Phoenix Dance: The Eldest Daughter's Physician Consort Shocks the World

After the banquet incident, Su Yao's reputation in the capital grew even stronger, which deepened the Crown Prince's hatred for her. Like a malignant tumor, it continued to spread and grow in his heart, and he was always plotting how to put Su Yao in trouble again.

One day, Su Yao, disguised and accompanied by her personal maid Xiao Cui, went out of the mansion to stroll around the market and buy some herbs. The market was bustling with people, noisy and lively, filled with the sounds of vendors hawking their wares and bargaining, creating a vibrant and lively atmosphere.

Su Yao was dressed in plain, commoner's clothes, yet her innate lively spirit was undeniable. She moved through the crowd, carefully selecting herbs, occasionally exchanging a few words with the stall owners, inquiring about the quality and efficacy of the herbs.

Just as she was concentrating, a commotion suddenly erupted ahead. Su Yao looked up and saw a thug with several henchmen surrounding a thin, scholar-like man. The thug, with a face full of scars, brandished a wooden stick and said viciously, "Boy, how dare you block my way and get my clothes dirty! I'll teach you a lesson today!"

The scholar was pale, but his eyes showed a stubbornness: "You bumped into me on purpose, and now you're accusing me first!"

Upon hearing this, the bully became even more enraged and raised his wooden stick to strike the scholar. Although the surrounding people looked on with pity, they dared not speak out against his anger.

Seeing this, Su Yao immediately stepped forward and shouted, "Stop! In broad daylight, how dare you commit violence and injury in this market? Is there no law left?!"

The bully turned around, saw that Su Yao was just a young woman, and sneered disdainfully: "Hmph, you little brat, mind your own business, or I'll beat you up too!"

Su Yao remained fearless, her gaze unwavering as she stared directly at the bully: "Let's see if you dare lay a finger on him today! Do you think you can act with impunity in this capital city?"

At this moment, the surrounding crowd began to murmur and condemn the bully's evil deeds. Seeing that the situation was not good, but not wanting to lose face, the bully glared fiercely at the scholar and Su Yao and said, "Consider yourselves lucky today!" After saying that, he led his servants away in a sorry state.

Su Yao stepped forward, helped the scholar up, and asked with concern, "Young master, are you alright?"

The scholar looked at Su Yao gratefully, cupped his hands and said, "Thank you for your righteous rescue, young lady. My name is Shen Yixuan, a student of the Imperial Academy. If it weren't for your help today, I'm afraid I would not have escaped this calamity."

Su Yao smiled and said, "Young Master Shen, there's no need to be so polite. It's only natural to help those in need. How did you end up getting into a conflict with that bully?"

Shen Yixuan frowned slightly and said, "Sigh, that bully usually acts arrogantly in this market. I couldn't stand it, so I argued with him for a bit. Who knew he would get so angry and try to attack me?"

Su Yao secretly admired Shen Yixuan's sense of justice and said, "Young Master's uprightness is admirable. However, that bully will probably not let this go, so you will need to be more careful in the future."

Shen Yixuan nodded, looked at Su Yao, hesitated for a moment, and asked, "May I ask your name, young lady?"

Su Yao smiled and said, "My name is Su Yao, and I am from General Su's mansion."

Upon hearing this, Shen Yixuan's eyes showed a hint of surprise: "So you are the daughter of General Su's family. I have long admired your reputation. Meeting you today, I am impressed by your kindness and courage."

The two chatted amiably, and Su Yao, seeing that Shen Yixuan was quite knowledgeable about herbs, invited him to help her select some. Shen Yixuan readily agreed and, using his knowledge, helped Su Yao choose many high-quality herbs.

Just as they were about to leave the market, Xiao Cui suddenly whispered, "Miss, it seems like someone is following us."

Su Yao's expression hardened, and she subtly glanced around, spotting several furtive figures lurking in the crowd. She knew in her heart that the Crown Prince's men were probably up to some wicked scheme again.

Su Yao whispered to Shen Yixuan and Xiao Cui, "Let's not panic. Let's act nonchalant and walk towards where there are more people."

The three quickened their pace, heading towards the center of the market. However, the men who had been following them were hot on their heels.

Suddenly, Shen Yixuan had a flash of inspiration and said, "Miss Su, there's a rouge shop up ahead. Let's go in and hide there; maybe we can shake them off."

Su Yao nodded in agreement, and the three of them quickly entered the rouge shop. Su Yao casually picked up a box of rouge, pretending to choose one, but her eyes were watching the movements outside the shop.

After a while, the men who had been following them circled the rouge shop a few times, but finding no trace of them, they left.

Su Yao breathed a sigh of relief and said to Shen Yixuan, "We are so grateful to Young Master Shen today, otherwise we really wouldn't know what to do."

Shen Yixuan smiled and said, "Miss Su, what are you saying? You saved me first, I was just doing my bit."

Through this market turmoil, Su Yao met Shen Yixuan, an upright, kind, and learned man of integrity, which provided her with a boost in her future endeavors. Meanwhile, the Crown Prince, upon learning that his plan had failed again, was furious and vowed to make Su Yao pay a heavy price.