Xie Jinglan gently placed the person in his embrace onto the bed. With a sudden wave of his hand, the candles in the room were instantly extinguished.
Pure moonlight streamed through the window lattice, bathing the room in a faint, silvery-grey hue.
As clothes slowly fell to the floor, a red, swollen, and bruised back became clearly visible.
His slender fingers dipped into the ointment and carefully applied it to the wounds. No matter how gentle he was, he could still feel the skin beneath his fingertips involuntarily twitching from pain.
Anyone else would likely have been unable to bear it, yet this girl had gritted her teeth and endured. Such resilience was truly admirable and envied.
"If only I had possessed even half of your tenacity and fortitude back then, would everything be different?" Xie Jinglan slowly withdrew his hand, looking at Ji Zizhao, who was lying on the bed. It was as if he were asking a question or posing it to himself.
However, Ji Zizhao, already in a deep sleep, could not answer his question.
The stinging sensation of the ointment on her wounds made Ji Zizhao's forehead glisten with sweat. Even in her dreams, she could feel the persistent, unsettling pain in her back.
A soft breath suddenly swept across her back.
Warm and gentle, it finally alleviated the pain in her back. The familiar scent also lulled Ji Zizhao into an even deeper slumber.
Ji Zizhao had no idea how long she had slept. When she opened her eyes again, the sky outside had not yet fully brightened.
She sat up abruptly, and the quilt wrapped around her slid down her smooth shoulders. However, it did not scrape against her swollen and red back, indicating the carefulness of the person who had covered her.
Ji Zizhao could not afford to dwell on such matters now. Seeing a palace maid enter with a basin of water, she quickly inquired, "What time is it?"
The palace maid replied truthfully, "Replying to the Eldest Daughter of the Ji family, it is not yet Chen Shi."
Ji Zizhao breathed a sigh of relief but still hurried to get up, change her clothes herself, and left without even having breakfast. Before she could leave the courtyard, she saw Nanny Dai approaching.
"Eldest Daughter of the Ji family," Nanny Dai said, lowering her head slightly as if avoiding Ji Zizhao's gaze.
"Nanny Dai, if you have something to say, just say it," Ji Zizhao continued walking without stopping.
Nanny Dai watched the Eldest Daughter of the Ji family walk past, her heart churning with unease. "That palace maid from yesterday, this old servant fears I cannot arrange for her to be transferred to the Empress's side."
"We can discuss this after I return." Ji Zizhao mused that the palace maid had embarrassed Noble Consort Xi in front of the Emperor yesterday, so it was only natural for Noble Consort Xi to retaliate.
Nanny Dai, however, said, "That palace maid is dead."
Her footsteps abruptly stopped. Ji Zizhao turned back, disbelief etched on her face. "What did Nanny Dai just say?"
"Last night, this old servant had made all the arrangements and was just waiting to transfer the person from the Imperial Household Department at the temporary palace today. Who knew that someone from the Imperial Household Department informed this old servant that just last night, that palace maid violated palace rules by getting drunk privately and then slipped into a well..."
Nanny Dai sighed heavily with almost every word she spoke. Such an explanation, let alone Ji Zizhao, even she herself did not believe it. But now that the person was dead, it was naturally up to the living to decide what happened.
A chill ran through Ji Zizhao's chest, making her feel so nauseous that she almost vomited.
Did they really take her for a fool to be deceived?
"This old servant has already had people secretly investigate this matter. Everything is reasonable and lawful. The person who was drinking with that palace maid last night has also been found, and they have all confessed..." Nanny Dai's meaning was quite clear: everything was reasonable and lawful.
But it was precisely because it was too reasonable and lawful that it was so suspicious!
Ji Zizhao narrowed her eyes slightly. She had indeed underestimated Noble Consort Xi's methods.
"Please trouble Nanny Dai to help me inquire about that palace maid's family outside the palace, and also have someone go to the four major medical halls in the Imperial City to borrow money in my name. We will handle the aftermath as appropriately as possible, and there should be no expense spared. As for what happened in the palace, please do not tell the elderly."
At Ji Zizhao's words, Nanny Dai finally remembered that the palace maid had mentioned having an elderly mother at home. Indeed, the Eldest Daughter of the Ji family was kind-hearted. "Eldest Daughter of the Ji family, please rest assured, this old servant will handle it meticulously. However, since this matter is settled, I implore the Eldest Daughter of the Ji family not to pursue it further."
"Nanny Dai, please rest assured, I know what I am doing." Ji Zizhao wanted to curl her lips into a smile, but found she could not. She had always known the darkness of the palace, but never imagined it was so pitch-black that a life could be extinguished just like that.
Noble Consort Xi had handled this matter flawlessly. Ji Zizhao understood that even bringing it up with the Empress might not turn the tables, and she might even be counterattacked by Noble Consort Xi.
However, it was not that easy for her to swallow this injustice.
Was it not a matter of ruthless methods?
She, Ji Zizhao, would also employ them!
Tang Di, who had been waiting at the entrance of the temporary palace for a long time, saw Ji Zizhao approaching swiftly and quickly opened the carriage door. "Everything has been arranged by the master at the temporary palace. Eldest Daughter of the Ji family, you can leave with peace of mind."
As soon as Ji Zizhao entered the carriage, she looked up and saw General Xue and Official Xu. "What are these two officials doing here..."
Xue Yongnian and Xu Jiang had found out yesterday that the person who had rescued their daughters was the fourth sister of the Eldest Daughter of the Ji family. Upon hearing that the Eldest Daughter of the Ji family was personally investigating this matter, how could they sit still?
"We heard that the Eldest Daughter of the Ji family had some business to attend to today, so we eagerly offered our assistance."
"Eldest Daughter of the Ji family, please feel free to give us any instructions. We will do our utmost."
Ji Zizhao knew that Xue Yongnian had sided with the Fourth Prince. Seeing that Xue Yongnian was speaking without any reservation towards Xu Jiang, she guessed that Xu Jiang had also joined the Fourth Prince's faction.
Ji Zizhao, who detested Noble Consort Xi to the extreme, had to admit that these two had arrived at the perfect time.
Xue Yongnian: "..."
Why were the Eldest Daughter of the Ji family's eyes glowing green?
Xu Jiang: "..."
It felt like jumping into a wolf's den.
Ji Zizhao, having a plan in mind, was not flustered. As the carriage drove into the town, while she was busy disguising Tang Di, she first had Xue Yongnian and Xu Jiang proceed to the yamen.
By the time Ji Zizhao finished her task, the town was already in an uproar.
Xu Jiang and Xue Yongnian, having navigated court for decades, possessed an extraordinary demeanor even without their official robes.
After alighting from the carriage, they deliberately walked through crowded areas of the town, as instructed by Ji Zizhao. During their conversation, they revealed their identities. By the time they stood at the entrance of the county yamen and beat the drum of grievances, the townspeople knew that two high-ranking officials had come to file a complaint.
In the county yamen, Xie Jinglan, who had been playing a game of cat and mouse with Magistrate Liang and the Fifth Prince, heard the drum and naturally had to preside over the case.
And it was during this trial that the townspeople learned that the young ladies who had encountered trouble yesterday were all of noble birth, including not only the daughters of generals and civil officials but also the niece of the current Empress.
The townspeople were stunned!
This was truly stirring up a hornet's nest.