The princess regretted it.

Chapter 340 The Secret Guard Discovers Mingyue

Upon hearing this, Vanilla immediately understood that Princess Jiaoyu wasn't really going to take a bath; she was clearly looking for an excuse to see Mingyue. Not wanting to delay even a moment, she quickly rose from the ground and respectfully replied, "Yes, Princess." Then, she quickly stepped aside and swiftly prepared the necessary items for Jiaoyu's outing.

Soon, Xiangcao had everything ready. She picked up a thick cloak and gently draped it over Jiaoyu, saying carefully, "Princess, it's cold outside. Please put on your cloak and be careful not to catch a cold." Jiaoyu nodded slightly, as if to respond to Xiangcao.

The two of them left the house and headed towards the hot spring. Along the way, Jiaoyu remained silent, her expression sullen. Xiangcao followed closely behind her, not daring to make a sound. She was actually terrified every time she saw Mingyue. Every time she saw Princess Jiaoyu's cruel methods inflicted on Mingyue, a chill ran down her spine.

However, the scene that happened a moment later left a deep shadow in Vanilla's heart.

The secret guards arranged by Jin'an had been observing Jiaoyu in secret after she returned to the palace. They saw that she had just returned for a while and then she took people and carried something to a place.

He quietly followed them and saw that they were actually going to the hot spring. Seeing Jiaoyu and Xiangcao push open the door and walk in, the secret guard hesitated again and again, and finally did not dare to follow them rashly. He could only find a very secluded corner, hide his body, and wait quietly for the two to come out.

Not long after, a short cry of surprise suddenly pierced the silence. The secret guard's heart skipped a beat, and he instinctively knew something was happening. Someone was screaming in fear, and then the cry was muffled and silent.

The secret guard wanted to rush in to investigate, but it was a hot spring after all, and he worried about bumping into Princess Jiaoyu. In the moment of hesitation, the door to the hot spring was flung open with a bang, and Xiangcao rushed out, panicked and stumbling. The secret guard looked closely, but Princess Jiaoyu didn't appear. In an instant, several possible hypotheses emerged in his mind, and he was completely unsure whether Princess Jiaoyu had met with an accident.

He resisted the urge to rush out and continued to hide in the dark, not daring to move. A moment later, he saw Xiangcao leading two people, rushing into the hot spring again with a hurried and anxious look.

After a while, the door to the hot spring slowly opened, and five figures emerged one after another. To be more precise, four of them were walking normally, while one of them, tightly wrapped from head to toe, showed no signs of walking. He was supported by two people on either side, his feet dragging on the ground, and he was dragged forward.

Jiaoyu's face was as cold as ice, a chill emanating from her body that seemed to freeze the air around her. She hurried ahead, walking at the front. Two people approached from behind, one on each side, holding the person in the middle. The person was limp, helpless, his head drooping, his legs dragging two shallow trails on the ground, allowing himself to be dragged forward. Xiangcao walked at the end of the group, her expression alert, her eyes constantly scanning left and right, constantly aware of the surroundings.

Hiding in the shadows, the secret guard sensed something unusual. He held his breath, carefully concealing his presence, and followed the group like a ghost. Soon, they arrived at a secluded, small room. They filed in. Vanilla, after confirming everything was normal, gently closed the door, moving with care, afraid to make a sound.

The secret guard, swift as a swallow, landed silently outside the window. With his fingertips, he carefully poked a tiny hole in the window paper. Through this tiny hole, he could see every movement within the room clearly. Jiaoyu stood nearby, directing the unconscious man to be placed on a small bed. The moment the man was lowered, the hood and cape slipped off, revealing a pale face. It was the face of a young woman, perhaps in her early twenties, but her face was emaciated, her cheeks sunken, her lips chapped and peeling, devoid of any color, as if she had just recovered from a serious illness, yet also as if she had endured endless torture.

Where the cloak couldn't cover them, the clothes were torn and bloodstained, clearly having experienced a disaster. Following them all the way, the secret guards could faintly smell an unpleasant odor in the air.

At this time, Jiaoyu in the room subconsciously took a few steps back, stood far away, took out a handkerchief, covered her mouth and nose tightly, her eyes full of disgust.

After settling the man down, Vanilla led one of them away in a hurry. Not long after, the two returned, carrying some food, tea, and toiletries.

The secret guard held his breath, his eyes fixed on the room, watching the woman lying on the small bed, her breathing weakly, seemingly lifeless, and then glancing at Jiaoyu and the others working silently nearby. A vague suspicion formed in his mind. Without further delay, he retreated quickly and silently, sprinting towards the palace where Jin'an was.

As Jin An listened to the secret guard's detailed report, a thought flashed through her mind: This person is most likely Mingyue. In an instant, her mood became extremely excited, and her eyes flashed with an irrepressible excitement.

She acted decisively, ordering the secret guards to return immediately and continue to closely monitor the area, without any slackness. Then, she summoned Han Shuang and solemnly instructed, "Find a way to quickly inform the Imperial Guards and Concubine Cen that Mingyue might be in Jiaoyu Palace. This matter is of great importance, so proceed with caution."

Jin An didn't go directly to the Emperor because she knew his father valued his reputation. If Jiaoyu was implicated, he would likely consider other factors, perhaps even their father-daughter relationship, and quietly suppress the matter. Worse still, he might even order Mingyue's execution to protect Jiaoyu.

Therefore, this matter must be investigated by the Imperial Guards. Since it concerns the princess, according to the Imperial Guards' rules of conduct, they are very likely to quietly report the situation to the emperor as soon as possible.

But if Concubine Cen also got wind of the news, given her meticulous nature and Mingyue's feelings, she would undoubtedly find ways to make this matter known to the entire palace. By then, even if the emperor wanted to conceal the truth, he would be hindered by pressure from all sides and unable to do so. Only by making the matter a big deal and involving all parties would Mingyue's life be somewhat safer.

Only if Mingyue survives will she have a chance to learn the truth. Whether it's Concubine Zhang or Jiaoyu, the Zhang family is undoubtedly involved. Over the years, the Zhang family has become a powerful force in the court, extending their reach into the harem, stirring up chaos. Now, their ambitions are reaching alarming proportions.

Jin An knew full well that the Zhang family must still have many hidden cards in the palace. These hidden pawns were like bombs waiting to explode, extremely dangerous. If he didn't seize this opportunity and use this incident to eliminate them, if the situation got out of control and the Zhang family became desperate, if they truly rebelled, the people in the harem would most likely cooperate, disrupting the harem and jeopardizing the stability of the court.