The abstinent prince, practicing Buddhism, is seduced by a voluptuous beauty into breaking his vows.

The path from Qingyin Pavilion to the side hall wasn't long, but Su Yaoyao walked very slowly.

She even took a detour, deliberately passing by a cluster of tuberoses in full bloom, and picked a few blossoms to pin to her lapel.

When they got near the side hall, a large crowd had already gathered there.

The young ladies and gentlemen, drawn by the commotion, craned their necks to peer through the tightly closed carved wooden door, their faces filled with curiosity and schadenfreude.

"I heard it's the Second Prince and that illegitimate daughter of the Su family..."

"Really? Wasn't she perfectly fine at the banquet just now?"

"It's absolutely true! It was the palace maid who brought the hangover soup who discovered it. The door was closed, and it took a long time for her to open it..."

"My God, this is too..."

Whispers came like a tidal wave.

The Empress stood at the front with a stern face, surrounded by several trusted maids.

Meanwhile, the Marquis of Yongning—Su Yaoyao's adoptive father—was standing beside the Empress, his face ashen and covered in sweat, clearly having received the news and rushed over.

Looking to the side, Consort Chen had also arrived.

The second prince's birth mother had a frosty expression on her face, her nails, painted with red nail polish, digging deeply into her palms.

She stared intently at the door, her eyes like poisoned knives.

The door finally opened.

First, two old women helped a disheveled woman stumble out.

It's Su Yun'er.

Her pink palace dress was torn to shreds, and she was wrapped in an outer garment that some palace maid had hastily thrown to her, but it couldn't hide the ambiguous red marks on her neck.

Her hair was disheveled, her hairpins were askew, her face was streaked with tears, and her eyes were unfocused and confused.

As soon as I came out, my legs went weak and I collapsed to the ground, trembling.

Everyone gasped.

Several old-fashioned ladies turned their faces away in disgust: "Indecent and immoral!"

"Sister..." Su Yun'er looked up, her gaze fixed on Su Yaoyao at the back of the crowd, her voice hoarse and shrill.

"Sister, why did you hurt me?!"

This shout drew everyone's attention to Su Yaoyao.

"What did my sister say?"

Su Yaoyao stepped forward slowly, her eyes filled with pure confusion. "I was just talking with Her Majesty the Empress in Qingyin Pavilion. How could I have harmed you?"

Her voice was soft and calm, yet it reached everyone's ears clearly.

The Empress spoke up at the opportune moment: "Indeed, Yaoyao has been with me the whole time."

This statement effectively provided Su Yaoyao with an alibi.

"Your Majesty!" Su Yun'er suddenly threw herself at the Empress's feet, tears streaming down her face. "I'm innocent! Someone...someone framed me! That incense...that incense was dangerous!"

As she spoke, she suddenly pointed at the incense burner.

Everyone's gaze shifted to that direction.

The Empress frowned: "Incense burner? What kind of incense?"

"It's a love potion! Aphrodisiac!" Su Yun'er exclaimed rapidly, as if grasping at a straw.

"I was only worried about my sister, so I accompanied Your Highness to look for her... But as soon as I entered this room, I smelled this fragrance, and then... then I lost my senses..."

She cried even harder: "Someone must be trying to harm me and His Highness! I beg Your Majesty to investigate!"

Upon hearing this, everyone reacted with varying expressions.

If they were indeed drugged, then the Second Prince and Su Yun'er are victims, and their situation is understandable.

But who would resort to such despicable means to scheme against princes and noble ladies at a palace banquet?

The Empress's gaze swept around the hall, finally settling on Su Yaoyao.

"Yaoyao," she said, her voice devoid of emotion.

"Did you notice anything unusual while you were changing clothes here?"

All eyes immediately focused on Su Yaoyao.

She wore a light green palace dress that accentuated her jade-like skin. The hair ornament with Buddhist beads wrapped around it swayed gently, reflecting a warm light under the lamplight.

Compared to the disheveled couple inside the hall, she was as clean as a lotus rising from the mud, untouched by its surroundings.

Su Yaoyao stepped forward slowly and curtsied before the Empress.

"Your Majesty," she said softly, yet clearly enough for everyone to hear.

"This humble woman did indeed change her clothes here. However..."

She paused, looked up into the hall, and a hint of doubt appeared in her eyes:

"When I left, the incense burner was clearly extinguished. How come... it's lit again now?"

After he finished speaking, the entire room fell silent.

Su Yun'er's crying stopped abruptly.

She suddenly looked up, staring at Su Yaoyao in disbelief.

It's off?

How is that possible?!

She clearly... she clearly told that person to light it!

"You're talking nonsense!" Su Yun'er screamed uncontrollably.

"This incense burner has been burning! It was you! You framed me!"

"Little sister." Su Yaoyao turned to look at her, her eyes innocent and confused. "Why would I frame you? Besides..."

Her gaze fell on Su Yun'er's obviously ill-fitting outer garment, and she said softly:

"My sister said she was worried about me, which is why she accompanied Your Highness to look for me. But why... is she wearing the undergarment I left in the palace?"

Only then did everyone notice that beneath Su Yun'er's outer garment, a hint of lotus root color could be faintly seen.

It was the same item that had fallen to the ground earlier.

Su Yun'er's face turned pale instantly.

She tried frantically to cover it up, but the more flustered she became, the more conspicuous the lotus root color became.

"I...I found it..." she stammered, "I..."

"If these are my clothes, why is my sister wearing them?" Su Yaoyao tilted her head, her tone even more confused.

"Besides...didn't my sister say that she was drugged with incense and became delirious as soon as she entered the palace? How could she have had the time to pick up my clothes, and...dress so neatly?"

That's a tricky question.

Yes, if one is truly under the influence of a drug, how could one possibly be interested in wearing someone else's clothes?

Su Yun'er opened her mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.

She couldn't very well say that she had deliberately brought the Second Prince to "catch him in the act," only to be outsmarted instead, could she?

The Empress watched this scene, a cold glint flashing in her eyes.

She is not a fool.

Su Yun'er's little schemes were nothing in her eyes.

Su Yun'er's face turned pale. She wanted to say something, but was interrupted by another commotion in the hall.

The Second Prince, Xiao Qiming, was helped out by two guards.

His brocade robe was wrinkled, the collar was wide open, his face was still flushed, and his eyes were somewhat unfocused.

Seeing so many people gathered outside, he was first taken aback, then flew into a rage:

"What are you looking at?! Get out of my sight!"

Consort Chen strode forward and slapped him across the face!

"You wretched child! Aren't you ashamed enough?!"

Xiao Qiming was stunned by the beating. He covered his face and glanced blankly at everyone.

When he saw Su Yun'er lying on the ground, her clothes disheveled, a look of disgust flashed in his eyes.

Then, seeing Su Yaoyao standing gracefully to the side, her eyes clear and bright…

His eyes suddenly changed.

It felt like I'd been stabbed hard by something.

Memories flood back like a tide—