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

Su Yao pondered for a long time in her tent, knowing that after the Crown Prince's humiliation, his subsequent methods would only become more ruthless. Just as she was thinking, her personal maid, Xiao Cui, rushed in, her expression panicked: "Miss, I heard that the Crown Prince has already slandered you to the Emperor, saying that you violated the rules during today's hunt, attempting to deceive the Emperor into giving you a reward. The Emperor seems displeased. What should we do?"

Su Yao frowned, but quickly calmed down: "Xiao Cui, don't panic. His Majesty is always fair and will not convict me based solely on the Crown Prince's words. This matter needs to be discussed further."

At this moment, someone outside the tent requested an audience; it was Lin Yu. Lin Yu entered, cupped his hands, and said, "Miss Su, I have heard that the Crown Prince slandered you before the Emperor, which is truly despicable. I have already sent people to collect evidence from today's hunting grounds, proving that the sika deer was heading towards an uninhabited area, and that you did not actively compete for it; it was only the Crown Prince who deliberately made things difficult for you."

Su Yao felt a warmth in her heart and gracefully bowed: "Young Master Lin has gone to so much trouble, Su Yao really has no way to repay you. However, since the Crown Prince has already made his move, we still need to be careful in case he has any other tricks up his sleeve."

Lin Yu stepped forward and helped Su Yao up, his eyes filled with concern: "Miss Su, rest assured. I have discussed this with several of my father's capable advisors, and they also believe that the Crown Prince will not give up easily. We need to strike first."

Just then, a commotion broke out outside. It turned out that the Crown Prince's guards, in the Emperor's name, wanted Su Yao to come before the Emperor to report. Su Yao and Lin Yu exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with worry, but since things had come to this, they had no choice but to go.

The atmosphere in the main hall was heavy. The Emperor sat on the dragon throne, his expression stern: "Su Yao, I have heard about today's hunting. What is your explanation?"

Su Yao knelt respectfully: "Your Majesty, I am innocent. I had no intention of competing for the prey. It was only because His Highness the Crown Prince kept pressuring me that I was able to shoot the deer with the help of Young Master Lin Yu. I had no intention of deceiving him for the reward."

The Crown Prince sneered from the side, "Hmph, you're good at making excuses. Lin Yu colluded with you in private, so his testimony is not credible."

Lin Yu stepped forward and said loudly, "Your Highness, do not make false accusations. Everyone present can testify that you deliberately made things difficult for Miss Su first."

The Emperor waved his hand: "Stop arguing, I will make my own judgment."

At this moment, Su Yao suddenly remembered that she had helped an old woman near the hunting grounds. The old woman seemed to be a former palace servant and knew quite a bit about palace affairs, so perhaps she could be of help. So she reported this to the Emperor, who then sent someone to find the old woman.

Before long, the old nanny was brought to the main hall. As soon as she saw the emperor, she knelt down and cried, "Your Majesty, this old servant sprained her ankle at the hunting grounds today. Fortunately, Miss Su rescued her and even bandaged her wound. Miss Su is kind-hearted. How could she be the kind of person His Highness the Crown Prince described?"

After hearing this, the Emperor nodded slightly: "It seems that what Su Yao said is true."

Seeing this, the Crown Prince still refused to give up: "Father, this old servant might have been bribed by Su Yao."

The Emperor's face darkened: "Enough! I think you are jealous of Su Yao's talent and are deliberately making things difficult for her. My eyes are discerning, how can I allow you to slander the daughter of a minister at will?"

Although the crown prince was unwilling, he dared not argue any further and could only grit his teeth in silence.

Su Yao returned to her tent, but her heart was far from at ease. She knew that this incident had sharpened the conflict between her and the Crown Prince, and the days ahead would likely be even more difficult. Lin Yu comforted her, "Miss Su, don't be afraid. After this battle, the Emperor will also be dissatisfied with the Crown Prince. We can take this opportunity to win over more people. I have already secretly contacted several court officials, and they are also quite dissatisfied with the Crown Prince's actions and are willing to help."

Su Yao looked at Lin Yu gratefully: "Young Master Lin, with you here, I feel much more at ease. However, the palace intrigues are complex and we must proceed with extreme caution."

In the days that followed, Su Yao and Lin Yu began their preparations in earnest. Leveraging his father's prestige and connections in the court, Lin Yu befriended many upright officials, including the Censor-in-Chief, Lord Li. Lord Li, a man of integrity and uprightness, had long disapproved of the Crown Prince's extravagance and reckless behavior. Upon hearing of Su Yao's plight, he resolutely decided to join their ranks.

One day, Su Yao and Lin Yu discussed countermeasures at Lord Li's residence. Lord Li said with a solemn expression, "The Crown Prince has many cronies, so we cannot act rashly. The most urgent task is to expose the Crown Prince's crimes of forming cliques, engaging in corruption and bribery in secret, so that the Emperor can see his true colors."

Su Yao nodded slightly: "What Lord Li said is very true, but I'm afraid this evidence will not be easy to collect."

Lin Yu's eyes were firm: "Miss Su, rest assured, I have arranged for some reliable people to investigate. I have heard that the Crown Prince has close ties with Minister Zhao of the Ministry of Revenue. Minister Zhao is in charge of the country's money and taxes, and I'm afraid there is a lot of shady business involved."

Meanwhile, Su Yao wasn't idle either. Using her medical skills, she frequently visited the residences of high-ranking officials and nobles, treating their families. During this time, she met a forthright and generous princess—Princess Pingyang. Princess Pingyang was the Emperor's niece, quite knowledgeable about palace affairs, and disapproved of the Crown Prince's behavior.

After treating Princess Pingyang's mother, Princess Pingyang took Su Yao's hand and said, "Sister Su, I heard that you were being harassed by that villainous Crown Prince, and I'm so angry. Don't worry, I will definitely speak well of you to the Emperor. That Crown Prince is too arrogant."

Su Yao was overjoyed and quickly bowed to express her gratitude: "Thank you, Princess. I would be extremely grateful for your help."

As the investigation deepened, Lin Yu's men finally found crucial evidence of the Crown Prince's corruption and bribery. However, just as they were preparing to present the evidence to the Emperor, an unexpected incident occurred. The person Lin Yu sent to deliver the evidence mysteriously disappeared, and Su Yao was attacked by unidentified assailants on her way back to the palace. Fortunately, Lin Yu arrived in time to rescue her.

Su Yao said with lingering fear, "It seems the Crown Prince has already noticed something. We must be even more careful in our actions."

Lin Yu clenched his fist: "The Crown Prince is so rampant, I will definitely not let him get away with this. Our plan was leaked this time, there must be some of the Crown Prince's spies in the mansion, I will definitely investigate thoroughly when I get back."

After some investigation, they finally uncovered the spy hiding in Lin Yu's residence. It turned out to be a servant who had been bribed by the Crown Prince. Lin Yu was furious and handed him over to Lord Li for punishment.

Despite their setback, Su Yao and Lin Yu were not discouraged. They reorganized the evidence, preparing to find a new opportunity to expose the Crown Prince's crimes. Meanwhile, news arrived from the palace that the Empress was preparing a flower-viewing banquet, inviting the wives of various ministers—perhaps a good opportunity to get closer to the Emperor…