Chapter 47 [VIP]
Many years have passed, and many things are difficult to verify.
Only—
"Qingmei, go to Madam and ask for the account books."
Gu Zhizhuo smiled and gave an order, then turned to Zheng Qi and said, "Go on."
Zheng Qi was still thinking that the lady would never easily hand over the account books, when he heard this he hurriedly said, "Yes, Miss, Ji Huacheng was in the twenty-second year of Taiyuan..."
Qingmei went out the door and headed straight for the main courtyard.
After being informed repeatedly, Madam Ji met her expressionlessly: "What kind of trouble is your young lady up to now?"
Qingmei smiled charmingly: "Madam, my young lady asked you to bring out all the account books. She knows you are busy, so you don't need to make a special trip. I can just take them back with me."
A fierce look appeared on Ji's face. Before Qingmei could finish speaking, she grabbed the teacup beside her and threw it at her. The teacup landed with a "bang" at her feet, and hot water and broken porcelain splashed everywhere.
Qingmei casually dusted off her sleeves, shaking off the few drops of tea that clung to them.
No wonder the girl sent me; Qiongfang doesn't have my skills, or she'd be in trouble.
She asked slowly, "Madam, where are the account books?"
Ji was silent for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter, making a "crackling" sound in her throat.
She said to Qingmei in a gloomy tone, "Go tell her that I was married by imperial decree, personally escorted by the Ministry of Rites, and carried in through the main gate of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion! I am listed in the family genealogy, and the Gu family has made a proper marriage to me!"
“I raised her from a young age; I am her mother.”
Ji Shi emphasized the word "mother".
Her expression grew increasingly cold and fierce, almost as if she were gritting her teeth: "If she doesn't want to bear the name of being unfilial, she shouldn't push her luck!"
Qingmei said politely, "My young lady just wanted to see the household accounts. How could you be so presumptuous and disrespectful? Could it be that my young lady can't even look at your accounts?"
Snap!
Now even a lowly maid dares to act loudly in front of me!
Ji slammed her hand on the table, her chest burning as if a ball of fire was rising, consuming her reason.
"Fine, fine! Someone, go and prepare a carriage. Tell Gu Zhizhuo to get to the manor today, right now, immediately, and reflect on his actions." She stared intently at Qingmei and said, "I've been good to her and indulged her, but she's taken my indulgence for granted and is increasingly disregarding me."
"The Great Qi Dynasty governs the country with filial piety. Gu Zhizhuo has been disrespectful to her mother. As her mother, I have the right to discipline her!"
She was the rightful wife of the Duke of Zhenguo, and in terms of filial piety, Gu Zhizhuo had to bow down to her.
When it comes to filial piety, I will always be superior to her!
She threatened coldly, "If Gu Zhizhuo doesn't obediently go to the estate today, I'll go to the palace first thing tomorrow morning! If they, brother and sister, are branded as disobedient and unfilial, Gu Yican can forget about inheriting the title for the rest of his life."
"The Qin family was just stripped of its hereditary title because of its promiscuity!"
"Does the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion also intend to follow in their footsteps?!"
She shouldn't have backed down in the first place.
Gu Zhizhuo had no idea what it meant to know when to stop.
Ji pointed at Qingmei and shouted, "Go!"
"Yes," Qingmei said sweetly. "You refuse to produce the account books and even send the eldest young lady to the estate to reflect on her actions. I will relay all of this to the eldest young lady in detail."
"This servant takes her leave."
Qingmei didn't care about her dark expression at all and walked away with light steps.
Ji sat in the armchair, breathing heavily without saying a word. A haggard look crept onto her face, making her look more than ten years older.
"Madam, please have some tea."
Ji looked up abruptly and saw it was Granny Wan. She closed her eyes again and silently breathed a sigh of relief.
Although she hadn't dreamed of her elder sister in the past few days, ever since the events of that year resurfaced in her mind, they were like tendrils growing and slowly suffocating her.
Every moment, her heartstrings were taut, and she felt like she was about to collapse.
Granny Wan brought her tea and gently comforted her, "That's right, Madam. Why should you be afraid of her? As long as you still have the title of mother and daughter, you can hit her, scold her, and punish her as you please."
Yes, yes.
I don't need to be afraid of her!
Ji Shi sipped her tea slowly, a faint bitterness filling her mouth. Granny Wan then said, "There's another piece of great news I haven't told you yet. His Highness the Third Prince just sent someone to deliver a message."
Ji Shi twitched the corner of her mouth: "What happy occasion?"
Granny Wan beamed with joy, wanting to cheer her up, and exaggeratedly said, "The Emperor said that the marriage between the Third Prince and the Eldest Miss is invalid. Now that the Third Prince is no longer bound by a marriage contract, he is trying to persuade the Empress to let his cousin return. When that time comes, he will come to propose marriage in a grand manner."
Ji's brows and eyes relaxed, and she said with relief, "That's wonderful! Our Ke'er has finally seen the light at the end of the tunnel!"
"Miss Cousin and His Highness the Third Prince are a match made in heaven," Granny Wan said with a smile. "Your good days are yet to come!"
"Once Miss becomes the Third Prince's consort..." she whispered, "...and the Crown Princess, who will hold the title in this household in the future is still uncertain."
Even if the stepson inherits the title, the lady is ultimately just a stepmother. But the fourth young master is the lady's biological son. Once the fourth young master inherits the title, the lady will no longer need to be subservient to anyone.
Granny Wan bent down, her voice suddenly pausing as she noticed a few more white hairs at the lady's temples.
She quickly smiled and said, "Don't you think so?"
Yes. Ji nodded slowly.
She slowly finished her tea, put down the teacup, and wiped her mouth with a handkerchief, saying, "Go and see if Gu Zhizhuo has obediently gone to the estate."
Granny Wan immediately sent someone to handle it.
A short while later, the maid returned and reported that the eldest young lady had not gone.
Granny Wan dismissed her three times in a row, each time saying: "The eldest young lady didn't go."
So she simply sent people to guard the inner gate, and they guarded it until dusk. As it was getting dark, Gu Zhizhuo still showed no sign of going out.
After hesitating for a while, Granny Wan instructed, "Go and urge them. The city gates will close soon, and if the eldest young lady can't get out, she'll have to sleep on the streets. Just tell the eldest young lady this directly."
The maidservant took the order and went off, brushing past an old woman carrying a food box.
"Granny, Granny Fang has brought over dinner."
Granny Fang was a helper in the main kitchen.
Why should we get her to deliver it? Granny Wan frowned in displeasure and ordered, "Prepare the meal."
She went to invite Madam Ji out, and as she reached the door, she heard a series of gasps. She shouted, "What's wrong? No manners..." Her voice stopped abruptly. Granny Wan, looking pale, quickly walked to the octagonal table. She wasn't mistaken; what was taken out of the food box was either green vegetables or tofu, without a trace of oil.
"Who told you to send these over!"
Granny Fang bowed and replied, "The eldest young lady said that the madam has been too hot-tempered lately, which is not good for her health. She should eat something light."
"The eldest daughter personally prepared the menu for the lady."
Ji Shi flicked her sleeves and turned to leave.
Not long after, an old woman led in a doctor, who stood respectfully to the side and said, "The eldest young lady sent the doctor to check the madam's pulse. The eldest young lady also said that the madam can rest assured that she has already thrown away all the rotten tree roots in the storeroom and will not give them to you."
"The eldest daughter's filial piety towards you, Madam, is truly touching."
"Get out!"
Ji screamed.
She wants to enter the palace, she wants to enter the palace right now!
She suddenly stood up, paced around the room a few times, and shouted, "Help me with my makeup; I want to go to the palace."
"Now... it's all dark."
"I want to go to the palace! I want to go to the palace!"
Ji's hysterical state startled Granny Wan. While coaxing her, Granny Wan called in the maids to help her wash, dress, and put on a complete set of imperial robes.
"Madam, we cannot go now."
Even if you wait outside the palace gates in a carriage, you will definitely be driven away by the Imperial Guards in the middle of the night.
"How about we go when it's light?"
"……good."
Lady Ji sat motionless in front of the dressing table, staring intently out the window.
They sat there from dusk till dawn.
As the first rays of dawn shone through the window, she immediately got up and hurried outside.
She walked quickly, and Granny Wan told her maid to follow, thinking: First, wait outside the palace gate, then hand over the summons; there should be a summons this morning…
She had everything planned out in her mind, but as soon as she arrived at the ceremonial gate, the old woman guarding the gate said respectfully, "The young lady said that you are not feeling well and should not go out unless necessary. You are her mother, and she would be heartbroken if anything happened to you."
Ji Shi: "..."
"Get away!"
Ji raised her hand to push, but several old women stood motionless, their burly bodies blocking the entrance to the ceremonial gate.
Granny Wan ordered the maids to push the people away, pointing at them and shouting, "You dare disobey the Madam? Believe me or not, I'll beat you all to death! And then sell your entire families!"
"Even if you listen, you'll still get beaten to death by the madam." An old woman muttered with a hint of disdain, then immediately adopted a humble posture.
Granny Wan felt utterly dejected.
Sure enough, Bai Changjia's death left the lady devastated, and the eldest daughter seized the opportunity to walk right into the lady's eight-year-old web, tearing it to shreds.
The old woman smiled obediently, refusing to leave the ceremonial gate no matter how much they pulled and pushed her.
She wouldn't be allowed to use the carriage.
The ceremonial gate wouldn't let her out.
This feeling of near imprisonment completely broke Ji Shi.
"Go to Duanfu Hall!" Ji shouted as she walked, panting heavily. "Get all the stewards here. I refuse to believe that Gu Zhizhuo has managed to keep them all under control!"
Granny Wan repeatedly agreed, telling her not to be angry, and helped her to Duanfu Hall.
After passing through a hanging flower gate, the inside was quiet, with only the sweeping woman cleaning the fallen leaves in the courtyard. Ji Shi walked straight into the main room and walked without looking to the side towards the grand master's chair placed at the head of the room.
She stroked the crane pattern on the armrest of the armchair.
Back then, she married into the family with trepidation, but when she sat in this grand chair and looked down at the obedient and admiring gazes of the servants, she finally believed that she had made the right choice.
Her ability to rise from the countryside and take her elder sister's place in the bridal sedan chair meant that this honor and wealth rightfully belonged to her.
Gu Zhizhuo shouldn't even think about putting himself back!
Lady Ji, dressed in elaborate makeup, sat at the head of the table and waited from dawn until noon.
Only a few people came. At first, Ji could comfort herself by saying that it was just the beginning of her day's work and that they would come over once she finished her tasks.
However, as time passed, such luck vanished.
Ji's heart sank. Shock, anger, unease and other emotions weighed on her like huge rocks, making it hard for her to breathe.
These days, she deliberately let go and didn't care about anything, wanting to see the mansion fall into chaos, wanting the Grand Madam and the others to see that it was she who was busy managing everything, and that without her, the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion would not have the good life it has today!
Unexpectedly, the manor was not in chaos as she had anticipated, and even the stewards began to disregard her.
Madam Ji slammed her hand on the tea table and said, "Where are Granny Zuo, Granny Liu, and the Wu family?!"
"Speak."
These three, like Bai Chang's family, were all Ji's confidants, and could be considered his right and left arms.
Granny Zuo was in charge of personnel matters, holding the roster of everyone in the household, and was responsible for training the young maids.
Granny Liu is the accountant in the inner courtyard, and she can manage up to 30,000 taels of silver for expenditures.
As for the Wulong family, she even managed all the shops in the capital.
But none of the three of them came today.
Ji Shi did not believe that even they could be bewitched by Gu Zhizhuo's few words and betray her.
A middle-aged woman, nearing forty, hesitated for a moment, then lowered her head and murmured, "Madam, the three of them have been relieved of their duties. The eldest young lady has been replaced by a new person."
That's impossible!
Adjusting personnel requires matching tokens and reconciling account books, and she currently has all the tokens for the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, as well as the account books.
How could Gu Zhizhuo possibly bypass her and replace the person on his own? This wasn't a maid or servant in Gu Zhizhuo's own courtyard that he could just dismiss at will.
She doesn't believe it!
The nanny who was called out looked away and said cautiously, "The young lady said that the tiles are inanimate objects, so we can just play another set."
As she spoke, she secretly wiped the sweat from her forehead, fidgeting restlessly. She shouldn't have come; she hadn't expected so many people to be absent. No wonder they all said she was stupid.
If she weren't stupid, why would she still be trying to please everyone at this point?
Ji suddenly caught his breath.
The mahjong tiles, ledgers, keys... these are the foundation of her confidence as the matriarch of the household.
She thought that as long as she gritted her teeth and refused to relinquish control of the household affairs, everything would be fine. Who would have thought that Gu Zhizhuo would kick her away, stepping over her and stomping her into the mud. Ji's body swayed, and her vision blurred.
Granny Wan supported her from behind, her heart filled with hatred for Gu Zhizhuo.
When the lady married into the family, she was only six years old. Even if the lady had the intention of spoiling her, she still raised her well. If she had even a little bit of gratitude, how could she have hurt the lady so many times?
"Granny, bring my tokens and call them all over." Madam Ji gritted her teeth. "I want to see if these tokens, passed down from the Grand Madam and used by successive matriarchs, are still effective!"
Granny Wan hesitated for a moment, then hurriedly went to do it.
A stick of incense.
Half an hour.
One hour...
No one came, and the old women couldn't sit still any longer. One of them tentatively said, "Madam, I have other duties to attend to, so I'll take my leave now."
"Yes, yes. So does this servant."
"Madam, I'll be going now."
One by one, they stood up and curtsied to Madam Ji. Madam Ji remained silent, staring intently at them.
They felt a chill run down their spines and looked at each other in bewilderment. Suddenly, they heard a commotion outside, followed by the sound of hurried footsteps.
It was as if heavenly music had descended upon their hearts.
Out of the corner of their eyes, some people noticed that the first person to cross the threshold and enter Duanfu Hall was Li Mao's wife, followed by Granny Wang, Granny Zhang, and other powerful nannies in the mansion.
A slight smile finally appeared on Granny Wan's tense face. She lowered her head and said, "Madam, you see, they've all come. No matter how much trouble the eldest daughter causes, what can she do? She's just a young lady who'll be married off sooner or later."
The lady gave birth to the fourth young master, and with the imperial decree bestowing upon him a title, she will always have a place in this mansion.
Ji's lips curved into a smile as she suppressed her anxiety.
The stewards entered one after another, and soon almost all of them were present. Ji Shi even saw a few unfamiliar faces among them, and knew very well that these must be the ones Gu Zhizhuo had recently promoted.
"You're too late."
Ji Shi sat at the head of the table and spoke from a superior position.
She said, enunciating each word clearly, "Are you all so lazy that I have to use my tokens to invite you out?"
"Madam." Li Mao's wife bowed slightly, took out a black lacquered mahogany plaque with gold lettering from her bosom, and presented it with both hands, "Your plaque."
What's the meaning?
Two maids carried in a burning brazier from outside, one on each side, and placed it in the center of the main hall.
"Who told you to bring this in?"
Granny Wan frowned and began to scold, but before she could finish speaking, Li Mao's wife threw the pair of cards into the brazier.
The flames engulfed the pair of cards, burning all the way to Ji's heart. She suddenly stood up, her red lips parted slightly, her hairpins swaying. In her shock, she even forgot to breathe.
Li Mao's wife patted non-existent dust off her hands and said respectfully, "Madam, the eldest young lady said that your pair of mahjong tiles is old. You are the Duchess of the State, how can we let you use old things? If word gets out, wouldn't people think that our young lady is unfilial?"
At this moment, Ji Shi's expression completely changed.
Her gaze swept down, and the stewards either avoided her gaze or, like Li Mao's wife, looked up at her without any hesitation, but they all took out their pairs of tokens and threw them into the brazier one after another.
The flames burned even brighter.
Li Mao's wife remained respectful, bowing slightly and saying, "Madam, as you know, there can only be one set of matching tiles. Discarded sets must be burned or destroyed to prevent servants from secretly hoarding them and embezzling them."
"This is also a rule in the manor."
Ji retreated repeatedly, her knees hitting the back of the armchair behind her, her breath catching in her throat.
Just then, a girl in a scarlet dress walked in into the light. She lifted her skirt and calmly stepped over the high threshold. With every movement, even the waistband of her dress did not sway excessively.
All the stewards bowed their heads and placed their hands in front of their abdomens.
Ji Shi's gaze swept over everything, her resentment surging and then turning into a self-deprecating sneer.
She felt that her high position was stolen, while Gu Zhizhuo was the rightful one.
The moment she appears, she can easily take everything away.
Lady Ji thought of her eldest sister.
She was only fourteen years old when she first met her elder sister.
Her eldest sister begged her mother to bring her back from the countryside. She walked into the Ji family compound looking disheveled, and her eldest sister ran out happily and grabbed her hand.
That face, exactly like hers, possessed a radiance that she lacked.
What she had to fight tooth and nail to get, some people are born with.
The eldest sister is, and so is Gu Zhizhuo.
At that moment, she thought: If only I didn't have an older sister.
If not...
"Mother."
Gu Zhizhuo's voice was neither loud nor soft. She walked straight to Madam Ji, curtsied, and said with a smile, "Why have you come? Oh, you're getting old. You should just stay in the manor and be a good old lady. I'll take care of these troublesome things for you from now on."
Ji stared intently at Gu Zhizhuo, her eyes bloodshot.
"Fine, fine," Ji Shi laughed angrily, "Are you trying to sideline me?"
"How could I? Mother is not well, and I am very worried. I don't know how to fulfill my filial duty. Mother, you have been out for most of the day and you should take a rest."
Gu Zhizhuo spoke gently, her face mostly covered by a pearl-embellished veil, except for her phoenix eyes, which shone with sharp intent.
I said she was "disobedient and unfilial," and she used "filial piety" to suppress me in every sentence!
Ji grabbed a teacup and threw it at Gu Zhizhuo.
Here we go again! It's not good to have a habit of smashing things. Qingmei stepped forward to block her, but Gu Zhizhuo had already drawn the long black whip from her waist. With a nimble flick of her wrist, the teacup was swept away by the whip and suddenly changed course in mid-air, smashing towards Ji Shi.
Ji Shi's face paled, and Granny Wan bent down to protect her. The teacup hit Granny Wan on the back, causing her to let out a muffled groan in pain.
"Granny!"
Ji cried out in shock, "Gu Zhizhuo, how dare you lay a hand on me!"
Her face no longer possessed the perfect, flawless elegance it once had; instead, it bore a sharp, distorted expression and a hysterical rage.
Qingmei had seen Ji Shi in this state when she was training at the Eastern Depot. Some of her classmates became easily startled because they were too tense, but they disappeared not long afterward.
"Go outside and kneel down!" Ji's voice was sharp and piercing. "Go!"
Gu Zhizhuo twirled a long whip without raising her head: "Mother, what are you saying? How could your daughter dare to lay a hand on you? Alas, you're getting old; perhaps you're having nightmares."
Who's old! Who would have nightmares just by standing there perfectly fine?! She's only twenty-five, twenty-five, okay?!
"Li Maojia, you speak."
Gu Zhizhuo seemed to casually mention a name, and Li Mao's wife was overjoyed. She quickly said, "Madam, what are you saying? Our eldest daughter has never laid a hand on you. Are you out of your mind? Even though you are her stepmother, you can't make such a fuss. If word gets out, people will think our eldest daughter is unfilial. Heaven and earth bear witness, our eldest daughter is the most filial of all. Knowing that you are not well, she took the initiative to help you share your burdens. Even a mother and daughter wouldn't be more devoted to each other."
"Yes, yes. Did you not sleep well, Madam?"
"I heard that the head of the hospital called a doctor yesterday. Our young lady was very worried when she found out you were sick."
The stewards kept talking about how incredibly filial Gu Zhizhuo was, to the point that she could be included in a book on filial piety and a re-edited version of the Twenty-Four Filial Exemplars.
If the teacup hadn't been shattered on the ground, even Ji Shi herself might have been momentarily disoriented, wondering if she was dreaming.
Okay. Very good.
Ji took a step forward, sneering repeatedly.
"And then, how do you plan to deal with me, someone as filial as you?!"
"my daughter."
A note from the author:
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