Chapter 53 [VIP]
"Meow."
The tabby cat, lying on the octagonal table, was idly fiddling with the counting rods. First, it pushed the rods to the edge of the table, then it would peek at her and secretly push them back a little. Seeing that she wasn't paying any attention to it, the cat used its paw to forcefully pull the rods away.
With a crash, all the counting rods fell to the ground.
The cat felt completely comfortable and let out a happy "meow".
Gu Zhizhuo looked up and laughed, "Your master is really awkward."
It was just a jade pendant, yet it gave him such a big surprise.
The cat didn't understand, but it felt praised and excitedly rubbed its head against her.
Gu Zhizhuo held the silk paper to the candle flame and burned it to ashes. Then he grabbed a handful of glass beads from the jewelry box and placed them on the table.
The perfectly round beads rolled all over the table. The cat's pupils narrowed to slits, its tail throbbing wildly as it excitedly pounced.
"Meow meow!"
Gu Zhizhuo patted its fluffy little head, picked up the compass on the table and put it in his sleeve: "I have to go out now. Go back early when you've had enough fun and thank him for me."
"Qiongfang, you stay here. Be careful not to let it swallow the glass bead. Qingmei, come with me."
The two maids readily agreed.
Gu Zhizhu changed his clothes, and soon after he arrived at the ceremonial gate, the Grand Madam and Madam Ji also arrived one after another.
Lady Ji wore a veiled hat, with several layers of black gauze covering her body. The long veils hung down to her lower abdomen. She had become terribly thin in just a few days, and the silks and satins swayed precariously over her body.
She boarded the carriage without saying a word.
Gu Zhizhuo helped the Grand Madam into the first carriage, listening to her rambling, "Don't worry, even if she comes back, Grandmother will promise not to pay any attention to her," "In a few days, we will send her and Ji Shi to the estate together," "The Ji family is simply pushing their luck. Our family is not a charity. Taking money is not enough; they also want us to raise their children and grandchildren."
She coaxed him a few times, then mounted her horse and followed closely beside the carriage.
It only takes an hour to ride a horse from the capital, but because the old lady was old, the carriage was slow and it took almost two hours to arrive.
After following the mountain path to the top of the mountain, there was a small temple for women.
The temple was elegant and quiet, with few worshippers. The vegetarian food was delicious, and Madam Gu used to come often, but never before had she felt so uncomfortable as she did now.
The carriage stopped in front of the mountain gate, and the abbot personally came out to greet them. Before the Empress Dowager and Princess Zhaoyang arrived at their nunnery, Madam Gu was the most honored and wealthy pilgrim.
"Madam, please come in."
The abbot bent down, his attitude kind.
Madam Gu asked impatiently, "Where is Ji Nanke? Tell her to come out."
The old lady was too lazy to pretend, so she quickly took the person back and managed to return to the capital before dusk.
Not only did she have to return to the capital, she also had to submit a petition to bring Ji Nanke into the palace so that the Empress Dowager would see that she had brought her back. It was incredibly annoying!
The abbot bowed deeply: "Madam, please come in and wait. I will go and call Ji Shanxin out."
She sent a female Taoist priest inside and then gestured for them to enter.
"Come in first, Grandmother." Gu Zhizhuo took the Grand Madam's arm and smiled at the Abbot.
The abbot breathed a sigh of relief and led them inside.
She recognized Madam Gu; this Miss Gu had accompanied her to listen to the sermons before. However…
She looked at Lady Ji, who was walking behind her and whose face was covered by a veil, but for a moment she couldn't guess who it was.
The abbess walked beside the old lady, her face full of hesitation and conflict. She couldn't help but want to offer a word or two of advice, yet dared not, fearing it would bring trouble to the temple. Just as she was agonizing over this, the nun she had sent away finally returned.
“Master, Ji Shanxin has something to say to Miss Gu. She wants Miss Gu to go see her in person, otherwise she won’t leave.”
"If you don't want to leave, then don't leave!" The old lady almost turned her back on her.
The abbot smiled somewhat reluctantly: "Madam, would you like to rest in the side hall first?"
Madam Gu stood motionless. Everyone, whether from her own family or her husband's, had always indulged her. Ji Nanke used to fawn over her and try to make her happy, but now, relying on the Empress Dowager's support, she was acting coquettishly.
The female Taoist priest looked uneasily at the abbot, then at Gu Zhizhuo.
Gu Zhizhu chuckled coldly and reassured the Grand Madam, "Grandmother, please go and rest with the Abbot. I'll be there shortly."
She asked Madam Ji, "Mother, will you accompany Grandmother to the side hall, or will you come with me to fetch Cousin Ke?"
“I will go with you.” Ji’s voice was hoarse as she spoke her first words after leaving the house. “I made a new dress for Ke’er. I will leave after she changes her clothes.”
"Please lead the way."
The wind lifted the veil of her hat, revealing her flushed chin.
Lady Ji was startled and grabbed the veil of her veil, her whole body trembling with fear.
Ji Shi clutched the letter in her sleeve pocket; it was the letter that Ke'er had asked Granny Wan to bring to her earlier.
She told herself secretly: It's okay, Ke'er's plan is meticulous, there will be no mistakes.
Since they had already broken off all pretense of civility, Madam Ji stopped pretending to be a kind mother and, supported by Granny Zhu, left first.
The female Taoist priest led them towards the back of the mountain.
As they walked, the female Taoist priest said, "Miss Ji lives in a quiet courtyard on the back hill."
"please."
She praised, "Miss Ji is so kind. During her stay, she has often helped us with cleaning and receiving pilgrims."
The back mountain was indeed quiet, with only a few pilgrims enjoying the scenery.
But Ji Nanke was not there.
"Huh, it was just here a moment ago."
Only Ji Nanke's maid, Yixin, was in the small courtyard. Seeing them arrive, she said expressionlessly, "Young lady, my young lady waited for you for a long time but you didn't come, so she went to the Jade Emperor Pavilion." She looked indignant and felt very wronged for Ji Nanke. "If you didn't sincerely come to pick up my young lady, you could have just said so. My young lady is so badly injured, yet she still has to do chores. Where is your conscience!"
"Yixin?" Gu Zhizhuo asked with a smile, "Where's your indenture?"
Yi Xin's mouth was half open.
“A servant born into a family should act like a servant born into a family. Don’t act all loud and boisterous in front of me, understand?”
Gu Zhizhuo spoke calmly and unhurriedly. How could a noble lady of high status argue with a servant boy? With just a glance, Yi Xin felt as if her throat had been squeezed.
"Yes, yes... This servant wouldn't dare."
It wasn't until Gu Zhizhuo looked away that Yi Xin caught her breath, her forehead covered in cold sweat.
That's terrifying. Was the young woman ever this scary before?
The female Taoist priest hurriedly said, "Miss Gu, the Jade Emperor Pavilion is this way, not far. The Jade Emperor statue in the Jade Emperor Pavilion was broken earlier, and Ji Shanxin must have gone to help clean it up."
After circling around again, we returned to the front of the Sanqing Hall.
Gu Zhizhuo was fine; she had been practicing archery, horsemanship, and martial arts these days, so this distance was nothing to her. But Ji Shi had been living a life of luxury for so many years and was still recovering from a serious illness. This round trip left her breathless.
The Jade Emperor Pavilion is behind the Sanqing Hall. When they went in, the last pilgrim was just leaving.
“Our temple is not very popular, please go ahead, Miss Gu.”
The female Taoist priest led them inside: "Ji Shanxin is right there."
Ji Nanke was wearing a Taoist robe, and the wide sleeves could not hide the thick bandages on her wrists.
She was wiping the incense burner when she heard the sound and turned to look.
Gu Zhizhuo and she looked at each other from a distance of a hundred paces.
Ji Nanke wore a Taoist robe with wide sleeves, lightly powdered, and held a jade hairpin, exuding a refined beauty that transcended worldly affairs.
Gu Zhizhuo was dressed in a luxurious silk robe, and the pearls in her hair were as big as pigeon eggs. Not only was her veil adorned with pearls, but even her embroidered shoes, which were faintly visible as she walked, had a large pearl on them.
She exudes an air of confident and proud nobility simply by standing here.
That look in his eyes… Ji Nanke narrowed her eyes. For a moment, she felt that Gu Zhizhuo seemed a little different from before, less arrogant and impulsive.
She shouldn't have been gone for so long!
She miscalculated.
"Ke'er".
As Ji murmured, tears streamed down her face uncontrollably, the bitter tears stinging the wounds on her cheeks.
"My Ke'er, you've suffered so much."
Ji rushed over and hugged Ji Nanke tightly.
"Ke'er, Ke'er."
At least five-tenths of her sobs were genuine.
Ji Nanke was raised by her side before she was eight years old. She was her lucky star, making everything go smoothly for her.
Thinking of the suffering she had endured these past few days, she couldn't stop crying.
"Madam, please don't cry. Be careful of your face." Granny Wan supported her and handed her a handkerchief. "Miss, please persuade Madam. She has injuries on her face and cannot shed tears."
Ji Nanke felt really bad listening to this.
It's all because of her concessions that her aunt has been bullied like this and her status is in jeopardy. She's supposed to be a dignified Duchess, but she lives worse than a servant.
She will not let her aunt be bullied again, absolutely not.
Ji Nanke said softly, "Aunt, I will stand up for you."
She patted her back reassuringly and looked up at Gu Zhizhuo: "Cousin Zhuo."
Gu Zhizhuo said indifferently, "If you're all ready, cousin, then let's go. Grandmother is still waiting."
"I'm not going back."
Ji Nanke released Ji Shi and walked towards Gu Zhizhuo. She looked at Gu Zhizhuo and repeated, word by word, "I'm not going back."
oh?
“Apologize to my aunt, kneel down and kowtow,” Ji Nanke said coldly. “Otherwise, I will not leave the Women’s Temple. This is my condition.”
Gu Zhizhuo scoffed.
“So,” she said slowly, arms crossed, “whether you leave or come back, what does it have to do with me?”
Ji Nanke raised an eyebrow: "You want to defy the imperial decree?"
With a clearly coercive tone, she said, "If you don't want to disobey the imperial decree, then apologize to my aunt!"
Gu Zhizhuo dusted off his sleeves and said a single word in a perfunctory and indifferent manner: "Get lost."
Ji Nanke heard a very faint sound, and she glanced at the tightly closed partition door out of the corner of her eye.
I overestimated her; she's still the same as before, unable to handle the slightest provocation.
bring it on.
Expose your true colors to the world.
My cousin Zhuo.
Ji Nanke's expression hardened, and she questioned sharply, "When my aunt married into the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, you were not even seven years old. It was my aunt who raised you single-handedly!"
"And what about you? What have you done to my aunt, your stepmother? Do I need to list them all?!"
Gu Zhizhuo chuckled as if he had heard something amusing.
She raised a finger and shook it: "Raise me? It would cost a lot of money to raise me, and she can't afford it. If I remember correctly, the Ji family's dowry back then was only thirty-two loads, and all of it together probably wasn't even worth as much as these earrings of mine."
"Oh, right."
Gu Zhizhu clapped his hands, laughing arrogantly: "Her dowry wouldn't even be enough to support you for half a year. Cousin Ke, get this straight, even you were raised by my family's gold and silver."
Ji's face turned ashen.
Her dowry was not much; the Ji family now only runs a small academy and is living off their savings.
After her elder sister died, her parents resigned themselves to her marriage in her place. However, they took away most of the dowry that had been prepared for her elder sister, leaving only the remaining thirty-two loads of dowry, which were only superficially impressive.
When Gu Zhizhuo exposed all of this in front of her niece, Ji's cheeks burned with embarrassment.
Ji Nanke shielded the Ji family behind her. To repay the Gu family for raising her, she had always been accommodating to Gu Zhizhuo. What more could she ask for? She had a clear conscience.
Gu Zhizhuo glanced at her sideways: "Tell me what else I've done."
She took half a step forward, her slender figure looming over Ji Nanke.
"Don't say anything like that about raising me. With so many maids and servants in the mansion, I'm the only one who won't go hungry."
Ji Nanke pursed her lower lip.
Arrogant, haughty, prone to petty squabbles, and utterly ungrateful... You've seen it all, this is her true nature.
“Zhuoya…”
A soft, cold snort silenced Madam Gu's attempt to warn her.
On the other side of the door, the Empress Dowager coldly watched Madam Gu.
The old lady held the gold thread entwined with branches on the jade bracelet, her heart filled with unease.
After Gu Zhizhuo left, the abbot said he would take her to rest. But when they arrived at the Jade Emperor Pavilion, they saw the Empress Dowager and the eldest princess.
Not only the Empress Dowager, but also several noble ladies and princesses of the imperial family, some standing and some sitting, all looked travel-worn and had clearly come from the capital.
The Empress Dowager kept a stern face and did not even wake up when she greeted her.
She waited for a moment, puzzled, until she saw Gu Zhizhuo and Madam Ji enter...
The old lady glanced at the Empress Dowager, her heart nearly leaping out of her throat.
The Empress Dowager sneered repeatedly: "Is this the Gu family's upbringing?"
The old lady bowed her head, and with a snap, the gold thread broke.
"Okay, I'll count them for you!"
Outside, Ji Nanke was speaking indignantly, every word of which was indignant on behalf of the Ji family: "My aunt is your mother, and you forcibly confined her to her home."
"She had a persistent high fever and severe burns, and you never stayed by her side to care for her, seek medical help, or even offered her a place to fend for herself!"
“Yan Ge’er is your own brother. You let others beat and scold him incessantly, causing this little child to suffer a full twenty lashes!”
Do I need to say it?
Gu Zhizhuo remained arrogant and haughty, his composure tinged with pride and aloofness.
Ji Nanke's pupils reflected Gu Zhizhuo's figure, and her words were forceful: "Our Great Qi governs the world with filial piety. The Duke of Zhenguo's mansion has indeed contributed to the country. However, you should not take advantage of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion's achievements to act recklessly."
"There are three thousand types of punishments, but none is greater than filial impiety (note). The Great Enlightenment Law states that those who do not serve their parents shall be punished with eighty strokes of the cane, and those who beat or scold their parents shall be hanged!"
Ji Nanke said righteously and sternly, "I am only asking you to kneel down and apologize to your mother, which is the greatest leniency I can show you."
Kneel down!
Gu Zhizhuo chuckled softly: "Kneel?"
Her gaze swept over Ji Shi from head to toe with a critical and disdainful look: "Ha, does she deserve it?"
How could you say such a thing at a time like this? This girl has been spoiled rotten by A-Liao and Bai'er! Madam Gu covered her face, pale with fright, and swayed as if she were about to collapse.
Disrespecting one's parents is a serious crime.
Even if she's a stepmother, even if it's just out of politeness, she should still receive what she's entitled to. Besides, Lady Ji has raised her.
The current empress is also the stepmother of the eldest princess!
If the Ji family really persists in their pursuit, Miss Gu will suffer greatly. A lady of high rank with good relations with the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion couldn't help but feel a pang of anxiety.
Zhao Yang touched the corner of her mouth with a handkerchief, concealing the hint of gloating.
She's finished! Gu Zhizhuo will be ruined sooner or later by her own sharp tongue and meanness.
Sigh. Ke'er is still too naive. She even said before that as long as the Gu family was willing to let Ji Shi go, that would be fine. If I hadn't persuaded her, she wouldn't have been able to bear hurting Gu Zhizhuo's feelings. No wonder she's always bullied by Gu Zhizhuo.
Zhao Yang looked smug, wishing he could push open the partition door right now and trample Gu Zhizhuo under his feet.
She put down her handkerchief, leaned close to the Empress Dowager, and whispered something.
"Alright, Ke'er."
Ji's gentle voice rang out.
She had an excellent reputation in the capital, known for her gentleness, kindness, and generosity. She raised her two stepchildren and managed the Zhenguo Duke's mansion perfectly. After the Zhenguo Duke died in battle, she remained faithful and devoted to her husband.
“Don’t be like that. Zhuo’er is still young, and she’s bound to be a little willful sometimes. As her older sister, you should be more tolerant. Besides…” Madam Ji paused, then spoke softly and gently, “You’ll still be living in the Duke of Zhenguo’s mansion from now on.”
At first glance, these words seemed to be an attempt to reconcile, but upon closer examination, they were clearly implying that if they displeased Gu Zhizhuo today, she would abuse and mistreat them once they returned to the manor.
"Zhuo-jie, Ke'er is just worried about me. Don't be angry. Let me talk to her."
Ji walked in front of Gu Zhizhuo, standing between her and Ji Nanke to prevent the two from clashing again.
She faced Gu Zhizhuo, tilted her head slightly to look at her, and said gently, "Young lady, it was Ke'er and I who were at fault. Ke'er was raised by the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, and we will always remember the kindness of the Gu family."
As soon as she finished speaking, her voice suddenly dropped, with only her lips moving: "Gu Zhizhuo, you asked for this."
"Young lady, don't be angry... Ahhhhh!"
Ji let out a terrified scream and fell straight backward, as if Gu Zhizhuo had given her a hard push after a disagreement.
"aunt."
Ji Nanke was startled and barely managed to catch her.
Ji Shi leaned against Ji Nanke, her body soft and boneless, still feeling lingering fear.
Ji Nanke's eyes blazed with fury as she roared, "You pushed her!"
"She is your mother, and a stepmother is also a mother."
"You actually pushed her! I saw it with my own eyes today, don't try to deny it!"
Gu Zhizhuo sneered, and a very slight noise came from inside the partition door, which was covered by Ji Nanke's angry shouts.
Ji Shi lowered her head, a maniacal smile spreading across her face beneath her veil.
Gu Zhizhuo's filial impiety was exposed to the public. Even if the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion claimed that they committed arson, it could be said that they were "bullied and forced to do so" or even that "Gu Zhizhuo deliberately slandered her in order to suppress her stepmother."
From then on, he would be invincible.
From now on, the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion will still be in charge!
Even if Gu Zhizhuo tried to explain to the Empress Dowager that she didn't push her, with Ke'er around, the Empress Dowager wouldn't believe her anymore.
Ke'er is such a lucky star!
"Yes, a stepmother is still a mother, and she should be respected and honored."
Gu Zhizhuo repeated the sentence casually.
She gazed at Ji Shi, her phoenix eyes seemingly able to pierce through layers of black veils and see into Ji Shi's heart.
Ji's heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason.
"Back then, the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion married Ji Yuanchu, the eldest daughter of the Ji family in Jiangnan."
"But you are not Ji Yuanchu!"
The Empress Dowager, her face contorted with rage, was about to send someone to open the door when she heard this and stopped halfway through raising her hand.
Madam Gu was also somewhat stunned.
What does this mean?! Everyone looked at each other in bewilderment, holding their breath for a moment.
"Where did you come from, you lost ghost?"
Gu Zhizhuo pressed her for answers again, and Ji's eyes widened, her smile froze on her lips, and an indescribable fear welled up in her heart.
Gu Zhizhuo approached Ji Shi, smiled, and was as unrestrained and arrogant as ever.
She placed her hands on her shoulders and said softly, "Also..."
"This is how you should push someone."
She pushed back forcefully with both hands, and Ji felt a great force coming towards her. Her back slammed through the arms that were supporting her and she fell heavily to the ground, her elbow hitting the ground. She let out a painful groan.
"Having played the role of Ji Yuanchu for so long, have you even forgotten your own name?"
Two words uttered by Gu Zhizhuo were like a thunderclap exploding above Ji Shi's head.
"Ji Ruo".
A note from the author:
Note: The Classic of Filial Piety
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
