“The physician gave you to our Third Miss?”

“That’s right. The physician said yesterday’s coachman, who drove for Third Miss, had problems and couldn’t be used anymore, so he’s giving me to Third Miss as a coachman,” Chen Guang explained.

So that was it!

Old Madam Deng breathed a sigh of relief: “Qing Yun, take this young man to the steward to register. From now on, add thirty percent to the standard coachman’s wages.”

Chen Guang hastily said: “Old Madam, the residence doesn’t need to pay this humble one’s monthly wages. The physician said to let this humble one be Third Miss’s dedicated coachman, and the physician has already provided the monthly wages.”

He wasn’t truly a coachman anyway. Once the General became more capable and married the Third Miss sooner, he would continue serving as the General’s guard.

Thinking of this, Chen Guang felt somewhat melancholy.

He, a dignified personal guard to the Northern Campaign General, was now serving as a coachman for a young lady. If the General couldn’t successfully win the beauty in the future, the first person he’d be letting down would be himself!

“Is that so? Then Qing Yun, go arrange lodging for this young man. By the way, we still don’t know what this young man’s name is?”

“This humble one is called Chen Guang.” Chen Guang showed a brilliant smile.

“Good name.” Old Madam Deng nodded and ordered Qing Yun to take Chen Guang away.

At this moment, another message was reported: “Old Madam, someone from the palace has come!”

“The palace?” The old madam looked surprised.

Everyone in the room exchanged glances.

The messenger said, “Consort Li has sent someone to deliver a gift of gratitude to Third Miss.”

Upon hearing this, Old Madam Deng hastily tidied herself and personally went out to receive them.

The one delivering the gratitude gift was a young eunuch holding a three-tiered carved red sandalwood box. Upon seeing Old Madam Deng, he smiled broadly: “Yesterday, during the heavy rain, our Ninth Princess received help from your residence’s Third Miss. Our mistress is very grateful and specially ordered this slave to deliver a gift of gratitude to your residence’s Third Miss.. May I ask which one is Third Miss?”

As the young eunuch spoke, his gaze wandered uncertainly between Li Jiǎo and Qiao Zhao, finally settling on Li Jiǎo’s face.

Of the two young ladies, this one appeared older. The one who rescued Her Highness the Princess in the rain should be this one, right? The other one seemed rather too young.

Being stared at by the young eunuch, Li Jiǎo’s smile became stiff, her heart filled with shame and indignation.

Li San had indeed helped the Ninth Princess! Such a big matter, yet she deliberately didn’t mention it yesterday, causing her to jump into a pit.

She must have done it on purpose!

“Zhaozhao, come thank Consort Li for her reward.”

Qiao Zhao stepped forward and curtsied to the young eunuch: “Many thanks for Your Ladyship’s gracious gift.”

The young eunuch raised his eyebrows in considerable surprise and handed over the red sandalwood box: “Third Miss, our mistress said she has taken your help to Her Highness the Princess yesterday to heart. When our Princess Highness fully recovers, she’ll have Her Highness personally thank you.”

The red sandalwood box felt slightly heavy in her hands. Qiao Zhao bowed: “Your Ladyship is too kind. It was merely a small favor. Please tell Your Ladyship not to take it to heart. Having you travel such a distance to deliver these items is what’s truly troublesome.”

“Indeed, you must stay for a cup of tea before leaving.” Old Madam Deng added.

Qiao Zhao’s words made the young eunuch feel quite comfortable, his smile growing even broader: “No need, this slave still needs to hurry back to report.”

Though he said this, he didn’t move.

Old Madam Deng, experienced with age, naturally understood the little eunuch’s thoughts and gave Nanny Rong a meaningful look.

Nanny Rong stuffed a purse into the young eunuch’s hand: “For your tea money. Please don’t refuse.”

The young eunuch secretly squeezed the purse and was quite satisfied.

Coming out once and getting over ten taels of silver—quite good indeed.

Consort Li was of humble birth and didn’t enjoy the Emperor’s exclusive favor, relying only on her standard allowances. The palace servants who attended her all lived quite closely. Most of the items in this box were added by the Princess Highness to save face. Otherwise, according to the mistress’s intention, rewarding a box of specially made palace pearl flowers would already give sufficient face to a minister’s daughter.

Sigh, speaking of it, because the Princess Highness often received rewards from the Empress Dowager and other masters, her wealth far exceeded the mistresses. If he had the chance to serve the Princess, it would be better.

The young eunuch walked away happily with his purse, while Liu Shi and the others’ eyes remained glued to the box in Qiao Zhao’s hands.

Seeing this, Qiao Zhao simply placed the red sandalwood box on the tea table and said generously, “Let’s see what Consort Li has rewarded.”

Her grandmother was of imperial blood and had told her about the current Emperor.

Emperor Mingkang was devoted to cultivation, not cultivating for ascension to heaven, but for immortality, so he could sit on the throne for thousands and thousands of years. Therefore, toward his only two imperial sons, on one hand, he had natural importance as heir—if he couldn’t achieve immortality, the Jiang family’s throne still needed to be passed down. But on the other hand, he also feared that after he’d been emperor for a long time, his two sons might grow impatient and stage a palace coup or something. So he was very guarded against his two sons. In daily life, whenever officials got too close to the princes, he would reprimand them. The princes’ lives were far from as comfortable as ordinary people imagined.

If even the princes lived this way, the circumstances of ordinary consorts could be imagined. Therefore, Qiao Zhao was certain that Consort Li’s gratitude gift would be items with more craftsmanship than value. Rather than taking it back and letting everyone wonder and speculate wildly, it was better to open it generously and let everyone see clearly.

Pulling out the first layer of the box revealed a full layer of pearl flowers with exquisite craftsmanship, lifelike and in patterns that young ladies especially loved. Being specially made in the palace, wearing them out would be quite dignified.

Pulling out the second layer revealed over ten delicate glass bottles of various shapes, containing liquids of different colors—the overseas fragrant waters that had been very popular in recent years, all tribute items.

After opening the third layer, it was empty except for a red jade bracelet lying quietly on the snow-white lining cloth, brilliant and eye-catching.

He Shi was knowledgeable and blurted out: “A blood jade bracelet?”

Blood jade was rare—such a blood jade bracelet was worth a fortune.

Liu Shi had heard of blood jade bracelets’ reputation and couldn’t help clicking her tongue.

The third Miss had truly struck it rich today!

Old Madam Deng, having been widowed young, took a light view of such things. She waved her hand: “Cover all these boxes properly and have them sent to Third Miss at Yahe Courtyard.”

These all belonged to the Third Girl and had nothing to do with others. The most urgent expense for the residence at present was buying two carriages!

Watching the boxes of treasures being carried away, Liu Shi’s heart completely shattered.

Carried away, carried away, just like that they were carried away! Third Miss should at least be polite and share a few pearl flowers for her daughters to wear!

Qiao Zhao returned to Yahe Courtyard, looked at the boxes filling the room, frowned, and decisively began arranging their destinations.

“A’Zhu, pick through this box of fabric. Send the more mature ones to the master, and send the rest to the Third Young Master.”

Binglu’s heart trembled.

These were fine materials—the young lady was just giving them away like this? Keeping them for her future husband would also be good!

“From this box of pearl flowers, leave me a few elegant ones. You and Binglu each pick two, Shiliu and Qiou each get one. Divide the rest into several portions to send to the other young ladies.”

Binglu felt as if an arrow had pierced her heart.

What? Distribute them all to the other young ladies? Why? They weren’t even nice to the young lady!

“And this box of pearls—”

Binglu directly threw herself onto the box containing the pearls: “Miss! You might as well just kill this servant!”