Phoenix Cries Return to Court

"What's going on?" Upon seeing this, Grand Princess Ruian stood up from her reclining chair, raised her eyebrows slightly, and shouted sternly.

The lead guard stepped forward quickly, bowed respectfully, and said, "Your Highness, His Highness the Crown Prince is searching for a woman. We are carrying out His Highness's orders and have disturbed Your Highness and the other nobles. We hope you will forgive us."

"woman?"

Ryan's brows furrowed even more, a sense of surprise and displeasure rising within him.

This kid is getting more and more outrageous. To find a woman, he has to go to such lengths to lock down the entire Nuanfang Courtyard. Could it be that he's been infatuated with some noble lady?

The surrounding officials' wives and noble ladies were in an uproar, speculating about which noble lady had won the crown prince's favor.

Only Lin Xihe, upon hearing the words "Crown Prince," had a cold glint in her eyes, and an inexplicable anger suddenly rose in her heart.

Taking advantage of the chaos in Nuanfang Courtyard and the guards' dispersed search, she quietly slipped away to Songyan.

He casually stopped a servant who was delivering vegetables and whispered, "Go and tell the Crown Prince that I am the person he is looking for. Tell him to come here to see me immediately."

The servant was startled by her sudden action. Upon hearing this, he hurriedly bowed, accepted the order, and left in a hurry.

Lin Xihe stood under the crabapple tree in Songyan, her aura growing increasingly fierce.

He coldly plotted in his mind how to discipline this good grandson who was clueless in this area but still tried to intimidate others with his power.

Before long, a series of hurried footsteps could be heard approaching from afar.

"Where is he?" Crown Prince Fu Chen shouted loudly from the courtyard. "How dare they send me here in person! They are utterly ignorant of their own limitations!"

Before the guards could even reply, a cool and aloof figure emerged from behind the crabapple tree.

Fu Chen looked up and saw a woman in plain clothes slowly walking towards him under a crabapple tree. The wind rustled the branches, and petals fluttered in the breeze. The woman's features were aloof and her temperament was like ice, which made him momentarily lose his composure. A look of amazement unconsciously flashed across his eyes.

This aloof and dignified demeanor was quite different from the delicate and pretentious noblewomen he usually encountered.

He paused for a moment, then resumed his arrogant demeanor, his brows furrowing as he spoke with increasing arrogance, "Whose daughter are you? You've got quite the nerve, daring to put on airs before me, the Crown Prince. Do you know your crime?"

Before he could finish speaking, Fu Chen saw a blur before his eyes and a blurry image flashed by. Before he could react, his wrist was gripped tightly by a cold and powerful hand.

His pupils contracted sharply, and he instinctively struggled, only to find that his body was firmly restrained by the other party, and he could not move.

Lin Xihe gripped his wrist, her eyes growing even colder, and said leisurely, "How presumptuous."

"You...you're the one who's being insolent!" Fu Chen suppressed his fear, his voice sharp but his tone weak. "I am the Crown Prince, the heir apparent! How dare you lay a hand on me! Do you know that this is treason, a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of your family!"

"It's a pity that I'm the only one left in my nine clans. They say the road to the underworld is lonely and dark, but with His Highness the Crown Prince accompanying me, it's not so desolate."

Upon hearing this, Lin Xihe's lips curled into a mocking smile. Then, she slightly flipped her wrist, twisted it in the opposite direction, and suddenly increased the force.

Fu Chen immediately winced in pain, his previous arrogance and haughtiness completely gone.

"Ouch...ouch ouch ouch! Let go!" he wailed involuntarily. "Who are you? How dare you be so disrespectful to this prince!"

Lin Xihe's grip remained firm. "You'll find out who I am sooner or later."

She paused, took a deep breath, and said sternly, "I originally thought Your Highness was merely illiterate and lacked ambition, but now it seems that not only is Your Highness incompetent in civil administration, but your martial arts skills are also nothing more than fancy moves; you are utterly unworthy of the position of Crown Prince. Won't the Great Sheng Dynasty be ruined in your hands?"

Fu Chen, his face flushed red with anger and pain from her scolding, shouted, "How...how dare you! I am of imperial blood; whether I am worthy to be the crown prince is none of your business!"

"Let go! If this continues, my arm will break!"

Seeing his unrepentant appearance, Lin Xihe's anger intensified. She said coldly, "You, the Crown Prince, know in your heart whether Emperor Sheng is satisfied with you or whether you can sit firmly on the throne. As the saying goes, 'A scholar should be looked at with new eyes after three days of separation.' Today, I will give you two paths to choose from."

Fu Chen trembled with pain, but upon hearing these words, his heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly replied, "Tell me! Tell me!"

"Firstly," Lin Xihe said calmly, enunciating each word clearly, "fold your hand over to me. From now on, your position as Crown Prince is likely over. I will personally report today's events to the Emperor, ensuring you can no longer act arrogantly."

Upon hearing this, Fu Chen trembled violently, his face turning deathly pale.

He hurriedly shook his head, flustered, and said, "I won't choose this one! I won't choose it! You said the second one, what is the second one?"

A knowing glint flashed in Lin Xihe's eyes, and then she said.

"Secondly, from now on, I will teach you both civil and military affairs, so that you can become a qualified crown prince. But remember, this matter is between you and me, and must never be known to a third person."

Fu Chen's heart stirred. Should he become the disciple of the woman before him?

Her martial arts skills are obviously superb. If he can learn from her, he will definitely be able to win first place in the autumn hunt and martial arts competition and make a name for himself.

Judging from her demeanor and speech just now, her knowledge is also extraordinary. If she can truly achieve something in her studies and win the Emperor's favor, that would be the best outcome.

A wise man doesn't fight a losing battle. Fu Chen gritted his teeth and quickly replied, "I choose the second option! I'll become your disciple! Please spare my life, heroine, and let go. I promise I'll obey your orders from now on and never reveal a word!"

Seeing that he finally gave in, Lin Xihe's coldness faded, and she loosened her grip on his hand, releasing him.

Fu Chen quickly straightened up, rubbing his wrist, which was red and aching. Although he was still unwilling, he dared not complain at all.

Since Lin Xihe sneaked into Songyan, subdued the Crown Prince, and...

On the attic not far away.

From the moment Lin Xihe sneaked into Songyan amidst the chaos, to the moment she subdued the Crown Prince and made him acknowledge her as his teacher, every action and every word she uttered was observed by Grand Secretary Shen Mo.

He stood quietly by the window, holding a cup of tea, calmly watching everything that was happening under the crabapple tree.

Looking at the scene below, the trusted aide beside him couldn't help but whisper his advice, "Your Excellency, should we intervene? After all, that is the Crown Prince, the heir apparent of the nation. Now he's being suppressed like this by a woman of unknown identity. If word gets out..."

Shen Mo shook his head, the woman's nimble movements flashing repeatedly in his mind. For some reason, her figure and demeanor were so similar to that of the woman he had just met...

He suppressed the turmoil in his heart and said calmly, "If the water is too clear, there will be no fish. There's no need to make a fuss."

The confidant was taken aback, somewhat puzzled. "Your Excellency, this...this is His Highness the Crown Prince!"

"It's alright." Shen Mo's gaze fell on the woman in plain clothes under the crabapple tree, a hint of inquiry flashing in his eyes. "As the crown prince, he is the future emperor. If he continues to be so arrogant and incompetent, how will he be able to govern this country in the future?"

"If someone could properly temper our crown prince's temperament and teach him some real skills, it would be better than letting him remain muddle-headed and eventually make a grave mistake."

As soon as he finished speaking, his gaze returned to the figure in plain clothes, and his brows furrowed.

He recognized at a glance that the woman standing under the crabapple tree was the one who had abruptly barged into his carriage that day.

Wen was the first wife of He Guangzheng, the Minister of War.

However, considering all that had happened recently, doubts began to grow in Shen Mo's mind.

The woman before him possessed an extraordinary character and skills that were not of ordinary caliber. How could she be the wife of a sycophantic and opportunistic man like He Guangzheng?

Moreover, the spies had already discovered that the Wen family of the past not only lacked any martial arts skills, but their temperament and behavior were also completely different from that of the person now.

It's unbelievable that he changed so much in such a short time.

wrong!

Shen Mo's pupils suddenly contracted.

Could it be? She's not from the Wen family at all!