Commandery Princess Baoqing had been a little angry at first, but after hearing about A Gua’s past experiences, her heart ached with pity.
"She’s quite pitiful, too. Never mind, I won’t stoop to her level."
The Eldest Princess looked at Jiang Li, her tone carrying a hint of loving reprimand. "You certainly have a good heart. Look at how your own life has turned out, yet you’re still thinking of helping a little girl."
Jiang Li replied, "My grandparents once taught me to keep kindness in my heart. When I’m out and encounter someone I can help, I should lend a hand. Whether it’s an abducted woman or a little girl trapped in a human trafficker’s den, I’ll help whenever I can."
The Eldest Princess gave a slight nod. She had no intention of seizing a five- or six-year-old girl for punishment anyway; after all, even the court’s laws wouldn’t penalize a child that young.
"You are kindhearted, but why did you marry into the Yin Family holding a memorial tablet? Given how things look now, the Yin Family doesn’t deserve such a sacrifice from you."
Commandery Princess Baoqing was someone who easily felt sympathy for those around her. Otherwise, she wouldn’t always be thinking about swapping identities with others. However, even if those people swapped with her to temporarily become a "commandery princess," they would never dare to genuinely order people around like one. Only Commandery Princess Baoqing truly put herself in someone else’s shoes to experience their lives.
When she heard that Jiang Li had married while holding a memorial tablet, Commandery Princess Baoqing’s heart clenched. She felt deeply saddened and wanted very much to help Jiang Li. Besides, Jiang Li had helped her before, too.
Lowering her head, Jiang Li said, "The marriage contract between the Jiang family and the Yin Family was established when my grandfather was still alive. Even though the elders of the Jiang family have all passed away, I cannot back out of the marriage."
"But the eldest young master of the Yin Family is already gone. If the Yin Family had any sense of decency, they wouldn’t have let you marry in."
The Eldest Princess still remembered when Jiang Li was young and accompanied her grandmother to the palace. Back then, she was clearly a clever, lively little girl. Now, she had become so rigidly bound by the rules.
Her peach-blossom eyes misting over, Jiang Li looked up at the Eldest Princess. "Everyone says my husband died in battle, but his body was never recovered. Perhaps he is still alive, just temporarily unable to return for some reason."
The Eldest Princess’s heart ached even more. "Child, how can you be so foolishly devoted? Very well, I won’t meddle in your affairs anymore. If you run into trouble in the future, come find me."
In the Eldest Princess’s eyes, the Yin Family was not a good place. Who knew how they might mistreat Jiang Li in the future? She gave her this early warning so that if Jiang Li were truly bullied, she would think to seek her help.
"Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. I have no way to repay you, but if there is ever a day I can be of assistance, please do not hesitate to command me."
As Jiang Li curtsied, a porcelain bottle rolled out from her sleeve and dropped onto the floor.
"What’s this?" Commandery Princess Baoqing asked curiously.
Jiang Li quickly bent down to pick it up and replied, "It’s a Beauty Pill. It works wonders on facial scars. I originally wanted to offer it to Your Highness first, but I was worried it might cause harm."
Ever since Princess Rong’an was disfigured over a decade ago, she had tried countless remedies. Sometimes, the Emperor himself would send them to her. After all, she had sustained her injuries while saving the Emperor. But as time passed, the scars on the Eldest Princess’s face had gradually faded. Although they were still ghastly, she had long stopped holding out hope for a cure. However, since this came from Jiang Li, the Eldest Princess was intrigued.
"Oh? Why were you reluctant to offer it to me? Did you think I would punish you if the scars couldn’t be removed?"
"No, I just hadn’t fully made up my mind. I felt the Beauty Pill might not be entirely safe. However, having carefully considered its ingredients, Your Highness could crush the pill and apply it directly to your face. The effects might be somewhat weaker, but it would still be useful."
The Eldest Princess’s interest deepened. "You understand medicine?"
"When I was young, I studied some superficial medical knowledge under Divine Doctor Bai, though I wouldn’t call myself proficient."
Hearing this, the Eldest Princess realized Jiang Li was not as simple as she appeared. If this child were to leave the Yin Family in the future, she would be perfectly capable of living well on her own.
"Very well, then I will accept it," the Eldest Princess said, turning to her senior maid. "Go and summon the mansion’s physician."
Jiang Li handed the Beauty Pill over. When the mansion’s physician arrived, he tipped the Beauty Pill out and examined it meticulously.
A moment later, the physician said, "To answer Your Highness, the ingredients in this pill are mild and will not cause any harm. Your Highness may take it with peace of mind."
The Eldest Princess nodded, took the porcelain bottle, and swallowed the pill inside.
Jiang Li wanted to stop her but was too late. She had verified the pill’s ingredients—it wouldn’t harm anyone—but she couldn’t guarantee it would definitely work on the Eldest Princess. Then again, she thought, since it was a reward from the system, its effects shouldn’t be poor.
The Eldest Princess smiled and said, "All right, let’s head back to the flower hall. It’s a flower viewing banquet today, and I still have matchmaking to attend to."
Many noble families in the capital chose to intermarry, but often it was just the elders discussing things amongst themselves; the bride and groom rarely got a chance to see each other before the wedding. The Eldest Princess loved lively gatherings, so she hosted this flower viewing banquet, which incidentally provided an opportunity for these young people to evaluate each other.
After stepping out of the side hall, the physician inquired with Jiang Li.
"May I ask where Miss Jiang obtained this pill? If you have any extra, would you be willing to sell one to me?"
Jiang Li wasn’t surprised that the physician was interested in the Beauty Pill. After all, even she had been extremely curious when she first got her hands on it. Although Jiang Li had one more pill, she planned to give it to the Eldest Prince.
"Please don’t take offense, sir, but I obtained this pill elsewhere and have no extras on hand. If you’d like, I can give you the prescription, though I cannot guarantee that having the prescription means the pill can be successfully made."
The physician hadn’t held out much hope to begin with, but hearing Jiang Li’s words, his eyes instantly lit up. However, he didn’t ask for the prescription. Instead, he said, "In that case, I won’t impose. Such a prescription is invaluable. Even if I wanted to buy it, I couldn’t afford that much Silver. If you ever manage to produce more of these pills in the future, I will come to purchase them from you then."
Jiang Li gave a slight nod and agreed. "Very well, I will keep that in mind."
Prompted by the physician’s words, Jiang Li also considered manufacturing the Beauty Pills herself. Although they were available in the system, it wasn’t as if she could just ask for them and get them at will. If she could produce them, she could stock them in the Jiang family’s shops to sell. However, these matters couldn’t be rushed. Before she obtained a divorce, she couldn’t let the Yin Family know she possessed such capabilities.
Upon returning to the flower hall, the Eldest Princess invited all the female guests to the garden to view the flowers. In the gardens of the Princess Mansion, the male guests were already present.
Although Yin Ranshuang had been wronged earlier, she didn’t forget to search for Wei Zizhang among the crowd at this moment. Before she could find him, she was captivated by another figure.
Yin Ranshuang’s gaze locked onto him, and she instantly lost herself in a daze.
Jiang Li noticed Yin Ranshuang’s stare and followed her line of sight. To her dismay, it was Wei Zhaohe.
Jiang Li felt a surge of worry. She wondered if seeing Wei Zhaohe early this time would cause Yin Ranshuang to change her mind and develop feelings for him. If that were truly the case, things would become quite troublesome.