Chapter 54 [VIP]
At that moment, Madam Ji couldn't even feel the pain beneath her. She sat on the ground, looking up, her eyes filled with shock.
How did she know?
How did she know that her real name was Ji Ruo?
The thought kept swirling in her mind, leaving her completely blank.
Gu Zhizhuo stood looking down at Ji Shi, a half-smile on his face, and said, "I told you to behave. But you just won't listen."
She bent down and whispered in her ear, her voice as if from the underworld: "Even if you were born exactly like Ji Yuanchu, you could never become Ji Yuanchu."
"Is that right, Ji Ruo?"
Ji Ruo.
Ji Ruo!
The name echoed in Ji Shi's ears.
Granny Wan stared wide-eyed in horror, fine beads of cold sweat sliding down her forehead, unable to resist looking at Madam Ji.
Ji's eyes were vacant.
How do you know?
Why?
Gu Zhizhuo straightened her veil and said decisively, "You are not Ji Yuanchu, your name is Ji Ruo!"
“You have taken over Ji Yuanchu’s identity.”
"You killed Ji Yuan Chu in order to marry into the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion."
"No, that's not right—"
The most taut string in Ji's heart was plucked, and her rationality nearly collapsed.
At this moment, his hatred and fear of Gu Zhizhuo reached their peak.
"No one can know!" A fierce glint flashed in her eyes. She leaped up from the ground and shoved a veil over Gu Zhizhuo's neck.
Die! Die!!
If you die, no one will know!
Gu Zhizhuo didn't dodge. With her back to the partition door, she smiled slightly.
"Let her go!"
The lattice door was smashed open with great force. Madam Gu struggled to shake off the arm of a strange nanny and stumbled over. She pulled Ji Shi away and, still shaken, hugged Gu Zhizhuo tightly.
Madam Gu was old and not strong enough; Ji was only pushed a few steps.
Ji's rationality returned at this moment, and she suddenly remembered the purpose of today.
She moved her gaze blankly and saw that the lattice door was fully open. The Empress Dowager sitting inside was watching her with displeasure. The familiar noblewomen around her were either surprised, suspicious, or had strange expressions, staring in disbelief.
What did she do?
What did she just do?!
It’s over!
A chill ran down Ji's spine, making her shiver all over.
Snap!
A slap landed hard on her face, the sound of the slap was extremely loud.
Ji's face was twisted from the beating, and her still-healing cheeks were so painful that tears streamed down her face.
The veil was tilted to one side, revealing the face hidden beneath the gauze curtain. Her cheeks were covered with small scars, and her skin was red.
Madam Gu shook her hand, glared at her with disgust, pulled Gu Zhizhuo into her arms, and repeatedly touched her neck to see if she was injured.
"It's alright, Grandmother." Gu Zhizhuo would never allow herself to be at even the slightest risk.
"You little rascal..."
Madam Gu was quite frightened and swung her hand to slap her on the back: "Don't you know how to dodge? If you can't dodge, then hit her!"
Gu Zhizhuo silently lowered his eyes.
In her previous life, when the constable lashed out with his whip, it was her grandmother who shielded her behind him.
At that moment, she was certain that her grandmother liked her.
However, she was not as good at acting cute and charming as Ji Nanke. She was spoiled and willful because of Ji Shi's excessive pampering, and she had a particularly bad temper. She always liked to go against her grandmother, like two needles clashing.
Seeing that she hadn't spoken for a while, the old lady was taken aback. Gu Zhizhuo's thick eyelashes trembled slightly: "Grandmother, I'm so scared."
Gu Zhizhuo's aggrieved expression immediately silenced Madam Gu, probably realizing her granddaughter was already frightened and that it would be excessive for her to scold her further. Madam Gu glared at her, her anger radiating outwards: "We're almost killed by Ji Shi, and you, Zhuo'er, are still unfilial? What, do you all want the entire Gu family to die?!"
The Empress Dowager's expression was not good; she felt that every word was a accusation against her.
The atmosphere suddenly turned tense.
Princess Li broke the silence: "Miss Gu, what did you mean by what you just said?"
Princess Li was specially summoned from the capital by the Empress Dowager.
She witnessed Gu Zhizhuo fall into a trap and almost bear the heavy crime of disobedience, but in the end, he still managed to turn the tables! Not only was she stunned, but everyone was.
What do you mean Ji Shi is a wandering ghost? Wasn't she the Duchess of the State, whose marriage was arranged by imperial decree? How could that be false?
Gu Zhizhuo gestured to the Grand Madam not to worry. She curtsied towards the Empress Dowager and said meaningfully, "Your Majesty, it's wonderful that you're here too."
Empress Dowager: "..."
Gu Zhizhuo suddenly flicked his sleeve, pointed at Ji Shi, and said coldly, "Back then, the late emperor arranged a marriage for my father, bestowing the eldest daughter of the Ji family, Ji Yuanchu, as my father's second wife."
"The betrothal letter and marriage certificate both bear the name of Ji Yuanchu."
"However, Ji Yuan Chu died eight years ago. And she is Ji Yuan Chu's twin sister, Ji Ruo, the second daughter of the Ji family!"
Gu Zhizhu sneered, "Cousin Ke says I'm unfilial. May I ask Your Majesty, who should I be filial to?!"
Oh my god!
This statement shattered almost everyone's understanding, and even the Empress Dowager could not hide her astonishment.
Madam Gu asked in a trembling voice, "Zhuo'er, are you... are you telling the truth?"
Gu Zhizhuo nodded slightly to her, indicating that what he said was absolutely true.
She chuckled softly, her voice full of mockery: "Ji Shi. You have no official status or title, so why should I, your eldest daughter, serve you in your illness and fulfill my filial duties?"
"You expect me to kneel down and beg for your forgiveness?"
"Tell me, are you worthy?"
The same question, "Are you worthy?", the same unyielding arrogance, heard from the same people, but this time everyone's feelings were completely different. Princess Liqin shook her head calmly: "She is not worthy."
She doesn't deserve it!
No! No—
Ji finally came to his senses from the chaos.
She looked around in panic, her heart sinking as if into an abyss.
She felt as if she had been stripped naked and thrown into a crowd, and all she wanted to do was find a corner to curl up in.
"aunt."
Ji Nanke helped her up and said softly, "Gu Zhizhuo is talking nonsense again, isn't he?"
She secretly pinched Ji Shi, meaning to tell her not to admit it! Regardless of whether she was Ji Yuan Chu or not, she had to be Ji Yuan Chu, otherwise they would both be finished.
Deny it quickly! Cry quickly, then bang your head against the wall! Hurry! You have a way to make the Empress Dowager believe you.
These subtle actions did not escape Gu Zhizhuo's notice.
She cut off Ji's chance to speak, pressing her relentlessly: "You were jealous of Ji Yuan Chu, you killed her, you pretended to be her, and stole eight years of wealth and luxury!"
“Cousin Zhuo, my aunt is definitely not that kind of person, you…”
Gu Zhizhuo didn't even look at her, and continued, "Ji Ruo, how do you think I know your name? If you don't want people to know, then don't do it in the first place! Ji Ruo, how many secrets lie beneath this skin that no one knows!"
These words shattered all of Ji's hopes.
Her secret...
Ji covered her face. She remembered that day when, as the thunder struck, she seemed to see that girl smiling at her again, her face exactly the same as hers.
She pushed her off the cliff.
The girl's head slammed against the rock, and blood gushed out.
"Aaaaaah!"
Gu Zhizhuo said calmly, "Ji Shi, I know all your secrets, and I also know you..."
"Don't force Madam!" Granny Wan shouted, standing in front of Madam Ji. She knelt down before the Empress Dowager, "Your Majesty, my lady is indeed not the eldest daughter, Ji Yuan Chu."
She made a snap decision and blurted out, "Madam and the eldest daughter are twin sisters. Not long after the arranged marriage, my eldest daughter had an accident. It was the master and madam who made Madam take the eldest daughter's place and marry into the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion."
"None of this has anything to do with Madam. Madam cannot disobey her parents at home, which is why she acted this way."
"We beg Your Majesty the Empress Dowager to see the truth!"
Granny Wan bent down and pressed her head deeply to the ground.
Foolish! Ji Nanke turned her head away coldly, her heart heavy.
Even though Madam Ji's attitude had already clearly proven that Gu Zhizhuo's words were true, everyone still gasped when they heard Granny Wan admit it herself.
This is simply unbelievable.
The Ji family actually used the fact that twins look alike to have the sisters marry in place of each other!
The marriage arranged by the Duke of Zhenguo's family was personally bestowed by the late emperor. The Ji family's unauthorized replacement of the bride is tantamount to defying the imperial decree.
The crime of disobeying an imperial decree is punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one's family. The Ji family has been far too audacious.
Granny Wan knelt on the ground, trembling.
That's terrifying.
She advised the lady to let the cousin return peacefully and not to provoke the eldest daughter anymore.
The young woman's eyes seemed to be able to see through all demons and monsters.
She was scared.
If this continues, they will be doomed.
"explain!"
The veins on the Empress Dowager's forehead throbbed as she let out a furious shout.
Granny Wan trembled.
“Back then, back then…” Granny Wan swallowed hard and said tremblingly, “The two girls of the Ji family were twins…” She had said this before, but couldn’t help repeating it again, “In the Ji family, the rule passed down from our ancestors is that twins are unlucky. The lady was born half an hour later than the eldest daughter, and was sent back to her hometown immediately after birth, and was not recorded in the family genealogy. It wasn’t until the lady was fourteen years old that the Ji family took her back.”
The Ji family never intended to bring the lady back, and they never even mentioned her to outsiders.
The eldest daughter accidentally learned that she had a twin sister, so she begged her parents to take her sister back. At first, the master refused no matter what, until the palace sent someone to take a look.
The late emperor intended to marry the eldest daughter of the Ji family to the heir of the then Duke of Zhenguo as his second wife.
After the fall of the previous dynasty, no one from the Ji family ever entered officialdom again. If this continues, the family will gradually decline in just three or four generations.
The Ji family was already extremely anxious, and this matchmaking event in the palace was like a pie falling from the sky and landing on their heads. The Duke of Zhenguo's mansion held a prominent position in the Great Qi Dynasty, and if they could successfully connect with the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, the Ji family would still have a chance to rise again.
This concerns the family's honor and future; how could anyone not take it seriously?
As a result, Ji Yuanchu, the eldest daughter of the Ji family, gained some say in the family. She insisted on bringing her younger sister back, and the master eventually agreed.
"The two girls look exactly alike; no one can tell them apart."
The second daughter was raised in the countryside, but she never suffered any hardship. She had two old women serving her since she was a child, and she didn't need to do any work. Apart from her skin being a little rough from being in the sun and running around a lot, she was no different from the eldest daughter. Even their height and weight were the same.
"Later, later..."
Granny Wan's eyes flickered.
She lowered her head and continued, "Shortly after the imperial decree was issued, the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion sent a marriage certificate and set a wedding date. The lady took the two young ladies to the temple to offer incense, and on the way back, the carriage overturned, and the two young ladies tumbled down the cliff."
She mumbled, "The eldest daughter died on the spot. The second daughter was also injured and is unconscious."
"Why didn't the Ji family say anything back then!" The Empress Dowager slammed her hand on the table, speaking angrily.
Granny Wan was so frightened that she kowtowed repeatedly.
She was afraid, very afraid, but for the sake of her second daughter, she couldn't be afraid.
Otherwise, her daughter would be dead.
She was raised by her from a young age, nursing her baby bit by bit. Her own children were gone after birth; all she had was her second daughter.
Granny Wan pressed her forehead deeply to the ground and said in a trembling voice, "The eldest young lady is dead. The master said it was the second young lady who caused it. He said the second young lady is a jinx. If the second young lady hadn't come back, the eldest young lady wouldn't have died. The Ji family has been ruined by the second young lady."
"The master almost beat the second young lady to death and then locked her in the woodshed."
"Three days later, the master opened the door to the woodshed and told the second young lady that from now on she would be Ji Yuanchu."
Granny Wan raised her head, her forehead stained with blood, which flowed into her eyes. She blinked and gritted her teeth as she said, "It was Master who made the Second Miss take the place of the Eldest Miss. Master said that since the Second Miss's name wasn't on the family register anyway, the Ji family's eldest branch has only ever had one daughter. The one who was engaged to the Duke of Zhenguo's family."
"If the second young lady does not agree, she will only face death."
"We beg Your Majesty the Empress Dowager to make a wise judgment."
Granny Wan held onto a sliver of hope: the Second Miss was also a legitimate daughter of the Ji family, not from an outer branch or born out of wedlock; it was just a different name. Why couldn't they accept the situation?
The Empress Dowager remained silent.
Ji Nanke helped Ji Shi down and knelt down as well, her small face half-raised, her resolute gaze filled with sincerity.
"Your Majesty, this matter was a twist of fate, and my aunt is also innocent."
“She has been in the Gu family for eight years, managing the household affairs, being filial to her mother-in-law, and giving birth to children for her husband’s family. My aunt has done nothing wrong! The Zhenguo Duke’s Mansion should regard her as the head mistress of the household.”
Her Taoist robe sleeves slipped down a bit, revealing the gauze wrapped around her wrist. Zhao Yang felt a little sorry for her and echoed, "Yes, Grandmother, no one in the capital has ever said anything bad about the Duchess. She has already given birth to a son, and she has observed filial piety for the old Duke and for the Duke of Zhenguo. How can she not be worthy of the title of legitimate wife?"
That makes sense. The Empress Dowager nodded silently.
Having observed mourning for one's parents-in-law is one of the "three things one should not do".
Furthermore, it was the late emperor's decision to bestow a marriage upon the Duke of Zhenguo's family to the Ji family. Now that things have turned out this way, if word gets out, even the late emperor will lose face.
It would be better to complete the marriage certificate and just accept the mistake.
Ji Nanke, observing the situation, curled the corners of her lips and continued, "The kindness of giving birth is greater than that of a person, and the kindness of raising is greater than that of heaven. My aunt raised the two children of my first wife as her own, and the Gu siblings should also regard her as their mother." (Note 1)
Gu Zhizhu scoffed: "Praise to kill and deceive, is that what you call raising me?"
"Honeyed words and a hidden dagger, how can you expect us siblings to treat each other as our own children?"
"She's been married into the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion for eight years, embezzling funds and selling off assets at rock-bottom prices. Is that what you call fulfilling her duties?"
"As for observing mourning for my grandfather, may I ask you ladies, if you were in mourning, would your concubines and maids not be required to observe mourning as well? What, just because you observed mourning, does that mean you have to treat them all as legitimate wives and honored wives from then on?"
“That’s utterly unreasonable!” a lady immediately retorted with a stern face. “A wife is one who is equal to her husband. Without proper marriage rites and proper etiquette, it’s just an unrequited relationship. How can she be compared to a wife?” (Note 2)
The others nodded in agreement.
There can be no ambiguity on this matter! This is a matter of dignity for the principal wife.
Gu Zhizhuo pointed at Ji Shi and asked directly, "May I ask the Empress Dowager, what is her status that my brother and I are required to serve her as our mother?"
"Wife? No matchmaker, no betrothal."
"A concubine? Rude and illiterate."
"At most, she's just a mistress."
Gu Zhizhuo chuckled softly: "In my Great Qi Dynasty, are the children of the first wife allowed to serve as mothers to the concubines?"
"A noble family's residence is to be run by a concubine?!"
"Absurd!" said the Princess Consort of Prince Li. "Your Majesty, we must not set this precedent and disrupt the proper order of things."
Ji suddenly raised her head, as if she had been greatly shocked, and swayed as if she were about to collapse.
The old lady held Gu Zhizhuo's hand and said, "My Zhuo girl is the most filial. Whoever says you are unfilial should go and get their eyes checked and their heart examined."
Ji Nanke choked for a moment.
Even without being explicitly mentioned, she could sense that the old lady's words were directed at her.
Sure enough, the next moment, the old lady said again: "They eat the Gu family's food, wear the Gu family's clothes, use the Gu family's things, and in the end, they hide behind the Gu family and stab them in the back. They are nothing more than ingrates!"
Ji Nanke: !
The Great Qi Dynasty had been established for less than fifty years, yet the Grand Lady had been a Lady of Imperial Decree for over forty years. When she got carried away, she didn't care at all that the Empress Dowager was also there.
She bowed slightly towards the Empress Dowager and said, "Your Majesty, my Gu family was first deceived into marriage, and then misled for eight years. We also lost countless gold, silver and fertile land. I beg Your Majesty to do justice for our Gu family."
Gu Zhizhuo turned to the Ji family and said, "The Ji family's substitute marriage deceived the emperor, and they should be punished!"
“Miss Ji, the Gu family will pursue this to the end.”
The crime of deceiving the emperor is punishable by the wrath of nine generations of one's family.
Heaven favors Ji Nanke.
She's unlikely to become the Third Prince's consort. Heaven will surely help her and give her a chance to turn things around!
With a provocative look in his eyes, Gu Zhizhuo continued to press, "No matter how much the Third Prince likes you, he will not marry a criminal as his principal wife. You will never get what you want."
You're finished!
Ji Nanke lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes obscuring her dark gaze.
“Aunt, please don’t do anything foolish.” Ji Nanke pinched Ji Shi’s palm. “Think about Cousin Yan. What would he do if something happened to you?”
"Can you bear to let him end up like me, living under someone else's roof?"
The Empress Dowager has not yet made a decision. As long as Lady Ji dies, she will remain the Duchess until her death. Even if she is stripped of her title as Duchess after her death, her death will not implicate the Ji family.
As if struck by a sudden enlightenment, Lady Ji understood immediately. Her knees trembled as she stood up, moving very slowly. But as soon as she regained her footing, she rushed toward the pillar with unwavering resolve.
The noblewomen looked terrified, covering their faces and not daring to look.
Bang!
The guards blocked her way, grabbed her shoulder, and threw her to the ground.
A jade pendant unexpectedly rolled out of Ji's arms.
Just as the Empress Dowager was about to order someone to drag Ji Shi away, she suddenly saw the jade pendant and almost lost her composure, standing up abruptly and leaning forward, staring intently at the auspicious cloud and five-clawed dragon pattern on it.
In folk tradition, dragon patterns should not have five claws or eyes, but the dragon pattern here has a pair of lifelike eyes containing lightning.
this……
The Empress Dowager gave a wink, and her personal maid, Aunt Yan, was about to go and pick up the jade pendant when Gu Zhizhuo had already taken it in her hand. She played with the pendant's tassel and said without looking at her, "Empress Dowager, Ji Shi is trying to threaten you with death."
"You can't just end it all by dying."
She raised the jade pendant and said coldly, "Even if it means the jade shatters, my Gu family will seek justice!"
Just as the Empress Dowager was about to get angry, she saw Gu Zhizhuo staring intently at the jade pendant in his hand. This undisguised gaze made the Empress Dowager subconsciously clench her fist.
"This matter," the Empress Dowager pondered for a long time before finally saying, "is a marriage bestowed upon the Ji family by the late Emperor, and the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion is a noble family of the highest rank. Such a scandalous affair should be decided by the Emperor."
"The Gu family awaits the Emperor's judgment."
Come on, if you want to protect the Ji family, you'll have to pay the price I want!
A note from the author:
Note 1: From *Zeng Guang Xian Wen*
Note 2: Ban Gu's *Baihu Tong*
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