Rebirth of the Phoenix Princess novel Chapter 162

Prince Jing asked Yun Shang to order some dishes, and then he added a few more. Wang Shunlai took the teacup that the Prince always carried with him, and went downstairs to make tea. A while later, Wang Shunlai returned. After putting the teacup on the table, Wang Shunlai whispered to the Prince, "Your Highness, I saw Xia Houjing of the State of Xia just now. It seems he is entertaining guests here. Some people at the banquet looked familiar. I once saw pictures of the Xia officers. One of them must be Lord Hua Guo of Xia."

Prince Jing raised his brows a little, "Oh?"

Yun Shang learned some information about the officers from the State of Xia, and knew something about Lord Hua Guo, too. He was quite influential in the court of Xia as many of his ancestors had been generals in the history of Xia. The Hua family had made tremendous contributions to Xia. Lord Hua Guo had a daughter, Hua Yi, the late Empress of the State of Xia. About two decades ago, the State of Xia was at war with the State of Yelang. The Emperor of Xia led the army to the battlefield in person, and brought the Empress with him as well. However, the Xia army was ambushed by Yelang soldiers, and the pregnant Empress was forced to jump from a cliff. Only a bloody head reminded when the Emperor of Xia found her, and there were many animal bite marks on her head.

The Emperor of Xia was so grieved that his hair turned white overnight. Lord Hua Guo also suffered after news of his daughter's death. He became ill. Although his illness was not so serious as to threaten his life, he could no longer lead an army and fight on the battlefield again. Although the younger generals from the Hua clan were also good fighters, they were not as good as Lord Hua Guo. Without the support of Lord Hua Guo, the Hua family gradually lost its glory as a military clan.

But... Yun Shang lifted her eyes to look at Prince Jing and saw a trace of confusion in his eyes. The Prince must also feel puzzled about Lord Hua Guo's visit to the Imperial City of Ning... in secret...

Prince Jing and Yun Shang planned to leave after dining, as Yun Shang wanted to pay Wang Jinyan a visit. She hadn't seen Wang Jinyan in a long time. Yun Shang had learned from the Prince that Wang Jinyan was unhappy as Lady Wang was considering finding a husband for her.

Yun Shang intended to go to Wang Jinyan's home. But when Prince Jing learned of her intention, he insisted on dining with her in this restaurant before escorting her to the Wang Mansion.

After they finished dining, Prince Jing opened the door. But he was taken by surprise as soon as the door opened. As Yun Shang walked behind the Prince with her head bowed, she didn't see who was standing in the doorway. She walked toward the door, and almost ran into a person. But the Prince checked her in time. Yun Shang lifted her eyes and saw a familiar figure standing in the passage outside. By his side was an old man with grey hair. He looked dignified and stern in spite of his plain dress. Yun Shang also felt startled when she saw the old man's face. He must be Lord Hua Guo.

It seemed the two men had just finishing dining as well.

Xia Houjing never expected that he would meet Prince Jing and Yun Shang in this restaurant. Regaining his composure, he said with a smile, "What a small world! It is sheer coincidence that we see each other here, Prince Jing."

Yun Shang noticed that Lord Hua Guo's expression changed when he heard Xia Houjing's greeting. Lord Hua Guo stared at Prince Jing with amazement for a long while. It seemed that he could not believe the man standing in front of him was Prince Jing of the State of Ning.