Empress Dowager Yang turned the walnuts in her hand: “Summon Consort Li.”

Soon after, Consort Li and Jiang Shiran entered together and paid their respects to the Empress Dowager.

“Rise,” Empress Dowager Yang said indifferently, but was very warm toward Jiang Shiran. “It’s Ran Ran. Come sit beside this dowager.”

Jiang Shiran walked over and sat down gracefully.

Empress Dowager Yang chided: “Ran Ran, you haven’t come to see this dowager for quite some days.”

Jiang Shiran smiled: “But you’re still so young and spirited as always.”

“You child, you always know what to say.” After Empress Dowager Yang finished laughing, she looked toward Consort Li. “You’ve come to see this dowager—is there some matter?”

Consort Li knelt directly: “Empress Dowager, this consort has come about the princess’s matter.”

“Why kneel when all is well? Stand up and speak.”

Consort Li readily stood up and stood with his hands lowered.

“Is Zhenzhen better? This dowager was planning to visit her today.”

Consort Li raised her hand to wipe away tears: “Empress Dowager, Zhenzhen’s face has become more severe.”

“How could this be?”

Consort Li glanced at Jiang Shiran and said with quiet sobs, “This consort only learned from Miss Jiang that Zhenzhen’s face became more severe because she used Third Miss Li’s medicine. Poor Zhenzhen is so kindhearted—she never mentioned a word of this to me before…”

“Who is this Third Miss Li?”

Jiang Shiran spoke up: “She’s the daughter of a Hanlin Academician.”

“How did Zhenzhen come to use her medicine?” Empress Dowager Yang asked pointedly.

Consort Li replied: “Your Majesty may not know—this Third Miss Li is Physician Li’s adopted granddaughter.”

“Oh, is that so? When did Physician Li take an adopted granddaughter?”

“It happened long ago. Many people in the capital know about it,” Jiang Shiran said.

Empress Dowager Yang smiled: “If that’s the case, Consort Li, you should be relieved. With such an adopted granddaughter here, surely Physician Li will return to the capital sooner or later.”

Consort Li covered her face with her sleeve and wept: “Your Majesty should know—Physician Li has passed away.”

“What did you say?” Empress Dowager Yang suddenly stood up.

Consort Li immediately glanced at Jiang Shiran.

Understanding, Jiang Shiran rose: “Empress Dowager, I was the one who told Consort Li. My father just received the news that Physician Li encountered a hurricane at sea and perished.”

Empress Dowager Yang slowly sat down, her expression changing unpredictably. After a long while, she regained her composure and said indifferently: “Continue telling me about that Third Miss Li.”

Jiang Shiran lowered her head: “Empress Dowager, it’s my fault. I was anxious about Zhenzhen’s face, and knowing Li San was Physician Li’s adopted granddaughter, I went to ask her for Physician Li’s medicine. Who knew she would give me random medicine to fool me, which harmed Zhenzhen…”

Empress Dowager Yang’s face darkened: “Randomly giving medicine to fool people? Isn’t this having wicked intentions!”

Consort Li knelt again: “Empress Dowager, Zhenzhen has been harmed like this by that Third Miss Li. You must seek justice for Zhenzhen! A girl’s face is so important—Zhenzhen’s face has become like this, and she even has thoughts of seeking death.”

Empress Dowager Yang frowned: “She is a princess of the imperial family, not some girl from a small, ordinary household. What kind of talk is seeking death!”

Consort Li opened her mouth but dared not speak further.

Jiang Shiran secretly curled her lips.

This lady of dancer origin was truly petty—even she knew that talk of wanting to die couldn’t be said in front of the Empress Dowager.

“Lai Xi—”

“This servant is here.”

“Transmit this dowager’s edict—summon Li San, daughter of Academician Li, to the palace. This dowager wants to see just what kind of person this Third Miss Li is!”

The eunuch delivering the edict came to the Li family’s West Residence and read the Empress Dowager’s edict. Old Madam Deng was shocked and sent someone to call Qiao Zhao while politely attending to Lai Xi: “Eunuch, please take the seat of honor.”

“No need. Her Majesty the Empress Dowager is waiting for this servant to quickly bring Third Miss Li back.”

“Eunuch, please have some tea first. My granddaughter will be here soon.”

Lai Xi took the teacup handed over by the senior maid Qing Jun, sniffed it once, then set it down, saying neither warmly nor coldly: “Your residence’s Third Miss has good fortune indeed, to have Her Majesty the Empress Dowager personally summon her.”

“Eunuch speaks correctly. Being able to pay respects to the Empress Dowager is that girl’s fortune. I just don’t know how Her Majesty the Empress Dowager came to think of my worthless granddaughter?”

“That’s not something this servant could know.”

Old Madam Deng gave Qing Jun a meaningful look.

Qing Jun stuffed a plain purse into Lai Xi’s hands.

Lai Xi glanced at the purse and frowned: “What is this for?”

At this moment, Lady He rushed in: “Old Madam, this daughter-in-law heard that someone from the palace came to summon Zhaozhao to the palace?”

Old Madam Deng’s mouth twitched.

How was it that before the third girl arrived, her troublemaking mother came first?

Lady He didn’t care what Old Madam Deng thought. Her almond eyes swept around and saw a eunuch-like person pushing and shoving with Qing Jun. She immediately knitted her moth-like eyebrows, thinking: The Old Madam wants to give this eunuch some benefits so he’ll take care of Zhaozhao, right? Tsk, how could such a small purse work? Fortunately, she had prepared early!

Lady He walked up to Lai Xi in a few steps, pushed Qing Jun aside, and smiled: “You’re the eunuch who came to summon my daughter to the palace, right?”

Lai Xi looked at Lady He with displeasure, thinking: Though this woman is beautiful, she has no manners whatsoever. That purse was small, but even a fly’s leg is meat—he certainly couldn’t let himself make this trip for nothing. He was just preparing to accept it when this dim-witted woman ruined everything. From this, it could be seen that Third Miss Li was also stupid—no wonder she offended Miss Jiang and thus the noble people in the palace.

“Mm.” Lai Xi responded with his nostrils pointed skyward.

Lady He immediately stuffed the small bundle hanging on her arm into Lai Xi’s hands: “Then please take good care of her, Eunuch.”

Feeling its weight, Lai Xi wasn’t prepared, and the small bundle dropped straight down.

Lady He was quick-handed and caught the small bundle, stuffing it back into Lai Xi’s embrace: “Eunuch, hold it properly.”

This caused the small bundle to loosen, revealing a gap through which gleaming white silver ingots made Lai Xi’s eyes go straight.

He thought he was seeing things and raised his hand to rub his eyes. Finding that the silver ingots showing through the bundle’s gap hadn’t changed, he simply reached out to pull the bundle cloth apart on both sides.

Even having seen all kinds of grand scenes, this eunuch who served beside the Empress Dowager was still stunned.

It wasn’t that he hadn’t seen this much silver before, but he had never seen anyone who, when giving benefits for delivering an edict, didn’t stuff a purse but stuffed a bundle!

Lai Xi’s gaze toward Lady He was quite complex.

He had been wrong. This woman wasn’t stupid at all—she was clearly both beautiful and clever!

“Eunuch, please give my little daughter much guidance,” Lady He said with a beaming smile.

Her father had said that one doesn’t strike the smiling face of someone bringing silver, and the people in the palace should be no exception, right?

Lai Xi calmly hung the small bundle on his arm and nodded reservedly.

“Third Miss has arrived.”

Lai Xi hurriedly looked toward the door and saw a young woman in plain clothes walking in with light steps.

Having served the Empress Dowager for many years and seen countless noble people of various graces, Lai Xi’s eyes flashed with surprise seeing the girl’s walking posture.

This Third Miss Li’s etiquette was not something that could be cultivated in a Hanlin Academician’s residence.