Phoenix Cries Return to Court

Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw the young Grand Secretary dressed in a moon-white silk robe with dark patterns, the hem of which revealed ink bamboo, holding an ivory fan, walking gracefully from the outer room like an immortal in a painting.

But when he saw the situation inside the room, the smile on his face froze instantly, and he stood still in place.

Crown Prince Fu Chen was sitting on the bed, his hair in a mess, with tea and water stains on it, looking utterly disheveled.

His face flushed red as he stared intently at the slender, light blue figure before him.

This figure... why does it look so familiar?

Shen Jueyan frowned.

Just as he was lost in thought, Fu Chen on the bed seemed to wake from a dream, suddenly sitting up straight and roaring, "Outrageous! Absolutely outrageous! How dare you!"

He paused, his chest heaving as he gasped for breath, and roared, "Guards! Drag her away and give her eighty strokes of the cane!"

"Heh," the woman chuckled lightly, her voice cold, "Your Highness, even if you beat me to death, you'll have completed your test?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Fu Chen, who had been so aggressive just moments before, deflated like a punctured balloon.

"Hurry up and get ready, then come to the study. I'll wait for you for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. If you haven't arrived by then, I'll return home and will never again meddle in Your Highness's affairs."

After the woman finished speaking, she slowly bowed to Fu Chen on the bed, then turned and walked out without regard for anyone else.

As he passed by Shen Jueyan, he paused slightly, smiled gently, and said, "Greetings, Young Grand Secretary."

Shen Jueyan trembled, and the ivory fan in his hand almost slipped from his grasp.

He looked at the receding figure with surprise, then turned to look at the disheveled Fu Chen in front of him, his brows furrowing even deeper.

Lin Xihe walked towards the study, memories flooding her mind.

Earlier, in order to prove his loyalty and to protect the Shen family, the Grand Secretary sent his only son, Shen Jueyan, to the palace as a hostage.

At that time, Shen Jueyan was just an eight-year-old child, standing timidly alone in front of the palace gate, his eyes filled with unease and fear.

It was she who brought him into the palace, personally raised him, taught him to read and write, taught him political maneuvering and scheming, and taught him how to climb the social ladder in this cannibalistic palace.

And he never disappointed her; in just a few years, he became the sharpest knife in her hand.

Because Shen Jueyan and Crown Prince Fu Chen were of similar age and grew up together in the palace, they had a very good personal relationship.

Because she valued the late Empress and gave Fu Chen the position of Crown Prince, Shen Jueyan protected Fu Chen in every way and did her best to help him.

Thinking of this, Lin Xihe sighed softly. She recalled that when she was the Empress Dowager, she was deceived by Fu Chen's appearance and thought that he was a talented, respectful and steady person who must be Shen Jueyan's secret helper.

but……

Shen Jueyan was always calm and composed, so his hurried arrival at the East Palace today was no accident.

Could it be.

The Dongzhu case has made progress!

……

Before long, Fu Chen and Shen Jueyan entered the study one after the other.

Fu Chen had already tidied up and changed into a clean set of bright yellow casual clothes.

Upon seeing the two, Lin Xihe put down her teacup, stood up, and bowed respectfully to them.

Then she looked at Fu Chen and saw that his brows were still furrowed, with a hint of anger that had not subsided, and a hint of mockery flashed in his eyes.

He tapped the small blue note on the table with his fingertip and said calmly, "Your Highness slept well last night. Did you have any ideas?"

"If you had a solution, you'd be getting a beating right now!" Fu Chen said angrily.

Lin Xi frowned slightly, a hint of disappointment flashing in her eyes, tinged with a sense of exasperation. She said coldly, "His Majesty asked you to write a policy on governing the country to test your abilities and see if you could shoulder the responsibilities of the Crown Prince. But all you do is throw tantrums and abuse your power. Is this how you respect your teachers?"

Fu Chen was taken aback upon hearing this and was momentarily speechless.

Seeing that he no longer objected, Lin Xihe turned her gaze to Shen Jueyan beside her, her tone softening slightly, "Young Grand Secretary, is there a new breakthrough regarding the Eastern Pearl?"

When asked this, Shen Jueyan subconsciously replied, "Yesterday, the Embroidered Uniform Guard secretly investigated the Ministry of War's accounts and discovered that since three years ago, the output of newly mined iron ore in the outskirts of the capital does not match the consumption. In addition..."

Shen Jueyan suddenly came to his senses and his whole body trembled.

He subconsciously looked up at Lin Xihe in front of him, and instantly realized that the person in front of him was not the late Empress Dowager, but the wife of the Minister.

The oppressive feeling and that familiar tone of voice made him lose his composure for a moment, as if he had become...out of control.

"The pearl itself has problems," Lin Xihe said gravely, continuing the conversation.

Seeing that Shen Jueyan remained silent, she understood even more. She paused for a moment and then said, "So this is why you rushed to see the Crown Prince so early in the morning, right? You found clues about the missing iron mine and suspect that it is related to the Dongzhu case. You want to discuss it with the Crown Prince and jointly submit a memorial to His Majesty to thoroughly investigate this matter."

Shen Jueyan suddenly looked up at the person in front of her and saw that she was still calm and taking small sips of tea. Her heart was pounding.

Fu Chen watched the two of them talking and answering, his heart filled with doubt. He knew about the Dongzhu case, but how did this young lady know about it? Judging from her tone, it seemed that she was also involved in the investigation?

He opened his mouth, about to ask a question, but was startled into silence by Lin Xi's sharp gaze.

Lin Xihe looked at Shen Jueyan, a deep meaning flashing in her eyes, and said solemnly, "Young Grand Secretary, what do you believe is the foundation, the essentials, and the priority of governing a country?"

She had asked Shen Jueyan the same question back then.

Shen Jueyan's eyes flickered slightly. He paused for a moment, then slowly spoke, "The key to governing a country lies in ensuring the well-being of its people; the key to ensuring the well-being of its people lies in the governance of its officials. The order or chaos of the world depends on the ruler's heart, as well as on the officials. The people are the foundation of the state; when the foundation is firm, the state is at peace. If the people are displaced, even with strong armor and sharp weapons, peace cannot last long."

Lin Xihe nodded, then looked at Fu Chen, who seemed lost in thought, and added, "What the young Grand Secretary says is quite right. However, the way to govern a country must also proceed step by step. First, we must clean up the officialdom and eliminate the root causes; second, we must combine leniency with severity, and let education take the lead; finally, we must strengthen the army and prepare for unforeseen circumstances. If we can bring peace to the people, secure the borders, and clean up the officialdom, then the world will naturally be at peace."

Upon hearing this, Fu Chen instantly understood and was overjoyed.

Seeing this, Lin Xihe felt a surge of relief, and her gaze towards the Crown Prince softened slightly. "Your Highness, do you have any ideas now?"

Fu Chen nodded, rolled up his sleeves, and was eager to try.

Lin Xihe stood up and gave him the seat at the desk. Fu Chen quickly stepped forward, sat down, and began to write furiously.

Seeing the focused look on the person in front of her, Lin Xihe smiled faintly.

Then, turning to the man beside him, he whispered, "Young Grand Secretary, may we move in and discuss this further?"

The man looked back at her, raised an eyebrow, and finally nodded.

The two sat down in front of two wooden chairs with intertwined branches in the southeast corner of the room.

As soon as Shen Jueyan sat down, he heard the cold female voice from across the table sound again.

"Those pearls weren't formed naturally, were they?"