Qiao Zhao stood beside an osmanthus tree, her entire person enveloped in the other party’s alcoholic breath.

She stepped back, her moth eyebrows slightly furrowed: “Big Brother Chi—”

“Don’t call me that, I don’t deserve it!” The moment Chi Can said these words, the corners of his eyes became even redder, and he quickly looked away.

“Big Brother Chi—”

Chi Can sneered, his lips carrying mockery: “Is it that once everyone enters this circle, even original pearls become fish eyes?”

Qiao Zhao’s lips moved, but ultimately she said nothing. She curtsied slightly to Chi Can and turned to leave.

If Chi Can thought this way, then it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

She hoped that there would no longer be even a trace of her shadow in his heart, and that in the future he would marry a good young lady and live a lively, happy life.

A strong force came, and her wrist was grasped tightly.

Qiao Zhao had to stop and look up at the heavily intoxicated man.

Indeed, one couldn’t deal with drunkards.

“Third Miss Li, you’re not allowed to go—” In his drunken state, Chi Can had long forgotten that the person before him was already married. With some grievance and anger: “The Empress Dowager told you to induce someone’s miscarriage, and you came. Then, if she tells you to kill someone in the future, will you go too?”

The Third Miss Li he knew wasn’t like this.

From childhood to adulthood, too many people have already changed beyond recognition. It was fine that the tender little cabbage he had personally picked up had grown in someone else’s garden, but he couldn’t bear it if it turned into cauliflower.

“Inducing miscarriage is also killing.” Qiao Zhao said flatly.

Chi Can’s smile grew colder: “But you still came!”

“Yes, the Empress Dowager told me to come.” Qiao Zhao answered with a calm expression.

Chi Can was stunned and raised his hand to rub his temples.

His mind was somewhat confused. He had heard what the person before him said, yet it seemed as if he couldn’t understand anything.

“Eunuch Laixi is still waiting. I’ll go first.” Qiao Zhao turned and left.

Chi Can watched helplessly as Qiao Zhao walked away, then lifted his legs to chase after her, but was blocked outside the Eldest Princess’s courtyard gate.

“Young Master Chi, you should go sober up,” Laixi advised and quickly went inside.

Chi Can reached out to block the courtyard gate.

Palace maid Dongyu advised in a low voice: “Young Master, you should think of the Eldest Princess. You can’t let everyone know about this.”

“Isn’t she going to give birth? If that’s the case, won’t everyone know about it sooner or later?” Although Chi Can was drunk, he remembered this statement from the Eldest Princess Changrong clearly.

“That was Her Highness speaking in anger.”

“Speaking in anger?” Chi Can pondered these two words, not getting angry but laughing instead: “The Empress Dowager won’t tolerate this child, my mother also doesn’t plan to keep it, and Third Miss Li is being accommodating to everyone. So does that mean I’m the one who’s wrong inside and out?”

Dongyu couldn’t respond to this.

Chi Can sneered: “Taosheng, help me back to my room.”

“Yes.” Taosheng quickly responded.

Finally, they could return to the room. Ever since the young master got drunk, he had been on edge.

“Young Master, watch your step—” As Chi Can stumbled, Taosheng quickly supported him.

Watching the master and servant walk away, Dongyu finally felt relieved and went inside.

“I didn’t expect Mother Empress to send you here.” The Eldest Princess Changrong lay sideways on a beauty couch. Though it was a day when water could freeze into ice, in the warm-as-spring room, she only wore a water-red silk robe, fully displaying her voluptuous and seductive figure.

A handsome-faced man knelt beside the Eldest Princess Changrong, massaging her calves.

“The Empress Dowager asked me to examine Your Highness.”

“Go ahead and examine.” The Eldest Princess Changrong lazily extended her hand, her jade-white wrist like frost, not at all like a woman of this age. Her gaze toward Qiao Zhao carried thick mockery.

Qiao Zhao saw this and couldn’t help but find it amusing.

Parental influence was subtle and gradual. Even though Chi Can had many complaints about the Eldest Princess Changrong, mother and son had identical expressions at certain moments.

Qiao Zhao extended her hand to take the Eldest Princess Changrong’s pulse, and after about half a cup of tea’s time, withdrew her hand.

“How is it?” The Eldest Princess Changrong’s tone became even more frivolous.

Qiao Zhao’s gaze fell on the kneeling man.

The Eldest Princess Changrong chuckled lightly: “He wouldn’t dare speak of this.”

Anyone who dared to displease her had long been killed.

The man lowered his head even further.

Women over thirty-five are already at risk when conceiving. Your Highness damaged your foundation in earlier years, making this pregnancy even more perilous. If a miscarriage is forcibly induced, there may be danger to your life.”

The Eldest Princess Changrong laughed lightly: “What you’re saying is no different from what the imperial physician said.”

Qiao Zhao smiled: “Yes, because this is Your Highness the Eldest Princess’s pulse condition. Anyone who examines it would say the same. So like the imperial physician, I dare not prescribe medicine recklessly.”

The Empress Dowager had asked her to come for an examination, and she naturally wouldn’t refuse. However, no one had stipulated that she must be able to cure any ailment.

It wasn’t that she was unwilling, but that she was unable. Even someone as powerful as the current Empress Dowager—what could she say?

After all, she was no longer the humble daughter of a minor Revision Official, insignificant as an ant, but the wife of Marquis Guanjun. As long as she gave the Empress Dowager sufficient face on the surface, if she was powerless to help, could the Empress Dowager force her to death?

“Since that’s the case, then you may go. I’m tired.”

Qiao Zhao looked deeply at the Eldest Princess Changrong, rose to bid farewell, and as she walked back, couldn’t help but ponder.

When she told the Eldest Princess Changrong that she was powerless to help, she surprisingly felt the Princess’s momentary relaxation. Could it be that the Eldest Princess wanted to keep this child?

Thinking this way, Qiao Zhao somehow felt much more relaxed.

“Marquis—” Laixi suddenly spoke, interrupting Qiao Zhao’s thoughts.

“Why are you here?” Seeing Shao Mingyuan, Qiao Zhao couldn’t help but brighten.

In front of Laixi, Shao Mingyuan grabbed Qiao Zhao’s hand without changing expression: “To take you home.”

“I still need to report back to the Empress Dowager.”

Shao Mingyuan smiled slightly and glanced at Laixi: “Then I’ll wait for you at home.”

Laixi: “…” Was the dignified Marquis Guanjun really this idle? During the New Year period, instead of going out to socialize, he came to the palace gate to pick up his wife.

At Cining Palace, Laixi first explained the situation, and when Empress Dowager Yang looked at Qiao Zhao again, her expression carried some solemnity.

Marquis Guanjun valued his young wife more than she had imagined.

After hearing Qiao Zhao’s diagnosis of the Eldest Princess Changrong, Empress Dowager Yang’s eyes showed obvious disappointment and unwillingness. She stared at Qiao Zhao: “Lady Li is a disciple of the divine physician—”

Qiao Zhao smiled modestly: “Though I was fortunate to receive some guidance from Physician Li, compared to his elderly self, this subject’s wife is like a firefly light compared to the bright moon.”

Make it clear—she was only the divine physician’s “disciple,” not the divine physician himself.

Her words were watertight, her attitude neither servile nor arrogant, yet still respectful, and outside the world-renowned Marquis Guanjun was waiting. The Empress Dowager was helpless as well. Despite her unwillingness, she could only let Qiao Zhao leave.

Seeing Qiao Zhao exit the palace gate, Shao Mingyuan came forward. The two smiled at each other and got into the carriage hand in hand.

“After I finished drinking with Shixi and returned, I heard that the Empress Dowager had summoned you to the palace. She didn’t make things difficult for you, did she?”

Shao Mingyuan hadn’t had time to change clothes, and the entire carriage was filled with a faint alcoholic scent.

“Don’t worry. Verbally, others can’t make things difficult for me, and as for other aspects, they probably won’t come to make things difficult for me anymore.”

Chi Can had sobered up considerably by now. Upon hearing the news that Taosheng had gathered, he didn’t react for a long time.

Third Miss Li said she was powerless to help.