When Su Miao arrived, the little girl was already on the verge of death. Her red wedding dress was particularly glaring, and it smelled of dirt.

When the other person saw her, their face was filled with panic. They tried to shrink back, but couldn't move.

"Don't be afraid, we won't do anything to you," Su Miao reassured softly.

"Miss, there's nothing we can do. She has too many wounds, and with the recurring high fever and being caught in the rain, she probably won't last much longer. Moreover, the other party was ruthless, poisoning her to the point of muteness," Doctor Lin reported truthfully.

The implication is that it's difficult to get any information from this girl.

After all, she couldn't speak, nor could she write things down.

Upon hearing this, a cold glint appeared in Su Miao's eyes.

Without even looking closely, it's obvious that this was Liu Jiaojiao's doing.

She was always cruel, because to her, only the mouths of the dead were truly sealed.

She was the same six years ago, and she hasn't changed at all six years later.

At first, she thought Liu Jiaojiao was kindly taking in those orphans, after all, she had committed many evil deeds, but who would have thought...

If she hadn't known that Liu Jiaojiao was short of money and was still taking in orphans under such circumstances, she probably wouldn't have realized this.

Su Miao: "Dug out of a grave?"

Tao'er: "Yes."

Tao'er looked at her young mother on the bed, a pang of heartache rising in her eyes.

She wasn't bad-looking, but she was buried alive in the ground to keep the old man, who was over eighty years old, company...

Few people are willing to do that kind of thing, unless they are forced to...

Liu Jiaojiao, under the guise of helping orphans, secretly sent the prettier young girls to them and then collected money from them.

Firstly, as the daughter of the Grand Master of the Palace, no one would notice this about her; they would only think she was very kind.

In fact...

"Is this the only one you found?" Su Miao asked again.

"Yes! We haven't found the others yet. I suspect that Liu Jiaojiao may have done more than just this one thing. There may be other things we don't know about..." Tao'er said in a low voice.

Upon hearing this, a dark glint flashed in Su Miao's eyes.

Judging from the current situation, this is probably not the first time Liu Jiaojiao has done something like this.

But the fact that she always manages to do it so cleanly... makes one very suspicious.

"Continue your investigation, but don't alert them," Su Miao instructed.

She felt that Liu Jiaojiao was not as simple as she seemed.

That incident back then was enough to frighten Liu Jiaojiao, but she showed no sign of stopping and continued to harm people.

Liu Jiaojiao was the daughter of the Grand Master of the Palace and a young lady from a respectable family. How could she not be afraid at all? In fact, she seemed to be more afraid of the man who asked her for money than of killing these people.

Who is that man...?

Liu Jiaojiao knew she was a dangerous presence, but when she faced Shen Changji, she showed no fear or apprehension about being investigated. Instead, she yearned to become the Duchess of the State.

Isn't she worried that after becoming the Duchess of the State, her husband will doubt her?

Thinking about this, a bold guess flashed through Su Miao's mind.

But for now, she dares not make any rash moves.

...

Late at night, Cui'er quietly returned to the Liu residence. Upon seeing Liu Jiaojiao, she respectfully reported, "Miss, I have almost finished handling the matters you arranged."

Liu Jiaojiao toyed with the teacup in her hand, a slight smile playing on her lips.

"Very good, here's your reward!"

As she spoke, she picked up the plaster next to her and threw it to Cui'er.

Seeing Cui'er's stunned expression, she chuckled softly, raised her hand to touch the injured spot on Cui'er's forehead, and said slowly, "It works very well."

"This servant...this servant understands!"

"Good to know. Go now and get some rest."

Liu Jiaojiao withdrew her hand, took a handkerchief to wipe her hands, and threw it on the ground with disgust.

After Cui'er left, she gently unwrapped the plaster in her hand.

Besides the pleasant aroma of medicinal herbs, it also had a pungent, fishy smell...

Under the moonlight, the plaster in my hand was a pale pink, like the peach-pink hue rising from a young woman's fair skin.

Cui'er found a secluded spot and threw the things away.

At this moment, Liu Jiaojiao, who was inside the room, shook the thing in her hand, looked at herself in the mirror, and drank it down in one gulp.

Her red lips glistened with moisture, making their color appear even more vibrant.

Liu Jiaojiao couldn't help but examine herself a few times.

She's the most beautiful young lady in the capital! What are the others compared to her?

As she was lost in thought, a pair of large hands embraced her from behind.

"What, contemplating a long period of silence?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Jiaojiao chuckled twice.

The man's hand gently stroked her cheek, a hint of amusement in his eyes.

"I was thinking about you just now, and I'm thinking about you now."

As she spoke, Liu Jiaojiao turned around and boldly kissed the man.

The other party did not refuse and simply picked her up and carried her to the bed.

——

The next day, as Liu Jiaojiao was about to put on her hairpin, her hand inadvertently touched the wooden box next to her, and her gaze followed it.

She was familiar with that wooden box.

She gently opened it and took out a rhododendron wood hairpin.

Although it looks simple, a closer look reveals that every part is meticulously crafted.

The image flashed through Liu Jiaojiao's mind, and she smiled slightly as she put the cheap hairpin on her head.

...

Su Miao had just recovered from a serious illness when she returned to the Duke's mansion.

She arrived first, followed shortly by Liu Jiaojiao.

Today, Liu Jiaojiao specially wore a plain-colored dress and only a wooden hairpin in her hair, which was quite different from her usual style.

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