At the funeral, the Ji Family knew they were in the wrong for offending the Song Family. They imdiately sent a steward with a cartload of gifts as an apology on the sa day, but Madam Song, taking charge, sent everything back, not accepting a single candy. This news of the steward returning empty-handed infuriated Song Ci.
The current Lord of Anle, who is the elder brother of Princess Consort Ji, was in a panic and rushed to find his sister.
"Better not get on Pri Minister Song’s bad side," he cautioned. "He might speak ill of us in front of the Emperor and the Empress Dowager, and then this small dukedom of ours might be confiscated."
Princess Consort Ji, feeling unwell, was reclining on a beauty couch. Upon suddenly hearing that Madam Ji had passed, she turned pale with fright, her soul not fully at ease. Consequently, she did not go to the Ji Family to offer condolences.
She was, after all, an Imperial Concubine, and it was not necessary for her to mourn the passing of a niece-in-law.
Another reason for her absence was that she had scolded Madam Ji the previous night. It couldn’t be that a few harsh words had driven her to despair.
Feeling a bit guilty and panicked, Princess Consort Ji kept sensing a chill down her back, as if an eerie wind was blowing.
When she heard that the elder of the Ji Family had arrived, she had him brought in.
"Li Niang, you must save the Ji Family," the old man of the Ji Family pleaded tremblingly, bowing haphazardly as he begged for help.
Princess Consort Ji’s heart lurched. She looked at her elder brother who was old enough to be her father and frowned, "Speak slowly. You’re a Lord; at your age, behaving in such a flustered manner is most unbecoming. Sit down, what’s the matter?"
The old man of the Ji Family was apprehensive, casting a wary glance at her, and mumbled, "It’s the trouble caused by your grandnieces."
He stamred as he gave a rough recount of the drama at the morial hall.
Upon hearing this, Princess Consort Ji was so furious that the veins on her temples bulged. She slamd her chubby hand on the kang table, exclaiming, "The mother is foolish, and the daughters are just as foolish. Does she have a pig’s brain to dare utter such nonsense? Isn’t the trouble already big enough?"
The old man of the Ji Family frowned and said, "I’ve already had Wen Niang locked up in the courtyard for reflection. But look, bad as things are, we must find a way to make ands."
"Big brother, this is typical of you. If you had been stricter in overseeing the conduct of the family’s younger mbers, how could each one cause such jokes? We’re both from poor families, but look at the Song Family. Don’t even ntion Pri Minister Song’s generation—any one of their younger generation is well-educated and presentable. But what about the Ji Family?"
No comparison, no harm; when people compare, they feel inferior.
"It’s different! Their family is full of scholars, with ntal acun and talent. Our family doesn’t have such endownt!" the elder insisted, arguing that before the Ji Family’s rise, they had all been toiling in the fields.
Princess Consort Ji was so infuriated she nearly rolled her eyes.
If ever there was a perfect example of ’useless like mud that can’t be plastered on walls,’ this was it.
Her elder brother had just this one quality of being obedient and honest. He would do exactly as told, and back then when he was instructed to lie low and keep the family in check, nothing major had happened in the past twenty years and he did it quite well.
Why then, now that she had returned, had the family beco a source of constant jokes?
Princess Consort Ji could not fathom it. Individuals inherently rely on strength. When the support was absent before, they naturally did not dare to do anything conspicuous, and only minor disturbances happened. But now that the big support is back, the oppressed grievances naturally erupted all at once, much like a prisoner released would run wild around the world.
The Ji Family mbers were just of this nature. They refrained from being flamboyant when their chief support was absent. Now they dared, but they overdid it, and the ship had capsized.
"Save them, for what? Should that girl follow her mother’s example and get on the beam to apologize with her life?" Princess Consort Ji said angrily.
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