Gu Peilan still couldn't bring herself to recall what her daughter had said after returning home.
She had initially believed that after entering the palace this time, she would be steadily awaiting marriage to the Fifth Prince.
But what was the outcome?
Such a major incident had occurred within the palace.
Noble Consort Xi, in a fit of rage, had detained Ji Renran in the palace and made her kneel overnight!
The most critical point was that Ji Renran had been out of the palace for a whole day, and there had been no movement from the palace.
With her ambiguous relationship with the prince, if she truly couldn't enter the Fifth Prince's mansion, who else would want her in the future?
Gu Peilan was left with no other choice, which was why she was standing here now.
However, she couldn't say these words at the moment and could only suppress them.
Gu Peilan had originally intended to force Ji Zizhao to yield first. If Ji Zizhao had spoken something first, then regardless of whether the palace incident had anything to do with Ji Zizhao, she could use it to attack Ji Zizhao.
In this way, under pressure from the Old Madam, Ji Zizhao would have no choice but to care for her daughter.
But now, facing Ji Zizhao's counter-question, Gu Peilan, despite her lingering suspicion of Ji Zizhao, could only smile and say, "Sister Zhaojie's words are amusing. What could I possibly suspect? I just feel that Sister Zhaojie and Renran are sisters, and you should naturally be more concerned about your younger sister."
Ji Zizhao merely smiled. "The remarried First Madam's joke isn't very funny at all. I'm too busy with official duties every day to pry into others' private affairs."
Gu Peilan, "..."
She was truly left speechless, her face as green as a leek!
Seeing her mother cornered, Ji Renran pleaded in a soft voice, "It's fine if Eldest Sister doesn't know. Mother doesn't have any other intentions. I know Eldest Sister dislikes me, but please don't look down on Mother like this because of me. Mother has always worked tirelessly for us."
These words not only took the opportunity to sow discord between Ji Zizhao and the other branches of the family...
But also attempted to accuse Ji Zizhao of disrespecting her elders...
Several Madam's were left questioning their sanity by these words.
What, even speaking now requires such profound wisdom?
Ji Zizhao was already accustomed to the subtle twists and turns in Ji Renran's speech, but she had no time to indulge her. "Sister Renran, you shouldn't say that. If I recall correctly, the remarried First Madam manages the household. If she is diligently working, what is there to say about 'working tirelessly'? Moreover, the mansion is inherently one family. If we were to follow Sister Renran's words, wouldn't even Grandmother become an outsider beyond the First Branch?"
Ji Renran's fingernails dug into her palms in anxiety. She quickly turned to the Old Madam beside her. "Grandmother dotes on me so much. How could I possibly have such thoughts? Grandmother, look, everything I say to Eldest Sister is wrong."
Since she couldn't outwit Ji Zizhao, she had to call for backup.
The Old Madam naturally knew that Ji Renran was the one she had doted on since childhood. In the past, she would have been confident that her efforts would yield results.
But looking at Ji Zongyou...
How could the Old Madam dare to believe such claims now?
"Sister Zhaojie is not wrong. Renran, you shouldn't have spoken ill of your sister first. Don't forget that you and Sister Zhaojie share the same father. You should be united."
Upon hearing this, Ji Renran's deliberately sharpened fingernails dug deeper into her palm.
Grandmother was increasingly favoring Ji Zizhao...
"This old servant remembers that the reason the Eldest Young Lady was summoned today was not to chat about trivial family matters. Didn't the remarried First Madam just say she wanted to send an invitation to the Eldest Young Lady's maternal side to be guests?" Madam Xu seized the opportunity to speak. The Eldest Young Lady had always treated her very well, and had even given her something precious and helped her maintain her standing.
If she didn't do something, she truly felt anxious!
The Madam's present exchanged glances upon hearing this.
They had never heard about this matter at all.
Ji Zizhao subtly observed everyone's expressions, her mind already meticulously analyzing the situation.
Since Madam Xu dared to speak of this, it was likely a done deal.
But judging by the expressions of her aunts, they seemed completely unaware.
Logically, after Ji Renran had disgraced herself in the palace, Gu Peilan should have kept the matter completely quiet.
Yet now, she even wanted to involve her maternal relatives.
Ji Zizhao pondered for a moment longer and began to form a guess.
"Speaking of which, Renran's entry into the palace for the selection of consorts is an honor for the entire Ji family. However, since there has been no news from the palace yet, everyone is naturally uneasy. But if Renran can truly emerge victorious, it would also be good news for Sister Zhaojie's maternal family. It would be better to invite them over first and await the celebration together."
Gu Peilan hadn't expected Madam Xu to bring the matter to light over a lingzhi mushroom. She smiled to smooth things over but couldn't resist casting a glare at Madam Xu.
Madam Xu was completely unconcerned.
The Eldest Young Lady had always treated her well, but what had Gu Peilan and her daughter given her in comparison?
Since they had given nothing, why did they have the audacity to demand a return?
Ji Zizhao knew that Gu Peilan's words were merely flattering.
The Yang family had never benefited from the Ji family in the past, so what good news could there be now?
However, whether Gu Peilan's words were clear or not no longer mattered.
Because Ji Zizhao was completely certain that her recent guess was correct.
The lack of news from the palace was true, and Ji Renran's guilt was also true.
Precisely because of this, Gu Peilan had thought of involving the Yang family in this predicament.
Then, Gu Peilan could take the opportunity to negotiate with the Yang family, threatening them with the reputation of the Ji family.
Ji Renran's personal disgrace in the palace was a minor issue, but there were still young ladies in the mansion who were unmarried.
If Ji Renran met with trouble, what would become of the marriage prospects of the other young ladies in the mansion?
How could Ji Zizhao not understand that her maternal family would not stand by and watch her get into trouble?
Furthermore, she was now the one in charge of the Ji family. If the Ji family's young ladies couldn't get married, her responsibility would be undeniable.
At that point, no matter who from the Yang family came, they would likely have to ask Ji Zizhao's maternal grandfather to intercede with the Emperor.
As Ji Zizhao considered this, her heart grew cold to the extreme.
It seemed that Ji Renran also understood that Noble Consort Xi had no intention of keeping her.
Therefore, she had colluded with Gu Peilan to deceive the heavens, hoping that the Yang family would step in to help her marry into the Fifth Prince's mansion.
Seeing Ji Zizhao's long silence, Gu Peilan's heart was filled with unease.
Ji Renran, however, showed no signs of backing down, her back straight as she looked at Ji Zizhao.
In any case, this matter was no longer something Ji Zizhao could refuse.
The Old Madam knew of Ji Zizhao's prejudice and exclusion towards the First Branch, but if Ji Renran truly became the Fifth Prince's consort, not only would she gain prestige, but she would also no longer have to live entirely at the mercy of Ji Zizhao's moods.
Therefore, even though the Old Madam did not know the full truth, she hoped that the Yang family would step in to help Ji Renran in the palace.
"I know it's not easy for Sister Zhaojie to be on duty in the palace. I will make the decision for this small matter. The invitation sent to the Yang family has likely already left the city. I expect the Yang family will arrive in the capital in some time."
The Old Madam's words were like a thunderclap, leaving the Madam's from other branches speechless.
This was clearly a fait accompli!