Rebirth of Her Royal Highness the Princess

The emperor was supported by the eunuch and walked into the side hall. "What a lively place!"

“Your Majesty, why did (father) get up?” The Empress, Imperial Noble Consort and Ye Lan said in unison.

"I want to hear what you two are talking about." the emperor asked weakly.

The queen walked over and helped the emperor sit on the bench in the center of the hall, while she sat on the right side. "My beloved, please sit down too," said the emperor, pointing to the chair on the left.

"Yes, Your Majesty." The Imperial Concubine replied and sat down.

"Father, I would like to marry Gongsun Xihua, the eldest daughter of the Prime Minister." Ye Lan knelt down and said.

"Gongsun Xihua?" the emperor asked.

"That's right. This girl is extremely talented and beautiful like a fairy. She and I are a match made in heaven." Ye Lan replied hurriedly.

The emperor was silent for a moment, and a barely perceptible light flashed in his eyes. "The daughter of the Gongsun family is indeed good. But marriage is a big deal, and we should not be careless. I still want to test her talent."

"Thank you, father! I will tell Miss Gongsun and ask her to be prepared." Ye Lan kowtowed to express his gratitude.

"Get up." The emperor waved his hand, "I am tired, you all can leave."

The Imperial Concubine and Ye Lan left the palace, secretly delighted. As long as Gongsun Xihua passed the emperor's test, he could marry her smoothly, thus increasing his power in the court.

The Queen did not leave. She smiled and said softly, "Your Majesty, do you know Gongsun Xihua? She is the eldest daughter of the Prime Minister of the Cabinet, and the most noble lady in our Shangjing! There was a rumor that she was carrying the Phoenix's fate..."

"Phoenix's fate?" Upon hearing this, the emperor frowned slightly and asked, "Is there any basis for this?"

"It is said that when Gongsun Xihua was born, strange phenomena appeared in the sky with various colors." The queen said with a slightly mysterious tone, "Later, Master Gu Yi asserted that this girl was destined to be a phoenix. I just don't know whether the eldest prince knows about this..." The queen's gaze drifted towards the emperor vaguely.

After hearing this, the emperor was moved. He naturally understood what "Phoenix Fate" meant. If Gongsun Xihua was really a person with Phoenix Fate, then taking her into the royal family might bring good luck to the country. However, the emperor also knew the cruelty of the power struggle, so he had to be cautious about this matter.

"I will send someone to investigate the true situation of Gongsun Xihua." The emperor said slowly, "Until there is solid evidence, everything is just a rumor."

The Queen nodded slightly to show her agreement. She knew the Emperor's concerns and understood that this matter was of great importance and that a conclusion could not be drawn lightly.

At the same time, Ye Lan learned of the emperor's decision and was secretly anxious. He was worried that the emperor's investigation would affect his marriage with Gongsun Xihua, so he decided to speed up his actions and try to make Gongsun Xihua his wife before the emperor discovered the truth.

Gongsun Xihua was very surprised when she learned that Ye Lan liked her. She thought that she and Ye Lan had not met many times and had not talked to each other many times, so how could he like her? So she wanted to ask her father for his opinion.

Gongsun Xihua gently opened the door, walked into her father's study, and called softly, "Father!"

Gongsun Li was sitting at the desk, looking at the documents in his hand seriously. He looked up when he heard the voice and saw Gongsun Xihua walking in. He smiled and replied, "Hua'er, what do you want to see me for?"

Gongsun Xihua walked up to Gongsun Li and asked hesitantly, "Father, do you know that the eldest prince wants to marry your daughter?"

Gongsun Li nodded, with a hint of worry in his tone: "I have heard a little about this matter, but I don't know the details. I'm afraid the eldest prince is coming for your phoenix life, right?"

Gongsun Xihua frowned and said firmly: "My daughter does not want to marry the eldest prince."

Gongsun Li raised an eyebrow and asked in confusion: "Oh~ Why doesn't Huaer want to get married?"

"My daughter already has a lover." Gongsun Xihua blushed and said with her head down, a little embarrassed. Her voice was very low, but Gongsun Li heard it clearly.

"Sweetheart? Who is that person? Does he like you?" Gongsun Li asked with a frown, his face full of confusion and surprise.

Gongsun Xihua bit her lip and hesitated for a moment before saying, "Yes...it's the fifth prince." After saying that, she didn't dare to look at Gongsun Li again, but just stood there quietly waiting for her father's response.

Hearing this answer, Gongsun Li was stunned for a moment, feeling a little surprised. But soon, he regained his composure and said lightly, "Oh, it turns out to be the fifth prince." There was a hint of disappointment in his tone, but more of helplessness.

"Father, please help your daughter!" Gongsun Xihua suddenly raised her head, with a determined light in her eyes. She knew that her decision might cause some controversy, but she did not regret it. Because she believed that only in this way could she truly be happy.

Gongsun Li looked at his daughter's determined eyes and was touched. He knew that his daughter had grown up and had her own ideas and pursuits. Although he didn't want his daughter to be involved in court struggles, he didn't want to see her lose the opportunity to pursue true love. So he nodded and expressed his willingness to help his daughter realize her wish.