Phoenix Cries Return to Court

No sooner had he finished speaking than a cold light suddenly shot out from behind the screen.

Lin Xihe's eyes narrowed, and she instinctively spun around, barely avoiding the flying knife.

With a crisp "clink," the throwing knife hit the wall behind her and fell to the ground, clearly indicating that the person who threw it did not intend to hurt her.

The next second, the figure in black leaped out from behind the screen and instantly appeared in front of him.

"Who exactly are you?" the man asked in a deep voice, his eyes dark.

He stared intently into Lin Xihe's eyes, as if trying to see right through her.

From the day we met, everything about this woman seemed strange.

Yet, her words and actions carried a certain inexplicable familiarity, stirring up long-buried memories in his heart.

Lin Xihe remained calm, her voice cool and clear, "Who I am is not important. What is important is that there are many suspicious points surrounding the Dongzhu incident. If we investigate further, it may lead to even greater trouble. That is what we should be concerned about."

She paused, her tone growing even more serious, "Young Grand Secretary, you've been investigating the Eastern Pearl matter for many days. Do you also feel that this matter is related to the royal family of Xi Kingdom?"

The man took a deep breath, a look of surprise flashing in his eyes.

Recently, the Kingdom of Xi has been facing a change of regime. The old king, Helan Jingyuan, acted in a mild manner and his diplomacy was gentle and tolerant, while the new emperor was completely different, using harsh methods and drastically changing his policies.

Trade between the two countries was affected, and merchants from Xi were suffering greatly. In order to make a profit and survive, they risked everything despite knowing that there was a maritime ban.

The "top-quality pearls" circulating in the market only began to appear in large quantities after the new emperor ascended the throne.

Those pearls from the East are exceptionally precious, their value determined by rarity. Yet now they're appearing everywhere. This unusual occurrence must be suspicious. If this continues, it will inevitably drive down the market price of pearls and jade, disrupting the market order.

The Imperial Guards relentlessly pursued the case, but for some reason, the clues kept getting cut off, their actions were constantly hampered, and they always ended up being outmaneuvered.

Left with no other choice, they held back and waited to see how things would turn.

Seeing his silence, Lin Xihe knew she had guessed correctly, so she slowly said, "Young Grand Secretary, do you still remember that six years ago, our Great Sheng originally intended to send Princess Wen'an to Xi Kingdom for a marriage alliance to quell the border disputes between the two countries and stabilize the people's hearts? But no one expected that it would be Tao Qingqing who would ultimately embark on the path of marriage alliance."

"What is the connection between this matter and the pearl case?" The man frowned slightly, seemingly lost in thought.

He held many secrets in the Embroidered Uniform Guard, but many details of the marriage alliance six years ago were deliberately covered up, and because nothing happened afterward, he did not investigate it further.

Lin Xihe raised her eyes, a complex expression flashing across them. "Young Grand Secretary is often preoccupied with official duties, so he probably doesn't pay much attention to palace secrets. It is said that among the dowry prepared for the legitimate princess, there was a box of extremely precious South China Sea pearls? Those South China Sea pearls are a treasure of the Sheng Kingdom, with only a few produced every few decades. They are round and lustrous, rare treasures in the world."

"Back then, in order to express our sincerity to the Xi Kingdom and to show our respect for the princess who was sent to marry the prince, Emperor Sheng bestowed all the South Sea pearls, which were originally intended as part of the legitimate princess's dowry, upon Tao Qingqing and she took them with her to the Xi Kingdom."

Upon hearing this, Shen Jueyan's heart sank. He continued, "Now, the 'Treasure of Xi Kingdom' has suddenly appeared, claiming to be even more precious and rare than South Sea pearls, and its price far exceeds that of South Sea pearls. In an instant, the powerful and wealthy in the capital are vying for it, and even ordinary rich families are willing to spend a fortune to buy it, just to show off their status."

Lin Xihe nodded, a cold glint in her eyes. "Only a few pearls are obtained from the South China Sea every few decades. How could Xi Kingdom produce so many 'superior Eastern pearls' in just a few years? There must be something fishy going on. In my opinion, firstly, we should thoroughly investigate the origin of those Eastern pearls, and secondly, we should find a knowledgeable person to examine them and determine their true value."

The man's hair stood on end instantly, and his expression became even more serious.

Seeing the man's reaction, Lin Xihe understood and said slowly and deliberately, "Nowadays, border trade is frequent, and these pearls are treated as precious items and used in large quantities for trading, causing their value to be inflated and disrupting market order. If these counterfeit pearls are allowed to continue circulating, money will become worthless, prices will skyrocket, and ordinary people will suffer the most. At that time, people will be in a state of panic, society will be in turmoil, and the consequences will be unimaginable."

Upon hearing these words, Shen Jueyan's expression darkened. The wife of a Minister of War was able to analyze the matter so logically and speak so earnestly.

Although she was born into a prestigious family, her family members passed away early, so where did she get this insight from?

Recalling the scene of the wedding banquet that day, He Guangzheng had no affection for her as a husband and wife, so he probably wouldn't tell her any military secrets.

Lin Xihe took in his changing expressions, understood what he meant, and a smile appeared on her lips.

Shen Jueyan looked at the hidden joy in her eyes and suddenly had a sudden realization.

This woman was clearly bluffing him! She wanted to verify her suspicions with him.

The man narrowed his eyes, his voice cold and clear, "Every time Madam He speaks, she makes a statement that seems to have no basis in reality. If you didn't know that, you might think she was one of my spies."

"Young Master is too kind," Lin Xihe said with a knowing smile.

After some further thought, he solemnly said, "The most important thing now is to contact the Prefect of the Capital as soon as possible to verify the economic losses caused by the circulation of counterfeit pearls, make clear statistics, and have a clear understanding of the situation. In addition, we must strictly investigate all prefectures and regions along the southeast coast, and have the Maritime Trade Office thoroughly investigate the circulation channels of counterfeit pearls, find the source as soon as possible, and cut off the circulation channels."

"Okay, I'll take care of it right away."

Shen Jueyan nodded subconsciously in response.

But as soon as he finished speaking, he froze.

When he came to his senses, his face showed disbelief.

But her organized, calm, and composed demeanor reminded him of that other woman.

When she was in power, she could handle any situation with composure, and even the most arrogant old ministers in the court all respected her.

Just now, for a moment he felt disoriented, as if he had returned to that person's side.

But in the next instant, he suddenly regained consciousness.

The person is gone, and the past is like smoke.

Thinking of this, a strange sense of melancholy welled up in his heart.

"You still haven't answered my most crucial question."

Seeing the clarity in his eyes, and then gazing at the bright moon hanging outside the window, Lin Xihe said, "Regardless of who I am, you only need to know that I pose no threat to you. This matter is of utmost importance; please investigate it immediately."

Shen Jueyan calmed himself down and said nothing more. He simply bowed to the woman in front of him, then his figure flashed and disappeared into the depths of the corridor, leaving only a faint scent of agarwood lingering in the air.

……

The next morning, the sun shone brightly.

At some point, a ragged, emaciated beggar appeared under the locust tree at the entrance of the Minister's residence.

He lingered around the Minister's residence for a long time, glancing into the building from time to time.

Before long, the side gate of the Minister's residence was pushed open, and Huan'er came out carrying a bamboo basket.

Upon seeing this, the beggar's eyes lit up. He quickly stepped forward and blocked her path. "Please, young lady, have mercy and give me some food... I haven't eaten for three days. Please have pity on me."

The beggar, holding a tattered bowl, bowed to Huan'er and said...

Huan'er was startled by this sudden action and instinctively took a step back, scolding, "Where did this beggar come from? Don't you know where you are? Get out of here! If you delay the noblemen's shopping, you won't be able to pay for it even if you have several lives!"

As she spoke, she gestured to the servants accompanying her to drive the people away.

Before he could finish speaking, the beggar pounced on him as if he had gone mad.