Ji Zizhao stopped, her gaze falling on the throngs of people before the palace gates, a wave of disgust washing over her.
She hadn't expected the Fifth Prince to go to such lengths to force her hand.
It was an undeniable fact that the Second Prince operated in the open while the Fifth Prince schemed in the shadows regarding the Ji family's affairs. The mere sight of the Fifth Prince's utterly hypocritical face made Ji Zizhao feel nauseous.
She had never intended to rely on others in the past, and now, it was even more impossible to ally with her enemies!
Suppressing the urge to rush out and slice the Fifth Prince into a thousand pieces, Ji Zizhao turned and walked towards the nearby palace walls.
The Yulin Imperial Palace was not situated in the heart of the Imperial City but occupied a vacant plot of land to the east. The surrounding walls, seven meters high, encircled the palace like an impenetrable iron barrel.
Ji Zizhao reached the base of a wall corner. After carefully discerning that there were no unusual sounds on the other side, she leaped onto a nearby tree with dense foliage. With a twist, she landed atop the high palace wall and then descended to the ground.
The rapid descent caused the wind to whistle past Ji Zizhao's ears. Just as she steadied herself and shifted her weight entirely onto her feet to prevent a twisted ankle upon landing, a pair of strong hands suddenly cupped her slender waist.
Those hands lessened her downward momentum, then gently lowered her to the ground.
Ji Zizhao turned abruptly and saw a familiar face glowing under the moonlight.
Xie Jinglan, clad in a spotlessly white straight robe, wore a jade pendant at his waist that emitted a soft luster in the moonlight. His long, dark hair was bound by a jade coronet, his demeanor so refined and elegant that it was almost intimidating to behold.
From their previous meeting at the Ji family estate, Xie Jinglan had known Ji Zizhao was no weak woman incapable of defending herself. Yet, he hadn't anticipated that her courage was as concealed as her person, daring to scale the palace walls so brazenly.
Eunuch Mo Yan, who accompanied Xie Jinglan, was utterly astonished.
Most ladies, at best, were skilled in managing social graces and domestic affairs.
But looking at this eldest daughter of the Ji family, tsk, tsk...
Truly, one could say she could confront officials in court and scale palace walls!
"The hour is late. I will escort the eldest daughter of the Ji family back to her residence myself." Xie Jinglan's dark, deep eyes twinkled like stars. He deliberately avoided mentioning Ji Zizhao's martial prowess, but the slight, knowing smile that curved his lips seemed to convey that he understood everything.
Ji Zizhao remained rooted to the spot. "Did the Fourth Prince specifically wait for me here?"
Xie Jinglan smiled, not evading the question. "The eldest daughter of the Ji family is indeed someone worth my waiting for."
A simple sentence, yet it encompassed all the unspoken calculations and stratagems.
Merely seeing the Fifth Prince waiting at the palace gates with other princes meant he had calculated that she would abandon the main entrance and scale the walls. This Fourth Prince, who appeared no older than seventeen or eighteen, possessed a depth of cunning and foresight that could not be underestimated.
As if unperturbed by Ji Zizhao's scrutinizing and wary gaze, Xie Jinglan slightly inclined his body and extended his arm towards a carriage not far behind him. "Eldest daughter of the Ji family, please."
Ji Zizhao knew that Xie Jinglan was not the type to pester endlessly. His decision to wait here, away from prying eyes, surely meant he had something important to discuss with her in private.
And the matter that bound them together was not difficult to surmise.
Therefore, the moment Ji Zizhao stepped into the carriage, she spoke directly, "Has there been any news of my fourth sister?"
Xie Jinglan chuckled and produced a letter from his robes. "The eldest daughter of the Ji family is truly exceptionally intelligent."
The carriage began to move slowly, driven by Mo Yan's whip.
Inside the carriage, Ji Zizhao took the letter from Xie Jinglan without hesitation. She broke the seal and unfolded it, reading by the moonlight.
Ji Zizhao had agreed to cooperate with Xie Jinglan in the first place, partly to test the waters and partly in the hope that through Xie Jinglan's channels, the letter could be delivered to her fourth sister in Luoyi as quickly as possible.
Although, to outsiders, the Fourth Prince's influence might not seem as substantial or as imposing as other princes, the advantage of his position lay in his access to the latest information and his own established channels for its dissemination.
Just as Ji Zibì had written in her letter, she had only just settled herself and her people in Luoyi when she received her elder sister's message, demonstrating the speed of Xie Jinglan's information network.
Ji Zibì had never imagined the repulsive filth hidden behind the Ji family men's march to their deaths. On the very day she wrote this letter to Ji Zizhao, Ji Zibì had, as instructed by Ji Zizhao, begun her journey back to the capital, assuring Ji Zizhao that she and her entourage would arrive within five days, traveling day and night.
Ji Zizhao looked up at the man opposite her, who resembled a banished immortal from a secluded valley. "Does Your Highness the Fourth Prince know when this letter was sent?"
"Three days ago."
Sent three days ago, arriving within five days...
Ji Zizhao tightened her grip on the letter. This meant her fourth sister would arrive at the capital the day after tomorrow!
"In five days, Your Highness the Fourth Prince may permit the Second Prince to return to the city." Su Dan Novel Network.
Ji Zibì's arrival in three days, leaving two days to spare, seemed sufficient.
Xie Jinglan smiled faintly, asking no reason. "Alright."
Ji Zizhao, calculating her thoughts, spoke again. "I would also like to ask Your Highness the Fourth Prince to investigate some matters for me."
"If my guess is correct, it concerns the reasons for the Ji family's expedition to Luoyi this time?" Xie Jinglan continued to smile.
Having already suspected during the court session that the Fifth Prince had strategists among those present, it was understandable that Ji Zizhao now suspected the reasons for the Ji family's deployment.
Ji Zizhao praised Xie Jinglan's sharp insight but paused before continuing, "I also require the details of the Left Vice Censor-in-Chief and Grand Tutor Zhao's achievements and promotions in court over the years."
Xie Jinglan raised an eyebrow, and after a moment, he pursed his lips and smiled. "The eldest daughter of the Ji family certainly has a discerning eye."
He had initially assumed Ji Zizhao's actions were merely to clear the Ji family's name, but he hadn't expected her to have already decided to cut the weeds and eliminate the roots.
Ji Zizhao indeed intended to eliminate the roots.
Only by doing so could those who harbored ill intentions towards the Ji family be thoroughly eradicated.
"I request Your Highness the Fourth Prince handle this matter personally. Otherwise, any slip-up will lead to the utter ruin of not only the Ji family but also myself." Ji Zizhao spoke only of herself, not mentioning Xie Jinglan directly. She believed that with Xie Jinglan's deep astuteness, he would undoubtedly grasp the implications.
Indeed, Xie Jinglan chuckled softly, his starlit eyes revealing a frigid, icy glint. "Eldest daughter of the Ji family, rest assured. I am already involved in this matter. If the eldest daughter of the Ji family truly faces utter ruin, I fear I would not be able to protect myself either."
This girl, even when discussing business, didn't forget to threaten him. Tsk, tsk...
Truly, she was incorrigible.
Ji Zizhao enjoyed dealing with intelligent people. Like the Fourth Prince sitting opposite her, he understood with a single hint, saving time and effort, and leaving no loose ends.
The carriage swayed along for half an hour before arriving at the entrance of the Ji family residence.
Mo Yan approached the carriage and carefully helped Ji Zizhao alight. "Eldest daughter of the Ji family, please be careful."
Ji Zizhao allowed Mo Yan to help her steady herself on the ground before looking at him and expressing her thanks. "Thank you for your trouble, Eunuch Mo Yan."
Her sincere words, devoid of any condescension or contempt, filled Mo Yan with delight. He closely followed Ji Zizhao until she entered the mansion, then returned to the carriage.
Listening to Mo Yan humming a tune by the carriage shaft, Xie Jinglan, seated inside, subtly curved his lips.
A single sentence had made the eunuch by his side overjoyed.
This eldest daughter of the Ji family truly possessed remarkable methods.
Mo Yan, sitting outside the carriage, even said with a smile, "Your Highness, this servant feels that the eldest daughter of the Ji family is not as incompetent as others say."
See? He was already starting to speak in her favor.
Xie Jinglan helplessly touched his forehead. "Let's go."