The imperial palace, covered in white snow, had lost its usual solemnity and gained a touch of magnificence.
Qiao Zhao walked steadily beside Laixi, keeping her eyes straight ahead. As they passed through a palace gate, they encountered someone head-on.
“Your Highness, happy New Year.” Qiao Zhao greeted the Eighth Princess.
The Eighth Princess, dressed in light red palace attire, didn’t dare act arrogantly toward the current Qiao Zhao. Suppressing her inner displeasure, she returned the courtesy: “Marquis’s wife, happy New Year.”
Glancing at Laixi, the Eighth Princess asked: “Is Imperial Grandmother summoning the Marquis’s wife?”
Laixi replied: “Indeed, the Empress Dowager is still waiting.”
The Eighth Princess stepped aside and smiled lightly: “I was originally going to pay my respects to Her Majesty, but since that’s the case, I’ll change the time and visit later.”
Standing and watching Qiao Zhao walk away, the Eighth Princess put away her smile, her gaze turning cold.
The wife of Marquis Guanjun—how imposing that sounded.
But Father Emperor had intended to recruit Marquis Guanjun as a prince consort—
Thinking of this, the Eighth Princess’s heart bled with hatred.
After this New Year, she was already nineteen years old, yet there was still no movement regarding her marriage.
She wasn’t like Ninth Sister, who had Imperial Consort Mother to consider her situation and had even gained Imperial Grandmother’s favor. For a princess like her, if she wasn’t occasionally remembered by Father Emperor, who knew how many more days and nights she would waste away in this imperial palace.
The more the Eighth Princess thought about it, the more hateful she felt. She glanced far toward the direction of Cining Palace before turning to leave.
“Empress Dowager, the wife of Marquis Guanjun, has arrived.” Laixi stood outside to report.
A heavy voice came through the curtains: “Invite the Marquis’s wife in.”
“Marquis’s wife, please.”
Qiao Zhao walked in. Amid the pervasive fragrance, she glimpsed Empress Dowager Yang’s deep gaze and curtsied: “This subject’s wife pays respects to the Empress Dowager.”
“Lady Li, please sit.”
Laixi moved a small stool and placed it beside Qiao Zhao.
Qiao Zhao sat down gracefully.
Empress Dowager Yang carefully examined Qiao Zhao.
The young woman, whose features still held some youthful innocence, wore a drooping horse bun, with pink pearls the size of lotus seeds hanging from her ears, making her appear somewhat more mature. However, she was still too young after all.
Empress Dowager Yang wavered for a moment about that thought, but quickly convinced herself: Things had come to this point—was there a better solution?
“Lady Li, Changrong is with child. You know this, don’t you?”
Qiao Zhao was slightly surprised.
She hadn’t expected the Empress Dowager to ask so directly, but upon reflection, it made sense.
If the Empress Dowager had asked subtly, she could naturally have played tai chi, but now that she asked so directly, it would be inappropriate to continue playing dumb.
“Lady Li studied under Physician Li. This dowager knew it couldn’t be wrong. No wonder, when so many physicians couldn’t diagnose that the Second Madam of the Li residence was pregnant, Lady Li had such keen insight.”
“The Empress Dowager flatters me.”
Indeed, when the Empress Dowager summoned her to the palace, she had already thoroughly investigated the situation. If she had just claimed ignorance, she would be in an awkward position now.
“This dowager won’t say anything else. Today I summoned Lady Li here because I want to ask you to make a trip to the Eldest Princess’s residence.”
Qiao Zhao listened with a calm expression.
“Lady Li should know that the child in Changrong’s belly cannot be kept, but this dowager sent imperial physicians to examine her, and they discovered that Changrong’s pregnancy is precarious—inducing a miscarriage might cause hemorrhaging…” Empress Dowager Yang spoke while subtly observing Qiao Zhao. Seeing her bland expression that revealed no clues, she continued: “So this dowager can only turn to Lady Li for help.”
Qiao Zhao quickly said: “The Empress Dowager honors this subject’s wife too much. Being able to resolve the Empress Dowager’s worries is this subject’s wife’s honor. How dare I accept the word ‘help’?”
The Empress Dowager was stunned.
Wasn’t this development somewhat wrong? Based on the deeds her people had investigated, this wife of Marquis Guanjun was not someone with a clay-like temperament.
Qiao Zhao sat properly with her lips slightly curved.
She had been raised by her grandfather, but also by her grandmother who came from the imperial family. Although she disapproved of those rules, she would never allow anyone to use her ignorance of etiquette to manipulate her.
“Then I’ll trouble Lady Li to make the trip.”
“Does the Empress Dowager want this subject’s wife to—”
Empress Dowager Yang’s expression suddenly turned cold: “That child absolutely cannot be kept, but at the same time, Changrong’s body cannot be harmed.”
Qiao Zhao inwardly found it amusing.
With so many demands, why not just ascend to heaven?
“This subject’s wife will go take a look first.”
“Laixi, accompany the Marquis’s wife to the Eldest Princess’s residence.”
Qiao Zhao bid farewell to Empress Dowager Yang and went to the Eldest Princess Changrong’s residence, accompanied by Laixi.
The stone lions in front of the Eldest Princess’s residence looked particularly spirited after days of rain and snow washing, and a thin figure was leaning against one of the lions, vomiting violently.
Taosheng was frantically busy beside him: “Young Master, let’s go inside to vomit. You’re vomiting all over the lion’s face.”
“Go, go, get away. I didn’t vomit on your face!” Chi Can shooed Taosheng away like a fly, opened his mouth and dry heaved again, but couldn’t even vomit acid water anymore.
“Young Master, the wife of Marquis Guanjun is here.”
“What Marquis’s wife? What does that have to do with me?”
“Oh my, Young Master, it’s the wife of Marquis Guanjun, Third Miss Li!” Taosheng couldn’t help but emphasize his tone.
Although his young master had completely given up hope after Third Miss Li got together with Marquis Guanjun, as a fellow man, he knew that one would still want to maintain some dignity in front of a girl one had liked.
“Third Miss Li—” Upon hearing these two words, Chi Can straightened up and turned around, his gaze meeting that of Qiao Zhao, who had just gotten off the carriage.
Qiao Zhao nodded at Chi Can from afar as a greeting.
“Marquis’s wife, the Empress Dowager, has been anxious about the Eldest Princess’s matter and is waiting for a response. Please quickly go in to see the Eldest Princess.” Laixi urged.
Qiao Zhao withdrew her gaze and followed Laixi toward the side entrance.
Chi Can shifted his gaze to Laixi, and his originally hazy eyes suddenly shed their fog, showing some clarity.
He strode toward Qiao Zhao and the other person.
“Young Master, at least wipe the corner of your mouth!” Afraid that Chi Can might fall, Taosheng hurried to catch up and held a handkerchief in front of Chi Can.
Chi Can took it and wiped casually, then threw the handkerchief directly to the ground. In a few steps, he reached Qiao Zhao and blocked their path.
“Young Master Chi—”
Chi Can directly push Laixi aside: “I wasn’t talking to you!”
Laixi was pushed and staggered. Before he could speak, he saw Chi Can pulling Qiao Zhao away.
“What’s the meaning of this?” Laixi stepped forward to follow, but was stopped by Taosheng.
“Eunuch Laixi, let our young master say a few words to the Marquis’s wife. He’s feeling terrible.”
“But—” Laixi suddenly realized: “Young Master Chi knows?”
“Ah, he knows.”
“You know too?”
Taosheng: “Hehe.”
His young master was about to die of anger—how could he not know?
Laixi sighed.
Fine, a few words were just a few words. Young Master Chi wouldn’t lay hands on the Marquis’s wife, would he?
Chi Can dragged Qiao Zhao to a corner before releasing her hand, his reddened eyes staring at her with a gaze that could almost melt a person.
“What are you here for?” Chi Can asked word by word.
Without waiting for Qiao Zhao to answer, he sneered: “The Empress Dowager sent you, didn’t she?”
Qiao Zhao looked steadily at Chi Can and sighed: “Yes, I—”
Chi Can directly interrupt her: “So you’re here to induce a miscarriage for my mother? Third Miss Li, you’re truly capable!”