Xie Jingzhou stared intently at the slender figure before him. He had always mocked Ji Zizhao, claiming she had lost the protection of the Ji family's men and was now burdened by a household of women. Yet, he had never noticed how that seemingly frail figure was always perfectly upright.
Those who remain unmoving through wind and rain, unfading with the passage of time, are like pine and cypress.
He remembered scoffing at the poet's exaggeration when he first read these lines.
With imperial power supreme, in a world of upheaval, the victor reigns and the vanquished are outlaws. How could there truly be beings unaffected by the harshness of winter and summer, undeterred by the erosion of time?
But now, gazing at that perpetually upright back, he finally understood the poem's meaning.
"May I know what Fifth Prince intends to exchange?" Ji Zizhao stopped, but did not turn around.
Faced with Ji Zizhao's counter-question, Xie Jingzhou narrowed his eyes slightly.
If Ji Zizhao had truly saved Ren Jun, and Ren Jun was now outside the palace gates, she could have directly dragged him into trouble, just as she had once pulled his second brother from his horse.
After all, to the Ji family, he was the prime culprit responsible for their demise.
And Ji Zizhao certainly possessed the audacity to do so.
Yet, Ji Zizhao was now asking him to name his price…
Was Ji Zizhao merely bluffing?
Even with her back to Xie Jingzhou, she could sense his piercing gaze upon her.
Her palms were also slick with sweat. Su Dan Novel Network
"Fifth Prince is welcome to doubt whether I have genuine proof. Regardless, the Emperor will return shortly. Once I face him, you will see whether I possess evidence or not. Just as I can make Ren Jun remain silent before the Emperor now, I can also make him reveal the truth later," Ji Zizhao suppressed her racing thoughts and shook the blood-stained sleeve remnant in her hand.
She had long recognized the Fifth Prince's deep cunning.
But she had not anticipated him to be so difficult to handle.
Although Xie Jingzhou harbored doubts, he dared not stir up trouble at this juncture. "Since the Eldest Daughter of the Ji family has sought me out today, she must have already considered her terms, correct?"
This Ji Zizhao was indeed intelligent, using this to probe his bottom line.
Seeing that Xie Jingzhou was unwilling to reveal his own terms, Ji Zizhao did not panic. She turned around, her expression calm, and said, "Divorce."
Xie Jingzhou blinked in surprise, then suddenly burst into laughter. "Ji Zizhao, you truly have no evidence."
If she had evidence, why would she settle for a mere divorce?
At this moment, Xie Jingzhou was no longer the weak Fifth Prince of before.
He was like a venomous snake, dangerous and malevolent.
"To be frank, I did indeed wish to see Fifth Prince fall, perhaps even more severely than the second prince. But alas, with the second prince having already fallen, no matter how angry the Emperor becomes, he will not severely punish another son, especially when I am merely the orphaned daughter of a mere official."
Ji Zizhao had reached a point of no return.
Rather than letting the Fifth Prince continue to speculate, it was better to feign honest admission.
Xie Jingzhou's narrowed eyes glinted with a ruthless, poisonous light. He looked at the torn sleeve in Ji Zizhao's hand, then suddenly lunged towards her.
Throughout his journey, he had always been the one to deeply scheme against others. How could he now be led by the nose by a woman!
What right did a helpless, destitute woman have to negotiate with him?
Ji Zizhao watched the Fifth Prince charging towards her, and instead of anger, she chuckled.
Finally losing his composure, was he?
This was for the best.
As Xie Jingzhou's hand reached her, Ji Zizhao dodged with a sidestep, while simultaneously grasping the front of his robes with her other hand. Before Xie Jingzhou could react, she delivered a fierce kick to his abdomen.
Every movement was fluid, like flowing water.
It was a seamless, one-motion strike.
The little eunuch kneeling on the ground stared in stunned disbelief at the Fifth Prince arcing through the air, his jaw agape.
The Eldest Daughter of the Ji family…
Actually knew martial arts?!
Xie Jingzhou, whose worldview had also been shattered, crashed to the ground, unable to even cry out.
Clutching his aching abdomen, his handsome face contorted in pain.
He looked at Ji Zizhao, still standing calmly, with utter disbelief. Only now did Xie Jingzhou realize that he had perhaps never truly understood this woman.
"If Fifth Prince is sincere and agrees to my demands, I will keep silent about everything Fifth Prince has done. After all, the Ji family's grievances have now been redressed. However, if Fifth Prince intends to resort to the same tactics again…"
Ji Zizhao's lips curled into a cold smile. "Don't say I didn't warn you."
Hitting you until you're spitting blood would be considered lenient.
Xie Jingzhou, lying on the ground, was filled with both frustration and fury. This was no longer just about being led by the nose by a woman; he had been thoroughly defeated by one.
Just then, Emperor Xiaochang entered, accompanied by his retinue.
Likely to afford the Fifth Prince some dignity, the other princes did not accompany him.
The little eunuch kneeling on the ground, upon seeing the Emperor, quickly spoke up, attempting to ingratiate himself with the Fifth Prince. "Your Majesty! Your Majesty, please look! The Eldest Daughter of the Ji family has actually struck Fifth Prince!"
Emperor Xiaochang's complexion was already grim, and upon seeing the Fifth Prince sprawled on the ground, his face darkened further.
Before the Fifth Prince could speak, Ji Zizhao knelt before the Emperor.
Xie Jingzhou, unaware of what had transpired at the palace gates, was preoccupied with deciphering his father's expression, completely forgetting to speak.
Emperor Xiaochang, his face a mask of gloom, looked at Ji Zizhao. "What exactly is going on here?"
Ji Zizhao did not answer the Emperor's question. Instead, she looked towards the Fifth Prince with an expression of profound sorrow. "I never imagined Fifth Prince would engage in such a matter with my maidservant… While it is normal for someone of Fifth Prince's status to have multiple wives and concubines, I, as his wife, simply cannot accept this. I implore Fifth Prince to grant me my freedom and refrain from further actions that harm himself or slander me."
The little eunuch: "..."
He felt as if he were about to spew blood.
The Eldest Daughter of the Ji family was not only skilled in martial arts, but her ability to lie with a straight face was also astonishing!
Ji Zizhao, however, maintained a look of dignified, mournful sadness.
Did this Fifth Prince not enjoy feigning pitifulness and weakness?
Therefore, it was not strange for him to resort to self-harm, and it even seemed logical.
Xie Jingzhou, watching Ji Zizhao's pretense, could be said to be consumed by rage!
But even though his anger was boiling over, he could only suppress it and remain silent.
Not only was Ji Zizhao's feigned fragility seamless, but besides himself, the only other witness was the little eunuch who had served him since childhood. Even if he were to admit everything, Ji Zizhao might retaliate, claiming he and the eunuch were framing her.
Frankly speaking, the more they tried to explain, the messier it would become!
"Just now, this humble subject overheard that the Ren family has once again sounded the 'Wending Drum.' Although this humble subject does not know the reason, I simply do not wish for Your Majesty to be further troubled by matters concerning me."
This statement, while seemingly acknowledging the recent events, was in fact an attempt to gauge the Emperor's reaction.
Xie Jingzhou calculated it clearly: whatever had happened at the palace gates would become evident once he inquired of his father.