After leaving the imperial city, Qiao Zhao ordered the carriage driver to head straight to Marquis Guanjun’s residence.

Since her health had improved, it wouldn’t be appropriate for her to continue sneaking to the neighboring residence every day to meet with Shao Mingyuan.

Following their usual routine, after administering acupuncture to Shao Mingyuan, Qiao Zhao proposed to speak privately with Qiao Mo.

“Deliberately avoiding Marquis Guanjun—what do you want to discuss with Big Brother?”

“Big Brother, today I went to the palace to see the Empress Dowager.”

Qiao Mo was greatly surprised.

Qiao Zhao explained the entire sequence of events, but noticed that the person listening intently was unusually silent.

“Big Brother?”

Qiao Mo’s expression didn’t look good: “So you’re saying you want to go to the South Sea, like Physician Li, to gather Congealing Pearls?”

Was Big Brother unwilling?

Miss Qiao laughed dryly: “That’s not the main point. I want to go south primarily because of the fire that burned down our family—”

“But you still have to go gather Congealing Pearls to complete the mission?” Qiao Mo interrupted her words expressionlessly.

Qiao Zhao blinked.

Qiao Mo looked at Qiao Zhao with deep eyes: “Zhaozhao, you’re going to the South Sea to gather Congealing Pearls, isn’t it just to treat the Ninth Princess’s face, is it?”

Qiao Zhao lowered her gaze: “I also want to pay respects to Grandfather Li.”

“No, besides these things, you also want to use the Congealing Pearls to heal my face,” Qiao Mo said softly.

Qiao Zhao took Qiao Mo’s hand and smiled: “Big Brother, killing three birds with one stone—isn’t that quite good? If we miss this opportunity, it would be difficult to find another legitimate chance to go south.”

“What about your safety?”

“The Empress Dowager will send people to escort me.”

Qiao Mo’s eyes were profound: “Physician Li also had Marquis Guanjun’s people escorting him, but when faced with natural disasters, they were still powerless. Zhaozhao, the sea is different from land—it’s too dangerous. I don’t agree.”

“Big Brother, we agreed beforehand that as long as reliable people accompanied me, you wouldn’t object.”

Qiao Mo remained unmoved: “At that time, we were talking about going to Jia Feng, not including going to the South Sea.”

Moreover, there was now the matter of Physician Li.

He couldn’t bear to lose a family member again.

Qiao Mo knew his sister was determined. His gaze swept over the silk tree in the courtyard.

The silk tree was blooming magnificently, with fan-like silk tree flowers carpeting the ground in a thin layer.

He withdrew his gaze and raised the most practical question: “Don’t you need to administer acupuncture to Marquis Guanjun every day to expel poison? If you leave, what will happen to him?”

Qiao Zhao had naturally considered this question. Upon hearing it, she said: “I can delay departure for a few months—”

Under her brother’s profound gaze, Qiao Zhao awkwardly fell silent.

She had discussed this with Big Brother and wasn’t making unilateral decisions. Why was Big Brother so firmly opposed?

“Big Brother—” Qiao Zhao called out.

Qiao Mo simply turned away, refusing to look at her.

Qiao Zhao reached out and tugged at Qiao Mo’s sleeve: “Big Brother, the Empress Dowager has already spoken. We can’t go back on it now, can we?”

Qiao Mo pulled his sleeve free and said coldly: “Since sister puts it that way, why bother informing Big Brother?”

With his younger sister’s intelligence, it wasn’t impossible to make the Empress Dowager change her mind. Simply put, this girl wanted to go, even if it meant climbing mountains of knives or walking through seas of fire.

“Big Brother, are you angry with me?” Looking at her brother’s ramrod-straight back, Qiao Zhao asked.

This body’s voice was sweet and soft, and when she spoke like this, it sounded like a young girl acting coquettishly.

Qiao Mo’s heart softened somewhat, then he forced himself to harden it again.

He couldn’t be soft-hearted. If he were soft-hearted, his sister would fly away.

For a long time, there was no movement behind him, only the faint fragrance unique to young girls that confirmed someone was still there.

Qiao Mo ultimately couldn’t resist turning around, only to see the young lady sitting there cold and aloof, looking as aggrieved as a kitten abandoned by its owner.

Qiao Mo couldn’t help but reach out and ruffle Qiao Zhao’s hair: “Zhaozhao—”

The young lady lifted her eyelashes, her bright eyes shimmering with shallow tears: “Is Big Brother really angry?”

“No—”

The young lady’s eyes brightened: “So you agree?”

“No—”

The light in the young lady’s eyes dimmed, like stars suddenly falling into an abyss, enveloping her entire being in this despair.

Qiao Mo’s unfinished words involuntarily took a turn: “I’m not disagreeing.”

After saying this, Qiao Mo felt extremely vexed.

How had he become soft-hearted!

Qiao Zhao’s eyes curved into crescents: “I knew Big Brother would agree.”

Qiao Mo shook his head secretly.

How had his younger sister, after changing into a different shell, become so skilled at acting coquettishly?

“I might regret it again.”

Qiao Zhao was startled, then smiled gracefully: “Big Brother, don’t tease me. You’ve always been a man of your word.”

Qiao Mo smiled helplessly.

Qiao Zhao’s expression became serious: “Big Brother, are you willing to let our family’s enemies go unpunished?”

“I’m pained to put such a heavy burden on your shoulders alone.”

No matter how strong his younger sister was, he hoped to be the brother who could shield her from wind and rain, not like now, where he had become a useless person while his sister had to step forward in everything.

Qiao Zhao smiled: “That’s exactly why I must go to the South Sea. No matter what, I must heal Big Brother’s face. Only when Big Brother’s face is healed can you enter the political arena. Then the connections left by Grandfather and Father can assist Big Brother, and in the future, we can truly compete with Prime Minister Lan Shan.”

Grandfather had served as Director of the Imperial Academy and had been chief examiner for imperial examinations many times in his early years. By convention, chief examiners and candidates had a teacher-student relationship that, once one entered officialdom, could never be escaped for life. Big Brother’s advantages could only be utilized when he stood in the court.

Qiao Mo was silent for a long time before saying softly: “You’re right.”

Since the clues about his poisoning had led to Prime Minister Lan Shan’s daughter, Lady Mu’en, regardless of who directly attacked the Qiao family, they would ultimately face off against Lan Shan. If he remained a useless person, would he watch his sister single-handedly confront the current Prime Minister in the future?

“Has Big Brother truly agreed?” Qiao Zhao quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

“What else can I do if I don’t agree?” Qiao Mo sighed lightly.

“Big Brother, I’ll take good care of myself. The family was very worried about my entering the palace today, so I’ll go back first.”

After Qiao Zhao left, Qiao Mo sat at the stone table in the courtyard without moving. Only when the tea before him had completely cooled did he pick it up and silently drink a sip.

Shao Mingyuan sat down across from Qiao Mo: “Is brother-in-law troubled by some difficulty?”

Qiao Mo looked at him.

“Related to Miss Li?”

Qiao Mo nodded: “Your Lordship guessed correctly.”

Shao Mingyuan gestured, signaling a personal guard to remove the cold tea and replace it with fresh tea. He picked up the teapot and poured a cup for Qiao Mo, but didn’t pour for himself, gently placing the teapot back on the stone table.

“If it’s convenient to say, brother-in-law can tell me. If I can help, I’ll do everything in my power.”

“She wants to go to the South Sea to gather Congealing Pearls.”

Qiao Mo’s single sentence caused Shao Mingyuan’s expression to change slightly. He suppressed his inner shock and asked as calmly as possible: “Why?”

After hearing Qiao Mo explain the reason, Shao Mingyuan said, “Since Miss Li has decided to go, I’ll send more personal guards to protect her.”

Qiao Mo took a sip of tea and asked with unruffled composure: “Is Your Lordship not worried about Zhaozhao’s safety?”