Luo Hong was startled, but then she met Ji Zizhao's gaze openly.
She had always disliked this bitch, so why hide it? She was someone from Consort Xi's side, what was Ji Zizhao? In the end, she was just a chess piece that her master wanted to control.
Ji Zizhao seemed to be made nervous and wronged by Luo Hong's stare. Finally, she withdrew her hand that was being held tightly. "I beg Fifth Prince to conduct himself properly. Miss Luo Hong is watching."
"Zizhao, although we have not completed the marital rites, you are the wife I married with eight sedan chairs. As the legitimate side concubine of the Fifth Prince, you have no need to care about the eyes of a mere servant." Xie Jingzhou said, casting a sinister warning glance at Luo Hong not far away.
Luo Hong took a step back, feeling a chill all over her body.
Ji Zizhao still kept her head lowered and said, "Tomorrow is the day the men of the Ji family are to be buried. I only wish to appease the family now. Other matters... can be discussed later."
With that, she turned and hurried out of the room.
Xie Jingzhou quietly watched Ji Zizhao's retreating figure until her footsteps completely disappeared from the courtyard. Only then did he support himself and slowly get up, shedding all pretense of weakness from his face.
Seeing this, Luo Hong quickly stepped forward to help him. "This servant will help Your Highness up..."
Before she could finish speaking, Xie Jingzhou swept her hand away.
With such force that it sent Luo Hong to the ground.
"Luo Hong, you are too presumptuous." Xie Jingzhou sat coldly on the bed, looking down at her.
Luo Hong knelt on the ground, not daring to look up. "This servant merely feels distressed that Your Highness has endured such hardship!"
Xie Jingzhou lowered his gaze to the Luo Hong before him, his narrow eyes filled with gloom.
He had always known Luo Hong was foolish, but he hadn't expected her to be so foolish!
Now that the Ji family had narrowly escaped disaster, it was incredibly difficult to completely eradicate them.
His high ancestor had decreed that all women of the Ji family could join the army, so he dared not speculate whether the Ji family would rise again.
The best approach was to keep the one he loved and could control close. Firstly, he truly needed Ji Zizhao's intelligence and talent. Secondly, if the Ji family were to regain its prominence in the future, with the relationship of a son-in-law, would he not worry about the Ji family secretly assisting him?
Ji Zhengyong, that old degenerate, was dead.
By holding Ji Zizhao, he held the entire Ji family.
"From now on, you need not meddle in Ji family matters. Just follow my instructions." Luo Hong's foolishness made Xie Jingzhou too lazy to even look at her again.
If only she had half of Ji Zizhao's ability.
Luo Hong reminded him unwillingly, "Your Highness, the eldest daughter of the Ji family is by no means as simple as Your Highness sees today. Her approaching Your Highness must be for her own gain. Your Highness must not be deceived by her!"
"Shut up!"
Xie Jingzhou uncontrollably raised his voice, but being in the Ji family, he had to lower it again, staring fixedly at Luo Hong and warning her coldly, "In your eyes, am I truly a useless fool played around by women?"
"No, this servant did not mean that..."
"You may leave. From now on, mind your own mouth and do your own duties."
Xie Jingzhou turned and lay down on the bed, closing his eyes and no longer looking at Luo Hong.
He knew Luo Hong's petty thoughts without even thinking.
It was just that Ji Zizhao had no idea about his secret alliance with his second brother. Coupled with his well-known cowardice in the capital, in Ji Zizhao's eyes, he was merely a timid, cowardly, and faithless man.
Moreover, Ji Zizhao's questioning him today, even her trembling with anger and the turmoil in her eyes...
Were all reasonable.
Ji Zizhao's reddened eyes finally turned completely cold after she left the guest courtyard.
Qing Zhu, who had been waiting outside the courtyard for a long time, quickly spread out the outer cloak in her hands and draped it over her lady's shoulders.
"Where is Uncle Ji?" As soon as Ji Zizhao thought of Xie Jingzhou's touch, she felt disgusted, as if she had swallowed flies. She immediately pulled off the cloak from her shoulders and vigorously wiped her hands.
Qing Zhu said softly, "Still waiting for orders in Zhaoyuan."
Ji Zizhao nodded and quickened her pace.
In the courtyard, Zhang Ji was indeed still waiting quietly.
The first thing Ji Zizhao said upon seeing Zhang Ji was, "The Zhao and Sun families need not be investigated further."
Just now, in the guest courtyard, whether she mentioned the Sun family or the Zhao family, the Fifth Prince showed no signs of panic. To deceive her into returning to the Fifth Prince's mansion, he had even taken the initiative to suggest that the Ji family spread the news of the Zhao and Sun families causing trouble today.
The defeat in Luoyi was currently a sensitive topic for the Emperor. The Fifth Prince would not foolishly drag himself into this vortex to prove his innocence to her.
Therefore, it could only mean that the Zhao and Sun families posed no threat to him.
If that were the case, further investigation would only be a waste of time.
"It is estimated that the Emperor's imperial decree will arrive soon. The Dali Temple will inevitably use the Zhao and Sun families as a breakthrough. Now that the Ji family is considered a wronged minister, even if the Emperor is concerned about public opinion, once something is found, he will make a show of sending someone to notify the Ji family. I will trouble Uncle Ji to carefully dispatch people to intercept the news first. No matter what the news is, I must gain control of it before it reaches the Ji family."
Just now, in the guest courtyard, the Fifth Prince clearly had no intention of leaving quickly. He didn't even show any impatience or reluctance when she mentioned waiting until the Ji family matters were settled.
It was very clear that the Fifth Prince still intended to stay at the Ji family.
This suggested that the person the Fifth Prince was worried about had not yet been found.
If that were the case, there was still an opportunity to tear off the hypocritical mask of the Fifth Prince.
Zhang Ji did not know his eldest lady's plan, but after the incident at the palace gate, Zhang Ji knew that his eldest lady must have her own ideas when it came to doing things. He readily nodded and accepted the order, going to arrange manpower without asking for any reasons.
As soon as Ji Zizhao entered the room, she saw Xin Lan waiting for her with her eyes red.
"My lady, please save Yong Mei! Yong Mei is being framed!"
Xin Lan was only two years older than Yong Mei, but ever since Yong Mei came to Zhaoyuan, Xin Lan had been the one looking after her. Qing Zhu and Lian Ju had difficult personalities, so Xin Lan naturally had the best relationship with Yong Mei.
Now that Yong Mei was locked in the woodshed, crying that she was framed, how could Xin Lan not be anxious?
However, before Ji Zizhao could speak, Ji Ziyan pushed aside the curtain and entered.
Seeing her elder sister unharmed, Ji Ziyan secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Then she placed a thick booklet in her hand in front of her elder sister. "Eldest sister, this is the list of people who have offered incense and paid respects to the men of the Ji family for the past two days, as well as the procedures required for tomorrow's funeral. I hope eldest sister will review it."
Ji Zizhao instructed Xin Lan to boil water and make tea, then lowered her head to concentrate on the booklet before her.
Xin Lan knew her lady was busy, but she never expected her lady to disregard Yong Mei's life or death. Could it be that, as Yong Mei had said, now that her lady had gained control of her heart, she intended to discard both her and Yong Mei?