Qiao Zhao reached out and brushed away Li Jiǎo’s hand that was gripping her other wrist, her expression remaining calm as before.

“Third Sister, I know you’ve enjoyed Mother’s full affection since childhood and have never suffered such grievances, but please think of the family! Is it worth paying such a great price just to vent your anger? I’m begging you, please. If you chase after Grandmother now and stop her, there’s still time.”

Li Jiǎo was truly frightened, both hateful and afraid—hating that Grandmother and the others would go to such lengths for Qiao Zhao, and fearing that provoking the Jinlin Guards would truly bring disaster and reduce them to a miserable state.

Qiao Zhao shook her head and picked up her brush to write another passage.

Li Jiǎo leaned over to look, seeing written on the paper: “In this world, some things can be stopped, and some things cannot be stopped.”

Li Jiǎo was completely baffled: “What does this mean? Do you think today’s matter shouldn’t be stopped? Third Sister, in the end, you just can’t swallow this humiliation, isn’t that right?”

Qiao Zhao lowered her head and wrote another line: “Right, today’s matter cannot be stopped. If you stop too many such things, you’ll bend your backbone.”

How important was appearance to a girl? If a thirteen-year-old girl from a family was used as a target and disfigured, and the family’s parents and brothers didn’t dare make a sound, who would respect this family from now on? Could the men of this family truly hold their heads high in the future?

Old Madam Deng was seeking justice for her, but not only for her alone. One could imagine that if any junior member of the family suffered such treatment, the old lady would do the same.

“Bend your backbone?” Li Jiǎo muttered these words in a daze, vaguely understanding Qiao Zhao’s meaning yet finding it hard to comprehend. “What nonsense!”

This time, Qiao Zhao wrote an even shorter response, just three words: “You don’t understand.”

Li Jiǎo was nearly choked to death with anger. Unable to maintain her usual sensible and courteous image, she said in embarrassed fury: “Third Sister, you just don’t intend to persuade Grandmother, do you? Have you thought about what would happen if Grandmother, Father, and the others offend the Jinlin Guards because of you?”

Qiao Zhao wrote another line: “That’s my business.”

She wouldn’t stop her parents and elders from seeking justice for a wronged child, nor would she let the Jinlin Guards harm her family.

Jinlin Guards Commander Jiang Tang?

She didn’t mind meeting the head of the Jinlin Guards, who struck fear into people’s hearts.

Qiao Zhao stepped forward and walked past Li Jiǎo.

The old physician who had left the Li residence first carried his medicine box, his anger making his steps swift, his few whiskers fluttering. Halfway down the road, he was stopped by someone.

“Doctor, may I ask about the injury on Third Miss Li’s face?”

The old physician was somewhat surprised.

How was there still someone inquiring about this?

Seeing the old physician’s silence, the questioner quickly pressed a piece of silver into his hand: “No other meaning, just asking about Third Miss Li’s condition. Doctor, this shouldn’t be a secret, right?”

The old physician was even more surprised.

Was there silver to be earned?

He was currently full of anger anyway. Forget having silver to earn—even without silver, he wanted to find someone to chat with! He’d never seen such an unreasonable family as the Li’s!

This old physician was quite tight-lipped—he still wouldn’t speak?

The questioner gritted his teeth and pressed another piece of silver into the old physician’s hand.

The old physician finally spoke: “Young man, do you know me?”

“Of course, I know you! Aren’t you Physician Cheng from Jisheng Hall? Among the clinic physicians in the capital, you’re this.” The questioner raised his thumb.

The old physician stroked his beard.

See! Was he an ordinary physician? Even a passerby knew he was among the top physicians in the capital, yet the Li family, old and young, didn’t take him seriously at all!

“Young man, you’re asking about Third Miss Li. Let me tell you the truth—Third Miss Li’s face is completely ruined. The wound is too deep; even using the court’s special Yunshuang Ointment wouldn’t help.”

“Oh, I see. Thank you, Physician Cheng.” Having learned what he needed to know, the questioner cupped his hands and left.

The old physician weighed the silver in his hand, thinking: This silver was easy enough to earn.

But after taking just two steps, someone else stopped the old physician: “Doctor, I’d like to ask you something.”

“What is it?”

“Did the Li residence ask you to treat their Third Miss’s facial injury? How is that Third Miss doing exactly?”

The old physician: “…” What was this situation?

The questioner quickly pressed a piece of silver into the old physician’s hand: “Doctor, would it be convenient for you to share a bit?”

“There’s nothing inconvenient about sharing. Third Miss Li’s face is completely ruined; she probably won’t be able to show her face in public anymore…” The old physician repeated what he’d said before.

The questionnaire left me satisfied.

Jiang He watched from afar as the old physician was continuously stopped by people, frowning.

What had that old physician done to keep receiving silver?

Seeing the old physician approaching with a radiant face carrying his medicine box, Jiang He called out quietly: “Doctor, a word if you please.”

There was still someone else asking?

By this point, the old physician had gone from initial surprise to complete numbness. He calmly stroked his beard and said with full vigor: “Speak.”

“Uh… why are they all giving you money?”

The old physician stumbled and nearly fell to the ground.

How did this oddball appear?

This young man had problems, right? Either ask him for information or stay away from him—what business was it of his whether others gave him silver!

“Inconvenient to say?” Jiang He was good at reading faces. Seeing the old physician’s unhappy expression, he quickly suppressed his curiosity.

The task assigned by his superior was more important.

“Hehe, then I won’t ask about that. Let me ask something else. Doctor, you treated Third Miss Li’s face, right? How is her facial injury? Will she be disfigured?”

The old physician raised his chin and snorted lightly.

Jiang He looked completely baffled.

The old physician spoke: “Now you should understand the answer to your first question.”

Jiang He looked shocked: “Such a question requires payment?”

This money was too easy to earn!

The old physician scoffed and walked away.

Jiang He hurriedly caught up and pressed silver into the old physician’s hand.

“She’s disfigured, no cure.” The old physician dropped this line and walked away.

“Disfigured?” Jiang He murmured, then hurried back to report.

The sun gradually rose high in the sky. The entrance to the Jinlin Guards’ headquarters was deserted. Even the occasional passerby, seeing this black-painted office building so different from others, would hurry to take a detour. The guards at the entrance stood lazily, silently hoping for mealtime.

“Our headquarters is feared by everyone—they all take detours.”

“Right, we can’t even get a passing person to relieve our boredom. My cousin who works at the Hanlin Academy says young ladies and wives often pass by their entrance, all dressed properly and brightly—quite a sight for the eyes.”

“Hey, look over there. An old lady is coming, and she seems to be heading our way.”