[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-phoenix-returns-to-rule-the-world":3,"chapter-the-phoenix-returns-to-rule-the-world-the-phoenix-returns-to-rule-the-world-chapter-40":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Phoenix Returns to Rule the World",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2353164,4602,"Chapter 40: Palace Banquet","the-phoenix-returns-to-rule-the-world-chapter-40",40,"\u003Cp>Inside the Aoxue Courtyard, sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting mottled light and shadows. A gentle breeze brushed against the flowers, plants, and trees in the courtyard, bringing with it waves of fresh fragrance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jun Zijin instructed the kitchen to add a few more dishes for everyone today and announced that this month’s regular allowance would be doubled for all, with an extra reward for each person today. For a time, the Aoxue Courtyard was filled with laughter and bustling activity, all congratulating Jun Zijin on being enfeoffed as a County Princess.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mama Dong was counting the treasures bestowed by the palace with Xiao He. Jun Zijin had been busy all day and felt somewhat weary. She had intended to nap for a while, but just as she lay down, she saw Han Xiao walk into the room and speak softly beside her:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Second Young Lady, Zhou Yiniang from the manor has brought the Fourth Young Lady here.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the time Jun Zijin came out to greet them, Zhou Yiniang and Jun Shuyan had already been ushered into the tea parlor by Mama Zhou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Jun Zijin enter the room, Zhou Yiniang hurriedly stood up with Jun Shuyan, and with a cry of \"County Princess,\" she bowed toward Jun Zijin. Jun Shuyan did not forget to wink at Jun Zijin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jun Zijin was amused by Jun Shuyan and quickly supported Zhou Yiniang, smiling lightly: \"Yiniang, please don't do this. Yiniang and Fourth Sister, please sit.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Yiniang said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Second Young Lady is now a County Princess, a person of noble status, while I am a concubine; the rites must not be neglected. By rights, in front of the Second Young Lady, I should refer to myself as a servant.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jun Zijin also knew well how much people in this era valued etiquette, so she did not dwell on it further, only saying, \"We are all family; there is no need for this when there are no outsiders.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Yiniang looked at Jun Zijin with gratitude and pulled Jun Shuyan to sit down. Jun Shuyan leaned toward Jun Zijin with a grin and said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Second Sister has now become a County Princess; you must surely protect your little sister in the future.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jun Zijin smiled and nodded:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There is a banquet in the palace the day after tomorrow; would you like me to take you along?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jun Shuyan had never seen a palace banquet before. Hearing that she could go play tomorrow, she laughed with joy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Yiniang also said gratefully: \"Thank you, Second Young Lady.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shuyan was now over ten years old; a girl of this age would soon need to be considered for marriage. But Shuyan was only a daughter of a concubine, so she would certainly not be able to marry into a good family. The palace banquet would be attended by young masters from high-ranking and wealthy households; if the Second Young Lady could take Shuyan with her, it would be of great benefit to her future marriage prospects.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jun Zijin had the same thought. Although she complained that people in this era married too early, this was the reality. In her own time, a ten-year-old was just an ignorant child, but here, once the fifteen-year-old hairpin ceremony passed, one could be married off, and a girl who was not married by seventeen was considered an old maid to be gossiped about.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Mama Zhou brought in freshly brewed tea, and the fragrance of tea permeated the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Yiniang sipped her tea and said softly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Second Young Lady, I have heard that the manor has not been peaceful lately. After this enfeoffment, there may be more twists and turns. You have just returned to the manor; you must be even more careful and cautious in the future.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jun Zijin knew that Zhou Yiniang truly had her best interests at heart, so she nodded and thanked her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jun Zijin rose and returned to the inner room. She had previously said she would use brocade to make a wedding dress for Jun Shuyan, but Shuyan was only ten and still had five years before marriage; it was hard to judge her size now, so it would be better to just give her the brocade. After thinking for a moment, she picked out a pink pearl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Jun Zijin returned to the tea parlor, she was holding an exquisite box. Jun Zijin shoved the box to Jun Shuyan:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Second Sister said she would use brocade to make you a wedding dress, but I cannot be sure of your future size, so I will just give you the Cloud Brocade.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she spoke, she shoved the thumb-sized pink pearl into Jun Shuyan's hand:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I originally had nothing of value on me, but fortunately, the Emperor and His Highness bestowed some brocade and Eastern pearls. Let this pink pearl be a greeting gift for Fourth Sister!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jun Shuyan was stunned. She had thought Jun Zijin was just teasing her. This was Cloud Brocade; Jun Yiyi was used to seeing good things, but she probably had never worn clothes made of Cloud Brocade. Jun Yiyi had a colored pearl hairpin that she treasured like nothing else.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Yiniang was also shocked. She subconsciously reached out to touch the Cloud Brocade in the box, then pulled her hand back, as if afraid of damaging the brocade in the box. Before Jun Shuyan could recover, Zhou Yiniang said excitedly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Second Young Lady!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the most composed person would not know what to say at this moment. If Jun Shuyan could wear a wedding dress made of Cloud Brocade when she married, then no matter what kind of family she married into, the husband's family would hold her in high regard. And this thumb-sized pink pearl—even ordinary Eastern pearls were extremely difficult to collect, let alone such a large pink one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Yiniang was the first to recover:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Silly girl, what are you still standing there for? Why don't you thank your Second Sister!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then did Jun Shuyan come to her senses. With reddened eyes, she carefully hugged the box with one hand and clutched the pink pearl tightly with the other. Her voice was choked with emotion:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thank you, Second Sister...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Zhou Yiniang, Fourth Sister, there is no need for this.\" Jun Zijin smiled faintly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Although I have been away from the manor for many years, I still remember things from my childhood. It was thanks to Zhou Yiniang's protection that I suffered fewer secret losses in the manor.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Besides, I feel a connection with Shuyan; it is only right that I look after my sister.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Yiniang was filled with emotion. In truth, she hadn't been able to help much back then; she had only seen that the Second Young Lady was young, helpless, and suffering secret losses everywhere. As a mere concubine, she could only watch over her quietly. She had not expected that a good deed from back then would be repaid to her daughter. Zhou Yiniang offered her thanks once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yiniang, rest assured, as long as I am here, I will not let anyone bully Fourth Sister.\" Jun Zijin truly liked this child. For Zhou Yiniang, her greatest hope in this life was simply for Shuyan to be well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On a sunny morning, a gentle breeze brushed the leaves, making a rustling sound. Today was the first Mid-Autumn Festival Jun Zijin had spent in this era, and the palace was hosting a banquet. All four sisters of the Jun family attended in their finest attire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Lady Wu was elevated to the position of legal wife, there was a palace banquet where she had taken Jun Yiyi and Jun Zijin. Jun Zijin had just lost her mother, and the First Lady had appeared to care deeply for the six-year-old Jun Zijin, so Jun Zijin had soon come to trust the First Lady completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that palace banquet, the First Lady had looked aggrieved and forbearing at the table. Seeing that the First Lady was unhappy, Jun Zijin had tried to amuse and comfort her. The First Lady had given a look to Jun Yiyi beside her, and Jun Yiyi had whispered to Jun Zijin:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Second Sister, do you see that lady in purple over there? She is the one who made Mother unhappy. If you are truly good to Mother, pour your tea on her to vent Mother's anger.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The clueless Jun Zijin only thought about how to make her mother happy. She stood up, took her tea, walked toward the lady in purple, and splashed the entire cup of tea on her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The lady in purple was shocked, and the surrounding crowd turned to look. Only then did Jun Zijin realize she had done something wrong and stood there at a loss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, the First Lady feigned a reprimand:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Zijin, I don't blame you for being rude at home, but how can you be so reckless and rude outside! Hurry and apologize to this lady.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone understood what the First Lady meant: the Second Young Lady of the Jun family was ill-bred at home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A six-year-old child had no way of understanding such schemes and did not hear the impropriety in those words. Although she apologized obediently, because of the act committed in front of everyone and the First Lady's words, the rumor that the Second Young Lady of the Jun manor was an ill-bred wild child spread throughout Jingcheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since then, fearing that Jun Zijin's ill-bred and rude behavior would offend noble people, the First Lady only took Jun Yiyi to palace banquets. Jun Zijin, let alone palace banquets, rarely attended even ordinary official banquets. Even when she did attend, she was pointed at and disliked by others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recalling it now, Jun Yiyi had only been seven years old at the time. A child of that age should have been innocent and pure, yet Jun Yiyi had possessed such deep and complex thoughts. Jun Zijin could not help but feel a tightness in her chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today, Jun Yiyi was still dressed in exquisite white, riding in a Jun manor carriage with Jun Zhidie.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jun Zijin wore a pale blue, ankle-length pleated skirt, like a blooming orchid, fresh and refined. Every pleat was meticulously crafted, and the silk ribbon at her waist fluttered, as if flowing with poetry and spirit. This dress was the very one she had designed herself a few days ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beside her was the excited Jun Shuyan. The two sisters boarded the magnificent carriage bestowed upon the County Princess by the Emperor. No matter how unwilling Jun Yiyi and Jun Zhidie were, they could only let her go first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This carriage was decorated magnificently; the carriage body was carved with exquisite patterns and inlaid with brilliant gemstones, emitting a dazzling light. The interior of the carriage was comfortable and luxurious, with soft cushions, delicate curtains, and a small, exquisite incense burner, all of which displayed the nobility and grandeur of the imperial family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a crisp crack of the coachman's whip, the sound of horse hooves clattered, and the wheels began to turn slowly. The carriage moved slowly along the wide street, drawing passersby to look and whisper:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Look, that in the carriage is the useless Second Young Lady of the Jun manor.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What nonsense are you spouting? That is the Qingping County Princess personally enfeoffed by the Emperor!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Exactly, exactly. If she were really a useless person, could she be a County Princess?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I think it's just good luck.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jun Shuyan could not bear to hear others speak ill of Jun Zijin and was about to lift the gauze curtain to scold them, but Jun Zijin stopped her and smiled indifferently. Who could control what others said? If they bumped into her, it wouldn't be such a pleasant matter.\u003C\u002Fp>",1975,"2026-06-21T03:35:39.629Z",1,"Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite","04e5a4385d17abc6f4fbce85d8364fc8a9aac0aa11231519b06177537ebeeb4d","the-phoenix-returns-to-rule-the-world-chapter-41","the-phoenix-returns-to-rule-the-world-chapter-39",224,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-phoenix-returns-to-rule-the-world-cover.jpg"]