The blood jade bracelet still carried warmth, lustrous and translucent. One could tell it had been worn for a long time, showing the owner’s fondness for it.

Qiao Zhao understood the principle that a gentleman doesn’t take what others love. Moreover, while the blood jade bracelet was a treasured item for Princess Zhenzhen, to her, it was just an ordinary piece of jewelry. Why should she accept someone’s constantly worn bracelet to put away in her dowry?

Qiao Zhao took Princess Zhenzhen’s hand and, under the other’s puzzled gaze, helped her put the blood jade bracelet back on.

Princess Zhenzhen bit her lip: “Miss Li, what do you mean by this?”

Could it be that she looked down at her bracelet?

“I think Your Highness looks better wearing this blood jade bracelet than I would.” Qiao Zhao smiled and raised her hand, revealing a section of pale wrist. “I’m not as fair as Your Highness.”

She had spent months traveling south, weathering wind and rain along the way. It was fortunate she hadn’t lost a layer of skin from sun exposure. She was now much darker than when she left the capital and would probably need to spend a whole winter recovering her complexion.

Princess Zhenzhen looked carefully and found she was indeed fairer than Qiao Zhao. If she insisted on forcing the blood jade bracelet on her, it would seem like she was trying to embarrass her. So she stopped insisting and said hesitantly: “Thank you.”

The two originally had an ordinary relationship. Now standing beside the plum tree with faint fragrance floating around them, they really couldn’t find any topics to discuss and fell into an awkward silence.

Princess Zhenzhen awkwardly tugged at her handkerchief, trying to think of something to say, when a gentle, soft voice rang out: “Ninth Sister is here.”

A young lady in a blue dress walked over from beside the artificial mountain. She had an oval face, watery almond eyes, bangs reaching her eyebrows, and an elegant temperament.

Princess Zhenzhen frowned secretly but couldn’t show her annoyance openly. She introduced: “This is my Eighth Sister. This is Miss Li.”

Qiao Zhao curtsied slightly to the Eighth Princess: “Greetings to Your Highness.”

The Eighth Princess’s eyes sparkled as she smiled warmly: “I have long admired Miss Li’s reputation and must thank Miss Li for healing my Ninth Sister’s face.”

Princess Zhenzhen secretly rolled her eyes.

Using her as a stepping stone to pretend sisterly affection—how annoying.

“Eighth Sister, Miss Li and I still have things to discuss. We’ll take our leave first.”

“Ninth Sister, please wait.” The Eighth Princess blocked the Ninth Princess’s path.

“Does Eighth Sister have other business?”

The Eighth Princess lowered her eyes and said softly, “Eighth Sister, I want to chat privately with Miss Li.”

Qiao Zhao frowned secretly.

“Chat privately” was almost another way of saying trouble was coming.

“Eighth Sister can speak directly. Miss Li is a guest I invited, and I must be responsible for her.”

The Eighth Princess bit her lip, anger flashing in her eyes.

She wasn’t going to eat her—what responsibility was needed?

Even if she wanted to do something, being both girls, what could she do?

However, the Eighth Princess was unwilling to offend the Ninth Princess openly.

This sister was beautiful and knew how to please Imperial Grandmother, living much better days in the palace than her.

Her only source of pride was that she could settle her marriage before the Ninth Sister.

That day when Father Emperor summoned both her and Ninth Sister to the imperial study, she understood that Father Emperor was considering their marriages, and the son-in-law Father Emperor had in mind should be excellent.

This was easy to guess—if the son-in-law were ordinary, Father Emperor wouldn’t have called both her and Ninth Sister together. Thinking unpleasantly, Father Emperor was probably worried the future son-in-law might be dissatisfied, so the noble princesses of Great Liang had become the ones being selected.

Thinking of this, the Eighth Princess not only didn’t feel angry but was filled with anticipation.

Ninth Sister was disfigured then, so she was the chosen one, meaning she could soon leave this suffocating imperial palace.

The Eighth Princess had been in wonderful spirits these past few days, but she had one hidden worry: when she was young, palace servants had been careless in their care, leaving a scar on her forehead that had been hidden by bangs for years. After marrying in the future, her husband would see it…

“If Eighth Sister doesn’t want to speak, then we’ll leave.” Princess Zhenzhen pulled Qiao Zhao’s hand.

“Ninth Sister, wait.” The Eighth Princess knew she couldn’t assert her princess authority with Princess Zhenzhen present. Steeling herself, she lifted her bangs: “Miss Li, can you tell if this old scar on my forehead can be healed?”

Princess Zhenzhen’s expression showed slight surprise.

She didn’t know the Eighth Princess had always had a scar on her forehead.

The scar wasn’t long but was quite deep, and being on her face, it was devastating for a girl.

Princess Zhenzhen couldn’t help but look toward Qiao Zhao.

Miss Li had healed her face, giving her a new life. She wouldn’t do something as annoying as overstepping her bounds.

Qiao Zhao carefully examined the scar on the Eighth Princess’s forehead and nodded slightly: “We can try.”

“Really?” The Eighth Princess’s eyes lit up, and she couldn’t help but grasp Qiao Zhao’s hand.

“Ahem.” Princess Zhenzhen pulled Qiao Zhao’s hand back from the Eighth Princess’s grip.

If you have something to say, say it—why grab her hand?

“That ointment—” The Eighth Princess hesitated.

Qiao Zhao immediately understood the Eighth Princess’s meaning and smiled: “The scar on the Eighth Princess’s forehead is an old scar. The ointment the Ninth Princess used isn’t suitable. Let me go back and prepare a new bottle for Your Highness to try.”

“Then thank you very much, Miss Li.” The Eighth Princess was overjoyed and enthusiastically invited Princess Zhenzhen and Miss Li to visit her chambers, but Princess Zhenzhen declined.

When seeing Qiao Zhao out of the palace, Princess Zhenzhen said reproachfully, “You’re too accommodating.”

This Eighth Sister of hers wasn’t as kind as she appeared on the surface—she had many schemes.

Of course, family scandals shouldn’t be aired publicly, so she couldn’t say these things.

Qiao Zhao smiled: “It’s just a small favor.”

The Eighth Princess’s mother consort had some connection with her grandmother. Now it could be considered helping her grandmother look after the Eighth Princess, who had lost her mother at a young age. After all, it truly was just a small favor for her.

Hearing Qiao Zhao say this, Princess Zhenzhen said no more. She caught sight of the agarwood prayer beads on her wrist and couldn’t help saying: “Miss Li, did Master give you those agarwood prayer beads?”

Qiao Zhao nodded.

Envy flashed in Princess Zhenzhen’s eyes: “Master is good to you. I’ve seen Master wearing these prayer beads for many years, often fingering them. They must bring good fortune.”

People of that era believed quite strongly in gods and Buddha.

“No wonder my luck has been good since then—it’s all thanks to Master’s blessing.” Qiao Zhao unconsciously touched the prayer beads, and a question couldn’t help but rise in her heart.

Princess Zhenzhen had been visiting Master Wumei for years, yet Master Wumei had given the prayer beads to her. Was it really because she was more to her liking than Princess Zhenzhen?

Qiao Zhao returned home with this slight doubt. The matter of preparing ointment for the Eighth Princess need not be mentioned.

Xing Wuyang’s case finally had results before the annual official seal of the courts, and because the new commanding officer hadn’t been decided yet, the punishment for officials from Fudong was kept secret. The Jiafeng Qiao family fire case finally came to light, and Governor Li of Jianan and other officials were all sentenced to immediate execution.

On the twenty-third day of the twelfth lunar month, which was Little New Year, the overcast sky soon began to snow. The ground at the execution ground was washed over and over again, but remained dark red.

A man in white robes wearing a veiled hat gently patted the shoulder of a dressed young lady: “Zhaozhao, don’t look anymore. Big Brother should set off too.”