"Lord Zhou, let me help you guys," Ye Ningjie said. Her expression and tone of voice were both calm and serious. This caught everyone's attention.
"How to?" Zhou Jingran asked.
"Zhou Yan and I look good together, don't we? So why don't we act like we are a couple?"
Zhou Yan, who heard that, immediately choked. Has this girl gone mad?!
He hurriedly took some water and drank it. Then he saw the girl who smiled sweetly at him. It made him choke again.
Ye Ningjie finally laughed at Zhou Yan's reaction. "Why are you so shocked? If the emperor saw something like marriage will, he would have difficulty making a decree. And the Tang family wouldn't be able to get angry with that."
Madam Zhou was the first to nod in agreement. She already liked Ye Ningjie and wished the girl had more of a relationship with Zhou Yan. Of course, she didn't want to miss this opportunity.
It feels weird. Madam Zhou didn't know who Ning Jie'er and her family. Either she came from a low-income family or a noble group. She also believed that in the Jinshi kingdom, there were many Ning surnames and which one the girl came from, she did not know.
Despite that, Zhou Wanwu treated Ning Jie'er well. It prompted Madam Zhou to think the girl had no enmity with the Zhou family. So, as for who Ning Jie'er and her family were, it was already unimportant to her.
"Jie'er is right, My Husband. Do you want our only son to marry a girl he doesn't like? What if his marriage is not happy? Do you want to take responsibility for his suffering?" asked Madam Zhou quickly.
Before Zhou Jingran retorted, she had already turned to her father-in-law. "What do you think, Father? Even though your grandson is not the only one, Yan'er must be your favorite grandson, right?"
Zhou Wanwu looked doubtful. He looked at Zhou Jingran, who looked back at him. "This… this could be a crime to deceive the emperor," he said slowly.
The crime of deceiving the emperor could subject them to sanctions. The lightest is to be banned from leaving the residence and attending the imperial court for a while. And at worst, their social status can be lowered, their positions released, or locked in prison.
During this time, the Zhou family seldom caused any trouble. They are also more often neutral, so they rarely offend other officials. Unfortunately, today's decision is a bit difficult.
"You'd better not do that. Father, Grandfather, don't listen to this girl. She seems drunk, so she can't think properly. Look, even her cheeks are red!" Zhou Yan protested while pointing at Ye Ningjie.
Of course, Ye Ningjie wasn't drunk. She was used to stealing Duan Feng's jar of wine. Drinking a few cups at this banquet would not make her drunk.
"What I said makes sense," said Ye Ningjie.
"You must be drunk. Drunk people shouldn't talk too much!" Zhou Yan exclaimed.
Ye Ningjie snorted. She maintained her calm demeanor, then said, "It is indeed a risk. Lord Zhou can go to see the emperor tomorrow and see how it turns out. My offer of assistance remains valid until then."
Zhou Jingran nodded in understanding. "Thank you for the good intentions."
"Of course, it's because you guys treat me well too." Ye Ningjie smiled, then decided to return to the room. Dinner was over, and she wanted to give them space to talk without her distractions.
***
The next day, Ye Ningjie woke up feeling more refreshed. Last night she had been thinking about what to do today. And the decision is unanimous.
She was going out of the Zhou residence to look at Jin An city. Even though her choice was sure that she would infiltrate the imperial palace via the Zhonglei temple, she was a little curious about the other residents' houses used as entrances.
So, today she will inspect the resident's house. After all, it wasn't too far from the Zhou residence.
Several maids were busy preparing bath necessities for Ye Ningjie. The large wooden tub was filled with warm water and sprinkled with peony petals. The scent instantly spread throughout the room.
Ye Ningjie smiled. It had been a very long time since she had enjoyed this kind of luxury. It felt like she had returned to being the daughter of a revered king. However, this was just preferential treatment from the Zhou residents.
After kicking the maid out, her two feet started to step into the bathtub. Then she sat leaning against the wooden tub. The warm water caressed her smooth skin and relaxed her muscles.
This luxury is hard to come by. However, Ye Ningjie would not be carried away. She only had a few moments of pleasure before she finally finished her bath.
A while later, after she finished her bath, the maids came back in. They were surprised that Ye Ningjie didn't allow them to help with the bath. They weren't even allowed to see her exposed body.
Of course. It had been so many years that Ye Ningjie had always done everything herself. She would feel uncomfortable if someone else saw her naked body or touched her, even though they were fellow women.
"Miss, what are you going to do today?" asked the young maid who had escorted her to her room yesterday.
"I want to go for a walk. Am I allowed?" Ye Ningjie asked as she tied the side strap of her clothes. The clothes that the Zhou residence provided were very much to her taste. It's neither too fancy nor flashy.
"Of course. However, Lord Zhou ordered Miss to bring some bodyguards."
"It does not matter." Ye Ningjie nodded in agreement. With the presence of bodyguards, the people would not do anything. She would look like a newcomer who was just curious about the state of the capital.
Actually, she could choose to do everything alone and investigate everything herself without involving Zhou family. However, one has to know one's own limits.
She was aware that her strength was still far behind compared to the imperial palace. So instead of successfully freeing her sisters, she is the one who will be arrested.
If she was in trouble, naturally, there was the Zhou family who could help her. However, she wouldn't take advantage of them if she wasn't desperate.
"Miss, are you going after breakfast?"
Ye Ningjie shook her head. "I want to have breakfast outside. It seems like trying Jin An city steamed bun is something interesting."
The maid's eyes immediately lit up. "Right! Miss, I know where the best-steamed bun is."
"Come take me there!" Ye Ningjie said happily. After tidying up her appearance, she immediately left the Zhou residence with several bodyguards.
***
What no one knew was that a man had been watching the Zhou residence since nightfall. The man obeyed his master's orders to keep an eye on the newcomer girl in the Zhou residence.
And when the girl left the residence, the man immediately followed her.