The Eldest Daughter Reborn: She Provoked the Obsessive Crown Prince and Couldn't Escape

Hua Luo asked, puzzled, "If we release the Second Miss, what if she harms you again? Besides..."

Fu Ling put her hand on Hua Luo's shoulder and said with a charming smile, "Grandma has already thought of all the countermeasures and ways to suppress her. Let's just do as she says."

"Previously, we kept her from leaving the house under the pretext of 'medical treatment and recuperation,' which was called 'protection,' but in reality, it was 'house arrest.'"

"Now that we've counted the time, her injuries have almost healed."

“If we keep her locked up, even if she doesn’t make a fuss, the servants will become suspicious, especially since today is a family dinner…”

Tao Su hurriedly said, "What Physician Fu said is absolutely right! This servant has heard some rumors in the mansion these past few days;

"Everyone says that 'the second young lady is pitiful,' and 'it doesn't seem like they're helping her recover; instead, they're locking her up,' and things like that..."

Hua Luo, realizing she had spoken too much, quickly stuck out her tongue.

Fu Luan sneered, "Does she think she's free now that her confinement is over? I'll show her that being outside the room is worse than being locked up!"

"Peach Crisp, remember to dress up your second daughter nicely!"

Peach Crisp immediately understood.

As soon as the family banquet began, Fu Zhengzheng's appearance immediately dispelled all the rumors surrounding Fu Luan...

"Isn't it said that our county magistrate is mean to her half-sister, banishing her to a small courtyard and not even letting her leave the house?"

"How could that be! Look, isn't that the second daughter of the Fu family? Her clothes and accessories are all of the finest quality, even more luxurious than what the county magistrate is wearing!"

"I heard that this half-sister is no pushover; she took advantage of her sister's illness to seduce her brother-in-law."

"The result...tsk tsk tsk!"

"Yeah, don't let her fool you! Women like that love to play the victim and trick people!"

"Look, look, the county magistrate is even personally serving her food! Aren't they getting along really well?"

Fu Zhengzheng heard the whispers and murmurs around her.

Her original plan was to take advantage of the family banquet to expose Fu Luan's true colors and say that she was mean-spirited and born out of wedlock.

But now, hearing the gossip of the guests and servants, who would still believe her?

It's a pity she had such a hard life; her birth mother, Aunt Yan, died young.

Fu Luan has sent all her trusted confidants, whom she grew up with, to other places, and none of the new maids are any good...

She is currently outnumbered and outmatched, and can only swallow her pride and suffer in silence; not only can she not go against Fu Luan, but she also has to do everything she can to please her.

Fu Luan will definitely become the Crown Princess in the future. Let's just fool her for now, and maybe I can get a third-rank concubine position later...

Thinking this, Fu Zhengzheng waited until the acrobatic performance on stage stopped before taking out a brocade box.

He said loudly in front of everyone, "Sister, I have heard that you have been working hard every day to help Fourth Brother with his illness."

"My younger sister also inquired about it and found out that my fourth brother's illness requires 'Manjusaka' as a medicinal ingredient."

"This red spider lily is a rare and precious flower. My younger sister spent ten thousand taels of silver to have someone bring it to me, so as to help my elder sister with her worries!"

Fu Zhengzheng opened the brocade box, and inside was indeed a huge and extremely beautiful red lotus flower, as dazzling and captivating as fireworks.

"Legend has it that the red spider lily is known as the 'heavenly flower of the divine realm,' and that the flower scattered by the 'Buddha Mother' in the past was this flower."

"The second young lady truly cares for her brother and sister!" A young man stood up and explained to everyone.

"Those flowers are so beautiful! I've never heard of or seen anything like them before!"

"It seems the rumors circulating outside that the Second Young Lady secretly plotted against the County Magistrate are unbelievable!"

"Yes! Such a precious and rare flower, I wouldn't even let my older brother and sister use it."

"And that's especially true for a stepmother... that's ten thousand taels of silver!"

"It's not that rare... Aren't they everywhere by the roadside? I even saw some on my way to the banquet!"

"Hey, who's this guy? He's quite handsome..."

"He seems to be the son of some general or marquis..."

"Hey, who doesn't know that? Which of the Fu family's relatives doesn't hold some official position or title?"

Seeing everyone praising Fu Zhengzheng, Fu Ling couldn't help but smile and say, "Young Master Xue, you are mistaken..."

"'Lycoris radiata' is also called 'Symphony of the Rocks'. In the eyes of doctors, it is just an ordinary flower."

"A few coins can buy an ounce, and it's even cheaper if you buy more! The Fourth Young Master's illness has long since passed the stage of needing Lycoris radiata;

"I'm afraid we haven't found out enough about the Second Miss!"

Fu Luan stared coldly at the red spider lily lying quietly in the box.

In her previous life, Fu Zhengzheng accurately predicted Fu Luan's heartache for her brother and her determination to cure his illness.

Using these readily available items that cost only a few coins a tael, Yuanlu repeatedly drained the Fu family's wealth...

Fu Luan smiled and said, "My sister is young, so it's possible she was deceived. But you heard what Physician Fu said."

"Fourth Brother doesn't need this money anymore! Your 'ten thousand taels'... you won't have Sister and the Fu family cover your expenses, will you?"

"These flowers... Second Miss, you should keep them for yourself! Our county magistrate's annual stipend is only six hundred shi of rice."

"Converted to silver, it's only a mere seven hundred and twenty taels. I can't afford your precious flower that costs ten thousand taels a single bloom!" Hua Luo picked up the "Manjusaka" flower.

He brought it to his nose, sniffed it, and then threw it back into the box with a look of disgust.

Hearing that her thoughts had been exposed, and that even Hua Luo dared to give her a cold shoulder in public, Fu Zhengzheng's face immediately turned purplish-red.

She was certain that Fu Luan wouldn't recognize this as a Lycoris radiata, even if Fu Ling had examined it for her.

She's just a teenage female doctor, what kind of knowledge could she possibly have?

She wanted to do Fu Luan a favor first, so she gave her the flowers for free this time.

Fu Luan would definitely be willing to spend money for her brother. Seeing that the medicinal ingredient was effective, how could she not keep asking her for more?

With a single flower worth ten thousand taels of silver, she wouldn't have to worry about not pocketing the money from the Fu family and the Marquis of Chang'an's mansion.

If I have this money to rely on tomorrow, even if Fu Luan is unwilling to recommend me as a concubine;

It wouldn't be difficult for her to marry a prince or nobleman if she wanted to.

But the plan fell through as soon as it started... Clearly, she underestimated Fu Ling;

Little did anyone expect that Fu Luan would fall into the same trap once before and would never do it again!

Fortunately, the stewardess kept reporting the rewards bestowed by the empresses and princesses in the palace;

With a new topic of conversation among the guests, who had time to talk about Fu Zhengzheng?

"Lady Yaozhang has bestowed upon you a pair of 'gold-threaded jade boots'!"

"Consort Mei bestowed upon a pair of 'three-inlaid ruyi' scepters!"

"The Princess of Wu has bestowed upon you a 'single-silk green gauze cage skirt'!"

"Princess Chun'an presented orangutan felt and velvet..."

"Bestowed by Princess Nanyang..."

The various rewards were numerous.

“Yuan Rui is quite thoughtful…” Fu Luan sighed.

This time even Hua Luo understood, "Yes! The housekeepers all reported according to the list given by the visitors;

“Other princesses and concubines were either ‘rewarded’ or ‘bestowed’, which made them seem superior to Lady Gaoxian.”

"Only Princess Chun'an used the word 'gift,' which shows she considers the county magistrate one of her own!"