Gu Jiaojiao's face flushed red and then turned pale. She hurriedly took her head maid, Shiliu, back to the courtyard.

Shi Liu combed her hair, and Gu Jiaojiao angrily broke the perfectly good comb in two.

He muttered a curse under his breath: "What's so great about it? What a worthless hairpin, what a broken hair ornament, I wouldn't even take it for free."

Gu Jiaojiao came out dressed, and everyone was getting impatient.

Xie Xiangxiang said impatiently, "You knew you were going out today, why didn't you get ready earlier and make everyone wait for you?"

Gu Jiaojiao looked particularly pitiful: "Sister-in-law, it's Jiaojiao's fault. Jiaojiao was playing and forgot."

It was originally agreed that Madam Tu and Gu Jiaojiao would ride in the same carriage, but Gu Jiaojiao did not get into Madam Tu's carriage.

She ran to Xie Zhaozhao's carriage, smiling sweetly, and said, "Third Aunt, may I ride in your carriage?"

She cursed inwardly, but seeing Xie Zhaozhao nod, she smiled and said, "Please come up, Miss."

Gu Jiaojiao boarded the carriage and looked again at Xie Zhaozhao's hairpins and hair ornaments, saying ingratiatingly, "Third Aunt, you haven't answered your niece's question yet! What would you like if I thought these pieces of jewelry were beautiful?"

I still remember it!

Xie Zhaozhao smiled, touched the hairpin in her hair again, and said with a smile, "If you think it looks good, then I will wear it more often in the future."

Gu Jiaojiao's smile froze on her face, unable to catch her breath!

I'm giving Xie Zhaozhao a big thumbs up in my heart!

Even before Gu Jiaojiao started banging on the door and cursing Bei Chen for being a watchdog, Xie Zhaozhao calmly said, "You should respect Bei Chen."

She knew that the young lady wouldn't give Gu Jiaojiao any face.

Seeing the person who wanted to take advantage get thwarted, he said with a smile, "Miss Zhang and the others all like to wear hair ornaments. I wonder what style they'll wear today?"

Xie Zhaozhao: "They don't care about these things; they usually prefer something simple and elegant."

Despite claiming to prefer understated elegance, the two began discussing a colorful cloud crown adorned with 108 gemstones, a gilded and kingfisher feather phoenix headdress, and jeweled gold earrings with pendants made of pearls, glass beads, and rubies...

Those jewelry and gems that Gu Jiaojiao had never even heard of were as commonplace as Manman, that lowly maid!

Gu Jiaojiao tried to interject several times but didn't know how. She could only keep smiling and forcing a smile until the flesh on her face froze.

We finally arrived at the garden of the Duke of Xun's mansion.

Zhang Yanyan had arrived long ago. She didn't go into the garden; instead, she sat in the carriage at the entrance and waited.

Her maidservant kept an eye on the intersection from outside.

Liu Yiyi, Li Ranran, and Zhou Tangtang had already arrived. They called Zhang Yanyan to come in with them, but Zhang Yanyan refused, saying she had to greet Xie Zhaozhao at the door.

Seeing that she wasn't going in, the others simply waited at the door.

Before long, Madam Xie arrived with several young ladies from the Xie family. Hearing that they were waiting for Xie Zhaozhao, she didn't go in, but instead waited at the door with all the women of the Xie family.

Upon seeing Xie Zhaozhao's carriage in the distance, the maids from several households jumped for joy.

"The Grand Secretary's wife has arrived."

"The young lady has arrived."

The young ladies and Madam Xie all got out of the carriage.

Knowing that none of her close friends were married yet and it wasn't appropriate for them to appear in public, Xie Zhaozhao immediately called out, "Let's go inside and talk!"

The group then gave up, and the carriages filed in.

Pei Yue, the young mistress of the Duke of Xun's mansion, also sent someone to wait for her. Upon hearing that the Grand Secretary's wife had arrived, Pei Yue immediately went to greet her personally.

The garden of the Duke of Xun's mansion was extremely large, with a total of four gates. The servants and maids of the Duke of Xun's mansion guided everyone in from the north gate.

Upon entering, visitors are directed to several areas based on their residence and rank.

Despite Tu Shi and Xie Zhaozhao coming together, Pei Yue still found an excuse to guide Xie Zhaozhao, Zhang Yanyan, Madam Xie the Second, and others to the core area.

They led Madam Tu, Xie Xiangxiang, and several young ladies from the Marquis's mansion to the "Marquis" type of chat area.

Gu Jiaojiao didn't go with Xie Zhaozhao this time. She suddenly understood: If it's not yours, don't even think about it!

"Birds of a feather flock together," meaning you belong to a certain "circle" based on the kind of person you are.

She couldn't fit into Xie Zhaozhao's social circle.

When Zhang Yanyan saw Xie Zhaozhao, her eyes reddened, and she grabbed Xie Zhaozhao's hand, unable to say a word.

Xie Zhaozhao gently patted her hand and said, "Ayan, we grew up together. If something happens to you, I'll be more worried than you are."

Zhang Yanyan's eyes were red: "Zhao Zhao..."

Xie Zhaozhao smiled slightly: "Ayan, I can't just stand there and say that it was easy for you to do it. I can't lie to you and say that it was just a small favor for Grand Secretary Gu. To be honest, Grand Secretary Gu really put in a lot of effort and dealt with many people to get to where he is today."

“I understand, my father and my grandmother understand. They took care of all these relationships. It was no small matter. My grandmother said that our Zhang family will never forget the kindness of the Grand Secretary and his wife.”

"No need for that. We're good friends. Would we not help our own people? Would we be like those petty people who kick someone when they're down? Wouldn't that be disheartening?"

“That’s what they say, but who will stand up when it matters most?” Zhang Yanyan wiped her eyes with a handkerchief. “Besides, this matter could easily lead to a capital offense and could also implicate the entire clan.”

Zhou Tangtang, Liu Yiyi, and Li Ranran all knew about Zhang Hexuan's trouble-making, but they weren't entirely clear on how it was resolved.

Although their family was large, none of them had any influence in the imperial court.

Everyone wisely refrained from asking how the problem was solved, but they all knew that Xie Zhaozhao and Grand Secretary Gu had been a great help.

In times of crisis, this sister is reliable!

The name "Xie Zhaozhao" is a well-known and prestigious brand.

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