Xin Rou was the name of the Second Grand Aunt of the Ji family.
It was also Ji Zizhao's paternal aunt.
Ji Zizhao arrived with memories from her past life, remembering everyone and everything she saw from the moment she opened her eyes. She was, of course, deeply familiar with this aunt.
Back then, she was the only young lady of her generation in the manor, and her aunt would specifically come to hold her and play with her every day.
Her aunt was different from her Eldest Aunt; she always exuded an air of proud aloofness. Ji Zizhao had thought that as she grew older, she would be able to confide in her aunt. However, she never imagined that when she was only three years old, the palace would be recruiting embroidery maidens, and her aunt would marry into the imperial palace.
After entering the palace, her aunt was greatly favored, being promoted from a mere noble lady to a concubine within a year.
Alas, beauty is often fragile. When Ji Zizhao was five, a fire broke out in the palace. The raging flames consumed half of the imperial palace and took her aunt with them.
The Emperor, in his fury, investigated the matter and finally discovered that it was a little palace maid who had accidentally knocked over a candlestick.
At that time, her aunt's death plunged the Ji family into despair. Her father, who had been closest to her aunt, fell seriously ill and took a full three months to recover and stand on his feet again.
From that day on, the name Xin Rou became a forbidden word in the Ji family.
If it hadn't been for the Empress Dowager mentioning it, Ji Zizhao might not have remembered it even now.
Caressing the two steady brushstrokes, Jian Qiu's reminder echoed in Ji Zizhao's ears, "People are sentimental..."
The Empress Dowager had truly given her a most reliable talisman for survival.
That evening, Ji Zizhao took up her brush and painted. She depicted her aunt as she remembered her onto the Xuan paper and called Shui Ling to her side. She instructed Shui Ling to secretly use the portrait to find clothes and jewelry that resembled the ones in the painting. They didn't need to be exact matches, but they had to be extremely similar.
Shui Ling, having been a servant girl doing rough work at the Zhao family, was no stranger to running errands. She was already familiar with the shops in the imperial city and readily agreed to the task. Su Dan Novel Network.
For several consecutive days, Qing Zhu reported that the Old Madam had been secretly leaving the manor every night with Granny Xu. The direction the carriage traveled suggested it was heading west of the city. Qing Zhu had also meticulously inspected the returning carriage and found no mud on its wheels, indicating it had not left the city.
Ji Zizhao naturally knew her grandmother would not leave the city.
Over the years, although her grandmother had never outwardly expressed anything, she had never given up hope in secret!
After another two days of rest, Lian Ju's injuries had fully healed.
Ji Zizhao knew Lian Ju was not one to sit still, so she entrusted her with matters concerning Phoenix Mountain. It was only upon seeing the Second Prince, whose face was blackened from being trapped in the fire for days, that Lian Ju realized her young lady had already decided to make a desperate gamble.
As the day of Ji Zibao's return to the city drew closer, Ji Zizhao's unease grew.
The tenth day of the ninth lunar month had arrived, and the weather had become increasingly cool. The evening breeze sent shivers down one's spine.
At Hai Shi, the first watch bell chimed. Ji Zizhao, accompanied by Qing Zhu, left through the back gate of the Ji family and mounted a horse.
Chen Gang had been waiting at the back door of the Xuan Yi Pavilion. Upon seeing his master dismount, he quickly and discreetly led her to the accounting room on the second floor.
Ji Zizhao removed her cloak, her gaze clear and cold. "How are the preparations for everyone else?"
Chen Gang replied softly, "My lady, rest assured. The other shopkeepers have already prepared the physicians. As soon as the people are brought over, they will receive the swiftest treatment."
Ji Zizhao walked to the window of the accounting room and silently looked down at the street.
Not long after, a group of dark figures could be seen slowly approaching from the direction of the city gate.
At the same time, the doors of the Four Great Medical Halls opened silently, with their respective shopkeepers standing at the entrance to await them.
After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Ji Zibao's face appeared under the lantern in front of the Xuan Yi Pavilion.
The continuous journey had made her already not-so-fair complexion appear even more weary. However, she had no time to catch her breath, as there were several hundred people behind her who needed treatment.
Those people were scantily clad, disheveled, and some even had dried bloodstains like scabs on their faces. Led by Ji Zibao, these people entered the Four Great Medical Halls respectively. In the blink of an eye, the halls were so crowded that there wasn't even a place to sit.
Among these people were elderly elders, and even babes crying for milk...
Having not bathed for a long time, their bodies exuded an off-putting odor that deterred people. As they entered, the medical halls became extremely pungent, making many young physicians gag.
Yet, despite this, the physicians dared not delay. Led by the shopkeepers, these people formed long queues within the medical halls. The physicians, enduring the acrid smell, busied themselves with examining and prescribing medicine.
Suddenly, the Four Great Medical Halls were in a state of utter chaos.
Ji Zibao waited until the last group of people had been admitted into the Xuan Yi Pavilion before being discreetly led to the second floor by Chen Gang.
Pushing open the accounting room door, she saw a familiar figure standing within.
Ji Zizhao, who had been looking out the window, turned towards the door upon hearing the sound. Her fair face was bathed in a soft glow under the candlelight, and her dark eyes were bright yet reserved.
Ji Zibao's eyes welled up as she looked at the familiar figure from her memory.
On her journey to Luoyi, she had witnessed the most brutal scenes of humanity: families torn apart, the strong perishing. Luoyi, once a city of transport canals, had been reduced to ruins, with the bodies of innocent civilians littering the streets and scattered in the wilderness!
She had gritted her teeth and pressed on, knowing she was not alone. Her elder sister was waiting for her in the imperial city.
As long as she had her elder sister, she had nothing to fear!
As long as she had her elder sister, she could walk any difficult path!
Now that the familiar face was before her, Ji Zibao could no longer suppress the soreness in her throat. Tears streamed down her face as she entered, and she knelt before her elder sister on one knee, "Eldest Sister, I've returned!"
Ji Zizhao looked at her fourth sister, who was now weeping profusely. Her own heart ached with sadness, but this was not the time for reminiscing.
Suppressing the ache in her heart, Ji Zizhao offered a faint smile. "It's good that you're back."
Hearing her elder sister's voice, Ji Zibao bit her lip and wept even harder.
Ji Zizhao reached out and helped Ji Zibao, who was kneeling before her, to her feet. She wiped away the tear-streaked dust from her face. "Our fourth sister has grown up. You are now capable of handling things on your own."
Ji Zibao looked at her elder sister, who had grown thinner again. She wanted to ask how her elder sister had been recently, but the sounds of agony echoing from downstairs forced her to swallow the lump in her throat.
This was not the time for pleasantries.