The Eldest Daughter Returns with Power

At this moment, Su Yunruo was sitting inside the room, holding a calligraphy brush in her hand, gently writing something on a piece of clean white paper. Suddenly, a breeze blew in from outside the window, causing the candlelight to flicker. She quickly got up, went to the window to close it, and then returned to her seat at the table.

The next day, the sun shone brightly and the weather was pleasant. Su Yunruo received an invitation from Gongsun Linglan to gather at the Duke of Jingguo's residence. In high spirits, she dressed up carefully, wearing a light purple long dress with a light pink cloak, and a delicate hairpin in her hair, making her appear elegant and graceful. She went to the Duke of Jingguo's residence with Tang Qiu and Ren Dong.

"Miss, someone else is following us," Tang Qiu said softly.

"It's alright, let them come along. Anyway, we're going to the Duke of Jing's mansion today, and even if they come, they won't be able to get in." Su Yunruo smiled slightly, a sly glint in her eyes.

“Indeed, Miss is right. The guards of the Duke’s mansion are far superior to those of ordinary residences,” Tang Qiu said with a smile.

"Miss, where shall we go tomorrow?" Tang Qiu suddenly asked.

"Today isn't even over yet, and you're already thinking about tomorrow. You fickle girl." Su Yunruo poked Tang Qiu's head with her finger.

"Oh, Miss, I was just curious." Tang Qiu stuck out her tongue and smiled mischievously.

"Let me think about it before I say," Su Yunruo replied with a smile.

The group arrived at the gate of the Duke of Jingguo's mansion. The gatekeeper saw that it was Su Yunruo and went to greet her.

"So it's Miss Su. Please wait a moment while I go in and inform her," the gatekeeper said respectfully.

After a while, Gongsun Linglan came out to greet Su Yunruo personally. After exchanging a few pleasantries, the two walked into the Duke of Jingguo's mansion together.

Along the way, Su Yunruo and Gongsun Linglan chatted and laughed, the atmosphere very harmonious. Meanwhile, not far behind them, a man in black followed them at a distance…

The two walked toward the inner courtyard chatting and laughing, while the servants following behind them were led to the outer courtyard to rest by other maids.

"Sister Yunruo, I'll take you to my courtyard." Gongsun Linglan pulled Su Yunruo forward.

"Sister Linglan, I haven't gone to pay my respects to the old lady yet," Su Yunruo said, squeezing Gongsun Linglan's hand to remind her.

"Oh dear! I've gotten too excited. Come on, let's go this way. I'll take you to see Grandmother. Mother should be with Grandmother at this time too." Gongsun Linglan quickly pulled Su Yunruo along another path after realizing what had happened.

They soon arrived at the old lady's courtyard. The two first asked the maid at the gate to announce their arrival, and only after receiving permission did they go in.

At this moment, the old lady was sitting on the couch, with the Duchess attending to her. Seeing them enter, the Duchess rose to greet them.

"Greetings to the old lady, greetings to the madam," Su Yunruo said obediently, bowing.

"Get up, get up, we're all family, no need for formalities," the old lady said with a smile.

"Aunt, please have someone prepare some snacks for me and Sister Yunruo. Your snacks are the best." Gongsun Linglan tugged at Aunt Cui, who was next to the Duchess.

"Yes, Princess, please wait a moment, Miss Su and I will take them downstairs to prepare." Aunt Cui received a signal from Gongsun Linglan and led all the maids out of the room, leaving only the mistresses chatting inside.

"Yunruo greets Grandmother." Seeing that everyone had left, Su Yunruo knelt down properly and bowed to the old lady of the Duke of Jingguo.

"Quick, Linglan, help your sister up," the old lady said, her voice trembling with tears.

Su Yunruo was helped up by Gongsun Linglan. The old lady took Su Yunruo's hand and patted it gently, her eyes full of affection.

"Child, how have you been these days?" the old lady asked.

Su Yunruo shook her head slightly, "Grandmother, Yunruo is doing well. How are you? Do you sleep well at night?"

Looking at Su Yunruo's appearance, the old lady said with heartache, "Silly child, how can your grandmother be at ease with you like this?" As she spoke, the old lady sighed softly.

Seeing this, Gongsun Linglan quickly comforted her, "Grandmother, don't worry, isn't Yunruo doing well now? Besides, we'll take care of her from now on."

Su Yunruo glanced gratefully at Gongsun Linglan, then said to the old lady, "Grandmother, don't worry, Yunruo will take good care of herself. Besides, I have Aunt Rou by my side."

The Duchess wiped her eyes and said softly, "Yunruo is such a sensible child, it breaks my heart." She looked at Su Yunruo with affection, her eyes filled with love and pity for her.

The old lady nodded and said firmly, "From now on, come to the Duke's Mansion often. With your sister Linglan as a shield, no one can say anything." She smiled as she looked at Su Yunruo.

Su Yunruo nodded gratefully, knowing that the old lady and the Duchess genuinely cared about her. They chatted for a while longer, discussing everyday life in the Duke's mansion and interesting anecdotes from within the family.

Just then, Aunt Cui returned with some snacks. She bowed respectfully to the old lady and placed the snacks on the table. "Old Madam, Princess, Miss Su, the snacks are ready."

Gongsun Linglan quickly pulled Su Yunruo to sit down and said excitedly, "Sister Yunruo, quickly try the snacks your aunt made." She couldn't wait to share this delicious treat with Su Yunruo.

Su Yunruo picked up a pastry, took a small bite, and savored its sweetness. Her eyes lit up, and she couldn't help but exclaim, "So delicious!" The wonderful taste made her feel incredibly satisfied.

Seeing her enjoying her meal, everyone laughed, creating a warm and harmonious atmosphere in the room. They ate and chatted, savoring this rare moment of joy.

After a while, the old lady smiled and said to Gongsun Linglan and Su Yunruo, "You young people go and have fun by yourselves. This old lady won't keep you from doing anything."

Gongsun Linglan led Su Yunruo to her courtyard. As soon as they entered, a refreshing floral fragrance wafted through the air. The courtyard was filled with various flowers and plants, their colorful blossoms blooming in profusion, a truly beautiful sight.

"Yunruo, what do you think of my courtyard?" Gongsun Linglan asked with great interest. She stood in the center of the courtyard, her arms slightly outstretched, her eyes sparkling with excitement. She looked at Su Yunruo expectantly, hoping to receive her praise.

"Sister, this courtyard is absolutely beautiful, like a fairyland," Su Yunruo praised. She looked around, her gaze falling on the blooming flowers and the shady paths, and couldn't help but sigh in admiration.

"You're so sweet-talking." Gongsun Linglan laughed happily, her face beaming with satisfaction. "I'll tell you a secret, Grandmother and Mother have prepared a new courtyard for you. They didn't want you to know, they want to surprise you." Gongsun Linglan whispered mysteriously in Su Yunruo's ear.

"Prepare a courtyard for me?" Su Yunruo asked with a surprised expression. Her eyes widened as she stared at Gongsun Linglan in disbelief.

"Yes, yes, Grandmother started making arrangements after she came back from Qingyu Manor last time. It's only just beginning to take shape now, and it'll probably take another six months to complete. They said they didn't know you existed all these years and feel they owe you so much. They wish they could give you the best of everything. Ruo-mei, I'm even a little jealous of you." Gongsun Linglan teased Su Yunruo.

A wave of warmth and gratitude washed over Su Yunruo. She had never imagined she would receive so much attention and care. This new home made her feel incredibly happy.

"Thank you for telling me, sister. Please also thank my grandmother and aunt on my behalf," Su Yunruo said gratefully.

"No need to thank me, we're all family." Gongsun Linglan gently patted Su Yunruo's hand, showing her understanding.

The two continued to stroll in the courtyard, admiring the beautiful scenery and enjoying the peaceful time.

"Sister Linglan, let's live together in the newly built courtyard. What makes me happiest is having family like you all." Su Yunruo's eyes were glistening with tears.

Gongsun Linglan smiled and nodded: "Okay, Yunruo, we can chat and play together in the future. It sounds so interesting!" As she spoke, she gently took Su Yunruo's hand.

The two strolled around the courtyard for a while, enjoying the beautiful scenery around them.

Suddenly, a maid rushed over and announced in a low voice, "Ladies, it's time for dinner. Please move to the dining room."

Hearing this, Gongsun Linglan turned to look at Su Yunruo and smiled gently: "Let's go, Yunruo, let's go have dinner. There are some of your favorite dishes tonight."

After saying that, she gently took Su Yunruo's hand and they walked towards the restaurant together.

After dinner, as night fell, Su Yunruo rose to bid farewell to Gongsun Linglan. Gongsun Linglan personally saw her off and instructed the coachman to drive carefully. Su Yunruo looked at her gratefully, then boarded the carriage. As the sound of hooves faded into the distance, they headed towards the General's Mansion.