Phoenix Cries Return to Court

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw a figure in white slowly stand up from the table.

Lin Xihe's gaze fell on the man's face, and her heart skipped a beat.

The man had sword-like eyebrows that reached his temples, a high nose bridge, and pale lips. When he wasn't smiling, he exuded an air of aloofness and nobility.

Those eyes were still as bright and deep as I remembered.

However, the man had lost his former flamboyant and arrogant demeanor, and gained a more composed and dignified air.

In a daze, she recalled the spirited young man from the Shou Kang Palace.

Looking back now, things have changed.

Prince Yu paused slightly in his wine cup, and when he saw who was speaking, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes. "Young Grand Secretary?"

The man in white faced Prince Yu, bowed respectfully, and glanced at He Guangzheng, who looked flustered in the hall. He spoke calmly, "Before Your Highness arrived, the various farces in the hall were quite strange. This lady presented her case with reason, and her grievances did not seem to be fabricated."

"However, the charge of 'murdering one's wife' is too serious. If it is confirmed, it will tarnish Minister He's reputation. In my opinion, it would be better to report this to the authorities and ask the Court of Judicial Review to investigate. In this way, we can clarify the facts and clear Minister He's name."

"Absolutely not!" He Guangzheng hurriedly stopped him, but as soon as he finished speaking, he realized that he had lost his composure and quickly composed himself, explaining with a forced smile, "I... I mean, thank you for your concern, young master, but family scandals should not be aired in public."

After speaking, he bowed respectfully to the man in white, forcibly suppressing the panic in his heart.

He thought to himself, he had no close relationship with the Grand Secretary and others, and this young Grand Secretary was always reclusive and disliked crowds, so why was he here today?

But then he suddenly thought of his new bride and couldn't help but feel a little smug. He figured the young Grand Secretary must have come because of Princess Ding'an.

Thinking of this, He Guangzheng straightened his back unconsciously. "Thank you for your concern, Young Grand Secretary. Today's matter is due to my poor management of my household. After the banquet, I will definitely deal with this matter properly and will not wrong anyone."

"Oh?" A mocking smile flashed across the young Grand Secretary's lips. "Minister He won't cause any deaths this time, will he?"

He Guangzheng's expression froze. Just as he was about to speak, he heard a soft and melodious voice coming from behind the screen.

"Young Grand Secretary is joking."

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw that Tao Qingqing had personally lifted the bright red veil and slowly walked out from behind the screen.

She wore a bright red wedding dress embroidered with gold peonies, her hair styled in a peony bun, and she wore a full set of red gold headdress inlaid with rubies. Her eyebrows were like crescent moons, her skin was like solidified cream, and her eyes, as they moved, seemed to express both joy and shyness.

The room fell silent for a moment.

Tao Qingqing swayed gracefully and moved lightly to Prince Yu's side. She slightly bent her knees and gave a curtsy, saying, "Your Highness, may you be well."

Upon seeing this, everyone seemed to snap out of their daze, rising to their feet and respectfully saying, "Greetings, Princess Anding!"

"Get up, everyone."

Tao Qingqing looked at everyone with a gentle smile on her face.

Lin Xihe looked at Tao Qingqing in front of him and sighed inwardly. Six years had passed since they last met. The girl who was still a bit naive back then had now transformed into such a beautiful and charming woman. It must be the environment of Xi Kingdom that nurtures such a person.

And myself...

She subconsciously wanted to raise her left hand to touch the calluses on her right hand, which had been worn down from years of reviewing memorials.

What my fingertips touched, however, was the smooth and delicate fingertip.

She suddenly came to her senses and realized with shock that the body she was in now belonged to Wen, the first wife of the Minister of War.

Just then, Tao Qingqing's gaze also fell on the "Wen family".

Her eyes, which had been gentle and warm just moments before, still held a smile. She walked slowly to the tea table, picked up the white porcelain teapot, and gracefully poured a cup of tea.

Holding her teacup, she slowly moved to stand before Madam Wen, and gave a graceful bow. "Sister, you are feeling much better today. Zhenglang and I can finally relax."

After saying that, she handed the teacup to Lin Xihe and said gently, "These past few days, my sister's illness has been fluctuating, and the maids and servants have been busy preparing gifts. There is no one in charge of things in the mansion, so there has been a lot of neglect and negligence. Please don't be angry with them, sister."

Lin Xihe raised her eyes, her gaze falling lightly on her, and said calmly, "Princess, rest assured, the servants in this manor will be disciplined by me, the mistress of the house, whether they need to be rewarded or punished. It's not my place to argue with them."

Upon hearing this, Tao Qingqing's smile froze almost imperceptibly for a moment.

Upon seeing this, everyone gasped in shock.

Everyone knows that Lady Wen is the first wife, but Tao Qingqing is Princess Anding, who has made contributions to the country. Now she has condescended to pay respects to a "jealous and troublesome" first wife.

The gazes of the crowd toward Tao Qingqing now held a mixture of pity and admiration.

For a princess to achieve such a feat, what more could the Wen family possibly want?

"Sister," Tao Qingqing called out again, her eyes glistening with tears.

"Zhenglang and I are deeply in love, and we have overcome many hardships to finally be united in marriage. Now that I have entered the Minister's mansion, we are sisters, serving the same husband and supporting the same household together."

Her voice was soft, yet every word was clear: "Sister should consider the reputation of the Ministry of War and the official's name, lest everyone here see the family as a laughing stock."

These few words are like putting "Wenshi" on a fire to roast.

A hint of sarcasm flashed across Lin Xihe's lips as she raised her hand, pretending to take the teacup from Tao Qingqing's hand, but abruptly withdrew it just before it touched the teacup.

"To be honest, I can certainly afford this tea, after all, I entered the palace two years before the princess. But why is this tea so hot? Would you please trouble the princess to get me another cup?"

Upon hearing this, Tao Qingqing paused slightly in her teacup, the tears in her eyes instantly vanishing, replaced by a fleeting ruthlessness.

But she quickly regained her composure, a gentle and dignified smile still on her lips, though her eyes darted swiftly over the old woman beside her.

The old woman immediately understood and stepped forward, saying sternly, "How dare you, Lady Wen! Our princess has deigned to serve you tea, and you dare to be so picky and pretentious! This is utterly outrageous!"

"Madam Wen" casually glanced at the old woman, her voice not loud, yet carrying a chilling authority, "Is there any order left in this mansion? How dare you interrupt when your master is speaking? I merely said the tea was too hot, and you call that disrespectful and presumptuous?"

She paused, then her voice suddenly rose, "Princess, are you perhaps deliberately serving me this tea to embarrass me?"

"I am the legitimate daughter of the Wen family, and I was married into the Shangshu Mansion with great ceremony and a grand wedding procession. No matter how precious a princess may be, there is always a proper order of precedence and seniority."

Tao Qingqing frowned slightly, secretly resentful, but said with a wronged expression, "Sister, please don't get agitated. I know you entered the manor first, so I should show you more respect."

"It's just that my sister is not in a good mood today and her old illness has not yet healed. Her loss of composure in public has put Zhenglang in a difficult position. I sincerely advise her to consider the bigger picture."

Lin Xi smiled and looked around.

"Where is the seat of honor for the main wife? Sisters, please perform your proper greetings and follow the proper etiquette. There's no rush for serving tea."

She paused, then added, "Don't worry about me, I'm here to observe the ceremony. Sisters, you can continue."

She deliberately emphasized the word "younger sister".

Tao Qingqing froze abruptly, a hint of ferocity flashing in her eyes.

But she quickly suppressed it, lowered her eyelashes, and when she looked up again, her eyes were misty with tears, and she looked at He Guangzheng with a wronged expression.

He Guangzheng was already furious. Seeing this, he stepped forward, glared at "Mrs. Wen," and said sternly, "How dare you! She is a princess of noble birth. If word of your aggressive behavior reaches the palace, can you bear the consequences?!"

Upon hearing this, a hint of provocation flashed in Tao Qingqing's eyes.

Lin Xihe, however, remained unperturbed, coldly stating, "I'm sure the Princess and the Minister know why I've come today. As for the palace..."

Her gaze swept over He Guangzheng. "I'm someone who crawled back from the brink of death; I've long since disregarded life and death. If even the Minister is fearless, why should I fear this little bit of blame?"

"Sister's words sound like she's distorting the truth."

Tao Qingqing's eyes flashed with a sharp light as she looked at Lin Xihe, her tone full of disdain. "I am of noble birth, and I am only condescending to do this for the sake of my husband's reputation, and also to give you some face."

She took a half step forward, her sleeves fluttering slightly, and stood tall, showing no trace of her previous grievance. "But you, on the other hand, have been making things difficult for me in every way, putting on airs. Do you really think I, a princess, am a soft persimmon for you to manipulate?"

"Your Highness is of noble birth, as I naturally know. But now that you've entered the Minister's residence, you are bound by ancestral worship and family rules, no longer able to do as you please in the palace. As the principal wife of the Minister's household, it is only natural for you to offer me tea upon entering the residence. How can you claim to be condescending?"

Her voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear: "When have I ever made things difficult for you? I was merely fulfilling my duties and following the rules. It's you, sister, who, upon entering the manor, has been stirring up trouble like this. You appear gentle in public, but are sharp and ruthless in private. Is this the demeanor of a princess, or... are you deliberately trying to embarrass me, the principal wife?"

Lin Xihe stepped forward, her posture upright, her brows showing no fear. "I'll make my words clear today: now that you've entered the Minister's residence, if you behave yourself, I will treat you with courtesy; but if you become arrogant and provoke the mistress, even if you're a princess, or even if the Emperor himself were here, I dare say that anything against the rules will not be tolerated!"

"Enough!" He Guangzheng roared, a hint of panic flashing in his eyes as he shielded Tao Qingqing behind him. "Qingqing is a woman of noble birth, gentle and virtuous, understanding and considerate of the bigger picture. How could you, a jealous and arrogant madwoman, have defiled her! If you dare to spout nonsense and cause a scene in public again, don't blame me for disregarding our marital bond and expelling you from the manor!"

"Your Excellency, Minister!"

She looked at He Guangzheng, her voice suddenly rising, "Since we're talking about marital affection, why don't you explain to me clearly why, on your joyous wedding day, I, your lawfully wedded wife, am lying in a thin coffin dressed in a shroud?!"