Host! I told you to do a task! I didn't tell you to bbb.

Before long, Master Xuan Kong followed Li Dequan into the palace, his monk's robes highlighting his calm demeanor.

After bowing to Emperor Kangxi, he heard about the withered red plum blossoms in the western suburbs and closed his eyes to calculate for a moment.

He suddenly opened his eyes, his expression solemn: "Your Majesty, the phoenix has appeared, but it is trapped in the mortal world. If we do not act in accordance with Heaven and the people as soon as possible, I fear that even greater calamities will befall us."

"Phoenix?" an old minister asked in a trembling voice, "But the three empresses have long since passed away, so where would a phoenix come from?"

Suo'etu picked up the conversation, asking with a puzzled look, "What does 'trapped in the net of worldly affairs' mean?"

Master Xuan Kong raised his hand and stroked the prayer beads, his gaze sweeping over the officials in the hall, his voice steady and calm.

"This phoenix is ​​not a concubine in the harem, but a woman with a noble destiny who can help the Qing Dynasty prolong its fortune. She is destined to assist the emperor, but due to her worldly status, she cannot get close to the emperor. The withering of the red plum blossoms in the western suburbs is a warning from heaven. If she continues to disobey, it may damage the foundation of the nation's fortune."

These words struck the imperial court like a thunderclap, instantly causing an uproar among the officials.

Some people frowned and questioned, "Where did this destined woman come from?"

Some people lowered their heads and speculated, "Could she be a noble lady from some royal family?"

Even Suo'etu and Mingzhu exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with doubt.

At this moment, Longkodo was unaware that he was about to be cuckolded and had no choice but to agree.

"Master's words concern the fate of the nation and must not be taken lightly! In my opinion, the most urgent task is to find this 'Phoenix Woman.' If she can truly help the Qing Dynasty prolong its fortune, it will be a blessing for the country!"

Emperor Kangxi chuckled inwardly, then looked at Master Xuan Kong, his face showing a hint of seriousness.

"Master, is there any evidence to support your claims? Who exactly is this woman? I can't possibly be expected to search for a 'phoenix' in the void, can I?"

Master Xuan Kong bowed and said, "This old monk has already calculated the birth date and time of this woman, and it is compatible with the Emperor's destiny. She is the wife of Lord Longkodo, of the Hesheli clan."

Upon hearing this, the Golden Palace fell into complete silence; even the dust in the corners of the palace seemed to freeze.

Longkodo's face turned green instantly. He glared at Master Xuankong, "Ridiculous! This is utter nonsense!"

Tong Guowei's expression also changed drastically. He quickly stepped forward and bowed, beads of sweat appearing on his forehead.

"Your Majesty! Master Xuankong's words are utterly absurd! Hesheli is the wife of my son Longkodo, how could she be some kind of 'destined phoenix and dragon'? If this were to spread, wouldn't it disrupt the established order and morality? I beg Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly!"

The discussions inside the hall grew louder, with many officials echoing the sentiment, claiming it was "against etiquette" and "potentially disrupting the court."

Longkodo was trembling with rage, pointing at Master Xuankong and shouting, "You old monk, how dare you spread such heresy! Are you trying to ruin the reputation of the Tong family by spouting such nonsense?"

Although he disliked Hesheli, what did he become if he was given the title of "his wife is a phoenix or roc ordained by heaven, destined to be by his side"?

It became a stumbling block to the nation's destiny and a laughing stock for the whole world!

Longkodo was so angry that his chest heaved violently, and his knees slammed heavily on the gold bricks.

"Your Majesty! Lady Hesheli is my lawfully wedded wife! Master Xuankong's nonsense is clearly an attempt to place me in a position of disloyalty and injustice, and to place Your Majesty in the stigma of 'stealing my wife'!"

Crown Prince Yinreng stood to the side, feeling a strange sense of familiarity with the scene, and inexplicably breathed a sigh of relief.

Kangxi glanced at the noisy officials in the hall, then looked at Longkodo, who was kneeling on the ground with a livid face. He tapped his finger heavily on the armrest of the dragon throne and said in a deep voice, "Silence!"

The Golden Palace fell silent instantly, all eyes fixed on the dragon throne.

Emperor Kangxi stood up, the hem of his dragon robe sweeping across the imperial desk, exuding imperial majesty: "Master Xuankong, do you know that these words will stir up the court and disrupt the established order?"

Kangxi spoke in a solemn tone, but when his gaze swept over Longkodo, a hint of coldness was hidden within it.

"Longkodo is my cousin, and Hesheli is his lawfully wedded wife. You say she is 'the destined phoenix,' do you mean I should become a monarch who goes against ethics and is despised by the world?"

Master Xuan Kong remained unmoved, his eyes lowered and hands clasped in prayer: "Your Majesty, the unexplained withering of the red plum blossoms is already a warning. If you continue to be obstinate, I fear that disaster will rage throughout the capital, causing widespread suffering and shaking the very foundations of the nation. By then, it will be too late for regrets!"

Upon hearing this, everyone gasped in shock, as if the air inside the Golden Palace had frozen.

Emperor Kangxi closed his eyes briefly and said in a deep voice, "I absolutely do not believe that the Eternal Heaven would treat the Qing Dynasty in this way!"

Kangxi paused, looked at Longkodo, and comforted him, "Longkodo, please get up."

Kangxi softened his tone and looked down at his tense shoulders.

"Although Master Xuan Kong's words are shocking, they are ultimately just a matter of fortune telling. You don't need to get angry or take such nonsense to heart."

Longkodo stood up stiffly, his face still grim, but he dared not rebuke Master Xuankong in public again. He could only bow and say, "Thank you for your consideration, Your Majesty. However, this matter concerns the reputation of me and my family. I beg Your Majesty to make a decision for me."

Emperor Kangxi raised his hand and pressed down, and the hall fell completely silent.

He slowly walked down the steps, his gaze sweeping over the officials, his tone tinged with contemplation.

"The withering of the red plum blossoms is suspicious, and Master Xuan Kong's calculations concern the fate of the nation. As the emperor of the Great Qing, I cannot disregard the will of Heaven for the sake of 'ethics,' nor can I lightly destroy the fundamental principles of morality for the sake of 'the will of Heaven.' Let this matter rest for now. Court adjourned!"

There's no need to rush now. I want the people and officials to willingly invite Yun Shu into the palace!

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The turmoil at the morning court session was like a pebble thrown into a lake, creating ripples across Kyoto.

Before long, everyone on the streets and alleys was talking about the "phoenix descending to earth".

The turmoil stirred up in the inner palace was even greater than that in the previous dynasty.

When the concubines heard the rumors that "Empress Hesheli is a phoenix descended to earth and is destined to be with the emperor," they were either shocked, jealous, worried, or afraid.

Consort Hui smashed her beloved jade cup in the palace, exclaiming, "Phoenix and dragon? That's utter nonsense! The Emperor didn't believe it, did he?"

The palace maid leaned closer and whispered, "His Majesty didn't believe it and even reprimanded Master Xuankong."

Consort Hui breathed a sigh of relief, but her fingertips still gripped the handkerchief tightly.

Consort Yi was sitting in front of the mirror drawing her eyebrows when she heard this. Startled, she drew her eyebrows crookedly, and the snail-shell ink in her hand fell "plop" onto the dressing case.

"Herseri? This...this is impossible!"

Consort Yi quickly steadied her dressing case, her fingertips trembling as she stroked her brow.

Absurd! This is absolutely absurd!

Consort Rong paused slightly in her teacup, the tea foam swirling gently in the emerald-green tea.

She set down her teacup, her slender white fingers slowly tracing the embroidered handkerchief on her knee. Her eyes revealed no emotion, and she simply said, "The concept of destiny has always been mysterious."

That being said, the strange phenomena in the northwest suburbs are there for all to see, and the Emperor has specially invited Master Xuan Kong to the palace, so this matter is probably not that simple.

When Consort De heard the news, she was pruning branches and, in her shock, accidentally damaged the green plum tree that had just sprouted new buds.

She stared at the tender juice seeping from the broken surface, her fingertips trembling slightly.

The Imperial Concubine was copying the Heart Sutra in a side hall when she heard the news. Her hand holding the wolf-hair brush paused slightly, and a drop of ink spread out on the Xuan paper, creating a small black shadow.

She looked up at the window, where sunlight streamed through the carved windowpane and fell on the gold bricks. The light was warm, yet it made her feel a chill in her heart.

"Herseri?! How...how is this possible?!"

Regardless of the turmoil in the hearts of the concubines in the harem, they all shared a common wish: that this was just a false alarm.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Qiandong Third Courtyard.

When the princes heard the news, they were so shocked that they forgot to react.

The bow in Yinti's hand slammed to the ground with a clang, and the arrows in the quiver rolled out. He stared wide-eyed at the guard beside him.

"What did you say? Longkodo's wife is a 'phoenix descended to earth'? And she says she wants to stay by the emperor's side? Has this old monk gone mad?!"

In Yuqing Palace, the Crown Princess looked at the Crown Prince, who had come to dine with her, with a puzzled expression. Wasn't he most fond of Lady Li Jia? Why the sudden change...?

Yin Zhi's hand holding the book suddenly stopped, and the pages slid "whoosh" across his fingertips.

He looked up at the eunuch who had brought the news, his brows furrowed: "Say it again? Master Xuankong of the Huguo Temple said that Lady Longkodo is a 'phoenix descended to earth'?"

The eunuch bowed and replied, "Yes, Third Prince. The master said it himself during the morning court session. He also said that the lady's fate is compatible with the Emperor's and can help the Qing Dynasty prolong its fortune. However, she is currently constrained by her worldly status, which is why the red plum blossoms in the western suburbs withered overnight. This should be taken as a divine warning."

Yin Zhi closed the book, his fingertips gently tracing the gold-embossed pattern on the cover, his eyes filled with contemplation.

Yinzhen was copying scriptures in the Buddhist hall when he heard the news. His pen remained steady on the paper, each stroke still neat and tidy.

His eyes were lowered, his long eyelashes casting faint shadows beneath them, making it impossible to discern his emotions.

Only after copying the last character did he slowly put down his brush, weigh down the Xuan paper with a paperweight, and say in a calm, even voice, "If this is truly the will of Heaven, how can human power change it?"

However, the fingers that were holding the prayer beads turned them two more times than usual.

Ninth Prince Yintang and Tenth Prince Yinti were in the accounting room tallying the shop's profits.

Upon hearing the servant's report, the abacus beads in his hand fell to the table with a "thud".

"This..." The two looked at each other in bewilderment.

The Eighth Prince, Yinzhi, was watering the orchids in the mansion when he heard the news. The water from the kettle shifted slightly, wetting the wooden tray outside the flowerpot.

He put down the kettle, carefully wiped his wet fingertips with a handkerchief, and a thoughtful look flashed in his eyes.