“Shiran, what’s wrong?”

Seeing Jiang Shiran staring at her face in stunned silence, Princess Zhenzhen suddenly realized what was happening and cried out loudly: “Mirror! Bring me a mirror!”

In the vast bedchamber, there wasn’t a single mirror to be found anywhere visible.

“Fanglan, bring me a mirror.”

Palace maid Fanglan tremblingly fetched a mirror.

Jiang Shiran snatched the mirror first, stammering: “Zhenzhen, you’d better not look—”

Princess Zhenzhen stared fixedly at Jiang Shiran and smiled bleakly: “Shiran, you said it yourself—the situation surely couldn’t get worse, right?”

She reached out to take the mirror, but Jiang Shiran gripped it tightly and wouldn’t let go.

It had gotten worse! What should she do? If Zhenzhen saw this, she definitely wouldn’t be able to handle it!

“Shiran, let go.” Princess Zhenzhen forcefully snatched the mirror away. With one glance, it was as if thunder had exploded in her mind—with a roaring sound, she knew nothing anymore, leaving only blankness in her consciousness.

“Zhenzhen, what’s wrong? Don’t scare me!” Jiang Shiran was filled with guilt, shaking Princess Zhenzhen’s rigid shoulders.

After a long while, Princess Zhenzhen blinked her eyes and two lines of tears fell: “Shiran, is this medicine made by Physician Li? Where did you get it?”

“I—” Jiang Shiran opened her mouth, then her expression changed dramatically. “I know! That Li woman must be playing tricks on me!”

“What do you mean?” Princess Zhenzhen asked numbly.

Jiang Shiran wiped the corner of her eyes and said quickly: “This medicine was given to me by Li San, claiming it was Physician Li’s medicine. She must have deceived me, and I stupidly believed her!”

Jiang Shiran stamped her feet and, after dropping this statement, turned to leave: “Zhenzhen, wait for me. I’m going to settle accounts with her!”

Princess Zhenzhen grabbed her arm and smiled with utter despair: “I’m already like this—what’s the use of settling accounts? If others found out I’ve become this hideous, wouldn’t that be even more shameful?”

Besides Jiang Shiran and the palace people, she would rather die than let outsiders know she had been disfigured.

Jiang Shiran grasped Princess Zhenzhen’s hand: “Zhenzhen, don’t worry. I won’t reveal your situation to anyone, but if I don’t settle this score with her, I really can’t swallow this anger!”

Princess Zhenzhen watched as Jiang Shiran came in a whirlwind and left in a whirlwind, leaving her with an even more horrifying face. She felt completely submerged in despair, without even the strength to breathe.

She felt such hatred—she hated why she had become like this, yet didn’t know whom to hate. Was it wrong to try to make her life better? She had never harmed anyone!

Jiang Shiran left the palace gates, carrying her whip and heading straight for the Li residence: “I want to see your Third Miss!”

“Third Miss went out and hasn’t returned yet.” The gatekeeper, seeing Jiang Shiran’s aggressive manner, quickly moved to close the door after saying this.

“Where did she go?”

“We don’t know that. How would Third Miss inform us servants where she’s going? Don’t you think so, Miss?”

Jiang Shiran glared at the Li residence’s nameplate, then turned and headed straight for the Jinlin Guard headquarters.

“Why has Ran Ran come?” Jiang Tang set aside his work and asked with a smile.

“Father, it’s all because of your terrible advice!” Jiang Shiran plopped down in a seat, huffing with anger.

“What happened now? Tell Father about it.”

“Zhenzhen’s face—you told me to find Li San, and what happened? After she used the medicine Li San gave her, the festering on her face became even worse!”

“Such a thing happened?” Jiang Tang was quite surprised.

He had some recognition of that little girl’s abilities, so logically, this kind of situation shouldn’t have occurred.

Jiang Shiran reached out and grabbed Jiang Tang’s beard: “Father, don’t you believe me?”

“I believe you, I believe you. Quick, let go.”

Jiang Shiran released her grip and said with a stern face, “Father, you help me find out where Li San is today. I want to go find her.”

“What do you want to find her for?”

“She harmed Zhenzhen like that—of course, I need to demand an explanation!”

Jiang Tang put away his smile and said seriously, “Ran Ran, don’t make trouble.”

Jiang Shiran was stunned and said incredulously, “Father, you’re saying I’m making trouble? If she harmed someone, shouldn’t we demand an explanation from her?”

“Ran Ran, Father can indulge you in all other matters, but not when it comes to Miss Li. Father has already said that you can try to befriend Miss Li, but you cannot oppose her anymore, especially since you must not harm her!”

If possible, he couldn’t bear to let his precious daughter suffer any grievance, but once he was gone, who would protect his daughter like this? So he wouldn’t let anyone harm Miss Li, including Ran Ran.

“Father, is she your real daughter then?” Jiang Shiran was furious.

Looking at his daughter’s aggrieved little face, Jiang Tang rarely steeled his heart: “Ran Ran, Father is speaking seriously with you. You must promise Father.”

“What if I don’t promise?” Jiang Shiran asked, biting her lip.

Jiang Tang sighed: “Your Fifth Brother isn’t doing very well in Jia Feng. Father might consider transferring Shisan back.”

Jiang Shiran looked shocked: “Father, are you joking?”

“On this matter, Father will not joke.”

Jiang Shiran had never seen Jiang Tang with such a stern expression, all for some inexplicable girl. She stamped her foot angrily: “Father, I’m not talking to you anymore!”

Although angry and aggrieved, Jiang Shiran ultimately listened to Jiang Tang’s words and suppressed her full belly of rage without going to cause trouble for Qiao Zhao.

After his imperial audience, Shao Mingyuan, thinking that Qiao Mo and the others must be waiting for him to have their meal, hurried back at full speed.

“Cousin, I’ve kept you waiting.” At the dinner table, Shao Mingyuan raised a cup of wine to toast Qiao Mo.

Qiao Zhao reminded him: “General Shao, you’d better drink less alcohol.”

“Uh, all right.” Shao Mingyuan didn’t hesitate to put down the wine cup and pour himself tea instead. “Then I’ll use tea in place of wine to apologize to everyone.”

Qiao Mo looked at Qiao Zhao with a meaningful smile.

Qiao Zhao pressed her lips together and lifted her teacup to take a sip.

She had thought she would need to give a long lecture before he would listen to advice, but unexpectedly, he agreed directly.

Qiao Mo raised his wine cup: “Thank you, Marquis, for taking care of Zhaozhao all this time.”

Shao Mingyuan tightened his grip on the teacup and smiled with casual detachment: “It’s only proper. Miss Li is my physician, so I naturally should take comprehensive care of her.”

Qiao Zhao glanced at him, thinking: He’s quite good at keeping things clear!

Shao Mingyuan looked straight ahead as he clinked cups with Qiao Mo and drank all the tea.

Qiao Mo secretly shook his head.

His little sister was intelligent and talented, with her ideas about everything. As her brother, he could only respect that, but coldly observing the subtle situation between these two, he couldn’t help but worry.

What exactly was little sister thinking?

And there was the Marquis Guanjun—previously, when he wore white clothes in mourning for his wife, he had found him quite agreeable, but now with little sister sitting here perfectly well, seeing him in white clothes again just felt inexplicably depressing.

The relationships were too complicated. Big Brother Qiao decided it was better to let things take their natural course.

After the meal, Qiao Zhao gave Shao Mingyuan acupuncture as usual. After returning home, she made a list and instructed A’Zhu to go purchase the needed items, then threw herself into analyzing the tooth poison sac.