“Ah, I’ll go right away.” Lady He marched off with aggressive momentum.

Old Madam Deng curved the corners of her lips.

Having that blockhead daughter-in-law go deal with the young lady from Marquis Guchang’s residence was making the best use of her talents.

No matter what, Third Miss had been injured at Marquis Guchang’s residence, and injured on her most precious face at that. Even with the divine physician’s medicine, who could guarantee she wouldn’t be left with scars?

As the host of this gathering, when a guest was injured on their premises, did they think bringing two boxes of shabby gifts and saying an apology would settle everything?

Bah! The Li family did not need such things!

The old lady stroked her chest, suddenly feeling that having such a daughter-in-law wasn’t bad after all. At least when encountering such situations, she didn’t need to worry about being a pushover, nor about what others might think.

After all, who would seriously argue with a blockhead?

Old Madam Deng withdrew her thoughts and looked toward Qiao Zhao.

The wound on Qiao Zhao’s right cheek was already covered with a layer of translucent medicinal ointment. On her fair face stretched a hideous, bloody gash, completely ruining half her beauty.

Yet the young lady remained calm as before. At first glance, one couldn’t even sense that she was in pain. Only the blue veins protruding on the back of her secretly clenched fists revealed her true feelings.

Old Madam Deng immediately felt heartbroken: “Child, if it hurts, just say so.”

With medicine applied to her face, Qiao Zhao dared not speak carelessly and could only blink her eyes.

Old Madam Deng turned her head away, suppressing the tears welling up in her eyes. When she turned back, her expression was stern: “Zhaozhao, rest assured. Though our family isn’t of high nobility, we cannot let you suffer such grievance and let it pass just like that!”

“Grandmother—” Qiao Zhao couldn’t help but utter these two words.

Old Madam Deng gently stroked Qiao Zhao’s hair, stopping her from continuing: “Third Miss, grandmother knows everything you want to say, but we can’t endure everything silently. Your father’s position as Hanlin Academy Compiler isn’t worth much anyway. If he can’t protect his daughter just to preserve that sesame-seed-sized official position, grandmother will be the first to not spare him!”

Miss Qiao’s eyes curved with a smile.

It seemed Father was indeed quite capable. After mixing around the Hanlin Academy as a compiler for over ten years, he’d finally reached the point of having nothing to lose. She’d never heard of the Jinlin Guards prosecuting a minor Hanlin official anyway.

Binglu cut some gauze, wanting to cover Qiao Zhao’s wound, but Qiao Zhao avoided it.

“Miss?” Binglu looked puzzled.

A’Zhu, knowing Qiao Zhao had difficulty speaking, explained: “The weather is too hot. Covering it with gauze would make it more likely to fester.”

Binglu reluctantly put down the gauze, but still felt indignant. Rolling her eyes, she said, “Look how capable you are. If you’re so capable, why didn’t you protect Miss properly? If it were me going, whoever dared shoot at Miss, I’d kick them first!”

Qiao Zhao gently touched A’Zhu.

A’Zhu understood and asked: “Miss, are you tired?”

Qiao Zhao nodded.

“Zhaozhao, then you rest. Grandmother will go check the front.”

Lady He went to the front reception hall. Upon entering, she saw Li Jiǎo accompanying Du Feixue in drinking tea. Her anger immediately flared up, and she strode over to the two with wind beneath her feet.

“Mother—” Li Jiǎo hurriedly set down her teacup and stood up.

Du Feixue also stood, restrainedly bowing slightly to Lady He: “Lady He, Third Miss was injured at our residence today, which is truly regrettable. I came to see how her condition is. These are some supplements and medicinal materials our residence prepared—Third Miss might find them useful—”

Upon hearing this, Lady He flew into a rage, grabbing the two gift boxes Du Feixue had brought and throwing them outside.

“Lady He, what do you mean by this?” Du Feixue’s face flushed red.

Li Jiǎo’s mother had died early, and as Li Jiǎo’s legitimate cousin, Du Feixue occasionally came to play at the Li residence. For the sake of making the Earl’s residence understand that the Li family hadn’t mistreated Li Jiǎo, Old Madam Deng always treated Du Feixue as an honored guest. Du Feixue had never suffered such humiliation in the Li household.

“We don’t want these things. I just want to ask how my daughter got injured?”

“Lady He, don’t you think you’re being too discourteous?”

“I’m discourteous? Miss Du, you’ve come to our house more than once or twice. Even if I were discourteous, I never said you should go home disfigured, did I?”

Du Feixue couldn’t stand this and, suppressing her anger, explained: “Third Miss was just unlucky to draw Miss Jiang’s name.”

“Bullshit!” Lady He burst into curses, one hand on her hip, the other pointing at Du Feixue, nearly poking her finger into her forehead. “According to you, our Zhaozhao deserved this bad luck? I don’t care about others—I’m just asking you: weren’t you the host of today’s gathering?”

“So what if I was?” Du Feixue unconsciously stepped back several paces.

Third Li’s mother was truly too crude, too savage! This was the first time she’d heard anyone curse like this!

“Since you know you were the host of this gathering, when someone proposed such a dangerous game, why didn’t you fulfill your responsibility as host and stop it? If someone were to murder at your residence, would you also stand by and cheer?”

“That, that was Miss Jiang, daughter of the Jinlin Guards’ Commander. How could I stop her?” Du Feixue argued desperately.

Lady He sneered, “So because Miss Jiang’s father holds a high position and great power, you stood by and watched? If that’s the case, why are you now pretending to be kind by bringing gifts? Are you hoping to hear us say we forgive you and earn yourself a reputation for being sensible? Bah! Don’t even think about it. Get out of here right now, and if you ever dare step foot in the Li family’s door again, I’ll release the dogs on you!”

“You, you, you’re truly vulgar!” Du Feixue, no matter how willful, was still a young lady from a noble family. She’d never encountered someone like Lady He and trembled with anger. “Whether I come to the Li residence or not, you can’t make that decision—”

Lady He grabbed the feather duster from the high table and began beating her, cursing as she struck: “I can’t make that decision? You dead little wretch, today I’ll show you that at least I can decide what my hands do!”

Du Feixue dodged repeatedly while Li Jiǎo rushed forward to protect her: “Cousin Feixue, you should go back first, go back first!”

Du Feixue fled the Li residence in embarrassment, feeling she’d lost face for a lifetime.

Under Lady He’s fiery glare, Li Jiǎo knelt: “Mother, it’s all my fault. I didn’t take good care of Third Sister—”

Lady He didn’t even look at Li Jiǎo, threw down the feather duster, and strode away. Passing by Li Jiǎo, she dropped a sentence: “It’s not your fault. I never expected anything from you anyway.”

Li Jiǎo watched Lady He’s departing figure and bit her lip.

Lady He stepped outside and met Old Madam Deng, asking urgently: “Old Madam, what do you think we should do? As long as the person who harmed Zhaozhao gets their comeuppance, you can ask your daughter-in-law to do anything!”

“First thing: go notify the eldest and Hui’er, have them both return home. We can’t have the family’s young lady suffer such humiliation while the men remain completely ignorant. Second thing: tomorrow happens to be the day Zhaozhao goes to Shuying Convent. Send Binglu to Shuying Convent to say that Zhaozhao has been disfigured and can’t come tomorrow. Third thing—” Old Madam Deng paused for breath, “You go back and take good care of Zhaozhao. I’m going to sit in protest at the entrance of the Jinlin Guards’ headquarters. When the eldest and the others return, remember to have them take turns bringing me meals!”