“You will surely help your great-aunt with this matter, won’t you?”

Old Madam Jiang looked at the young girl before her with certainty.

She didn’t believe the girl in front of her would dare to utter the word “no.”

No matter how much more lenient the current social proprieties had become compared to before, the single word “filial piety” could still crush the younger generation completely, not to mention that she wasn’t just an ordinary clan elder.

The East and West Li residences had originally been split into two households by blood brothers.

Old Madam Deng’s heart began to worry.

The third Miss had always only feared the County Lady without respecting her. Now that the County Lady had spoken to this extent, if Third Miss refused, it would be difficult to resolve the situation gracefully.

Qiao Zhao’s spine remained perfectly straight as she smiled faintly: “Of course I will.”

When she was young, her mother had been strict in teaching her. Learning rules and etiquette often made her feel like life was unbearable. Her grandmother had always supported her mother’s strictness, while her own temperament happened to take after her grandfather—her heart truly couldn’t bear even the slightest constraint.

Until one day, her grandmother had embraced the increasingly silent her and said: Rules and etiquette, when learned well, are meant to shut other people’s mouths, not to bind yourself.

And her grandfather had put it even more bluntly: Little one, understand it, master it, so that in the future you can skillfully exploit its loopholes and despise it.

After that, she never complained again.

Qiao Zhao’s straightforward agreement left Old Madam Jiang with the sudden feeling of throwing a punch into empty air. After being stunned for a moment, she smiled: “Great-aunt knew our Zhaozhao is filial.”

She reached out her hand and patted the back of Qiao Zhao’s hand: “Then it’s settled. Great-aunt will wait for your good news.”

Old Madam Jiang rarely visited the West Residence. In her eyes, the tea and refreshments used to entertain guests at the West Residence weren’t even as good as what the East Residence gave the senior maids to drink. Now that her purpose was achieved, where would she be willing to stay longer? After exchanging a few more pleasantries with Old Madam Deng, she rose to take her leave.

After Old Madam Deng saw off Old Madam Jiang and dismissed the servants, she sighed to Qiao Zhao: “Zhaozhao, why did you agree so readily?”

After saying this, she felt it was inappropriate, and sighed deeply: “This is truly difficult for you!”

When an elder comes to ask for help directly, how could a thirteen-year-old child know how to handle it tactfully? But that divine physician was famously unsympathetic. Even though he had acknowledged Zhaozhao as his granddaughter, if Zhaozhao tried to use this connection to ask for favors, she might very well provoke the divine physician’s anger.

Qiao Zhao’s lowered eyelashes trembled slightly, then lifted, revealing eyes filled with unperturbed amusement: “Grandmother, would you want great-aunt to be cured?”

Old Madam Deng was stunned by the question, her expression becoming serious as she looked at Qiao Zhao.

Her granddaughter’s question was too intriguing.

Qiao Zhao met Old Madam Deng’s gaze directly.

She needed a clear attitude from Old Madam Deng. After all, Old Madam Deng was Li Zhao’s true grandmother.

If Old Madam Deng, considering the years of affection between the East and West residences, wanted Old Madam Jiang to be cured of her eye disease, then just because she had taken over the body of the young girl Li Zhao, she would ask Grandfather Li for help.

Taking a step back, even if Grandfather Li wouldn’t help, she knew the golden needle cataract removal technique herself.

But if Old Madam Deng deep down didn’t want it to happen, but couldn’t speak directly due to social expectations, why should she do something that would please neither side?

At least in her heart, she had absolutely no good feelings toward that old lady from the East Residence.

Just based on Old Madam Jiang’s actions at Dafu Temple, it was clear this was someone who could make crazy bets once the stakes were high enough. Not treating such a person’s eye disease might be accumulating virtue.

“Zhaozhao, grandmother doesn’t quite understand what you mean.” After their mutual gaze, Old Madam Deng spoke these words with inexplicably complex feelings.

Qiao Zhao reached out to link arms with Old Madam Deng, like any innocent young girl, smiling sweetly: “If grandmother is willing, I’ll go ask Grandfather Li; if grandmother is unwilling, I won’t bother.”

Old Madam Deng opened her mouth.

This girl was so good at passing the buck now—where was this skill just moments ago?

Was she willing?

Of course, she wasn’t willing!

She had two sons: the eldest compiled books at the Hanlin Academy, the second served as an official in a distant post. Though her daughters-in-law and grandchildren occasionally had minor friction, and life wasn’t wealthy, it was stable and harmonious.

But that County Lady from the East Residence desperately wanted her Minister son to advance further.

Minister Kou of the Ministry of Justice was already advanced in years and would soon retire. The position of Minister of Justice was like a fragrant steamed bun that countless hungry dogs were eyeing.

She was a woman who didn’t understand much about outside political affairs, but from her eldest son’s occasional complaints, she knew how dangerous the current court situation was.

Chief Minister Lan Shan had dominated the Inner Cabinet single-handedly for many years, while Second Minister Xu Mingda’s influence was gradually growing. Prince Rui and Prince Mu competed everywhere, while the emperor, devoted to Daoist cultivation, had yet to establish a crown prince.

She had heard her eldest son curse: the Chief Minister’s faction, the Second Minister’s faction, plus Prince Rui and Prince Mu each with their own factions, along with the neutrals and the undercover agents—a perfectly good court had been turned into a smoky mess. Many policies weren’t issued for the country and people, but were results of multi-party power struggles. No wonder even the Japanese, whom the people of Great Liang had always considered crippled, had become another disaster for Great Liang.

Her eldest son had said that Minister Kou was from the neutral faction, and the East Residence’s cousin served under Minister Kou, temporarily counting as neutral.

If Li Guangyan wanted to advance further, even she, a woman who didn’t understand politics, understood that he would have to choose a side. If the County Lady’s eye disease were cured and she regained her energy, she would work tirelessly to promote her son.

The West and East residences were connected by blood—if the East Residence chose the winning side, whether they’d benefit was unknown, but if they chose the losing side, they’d suffer the consequences. Her whole family could live peacefully, but instead they’d gamble alongside the East Residence—wouldn’t that be insane?

Unwilling, unwilling, the old lady was a hundred percent unwilling!

But these words were really hard to say to her granddaughter.

If she said she was unwilling to treat her sister-in-law from the East Residence, how would her granddaughter view her afterward? She’d think of her as a narrow-minded, malicious old woman who couldn’t bear to see others do well.

Old Madam Deng looked at her little granddaughter, who was smiling sweetly at her, and sighed deeply.

This girl, why was she asking such a difficult question?

“Zhaozhao, tell grandmother honestly, are you willing?”

Qiao Zhao didn’t hesitate, her large, gentle eyes full of frankness: “I’m not willing.”

Old Madam Deng: “…” How could this child be so adorably direct!

“I think that with the County Lady’s attention focused on her eye disease, unable to go out socializing, our West Residence’s life would be more peaceful.”

Old Madam Deng’s expression suddenly changed, looking at Qiao Zhao with complete bewilderment.

What did Third Miss mean by these words? Surely she couldn’t mean the same thing as herself?

No, no, no, Third Miss was so young—how could she think of such things?

But the young girl before her had a calm expression and spoke with certainty. Old Madam Deng couldn’t conclude that she was speaking carelessly.

Could it be that Third Miss, who had always gotten along poorly with her sisters in the inner residence, actually had rare perceptiveness regarding the bigger picture?

“You girl, you’re making your grandmother confused. What do you mean by peaceful or not peaceful?”

Qiao Zhao gently shook Old Madam Deng’s arm, like any granddaughter who doted on her grandmother, blinking: “The eldest cousin from the East Residence has been sent to investigate a case, and who knows when he’ll return.”

Old Madam Deng’s eyes suddenly became profound.

Mentioning Li Guangyan at this moment—this girl truly was perceptive!