“How is Miss Li?” Yang Houcheng strode over. Seeing a group of young ladies with nowhere to step, he could only stand to the side and call out loudly.
He was born with thick eyebrows and large eyes, possessing a heroic bearing different from refined scholarly gentlemen. But the noble ladies of the capital favored figures like Chi Can, romantic, handsome, and exquisite as a painting. Suddenly seeing such a tall, imposing young man approach, they were startled and quickly scattered, revealing Qiao Zhao.
“Miss Li—” Yang Houcheng saw that Qiao Zhao’s hands, covering her cheek, were covered in blood. His expression immediately changed, and he lifted his foot to go over, but was held back by Zhu Yàn.
“Miss Li, don’t be afraid. The physician will arrive soon.” Zhu Yàn pulled Yang Houcheng to stand not far away. After comforting Qiao Zhao, he turned to Du Feiyang: “Cousin, have my servant quickly return to the Marquis Taining’s residence. My family has high-quality Cloud Frost Ointment that might be useful.”
“Yes.” Du Feiyang looked at the terrifyingly injured girl with a complex expression and quickly ordered someone to notify Zhu Yàn’s servant.
“Little Sister Li Zhao, does it hurt?” Su Luoyi’s face was pale, with a layer of sweat breaking out on her smooth forehead.
“Third Sister, how are your injuries?” Li Jiǎo began to sob.
Ouyang Weiyu walked over and took out a snow-white handkerchief: “Third Miss Li, use this to press against it.”
Qiao Zhao released her hand and accepted the handkerchief Ouyang Weiyu handed over, saying with difficulty: “Thank you—”
She had prepared herself mentally countless times, but didn’t expect it would still hurt terribly. She had been numb just now, but was only gradually beginning to feel the pain.
The moment Qiao Zhao released her hand, the wound on her right cheek was revealed, immediately causing cries of alarm. Every girl who saw the wound on her face turned pale with fright.
“Heavens, there’s a gash, and on her face too. Is Third Miss Li disfigured?”
“Looking at that wound, it’s quite serious. Even the best Cloud Frost Ointment will leave a scar. Third Miss Li will have trouble in the future.”
“Oh my, how pitiful—”
The various discussions merged into a cacophony, like countless mosquitoes and flies buzzing in Jiang Shiran’s ears. Jiang Shiran closed her eyes and shouted: “Everyone shut up!”
The scene immediately fell silent, with countless gazes focused on Jiang Shiran.
Jiang Shiran became even more frustrated, raising her bow to point at Qiao Zhao: “She must have moved around carelessly, otherwise I wouldn’t have missed!”
The ladies remained silent, but sneered inwardly: Truly worthy of being the Jinlin Guard Commander’s daughter—her arrogance was unmatched. Even if a princess were standing here, facing a girl who had been injured, she wouldn’t be so brazen. Not even a perfunctory apology, but pushing the responsibility onto the victim.
Not all the ladies present had good feelings toward Qiao Zhao, but a young lady’s appearance was extremely important. Seeing it ruined before their eyes inevitably stirred sympathy, and facing Jiang Shiran’s aggressiveness, they developed a sense of shared indignation.
These people were either from civil or military official families or noble families. Only Jiang Shiran’s father was special—special enough that everyone respected him, yet he was difficult to categorize into any faction.
Qiao Zhao seemed to become an outsider, watching the ladies’ silent accusations against Jiang Shiran with an expressionless face.
She felt like laughing but didn’t dare move her wound, only thinking privately: She quite liked this kind of killing two birds with one stone.
Even if her status wasn’t as noble as those present, she was still a daughter of an official family. For Jiang Shiran to make her suffer embarrassment by having her serve as a target, when had she ever considered her dignity and feelings? If she were truly just a thirteen-year-old girl, she probably would have already made a fool of herself.
No matter how good Jiang Shiran’s archery was, no matter how confident she was in being foolproof, it was still extremely disrespectful to the person being tested. After all, Jiang Shiran’s proposal of this topic was secondarily about making things difficult—more importantly, it was about displaying Miss Jiang’s superior archery skills and earning applause.
Miss Qiao had learned many things from her grandfather, but had never learned how to write the words “accepting adversity submissively.” Anyone who wanted to step on her dignity to show off would be dreaming if they thought they could succeed.
“What do you all mean by this?” Jiang Shiran wasn’t stupid. The ladies’ silent accusations made her feel greatly embarrassed. Unable to single out any particular one to question, she finally directed her anger at Qiao Zhao: “You speak up! Did you move around carelessly and cause the miss?”
“Enough!” Yang Houcheng finally flew into a rage. He walked several steps to stand between Qiao Zhao and Jiang Shiran, saying with a dark face: “You injured someone and still think you’re in the right? Who gave you such audacity to use a living person as a target? Your father?”
Yang Houcheng had loved martial arts since childhood and rarely participated in gatherings of young gentlemen, knowing even fewer girls. But he had known Jiang Shiran since childhood. The reason was simple—the Empress Dowager was his grand-aunt. He was often called into the palace to play as a child, so naturally he came to know Jiang Shiran, who also frequently entered the palace.
“You—you’re meddling in what business?” It had been a long time since anyone dared speak to her this way. Jiang Shiran was furious with shame.
“When the road is uneven, someone levels it; when affairs are unjust, someone manages them. My meddling is still better than your troublemaking!” Looking at the blood all over Qiao Zhao’s face, Yang Houcheng was extremely angry and gave Jiang Shiran no face at all.
Zhu Yán’s eyes flickered slightly, as if seeing Yang Houcheng for the first time, and looked at him deeply.
Previously, this good friend of her brother had given her the impression of being straightforward and without guile. Now it seemed that such a person was also quite good, at least better than her brother, who could only worry anxiously!
Zhu Yán glanced at her brother.
Did he think she was stupid? Don’t think that just because her brother maintained a composed appearance, he was only fooling outsiders. In reality, who knew how worried he was—couldn’t he see that the veins on his hands were bulging?
She had said that Fifth Brother and Third Miss Li knew each other.
These thoughts flashed through Zhu Yán’s mind in an instant, then she saw Zhu Yàn give her a meaningful look.
The siblings understood each other perfectly. Zhu Yán quickly grasped Zhu Yàn’s meaning and stepped forward to support Qiao Zhao: “Third Miss Li, let me help you go inside to wait.”
Being closer, she could see more clearly and couldn’t help biting her lower lip.
How much must this hurt? Yet Third Miss Li hadn’t made a sound!
“No need.” Qiao Zhao spoke up, looking toward Du Feixue, who was the host: “Miss Du, I would like to take my leave.”
Du Feixue’s expression changed: “How can that be? If you return like this, won’t people laugh at our Earl’s residence?”
“Yes, Third Sister, your face has bled so much. You should at least wait for the physician to treat your wound before going home,” Li Jiǎo also urged.
Qiao Zhao pressed the handkerchief gently against her wound, her expression resolute: “No, I must return home to be treated.”
“That won’t do. You’re deliberately making things difficult for me. You were injured at our home—if you leave like this, what will others think of our Earl’s residence?” Du Feixue paused, feeling this sounded somewhat heartless, and added: “Besides, if you treat the wound first, it won’t get infected and will heal better in the future.”
“Everyone present can testify that I wanted to return home. No one will blame Miss Du.” Her cheek was hurting more and more, but the sweat in Qiao Zhao’s palms was ice-cold. After saying this, she bowed slightly and was about to leave.