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

In the royal hunting grounds, dust billowed from horses' hooves, and the atmosphere was tense. Su Yao had just dodged a trap secretly set by the Crown Prince, a trap filled with sharp spikes; if her horse had stepped into it, the consequences would have been unimaginable. She tightened the reins, remaining vigilant, knowing that the Crown Prince would not give up so easily.

At this moment, the Crown Prince rode slowly in on a tall horse, followed by a group of sycophantic ministers. He said with a forced smile, "Su Yao, I've heard that you are quite skilled in riding and archery. Why haven't you shown any skill today? Are you afraid?" Su Yao's eyes were cold, and she replied neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Your Highness is too kind. I'm just here to join in the fun. I wouldn't dare to show off my limited skills in front of everyone."

The Crown Prince snorted coldly, about to launch another attack, when suddenly, a startled deer burst from the forest, charging straight towards Su Yao. A sinister glint flashed in the Crown Prince's eyes. His attendant drew his bow, feigning to shoot the deer, but secretly aiming the arrow at Su Yao. In the blink of an eye, Su Yao sensed something amiss, dodging to the side. The arrow grazed her sleeve, grazing her arm.

Just as the situation became chaotic, a rider galloped in from afar. The rider was none other than the Fifth Prince, Xiao Yi, who had met Su Yao a few times before. Xiao Yi was tall and imposing, with a cold and stern face. He quickly spurred his horse to block Su Yao's path and glared at the Crown Prince: "Your Highness, when did this royal hunting ground become your place for violence? To openly lay a hand on a subject's daughter, have you forgotten the royal rules!" The Crown Prince's face stiffened, but he still stubbornly argued: "Fifth Brother, don't make false accusations. I was just hunting normally. How could I have expected that the wild deer would startle Su Yao? The servants' actions were also accidental."

Su Yao clutched her injured arm, deeply grateful for Xiao Yi's timely appearance. She whispered, "Thank you for your help, Fifth Prince." Xiao Yi turned to look at her, a hint of concern flashing in his eyes. "Miss Su, are you alright?" Su Yao nodded slightly. "I'm fine, just some minor injuries." Xiao Yi turned back to the Crown Prince and coldly said, "Your Highness, I will report today's events to Father Emperor truthfully. You should take care of yourself." With that, he led Su Yao away from the hunting grounds and found a quiet place to bandage her wound.

Upon finding a grassy area by a stream, Xiao Yi carefully helped Su Yao dismount and let her sit on a nearby rock. He then took out wound medicine and gauze from his saddlebag. He gently held Su Yao's arm, carefully examining the wound, and asked while applying the medicine, "Miss Su, why has the Crown Prince targeted you repeatedly? The palace is treacherous; you must be careful." Su Yao frowned slightly, a hint of helplessness flashing in her eyes, "It must be because I stood out during my performance at the last palace banquet, which displeased the Crown Prince. He is narrow-minded and naturally cannot tolerate me."

Xiao Yi paused in his bandaging, then looked up at Su Yao with a hint of admiration in his eyes: "Miss Su is exceptionally talented, and her performance at the palace banquet was indeed remarkable. However, in this palace, being too dazzling may not be a good thing." Su Yao smiled bitterly: "I had no intention of competing for anything; I only wanted to live a peaceful life. But now it seems that if I don't take precautions, I'm afraid I might not even be able to save my life."

Xiao Yi nodded slightly, his eyes hardening. "Miss Su, rest assured, I will not stand idly by today. The Crown Prince's actions will surely expose his true colors to my father." Su Yao's heart stirred. Looking at Xiao Yi's earnest expression, she said softly, "Thank you, Fifth Prince. I understand that to truly escape this predicament, we need to strengthen our own power. But finding trustworthy people in this palace is no easy task."

Xiao Yi pondered for a moment and said, "Miss Su is exceptionally intelligent; I'm sure you already have a plan. There are quite a few loyal and righteous people in the palace who are being oppressed by the Crown Prince. If we can win them over to fight against the Crown Prince together, perhaps we still have a glimmer of hope." Su Yao's eyes lit up: "Fifth Prince is absolutely right. I have met several Imperial Guard generals; they are upright men and quite dissatisfied with the Crown Prince's misdeeds. If we can gain their support, we will have more protection."

Xiao Yi agreed, "Good, this matter needs careful consideration. We must not act rashly, lest we alert the enemy." Su Yao nodded slightly, "The Fifth Prince is right. I have also heard that the Crown Prince is forming cliques and embezzling military funds in court. If we can find conclusive evidence, we can strike decisively." Xiao Yi's eyes sharpened, "That is indeed a good method, but collecting evidence is fraught with danger. Miss Su must not take any risks."

A warm feeling welled up in Su Yao's heart, and she smiled and said, "I am deeply grateful for the Fifth Prince's concern. However, I will do my best to protect myself. Although I am unwilling to participate in the palace struggles, I will not sit idly by and wait for my death." Looking at Su Yao's resolute expression, Xiao Yi couldn't help but feel more respect for this woman.

The two discussed their follow-up plans, covering everything from who to recruit to how to gather intelligence. Before they knew it, the sun was setting, and a magnificent sunset painted the sky. Xiao Yi stood up, extended his hand to Su Yao, and said, "Miss Su, it's getting late. I'll take you home first. If anything happens in the future, just send someone to let me know."

Su Yao grasped Xiao Yi's hand, using it to help her stand up, and said softly, "Alright, thanks to the Fifth Prince today. Su Yao will remember it." Xiao Yi smiled slightly, "There's no need for such formalities. Let's go." With that, the two mounted their horses and slowly headed towards the palace gates. The tacit understanding and trust that had quietly developed between them added a new variable to the turbulent events within the palace, foreshadowing the story to come.