The letter in Xie Jinglan's hand was confirmed to be from Old General Zhong's own hand. It had to be delivered to the Emperor, otherwise the Seventh Prince, far away in Tonglin, would be in mortal danger.
Ji Zizhao felt that the person who delivered the letter to Xie Jinglan not only doubted Xie Jinglan's identity but also knew intimately about the relationship between Xie Jinglan and the Seventh Prince.
As the saying goes, concern can lead to chaos, and in chaos, mistakes are made.
Once Xie Jinglan showed any carelessness, the flaws exposed would be fatal.
To put it bluntly, it was using the affection between Xie Jinglan and the Seventh Prince to force Xie Jinglan into a choice!
If Xie Jinglan wanted to protect the Seventh Prince, he absolutely had to hand the letter to the Emperor. However, if he handed it over through others, he would likely be bitten back by the person who had been secretly testing him. But if Xie Jinglan chose to hand it over himself, he would inevitably invite trouble. Ordinary people would not have the courage to do so.
This letter was now a hot potato!
With pitfalls on both sides, even Ji Zizhao didn't know whether to advance or retreat.
As it turned out, Ji Zizhao had still underestimated Xie Jinglan's strength.
The next morning, Xie Jinglan personally handed the letter to Emperor Xiaochang. As for how the letter came into his hands, why he had read it beforehand, and all other processes, he told the truth, not even omitting a single comma.
Xie Jinglan stood in the imperial court, his face filled with grief and his words impassioned. Before all the civil and military officials, tears flowed down his cheeks.
He played the role of a victim to perfection, expressing his longing for his brother and his concern for his sibling with unparalleled sincerity.
The entire court was stunned by Xie Jinglan's decisive move, a strategy of preemptive action.
Now, whether they had intended to test Xie Jinglan or were merely watching the spectacle, no one had any reason to accuse Xie Jinglan of having ties with Xirong. After all, no traitor would be foolish enough to offer their head to the executioner.
However, after the Emperor read the letter, he remained silent, and everyone could only speculate about the imperial will in private.
After all, with the various princes vying for power, the Emperor's attitude would naturally determine who had a greater chance of being appointed the crown prince.
Just as everyone was eagerly guessing whether the Emperor truly favored the Seventh Prince or if the Seventh Prince was not as important in the Emperor's heart, Ji Zizhao felt that the Emperor had indeed begun to doubt Xie Jinglan's identity.
It was precisely because of this that someone had used Old General Zhong's letter to test Xie Jinglan.
Flies don't land on a spotless egg.
If the Emperor's trust in Xie Jinglan was deeply rooted, then even the most scheming person would not waste time and energy on something without hope.
Ji Zizhao did not know when the Emperor had begun to doubt Xie Jinglan's identity, but as long as the Emperor harbored doubts, he would need sufficient time to consider and resolve this matter.
And whether it was her or Xie Jinglan, all they could do was wait.
"Xueying, go to Physician Zhang's mansion and inform my master that once the Emperor issues an decree, I am willing to go to Tonglin." Ji Zizhao summoned Xueying and instructed her carefully.
Others speculated about the extent of the Emperor's favoritism towards the Seventh Prince, but Ji Zizhao knew that the Emperor truly doted on the Seventh Prince. This was evident from the fact that the Seventh Prince had exchanged military merits for the marriage decree for her and Xie Jinglan.
Who would dare to negotiate with the Emperor?
The Seventh Prince dared!
Not only did he dare, but he also succeeded in his negotiations...
This was enough to show how partial the Emperor was to his son.
And given the Emperor's partiality towards the Seventh Prince, she and Xie Jinglan would likely not have to wait much longer.
After all, every day of delay meant one more day of danger for the Seventh Prince.
The Emperor surely could not afford to gamble.
The waiting time was always long, but fortunately, the manor was quiet during this period.
Even if Gu Peilan could not believe that Ji Zizhao had become the Fourth Prince's consort, she had to accept it now that the facts were before her. Knowing that Ji Zizhao was no longer someone she could provoke, she completely avoided her in the manor. Even Granny Song, who served Ji Renran, treated those from Zhaoyuan with great respect.
As for the Old Madam, she was even more compliant with Ji Zizhao, directly reducing the dowry gifts for Ji Renran and openly adding them to Ji Zizhao's dowry.
When Granny Xu delivered the list, she was all smiles. "This old servant has always said that the Old Madam has always had the eldest daughter in her heart. No one can replace her."
"Thank you, Granny Xu, for making this special trip. Your grandmother's kindness fills me with gratitude." Ji Zizhao understood that Granny Xu was trying to curry favor with her grandmother, but she still respectfully accepted the list.
She and her grandmother could not completely reconcile, but even for the sake of her grandfather, father, and uncles who were in the netherworld, she could not truly abandon her grandmother.
Moreover, after she married and left, her third sister would also need the Old Madam's support.
Granny Xu was overjoyed at the eldest daughter's prompt and grateful acceptance. That afternoon, she and Granny He in the main courtyard verified the dowry items and personally helped Granny He and others move the dowry added by the Old Madam into Zhaoyuan's storeroom first.
Now, Gu Peilan could no longer sit still.
Seeing the duck she thought was cooked flap its wings and fly away to Ji Zizhao, Gu Peilan went directly to the main courtyard to demand an explanation from the Old Madam. However, the Old Madam's attitude was firm. Seeing that she could not persuade the Old Madam, Gu Peilan personally went to the Tong family, hoping to ask the Old Madam of the Tong family to intercede for her.
Little did she know that the Old Madam of the Tong family, having suffered a severe setback at the Ji family last time, would have considered Gu Peilan an absolute nuisance, were it not for the Fifth Prince. At this moment, forget helping, she wouldn't even see her.
Looking at the closed gates of the Tong family before her, Gu Peilan had no choice but to return in disappointment.
Upon hearing this, Ji Renran fell ill.
She was so angry that she fell ill.
But no matter how serious her illness was, what could be done?
Facts are facts, and no one can change them.
"She's really sick?" Ji Zizhao had been paying attention to the court's movements during this time and had not really noticed what was happening in the manor.
Shui Ling nodded. "Indeed. This servant heard she even fainted. Only the Third Miss knew about it and went to see her. The other madams have made no move. The new Madame is currently looking after Miss Renran in her courtyard."
The aunts in the manor had to bow to Gu Peilan, but Ji Renran was, after all, a junior. Even if they didn't intervene, Gu Peilan and Ji Renran could not find fault with them.
Ji Zizhao did not expect her third sister to become more thoughtful and more capable of managing the household.
"Mohen, go to the four major medical clinics and ask for someone to come over in the name of my third sister." Ji Zizhao walked to the window and said to Mohen in the courtyard.
Mohen always carried out his master's orders without question and left the courtyard with a blank expression.
On the other hand, Granny He sighed. "Miss is truly kind-hearted, like Buddha."
Hearing this, Ji Zizhao's lips curled into a cold smile.
She fell ill now, but what would happen in the future? She had said from the beginning that she would take back everything from that mother and daughter, bit by bit, with interest. Before she had tormented them enough, even if Ji Renran walked into the gates of hell, she would personally drag her back.
Jian Qiu looked at the coldness on Ji Zizhao's lips and felt helpless.
She didn't know what the new Madame was thinking. Wasn't it good to live a normal life?
Why would she insist on being an enemy of their young lady?