Phoenix Cries Return to Court

The midday sun shone through the carved window and onto the dark-patterned brocade carpet. The sandalwood incense wafted through the study, but it could not dispel the melancholy in the man's heart as he sat in the armchair.

He Guangzheng closed his eyes, pressing his throbbing temples hard with his fingers, looking annoyed.

The scene in Zhaohua Pavilion kept replaying in his mind. He couldn't understand how he had been so confused and fallen into the trap set by the Wen family, and had inexplicably taken over the management of the household affairs for Qingqing.

He had always wanted Tao Qingqing to manage the household, but he knew better than anyone the complexities of managing the household affairs.

He came from a poor family with meager resources, and his expenses as an official over the years have been enormous due to his extensive networking and bribery.

However, he was extremely concerned with his image and squandered money recklessly. His household was already running out of money, and if it weren't for the dowry from the Wen family, they probably wouldn't have been able to make ends meet long ago.

In addition, just now, in a fit of anger, he agreed to sign a written agreement in front of all the servants in Zhaohua Pavilion. Now that he has calmed down, he feels a tightness in his chest.

He sighed heavily, his fingertips tracing the inkstone on the table, his expression growing increasingly somber.

Ever since the day he tried to poison Wen Shi to get rid of her, but she managed to escape by climbing over the wall in the backyard, that woman seems to have become a completely different person.

In the past, Lady Wen was cautious and timid in this mansion, never disobeying him, and her heart and eyes were always with him.

But now, she only looks at him with indifference, and her actions are increasingly aggressive, showing no mercy whatsoever.

Just as he was pondering this, footsteps suddenly came from outside the door. Then, a servant hurriedly entered, bowed respectfully, and said, "Sir, Miss Chun Ge from Zhaohua Pavilion has brought several people with her. They say they have important business to discuss with you, and we couldn't stop them."

He Guangzheng frowned, his previously dazed expression instantly replaced by anger. "This is utterly outrageous! How dare a mere maid act so presumptuously in the Minister's residence! Tell her to get out!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the study door was pushed open, and a group of people filed in.

Chun Ge walked at the front, followed by a man dressed in a brown brocade robe who looked like a shopkeeper and two burly shop assistants carrying account books. It was clear that they had come prepared.

Chun Ge stepped forward, bowed gracefully to He Guangzheng, and said in a clear voice, "Greetings, Your Excellency. Madam has specially invited Manager Ning of Baoxing Bank to serve as a voucher. Please sign this voucher."

"From now on, all expenses of the manor will be none of my mistress's concern. Furthermore, I shall not interfere with my mistress's handling of the assets of Zhaohua Pavilion."

In the past two days, Lin Xihe has figured out He Guangzheng's temperament and personality.

This person appears gentle and refined, but in reality, he is ruthless, cunning, and selfish.

However, they are also extremely protective of their reputation, valuing their face more than their lives, and are most averse to losing face in front of others.

Sure enough, He Guangzheng's face turned bright red instantly upon hearing this, and anger surged within him.

He slammed his hand on the desk and shouted angrily, "Insolence! As an official of the court, I always keep my word. If I say I will repay, I will. What kind of master is this, and what kind of servant is this!"

Chun Ge looked at the person in front of her without showing the slightest fear, and said loudly, "My lord, please calm down. My lady did not mean to humiliate you. She invited Manager Ning here today only to witness this matter and to prevent future gossip that could damage your reputation."

Upon hearing this, He Guangzheng became even more enraged and shouted, "Insolence! This maidservant of yours is so disrespectful and unreasonable! Guards! Drag her away and subject her to family discipline!"

At that moment, outside the study door, a pair of eyes were intently watching the movements inside.

Tao Qingqing twisted the handkerchief in her hand, her brows furrowed.

She had already heard a little about what happened at Zhaohua Pavilion this morning.

Knowing that he had taken charge of the household affairs, he should have been happy, but he heard that the Minister owed a "huge sum of money".

He hurriedly went to the study, hoping to find out something from He Guangzheng, but he didn't expect to witness this scene as soon as he arrived at the door.

From the conversations of the people inside the room, she roughly understood what had happened.

It seems that the Wen family's dowry was quite generous, and over the years it has filled many holes in the Minister's mansion.

Although she was a princess, she was a second-time bride, and her dowry was already limited. In addition, "that matter" still required secret planning, and there would be countless expenses in the future.

Moreover, she would never use a single penny of her personal funds to fill the deficit of the Minister's mansion.

She married Ho Kwong-ching not only because of their childhood friendship, but more importantly because Ho Kwong-ching was now the Minister of War, and she couldn't afford any unforeseen complications when planning important matters.

However, one should not become a sucker to pay off his debts.

Just when she was at her wit's end, a sudden inspiration struck her, and a glimmer of light flashed in her eyes.

She immediately composed herself and hurriedly left with her maid.

The standoff inside the house continued.

Two burly old women had already pinned Chun Ge down, while a fierce-looking servant stood to one side holding a rattan cane.

Chun Ge raised her eyes and said, word by word, "My lord, I will naturally accept the family rules, but I must also fulfill my obligation to provide this written agreement."

"What are you all standing there for!" He Guangzheng was so angry that he slammed his hand on the table and glared at the servant holding the rattan cane.

The servant understood immediately, stepped forward, raised the rattan cane high, and a sharp gust of wind swept through the air.

Chun Ge gritted her teeth, her face pale, and clenched her palms tightly, waiting for the excruciating pain to strike.

At the critical moment, a clear, cold female voice rang out, "Who dares!"

As soon as the words were spoken, everyone froze and subconsciously looked in the direction of the sound.

Lin Xihe walked in slowly.

Her expression was grim as she looked at the two old women. "Let her go."

The two old women, emboldened by their master's influence, had intended to teach Chun Ge a lesson, but after being coldly looked at by Lin Xi, they subconsciously let go.

Lin Xi glanced at her and gave her a gentle look. Chun Ge felt a warmth in her heart and walked briskly behind her master.

He then suppressed his warmth, looked at He Guangzheng, and said quietly, "What is the meaning of your actions, sir?"

Normally, he could beat the maids in the mansion without consequence, but recently, after several encounters with Madam Wen, he had not gained the slightest advantage. The moment He Guang's eyes met hers, he felt inexplicably flustered, and his previous arrogance instantly diminished.

"This girl is disrespectful and speaks rudely. I'm disciplining the servants in my household... Is there a problem?"

Lin Xihe scoffed, "She is a member of my household and is under my supervision. It has nothing to do with you, Minister. Since you are so keen on meddling in my household affairs, why not return my dowry to me in full?"

He Guangzheng was hit where it hurt, and his face turned bright red instantly. He was about to retort when Lin Xihe interrupted him.

"What do you mean?" Lin Xihe raised her eyebrows slightly. "Just now, in front of everyone in my courtyard, you agreed to have me sign a document to return my dowry. Could it be that I misunderstood? Or is it that you never intended to return the money you 'temporarily borrowed' from me, and were just casually deceiving me?"

Her gaze then fell on Manager Ning, who was standing to the side, and she said meaningfully, "Manager Ning was also in Zhaohua Pavilion just now. If he alone is not enough to prove anything, then the managers and staff who were present just now probably haven't gone very far..."

He Guangzheng was speechless upon hearing this. With outsiders present, he could no longer deny it and could not find any words to refute it. He froze on the spot, his face turning pale and then red, looking extremely ugly.

Seeing that he remained silent, Lin Xi smiled and stepped forward, gently placing the voucher in her hand on the table. "I suppose you are a man of your word, sir. Please sign this voucher."

He Guangzheng's gaze fell on the thin piece of paper, a hint of resentment flashing in his angry eyes. He slowly tried to salvage the situation, saying, "Fine, it's ultimately your incompetence in managing household affairs that led to those items being in such a disorganized state. Even if we were to organize and inventory them, it would take three or four days, and we wouldn't be able to gather them all in a short time. You jealous woman have been forcing your husband step by step, so I'll grant your wish. You've done all sorts of outrageous things in the mansion, so don't blame me for disregarding our past marital relationship in the future."

Lin Xihe ignored him, and He Guangzheng's face flushed again.

He pursed his lips, slowly picked up the brush from the table, and was caught in a dilemma when a delicate shout suddenly came from outside the door, "Husband, you can't sign this!"

Everyone was startled and instinctively looked in the direction of the sound.

At the gate, a woman in a smoky red satin dress, her figure exuding elegance, gracefully approached with several maids behind her.

He Guangzheng stepped forward and took her soft hand in his. "Has this small matter troubled you, Madam?"

She said softly, with a hint of reproach, "Zhenglang, it's not too late for me to say a few words."

She then looked at Lin Xihe beside her, her face still bearing a gentle smile.

"Sister, don't panic. I know my husband is short of money today, and I know you are eager to get your dowry back. I have something here that I can give you to temporarily pay off the debt and resolve today's stalemate. I have just entered the household, and I hope you will have mercy on me."