Phoenix Cries Return to Court

"Divorce."

Lin Xihe said calmly.

Shen Jueyan was stunned for a moment, then sneered, "It's another drama of vying for favor in the inner quarters."

"What I've never fought for has been men."

She interrupted him, her voice not loud, but it made him involuntarily stop talking.

Lin Xihe raised her head, her eyes calm yet sparkling with starlight. "What I'm fighting for is to walk out of this door and not be trapped in those four worlds."

"What I'm fighting for is the rest of my life, so I don't have to be with someone I don't love and who doesn't love me."

"That's all?" The man looked back at her, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes, and a thought stirred in his heart.

There are still so many things worth doing in this world.

She looked away and gazed into the distance.

As the heavy rain subsided, water droplets drizzled from the eaves onto the grass outside the pavilion, the air filled with the fresh, clean scent of grass and trees after the rain.

Lin Xi took a deep breath, her mind gradually calming down, and heard the man's whisper in her ear.

"Madam, is there anything else you would like to do?"

A gentle breeze blew by, causing the beautiful woman's black hair to flutter around her ears. She gathered her hair, looked away, and smiled gently.

That smile suddenly brought to mind a familiar yet blurry face.

He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he felt something inside him being gently touched.

"May our mountains and rivers be safe and sound, and may our country be prosperous and our people at peace."

A sharp female voice rang in his ears, and he stared at the beautiful woman in front of him, momentarily lost in thought.

Lin Xihe turned her head, her smile deepening: "So, firstly, to fulfill my promise of three days, and secondly, to act on behalf of Heaven, I came here to become a detective and investigate cases."

"Unfortunately, things didn't go smoothly from the start." She said, shrugging her hands, recalling the scene just now, her eyes seeming to show annoyance.

They should have reacted faster and tied up Wang Wu so they could have interrogated him slowly. They wouldn't be empty-handed now. After this incident, they will definitely be more cautious.

Shen Jueyan's heart skipped a beat when he thought of the scar on her arm.

"Since I saved you, I don't expect anything in return. You shouldn't do such dangerous things again."

He paused, then said somewhat awkwardly, "And your injury, you must take medicine when you get back."

Lin Xi frowned slightly, glancing at the blush on the man's ear, and asked with feigned casualness, "Young Grand Secretary, what are you doing here?"

He answered slowly, "Following you."

The wind suddenly stopped.

The blush instantly shifted to Lin Xihe's face. She coughed awkwardly and looked away.

"Young Grand Secretary... you should investigate the Minister of War."

"After listening to what Wang Wu said, I have some doubts. Why does He Guangzheng need Eastern Pearls? Although the Minister's Mansion is not one of the wealthiest families in the city, it is certainly not so wealthy as to make him take such a risk to obtain money. Moreover, he has already taken a batch of Eastern Pearls. What is he going to do with them?"

"In my opinion, it seems to be related to the Ministry of War."

Shen Jueyan's eyes darkened. This morning, his secret guards reported that strange phenomena were occurring in a corner of the city's outskirts, seemingly related to the Ministry of War.

He had just left the mansion and had not yet investigated the matter thoroughly when he heard an urgent report from a guard that Madam Wen was in danger, so he rushed here.

But he didn't continue on that topic. Instead, he changed the subject and said casually, "Madam seems to have a keen interest in investigating cases?"

Lin Xihe understood what was going on when she saw him avoiding the main point.

With a cold laugh, she finally met his gaze, "Not as interested as the young Grand Secretary in monitoring people."

Shen Jueyan raised an eyebrow, not annoyed at all, but instead chuckled softly, his breath drawing closer, "Does Madam know I'm watching her, which is why she dares to venture into danger alone?"

Lin Xihe's heart skipped a beat, but her face remained impassive. She raised her eyebrows and looked back at him, saying, "It was I who underestimated you. I didn't know that the young Grand Secretary valued me so much."

Shen Jueyan's face turned even redder, his throat tightened, and he stared at the person in front of him with a deep look in his eyes. Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly heard a loud shout from afar.

"My lord!"

The next second, Mo Bai was already standing respectfully in front of him, bowing and paying his respects.

"Your subordinate is late in protecting Your Majesty!"

……

Night fell, and the lights dimmed.

A bright moon quietly rose and hung above the eaves, with countless stars twinkling in the air, and the fresh scent of rain filled the air.

Inside the East Palace, in the study.

Under the candlelight, Fu Chen, dressed in casual clothes with his black hair tied up high, sat at the rosewood desk in the study with a furrowed brow, scratching his head in front of a small blue note.

Seeing his master's expression, Eunuch Zhou, who was standing by, sighed softly and quickly stepped forward with a white porcelain teapot. "Your Highness, please don't be impatient. Why don't you have another cup of tea to refresh yourself? No matter how difficult this question is, you have to think about it slowly, don't you?"

"What nonsense!" Fu Chen slammed the blue paper on the table, annoyed. "Stop pouring it out! I'm not a water bucket; do you think I can write an article just by filling my belly with tea?"

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, muttering angrily to himself, "Father is really something, why did he have to set such a tricky problem for no reason!"

Upon hearing this, Eunuch Zhou trembled and respectfully said, "Your Highness, please be careful with your words."

He paused, his eyes darting around, then quickly stepped forward and whispered in the Crown Prince's ear, "Your Highness, I have an idea. If you're truly in a difficult situation, why don't you... ask your 'master' for help?"

"Master?" Fu Chen was taken aback, then waved his hand. "You mean Grand Tutor Wang? No, no! These exam questions were clearly set by Father Emperor; he must know them. How could he possibly help me cheat in secret!"

"Your Highness misunderstands," Eunuch Zhou quickly said. "I wasn't referring to the Grand Tutor in the palace, but to the one you recently appointed. ... Now is the perfect opportunity to test her true abilities and also solve your immediate problem."

The Crown Prince frowned slightly, recalling Lin Xihe's remarks over the wall that day, and suddenly understood.

Later that day, a subordinate reported that the woman was the wife of the Minister of War.

After making some inquiries, he thought it over and over and concluded that there were only two possibilities for the woman's actions.

Either he wanted to use the Crown Prince's power to elevate his own status in the Minister's Mansion and gain a foothold.

Either she's so angry that she wants a divorce, and secretly seeks out a more prominent husband.

Thinking of this, Fu Chen touched his handsome face, certain that she must be looking for another husband, which was why she had attracted his attention in this way.

Look at Lin Xihe, she has an exceptionally beautiful appearance and an elegant demeanor.

If she really was trying to get his attention, then it wouldn't be so foolish.

Such a talented and beautiful woman, if she could be recruited, could become a great asset to one's future endeavors.

Once the thought was made up, Fu Chen's anxiety vanished, replaced by overwhelming joy. He slammed his hand on the table and shouted, "Quickly, quickly, send someone to invite her here!"

Eunuch Zhou's brow twitched, and he looked troubled. "Your Highness, it is already late at night. It would be against etiquette to send someone to the Minister's residence to invite a lady to the palace so abruptly. If it alarms His Majesty..."

"It's alright!" Fu Chen raised an eyebrow and said loudly and nonchalantly, "It's her honor to be summoned by the Crown Prince!"

Having said that, he called out loudly, "Sheath!"

A dark figure entered through the door in response to the voice, "Your subordinate is here."

"You shall set off immediately to the Ministry of War's residence and invite the Minister's wife here," Fu Chen instructed.

As soon as he finished speaking, he felt a sense of relief, and drowsiness instantly washed over him.

Having stayed up half the night, and now that there was hope, they were unwilling to expend any more effort.

He then got up and went into the inner room, slumped onto the soft couch, and said lazily, "I'll take a short rest first. Call me as soon as you arrive."

Eunuch Zhou exchanged a glance with the sword sheath, then quietly bowed and left the study.

As soon as the door closed, Eunuch Zhou grabbed the sword sheath that was about to leave. His expression was solemn. After thinking it over again and again, he whispered, "This matter must not be made public. When you go to the Minister's residence, remember to act quietly and do not let anyone know that this matter is related to His Highness the Crown Prince."

The sword sheath paused, looking at him with confusion.

Eunuch Zhou gritted his teeth and added, "If the main gate is inconvenient, then if necessary... we can climb over the wall."

……