"Just think of the children! They can't grow up without a father!" Andrew Zhao pleaded. "If the Duke Zhao Mansion falls, their father becomes a criminal. That wouldn't be good for them, would it?"
"It's not that I don't want to help. I simply can't," Joanna Zuo replied. "To be honest, I don't even know the Prime Minister! Back then, it was Grace who helped me."
Andrew Zhao turned to Grace and said, "Miss Zhuo, Marquis Lawrence is deeply trusted by His Majesty. If Marquis Lawrence speaks up for us, the Emperor will surely show mercy! Please, for Joanna and the children—"
"Andrew Zhao!" Grace interrupted him. "Aside from our grudge, do we have any other relationship at all?"
"Everything that happened before was my fault! I brought it on myself. As long as you're willing to help me, I—"
"Shut up!" Joanna Zuo yanked Grace behind her. "From the moment you humiliated me and I jumped off Spirit Alliance Mountain, everything between us was erased! Leave! I will never help you!"
With that, Joanna Zuo dragged Grace away.
Behind them came Andrew Zhao's desperate shout: "Joanna! I was wrong! Please forgive me!"
Grace glanced back at him, feeling a mix of pity and sorrow.
......
On the road, Joanna Zuo held Grace's hand and said, "Grace, thank you! If it weren't for your help, I'm afraid the children..."
Grace replied seriously, "You'd better stay out of the Duke Zhao Mansion's affairs. That's... a struggle for imperial power, and it's not something we can get involved in."
Joanna Zuo nodded gravely.
Ever since King Skyroc's rebellion was suppressed, Emperor Tuoba Hong had been working to weaken the various factions.
The Duke Zhao Mansion is just the beginning.
......
The patient the two went to see was truly peculiar.
He showed no signs of illness under normal circumstances, but whenever he thought of his deceased wife, it felt like a thousand arrows piercing his heart and countless insects gnawing at his body—unbearable pain.
The pain wasn't just emotional—it was physical.
Grace took his pulse, checked his blood, and after a thorough diagnosis, finally concluded: he was afflicted by a Hex Worm.
As for what kind of Hex Worm it was and how to cure it, Grace wasn't well-versed in that field.
Grace thought there should be records in the Celestial Library, so she told Joanna Zuo to wait until she figured it out.
After seeing the patient, Grace said to Bobby, "Tell all the cleaning attendants to gather on the mountain at dawn tomorrow."
"Huh? That early?" Bobby was puzzled. "Why are you making them gather so early?"
"Obviously to clean! What else?"
"Isn't Spirit Alliance Mountain already clean?" Bobby asked. "It looks fine to me!"
"It can be even cleaner!" Grace replied. "Go, spread the word! No one is allowed to be late."
"What's with her?" Bobby muttered as he went to notify everyone.
The next morning, Grace was up before dawn and headed to the Spirit Alliance.
All the attendants had arrived, yawning and bleary-eyed as they looked at her.
"Thank you for your hard work!" Grace said. "When we're done today, I'll give each of you fifty taels of silver as a bonus."
Instantly, everyone perked up, full of energy. "Alliance Leader, just tell us what to do!"
"There's nothing else. I called you all here so early because I want every inch of Spirit Alliance Mountain cleaned thoroughly. Leave no dirty corner behind—we need to show off the very best side of the mountain."