Jiang Yuanchao was Jiang Tang’s most beloved adopted son and also his future son-in-law. If Shao Mingyuan were to strike him down mercilessly now, it would completely sever ties with Jiang Tang.

Emperor Mingkang was currently using Shao Mingyuan, so he might not make a move against him for the time being. But with Jiang Tang constantly speaking ill of him, the fate of being discarded after serving his purpose was inevitable.

Qiao Zhao knew that Shao Mingyuan was extremely angry, but she couldn’t let him vent his fury unchecked.

When she called out, both Shao Mingyuan and Jiang Yuanchao looked over.

Qiao Zhao quickly walked over, standing beside Shao Mingyuan, and smiled at Jiang Yuanchao: “Lord Jiang should stay behind.”

These words carried implicit meaning, which Jiang Yuanchao naturally understood. His eyes flickered slightly as he looked at Qiao Zhao: “You want me to stay?”

Shao Mingyuan frowned.

Jiang Yuanchao’s attitude and tone toward Zhaozhao seemed strange, different from before, instinctively making him uncomfortable.

“Does Lord Jiang feel any discomfort here?” Glancing at the crowd of people densely packed in the courtyard, Qiao Zhao withdrew her gaze and raised her hand to point at a specific spot on her abdomen.

Jiang Yuanchao was startled and instinctively pressed his hand to that spot, suddenly feeling a wave of pain strike him.

The pain felt as if his intestines were being twisted, and though it lasted only an instant, it made him break out in cold sweat.

He looked at Qiao Zhao with calm eyes and asked: “Was it that bowl of soup?”

Qiao Zhao didn’t deny it.

If there had been even a sliver of hope, she wouldn’t have sat waiting for death. The poison in that bowl of ham and fresh bamboo shoot soup had been administered by her.

Jiang Yuanchao laughed self-mockingly: “Miss Li is quite capable.”

He had thought she still harbored some tenderness toward him, but who knew she was as cold and hard as a blade, using every opportunity to destroy him.

If she were merely Li Zhao, treating him this way would be understandable.

If she were Miss Qiao—

Just thinking this, Jiang Yuanchao felt the pain in his heart was more severe than the cramping in his abdomen, making it almost impossible for him to breathe.

The young woman’s indifferent voice rang out: “Lord Jiang has been poisoned with Seven-Day Gut Severing Powder. Without an antidote after seven days, your intestines will perforate and your stomach will rot, leading to death. Besides me, no one else in this world has the antidote. For Lord Jiang’s health, would Lord Jiang kindly stay and accompany us?”

Jiang Yuanchao clutched his abdomen, looking at Qiao Zhao with a bitter smile: “If you say it’s good, then it’s good.”

“My lord—” Jiang He didn’t know what had happened. Seeing Jiang Yuanchao’s pale complexion, he called out with worry written all over his face.

Jiang Yuanchao raised his hand toward the courtyard, and the people who had appeared there scattered like a receding tide, as if they had never been there at all.

Shao Mingyuan watched the movements of those people thoughtfully.

The operational style of those people was quite different from the Jinlin Guards.

He filed this thought away and took Qiao Zhao’s hand: “Lord Jiang should rest well. This marquis has matters to discuss with Miss Li.”

Jiang Yuanchao glanced at Qiao Zhao, seeing how obediently she allowed the man to hold her hand. Recalling that call of “Tingquan,” the smile at the corner of his mouth could no longer be maintained.

He remembered now, several months ago, when Marquis Guanjun’s deceased wife was being buried, she had chased after the funeral procession all the way, watching the eldest son of the Qiao family while running and crying with longing eyes.

At that time, he had found it strange and couldn’t help asking her why. She had said it was because the eldest son of the Qiao family was handsome.

He had known then that the little girl wasn’t telling the truth, but couldn’t understand the reason. Now could he be certain that because she was Miss Qiao, she had exhibited such abnormal behavior?

But why would she be with Marquis Guanjun? Could it be that she didn’t mind at all about that arrow from the marquis?

As Shao Mingyuan led Qiao Zhao toward another room, Jiang Yuanchao leaned against the wall and closed his eyes.

She could forgive the person who had taken her life, yet treated him with such ruthless indifference. How could he bear it?

“My lord—”

Jiang Yuanchao opened his eyes, the deep pain quietly concealed by his calm gaze as he said indifferently: “Don’t bother me. Get out.”

Jiang He, full of grievances, rolled out and sat on the doorstep, sighing.

Shao Mingyuan brought Qiao Zhao into another room and immediately embraced her, his entire body trembling as he buried his head against her neck, remaining silent for a long time.

Finally, Qiao Zhao gently pushed him: “Tingquan, it’s alright now.”

Shao Mingyuan lifted his head, but suddenly saw the azure bruise on the young woman’s fair neck, his eyes instantly turning to ice: “He did this?”

Qiao Zhao instinctively raised her hand to touch her neck. As her sleeve slid down, it revealed a section of her pale wrist, which also bore purple-blue marks.

Shao Mingyuan took Qiao Zhao’s hand and lowered his head to carefully and tenderly kiss her wrist, his heart clenching with pain.

Just thinking about how the girl he treasured like a jewel had nearly met with disaster made him want to stab himself twice to alleviate that overwhelming panic.

Burning tears fell on Qiao Zhao’s wrist. She was startled and murmured, “Tingquan, are you crying?”

Shao Mingyuan looked up, his bloodshot eyes containing clear tears.

He raised his hand to wipe them away, his voice hoarse: “I’m not crying. I don’t know why they just came out.”

He grasped Qiao Zhao’s hand and held it to his lips, nuzzling it: “Zhaozhao, it’s all because I’m incompetent, letting you encounter danger again.”

Qiao Zhao actively reached out to embrace the man’s waist, sighing softly: “Fool, only immortals are omnipotent. Don’t blame yourself. Who could have thought that Jiang Yuanchao would target us so early?”

She had a premonition that there would likely be endless entanglements with Jiang Yuanchao in the future, but having come this far, she didn’t regret it.

If she hadn’t hinted at her true identity to Jiang Yuanchao at that time, she would have died again by now.

“How did you find your way here?” Leaning against the man’s broad chest, Qiao Zhao felt incomparably secure.

“After finishing my business, I rode non-stop to the place we had agreed to meet. When I found you hadn’t come, I felt something was wrong, so I returned to look for you. I saw the special marks Chen Guang had left behind and discovered the scene of the fight. Following the traces left behind, I found this place, and happened to see that Jinlin Guard was going to get medicine, so I followed him here.”

Qiao Zhao tightened her embrace.

Though Shao Mingyuan spoke lightly of it, she knew how much anguish he had endured.

Returning to Fuxing City to handle business, then rushing to their agreed meeting place, then turning back to search for them—accomplishing all this in such a short time would have left anyone else without the physical strength and mental energy to continue.

“Did Jiang Yuanchao want to kill you?” Shao Mingyuan still couldn’t control the fear rising from his bones and asked in a trembling voice.

Qiao Zhao nodded gently: “He wanted to take away Imperial Censor Xing. Probably thinking I knew too much, if he killed me and Chen Guang, you wouldn’t know who did it.”

Shao Mingyuan’s entire body stiffened. After a long while, his voice was hoarse: “Sooner or later, I’ll kill him!”

Qiao Zhao shook her head: “Forget it. That would make us mortal enemies with Jiang Tang, creating even more trouble.”

“Alright, I’ll listen to you.” After saying this, Shao Mingyuan fell silent for a long time, ultimately not asking why Jiang Yuanchao had spared Qiao Zhao’s life.

He was a man and could naturally sense that Jiang Yuanchao had developed romantic feelings for Zhaozhao. How could he bear to ask such a question and make Zhaozhao uncomfortable?

As for that man who coveted his wife, he would settle accounts with him sooner or later!

“Tingquan, did you finish your business successfully?”