The princess regretted it.

Chapter 195 High Fever

It turned out that she and Jin An had not left the temple. Instead, after leaving the temple for a distance, they cleverly turned a corner and, like two cunning foxes, quietly returned. Jin An hid in a secluded corner outside the temple.

Han Shuang used her superb lightness skills to fly back to the temple as quietly as a swallow. She and the princess had already set up the mechanism of the temple door before entering.

When Jiaoyu and her servant entered the inner chamber of the Buddhist hall, Hanshuang was hiding in the darkness on the beams, crouching low on the beam near the door. She was holding a rope, the other end of which was tied to the door hinge, which they had arranged earlier.

She gently grasped the rope, her gaze fixed on the backs of Jiaoyu and her servant. A sly smile curled her lips. Once Jiaoyu and her servant were completely inside the inner chamber, she held her breath, exerted a sudden force, and pulled the rope. The rope instantly set the door hinges in motion. With a loud bang, the door to the inner hall slammed shut behind Jiaoyu and her servant, startling them both.

Seeing Princess Jiaoyu feigning composure, she rolled her eyes and, in a mysterious attempt to create a strange "woooooo" sound, frightened Princess Jiaoyu to death and fled in panic.

Seeing Jiaoyu and her servant fleeing in panic, Jin An walked out from the darkness leisurely. She first breathed a sigh of relief, then turned to look at Han Shuang.

Han Shuang, however, appeared composed and composed, the slight curve of her lips revealing the triumph of a successful scheme. Jin An was stunned at first, but then, unable to contain himself, he burst into laughter as joyful as a child. Her laughter was clear and resounding, echoing throughout the silent Buddhist temple, as if releasing all the joy she had suppressed. She laughed so hard that tears welled up in her eyes.

Han Shuang brought her hands back to her front. The box that had vanished was now in her hands again. Seeing Jin An's unbridled laughter, she grinned along with him. Jin An wiped the tears from his eyes with a handkerchief, laughing uncontrollably. He hadn't felt this cheerful since waking up. His laughter lingered in the air, dispelling all the gloom.

Jiaoyu and Cuiguo supported each other all the way back to the Jiaoyu Palace, still shaken and frightened. Their usual composure had long since vanished in their panic. Princess Jiaoyu was now a disheveled sight, her carefully applied makeup stained with sweat and tears. Her hair had fallen from its once gorgeous bun, fluttering in the wind, a reflection of her current state of panic. Her face was as pale as paper, and her lips trembled slightly.

Cuiguo wasn't much better off. Her clothes were disheveled, and her once-clean shoes were stained with dust and dirt from the temple's courtyard. She gripped Jiaoyu's arm tightly, her grip so strong it practically dug into her flesh. Jiaoyu, now completely oblivious to the pain, was so frightened.

After finally returning to the hall, Jiaoyu collapsed into a chair, gasping for breath, the fear in her eyes still lingering. Cuiguo, shaken by her sudden jolt, also collapsed to the ground, her hand slowly releasing Jiaoyu's arm.

Only then did Jiaoyu belatedly feel the throbbing pain in her arm, the pain as if it had just broken free from the cover of shock, becoming ever more distinct. She frowned, tilting her head to look slowly at her arm, breathing heavily as she struggled to lift her sleeve with a still-trembling hand.

There were several blue and red fingerprints on her arm. The fingerprints were bright in color, as if someone had pinched her hard. It was probably because Cuiguo had grabbed her arm too hard in extreme fear.

Jiaoyu looked at the marks on her arms and couldn't help but take a breath. A trace of anger flashed in her eyes. She looked coldly at Cuiguo who was slumped on the ground. Thinking about her shameful behavior today, her eyes became even colder, like an ice knife in the cold winter, sharp and cold.

Cuiguo was still drenched in fear, breathing heavily, her hair plastered to her cheeks, her eyes blank and vacant. Unaware of Jiaoyu's piercing gaze, she continued to tremble.

She was completely oblivious to Jiaoyu's piercing gaze, glaring coldly at her. Her mind was preoccupied with the eerie whirring sound, the suddenly slamming door, and the seemingly omnipresent, unknown fear in the darkness. She had no inkling of the princess's distress, or the dire consequences she had inflicted upon her in her panic.

......

Perhaps the shock she'd received that day in the Buddhist temple had been too great, and the sweat she'd sweated from running all the way back hadn't dispelled the chill in time; that night, Jiaoyu developed a high fever. The Jiaoyu Palace was immediately thrown into a state of panic. The palace maids hurried back and forth, their steps hurried, yet their voices were as quiet as possible, fearing to disturb the already unconscious Princess Jiaoyu. Upon receiving the maid's report, Concubine Zhang quickly sent for the imperial physician on duty and hurried to the Jiaoyu Palace herself.