After only a few months unseen, Jiang Shi appeared much older. The skin on her face hung in loose, overlapping layers, and her eyeballs were cloudy white like those of a dead fish. When she looked at you with such eyes, it was enough to send chills down one’s spine.

However, the mother and daughter before her were exceptions.

Qiao Zhao needn’t be mentioned, and He Shi was even bolder. Seeing Jiang Shi’s anger, clearly intending to intimidate them, He Shi smoothed her hair at the temples and rose leisurely, even pulling Qiao Zhao up with her.

The head maid standing at Jiang Shi’s right side was about to speak when a silver ingot was handed over.

The head maid was stunned and looked up.

He Shi smiled as she pressed the silver ingot into the head maid’s hand, then pointed at Jiang Shi’s eyes.

The head maid immediately understood. Glancing around and seeing no other servants in the hall besides herself, she pocketed the large silver ingot and remained silent.

He Shi pursed her lips in a smile.

She knew that no one would refuse money. This old woman could punish her if she wanted, but she still had Zhaozhao and the child in her belly – she couldn’t let this old woman torment them at will.

“Why aren’t you speaking? Perhaps you don’t regard this old woman seriously?” Jiang Shi asked ominously.

Just as Qiao Zhao was about to speak, He Shi stopped her.

He Shi cleared her throat and said with a smile: “How could that be? Zhaozhao just finished attending to important matters, so I immediately brought her to pay respects to you without daring to delay even a moment.”

Qiao Zhao: “…” She was always so naive, thinking her mother had grown wiser.

Indeed, Jiang Shi exploded with rage upon hearing this: “He Shi, do you mean that paying respects to this old woman isn’t important business?”

Just as He Shi was about to respond, Qiao Zhao tugged at her, and she finally fell silent.

Qiao Zhao spoke up: “Please don’t be angry, Madam. Paying respects to you is certainly important business. However, early this morning, Ninth Princess sent someone from the palace to summon me. I came to pay respects to you immediately after finishing the Princess’s affairs. Please don’t blame us.”

Jiang Shi grabbed the tea bowl beside her and hurled it toward the ground.

Though she couldn’t see, the tea bowl was aimed at where people would stand while paying respects. However, He Shi had long since seated herself and pulled Qiao Zhao down with her, so the tea bowl naturally missed its mark and shattered into pieces on the floor.

Jiang Shi’s angry rebuke came along with the crisp sound of the breaking tea bowl: “Don’t try to intimidate me with palace connections! You little girl, do you think I don’t know what you’re scheming? I’ve eaten more salt than you’ve eaten rice!”

He Shi became annoyed upon hearing this: “Madam, what do you mean by that? What schemes could our Third Miss possibly have? Just because you’re an elder doesn’t mean you can randomly accuse people!”

Jiang Shi became even more furious: “He Shi, is this the attitude a nephew’s wife should have when speaking to her husband’s aunt?”

He Shi threw caution to the wind: “You also know that I’m a nephew’s wife, not a daughter-in-law! Even our Old Madam isn’t this demanding!”

Qiao Zhao held her forehead.

How could her mother speak such blunt truths!

“You—” Jiang Shi supported her forehead with her hand, pretending to feel dizzy.

“Old Madam—” The head maid was startled and quickly patted Jiang Shi’s back.

He Shi pressed her lips together with a stubborn expression.

Making her bow to this old woman was impossible. As for what to do if she made the old woman ill with anger, she’d deal with that when the time came.

Jiang Shi recovered and sneered: “I remember now – you’re pregnant, carrying the West Residence’s precious grandson, so you have a protective charm. Fine, I’m not such a harsh person. You may sit down.”

He Shi, who was already seated, offered an insincere word of thanks.

Jiang Shi slammed the table heavily: “Third girl, kneel!”

He Shi tried to pull Qiao Zhao, but Qiao Zhao shook her head and silently knelt.

If Jiang Shi had ordered her mother to kneel, she would have intervened no matter what – she couldn’t watch her pregnant mother be put in danger. But making her kneel was not worth unnecessary resistance.

Jiang Shi was her great-aunt. Even if younger generations had done nothing wrong, when elders ordered them to kneel, not kneeling would bring criticism upon the younger generation.

Jiang Shi’s scolding came down like a torrent: “You’ve made something of yourself! Mixing with men for several months, not only bringing shame to the Li family but also causing your uncle to be reprimanded by his superiors upon your return. How did the Li family produce such a jinx like you?”

Hearing these baseless accusations, Qiao Zhao no longer remained silent. In the face of the other’s hysteria, she asked calmly: “Does Madam think that my traveling south under the Empress Dowager’s imperial decree brought shame to the Li family?”

Jiang Shi was momentarily speechless.

Serving the Empress Dowager was a tremendous honor. Although Qiao Zhao’s journey had many aspects that invited criticism, no one dared openly despise it, as that would be mocking the Empress Dowager’s judgment.

As a member of the imperial clan, Jiang Shi naturally understood this point.

Qiao Zhao continued: “Madam said I caused Uncle to be reprimanded by his superiors. This niece truly doesn’t understand and hopes you can clarify.”

Jiang Shi sneered and questioned: “Since you traveled with Marquis Guanjun, why didn’t you promptly inform your uncle of what he discovered, so he could have been prepared? Instead, you’ve been nowhere to be found since returning, clearly intending to watch the East Residence’s humiliation, isn’t that right?”

“One brush cannot write two different ‘Li’ characters – why would I want to watch the East Residence’s humiliation?” Qiao Zhao’s tone remained unperturbed, though she sighed inwardly.

She could sense that Jiang Shi’s temperament had changed significantly from before. She now openly displayed her irritability, having become an old woman full of malice.

This was probably related to Jiang Shi’s blindness and resulting depression, and she had happened to become the target for Jiang Shi’s vented anger.

“Third girl, are you questioning me?” Unable to win the argument logically, Jiang Shi simply pulled rank as an elder.

Miss Qiao looked up at the sky speechlessly.

When you tried to reason with her, she played the rogue. In both her past and present lives, this was her first encounter with such an elder.

“Tea.” Jiang Shi extended her hand to the head maid.

She was in no hurry. In the depths of winter, even with braziers in the room, the floor was ice-cold. She wanted to see how long this girl could endure.

Seeing the smile at the corners of Jiang Shi’s mouth, Qiao Zhao inconspicuously felt the thick knee pads she wore.

She had known that preparing these things would prove useful.

Jiang Shi leisurely sipped her tea while Qiao Zhao leisurely knelt. He Shi restrained herself repeatedly, just about to speak when a maid hurried in and announced: “Madam, someone from the West Residence says that Miss Kou from the Ministry of Justice Minister’s residence requests Third Miss to visit for a chat.”

Jiang Shi looked suspicious: “The eldest daughter of the Ministry of Justice Minister’s residence? This is what the West Residence messenger said?”

Deng Shi from the West Residence was protective of her own – nine times out of ten, she had found an excuse to call Third Miss back. Did she think that just because her eyes were blind, her heart was blind too?

The maid quickly said, “People from the Minister’s residence came along.”

Jiang Shi remained skeptical until she met with the steward from the Minister’s residence, only then believing it.

At this moment, another maid came in to report: “Madam, Miss Jiang from Grand Commander Jiang’s residence requests Third Miss to visit for a chat.”

Immediately after, someone else came: “Miss Zhu from Marquis Taining’s residence requests Third Miss to visit for a chat.”

“Miss Su from the Ministry of Rites Minister’s residence requests Third Miss to visit for a chat.”

Jiang Shi was completely dumbfounded.

What happened to the promised ruined reputation with no one wanting to associate with her?