The arrival of the Empress brought solemn silence to the hall.
Dressed in phoenix robes, she was over forty but well-preserved, her brows and eyes bearing a slight resemblance to Su Yaoyao, though tempered by the authority of long-held high position.
“Rise,” the Empress said as she took her seat at the head of the table, her voice gentle. “Today’s palace banquet is to welcome the Crown Prince. There is no need for excessive formality.”
She looked at Xiao Chenyuan with a kind expression. “Yuan’er, you must be tired from your journey.”
Xiao Chenyuan rose and bowed. “Thank you for your concern, Mother Empress. I am not weary.”
His tone was respectful, yet carried a sense of distance.
A flicker of complexity passed through the Empress’s eyes, quickly concealed as she smiled. “Please, everyone be seated. Just now outside, I seemed to hear some commotion within?”
Su Yun’er inwardly rejoiced and promptly stood up, speaking softly, “Your Majesty, just now… it was merely an accident. Elder Sister… she did not mean to disturb the Crown Prince.”
Her words were cleverly phrased—seemingly defending Su Yaoyao, yet actually confirming her “offense of disturbing the Crown Prince.”
Xiao Qiming, watching from the side, couldn’t help but frown. Although he felt Su Yaoyao had indeed been acting somewhat differently tonight, seeing Su Yun’er speak up for her so pitifully while Su Yaoyao merely stood there pretending to be helpless, his annoyance surged once more.
He snorted coldly and spoke up, “Mother Empress, I saw it too just now. Miss Su indeed behaved improperly and disturbed the Crown Prince. However…” He glanced at Su Yaoyao, his tone laced with sarcasm, “She has always been like this—lacking propriety is nothing new for her. I beg Mother Empress and the Crown Prince not to blame her.”
At these words, many in the hall secretly drew in their breath.
The Second Prince was leaving his fiancée with no face at all!
The Empress’s expression darkened slightly, but before she could speak, Su Yaoyao spoke first.
“Replying to Aunt… just now, this dancer accidentally fell, and powder flew from her sleeve, nearly landing on my face. I was momentarily startled and accidentally broke my wine cup, which… nearly caused me to collide with His Highness the Crown Prince.”
As she spoke, she lowered her head slightly, her posture respectful yet poised.
A trace of surprise flashed in the Empress’s eyes.
This niece of hers… truly seemed different.
In the past, whenever she saw her, she was always timid and shrinking, her voice as soft as a mosquito’s, her gaze evasive, utterly unfit for such occasions. But today…
Her demeanor was proper, her response measured, and even more remarkable was the composure that seemed to emanate from her very bones.
And this appearance…
The Empress’s gaze lingered on Su Yaoyao’s stunningly beautiful face for a moment before glancing at Su Yun’er, whose expression had turned unpleasant not far away, and understanding dawned.
“Yaoyao, were you frightened? Come quickly to my side and let me see you.”
This was blatant favoritism.
Su Yaoyao obediently walked to the Empress’s side. The Empress took her hand, carefully examined her expression, and noticing the traces of powder on her sleeve, her brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.
“Poor child, your dress is soiled,” the Empress said, patting her hand.
Seeing this, Su Yun’er quickly tugged discreetly at Xiao Qiming’s sleeve. “Your Highness, don’t be angry. Elder Sister… she didn’t mean it either.”
Her words pulled Xiao Qiming back to his senses. He steadied himself, but when he looked at Su Yaoyao again, that inexplicable irritation within him grew stronger, and his tone became even more cutting. “Didn’t mean it? I think she did it on purpose to draw attention! Su Yaoyao, don’t think that just by changing your clothes you can—”
“Qiming,” the Empress interrupted him sternly. “Yaoyao is your fiancée. Mind your words.”
Xiao Qiming resentfully fell silent, but shot Su Yaoyao a fierce glare.
Ling Feng had already brought the dancer forward by now.
“Reporting to Her Majesty the Empress, this dancer concealed aphrodisiac incense in her sleeve and deliberately scattered it toward Miss Su just now when she fell.”
The words “aphrodisiac incense” caused an uproar throughout the hall!
At a palace banquet, someone actually used such despicable means?!
The dancer’s face turned as pale as paper, her entire body trembling:
“I… I didn’t… I just slipped…”
“Slipped?” Xiao Chenyuan suddenly spoke up.
He remained seated, still twirling his prayer beads, his tone indifferent:
“The hidden pocket in your sleeve is exquisitely sewn, and the timing and direction of your fall were precise. Was that just slipping?”
With each sentence he uttered, the dancer’s face grew paler.
Finally, Xiao Chenyuan looked up, his gaze falling on Su Yaoyao: “Has Miss Su offended anyone?”
Su Yaoyao inwardly praised him—what a clever Crown Prince, with one sentence he had redirected the focus to the mastermind behind this.
She timely feigned a bewildered expression:
“This subject… this subject is meeting her for the first time today and holds no grudge.” She paused, as if remembering something, and whispered softly,
“Only… only when the powder was scattered just now, this subject vaguely heard this dancer murmur, ‘Sorry, Miss Su, blame yourself for offending someone you shouldn’t have’…”
Her voice was not loud, but it was enough for the people at the surrounding tables to hear clearly.
“Ah—”
Discussions erupted immediately.
Who held a grudge against Su Yaoyao? And used such underhanded methods?
Many people’s eyes subtly glanced toward Su Yun’er.
Su Yun’er’s face turned green with panic as she hurriedly stood up: “Sister! You mustn’t speak nonsense! This dancer has no grievance against you, why would she harm you? You must have misheard!”
“Is that so?” Su Yaoyao raised her tearful eyes to look at her, “Little sister, you sound so certain… could it be you know something about this?”
“I… how would I know!” Su Yun’er grew anxious, “I just think… think perhaps sister was too frightened and started hallucinating…”
“Enough.” The Empress spoke sternly.
Her gaze swept over Su Yun’er, a flicker of displeasure in her eyes, just as she was about to speak—
“Mother.”
Xiao Qiming wore an impatient expression: “Such a trivial matter, why make such a fuss?”
He walked to Su Yun’er’s side, shielding her behind him, and coldly looked at Su Yaoyao: “Su Yaoyao, you lost your composure and disturbed the Crown Prince, and now you’re trying to drag Yun’er into this? Yun’er is kind-hearted and has spoken so well of you—is this how you repay her?”
He spoke with such conviction, as if he had personally witnessed Su Yaoyao’s wrongdoing.
Su Yaoyao inwardly sneered, but her expression grew even more aggrieved: “Second Highness… this subject is not dragging little sister into this, this subject is only… only truthfully recounting what happened…”
“Truthfully?” Xiao Qiming scoffed, “When have you not pretended to be pitiful and helpless, when in reality your heart is malicious? Yun’er is naive, that’s why you always bully her!”
He turned to the Empress, cupping his hands respectfully: “Mother, your son believes this matter was an accident. This dancer was careless, and Su Yaoyao is too timid, causing this farce. Yun’er has been wrongfully implicated—please judge wisely, Mother!”
His words blatantly twisted black and white.
The noble ladies in the hall exchanged glances, some even secretly curling their lips—the Second Prince’s bias was far too obvious.
Su Yun’er nestled close to Xiao Qiming’s side, lowering her head to conceal the triumph in her eyes.
Su Yaoyao looked at this “perfect couple” and suddenly spoke softly: “The Second Highness is right… it is this subject’s fault.”
Her eyes grew even redder, but she held back her tears: “This humble girl should not… should not be here, disturbing Your Highness and my sister. I shall take my leave now…”
As she spoke, she prepared to bow and withdraw.
“Wait.”
The one who spoke was Xiao Chenyuan.