The Jiang Residence was situated in the wealthiest and prosperous area of the capital. Its exterior appeared dignified and magnificent, while the interior possessed the gentle refinement of misty, rainy Jiangnan.

Qiao Zhao recalled something she had heard: the wife of Jinlin Guard Commander Jiang Tang was from the south. After she passed away, Jiang Tang never remarried and had not even taken a concubine.

Speaking of which, it was quite an interesting matter—two men in the current court were publicly recognized as devoted husbands: one was Jinlin Guard Commander Jiang Tang, and the other was Chief Minister Lanshan. The Chief Minister, nearly seventy years old, had only his elderly wife and not a single concubine or chambermaid.

Qiao Zhao sat in the garden pavilion drinking tea. After a moment, she heard footsteps approaching as Jiang Shiran strode over.

“Miss Jiang.” Qiao Zhao stood up.

Jiang Shiran wore a bright red riding outfit with a dark azure whip wrapped around her waist, giving her a heroic and spirited appearance.

She approached and stared at Qiao Zhao’s face for quite a while without speaking, as if she wanted to examine her thoroughly inside and out.

Qiao Zhao’s expression remained unchanged, allowing her to scrutinize her.

“Sit.” Jiang Shiran gestured with her hand and sat down first on the stone chair.

Qiao Zhao followed suit and sat down, calmly asking: “Miss Jiang invited me here—I wonder what matter you wish to discuss?”

Jiang Shiran’s gaze swept across Qiao Zhao’s face again, and with a cold expression, she said: “We needn’t exchange pleasantries. I’ll ask you directly—do you have Physician Li’s scar-removing medicine?”

So it was for this reason.

Qiao Zhao nodded: “Before Grandfather Li left the capital, he did leave me some scar-removing medicine.”

“Your face was healed by applying Physician Li’s medicine?”

“Yes.” Qiao Zhao didn’t deny it.

“Name your price. I want the scar-removing medicine you have.” Jiang Shiran said without courtesy. Seeing that Qiao Zhao did not react, she pulled out a stack of banknotes from her sleeve and slapped them down in front of her. “Is this enough?”

Qiao Zhao lowered her eyes, her gaze falling on the banknotes, and smiled gently: “Whether it’s enough or not depends on how much the person seeking the medicine needs it. Grandfather Li’s medicine cannot be measured with silver—”

With a slap, Jiang Shiran threw down another stack of banknotes on the stone table: “What about adding these?”

Qiao Zhao smiled.

It seemed this Miss Jiang was quite skilled at throwing money at people.

“Miss Li, you’d better think carefully.” Jiang Shiran’s tone carried a threat.

Qiao Zhao nonchalantly pushed the banknotes back: “Miss Jiang, please put away your banknotes. As for Grandfather Li’s medicine, I can give you one bottle.”

“Give it to me? Why would you give it to me?” Jiang Shiran didn’t take the banknotes, her face full of suspicion.

“Consider it thanks for the Grand Commander’s care.” Qiao Zhao replied.

Jiang Shiran needed scar-removing medicine, but where exactly she would use it wasn’t clear. She didn’t want to get involved in any monetary relationship with her, otherwise, if anything went wrong, she’d have to take responsibility to the end.

Hearing this, Jiang Shiran became furious: “What care? My father never cared for you—stop being so presumptuous!”

Qiao Zhao’s tone turned cold: “In that case, I won’t give it to you.”

Jiang Shiran rolled her eyes at her: “I never wanted you to give it to me anyway—I’ll buy it!”

“Not for sale.” Qiao Zhao said decisively.

If the father had requests of her, could the daughter still threaten her?

“Say that again!” Jiang Shiran shot up from her seat.

“Even if I say it again, it would be the same.” Qiao Zhao picked up her teacup and took a sip.

“You’re deliberately opposing me, aren’t you?” Jiang Shiran reached out and pulled the whip from around her waist. “I’ll ask you one last time—will you sell or not?”

Qiao Zhao didn’t answer, looking at her unmoved.

Jiang Shiran was furious, and the whip in her hand lashed toward Qiao Zhao.

Qiao Zhao sat upright, not moving a muscle.

The long whip struck the stone table, making a crisp sound. Jiang Shiran gripped the whip tightly, her face livid: “You’re counting on me not daring to strike you?”

How annoying! She shouldn’t have deliberately missed just now. Did this Li woman think she didn’t dared?

Qiao Zhao set down her teacup and stood up: “Miss Jiang, if you called me here just to demonstrate your whip technique, then I’ve already witnessed it and will take my leave now.”

“Stop right there!” Jiang Shiran’s almond eyes widened with anger. “What exactly do you want?”

Qiao Zhao laughed despite herself: “Miss Jiang, it’s not what I want—it’s what you want.”

“I want to buy Physician Li’s scar-removing medicine. Why won’t you sell it?”

Qiao Zhao replied seriously: “Because that was a gift from Grandfather Li to me, worth more than a thousand gold pieces.”

“But you just said you’d give it to me—”

“That’s a different matter.”

Jiang Shiran clutched her whip, her expression shifting between dark and light. After a long while, she snorted coldly: “Fine, then I’ll owe you a favor! But if the medicine doesn’t work—”

Qiao Zhao sighed inwardly.

Just as she expected—even when giving it away for free, it was like this. If she took money and the medicine proved ineffective, given Miss Jiang’s temperament, she’d probably plan to tear down the Li residence.

“Miss Jiang, you should know that the right medicine must be used for the right condition. Even Grandfather Li’s scar-removing medicine isn’t omnipotent. I wonder how the person got the scar? How deep or shallow is it?”

“You don’t need to ask about these things!”

Zhenzhen had repeatedly instructed her not to tell others about her disfigurement, and she would naturally keep her promise.

“Very well then. After I return home, I’ll have someone deliver the scar-removing medicine to Miss Jiang. Miss Jiang needn’t feel she owes me a favor either—whether it works or not, please don’t seek me out again. Is that acceptable?”

“Hmph, do you think I care to seek you out?” Jiang Shiran wound the long whip back around her waist and instructed her maid: “See the guest out!”

Qiao Zhao smiled and turned to leave.

“Miss Li, please wait.” A man’s cool voice called out.

“Eleventh Brother, why did you come over?”

Qiao Zhao turned back to see Jiang Shiyi in dark robes walking over.

Probably due to his naturally cold disposition, he merely nodded slightly to his adoptive father’s precious daughter before saying to Qiao Zhao: “Miss Li, the Grand Commander requests your presence.”

“Please lead the way.”

Seeing that Qiao Zhao was going to meet Jiang Tang, Jiang Shiran became upset and chased after them, asking: “Eleventh Brother, why does my father want to see her?”

“I don’t know.”

“Then I’m going too!”

“No.”

Jiang Shiran stamped her feet in anger, glaring at Jiang Shiyi’s upright retreating figure and rolling her eyes.

How could there be such a boring and cold man like Eleventh Brother in the world? He deserved to be a bachelor for life!

Jiang Shiyi stopped at the study door, his voice flat and emotionless: “The Grand Commander is inside. Miss Li, please go in.”

Qiao Zhao nodded and stepped inside.

As soon as Qiao Zhao entered, Jiang Tang smiled broadly and pointed to the teacup on the tea table: “Miss Li, please taste this tea and tell me how it is.”

Qiao Zhao curtsied in greeting and smiled: “I just had tea at Miss Jiang’s place.”

Since she had met with Jiang Shiran, Jiang Tang had certainly had someone monitoring the entire time.

Jiang Tang laughed: “I’ve spoiled Ran Ran. She didn’t cause any trouble, did she?”

Qiao Zhao lowered her eyes and smiled.

She couldn’t very well answer this question—they should ask Miss Jiang when she hasn’t caused trouble instead.

Jiang Tang obviously understood his own daughter well, and without changing expression said: “I’ll have to educate her properly later.”

As he spoke, he stood up and retrieved a white jade box from a drawer in the bookcase. Coming before Qiao Zhao, he opened the box and sighed: “Miss Li, please take a look—a new variety.”