After being reborn, I stole the female lead's cheat ability and raised the empress.

Chapter 159 The Maternal and Grandfather Families

The next morning, just as the first light of dawn appeared in the east, the Zhao sisters boarded a carriage bound for the Sun family's residence.

The wheels rolled forward, and the crisp sound of horses' hooves echoed through the streets.

Just then, a commotion and mournful cries came from not far ahead.

The two curiously peeked out and saw a middle-aged man sitting by the roadside, holding a roll of straw mat and sobbing uncontrollably.

Weeping bitterly, he looked up to the sky and cried out, "Heaven is blind! Why does it specifically target us suffering people!"

Seeing this, Xia Li quickly signaled the driver to stop the car and hurried over to the burly man, asking with concern:

"Brother, what happened that has caused you such grief?"

Hearing someone speak, the middle-aged man slowly raised his head, his face streaked with tears, and looked at Xia Li, choking back sobs as he said, "Wrapped in this straw mat... is my daughter! Yesterday, she was beaten to death simply for refusing to be insulted by that Third Prince! I, her poor father, had just returned from the frontier yesterday, full of joy, eager to reunite with my family, only to be met with such devastating news! Now that my daughter is gone, for whom shall I guard that vast frontier?"

At this point, the man burst into tears again.

Upon hearing this, Xia Li and his companions were all startled and filled with sympathy for the unfortunate father before them.

They quickly comforted him, saying, "Brave man, don't be too sad. The dead are gone, but the living must continue to live. Believe that justice will prevail, and the truth will come out one day."

Upon hearing this, the strong man's face was filled with grief and indignation: "What a load of bull! I went to various places to seek justice after the incident yesterday, but they protected each other, leaving me with nowhere to turn for help!"

"This……"

"What kind of bullshit Third Prince is this? If he really ascends the throne in the future, I might as well rebel!" the strong man said angrily.

Xia Li said, "Don't worry, he definitely won't be able to log in."

"!!!"

Seeing the other person's eyes widen, Xia Li quickly tried to smooth things over:

"Well... what I mean is, the Third Prince is of bad character, and everyone disapproves of him. Our Emperor is a wise ruler, and he certainly won't choose him."

Zhao Jihua also advised, "Live well and wait to see that day!"

The strongman asked uncertainly, "Will that day really come?"

“There will definitely be. The Third Prince is so tyrannical. If he really ascends the throne, there will definitely be righteous people who rebel. When that time comes, you can join those people's ranks and avenge your daughter, right? You have been at the border for many years, and your daughter often prays for you, hoping that you will live in peace. Seeing you so sad will make her feel guilty.”

"Yes, I will live well and live to see his retribution!"

After much patient and earnest persuasion, the middle-aged man's emotions gradually calmed down.

Finally, he picked up the straw mat and staggered away.

Zhao Jihua and his companion didn't take this incident to heart.

……

The carriage slowly came to a stop in front of the Sun residence. Zhao Jihua was the first to get out of the carriage. She was wearing a light blue brocade dress with delicate orchid patterns embroidered on the hem. The dress swayed gently with her movements, like a flowing painting.

Xia Li followed closely behind, wearing the same dress as her sister, with a jade hairpin in her hair. It was simple yet elegant. On her fair face, a pair of bright eyes were like autumn water, revealing intelligence and liveliness.

only……

Before the two even stepped into the gate of the Sun residence, they were stopped by several servants.

Leading the group was the Sun family's steward, who looked arrogant and glanced sideways at Zhao Jihua and Xia Li, coldly saying:

"Halt! Who are you? What business do you have at the Sun residence?"

Zhao Jihua frowned slightly, a hint of displeasure rising in her heart, but she still answered politely:

"Butler, I am Zhao Jihua, and this is my sister Xia Li. We have come to pay our respects to our maternal grandfather."

Upon hearing this, the butler revealed a mocking sneer. He looked Zhao Jihua up and down and said in a sarcastic tone:

"So it's Miss Zhao. But the Sun family doesn't welcome you these days. As you know, the Sun family dislikes the Third Prince, yet you were once engaged to him. Now that the engagement has been broken off, you've become an old maid. If word gets out, won't that ruin the reputation of the Sun family?"

Xia Li's eyes instantly reddened. She tightly gripped her sister's sleeve and said angrily, "Sister, how could they say that..."

Zhao Jihua gently patted Xia Li's hand, signaling her not to get agitated.

She took a deep breath, a confident smile appearing on her face, and said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Steward, you are mistaken. My engagement with the Third Prince was decreed by the Empress. When the engagement was made, the Sun family did not object. Now that I have been jilted, you are surely aware of the reasons. Furthermore, I, Zhao Jihua, have always been upright and honest, and have never done anything to damage the reputation of the Sun family. Today, I have come to pay my respects to my maternal grandfather out of filial piety. What reason do you have to stop me?"

The butler was speechless after hearing Zhao Jihua's words.

His face turned extremely ugly, and for a moment he didn't know how to refute it.

But he was still unwilling to let Zhao Jihua into the mansion just like that, so he rolled his eyes and came up with another way to make things difficult for him.

He snorted coldly and said, "Hmph, you make it sound so easy. However, it's not impossible for you to enter our Sun residence, unless you can answer one of my difficult questions. Otherwise, don't blame me for being impolite!"

Zhao Jihua chuckled inwardly. She knew the housekeeper was deliberately making things difficult for her, but she wasn't afraid.

She nodded slightly and said, "Alright, since the steward is willing to test Ji Hua, please give me the question."

The steward smiled smugly and said, "This question isn't difficult. I'll give you the first line of a couplet; if you can provide the second line, I'll let you in. The first line is: 'At the gate of the Sun residence, the steward makes things difficult; Miss Zhao is caught in a dilemma.'"

As soon as he finished speaking, the servants around him burst into laughter, all waiting to see Zhao Jihua make a fool of himself.

Zhao Jihua remained calm and composed. She pondered for a moment, a sly glint in her eyes.

Then, with a slight smile, she slowly said, "The second line is: 'In the imperial court, powerful ministers wield power, while Lord Sun is adept at navigating the complexities of power.'"

Her voice was clear and melodious, each word like pearls falling on a jade plate, echoing in everyone's ears.

Upon hearing the second line, the butler's face turned deathly pale. His lips trembled slightly, but he was unable to utter a word.

He hadn't expected Zhao Jihua to be so clever, not only coming up with a matching couplet but also subtly satirizing the Sun family's actions in the imperial court!

Xia Li watched her sister from the side, her eyes filled with admiration and pride.

She gently tugged at her sister's hand and whispered, "Sister, you're amazing!"

Zhao Jihua smiled and patted Xia Li's head, saying softly, "Don't be afraid, your sister is here. I won't let anyone bully you!"