Among all the princes, Emperor Yongchang favored the seventh prince the most.
Firstly, his temperament was most like his younger self, and secondly, his mother was someone he had been missing deeply over the years.
Furthermore, young Qi was different from the other princes; he didn't have so many schemes. The Emperor trusted him.
Alas, young Qi had never shown any inclination to study state affairs all these years, spending his days in close company with the dissolute youths of the imperial city. If young Qi were truly willing to dedicate his mind to the court, Emperor Yongchang would have been eager to see what achievements he could accomplish. Su Dan Novel Network.
"Tell the Ministry of Rites to quicken their pace. Strike while the iron is hot."
The Left Prime Minister naturally understood the Emperor's intention.
While the common people were still mourning the Ji family, if the court issued an imperial decree, the common people would naturally be grateful to the court. If the decree was only issued after the matter of the Ji family had cooled down, it would inevitably be criticized by the public as rehashing old news.
As the ruler of a nation, one must not only consolidate the empire but also win the hearts of the people.
However, when he looked up again, he saw the Emperor already reading memorial petitions. Even though the Left Prime Minister had more to say, he could only leave the imperial study with lingering reluctance.
It was common knowledge throughout the court that the seventh prince was the one the Emperor doted on the most.
However, fortunately, the seventh prince's interests did not lie in state affairs, and aiming for immediate elevation was a pipe dream.
After the Left Prime Minister left the imperial palace and boarded his carriage, he asked the driver, "Has the Fifth Prince returned to his residence?"
The driver replied truthfully, "No, I heard he is still recuperating at the Ji family's residence."
The Left Prime Minister nodded. "Then head to the Fourth Prince's mansion."
The driver turned the horse around and headed towards Lion Street.
By the time the female members of the Ji family returned to the Ji mansion, it was already noon.
Still unable to emerge from their gloom, they looked at the empty front courtyard, their hearts inevitably heavy.
A maid, guided by the gatekeeper, entered the courtyard.
Compared to the white mourning clothes and coarse hemp attire throughout the mansion, this maid's outfit of emerald green trousers and top was particularly striking. Especially the large, vibrant pink lilies embroidered on the green background, which made the Ji family's eyes ache unbearably.
Whose maid was this, dressed in such attire to visit at this time?
The guiding servant also disdained the maid's attire, yet seemed afraid to offend her. He could only walk with a wooden expression to Ji Zizhao, first offering a bow, and then said to the maid, "This is our eldest young lady."
The maid cast an unreserved glance at Ji Zizhao before stepping forward and feigning a slight bend of her knees. "Eldest Young Lady Ji, this servant is a dowry maid attending the junior madam of the Xuanping Marquis's mansion. Our junior madam says that the senior madam has been tending to the heir and is quite exhausted, so she will not be returning to attend the funeral today."
This constant mention of the senior madam and junior madam utterly confused the female members of the Ji family.
Seeing their confusion, the maid continued with a hint of smugness, "I fear the Ji family may not yet know, but our junior madam is the third daughter of Lord Lin, the Grand Master of the Imperial Court. Originally, such joyous news would have been announced to the Ji family. However, our heir, considering the Ji family's current mourning period, did not inform you. Now, our young lady is the junior madam of the Xuanping Marquis's mansion."
The Ji family members were speechless.
What kind of audacious declaration was this?
So, it turned out that the Jin family, seeing that the Ji family was no longer as influential as before, had arranged another marriage for Jin Qianyu.
Although it was common for men in Yulin to have three wives and four concubines, the sight of the Ji family's female members being referred to as the senior and junior madams was unheard of. Did the Xuanping Marquis's mansion intend to have two principal wives?
Was this an insult to Ji Ruyun?
Or was it an insult to the Ji family?
Compared to the fuming Ji family members, Ji Zizhao remained remarkably calm.
The character of the Xuanping Marquis's mansion could be seen from the recent incident involving Huang Qi. That they could still offer Ji Ruyun a respectable position as a madam now was likely due to the Ji family's narrow escape from disaster. Had the Ji family truly been convicted, the Xuanping Marquis's mansion would have likely already expelled Ji Ruyun.
A married daughter is like spilled water.
Although Ji Zizhao still had to respectfully address Ji Ruyun as aunt, she held no good impression of this aunt.
What Ji Ruyun's fate was, had nothing to do with the Ji family. But no one could tread upon the Ji family's doorstep and slap their face.
The maid, dressed in pink and green, paid no mind to the expressions of the Ji family members. Her visit today was to help her young lady deliver a message of dominance to the Ji family.
Simply put, the more displeased the Ji family looked, the better she would be able to report back.
However, the maid had not expected that the person now managing the Ji family was actually the eldest young lady of the Ji family. She secretly cast a few more glances at this eldest young lady, who appeared to be of similar age.
Could a young girl of this age truly manage a mansion?
As the maid was contemplating this, she heard Ji Zizhao speak, but her words were not directed at her.
"Nanny He."
Nanny He, who was standing not far away, quickly approached. "What is your command, young lady?"
Ji Zizhao continued without even looking at the maid. "Strip this servant's clothes! If she resists, kill her directly, and then send someone from the Xuanping Marquis's mansion to collect the body!"
The maid was stunned.
To resort to violence immediately, wasn't this too arrogant!
"I am a dowry maid attending the junior madam of the Xuanping Marquis's mansion. Do you, a mere Ji family, dare to oppose our Lin family!" Although the maid said this, her feet involuntarily took a step back. She had followed her young lady through countless storms.
But she had never encountered a family that resorted to fighting at the slightest disagreement!
Ji Zizhao handed the cooled hand warmer in her hand to Shui Ling, then cast a cold glance in the maid's direction. "Although the Grand Master of the Imperial Court holds a position in court, he is at most a third-rank official. Any male member of my Ji family, if still alive, would be a first-rank general, or a junior general of the first rank. Even though the male members of the Ji family are no longer here, the Emperor has cleared the Ji family's name. Now, you, a servant from a third-rank official's household, dare to speak so presumptuously in my Ji family. Not beating you to death directly is already showing respect to the Grand Master of the Imperial Court."
The maid listened to this speech in disbelief, her face turning pale with fright.
Both she and her young lady, like those in the imperial city, had assumed that with the male members of the Ji family dead, the Ji family was truly finished. But now, listening carefully to the eldest young lady of the Ji family's words, she was stunned and enlightened. Yes, it was true that the Ji family's men were dead, but as long as the Ji family's titles were restored, they still existed!
"Knowing that my Ji family is in mourning, you still entered wearing red and green. My Ji family can overlook this in consideration of the fact that the male members of the Ji family once stood in court with the Grand Master of the Imperial Court. But by what right do you, a mere servant, expect me to endure and retreat?"