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

After returning to her residence, Su Yao reflected on her perilous encounter at the hunting grounds and her schemes with the Fifth Prince, Xiao Yi. She knew the future would be increasingly difficult, yet a glimmer of hope remained. She knew the Crown Prince would not let the matter rest, and she had to accelerate her efforts to strengthen her power to prepare for any potential future crises.

A few days later, Su Yao went to the palace to pay her respects as usual. As she reached the Imperial Garden, she saw the Crown Prince approaching with a group of people. Upon seeing Su Yao, a barely perceptible glint of malice flashed in the Crown Prince's eyes, which he quickly replaced with a feigned smile: "Sister Su Yao, it's been a long time. How have you been?" Su Yao curtsied respectfully and replied, "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. I am well."

The Crown Prince sneered, "I heard that you were frightened at the hunting grounds a few days ago, what a pity. The palace is not peaceful, it would be best for you to stay home as much as possible." Su Yao understood that the Crown Prince was threatening her, but she was not afraid and replied with a smile, "Thank you for the reminder, Your Highness. I will be careful. However, I don't want to miss the excitement in the palace."

Just then, one of the Crown Prince's favorite concubines suddenly exclaimed, "Oh dear, where is my hairpin! It was a gift from the Emperor, what should we do?" The Crown Prince's face immediately darkened, and he looked at Su Yao: "Su Yao, only you and I passed through the Imperial Garden today, could it be that you took it?" Su Yao was startled, knowing that this was another of the Crown Prince's schemes, and quickly said, "Your Highness, I did not see any hairpin, I hope Your Highness will investigate."

The Crown Prince, however, persisted: "Hmph, words alone are not enough. Guards, search her!" Su Yao's maid, Cui'er, hurriedly stepped in front of her: "How can you be so rude! How could my young lady do such a thing?" The Crown Prince waved his hand, and several guards were about to step forward.

Just then, the Fifth Prince Xiao Yi happened to pass by. Seeing this scene, he immediately shouted, "Stop! Your Highness, how can you search Miss Su's body based on only one side of the story? This is unreasonable." When the Crown Prince saw Xiao Yi, his face turned somewhat ugly: "Fifth brother, this matter has nothing to do with you. Don't meddle in other people's business."

Xiao Yi sneered, "This is the palace. As a prince, how could I stand by and watch you slander loyal officials? I trust Miss Su's character; she would never do such a despicable thing." Su Yao was filled with gratitude as she looked at Xiao Yi standing up for her.

As the two sides reached a stalemate, a young eunuch rushed over, knelt down, and reported: "Your Highness, Fifth Prince, the hairpin has been found. It was accidentally picked up by Eunuch Li while he was sweeping the garden, and he put it in the Imperial Household Department." The Crown Prince's face turned pale and then red. He glared at the young eunuch, but he couldn't say anything more.

Taking the opportunity, Xiao Yi said, "Your Highness, you should be more careful in your actions in the future. Don't wrong innocent people and damage the harmony of the royal family." The Crown Prince snorted coldly and left with a flick of his sleeve.

After the Crown Prince and the others left, Xiao Yi walked to Su Yao's side and asked in a low voice, "Miss Su, are you alright?" Su Yao shook her head slightly, "Thank you for saving me again, Fifth Prince. If it weren't for Your Highness's timely appearance, I'm afraid I wouldn't have been able to escape today." A hint of worry appeared in Xiao Yi's eyes, "The Crown Prince is becoming increasingly unscrupulous. We need to speed up our plan. I've heard that several ministers in the court have recently expressed dissatisfaction with the Crown Prince's behavior. We can start with them."

Su Yao pondered for a moment and said, "The Fifth Prince is absolutely right. However, these ministers hold high positions and wield great power, so it won't be easy to win them over. We need to have enough sincerity and reasons to convince them." Xiao Yi nodded, "I will find an opportunity to contact them and sound them out. Miss Su, you should also continue to keep an eye on the palace, especially the Crown Prince's every move. Perhaps we can find more dirt on him."

Su Yao replied, "Alright, I understand. By the way, Fifth Prince, I've secretly contacted the Imperial Guard generals you mentioned last time a few times. They quite agree with our ideas, but we still need to wait for the right opportunity." Xiao Yi's face lit up with joy: "That's excellent. With their support, we'll have an extra strength."

The two discussed the details for a while before parting ways. Upon returning to her residence, Su Yao immediately summoned some of her secretly cultivated forces, informed them of the day's events, and instructed them to be even more cautious and to expedite intelligence gathering.

Meanwhile, Xiao Yi observed the attitudes of several ministers in court, seeking a suitable opportunity for a deep conversation with them. Several days passed, and Xiao Yi finally found an opportunity. After a poetry gathering, he kept a few ministers who were dissatisfied with the Crown Prince behind. Xiao Yi sincerely said, “My lords, you have surely witnessed the Crown Prince's actions these past few days. If this continues, our dynasty will surely fall into crisis. I am determined to change this situation; I wonder if you would be willing to lend me a hand?”

The ministers exchanged glances, and one of the older ministers said, "Fifth Prince, we are also deeply concerned about the Crown Prince's actions. However, this matter is of great importance, and we need to plan carefully to ensure that nothing goes wrong." Xiao Yi nodded, "You are right, sir. I know that this matter cannot be rushed. However, the Crown Prince's power is growing day by day, and we must act as soon as possible."

After a thorough discussion, although the ministers did not explicitly express their support for Xiao Yi, they did indicate a willingness to consider the matter. Xiao Yi knew this was a good start; as long as he continued his efforts and demonstrated his abilities and determination, he might be able to win them over.

Meanwhile, Su Yao wasn't idle in the palace. Using her medical skills, she frequently treated palace maids and eunuchs, earning them considerable favor and trust, and also gleaning some inside information about the Crown Prince. Although this information seemed fragmented, Su Yao believed that with proper organization and analysis, she might find crucial clues.

One day, Su Yao's maid, Cui'er, rushed over to tell her, "Miss, I've heard that the Crown Prince has been meeting frequently with a mysterious person recently, as if he's plotting something big, but the specifics are still unclear." Su Yao's eyes lit up: "Cui'er, you've done a good job. Keep an eye on this matter, and let me know immediately if there's any new information."

Su Yao knew that the Crown Prince's new conspiracy might be imminent, but she was prepared. She frequently communicated with Xiao Yi, sharing the intelligence they had gathered and discussing countermeasures together. As time went by, their power gradually grew, and the situation in the palace became more tense and complex; an even greater storm seemed to be brewing.