The Eldest Daughter Returns with Power

Su Yunruo ignored Su Ning'er's provocation; her gaze was drawn to a plum tree in the distance. The plum blossoms on this tree were exceptionally vibrant, like a burning flame.

"Sister Linglan, look how beautiful this plum blossom is," Su Yunruo softly praised the plum blossom.

Su Yunruo reached out and gently touched the plum blossom petals, intending to pluck the branch, but suddenly heard an angry shout from behind: "Stop! Who gave you permission to touch this plum tree?"

She turned her head and saw a woman dressed in finery staring at her angrily, her eyes flashing with anger and dissatisfaction.

This woman was Si Yunxin, the second daughter of the current emperor. Her beauty was like the first ray of sunshine in the morning, bright and dazzling, and her attire further highlighted her noble status.

"Second Princess, I just think this plum blossom is very beautiful and I want to admire it more closely," Su Yunruo replied without any guilt.

Upon hearing this, Si Yunxin's face darkened further. She strode up to Su Yunruo, stopped her, and said sternly, "This plum tree was planted by my brother when I was a child, on my birthday. It has extraordinary significance. How dare you, you lowly servant, touch it so casually!"

Su Yunruo felt a surge of anger, but she suppressed her emotions and said with her head down, "Princess, please calm down. Yunruo did not know that this plum tree was planted by the prince. Please forgive me."

"Hmph! I don't know, forgive me? Do you think you can get away with it by saying you don't know? And what are you doing with Gongsun Linglan? Who is she? I've never seen her before." The Second Princess persisted.

At this moment, Su Ning'er, standing to the side, fanned the flames, saying, "Princess, she is my uncle's biological daughter whom he just found. She was lost when she was young and has been raised by Qingyu Manor ever since. She is extremely arrogant and domineering. I think she is knowingly committing a crime and clearly does not respect the princess. She should be severely punished."

Su Yunruo glared at Su Ning'er, thinking to herself, "This Su Ning'er is really going against me at every turn."

Just then, a gentle voice came: "Second sister, why get so angry? It's just a plum blossom."

The person who arrived was none other than Princess Ronghua, Si Yunshang.

The second princess looked at Princess Ronghua, her brows furrowed, and said, "Eldest sister, this lowly servant has offended the plum tree that my brother gave me. How can we forgive her so easily?"

Si Yunshang smiled and advised, "Second Sister, don't be angry over such a small matter. Since Miss Su has apologized, let's give her a chance. Besides, today is the Empress Dowager's plum blossom appreciation banquet. Don't let such a small thing spoil your mood. Everyone should be happy." After saying that, she gently patted the Second Princess's hand.

The Second Princess's expression softened slightly upon hearing Si Yunshang's words, but she still said somewhat reluctantly, "Alright, since Eldest Sister says so, then I'll let her off for now. But don't let me see her behaving so rudely again next time."

Su Yunruo and Gongsun Linglan quickly bowed and said, "Greetings, Princess Ronghua. Thank you, Princess Ronghua. Thank you, Second Princess."

Su Ning'er looked at Si Yunshang, a hint of jealousy flashing in her eyes. She had originally intended to use the Second Princess to punish Su Yunruo, but Si Yunshang had ruined everything. She gritted her teeth inwardly, determined to find an opportunity to take revenge on Si Yunshang in the future.

Princess Ronghua turned to look at Su Yunruo, her eyes gentle: "Be more careful in the future, lest you cause such trouble again." Su Yunruo nodded in agreement. Afterwards, Princess Ronghua pulled the Second Princess away, with Su Ning'er following reluctantly. Su Yunruo watched their departing figures and let out a long sigh of relief.

"Alright, let's not stand here anymore, let's go look around somewhere else." Princess Linglan patted Su Yunruo's shoulder and comforted her.

The two strolled together through the plum grove, admiring the beautiful plum blossoms. Pink, white, and red flowers intertwined, creating a magnificent and colorful scene. A gentle breeze blew, and plum petals drifted down softly, fluttering like snowflakes.

"Yunruo, you really scared me to death just now. Luckily, the eldest princess came to my rescue," Linglan said, still shaken.

"I didn't expect the Second Princess to be so angry." Su Yunruo shook her head helplessly.

“However, you should be careful of Su Ning’er; she always likes to target you,” Linglan warned.

"I know, she's just jealous of me," Su Yunruo said dismissively.

"Yes, you're right. Let's ignore her and enjoy the plum blossoms." Linglan smiled and took Su Yunruo's hand.

The two continued to wander through the plum grove, their mood gradually relaxing. They walked and talked about various interesting topics, their laughter echoing through the plum grove.

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew by, scattering many plum blossom petals. Su Yunruo reached out and caught a petal, exclaiming in admiration, "How beautiful!"

“It is indeed beautiful.” A deep voice sounded behind her.

Su Yunruo was startled and turned around to look, only to see a tall figure standing not far away. He was wearing a black brocade robe embroidered with a five-clawed golden dragon, his face was stern, and his eyes were deep and sharp.

Princess Linglan looked at the man in surprise, thinking to herself, "Why is the Crown Prince here?"

"Greetings, Your Highness." Su Yunruo and Gongsun Linglan hurriedly bowed. Si Yunchen smiled and waved his hand, "No need for formalities." He strode towards Su Yunruo, his gaze falling on the flower petals in her hand, and said softly, "These plum blossom petals are as delicate and beautiful as you."

Su Yunruo's face flushed crimson, like a ripe apple. She lowered her head, too shy to meet Si Yunchen's eyes. Her heart pounded, as if it would leap out of her throat. She stammered, "I...I..."

Si Yunchen's lips curled up slightly, revealing a doting smile. He said softly, "Haha, I'm just teasing you. There are many people and things to deal with here, so be careful. Have Yingqi or Rendong stay by your side at all times." As he spoke, Si Yunchen moved closer to her and whispered in her ear.

After saying that, Si Yunchen straightened up, looked around, and then said to Su Yunruo and Gongsun Linglan, "The plum blossoms here are in full bloom. You two should stroll around some more. The Empress Dowager and the others should be here soon."

Su Yunruo nodded gently, "Thank you for the reminder, Your Highness."

Gongsun Linglan quickly replied, "Your Highness, please rest assured."

Si Yunchen nodded slightly, then turned and left. Su Yunruo and Gongsun Linglan watched his departing figure, their hearts filled with unease for a long time.

"Yunruo, His Highness the Crown Prince seems to be paying special attention to you," Gongsun Linglan teased.

Su Yunruo gave her a reproachful look, "Don't talk nonsense, maybe His Highness the Crown Prince was just saying it casually."

"I don't believe it. Didn't you see the way His Highness the Crown Prince looked at you? It was full of tenderness," Gongsun Linglan continued to tease.

"Oh dear, if you say that again, I won't talk to you anymore," Su Yunruo said coquettishly, but her face was filled with undisguised joy.

The two continued their stroll through the plum grove, where sunlight filtered through the branches, adding a touch of warmth to the beautiful grove.

Before long, the Empress and her concubines arrived at the plum grove. All were dressed in magnificent robes, their bearing impeccable. "Greetings, Your Majesty the Empress! Greetings, Your Highnesses!" Su Yunruo and Gongsun Linglan greeted them.

The Empress smiled and said, "No need for formalities, please rise and enjoy the plum blossoms together." Everyone responded in agreement, and laughter filled the plum grove. However, Su Yunruo's thoughts kept drifting to the departing Crown Prince Si Yunchen.

Just as everyone was enjoying the plum blossoms, a gentle breeze suddenly blew by, and the petals fluttered down.

The Noble Consort Xian, standing beside the Empress, chuckled and said, "This scene adds a touch of poetry to our gathering."

Su Yunruo stood quietly to the side, her eyes unconsciously searching for something in the crowd.

Gongsun Linglan leaned closer to her and whispered, "Are you still thinking about His Highness the Crown Prince?"

Su Yunruo gently patted her hand, signaling her not to talk nonsense.

The Empress said, "The plum grove is beautiful, but the weather is a bit cold. Please come with me to the palace." Everyone agreed and followed the Empress to the Yimei Palace.

Su Yunruo and Gongsun Linglan walked behind. Gongsun Linglan held Su Yunruo's hand and said, "Yunruo, there's bound to be some excitement today. These young ladies I've come across are no pushovers."

Su Yunruo bit her lip lightly, her mind filled with countless thoughts.

Upon arriving at the Yimei Hall, everyone took their seats in turn.

The Empress ordered the meal to be served, and everyone ate and chatted.

Suddenly, an announcement came from outside: "His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived, the Second Prince has arrived, the Third Prince has arrived, and the Fourth Prince has arrived!" Su Yunruo's heart skipped a beat.

Si Yunchen entered the palace first, followed by the Second Prince Si Yunyi, the Third Prince Si Yunyuan, and the Fourth Prince Si Yunze. The group then paid their respects to the Empress.

The Empress smiled and said, "Please sit down, everyone."

Si Yunchen's gaze unconsciously fell on Su Yunruo. Su Yunruo noticed his gaze, blushed instantly, and quickly lowered her head. Gongsun Linglan, who was standing to the side, saw all of this and couldn't help but chuckle.

Seeing this, the Second Prince Si Yunyi teased, "Is there something interesting happening in this hall that makes Princess Linglan laugh so happily?" Gongsun Linglan composed herself and said, "Your Highness is too kind. I am just happy to see everyone gathered together."

The Third Prince, Si Yunyuan, continued, "Today's banquet is quite lively." The Fourth Prince, Si Yunze, echoed, "Indeed, it's a rare sight." The Empress looked at the princes and said, "You brothers are usually very busy, it's wonderful that you could all come together today."

Si Yunchen, however, never looked away from Su Yunruo. Su Yunruo felt her heart beating faster and faster, and she didn't know what to do.

At this moment, one of the concubines suggested, "Why don't we let the young ladies showcase their talents to add some fun to today's gathering?"

The Empress readily agreed, and the young ladies began to showcase their talents one by one. Some recited poems and painted, while others played musical instruments and danced, creating a lively scene. Su Ning'er waited anxiously among the noble ladies, and finally it was her turn to perform.

Su Ning'er gently stroked the strings and played a beautiful piece of music. Her melodious and graceful playing won the admiration of everyone present. However, at the end of the performance, a string suddenly snapped, cutting Su Ning'er's finger and drawing blood.

Si Yunyuan immediately stood up and asked with concern, "Are you alright?"

With tears in her eyes, Su Ning'er looked at Si Yunyuan gratefully, "Thank you for your concern, Third Prince. I am fine."

Seeing this, Su Yunruo chuckled inwardly. She knew this was another deliberate act by Su Ning'er, an attempt to attract the Third Prince's attention. She turned to look at Si Yunchen and found that his gaze was also fixed on her. The two exchanged a smile.

Next, several other young ladies showcased their talents, including Gongsun Linglan's dance and Su Yunruo's painting. Su Yunruo's painting skills were superb; she created a lifelike painting of plum blossoms, which drew high praise from everyone.

The Empress was very pleased and rewarded her with a pair of precious jade bracelets.

Halfway through the banquet, a palace maid was pouring wine for Su Yunruo with a wine pot. Whether by accident or intentional, the wine spilled on Su Yunruo's dress. The maid quickly apologized, "Miss Su, I'm so sorry. I accidentally spilled the wine on your dress. I deserve to die."