The princess regretted it.

Chapter 345 The Most Beloved Daughter

After the Emperor had properly arranged for Mingyue, he left Concubine Cen's palace, accompanied only by Fuquan, and headed straight for the Jiaoyu Palace. Upon arriving, he did not inform anyone, nor did he allow Fuquan to accompany him, but instead entered alone.

Inside the palace, Jiaoyu was still sitting in a chair, lost in thought. Hearing the noise, she mechanically turned her head. The moment she saw the emperor, a flash of astonishment flashed across her eyes, followed by a hint of surprise, before she quickly regained her composure.

She retracted her gaze, lowered her eyes slightly, and with slow but resolute movements, she slowly stood up and bowed to the emperor. Her voice was neither loud nor low, but it carried a sense of resigned relief: "Father, you are here!"

The emperor did not say anything. He walked to a chair beside him and sat down. His eyes fell straight on Jiaoyu, and he looked at her quietly.

Jiaoyu remained in her salutation position, not rising. She could clearly feel her father's piercing gaze, as if he were looking through her. Strangely, at this moment, she felt unusually calm. After the previous panic and helplessness, she was already prepared for her father's reprimand.

Time seemed to freeze. After a while, the emperor's voice broke the silence. It was low and carried a hint of disappointment: "Tell me, what happened? When did you become like this?"

"Father, will you believe what I say?" Jiaoyu heard the emperor's question, a wry smile on her lips, her voice filled with bitterness. Her father had come to her like this, having already determined her guilt, and he had come only to hear confirmation from her.

"You are my eldest daughter, and I loved you very much in the past. You have been well-behaved, sensible, kind to others, and sensible since childhood. How could you do such a thing now?" The emperor's tone was full of deep confusion, his brows were tightly knitted, and his eyes were full of disappointment.

"Father, your love for me is only because I am well-behaved, sensible, and reasonable, which makes you feel that this daughter is worry-free, and the praise from others makes you feel proud. But Jin'an, she can act coquettishly to you, be unreasonable, and mischievous, but you tolerate her and even clean up the mess for her yourself. So, father, your most beloved daughter is Jin'an!" Jiaoyu slowly raised her head, looked directly into the emperor's eyes, and said these words that had been accumulated in her heart for a long time, her eyes full of unwillingness and grievance.

Changsun Hongze was shocked by Jiaoyu's self-deprecating tone and resentful eyes. He had never imagined that his eldest daughter, who he always thought was well-behaved, could harbor such thoughts. He opened his mouth to refute, but swallowed the words back. For a moment, he was at a loss for words.

"Father, do you know? I have always envied Jin'an. When I was little, I asked mother how I could make father treat me like he treated Jin'an. Mother told me that Jin'an and I are different, and I must learn to be well-behaved, sensible, and reasonable. Only then will father like me and look at me more." Jiaoyu's voice trembled slightly, as if she was trying to suppress the pain and unwillingness deep in her heart.

"So from then on, I tried hard to learn to be a daughter that would satisfy you. No matter what happens, I try my best to ask myself to know the limits, know when to advance and retreat, and never cause you any trouble. Do you know how sad I am when I see Jin'an acting like a spoiled child in your arms and getting your forgiveness easily even when he does something wrong?" Jiaoyu's eyes gradually turned red, and tears welled up in her eyes, but she stubbornly raised her head to prevent the tears from falling.

"Now, you are questioning me about this matter, but in your heart, have you already decided that I was wrong? No matter how I explain, you will not believe me?" Jiaoyu looked straight at the emperor, with a complex emotion of despair and expectation in her eyes.

The emperor listened quietly to Jiaoyu's confession, feeling a mixture of emotions. He recalled that over the years, Jiaoyu had indeed been a great relief to him, and he was indeed not as close to her as Jinan.

He assumed Jiaoyu was just like that, acting like the eldest daughter, but overlooked her inner thoughts, not realizing she was simply a child yearning for a father's love. "Jiaoyu, I..." The emperor began to speak, but his throat seemed to catch. He was at a loss for words, unable to comfort his aggrieved daughter. He had always believed his love for his children was fair, but he hadn't anticipated the deep hurt it had caused Jiaoyu.

"Father, you don't need to explain." Jiaoyu interrupted the emperor. "I've said all this today, and I feel better. Whether you believe me or not is not important anymore."

After she finished speaking, she slowly lowered her head, and a tear quietly slid down and fell to the ground, splashing small water droplets, as if telling the sadness in her heart.

The Emperor's reaction just now made Jiaoyu feel a little relieved. Recalling everything that had happened before, when the Imperial Guards broke into Jiaoyu Palace and took Mingyue away right under her nose, she was filled with despair. She felt that she was isolated and helpless, abandoned by everyone, and fell into a desperate situation.

But now, her father came to ask her alone, clearly not wanting her to be involved in this matter. She knew, of course, that her father valued the royal family's reputation. But wasn't this also an opportunity for her? A glimmer of hope rekindled in her heart.

As a princess of the imperial family, Jiaoyu knew that within the deep palace, her father's attitude was crucial, determining the direction of her fate. If she could make her father feel guilty for neglecting her over the years, perhaps a turnaround would be possible.

Jiaoyu lowered her eyes slightly, her eyelashes trembling slightly, secretly pondering what to say next to touch her father's heartstrings just right. She knew that this was a rare opportunity to escape from her predicament and she must seize it.

So, she took a deep breath, adjusted her mood, raised her head again, her eyes filled with tears, and said slowly with a choked voice: "Father, for so many years, I have been working hard on myself, and I must be a good daughter in your eyes. Even if I have been wronged, I can only swallow it silently.

"Although I sometimes have complaints, at most they are just angry words; I have never hurt anyone. Now that this has happened, I am truly afraid. I am afraid that you will be like others and condemn me without knowing the truth." As she spoke, tears rolled down her cheeks, and she looked pitiful.

"Mingyue found out from your palace. The injuries on her body were not caused by you?" When the emperor heard Jiaoyu mention what happened tonight, he couldn't help but frowned slightly, his eyes full of suspicion, and his tone became cold.