hard, the internal and external, the virtual and real, the still and moving, the loose and tight, just right, then one can lead others to death."
Ji Zixiu murmured, as if understanding yet not fully grasping, "Move and they scatter, stillness and they unite, use their force to attack them, follow heaven and cater to people..."
Ji Zizhao looked at Ji Zixiu's rather bewildered face and said no more.
The Ji family now had only female members left. For them to brave the storms together was not something she could accomplish alone.
But there was no hurry. As long as Ji Zixiu was willing to learn, that was good.
It was just like when she had placed a bottle of Nine Revolutions Bewitching Fragrance in the embroidery room to temper Ji Zixiu's temperament.
It volatilized instantly, its effect limited to three paces.
So, these past few days, it wasn't that Ji Zixiu was unwilling to leave her room, but that she was simply unable to.
Looking at her second sister sitting before her now, Ji Zizhao felt gratified.
Half an hour later, the carriage slowly pulled up to the steps outside the Ji family mansion.
Third Madam Yin Wenying, who had been waiting at the entrance, smiled and stepped forward as the carriage door opened. She had originally wanted to see Ji Zizhao's regretful face, after having strongly opposed the marriage. But before she could speak, she saw the unconscious Ji Ziyan being carried out of the carriage.
Third Madam Yin Wenying's legs went weak with fright. If Ji Zixiu hadn't supported her in time, she would have collapsed onto the ground.
Ji Zizhao, busy checking her third sister's injuries, hurried into the house with Qingzhu, leaving not even a word of explanation.
Seeing this, Third Madam Yin Wenying cried out again, "Sister Zhao, you are so heartless! I knew you were envious of my Ziyan, but you couldn't have done such a thing to Ziyan, you..."
"Third Aunt, this has nothing to do with Eldest Sister. It was the Zhao family who did it." Ji Zixiu, who had followed down from the carriage, spoke before Third Madam Yin Wenying could finish her words.
Third Madam Yin Wenying: "..."
Ji Zixiu was actually speaking up for Ji Zizhao?
Had she gone mad?
The news of Ji Ziyan being brought back to the Ji family quickly spread to everyone's ears.
In an instant, all the female members of the Ji family rushed to Yan Yuan.
Ji Zizhao, who was examining Ji Ziyan's injuries, was overwhelmed. Fortunately, Ji Zixiu had stayed in the courtyard and explained the entire sequence of events to the Ji family's female members.
The Ji family's female members were all stunned, their eyes wide with disbelief.
Third Madam Yin Wenying wept so much she couldn't stand, "My poor Ziyan, what sin has she committed..."
Second Madam Yu Fenglan quickly went to support her third sister-in-law's arm. "Third sister-in-law, please don't collapse. Ziyan still needs you to take care of her."
First Madam Lin Wanyun, however, was calm and collected. "Since this happened at the Zhao family's residence, the Zhao family must provide an explanation to our Ji family. Second sister-in-law, you stay here with third sister-in-law. I will go and inform the Old Madam first. How we should seek an explanation from the Zhao family needs to be decided by the Old Madam."
Second Madam Yu Fenglan nodded. "Alright, alright, eldest sister-in-law, go with peace of mind."
First Madam Lin Wanyun hurried to the main courtyard, but was stopped by Granny Xu, the Old Madam's attendant, who cited the Old Madam's indisposition. Seeing this, First Madam Lin Wanyun did not dare to disturb her further, left her message, and then hurried away again.
Only after First Madam Lin Wanyun had left the courtyard did Granny Xu turn and return to the room.
Inside the room, the Old Madam was sitting cross-legged on a soft couch, her prayer beads clicking rhythmically.
Hearing the footsteps, the Old Madam asked softly, "Has eldest daughter-in-law left?"
Granny Xu walked to the Old Madam's side and replied softly, "She has. However, this servant saw that Madam was truly anxious, and the young servant who reported from the entrance just now also said that the third young lady's injuries are severe, and that person was unconscious when she was carried out of the carriage."
The Old Madam grunted indifferently. A faint sense of world-weariness and anger veiled her weathered face. "Yan'er has already been brought back. I wasn't consulted when they brought her back, so what use is it to see me now? Let them do as they please. Anyway, the Ji family doesn't have many days left to cause trouble."
Granny Xu looked at the Old Madam, who was filled with a sense of dejection, and dared not say more.