The Poisonous Consort, the Regent's Beloved

Su Fuying had no interest in listening to what was to come, as her thoughts had already drifted away. She recalled her childhood experiences, a time filled with both adventure and warmth.

At that time, she was about three years old and accompanied her father to a banquet at the palace. However, the young girl accidentally fell into the lotus pond. In her panic, she felt a pair of strong hands lift her up tightly.

When she awoke from her coma, the first person she saw was His Highness the Crown Prince. From that moment on, she believed that the Crown Prince had saved her life and felt grateful and respectful towards him.

However, upon hearing the truth, Su Fuying felt bewildered and confused. It turned out that the one who truly saved her wasn't the Crown Prince, but that mysterious older brother. This sudden turn of events made her sigh at the capriciousness of fate and the complexities of the world.

At the same time, she also thought of something else—if she were still alive now, what would she think if she knew about this? After all, the person she liked since childhood turned out to be a hypocrite.

Su Fuying couldn't help but feel a pang of emotion. She had always thought that since the Crown Prince had once saved her life, she could tolerate his current behavior, even if it wasn't too excessive. But now it seemed that the reality was quite different.

For the next two weeks, Su Fuying lived a very comfortable and pleasant life. No one bothered her anymore, which made her feel happy and as if she had become relaxed and at ease.

Seeing Su Fuying leisurely basking in the sun in the courtyard, Biluo couldn't help but feel anxious: "Miss, we're going to the palace for a banquet in three days. We haven't even chosen our gifts, nor have we prepared our clothes and jewelry for the palace."

"What's the rush? We'll just go to the street to buy it this afternoon," Su Fuying said nonchalantly. It wasn't her birthday, so why make such a big fuss? The Empress was the eldest daughter of the Ren family, and her two younger brothers were no good either. She probably wasn't very likable.

It's been so long, and there's still no news from those two, mother and daughter. I wonder what big move they're secretly plotting. This time, don't blame her for being ruthless.

That afternoon, as Su Fuying was about to leave, the steward came over with a tray of clothes and jewelry. Upon seeing Su Fuying, he bowed respectfully and said, "Princess, these are the clothes you will need for the day after tomorrow. Master asked me to bring them to you for your selection."

Su Fuying raised an eyebrow. "So kind of you?"

She picked up a few pieces of clothing and looked at them for a moment, then couldn't help but sneer inwardly. They were all bright red dresses; anyone who didn't know better would think it was her wedding day.

How dare you use such vulgar methods to show off? Are you taking advantage of her, a country girl who doesn't know any manners?

She randomly picked out the reddest dress, "This one will do."

As she was leaving, Su Fuying noticed the butler's profile and suddenly felt that he looked familiar.

She couldn't help but turn around for another look, but only saw a back view. Su Fuying frowned, unable to recall who it was for a moment.

Forget it, if I can't remember, I won't think about it anymore; it'll ruin my shopping mood.

This was the first time Su Fuying had properly gone out of the manor to stroll around since she arrived here half a year ago. Looking at the bustling and prosperous streets, Su Fuying couldn't help but sigh that the unpolluted air was truly different.

Passing by a jewelry shop, Su Fuying went inside and saw a small hairpin, crafted from high-quality white crystal and golden nanmu wood, shaped like a magnolia flower with twelve leaves.

The hairpin head is carved with a lifelike, budding white crystal flower. The magnolia pattern matches the hairpin body, with a total of four petals.

Under the sunlight, the tiny stamens seemed to come alive, blooming with a delicate yet sharp brilliance.

I held it in my hand and rubbed it for a moment. The fine jade flowed between my fingers, carrying a slight chill.

Not bad, Su Fuying thought to herself.

At this moment, the shopkeeper also came out from behind, "Miss, you have a good eye. This is our shop's prized possession, named Magnolia. It's carved from the finest mutton-fat jade..."

Su Fuying had no interest in hearing any of this; she could judge for herself whether it was good or bad with her own eyes, so she asked directly, "How much?"

The shopkeeper, seeing that he was a straightforward person, immediately quoted a price: "Ten thousand taels."

Su Fuying raised an eyebrow at him without saying a word. The shopkeeper felt a bead of cold sweat slide down his cheek. This woman seemed like a young lady from a secluded family, so why was her aura so powerful?

"Nine, nine thousand taels?"

The shopkeeper's voice was somewhat weak. He had been a shopkeeper for so many years and had seen all sorts of young ladies, but today he actually felt that a woman's aura was so terrifying.

Su Fuying chuckled lightly, then said, "Three thousand taels."

The shopkeeper's heart tightened, and he hurriedly said, "Miss, you must be joking. How could you possibly buy it at this price?"

Su Fuying smiled without saying a word. How could she not know what kind of person she was?

Seeing that Su Fuying remained silent, the shopkeeper grew even more nervous. He gritted his teeth and spoke again, "Eight thousand five hundred taels! No less!"

Su Fuying shook her head and said calmly, "One thousand taels."

The shopkeeper stared wide-eyed at Su Fuying in disbelief. He hadn't expected Su Fuying to be so capable; with a thousand taels, he could only earn two hundred.

She couldn't help but feel annoyed, and her tone became impolite: "Miss, this hairpin is the most prized possession of our shop, it's priceless. If you can't afford it, then don't look at it."

After saying that, he snatched the hairpin from Su Fuying's hand and glared at her. He had thought he had met a wealthy man today and could make a good profit, but it turned out he was a penniless pauper, wasting his precious time and energy.

"Oh, isn't this the eldest daughter of the Su family, Princess Yongle? How come you've fallen so low that you can't even afford a hairpin?"

The familiar voice and disgusting tone made Su Fuying's eyes flash with impatience. "Why can I hear dogs barking everywhere I go?"

"You...who are you calling a dog?"

Ji Nanqing's exasperated voice rang out, but Su Fuying didn't even bother to turn her head to look at her, and said indifferently, "Whoever answers first, does."

In short, Ji Nan's cheeks flushed red with anger, but she didn't know what to say in rebuttal.

"Sister, why do you speak of Nanqing like that as soon as we meet?"

Oh, so this little green tea girl is here too.

Su Fuying turned to look at her and smiled gently, "Little sister, it's been a long time. Are you going to side with outsiders and talk about your sister as soon as we meet?"

Pshaw, who doesn't know how to make green tea after drinking so much of it?

Su Wan'er's expression stiffened, and she timidly said, "My sister thought that my sister didn't like me, which led to Mother being punished, so I didn't dare to bother my sister."

Upon hearing this, the onlookers immediately exclaimed in shock: "What? A daughter actually caused her mother to be punished? This is utterly outrageous!"

“That’s right. In our Southern Xia Kingdom, we uphold filial piety. A woman like this can become a princess.”

"Alright, we don't know the details, so let's not talk nonsense."

"Yes, it's possible that Mother is unkind. We all saw it clearly when this Miss Su returned to the manor last time."