The Eldest Daughter Returns with Power

Su Yunruo looked at the kneeling palace maid and sighed helplessly, "Never mind, get up. Aunt Rou, go and get my other set of clothes. I need to apologize to the Empress and go to the side hall to find a room to change." Aunt Rou responded and turned to leave, quickly returning with a new set of clothes.

Su Yunruo took the clothes and walked towards the Empress. After bowing, she said, "Your Majesty, the hem of my clothes got wet by accident. I would like to go to the side hall to change." The Empress glanced at Su Yunruo, smiled and nodded. She then turned to her personal maid and said, "Lexin, take Miss Su to the side hall to change."

"Yes, Your Majesty. Miss Su, please come with me." Le Xin replied respectfully, then led Su Yunruo towards the side hall. Su Yunruo and Ying Qi followed Le Xin to the entrance of the side hall. Le Xin gently pushed open the door and gestured for them to come in.

Su Yunruo entered the room, with Ying Qi following beside her. Suddenly, a slight noise came from deep within the room. Su Yunruo immediately stopped alertly, looked around, and whispered, "Who's there? Come out!" However, there was no response, and an eerie silence filled the room.

Le Xin also seemed a little nervous. She said cautiously, "Miss Su, don't panic. Maybe the wind has moved something." Su Yunruo frowned, her doubts still unresolved.

Just then, a dark shadow flashed past the window. "Go check it out!" Su Yunruo instructed Le Xin. Le Xin hurriedly ran to the window and looked outside, but saw nothing. "Miss Su, there's no one outside. You can change your clothes in your room; I'll keep watch outside for you," Le Xin said.

Su Yunruo bit her lip and said, "This side hall is strange. We should change our clothes and leave quickly." Just as Su Yunruo finished changing her clothes and was about to leave, she smelled a strange fragrance. She looked at Ying Qi beside her, gave her a wink, and then knocked herself unconscious.

A man climbed in through the window. He saw Su Yunruo lying on the ground, hoisted her onto his shoulder, and climbed out the window again, heading towards a side room. Ying Qi, who was hiding in the shadows, followed. She saw the man lead Su Yunruo into a side room not far away, and then leave. After the man left, Ying Qi entered the room through the back window. She glanced at the smoke rising from the incense burner on the table, then saw Su Yunruo lying on the bed. She went up and called out, "Miss." Su Yunruo opened her eyes, blinked at her, sat up, and said to Ying Qi, "Ying Qi, let's hide first and wait to see the show." The two of them concealed themselves on the eaves of the back window.

Footsteps approached, and with a creak, the door opened. Su Ning'er entered, glancing at the bed behind the screen. Not seeing clearly, she planned to walk around the screen to get a closer look. From the shadows, Su Yunruo pulled out a silver needle laced with a sleeping potion and struck Su Ning'er. Su Ning'er staggered and fell onto the bed. Taking advantage of the moment, Su Yunruo moved to her side, removed the needle, and gently laid Su Ning'er on the bed before disappearing.

A moment later, a richly dressed man entered. He saw the woman on the bed, a cryptic expression crossing his face. He thought to himself, "Miss Su, wasn't it just as easy for you to get her?" As he thought this, he walked to the bedside and sat down, reaching out to stroke the woman's cheek. The woman seemed to sense his touch, letting out a soft moan. A wicked smile curled at the man's lips as he rolled over and pinned her down…

A short while later, a series of unpleasant sounds reached Su Yunruo and Ying Qi's ears. They exchanged a glance and simultaneously flew away. They went to the side hall where Su Yunruo had changed clothes and quietly slipped inside. Just as they entered through the back window, they heard Le Xin's anxious voice outside: "Miss Su, are you ready?"

"Okay, that's all." Su Yunruo replied, then quickly pulled up her clothes, tidied her hair, opened the door and went out.

"Then, Miss, let's hurry back to the main hall," Le Xin said.

…………

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, something terrible has happened..." A palace maid rushed into the main hall, panting as she shouted.

"How dare you! What kind of behavior is this, making such a racket?" The head maidservant beside the Empress frowned and looked displeased at the palace servant who had just entered.

"Your Majesty, indecent noises are coming from the side room next to the main hall..." the palace maid reported in a panicked, trembling voice.

"What..." The Empress stood up abruptly, her face filled with astonishment. Everyone was shocked, exchanging bewildered glances, not knowing what had happened.

The Empress's face turned ashen, and she immediately led everyone to the side room to investigate. Upon reaching the door, the obscene sounds grew even clearer, causing everyone to blush and their hearts to race.

The Empress was trembling with rage. She pounded on the door and shouted, "Open the door! Everyone inside, come out here!"

However, the people inside the room seemed not to hear her cries, still immersed in their passion.

The Empress glared angrily at the door, gritting her teeth as she said, "Guards! Break down the door!"

Several guards immediately stepped forward and forcefully rammed the door. With a loud crash, the door was forced open, revealing the scene inside.

The two people on the bed were tightly entangled, locked in a fierce struggle. Upon seeing who was on the bed, the Empress was even more furious.

The man was actually the Third Prince, and the woman was Su Ning'er.

"Yuan'er, what are you doing here?" Consort Hui, who was beside the Empress, exclaimed in surprise.

The Empress glared at the Third Prince, her eyes filled with disappointment and anger. Her voice was cold and stern: "Yuan'er, you have disappointed me greatly! As a prince, how dare you do something so disgraceful to the royal family!"

The Third Prince, in a panic, hurriedly dressed and knelt on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly. His voice trembled as he begged for forgiveness, "Mother, I know I was wrong! It was Su Ning'er who seduced me. I was confused for a moment and committed a terrible mistake. Please forgive me, Mother..." Su Ning'er, startled, jumped out of bed. Seeing the scene before her, tears streamed down her face. She cried out, "Your Majesty, I'm innocent! It was the Third Prince who forced me! How could a weak woman like me dare to resist..."

Just then, Le Xin led Su Yunruo and Ying Qi, who had changed their clothes, to the scene. Su Yunruo frowned as she looked at the chaotic situation and asked, "What happened here? Why is it so noisy?" The people around them started talking amongst themselves: "The Third Prince and Su Ning'er are inside. I don't know how they got together, and in the palace no less. They are really too indecent."

The Empress roared angrily, "Shut up, all of you! This matter must be thoroughly investigated!" Su Ning'er cried until her voice was hoarse. Between sobs, she tried to defend herself, "Your Majesty, it really wasn't my fault! Someone must have deliberately framed us. I beg Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly..."

At this moment, Su Yunruo stepped forward with a puzzled look, looked at Su Ning'er and the Third Prince, and asked softly, "Sister Ning'er, what exactly happened? How did it become so unsightly?"

The Empress glared at Su Yunruo and questioned her sternly, "Su Yunruo, when you were changing your clothes in the side hall just now, did you hear any unusual noises? Or see any suspicious people?"

Su Yunruo quickly bowed and replied, "Your Majesty, when I first arrived at the side hall, I did hear some unusual noises, so Lexin and I checked it out, but we didn't find anything. After that, I had Lexin stand guard at the door while I took Yingqi into the side hall to change. After we finished changing, I took Yingqi and Lexin to return to the main hall, but we heard some noises coming from here, so we came to see what was going on."

Her voice was clear and melodious, and her tone was sincere and firm, making one believe what she said.

At this moment, Consort Hui said from the side, "Your Majesty, this matter concerns the face of the royal family, and must not be made public." Her face showed worry, as if she took this matter very seriously.

The Empress snorted coldly, "They have completely disgraced the royal family! If this matter is not thoroughly investigated, how can I explain it to the Emperor!" Her eyes were filled with anger and disappointment, clearly showing her extreme dissatisfaction with the Third Prince and Su Ning'er's behavior.

Everyone fell silent, too terrified to utter another word. They knew the Empress's temper well; anyone who dared to speak out now would likely bring trouble upon themselves.

The Empress's sharp gaze swept over everyone present, and she said in a deep voice, "Take these two away and lock them up separately to await interrogation." Her voice was icy cold, as if it could freeze people's souls.

Upon receiving the order, the guards immediately stepped forward and took the Third Prince and Su Ning'er away. Their actions were swift and decisive, without the slightest hesitation.

The Third Prince's face was ashen; he knew he had made a grave mistake, and his heart was filled with fear and despair. Su Ning'er, meanwhile, kept her head down, tears streaming down her face. She was filled with regret; why had she done something so foolish?

The Empress turned around, her gaze fixed intently on Su Yunruo, her voice deep and authoritative: "Su Yunruo, whether what you say is true or not, I will send someone to verify it." Su Yunruo took a deep breath, bowed deeply to the Empress again, and said firmly: "Your Majesty, I would never dare to utter a single lie."

The Empress nodded slightly, a hint of approval flashing in her eyes: "I hope so." Then, the Empress led everyone back to the main hall. The atmosphere inside was heavy; everyone's eyes were on the Empress, secretly speculating about how this matter would unfold. The plum blossom banquet could no longer continue; a sudden incident had made the entire situation tense.

Soon, the truth gradually came to light. It turned out that it was all a scheme orchestrated by Su Ning'er; she had attempted to curry favor with the Third Prince, but her plan had been exposed. Upon learning the truth, the Empress's face darkened horribly, and she slammed her fist on the table in fury: "How dare Su Ning'er do such a thing!"

Consort Hui anxiously pleaded on behalf of her son, saying, "Your Majesty, since Su Ning'er is so impatient, why not grant her wish and let Yuan'er take her into his household? This way, we can resolve the issue and prevent the situation from escalating. Besides, Su Ning'er's status isn't high; being a concubine in the household would be enough."

The Empress frowned slightly, and after thinking for a moment, said, "Although Su Ning'er is not of high status, she is still a cousin of the General's Mansion. This treatment seems somewhat inappropriate."

"Bring the General's wife and Su Yunruo here," the Empress said sharply.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, two people slowly walked in; it was the General's wife and Su Yunruo. They went to the back hall and respectfully bowed to the Empress and Consort Hui.

"Greetings to Your Majesty the Empress and Consort Hui."

The Empress looked at the two of them with a serious expression and said in a cold tone, "Madam Su, the matter has now been investigated. It was your cousin Su Ning'er who, out of jealousy because she admired the Third Prince, did such an absurd thing. What is your opinion on this?"

Madam Su replied in a flustered manner, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger. I have neglected to discipline Su Ning'er. I beg Your Majesty's forgiveness."

The Empress sneered, "Hmph! Su Ning'er is audacious enough to damage the royal reputation and should be severely punished. However, considering that she is, after all, a cousin of the General's family, let her be punished by becoming a concubine in the Third Prince's residence."

Upon hearing this, Madam Su immediately knelt down and kowtowed to express her gratitude: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your mercy!"

The Empress nodded slightly: "Alright, let's leave it at that. You may all leave."

After bowing again, Madam Su and Su Yunruo withdrew from the inner hall.

"Consort Hui, the Third Prince will be confined to his quarters for a month. I will speak to the Emperor about it." The Empress finished speaking and looked at Consort Hui.

Consort Hui bowed slightly and respectfully said, "Yes, Your Majesty, I understand." Although she was somewhat dissatisfied, she dared not show it and could only silently accept the decision. Afterwards, Consort Hui bid farewell to the Empress and turned to leave.

On the carriage back to the General's Mansion, Madam Su looked at Su Yunruo with a worried expression and sighed, "Yunruo, what should we do? Ning'er has done such a foolish thing."

Su Yunruo gently patted Madam Su's hand and softly comforted her, "Mother, don't worry too much. Let's go back and discuss this further." She knew that being anxious at this moment would not help, and she had to calm down and think of a solution.

The carriage slowly made its way to the General's Mansion. Throughout the journey, Su Yunru remained silent, secretly delighted. She hadn't expected this turn of events; the two of them had been practically made a couple. Back at the General's Mansion, news of Su Ning'er's affair had spread throughout the entire residence, sparking heated discussions among the servants. The servants whispered and pointed fingers, plunging the entire mansion into chaos.

Su Yunruo and Madam Su entered the hall and saw her father and elder brother Su Wenhan sitting there with gloomy faces, clearly having also learned of the matter.

"Father, elder brother, we're back," Su Yunruo said softly, trying to remain calm.

"You're back!" General Su said in a heavy tone, his face showing a hint of fatigue and helplessness.