The carriage was filled with the aroma of tea.
A man sat on a soft couch inside, his black hair and white robes exuding a detached elegance.
Ji Zizhao curtsied again, subtly withdrawing her hand that he had been holding.
Xie Jinglan smiled faintly, looking at his outstretched hand in mid-air, and gestured to the seat opposite her like a gentleman, "Eldest Daughter Ji, please."
Ji Zizhao gathered her skirt and sat down, her back straight and her posture proper.
Xie Jinglan took the initiative to pour a cup of tea and pushed it towards Ji Zizhao, "Eldest Daughter Ji is quite strategic."
Ji Zizhao could not help but detect the jest in his words. She lowered her gaze to the teacup before her, her expression unchanged, "It is thanks to Fourth Prince's timely delivery of information. Regardless of your hidden depths or your thunderous might, they both leave this humble subject in awe."
Xie Jinglan's hand, holding the teacup, paused.
In his seventeen years of life, no one had ever evaluated him like this.
He had merely made a jest, and she was already pursuing it relentlessly...
She was indeed someone who wouldn't suffer a loss.
Quite interesting.
"Although the Emperor has ordered a thorough investigation into the defeat at Luoyang, investigating sounds simple, but doing it is incredibly difficult. Now, thanks to Eldest Daughter Ji, the actions of the Vice Censor-in-Chief's wife and Grand Tutor Zhao's wife will soon spread throughout the city. By then, even if Vice Censor-in-Chief Sun and Grand Tutor Zhao hide themselves deeply, they will be dug out."
Inciting the populace, creating a scene at the palace gates—perhaps Eldest Daughter Ji intended to use public sentiment to contend with imperial power. However, with Eldest Daughter Ji's intellect, she would surely consider the consequences of such an uproar.
To put it bluntly, Eldest Daughter Ji had already foreseen the encirclement and schemes of Vice Censor-in-Chief Sun's wife and Grand Tutor Zhao's wife.
"Yes and no."
In front of someone as cunning as Xie Jinglan, feigning ignorance was merely inviting humiliation.
Whether it was Sun Yunxiao or Grand Tutor Zhao, having maintained their positions in the court for so long, they were undoubtedly cautious individuals. Even if the Emperor wished to investigate, it would be difficult to verify. Secondly, the Emperor could not personally conduct every investigation and trial, thus allowing Sun Yunxiao and Grand Tutor Zhao to exploit loopholes.
And to bring both individuals to light simultaneously, one had to employ indirect methods.
Fortunately, neither Mrs. Sun nor Mrs. Zhao were individuals who could remain calm.
It was just that Ji Zizhao had not expected that, among the Sun and Zhao families, no one could restrain the rashness of Mrs. Sun and Mrs. Zhao. It seemed that the Sun and Zhao families should have been in complete disarray.
Of course, even if someone from the Zhao or Sun families had intervened, she would have found ways to further incite their animosity, forcing Mrs. Sun and Mrs. Zhao to seek her out.
It seemed to have saved her considerable trouble now.
Ji Zizhao slowly raised her head, looking at the refined man sitting opposite her, her vigilance deepening.
Others only saw her inciting public support to protect the Ji family, but he alone saw through her stratagem of killing two birds with one stone...
This man was indeed someone to be wary of.
"Fourth Prince, if you have something you wish to discuss, perhaps you should state it directly."
The Emperor's intention to absolve the Ji family was evident. At this juncture, if someone were to represent the royal family in offering sacrifices to the heroic spirits of the Ji family's men, it would surely curry favor with the Emperor. However, it would simultaneously make them a target for others seeking to gain merit in the Emperor's eyes.
The Fourth Prince had concealed his ambition within the imperial city for so long; how could he reveal himself so openly?
It was likely that his visit to the Ji family today was not for the stated purpose.
Xie Jinglan smiled faintly. Since she disliked beating around the bush, he would be more direct, "I merely wish to strike a deal with Eldest Daughter Ji."
Ji Zizhao picked up the teacup before her, remaining silent and not answering.
Xie Jinglan was not in a hurry for her reply and continued, "The Ji family took a gamble to escape the death penalty. However, with the Second Prince's downfall, it is not only the Zhao and Sun families that have been implicated. After the dust settles, the Ji family being criticized would be a minor issue; being falsely accused and persecuted would be the real danger."
Once ministers in the court chose their allegiance, unless the prince they secretly supported died, they would never switch sides.
Not to mention the unfavorable reputation, they would also lose the trust of any new ruler.
The Second Prince was a favored candidate for the position of Crown Prince, and he had no shortage of officials supporting him.
This time, they were severely weakened because of the Second Prince, making a change of allegiance impossible. Once these individuals recovered, how could they possibly let the Ji family off the hook?
Xie Jinglan personally reached out and took the teacup from Ji Zizhao's hand, refilling the half-drunk tea with a gentle, low voice, "Public support can help the Ji family for a time, but it cannot help them forever."
Ji Zizhao's empty hand slowly lowered, clenching at her side.
The Ji family was different from other bureaucratic families. During the reign of their High Ancestor, a special decree had been issued allowing Ji family women to join the army and hold positions of power.
Therefore, people only saw the current decline of the Ji family, forgetting that the Ji family was not truly at its end.
Ji Zizhao had long planned to nurture her second sister, who aspired to join the military from childhood, into a female general for the Ji family. Once the Ji family had a commanding general again, soldiers who admired the Ji family would voluntarily join the Ji family army. When the Ji family army was fully formed, the Ji family would once again ascend to its former peak.
However, she had not expected that even such a subtle plan could not escape the Fourth Prince's astute foresight.
For the Ji family to rise again was already an arduous task. If they were to face the enmity of court officials at this time, even if she spent her entire life scheming, she might not be able to bring the Ji family back to prominence.
The Ji family had remained neutral for a hundred years. No emperor had ever received the Ji family's assistance. It was not that they did not want to, but they could never shake the Ji family's resolve for neutrality.
This Fourth Prince, however, was an expert at exploiting any opening.
Although the Fourth Prince was not Emperor Zhong's biological son, he had been raised by her since childhood. Furthermore, there was a dashing Seventh Prince by his side. This meant that if she agreed now, she would not only gain the Fourth Prince's support but also triple protection that others could only dream of.
This temptation...
Was truly immense.
"I am grateful for Fourth Prince's kind intentions, but this matter is not to be trifled with. I hope Fourth Prince will grant me time to consider." For the future of the Ji family, Ji Zizhao was not unmoved, but her consideration was accompanied by even greater caution.
As far as she knew, the Fourth Prince was the least favored and the most low-profile among all the princes. Otherwise, he would not have been assigned to the Ministry of Revenue, farthest from military power, by the Emperor for so many years.
Her grandfather was a true gentleman, and he would steadfastly uphold neutrality for the sake of their ancestral teachings and beliefs.
Although Ji Zizhao was not a scoundrel, she did not consider herself to be entirely upright. Since her grandfather had entrusted the Ji family to her, she would make the Ji family rise again by any means necessary. Su Dan Novel Network.
But before that, the person who asked her to take sides had to be worthy.
Xie Jinglan, who had anticipated this, pushed the teacup back in front of Ji Zizhao and chuckled softly, "I believe I will not disappoint Eldest Daughter Ji."
How could he not understand that her delay was a pretense, and her true intention was to probe whether he was worth her allegiance and cooperation?
Xie Jinglan admitted that he was not favored, but Little Seven was very much doted on by their father. Coupled with the Empress, who was the formidable matriarch of the imperial harem... If such enticing conditions were presented to anyone else, they would have likely agreed with eagerness.
Yet, looking at Ji Zizhao, her mind was steady, and she remained unfazed by favor or disgrace.
Most men would likely not possess such a stable and magnanimous heart.
The carriage had stopped at the entrance of the Ji family mansion.
Ji Zizhao rose and bowed first, "Fourth Prince, there is no need to make any promises to this humble subject. As long as Fourth Prince can uphold the words you have just spoken, it will suffice."
Xie Jinglan watched Ji Zizhao's retreating back and truly sighed.
She threatened him openly and clearly, and then distanced herself so meticulously.
Such courage...
How did Old General Ji raise such an extraordinary granddaughter?