Phoenix Cries Return to Court

"What?" Lin Xihe was startled by the sudden question. "Young Grand Secretary, please don't tease me. You can't say such things carelessly."

"Are you truly uninterested?" The man stepped forward, his deep, dark eyes fixed on her, the scent of agarwood wafting into her nostrils.

Lin Xi felt uncomfortable under his gaze and subconsciously lowered her eyes to avoid his intense stare, replying with a hint of barely perceptible panic, "Of course."

Fu Chen is her beloved grandson, a child she watched grow up. It is only natural for an imperial grandmother to cherish and take care of her grandson. How could it be misinterpreted like this by Shen Jueyan?

Seeing her evasive manner, Shen Jueyan frowned, his jealousy intensifying. He pressed on, "If you have no such feelings, then why are you so attentive to him, Madam?"

"Perhaps His Highness the Crown Prince is too childish." Lin Xihe's heart pounded, but she forced herself to explain, "I treat him like a child, so naturally I want the best for him and that's why I've been so worried. Young Grand Secretary, please don't overthink it."

As she spoke, she secretly glanced at Shen Jueyan's expression, and seeing that his brows were furrowed even more, her doubts deepened.

Why did he suddenly get angry?

As she pondered, the man in front of her raised an eyebrow and said something surprising: "You want a child?"

Lin Xihe's pupils constricted sharply, as if she had choked on something, and she coughed violently, her cheeks turning bright red. "Young...Young Grand Secretary, what are you saying?"

Lin Xihe was somewhat amused and exasperated, thinking to herself how she had never noticed before that Shen Jueyan's thought process was so astonishing.

"Young...Young Grand Secretary, please stop joking." Lin Xihe calmed herself and gently reminded him, "There are important matters to attend to tomorrow."

The man suddenly leaned down, and the two were instantly very close, their eyes almost touching. She could feel his warm breath coming from him, and the fragrance of the agarwood became stronger. Lin Xihe froze, her heart pounding so hard it felt like it was going to burst out of her chest.

The man's gaze fell on her flushed cheeks, a slight smile playing on his lips. He spoke slowly and deliberately, "In that case, you'll have to pay more attention to me from now on, okay?"

……

In the afternoon, the sun shone brightly, the heat was intense, and the cicadas chirped incessantly.

The sleeping quarters of Kunning Palace were sheltered from the summer heat and exuded a cool breeze. Half of the ice-patterned gauze curtains hung above the carved window frames, and a gilded ice mirror was placed in each of the four corners of the hall. The melting ice brought a slight coolness to the hall.

Wen Qingyi leaned lazily against the soft couch, her long, dark hair loosely tied into a flowing cloud bun, adorned only with a single mutton-fat jade hairpin. A few strands of hair fell to the side of her neck, making her neck appear as white as jade. She wore a moon-white satin nightgown embroidered with magnolia blossoms, and her brows and eyes carried a hint of languid weariness. Her narrow phoenix eyes were half-closed, as if she were half asleep.

He thought to himself, "The summer hunting feast has been going on for more than a day now. Prince Yu must have already made some moves. I just don't know when this good news will reach the capital."

Suddenly, a series of hurried footsteps approached from afar. She frowned slightly, feeling annoyed. Who was this blind fool who dared to disturb her peace at this hour?

The next second, the curtain was lifted, and a wave of heat rushed in. Duan, the head maid of Kunning Palace, looked flustered and hurriedly stepped forward to give a curtsy.

Upon seeing this, Wen Qingyi's heart skipped a beat, and she hurriedly sat up. "Could there be news from the Mulan Hunting Grounds?"

Granny Duan nodded with a gloomy expression, then cautiously glanced at her mistress's expression before respectfully saying, "Your Highness, the Third Prince... the Third Prince was wounded by an arrow in the hunting grounds and is currently receiving treatment."

"What?" Wen Qingyi's pupils constricted sharply. "Where is he? Didn't he promise me he would protect Jie'er in the hunting grounds? How could he let Jie'er get hurt?"

"Your Highness," Granny Duan stepped forward and whispered, "According to our informant, the person who shot and wounded the Third Prince was none other than His Highness Prince Yu's man."

"Impossible! He knew Jie'er had been in poor health since childhood, how could he hurt him!" Wen Qingyi's tone suddenly rose, "Jie'er is his..."

"Your Highness, be careful what you say!" Granny Duan hurriedly interrupted her in a low voice, her eyes scanning the hall warily. Seeing no one around, she stepped forward, took Wen Qingyi's cold hand, and whispered, "Your Highness, this is not the time for impulsiveness. Walls have ears. If someone overhears even a single word, not only will the Third Prince's life be in danger, but you will also be doomed! If you are truly worried about the Third Prince, why not ask him yourself…"

Wen Qingyi shuddered and instantly came to her senses. She quickly got up and walked to the mahogany table in the southeast corner. She picked up a brush and quickly wrote several lines on the Xuan paper. Every word was sharp and questioning why Prince Yu had gone back on his word and hurt the Third Prince.

But just as she was about to put down her pen, she suddenly stopped. After a moment's hesitation, she picked up the sheet of Xuan paper she had written on, walked to the candlestick on the side, and placed the paper on the flickering flame.

The flames shot up instantly, and in no time, the sheet of Xuan paper covered with writing was reduced to ashes.

"What's wrong, Your Highness?" Granny Duan asked, standing to the side, somewhat puzzled.

Wen Qingyi remained silent, but turned back to her desk, took a deep breath, picked up the brush on the inkstone, and wrote a small calligraphy piece in the style of "Hairpin Flower". Then, she raised her hand to remove the white jade hairpin, and her black hair fell down instantly. With a calm expression, she cut off a strand of her hair.

"Granny Duan," Wen Qingyi raised her eyes and ordered in a deep voice, "Go to the Imperial Hospital immediately and convey my message: find several of the most capable imperial physicians and have them rush to the Mulan Hunting Grounds to heal the Third Prince's injuries. If anything happens to Jie'er, I will not let him off lightly! Also, bring along the thousand-year-old ginseng that I have been keeping secret, to help Jie'er recover."

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Granny Duan respectfully accepted the order, turned around and hurriedly went to get the ginseng, heading towards the Imperial Hospital.

At this moment, only Wen Qingyi remained in the hall.

Her expression was grim as she looked into the shadows and said coldly, "Someone come here."

A figure in black robes slowly emerged from the shadows within the hall, bowing respectfully.

Wen Qingyi carefully wrapped the strands of hair and the Xuan paper she had just taken and handed them to the man, whispering, "Deliver this to Prince Yu. Remember, do not leave a trace along the way. Also, pass on my order to have our people planted in the hunting grounds closely monitor Prince Yu's every move. If anything unusual happens, report it immediately."

The man in black nodded, carefully put away the package, bowed again, and then disappeared into the shadows in a flash.

Wen Qingyi slowly walked to the window, raised her hand to lift the gauze curtain, looked out the window, and a ruthless glint flashed in her eyes.

Before long, a group of imperial physicians from the Imperial Medical Academy, carrying medicine chests, hurriedly boarded the prepared carriages and sped off towards the Mulan Hunting Grounds.