The princess regretted it.

Chapter 328: Jiaoyu 2 Prince's Plea

These words were like a bolt from the blue, striking Zhang Concubine's heart. She felt a black screen before her eyes, and her entire body went limp, collapsing like a puddle of mud. However, a strong desire to survive and a sense of unwillingness instantly overwhelmed her. She struggled forward with her hands and feet, trying to grab the emperor's clothes as he retreated, crying out at the top of her lungs, "Your Majesty, please don't! Your Majesty! I know I was wrong! Please give me another chance!"

Unfortunately, the Emperor walked with unwavering determination, without a single pause, disappearing from the palace gates in the blink of an eye. Eunuch Fuquan sighed softly, a look of resignation on his face. He slowly walked over to Concubine Zhang, wanting to speak but hesitant. Ultimately, he simply shook his head, "Your Majesty, you... Alas!" Then, he quickly followed the Emperor's steps and left this dangerous place.

Concubine Zhang stared at the vanishing bright yellow figure, her eyes hollow, as if they had lost focus. Suddenly, she threw her head back and burst into wild laughter. "Hahaha..." The sound echoed through the empty palace, revealing an endless sadness and despair.

Qiu Wen was so frightened at seeing this that her face turned pale. She quickly knelt over and hugged Zhang Concubine tightly, crying out with tears in her eyes: "Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Please don't do this! Please don't do this! Your Majesty! We still have the old Grand Tutor and the others! We also have the Second Prince and Princess Jiaoyu! Your Majesty! You must hold on!"

But Concubine Zhang seemed to have lost her mind and continued to laugh wildly. Tears flowed uncontrollably from the corners of her eyes, intertwined with her crazy laughter, forming a heartbreaking picture.

She knew in her heart that once she was banished to the cold palace, it would mean that her life would hit rock bottom, and all her wealth, power and status would be gone.

Furthermore, Jiaoyu's earlier words still left a mark on her mind. She had sensed her mother's family's recent cautiousness, fearing it was the Emperor's suppression of them during the previous dynasty. If the Emperor was intent on eliminating the Zhang family, then there was no hope for her to rise again. All her years of planning and management had been wasted.

Under this tremendous blow, her mental defenses completely collapsed, and she fell into endless despair and madness.

The emperor's decree once again shocked the court and the country. At that time, Jiaoyu was still tossing and turning in her room, her heart tangled, not knowing how to decide whether to go to her grandparents' home.

Suddenly, Xiangcao, her face pale, rushed in in terror, dropping heavily to her knees before Jiaoyu. She looked panicked and spoke incoherently, "Princess, something terrible has happened! Concubine Zhang has just been banished to the cold palace. This is the Emperor's decree!"

When Jiaoyu heard this, she was so shocked that she stood up suddenly, her eyes wide open, her face full of disbelief. But in the blink of an eye, she sat back down dejectedly like a deflated ball.

This imperial edict arrived so quickly, she thought to herself, it must have happened to her mother after she returned from her stay. Could it be that her father had learned of her mother's sneaking out of the palace? If so, it would mean that her father knew everything about her mother's every move, which was terrifying.

Jiaoyu secretly thanked her second brother for what he had mentioned. Because she had some resentment towards her maternal grandparents' home, she hadn't wanted to go there when her mother came looking for her today. If it had been before, she might have been captured by her father before she even left the palace. She couldn't even imagine the punishment she would have received.

She looked down at Xiangcao, who was kneeling on the ground. She saw her trembling and in a state of disarray. Naturally, Xiangcao had guessed why Concubine Zhang had been banished to the cold palace, and she was filled with fear. After all, she was responsible for receiving Concubine Zhang's comings and goings, and also for keeping watch for the Empress and the Princess. If the Emperor were to investigate, her life would be in jeopardy.

Xiangcao said tremblingly, "Princess, what should we do? Should we go to Minister Zhang for help?" She didn't know that Princess Jiaoyu had already developed a grudge against the Zhang family. She just instinctively wanted to find a reliable person to seek help.

"Hmph, it's useless. They won't care!" Jiaoyu snorted coldly and muttered softly. She had already seen through it. In this critical moment, the Zhang family might not lend a hand.

"Then what should I do?" Vanilla was at a loss, mumbling in a tearful voice.

Suddenly, an idea flashed in her mind, and she thought of the second prince. She quickly raised her eyes to look at Princess Jiaoyu and said, "Princess, what about the second prince? Maybe he can help us think of a solution." She thought that the second prince had been adopted by Concubine Cen, and Zhang Pin's affairs should not involve him. Maybe he could protect the princess and herself.

"My second brother can't even protect himself right now! What's the point in asking him for help?" Jiaoyu shook her head softly, her tone filled with helplessness and despair. In her opinion, her second brother was also in deep trouble and had no ability to care for himself.

Then, Jiaoyu seemed to have made a great decision, and her eyes became firm in an instant. She stood up and said to Xiangcao, "Get up and help me change my clothes. I need to go and apologize to my father."

Xiangcao was shocked and looked at Jiaoyu in disbelief. She panicked and tried to persuade her, "Princess, you absolutely cannot do that! If something happens to you, then there will be no hope for the Empress."

"Stop talking nonsense and get up quickly to help me. If you go too late, I will really have no chance." Jiaoyu scolded coldly, her tone leaving no room for questioning.

She had to apologize, perhaps even giving herself a chance. She knew she couldn't get her father to retract the imperial decree. But she needed to protect herself first, so she could look after her mother and perhaps even free her in the future.

Xiangcao was helpless. Although she didn't understand the princess's intention, she could only obey the order. She quickly got up and fetched a set of plain clothes as Jiaoyu requested. She carefully helped Jiaoyu put them on and removed the pearls on her head and body. She didn't let her put on makeup yet.

After everything was packed up, Jiaoyu took Xiangcao and hurried out of Jiaoyu Palace, running quickly towards the imperial study.

What she didn't expect was that when they arrived outside the imperial study, someone was already kneeling there, begging the emperor for mercy. It was none other than her second brother, Changsun Yunji.

Jiaoyu's eyes suddenly warmed. She hadn't expected her second brother, who hadn't even cleared himself of suspicion, to desperately come to her father to plead for mercy the moment their mother got into trouble. This family bond deeply touched her.

Jiaoyu and Xiangcao strode forward quickly, lifting their cloaks. With a light yet resolute gesture, they knelt down beside the Second Prince with a plop. Seeing this, Xiangcao quickly knelt behind Jiaoyu. Jiaoyu took a deep breath, and with all her strength, she shouted into the imperial study, "Father, I beg you to revoke your order! Spare my mother this time. Father!" Her voice echoed in the silence outside the imperial study.