Their eyes met. Despite hating Ji Zizhao with all her heart, Gu Peilan still managed to put on a smile.
However, unlike Gu Peilan’s pretense, Ji Zizhao simply walked away with Jian Qiu.
As the head of the Ji family, Ji Zizhao was already superior to Gu Peilan.
In the past, her pretense towards Gu Peilan was merely for personal gain.
Now, not only was Ji Zizhao about to become the Fourth Prince’s official consort, but the title of Zhong family’s adopted grandson was also something Gu Peilan could never attain.
Furthermore, there was only hatred between Ji Zizhao and Gu Peilan, with no semblance of friendship.
With Ji Zongyou gone and Ji Renran soon to follow, Ji Zizhao harbored no desire to drive her enemy, who now held no value, to despair. This restraint was solely due to her caution to avoid alerting her.
Naturally, Ji Zizhao no longer bothered with superficial pleasantries.
Gu Peilan had truly not expected Ji Zizhao to just leave like that…
Leave?!
With a host of servants following behind her, this was a greater humiliation than being slapped across the face!
But as she thought of Ji Zizhao being the head of the Ji family, while her own son was merely living a life of idleness…
And then, as she considered Ji Zizhao soon to be Zhong family’s adopted grandson, while her own daughter was merely a concubine to the Fifth Prince…
All these realities presented themselves. Gu Peilan, despite her burning desire to grind Ji Zizhao into the dirt, had no choice but to swallow her resentment.
Watching Ji Zizhao depart so casually, Gu Peilan’s hands clenched the handkerchief until it was misshapen.
"So arrogant, are you? Don't think this means you won't be accounted for!"
Gu Peilan had been busy all day, and her efforts were not in vain.
Even if she couldn't count on the Yang family to intercede with the palace on her behalf, the affinal ties between the Yang and Ji families still existed.
Her daughter was, after all, from the primary wife's line. With her upcoming marriage, the Yang family couldn't possibly stand by idly.
Although the Yang family was not based in the imperial capital, their prestige was well-known throughout the city.
As long as she could coax Madam Yang into agreeing to prepare dowry gifts for her daughter, once this news spread, the dignitaries in the capital who wished to curry favor or had some acquaintance with the Yang family would naturally come to offer their own gifts.
At that time, let alone her daughter's dowry, even her son's financial situation would be considerably improved.
Gu Peilan's schemes were undoubtedly intricate.
Similarly, Gu Peilan understood the principle of playing the long game to catch a big fish. To persuade Madam Yang, out of consideration for appearances, to prepare gifts for her daughter, she had already spent a considerable sum on arranging a banquet that day.
With this in mind, upon returning to her courtyard, Gu Peilan immediately sent for Madam Yang.
What Gu Peilan did not anticipate was how quickly Madam Yang arrived.
In truth, Madam Yang was not particularly eager to come so soon. Her primary impulse was an uncontrollable urge to lash out.
After a day's time, Madam Yang had somewhat accepted the fact of her sister-in-law's death. Had Gu Peilan remained inconspicuous, and for the sake of Ji Zizhao continuing to live peacefully in the Ji family, Madam Yang would not have stirred up trouble.
But as fate would have it, Gu Peilan had sent for Madam Yang.
"Well now, you stepped on my sister-in-law's corpse to gain entry, and before I’ve even settled that score, you dare flaunt yourself before me?"
The Yang family was a scholarly lineage, but Madam Yang, as the eldest daughter-in-law and matriarch of the Yang family, was seasoned and experienced.
She certainly possessed the demeanor befitting her station.
Therefore, the moment she entered, before Gu Peilan could even speak, Madam Yang directly overturned the table.
Gu Peilan stared in stunned silence as the white banknotes scattered across the floor.
But thinking of Madam Yang as a "big fish," she suppressed her anger and asked, "Sister-in-law, what is the meaning of this?"
"If the remarried First Madam does not understand, then allow me to make it even clearer." Madam Yang gazed at Gu Peilan's deceitful face, recalling the scene of her sister-in-law's barely cold corpse being trampled upon. She immediately stepped forward and delivered a heavy slap across Gu Peilan's face.
"Slap—!"
This single slap seemed to shake the entire Ji household.
Gu Peilan had intended to hook a big fish. The bait had been cast, but instead, she was bitten by the fish…
How could she possibly tolerate this insult?
Moreover, Madam Yang’s principle was not just to strike but to dismantle.
Gu Peilan, not having originated from a prominent family, found her petty schemes utterly exposed under Madam Yang's formidable presence. After a single round, Gu Peilan, reduced to tears and humiliation, could only flee to the main courtyard to seek help from the Old Madam.
Initially, the Old Madam had felt a twinge of guilt upon hearing that Madam Yang knew about Lin Wanyun’s death.
Coupled with Ji Zizhao's words that day, which had effectively nullified Gu Peilan's last shred of value, the Old Madam, ever adept at calculating benefits, chose to protect herself.
Gu Peilan never imagined that the Old Madam, who had initially agreed to her request, would suddenly refuse to see her. Met with a closed door, she could only sit in the Old Madam's courtyard and wail.
As the cries spread, everyone in the Ji family learned that the remarried First Madam had been beaten.
Upon hearing this, Ji Zizhao not only showed no surprise but felt a sense of relief.
Only by allowing her maternal aunt to channel her guilt into anger and vent would she help her keep the secret.
"Miss, someone just saw the remarried First Madam heading towards Miss Renran's courtyard," Mother He said, lifting the curtain to enter. She was always worried that Miss Renran would conspire with the remarried First Madam.
Ji Zizhao, however, smiled and replied, "A good thought, but I’m afraid she will be disappointed."
Ji Renran, capable of abandoning Ji Zongyou, was also capable of abandoning Gu Peilan.
If Gu Peilan sought Ji Renran's help at this moment, she would likely be chasing a mirage.
In fact, it wasn't that Ji Renran didn't want to help Gu Peilan, but that she dared not.
She was still relying on Ji Zizhao's money for her dowry. If she were to oppose Ji Zizhao at this juncture, putting aside whether she could defeat her, her dowry would surely be forfeited.
Originally, she was marrying into the Fifth Prince’s mansion as a concubine. Without a dowry to support her, how would she survive?
Gu Peilan realized that even her own daughter could no longer be relied upon, and her heart sank into despair.
Although she did not openly fall out with Ji Renran, she had already ceased to count on her daughter.
In the following days, Gu Peilan focused solely on visiting Ji Zongyou, completely disregarding Ji Renran’s well-being.
Ji Renran, meanwhile, was solely focused on her upcoming marriage to the Fifth Prince’s mansion, with no energy to consider Gu Peilan's feelings.
The weather grew colder. Gu Peilan, running back and forth between Ji Zongyou’s place and the Ji family all day, became even more exhausted. She left early and returned late each day, visibly thinner. Occasionally, she would encounter Ji Zizhao on the road and glare at her fiercely, as if she could devour her alive.
When Ji Zizhao learned of this outcome, she remained unperturbed.
Everything she was doing now was to completely isolate Gu Peilan, making it easier to strike.
To put it bluntly, in Ji Zizhao's eyes, Gu Peilan was already a dead person.
Naturally, she wouldn't bother with the dead.