Phoenix Cries Return to Court

Hearing the Crown Prince's pedantic and arrogant words, Lin Xihe felt a surge of anger rising within her.

He secretly thought to himself, "This good grandson of mine used to be so obedient and sensible in front of me, but it turns out he's so arrogant and stubborn behind my back."

She then took a deep breath and said loudly, "Since Your Highness says so, then this humble woman would like to ask Your Highness."

"If in governing a country and appointing officials, one only considers personal relationships and ignores talent and virtue, resulting in mediocre people in power and virtuous people being wronged, the country and the nation will be in danger. What should Your Highness do?"

"If the court selects officials who are virtuous but come from humble backgrounds, and instead favors only those from powerful families, it will dishearten scholars and alienate the people. What should Your Highness do then?"

"If you cannot maintain a proper balance, taking care of both the virtuous and the close, and thus lose both capable advisors and trusted followers, what should Your Highness do?"

These three questions were sharp and incisive, instantly silencing the prince.

The prince opened his mouth as if to say something, but found that he couldn't utter a single word.

He usually studied with the Grand Tutor, but it was nothing more than reciting ancient books and reading some policy essays. He only knew what it was, but not why it was.

I have never truly calmed down to think about the profound meaning behind these strategies, nor have I ever imagined that there are so many considerations and weighings involved in governing a country and appointing people.

Now, when Lin Xi asked him this question, he was speechless and his face turned bright red.

Lin Xihe, who was behind the wall, saw his embarrassed state clearly and couldn't help but shake her head, looking at him with disappointment.

With such a mindset and insight, how can one possibly shoulder the heavy responsibility of this great empire in the future?

She had no intention of making things difficult for her beloved grandson, nor did she intend to show off in front of others. She simply couldn't stand these people's empty talk and presumptuous comments on national affairs, so she couldn't help but speak up and refute them.

Now that she had achieved her goal, she didn't want to stay here any longer, lest she attract unnecessary trouble.

Just as she quietly turned to leave, someone in the banquet hall couldn't help but speak up, "Young lady, since you possess such courage and wisdom, you must come from a prestigious family. Why not show yourself and let us admire your elegance?"

"Yes, yes! Your words are all pearls of wisdom, and what you say are the great principles of governing a country. We admire you very much and would like to invite you to meet us."

In an instant, everyone in the banquet hall echoed the sentiment, all eager to catch a glimpse of the mysterious woman's beauty.

Seeing this, Crown Prince Fu Chen felt even more indignant. The blush on his cheeks had not yet faded, and he was even more annoyed.

But he couldn't help but wonder who this woman who had made him lose face was.

However, there was no further movement behind the wall.

The crowd's curiosity grew even stronger, and they all stood up and quickly walked to the partition wall, craning their necks to see what was behind it, only to find that there was no one there.

Shen Jueyan stood in the council hall, looking towards the direction of the wall, a hint of interest flashing in his eyes.

This Wen family is truly interesting.

Fu Chen stood there, staring at the empty partition wall. The annoyance on his face gradually faded, but the curiosity and resentment in his heart grew stronger.

He was silent for a moment, then raised his hand to signal the guards to come forward and whispered, "You must find the woman behind the wall and find out her identity and background. There must be no mistakes."

……

At this moment, the Lan Banquet returned to its original lively state.

The melodious sounds of string and wind instruments filled the air, laughter mingled, and the ladies of officials, their clothes fluttering, chatted idly while holding cups.

Only the Grand Princess Ruian leaned alone against the carved mahogany chair in the corner of the courtyard, holding a white jade wine cup in her hand, gazing absently at the amber-colored wine inside.

A wave of annoyance washed over her. She disliked these lousy banquets the most; the more lively they were, the more they reminded her of people.

If that person were still alive, the two of them would probably be sitting around a stone table playing a game of chess, or leaning against the railing, chatting about everything from poetry and songs to the imperial court and the inner palace. It would certainly be much more interesting than it is now.

Unfortunately, the old friend is gone, and a kindred spirit is hard to find again.

A bitter taste rose in his throat, and Ryan sighed heavily, his brow furrowing with even more sorrow. He then raised his wine glass, intending to drink the fine wine in one gulp.

Just as the wine glass was about to touch her lips, a slender, delicate hand gently covered hers and steadily took the white jade glass from her hand.

"How dare you!" Rui'an felt a tightness in his chest and raised his hand to snatch the jade cup.

But the man took a step back, curtsied, and said calmly, "Your Highness, please calm down. I was being rude. I was just worried that Your Highness was drinking too much and might harm your health. This cup of honey water is just the right temperature; it will help relieve the dryness after drinking."

A clear, cold female voice came from above. Ryan frowned and looked up at the person who had come.

Isn't this the very same woman who was staring intently at me just now... the wife of the Minister of War?

"I haven't even punished you for disrupting the banquet yet, and you're already meddling in my business?" Ryan said leisurely, gazing at the beautiful woman before him.

"I dare not. I only noticed that Your Highness looked depressed and seemed to be drinking alone, which is why I dared to step forward. I had no intention of offending Your Highness."

She looked at Ryan and said softly, "I once had a close friend, with whom I shared a similar temperament and could talk about anything. But later, fate was unkind, and we were separated by vast distances, making it difficult to see each other again. In the end, we didn't even get to say goodbye."

Upon hearing this, Ryan paused, his gaze towards Lin Xihe becoming more inquisitive, but his tone softened slightly, "Oh? You've encountered such a situation?"

Lin Xihe nodded slightly and handed the warm honey water to Ruian. "Years ago, when my dear friend was chatting with me, she recited Qu Yuan's line, 'May the years pass by, but my friend remains forever.' She said that the most touching friendship in this world is not about being together day and night, but about having a mutual understanding. Even if separated by mountains and seas, even if separated by life and death, this feeling will never fade away."

Upon hearing this, Ryan's heart skipped a beat. She almost blurted out "It's you," but she swallowed the words back down.

The late Empress Dowager has long been buried in the imperial mausoleum, her soul returned to dust. How could this person before me be her?

Lin Xihe paused, looking at Princess Ruian's reddened eyes, her tone becoming increasingly earnest, "True friends are hard to find in this world, but wine only adds to sorrow. If your old friends saw you drinking like this, Your Highness would be heartbroken."

As she spoke, she stepped forward and gently comforted her, "You are the Grand Princess of Ruian, the jewel of this Great Sheng. You should not be trapped in your memories and wallow in self-pity."

Ryan's eyes welled up with tears as she gazed at the woman before her, as if she were looking at a long-lost friend she had been yearning for.

Just then, a hurried, low shout came from outside the courtyard: "Don't leave!"

"Seal off the courtyard gates; no one is allowed to leave without permission!"

Immediately afterwards, a group of guards dressed in black rushed in, each with a solemn expression, and instantly surrounded the entire Nuanfang Courtyard.

The officials' wives and noble ladies, who had been laughing and chatting, were startled by this sudden scene.

In an instant, Nuanfang Courtyard was in chaos.