“Greetings to Imperial Grandmother.” Princess Zhenzhen paid her respects to Empress Dowager Yang, then showed delight upon seeing Master Wumei. “Master, you’re here too.”

Perhaps because she had disfigured and then recovered her appearance, there was a sense of gratitude and joy at regaining what was lost. The happiness Princess Zhenzhen unconsciously revealed was much purer and more sincere than before.

Master Wumei couldn’t help but take another look at Princess Zhenzhen, showing a trace of a smile: “This poor nun hasn’t seen Zhenzhen for a long time. What a coincidence today.”

Princess Zhenzhen smiled with pursed lips: “I came to thank Imperial Grandmother. I didn’t expect to encounter you, Master. This shows my luck is extremely good today.”

With these words, she knelt and performed grand salutations to Empress Dowager Yang: “Imperial Grandmother, Zhenzhen has come to thank you.”

After the initial shock, Empress Dowager Yang’s expression had returned to calm, her smile faint: “This child, why be so formal with Imperial Grandmother?”

“I must express thanks. If not for you, how would Zhenzhen’s face have healed?” Princess Zhenzhen continued kowtowing, her voice choked with emotion.

Empress Dowager Yang signaled to the palace maid beside her: “Help the Ninth Princess up.”

The palace maid stepped forward to assist Princess Zhenzhen to her feet.

Empress Dowager Yang was affectionate, beckoning to Princess Zhenzhen: “Zhenzhen, come sit beside Imperial Grandmother.”

Princess Zhenzhen walked over and sat obediently beside Empress Dowager Yang.

Empress Dowager Yang examined her carefully and smiled: “It’s truly healed, and your complexion is even fairer than before.”

Princess Zhenzhen gently touched her cheek and sighed: “Yes, Miss Li’s ointment was extremely effective. She told me to apply it day and night for seven days, and it truly worked.”

“Oh, it was Miss Li’s ointment that restored Zhenzhen’s face?” Master Wumei asked.

Empress Dowager Yang smiled: “That young lady does have some ability. When she said she could heal Zhenzhen’s face, this dowager didn’t believe it.”

Her decision to let her go to sea to gather medicine was just with a trial mindset—success would be good, failure wouldn’t make things worse.

“Imperial Grandmother, Zhenzhen wants to personally thank Miss Li.”

Empress Dowager Yang nodded: “Then you should leave the palace for a visit.”

Although she found that young lady’s behavior outrageous and difficult to like, she was still Marquis Guanjun’s fiancée. It would be good for Zhenzhen to maintain relations with her.

Master Wumei’s voice sounded faintly in the spring-warm inner chamber: “Speaking of which, this poor nun hasn’t seen that child for a long time. Why don’t you, Empress Dowager, invite her into the palace for a meeting?”

Empress Dowager Yang was slightly stunned, feeling puzzled.

Master Wumei allowing Zhenzhen to enter earlier wasn’t strange since it was coincidental, but now specifically requesting Miss Li to enter the palace was somewhat unexpected.

Others might not understand, but she knew clearly that this former Grand Princess had an extremely aloof and cold temperament—ordinary people couldn’t catch her eye.

“Lai Xi, go invite Miss Li into the palace.”

Noble Consort Li, waiting outside Cining Palace, quietly asked when she saw Lai Xi emerge: “Eunuch Lai Xi, why hasn’t the Ninth Princess come out yet?”

Eunuch Lai Xi smiled: “The Empress Dowager is keeping the Ninth Princess for conversation. Your Ladyship might as well return first.”

Noble Consort Li nodded but didn’t return to her chambers. Instead, she strolled through the Imperial Garden in high spirits. News of the Ninth Princess’s restored appearance immediately spread to every corner of the palace.

Feeling she had finally raised her head with pride, Noble Consort Li then returned.

Before long, Qiao Zhao received the Empress Dowager’s summons. Following Lai Xi on the path to Cining Palace, she inexplicably felt someone was secretly watching her.

Qiao Zhao paused in her steps.

“Why has Miss Li stopped walking?” Lai Xi looked at Qiao Zhao in confusion.

Qiao Zhao smiled and continued following Lai Xi.

“Empress Dowager, Miss Li has arrived.”

Empress Dowager Yang’s eyebrows moved slightly, and she saw a dressed young lady follow Lai Xi inside.

Empress Dowager Yang unconsciously frowned.

With the New Year approaching, a young lady dressing so plainly was truly displeasing.

Thinking this, Empress Dowager Yang glanced at Princess Zhenzhen, thinking: Her granddaughter was still more pleasing—that pomegranate-red jacket was comfortable to look at.

“This subject daughter greets the Empress Dowager.”

“Miss Li, please rise.” Empress Dowager Yang quickly smiled and gestured for Qiao Zhao to stand.

Qiao Zhao straightened up and greeted Master Wumei.

Though Master Wumei’s expression was indifferent, the smile in her eyes looked much more genuine than Empress Dowager Yang’s: “It’s been a long time. Third Miss has grown thinner.”

Qiao Zhao smiled slightly and said graciously, “Master’s demeanor remains as elegant as ever.”

Empress Dowager Yang couldn’t help but frown secretly again.

Perhaps people simply had natural affinities—she just didn’t like this young lady’s calm and composed manner, which inexplicably gave her a sense of being offended.

“Miss Li, my face is healed!” Princess Zhenzhen couldn’t hide her joy.

Qiao Zhao carefully examined Princess Zhenzhen and showed genuine delight: “Congratulations, Your Highness.”

Princess Zhenzhen smiled with pursed lips. Not wanting to say much in front of the elders, she said to Empress Dowager Yang: “Imperial Grandmother, I want to—”

Master Wumei suddenly coughed lightly: “Empress Dowager, Miss Li once accompanied this poor nun in copying Buddhist scriptures for several months. I’m very fond of this child’s calligraphy. Since we have the fortune to meet today, I’d like to speak with her privately.”

Empress Dowager Yang quickly smiled: “Master, please feel free.”

Watching coldly as Qiao Zhao followed Master Wumei to the side room for conversation, Princess Zhenzhen secretly wondered.

Imperial Grandmother’s attitude toward Master was quite strange. Why did she inexplicably feel that Imperial Grandmother was somewhat trying to please Master?

Or perhaps she was overthinking it.

“Please sit.” Master Wumei pointed to a small stool.

Qiao Zhao sat down as instructed, waiting for Master Wumei to speak first.

Master Wumei smiled faintly: “This poor nun heard that Third Miss took a long journey and encountered quite a bit of trouble along the way?”

“There was some trouble, but fortunately, the Golden Guards arranged by the Empress Dowager protected me, so it went relatively smoothly.”

“This poor nun heard the south is very chaotic. Third Miss is, after all, a young lady—it’s better not to go to dangerous places in the future.”

Qiao Zhao smiled in agreement: “Thank you for your concern, Master. There probably won’t be opportunities to go in the future.”

Master Wumei’s gaze fell on Qiao Zhao’s wrist, where the young lady’s slender, pale wrist wore a string of agarwood prayer beads—the very ones she had given her.

“How has Master been lately?”

“Not bad.”

The two chatted for a while. Qiao Zhao tactfully didn’t ask where Master Wumei was currently practicing.

She vaguely felt that Master Wumei’s private conversation with her was somewhat strange, but couldn’t figure out what was strange about it. She could only suppress her doubts for now.

Even after bidding farewell to Master Wumei and leaving Cining Palace, Qiao Zhao remained completely puzzled.

Master Wumei wasn’t a talkative person—why exactly had she pulled her aside for pure small talk?

Princess Zhenzhen stopped beside a plum tree in the Imperial Garden: “Miss Li, thank you very much.”

The saying about great kindness needing no thanks was nonsense—she truly didn’t know what this girl who was about to become a Marquis’s wife might lack.

Princess Zhenzhen thought for a moment, then removed the blood jade bracelet from her wrist and pressed it into Qiao Zhao’s hands: “I know you might not value it, but this blood jade bracelet originally formed a pair with the one my Mother Consort gave you earlier. Just keep it, and in the future—”

Princess Zhenzhen paused, showing a genuine smile: “In the future, when you marry, a red jade bracelet will be more auspicious.”