However, at the moment, she didn't have the time to connect all these strange things.
Seeing that the old matriarch and the mistress were really unaware, Zhao Luoning had no choice but to brace herself and handle the matter.
If it weren't for her own younger sister, she wouldn't have gotten involved in this mess!
After discussing with a few maids in the old matriarch's room, Zhao Luoning first asked all the female relatives except a few close ones to leave the inner room on the pretext that the old matriarch needed to rest in peace.
As for those in the outer room, they just wanted to satisfy their curiosity. So she sent Caixue to convey the old matriarch's order to everyone.
Although everyone still wanted to watch the show, they had to obey the old matriarch's order, and most of them left.
Those who remained, such as the maids and women brought by some ladies and young misses, were also invited to wait outside the Cihua Courtyard.
Finally, it became a bit quieter.
Only then did Zhao Luoning walk back into the room. The mistress also came out of the inner room. Presumably, she had already passed on the old matriarch's words to the master.
Madam Wu was even angrier when she saw that the old matriarch and Madam Ji both claimed to be ill and didn't come out.
"Is there no one in the Ji family? Sending a young girl like you to deal with us?!"
Before Madam Wu finished speaking, she was interrupted by Master Wu.
"Rude! This is the benefactor who saved Madam Ye's life."
Madam Wu never left the inner chambers and was unaware, but Master Wu was a businessman.
As the saying goes, a strong dragon doesn't suppress a local snake. Now Lord Ye was in charge of Huangcheng. Even Master Ji, who served in the capital, wouldn't offend Lord Ye for the sake of his family's business. They were just merchants. How could they go against the officials?
So, Master Wu was quite polite to the benefactor who saved Madam Ye's life.
"Forgive me, niece. My wife is inexperienced and has offended you."
Zhao Luoning only knew that all the noble ladies in Huangcheng wanted to curry favor with Madam Ye, but she didn't expect that the title of the benefactor who saved Madam Ye's life would be so useful.
This finally gave her a glimmer of hope in despair.
After some pleasantries, Zhao Luoning got straight to the point.
"Someone, bring seats for Young Master Ji and Miss Ning. Let's sit down and talk properly."
After all, he was the eldest young master of the Ji family. It was reasonable for him to kneel before his elders, but there was no such reason to kneel before outsiders.
She walked to Ning Ruonian's side, squatted down, and while helping her up, whispered,
"Tell me the truth. Do you really like this man? Is the child in your belly his?"
Ning Ruonian was stunned for a moment. She looked up at Zhao Luoning with tears in her eyes and nodded heavily.
Seeing her like this, Zhao Luoning already had an idea in mind. She gently patted Ning Ruonian's shoulder and comforted her,
"Don't worry. Your sister's here."
Ning Ruonian had come with the determination to go all out, so she had made up her mind that no matter what happened, she wouldn't shed a single tear.
But Zhao Luoning's words made her collapse.
She knew that her sister had recognized her.
Yes, her sister had doted on her since childhood. How could she not recognize her!
At this time, the others in the room, such as Second Madam Ji, Ji Shihan, and Ji Shihuan, were also invited out by Zhao Luoning.
Now only Master Ji, Ji Shijun, Ning Ruonian, Zhao Luoning, and Master and Madam Wu were left.
Zhao Luoning apologized to Master and Madam Wu with a smile, "This matter really shouldn't have troubled you two."
"What do you mean by shouldn't? If someone hadn't brought this matter to our attention, how long would you have wanted to hide it from us?"
As soon as Zhao Luoning opened her mouth, Madam Wu couldn't help but get angry.
"Now your eldest young master already has a child with someone else. You've been covering it up all this time and were planning to let the bastard into the family tree before letting us know. Our Jiarong has waited for so many years. A woman's youth! What can you compensate us with?!"
Madam Wu's words were harsh. Zhao Luoning's face darkened, and she retorted,
"Madam, I respect you as an elder, so I've been very polite to you. Since you've insulted the eldest grandson of the Ji family like this and don't take our Ji family seriously, I must have a word with you."
Zhao Luoning had just seemed gentle and easy to talk to, but suddenly changing her tone was really scary.
And Master Wu already knew that because of his wife's words, they had gone from being in the right to being in the wrong, and they were now at the mercy of the other side.
Ji Shijun was the eldest son of the Ji family recognized by all the clan elders. How could their Wu family be qualified to call him a bastard?
Wasn't this going against the entire Ji family!
Sure enough, as Master Wu expected, Zhao Luoning seized this opportunity to turn the tables. She showed the dignity of the mistress of the family and began to press on step by step.
Zhao Luoning first showed courtesy and then resorted to force: "I've just married into the Ji family. I only recognize fairness and don't understand the rules yet. If I've offended you two elders, please forgive me."
Then, she directly began to analyze, "The engagement between the Wu and Ji families was a mutual agreement. Our Ji family didn't threaten the Wu family, right?"
Master Wu knew he was in the wrong and could only nod. He was just about to apologize for his wife's slip of the tongue, but Zhao Luoning didn't give him a chance to speak at all.
Zhao Luoning continued, "Back then, eldest brother disappeared. His life or death was unknown. Our Ji family also went to your family to call off the engagement. We didn't ask your daughter to wait for eldest brother for the rest of her life, right?"
Hearing this, Madam Wu retorted, "But back then, your mistress said that even if the eldest young master disappeared, she still recognized my daughter as her eldest daughter-in-law."
Zhao Luoning smiled and asked, "But did you exchange the eight characters of birth, register it with the government, send betrothal gifts, or add dowries? Did you use an eight - sedan chair to invite your daughter into our family?"
Madam Wu was furious, "You..."
Seeing this, Master Ji came out to smooth things over.
"Ning'er, they're still elders. You're being too rude."
Zhao Luoning bowed respectfully to Master Ji.
She still had to give Master Ji face, so her attitude softened.
"Two elders, I didn't mean to be disrespectful to you. If I've offended you just now, please forgive me."
Seeing this, Madam Wu became even more insolent.
"Although our Wu family and the Ji family haven't officially finalized the engagement, the engagement between our two families has lasted for nearly ten years. It can't be casually wiped out by you, a new bride, just because there's no evidence."
"Yes, yes, yes."
Zhao Luoning acted submissively, making Madam Wu think she was really afraid of Master Ji and completely let down her guard.
"Since Eldest Young Master Ji is back, we're here today to ask when you're going to fulfill the engagement."
"Auntie, please allow Luoning to be so bold as to ask. If eldest brother never came back, would Jiarong really wait for a lifetime? I heard that back then, you arranged quite a few marriage proposals for Jiarong."
At this time, Master Wu also regained his senses. He quickly helped his clumsy - tongued wife speak,
"That's our Wu family's business! Our Wu family has never done anything wrong to your Ji family. It's your Ji family that has gone back on its word. First, he disappeared. Now, it's even better. He suddenly shows up with a wife and child!"
"So, if Eldest Young Master Ji never came back or really died, you would call off the engagement?"