Su Xiaoqi noticed that Zhao Xiaohua was suspicious of her.
But so what? Didn't Zhao Xiaohua know her secret as well?
Who was afraid of whom between them!
And looking at Zhao Xiaohua, she had received such a great opportunity, but had she ever done anything good?
Back in Zhao Family Village, she would occasionally team up with Zhao Hai’e and Zhao Guanggun to attack her.
That was bad enough, but even after arriving in the capital, she hadn't stopped. She kept playing dirty tricks on her.
They weren't very clever, but like maggots, they disgusted her from nearby.
"Miss Zhao, aren't you here to visit the County Princess? Why are you staring at me like that?"
Su Xiaoqi grew impatient with Zhao Xiaohua's gaze and couldn't help but snort, directly calling out to the Grand Princess that Zhao Xiaohua wasn't genuinely there to visit the County Princess.
"You jest. Of course, we are here to visit Your Highness the Grand Princess and the County Princess. We are relieved to see them in good health." Zhao Xiaohua quickly withdrew her gaze, regaining her self-proclaimed composure.
"Oh, if that's the case, you may leave. I won't die for the time being."
The Grand Princess already disliked the two women. Upon their arrival, after offering their greetings, they hadn't immediately shown concern for Hui’an, instead focusing their attention on staring at her guests.
It was truly impolite.
Her patience was never great to begin with. Her expression turned cold, and she began to usher them out.
Zhao Xiaohua's visit was a pretense; she merely wanted to ascertain if the mother and daughter had perished.
Now, she saw that not only were they alive, but they were also full of vigor.
Especially His Highness the Grand Princess, whose temper was unusually fierce, and who was still lively and well.
Not only would she not die now, but she likely wouldn't die for a very long time.
She felt a slight disappointment but dared not show it, lowering her head to look at the ground.
It was covered with a Persian tribute carpet adorned with scattered flowers and woven gold. The intricate pattern and the quality of the material were truly befitting the Grand Princess's residence. Everything used here was, indeed, the finest in the nation, second only to the Imperial Palace.
In her previous life, she had died, and all of this had become the property of the驸马 (fù mǎ - imperial son-in-law). He had immediately brought another woman into the residence.
However, they had misjudged the Emperor's disposition.
This was the residence of a royal princess, not the驸马's residence, yet they had dared to usurp the nest...
Thinking of the events of her previous life, Zhao Xiaohua fell silent once more.
She subtly glanced at Su Xiaoqi, waiting to see if Su Xiaoqi knew what would happen next.
If she did, given her relationship with the Grand Princess, she would surely warn her.
If she didn't warn her, there could be two possibilities: perhaps she didn't know, or perhaps she didn't want to stir up trouble.
Zhao Xiaohua left with her mind full of concerns.
Su Xiaoqi only looked up at her once as she departed.
Zhao Xiaohua was a woman of many schemes, but unfortunately, her background was too humble. Despite living through two lifetimes, she was ultimately just a woman of the inner chambers.
Her vision was not broad enough, and her foresight was lacking. She didn't realize that some things were beyond her control.
Zhao Xiaohua had arrived full of questions, her visit intended to find answers.
But as she left, she was filled with more questions than before. The addition of Su Xiaoqi, an uncontrollable factor, left her even more uncertain of what to do.
In her hesitation, she suddenly lost her resolve.
Meanwhile, after Zhao Xiaohua's departure, Su Xiaoqi offered a suggestion to the Grand Princess.
She asked about the progress of the investigation into the Heyue Restaurant incident.
The Grand Princess immediately recounted the details of that time.
She also mentioned that Princess Qionghua had investigated the restaurant's employees afterward.
"They knew each other. Yong’an Marquis's estate informed me," the Grand Princess whispered.
It was precisely because she knew this that she hadn't initially called Su Xiaoqi and Du Yiyi, who were privy to the matter, to testify before the Empress.
It was only after being outmaneuvered by the usually quiet Princess Pingning that she remembered wanting Su Xiaoqi to testify and expose Princess Qionghua's wicked deeds.
However, these words had not been spoken.
Now, with Su Xiaoqi's question, her once-cloudy mind cleared, and she said to Su Xiaoqi, "Since it's Yong’an Marquis's estate, perhaps I can ask them to intervene. After all, they are relatives. Even broken bones are connected by tendons. I believe they can help with this matter."
With this statement, the Grand Princess officially implicated Yong’an Marquis's estate.
Su Xiaoqi had intended to ask what would happen if Yong’an Marquis's estate refused to step forward.
After all, it was difficult to deal with them on behalf of Ning Wang's estate.
But then she thought that the Grand Princess, having survived and grown up in the brutal imperial court, couldn't be simple-minded. If she had said this, she must have had her own way.
And she did not pretend to curry favor with the Grand Princess again, saying something like, "Perhaps it's better if I handle it."
From her own perspective, she really didn't want to get involved.
Because she didn't want to confront Ning Wang's estate yet.
Although if they did confront each other, she might not necessarily be afraid.
But it was better to have fewer troubles than more.
However, if the Grand Princess really couldn't find anyone, she would still step forward.
This was because her dislike for Princess Qionghua was indescribable.
She was a complete villain, and at such a young age, she was already so wicked.
If she grew older, she would become a public menace.
Furthermore, Zhang Yu had investigated her, and she was responsible for several deaths.
The Grand Princess did not hold any negative opinions of Su Xiaoqi for deliberately reminding her about Yong’an Marquis's estate.
In her eyes, Su Xiaoqi had no particular reason to be involved with their family.
First, she had saved her precious son, then she had saved her, and then she had helped Hui’an.
Now, she had directly saved the lives of the mother and daughter.
There was no greater kindness than what she had bestowed upon their family.
Although she was spoiled, she was not unreasonable.
She felt an immeasurable gratitude towards Su Xiaoqi.
Moreover, she had every reason to believe that if she persisted, Su Xiaoqi would surely agree.
Neither of them spoke these words, but there was an unspoken understanding between them.
The Grand Princess leaned over to look at Princess Hui’an a few times, then stood up and left with determination.
Su Xiaoqi saw her straighten her back as she crossed the threshold.
"I, my mother... *cough cough*..." Princess Hui’an felt a connection with the Grand Princess in this manner.
Su Xiaoqi lowered her head and whispered, "Her Highness the Grand Princess is going to seek justice for you, County Princess.
You must take good care of yourself, County Princess. Do not let down the Grand Princess's loving maternal heart."
Princess Hui’an couldn't speak clearly, but tears began to flow without warning. She nodded vigorously at Su Xiaoqi.
Su Xiaoqi quickly told her not to speak, as her throat needed to rest.
Seeing that it was about time and noticing the change in Princess Hui’an's eyes, realizing that she would no longer be suicidal, Su Xiaoqi bid farewell and returned.
Her carriage left the Grand Princess's residence at the end of Yin Shi (around 3-5 AM).
The bright spring sky suddenly darkened, the sunlight appearing and disappearing intermittently.
She returned to Mao’er Hutong.
As she entered, she brushed past a small, black lacquered carriage with a blue canopy.
As the two vehicles passed each other, a gust of fragrant wind blew. Su Xiaoqi inadvertently caught a whiff of a familiar scent, which caused her brow to knit together.
She couldn't help but lean out to take a look. At the same moment, the owner of the carriage also lifted the curtain to look outside.
What met her gaze was an exceptionally beautiful face.
With delicate features and enchanting eyes, Su Xiaoqi's heart skipped a beat. She seemed to have a certain understanding of this person's identity.
However, at this moment, she had no idea what someone like that was doing here.
She looked around. She remembered He Qiulei saying that Mao’er Hutong was inhabited by officials.
Every family was of good standing and from scholarly backgrounds.
Her thoughts drifted as the carriage entered the front courtyard through the corner door, where the threshold had been removed.
Su Xiaoqi, as if guided by inspiration, softly instructed Zhang Yu when passing the doorkeeper. She immediately brought the carriage to a halt and jumped off to find the doorkeeper.
Soon, he brought something up.
Su Xiaoqi examined the sachet in Zhang Yu's hand.
Yes, this scent was becoming increasingly familiar.
"It's her."
Su Xiaoqi had previously suspected that the person she met in the alley was the courtesan who had been drinking and having fun with Shen Yun yesterday.
Combined with this sachet, she was even more certain.
"This woman is quite bold. Not content with seducing men outside, she dares to come to our home." Zhang Yu was immediately enraged and tore the sachet apart.
Su Xiaoqi looked at her in shock.
Uh, she was the one directly involved, wasn't she? That courtesan was trying to steal her husband, and she hadn't even gotten angry yet, so why was Zhang Yu...? Could it be that she also...
Su Xiaoqi's heart pounded. If it were just that courtesan, she wouldn't care at all.
But if it were Zhang Yu, her heart felt a twinge of pain.
She felt a sense of betrayal.