Phoenix Cries Return to Court

"No, that won't happen." Lin Xihe's smile faded, and she said solemnly, "Your Highness, rest assured, from now on, I will do my utmost to impart all my knowledge to you and help you secure your position as Crown Prince."

She paused, looking at the young man before her, whose brows were furrowed with worry and trepidation, and gently comforted him, "Your Highness is so intelligent and has such high comprehension; you've just lacked proper guidance in the past. As long as you put your heart into it, I believe that in just over a month, you will be completely transformed and impress everyone."

Fu Chen stared blankly at the woman in front of him.

Sunlight streamed through the carved windows of the East Palace, falling on the woman before him and giving her a faint golden glow.

The woman was stunningly beautiful, with arched eyebrows and eyes that seemed to sparkle like stars. She looked at him with a smile.

Suddenly, a line of poetry from the Book of Han came to mind.

"How could one not know the power of a beauty to topple a city or a nation, for such a beauty is hard to find again?"

Fu Chen's agitated mind inexplicably calmed down; she was so sincere that he couldn't help but be moved.

How can she be so good?

Lin Xihe's lips twitched involuntarily as she looked at Fu Chen's distraught appearance.

Good heavens, did her heartfelt words really resonate with this great grandson, or was he completely bewildered?

Looking at his listless eyes and absent-minded appearance, he probably didn't take her words to heart.

What on earth is this guy thinking?

She coughed lightly, interrupting the whimsical young man in front of her.

Fu Chen immediately came to his senses, a hint of panic flashing in his eyes, and a blush rising on his cheeks.

Lin Xihe abruptly changed the subject, "Your Highness, let's strike while the iron is hot, let's begin today's lesson."

Upon hearing this, Fu Chen's heart skipped a beat. "Alright! I'll do whatever the fairy sister... oh no, master says!"

He secretly resolved to stand up for himself, work hard, and not let down the beauty's feelings.

Lin Xihe raised an eyebrow. "Today, we'll practice horse stance while reciting this policy essay."

Having said that, she waved the scroll in her hand.

Fu Chen's expression froze instantly, as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head.

His lips twitched uncontrollably.

Squatting in a horse stance? And having to recite policy essays while squatting in a horse stance?

He's the Crown Prince! The Crown Prince!

Seeing Fu Chen's utterly dejected expression, Lin Xihe suppressed a smile, but still urged him seriously, "Your Highness, stop standing there! Go and squat down in the courtyard. You're not allowed to get up until you've finished reciting this essay!"

……

At 1:00 PM, Lin Xihe came out of the East Palace.

Fu Chen performed well today. Not only did he memorize the policy essays faster than she expected, but he could also apply what she casually pointed out to other points and speak eloquently.

Thinking of this, her smile widened.

Children can be taught.

In a corner of the alley not far away, a pair of deep, dark eyes were staring intently at her figure.

His gaze was too intense, yet it carried a hint of displeasure, taking in every bit of her joy and excitement.

The man suppressed the turmoil in his heart, and parted his thin lips slightly, "Stop her."

The next second, Lin Xihe's path was blocked by a magnificent carriage that was entirely black and inlaid with gilded cloud patterns.

Inside the carriage, a large, well-defined hand lifted the brocade curtain of the carriage window, revealing a remarkably handsome face.

His brows and eyes were deep and unfathomable, his nose high and straight. The man uttered two words indifferently, "Get in the car."

Looking at that face, Lin Xihe's heart suddenly fluttered like a deer.

She forced herself to calm down and slowly got into the car.

Inside the car, the aroma of agarwood filled the air.

"Young Grand Secretary," Lin Xihe said, bowing respectfully.

"Why is Madam Wen so happy? Did you receive some reward from the Crown Prince's Palace, or... did you meet someone who pleases you, that's why you're smiling so broadly?" The man's voice was deep.

"Can't I be happy?" Lin Xihe looked at the man in front of her, somewhat annoyed. "Young Master, did you see I was too happy and specially invite me into the carriage? When did you become so concerned about me?"

"Cough cough."

Upon hearing this, the man's expression froze, and his cheeks flushed.

He calmed himself down, put on a serious face again, took out a pearl from his pocket, and handed it to Lin Xihe. "This is what you're looking for."

Lin Xihe lowered her eyes, her gaze falling on the bead. After only one glance, she slowly shook her head, her tone certain: this is not a South Sea pearl.

As soon as he finished speaking, the air inside the carriage seemed to freeze.

A hint of surprise flashed in the young Grand Secretary's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a deep look.

He remained silent for a moment, then took out another, smaller brocade box from his bosom. Inside lay a slightly smaller bead, its color warm and soft, unlike the previous one which was so dazzling, yet it radiated a natural, lustrous glow.

Lin Xihe glanced at it, smiled, and said, "That's right."

"How did you distinguish them?" Shen Jueyan finally spoke again, raising his eyes to look at her with a scrutinizing gaze.

These two beads are similar in appearance and have almost the same luster. Even an old craftsman who has been in contact with jewelry for many years may not be able to tell them apart at a glance, let alone a woman who lives in seclusion.

Lin Xihe's heart tightened, and a flash of inspiration struck her. "I am also from an official's family, and I had the honor of witnessing the grand ceremony of the late Empress Dowager's birthday celebration. The South Sea pearl on the Empress Dowager's court dress was the subject of much discussion among us women. Its brilliance must be something that cannot be imitated by human hands."

She paused, then slowly continued, "That bead just now, although it looked round, didn't have a good luster. It was obviously artificially cultivated. Although it could fool people, it lacked the warm and smooth texture of a natural South Sea pearl."

Shen Jueyan raised an eyebrow but did not press further. He simply nodded, his expression softening.

Lin Xihe breathed a sigh of relief, turned her gaze back to the beads in her hand, examined them thoughtfully for a moment, and then held the two beads up in the sunlight to compare them.

"Eastern pearls and southern pearls have similar luster, but eastern pearls are larger and heavier." She paused, her tone becoming more certain, "This eastern pearl is made from a southern pearl."

"Eastern pearls should be larger than southern pearls," the young Grand Secretary slowly replied, "but if we want to reshape them, we must..."

The words came to an abrupt halt.

The moment their eyes met, they understood each other's thoughts.

Shen Jueyan took out another pearl from his bosom and placed it on the small sandalwood table in front of him. Lin Xihe understood and pulled out the jade hairpin from her hair, then struck the pearl with force.

With a crisp "snap," the bead shell cracked.

Lin Xihe rubbed the fragment between her fingers and shook her head, saying, "No, this is not the texture that a natural pearl should have. The powder of a natural pearl will have a fine, granular feel when you rub it, but the powder of this fragment is fine and smooth, and even has a slightly oily feel. It is obviously a synthetic pearl shell."

As the pearl shattered completely, the two gasped simultaneously, for beneath the pile of white powder lay a small lead ball.

Lin Xihe picked up the shot put, weighed it in his hand, and said sarcastically, "I suppose this is why Eastern pearls are more valuable than Southern pearls."

Shen Jueyan frowned and carefully collected the powder fragments on the table with a brocade bag.

He spoke in a deep voice to the outside of the carriage, "Mo Bai."

"Carefully collect these pearl fragments and powder, and send them to the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Have them immediately investigate the source of this white powder and lead ball, and report back to me as soon as they have any information."