002 Don't Regret It Later
Sure enough, after Su Xuan was summoned in, she fell to the ground with a thud and, just as in her previous life, tearfully recounted through sobs how her younger sister had taken her pendant and claimed credit for saving someone, concealing the matter of the Fifth Prince.
Her entire body trembled, appearing truly timid and pitiful: "This daughter originally wished to go along with it, but after much deliberation, I could not rest easy in my heart. After all, it was because of my younger sister's mischievousness that the Fifth Prince should not have a marriage agreement settled upon him while the truth was concealed from him!"
Having said this, Su Xuan bowed deeply: "I beg Your Majesty and Noble Consort to forgive my younger sister."
Yet in the next instant, Su Xuan heard Emperor Jiaheng's somewhat bewildered and confused voice.
"Marriage agreement? What marriage agreement?"
At the same time, that strange voice sounded in Su Xuan's mind: "Pleasure Value -10 points, Halo -10 points."
Su Xuan was suddenly stunned.
She had clearly just seen the palace attendant open the door, which meant her mother was about to leave.
Before entering the palace today, it had been said that the marriage agreement between Su Niao and the Fifth Prince Xie Qinglan would be settled. Now that her mother was already about to leave, the marriage agreement naturally must have already been confirmed.
Su Xuan had deliberately chosen to wait until this moment to step forward and reveal the truth, because according to what that voice had reminded her, if she publicly exposed Su Niao's false claim of merit after the betrothal was announced, Su Niao's cannon fodder value would increase, and in turn she would gain Pleasure Value and Halo… How could this be?
Emperor Jiaheng looked at Consort Rong in confusion: "My beloved consort, this… what is going on?"
Consort Rong hurriedly soothed Emperor Jiaheng, then looked at Su Xuan kneeling on the ground.
Before this, Consort Rong had always felt that although the eldest Miss Su was plain in appearance due to resembling her father, she was at least well-read, refined, and demure—a decent sort. But this display made her, who was accustomed to the treachery of the harem, sense something amiss.
Had Su Niao not just said that her elder sister had long known the inside story and had even comforted her, saying she was willing to keep it concealed and let it be?
Since she had already concealed it for her younger sister for so long, why did she have to choose this very moment to step forward and expose it?
Liu Ruyu was also startled, only just coming back to her senses.
She had always vaguely sensed that her eldest daughter harbored some resentment toward her younger sister, yet she could not bear to scold her for it. After all, her youngest daughter's face was so stunningly beautiful that her fame spread throughout the capital. Wherever she went, those young men riding through the streets on horseback would rush forward in droves to fawn over her.
And the eldest daughter, beneath her younger sister's radiance, was nearly forgotten by everyone. When anyone mentioned the Miss of the Su family, they meant the Second Miss Su Niao. As for the eldest Miss of the Su family… oh, she seemed rather quiet, no particular impression.
Both were in the prime of their youth, and such a disparity would be hard for anyone to bear, but in the end, they were still blood sisters.
Earlier, Liu Ruyu had been angry at her second daughter for her audacious concealment, but when she heard Su Niao say that her elder sister knew the truth and was willing to let it be, she felt some comfort: at least the sisters loved each other.
The elder sister was willing to let it go, and the younger sister could also pull back from the brink and honestly admit her mistake.
Yet unexpectedly, without any warning, the eldest daughter had brought the matter before Emperor Jiaheng when everything had already settled into peace.
Now that things had come to this, Consort Rong naturally did not dare deceive the emperor. She could only force a smile and explain the matter of Su Niao falsely claiming credit, but also noted that she had acknowledged her mistake and corrected it, and fortunately no great error had been committed.
Without a betrothal decree, everything was a minor matter. Emperor Jiaheng listened to this squabble between children and shook his head with a chuckle: "Since it was caused by Old Five, let Old Five decide for himself."
Consort Rong nodded: "Indeed, that is so."
Su Niao immediately confessed her fault: "It was all because of my momentary foolishness that I did something wrong. Please punish me, Your Majesty."
Emperor Jiaheng had always been fond of this little girl of the Su family—beautiful and living with abandon, radiating vitality at the mere sight of her. But now, she had become a frost-bitten little peacock, pretty yet crestfallen.
Emperor Jiaheng waved his hand with a chuckle: "These are all matters of children. I can't be bothered to meddle in such affairs."
With those words, he dissolved what could have been a grave or trivial offense.
Nearby, Su Xuan's mind went blank.
No one knew this younger sister better than she did. No one knew better than she how much Su Niao, that attention-seeker, valued the position of Fifth Prince's consort.
Yet she had voluntarily confessed the matter of saving his life?
How was that possible?
Su Xuan couldn't fathom it no matter how she tried, nor could she bring herself to believe it—but the fact remained that it had happened.
And the accusation she had intended to level at Su Niao—of deceiving the emperor and fraudulently securing a marriage—suddenly became awkward and embarrassing.
Su Niao's cannon fodder value hadn't increased, while her own Pleasure Value and Halo had decreased!
Su Xuan trembled, unable to think of a countermeasure for the moment. Then she heard Su Niao snort with a laugh and speak.
"Elder Sister said back then that she was willing to keep it secret for me, yet now she steps forward to expose me… That makes me wonder what exactly Elder Sister is trying to accomplish?"
Liu Ruyu frowned and scolded in a low voice: "The Emperor and the Noble Consort haven't spoken yet—what right do you have to speak?"
She wasn't favoring anyone in particular; she simply didn't wish to see her two daughters making such an ugly spectacle over a man.
But Su Niao knew that if she didn't say certain things now, she might never get the chance again. Moreover, she had never been one of a docile disposition. So instead of reining herself in, her arrogance only grew.
"Elder Sister, when I previously reported the truth to the Noble Consort, I was unwilling to bring up other matters. I didn't mention how you used the excuse of accompanying me on outings to secretly communicate with the Fifth Prince, because I believed our sisterly bond and the Duke's Mansion's reputation mattered more. And since you're plain-looking, I was willing to yield to you. Today, I even intended to help you achieve your wish—but I never expected you to stab me in the back over a man!"
Su Xuan was both furious that Su Niao called her plain-looking and shocked that Su Niao accused her of secret communications: "I did not!"
She sobbed: "I knew that telling the truth would earn your hatred, but Niao Niao, we are sisters born of the same blood. How could you defile my reputation like this?"
"Defile your reputation? So you do know that what you did couldn't stand the light of day!"
Su Niao lifted her chin: "The luminous pearl the Fifth Prince gave you is still on your person, isn't it?"
Su Xuan's fingers tightened instantly, and she nearly swayed where she stood: "I…"
Su Niao made as if to step forward: "If you won't admit it, I'll find it myself—how about that?"
Su Xuan suddenly froze, and the voice in her head sounded again: "Pleasure Value -5, Halo -5."
She jolted in alarm and, no longer caring about anything else, used the ability granted by that voice to look toward Xie Qinglan with tearful, pitiful eyes.
The voice said: "Halo usage -10."
Xie Qinglan saw Su Xuan's pitiful, weeping appearance and abruptly raised his eyes to bark at Su Niao: "Su Niao, that's enough!"
What he disliked most was Su Niao's aggressive, overbearing manner: "That luminous pearl was something I wanted to give her. If you have a temper, direct it at me."
Su Niao let out a scoffing laugh: "And now you're already defending her… Since the Fifth Prince and Elder Sister are so deeply in love with each other, why use me as a cover?"
The phrase "a case of mutual affection" made Xie Qinglan's face turn ashen in an instant. He immediately refused to yield: "Su Xuan is refined, intelligent, and well-versed in etiquette. Compared to your sharp-tongued and overbearing ways, she is a thousand times better. Of course I would protect her."
Su Niao clapped her hands in praise: "Then I wish you both an early bundle of joy."
Xie Qinglan: …
Liu Ruyu's expression had already turned extremely sour. She rose and apologized to the emperor and consort, who were stunned by the quarrel, then turned to look at her eldest daughter. Suppressing her anger, she said, "Xuan'er, return what you should not have taken."
In an instant, everyone present understood Liu Ruyu's intention. This was not merely about returning an item—it was Liu Ruyu telling her eldest daughter to completely sever any possibility with the Fifth Prince.
No one wanted to see their two daughters turn against each other over a man. Regardless of whose fault it was, once this scandal spread, the Su family's reputation would be utterly ruined!
Su Xuan suddenly looked up: "Mother…"
Seeing her reluctance, Liu Ruyu grew even angrier and was about to speak when a palace attendant announced: "Qin Shi, the wet nurse of the Duchess of Dingguo, requests an audience!"
Su Niao curled the corner of her mouth.
Here it comes…
Liu Ruyu was startled, and an inexplicable sense of foreboding welled up within her.
But with the emperor and consort present, it was not her place to decide whether to receive the visitor. And so, Liu Ruyu watched as her wet nurse Qin Shi walked in, knelt down with reddened eyes, kowtowed to the emperor and consort in apology, and then kowtowed heavily before her.
"Madam, this old servant has sinned…"
"The Second Miss… she is not actually your flesh and blood!"
By the time Qin Shi finished weeping through the whole story, Liu Ruyu was already swaying on her feet.
But the matter at hand was not yet resolved… She steadied herself against the chair and knelt before the emperor and consort: "Your Majesty, Your Highness, today's farce was all due to my younger daughter Su Niao's momentary greed and wrongdoing. This humble woman will send her back to our hometown to reflect on her mistakes. I beg Your Majesty and Your Highness to show leniency."
Even though Su Niao had anticipated this, hearing Liu Ruyu instantly change her attitude and try to pin all the blame on her to protect Su Xuan's reputation, she could not help but let out a silent, self-deprecating laugh.
But it did not matter—in her previous life, they had already severed ties. Why should she still harbor any illusions…
"Pleasure Value +10, Halo +10."
Su Xuan knelt prostrate on the ground without raising her head, a glimmer of light flashing in her eyes.
She knew it—once her mother learned that Su Niao was not her biological daughter, she would naturally choose to protect her, the real daughter…
A moment later, the Su family members all left the palace.
After Emperor Jiaheng also departed, only Consort Rong and her son remained in the palace. Consort Rong looked at her son: "You truly do not wish to keep Su Niao?"
Just now, from what the Su family said, they intended to send Su Niao back to their hometown to reflect on her mistakes.
No one could have imagined so much would happen today.
Consort Rong sighed: "After all, you and Su Niao share some history of affection. Today she has suffered a great upheaval and is about to be sent away. If you are still willing to proceed with your marriage to her, you can naturally keep her here."
The image of Su Xuan's tearful eyes from just now appeared before him. Then, thinking of Su Niao's domineering and overbearing ways, Xie Qinglan said expressionlessly: "Your son and Su Niao could get along in the past, but she has a willful temperament and constantly clashes and argues with me. Comparatively speaking, I feel that the eldest Miss of the Su family's disposition is more suited to be a wife."
Consort Rong frowned: "How do you know what kind of person Su Xuan is?"
Xie Qinglan did not conceal anything: "Over the past six months, whenever I traveled with Niao Niao, she was often there as well. I have come to know her well—she is unassuming, gentle, and timid… It was she who saved me back then. If I had to choose between Su Niao and her, I would be willing to protect her."
The more Consort Rong listened, the deeper her brows furrowed: "Knowing full well that you and Su Niao were deeply in love, she still often joined the two of you on outings? And she let you—her future brother-in-law, who has not been formally acknowledged but is known to all—become so familiar with her temperament?"
Xie Qinglan explained: "She is timid. When she is with other noble ladies, she is always bullied, so she could only cling to her younger sister."
Consort Rong laughed: "A timid person would dare to expose Su Niao's claim of stolen merit right in front of your father?"
Xie Qinglan said instinctively: "She said herself that her conscience troubled her."
Consort Rong looked at her son, utterly speechless: "She knew the truth for over half a year, and suddenly her conscience began to trouble her?"
She looked at her son: "What else are you hiding from your mother?"
Xie Qinglan was silent for a moment before speaking: "Half a month ago, Su Xuan confessed her feelings to me, but she had no other intentions—she simply did not want to leave herself with regrets… I also believe that she had no wish to ruin the bond between Niao Niao and me, otherwise she would not have kept helping Niao Niao conceal the truth."
Consort Rong finally confirmed it. She let out a long sigh: "She confessed her feelings to her future brother-in-law, and yet you say she had no other intentions? Then what would count as having other intentions?"
Xie Qinglan was still fuming from Su Niao's earlier remarks—one moment "a pair of lovers in perfect harmony," the next "may you soon bear a son"—his head throbbing with anger. When he thought of how pale and fragile Su Xuan had looked when she confessed to him, he could only feel that she was pitiable: "That pendant was hers to begin with. Is it wrong for her to like me?"
Consort Rong was furious at his stubbornness: "If she had revealed the truth as soon as she learned of it, then indeed there would be nothing wrong. But she told her sister she would step aside, then used her sister to get close to you… and confessed to her future brother-in-law, then endured silently until the betrothal was announced before exposing the truth. You still see no problem with that?"
Xie Qinglan remained unruffled: "She is timid."
Consort Rong clenched her teeth, nearly dying of anger: "You foolish boy, you will be the death of your mother."
After a moment, Consort Rong shook her head and sighed: "Now Su Niao has suddenly suffered a great upheaval and is even being sent away by her own family. If you abandon her at this time, I fear you will lose whatever affection remained between you."
But Xie Qinglan was resolute and had made up his mind: "Today she insisted on making a scene and brought things to this state. If she comes to soften and admit her fault, I might consider giving her a chance. But if she remains as she is… I think choosing Su Xuan might not be a bad option either."
Consort Rong knew that her son had always been headstrong with a difficult temper, and persuasion would not move him. She could only press her brow: "At a time like this, you refuse to protect her… Very well. I only hope you will not regret it in the days to come…"