Ji Zizhao noticed Ling's unusual demeanor and was about to inquire when Madam Xu arrived to ask about medicinal ingredient dosages. Ji Zizhao, planning to check on her grandmother's pulse, handed the letter to Qing Zhu for delivery.
Once her mistress had left, Shui Ling breathed a sigh of relief. Lying to her mistress had been incredibly stressful, and she had been terrified.
Qing Zhu whispered, "No matter what, you must stop her from leaving the residence during this period. Absolutely do not let her go out."
Shui Ling nodded, "Sister Qing Zhu, rest assured, I will do my best."
Madam He and Jian Qiu, overhearing Qing Zhu's instructions, felt a turmoil in their hearts. The imperial city was currently unstable. If their mistress were to hear those words, how much sorrow would she endure?
As fate would have it, a few days later, an invitation from the Xue family arrived. It was from Xue Yinuo and Xu Meiqing, inviting Ji Zizhao for tea.
No one dared to conceal an invitation from the Xue mansion. Shui Ling had no choice but to reluctantly present the invitation to her mistress.
Ji Zizhao was surprised that Xue Yinuo and Xu Meiqing had invited her for a gathering so soon. Thinking she wasn't too busy lately, she instructed Shui Ling to reply to Xue Yinuo.
However, on the day of their planned outing, Shui Ling suddenly developed stomach pains and dizziness. After a whole half-hour of fussing, Ji Zizhao couldn't even leave the house.
Watching Shui Ling writhe on the bed, Ji Zizhao said softly, "If you're not feeling well, you should stay and rest." With that, she walked towards the door.
Shui Ling was frantic but couldn't find any further excuse to stop her mistress. She could only turn to Jian Qiu and ask, "Aunt Jian Qiu, if I faint, will Miss not go out then?"
Jian Qiu shook her head. "Do you really think Miss hasn't seen through your feigned illness?"
Shui Ling blinked. "Miss didn't take my pulse."
Jian Qiu sighed. "With Miss's intelligence, she can tell whether an illness is real or fake just by looking."
"Then what should we do? What if Miss goes out and really hears those nasty words..."
"Don't worry, Miss is far stronger and more resilient than you think." After all, the Empress Dowager herself had praised her; how could she be a weakling?
Ji Zizhao, of course, could see that Shui Ling was faking her illness. The more they tried to hide it from her, the more she felt compelled to go out and see what it was that they were so diligently trying to conceal.
Fu Bao, the coachman, had no idea what was on his mistress's mind. He only intended to take a secluded path, hoping to avoid any overheard remarks.
However, the matter of the Ji family being exempted from hereditary enfeoffment had already spread like wildfire throughout the imperial city. No matter where Fu Bao drove the carriage to hide, those words still drifted in with the wind to Ji Zizhao's ears.
"I truly don't know what the Ji family's eldest daughter was thinking, to personally beg the Emperor to exempt the Ji family from hereditary enfeoffment."
"I heard that the Ji family's eldest daughter didn't get along with the remarried main wife who returned home. It's said that the main wife's son and daughter suffered quite a bit under the eldest daughter's hands. They're still staying at the Tong family's place and dare not return, are they?"
"I never would have guessed. The Ji family's eldest daughter is so vicious. Because she couldn't tolerate her younger siblings, she resorted to such a sinister trick. Doesn't she realize that without hereditary enfeoffment, how will the Ji family survive in the future?"
The commoners' words pierced Ji Zizhao's ears, one after another. All the streets and alleys of the imperial city were now discussing this matter. Sitting in the carriage, Ji Zizhao didn't need to strain her ears; she could hear it all clearly.
So, this was why Shui Ling and the others had tried to stop her from leaving.
Leaning back on the soft couch, Ji Zizhao couldn't help but chuckle. It truly didn't matter. She had already anticipated the consequences when she decided to act.
It had been more than half a month since she attended the palace banquet, yet the rumors in the imperial city only grew. Ji Zizhao found it hard to believe that there was no human intervention behind this. However, whether it was the Tong family or those who wished to see the Ji family fall, they were celebrating far too early.
After the time it took for an incense stick to burn, the carriage slowly stopped outside the tea house. Fu Bao opened the carriage door and helped his mistress alight. Seeing her calm expression, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief. It was good that his mistress could come to terms with it.
The patrons of this tea house were all people of status, and Fu Bao could not accompany her. Ji Zizhao gave him some silver ingots, telling him he had half an hour of free time, before holding up her skirt and entering.
Led by a waiter, Ji Zizhao arrived at a private room on the second floor. Xue Yinuo and Xu Meiqing were already there. As soon as Ji Zizhao entered, they both stood up. Looking at Ji Zizhao before them, neither spoke, their eyes scrutinizing her.
Ji Zizhao was amused. "What are you two doing?"
Seeing that Ji Zizhao could still smile, they finally relaxed.
"What else? Of course, we're checking your complexion," Xue Yinuo said, pulling Ji Zizhao to sit by the window and personally rolling up her sleeves to pour her tea.
Xu Meiqing added with concern, "There have been incessant rumors in the imperial city lately, and we were worried about you... We wanted to visit, but we didn't know what other rumors the commoners of the imperial city might spread. Yinuo and I discussed it for a long time before deciding to invite you out."
Seeing their profound concern, Ji Zizhao smiled knowingly. "Thank you for worrying about me."
Xu Meiqing held Ji Zizhao's hand. "Don't let those rumors get to you too much. The commoners in the imperial city are like that."
Ji Zizhao nodded. "If I were to say I didn't care at all, would you believe me?"
Xue Yinuo and Xu Meiqing exchanged glances. They certainly didn't believe her. Although they hadn't personally experienced the sensation of being gossiped about, rumors in the imperial city were like rain, pouring down relentlessly every day. Who could truly be indifferent?
As they were talking, they heard discussions about Ji Zizhao in the corridor once more.
"I just saw the Ji family's carriage downstairs. Do you think it's the Ji family's eldest daughter?"
"Someone so cruel to her own brother and sister, how could she still have the face to come out?"
"If I were to sit and have tea with someone like that, I think I'd vomit!"
The voices outside the door gradually faded away, but Xu Meiqing and Xue Yinuo remained agitated for a long time. They had thought they would be weary and immune to such rumors after hearing them for days, but hearing them again firsthand still made them furious.
Suddenly, the sound of tea being poured came from behind them. Xu Meiqing and Xue Yinuo turned around to see Ji Zizhao holding a teapot and pouring tea. Her slender fingers held the teapot steadily, and a delicate stream of water flowed into the teacup, not a drop spilled.
Xu Meiqing and Xue Yinuo looked at Ji Zizhao's fingers, which didn't even tremble, and this time, they truly believed that Ji Zizhao was entirely unfazed by the rumors circulating in the city. Such calm composure couldn't be faked.
Xu Meiqing was impressed. "Zizhao, you truly don't care or feel angry at all?"
Ji Zizhao smiled and pushed the poured teacup towards her. "It's true that I requested the Emperor to exempt the Ji family from hereditary enfeoffment. Since the commoners in the imperial city are speaking the truth, why should I care? As for whether the rumors are good or bad, it's a matter of perspective."
Xu Meiqing was speechless. She just wanted to ask how such a strong mindset was cultivated.
Xue Yinuo suddenly stood up. "No, I don't have your good temper!" With that, she walked towards the room door.
Xu Meiqing, seeing this, anxiously tried to stop her, but as she stood up, Xue Yinuo had already opened the door. At the same time, two figures passing by the door were revealed to the eyes of those in the private room.
Xue Yinuo stared at the people outside the door for a long time before exclaiming in astonishment, "Fourth Prince... Seventh Prince?"