“Li Zhao, you finally deigned to return!” Jiang Shiran said sarcastically.

“Your Highness and Miss Jiang have arrived.” Qiao Zhao greeted them and instructed Binglu, who was following behind her, “Brew the tea I brought back from the south.”

“Yes.” Binglu agreed, then looked down at the brick in her hand, unsure where to place it.

Qiao Zhao’s gaze moved downward, and seeing the brick, she coughed lightly.

Binglu quickly placed the brick under the stand holding the flower vase, gave Jiang Shiran a wary look, then walked out.

Seeing the brick, Jiang Shiran’s expression stiffened, and she sneered: “What, is your maid planning to hit me with that brick?”

Qiao Zhao said coolly, “Miss Jiang is overthinking.”

Jiang Shiran waited, but when Qiao Zhao offered no further explanation, she couldn’t help but bite her lip.

Not even an explanation—did she think Jiang Shiran couldn’t do anything to her?

“Li Zhao, you agreed with the Ninth Princess to adjust the medicinal paste dosage after three days. When the Ninth Princess invited you to the palace today, you didn’t come. I think you simply don’t take Ninth Princess seriously at all!”

Qiao Zhao glanced coolly at Jiang Shiran, then looked at Princess Zhenzhen: “Your Highness, please remove your veil so I can examine you.”

Princess Zhenzhen silently removed her veil, quietly gripping her handkerchief as she stared at Qiao Zhao, feeling very nervous.

Jiang Shiran’s angry voice rang out: “Are you deaf? Can’t you hear me speaking?”

Princess Zhenzhen couldn’t help but frown, finding the voice particularly grating.

How had she never noticed her friend was so shrill before?

Only then did Qiao Zhao look at Jiang Shiran, asking calmly: “Can Miss Jiang represent Her Highness’s intentions?”

Jiang Shiran was stumped by the question and couldn’t help but look at Princess Zhenzhen.

Princess Zhenzhen smiled reluctantly at Qiao Zhao: “Of course, I don’t think that way. Ran Ran has a straightforward temperament—please don’t take it to heart, Third Miss Li.”

“Zhenzhen!” Jiang Shiran was surprised that her friend directly contradicted her, feeling her face had been slapped, and became quite angry.

“That’s good. I thought Your Highness felt the same way, but it turns out it was only Miss Jiang’s personal opinion.”

“You—” Jiang Shiran’s face flushed red with anger. She wanted to retort but found no grounds for argument.

“Please have some tea.” Binglu brought over a tray, set down the teacups, then retreated to the side and picked up the brick again.

This brick used as a footstool was quite solid, the little maid thought silently.

Although Qiao Zhao had napped briefly in the adjacent residence, these past two days of copying Censor Xing’s handwriting had left her mentally and physically exhausted. Her head still ached faintly, so she got straight to the point: “Your Highness’s skin shows no adverse reaction to the medicinal paste. From today onward, apply it continuously. Each morning, wash off the previous night’s application and apply fresh paste. Repeat this process, and we’ll assess the results after seven days.”

Princess Zhenzhen felt somewhat disappointed and couldn’t help asking: “That’s all?”

Qiao Zhao smiled at Princess Zhenzhen: “Even an ordinary pimple mark takes ten days to half a month to fade.”

Princess Zhenzhen realized her impropriety, her face warming slightly: “I was being impatient.”

Imperial Grandmother favored well-behaved and sensible girls. She couldn’t speak as recklessly as Jiang Shiran, lest she gain a reputation for being arrogant and domineering.

The thick cotton curtain swayed, and A’Zhu entered, whispering a few words in Qiao Zhao’s ear.

A flash of surprise crossed Qiao Zhao’s face before she stood up: “Your Highness, Miss Jiang, please excuse me for a moment.”

“Then we’ll—” Princess Zhenzhen was halfway through her sentence when she suddenly noticed Jiang Shiran quietly kick her. She changed course: “Then we’ll wait for you. Please go attend to your business, Third Miss Li.”

Qiao Zhao curtsied slightly in apology. At the doorway, she paused: “Binglu, come with me.”

For safety’s sake, she’d better take the maid with the brick—otherwise, if the brick ended up hitting the two guests in the hall, she’d have another headache.

After Qiao Zhao left, Princess Zhenzhen sipped her tea and said to the serving maid in the hall: “You may go. I have something private to discuss with Miss Jiang.”

The tea-serving maid naturally didn’t dare contradict the princess and quickly withdrew.

Princess Zhenzhen looked at Jiang Shiran.

“Zhenzhen, did you notice that when that maid came in to speak, Li Zhao’s expression completely changed?”

Princess Zhenzhen nodded.

She had indeed seen the other’s surprise, but she didn’t think it had anything to do with her.

Seeing her friend’s indifference, Jiang Shiran frowned: “Zhenzhen, aren’t you curious? She must have encountered something major—otherwise, with that poker face of hers, how could she show such an expression?”

“Something major?” For some reason, Princess Zhenzhen’s mind suddenly flashed with the image of a figure riding away on horseback.

Marquis Guanjun had left in the direction of Xingzi Alley—had he visited the Li family?

“No, I need to investigate the situation.” Jiang Shiran called loudly for a maid: “Take me to the washroom.”

Qiao Zhao hurried to the guest hall. Before reaching the doorway, she could hear Li Guangwen’s furious roar: “Outrageous! Zhaozhao isn’t even fourteen yet, and Marquis Jing’an’s residence sent a matchmaker to propose marriage. Has Marquis Jing’an been kicked in the head by a donkey?”

Old Madam Deng’s coughing came from inside the hall: “Eldest son, calm down.”

“Calm down? I can’t calm down! Just thinking about my daughter being targeted when she’s not even fourteen makes my liver ache with anger.”

Miss Qiao outside the door couldn’t help but nod.

Yes, she was also aching with anger right now.

They had agreed he would come to propose in the spring next year—what had suddenly gotten into Shao Mingyuan? While ordinary families might be overjoyed by such news, her father was not ordinary.

“Third Miss has arrived,” called the maid standing at the door.

Qiao Zhao walked in.

The hall suddenly fell quiet.

Having walked this far, Qiao Zhao had regained her composure on the surface and paid her respects to Old Madam Deng and Li Guangwen.

Old Madam Deng spoke with a complex expression: “Third girl, a matchmaker just came to propose marriage on behalf of the second young master of Marquis Jing’an’s residence. Grandmother felt this was rather sudden, so I called you over to ask your opinion.”

“Where is the matchmaker?” Qiao Zhao asked.

She also found it sudden.

Old Madam Deng glanced at the furious Li Guangwen and said helplessly, “Your father sent her away.”

Li Guangwen snorted coldly: “Why keep such a muddled matchmaker around? To celebrate the New Year at our house?”

The corners of Qiao Zhao’s mouth curved upward.

She had been somewhat annoyed initially, but for some reason, hearing her father’s words just made her want to laugh.

Hurried footsteps approached, and before the maid could announce them, Lady He and Second Madam Liu entered together.

Liu was about to pay her respects to Old Madam Deng when Lady He urgently asked: “Old Madam, Master, I heard a matchmaker came to propose marriage?”

“Hmph!” Li Guangwen was still too angry to speak.

Fearing Lady He might anger her and harm the baby, Old Madam Deng quickly soothed her: “Sit down first, don’t get agitated. Yes, a matchmaker did come to propose marriage, but—”

Having heard only half the story, Lady He was already beaming with joy and clapping her hands: “Wonderful! I knew there would be families with good judgment. How could my Zhaozhao possibly not find a husband?”

Old Madam Deng: “…”