The princess regretted it.

Chapter 353 Xiao Xizi Discovers Vanilla

Jiaoyu felt a shiver run through her body, a chill running through her heart, and her face turned pale. She clutched her sleeve tightly, her fingertips turning white from the strain.

Seeing this, Xiangcao quickly stepped forward to support Jiaoyu and whispered, "Princess, please don't let your imagination run wild. The Grand Tutor's Mansion has been run for generations and has deep roots. Even if His Majesty does something, it won't be shaken overnight."

"You don't understand..." Jiaoyu shook her head, her eyes filled with anxiety. If the emperor really knew about that, he would never let my grandparents off so easily. He was waiting, waiting for the right moment to uproot the Grand Tutor's Mansion in one fell swoop!

Seeing Jiaoyu's reaction, Xiangcao's expression turned serious. She whispered, "Princess, what should we do now?"

Jiaoyu was silent for a long time, thoughts racing through her mind. Suddenly, a flicker of determination flashed in her eyes, and she decided she couldn't just sit there and wait for death. Even if her maternal grandfather's family had other plans, they were her and her mother's last resort in this deep palace. If they fell, there would be no chance for her and her mother to recover. "I must find a way to warn my grandfather to prepare early."

"Princess, what do you want to do?" Vanilla asked in a low voice without hesitation.

Jiaoyu pondered in her heart, if her father was really as she suspected, then he must be fully aware of her connection to her maternal family. Then she couldn't act rashly. It seemed she had to think carefully.

"Princess, how about I go to the Queen's place again?" Seeing that Jiaoyu didn't respond for a long time, Xiangcao suggested cautiously in a low voice.

Jiaoyu bit her lower lip, her expression hesitant for a moment, but she finally nodded and whispered, "Then you must be careful and don't reveal any flaws."

Vanilla nodded vigorously and replied softly, "Yes, Princess. I'll do it right away."

Jiaoyu watched Xiangcao leave, her heart still unsettled. She walked to the window and looked up at the palace wall in the distance, her eyes filled with a complex expression.

"Father...what exactly do you want to do?" She murmured in a low voice, but she felt in her heart that a bigger storm was quietly approaching.

Not long after, Xiangcao cautiously walked out of Zhangpin's palace. She looked around, and after confirming that no one was around, she lowered her head and left quickly.

However, she did not realize that a black shadow was following her silently, moving through the shadows of the palace walls like a ghost.

---

At the same time, inside Cuiyuxuan.

The Third Prince was also lost in thought over Mingyue's matter. He was baffled, unable to fathom his father's intentions. Furthermore, his father had yet to issue any punishment for Yundou, which made the situation increasingly confusing and a sense of powerlessness well up in his heart.

The last time he visited the Jinwu Marquis's residence, he'd been met with a barrage of sarcasm and ridicule from the old man, Wu Anshuo, leaving him feeling suffocated. However, upon seeing Wu Anshuo and Wu Changfeng's conditions improve, he refused to give up easily, so he forcibly suppressed his anger. After returning to the palace, he shut himself in and vented his anger, finally managing to calm himself.

What made him even more uneasy was that ever since he had pleaded for his second brother, the look in his father's eyes seemed to have a deeper meaning. Although his father hadn't said much, he could still sense a probing and scrutinizing quality in his gaze, sending a chill down his spine.

The cunning and shrewd officials at court were all shrewd, adept at guessing the emperor's intentions. They had keenly sensed the subtle shifts in his father's attitude and had consequently imposed restrictions on him. Now, he encountered obstacles at every turn, as if his hands and feet were tied, his ambitions unable to be realized. He secretly regretted that perhaps his impatience had aroused his father's suspicion.

Perhaps because he'd been sitting for too long, a chill crept through his feet, and the Third Prince instinctively pulled his robes closer. The charcoal fire in the room wasn't burning brightly, a habit he'd carefully maintained for years. He believed that excessive warmth could easily lead to complacency; only by retaining a hint of coolness could one remain vigilant and not be blinded by comfort.

He stood up, stretched his legs and feet, which had become stiff from sitting for so long, and walked to the window. The sky outside was getting darker and darker, and the cold wind was howling, sweeping up a few dead leaves and swirling them in the air.

The third prince looked at the gray sky and thought to himself: Looking at the weather, it might be snowing.

The Third Prince stood by the window, gazing at the gloomy sky, his mind racing. He sensed an invisible pressure closing in, as if an invisible net were slowly tightening. His father's attitude, Concubine Chun's pregnancy, Wu Anshuo's sudden change of heart, and the events surrounding Mingyue and Yundou had left him feeling unprecedentedly lost and uneasy, as if he were trapped in a fog, unable to find his way forward.

"Your Highness, would you like to have dinner?" a maid asked softly from outside the door.

The Third Prince came back to his senses from his deep thoughts, his expression calm, and he replied calmly: "Pass it up."

Soon, a maid walked in lightly, holding a food box in her hand. She skillfully and neatly placed the dishes carefully prepared by the imperial kitchen on the table one by one, then bowed slightly and retreated respectfully.

The Third Prince slowly turned and walked to the table. Several dishes were beautifully presented, their colors alluring, but he had no appetite at all. He mechanically picked up his chopsticks and casually took a few bites, his mind wandering like a wild horse, completely oblivious to the taste of the food.

At this moment, Eunuch Xiao Xizi hurried in and walked straight to the side of the Third Prince. He leaned over slightly and said in a low voice, "Your Highness, I saw Princess Jiaoyu's maid sneaking out of Wuqiu Palace earlier."

The Third Prince frowned and paused with his chopsticks. "Someone close to Jiaoyu? The one who went to Wuqiu Palace to look for Concubine Zhang?"

"I think so, but His Majesty has issued a clear ban before, no one is allowed to visit without an imperial decree. I really can't figure out how Xiangcao got in?" Xiao Xizi's face was full of confusion, and his voice was very low, for fear of being heard by others.

"Taking such a shameless move to meet Concubine Zhang, it seems there must be something hidden!" The third prince's mind turned, and a hint of deep meaning flashed in his eyes. Could it be that Jiaoyu wanted to do something again?

He put down his chopsticks, leaned over and whispered, "Keep a close eye on Xiangcao! No, just keep an eye on everyone in the Jiaoyu Palace. Report any signs of trouble immediately."

"Yes, I obey your command!" Xiao Xizi responded respectfully and then retreated.

After this incident, the third prince completely lost his appetite. He picked up the teapot, poured himself a cup of hot tea, slowly rinsed his mouth, then called for someone to remove the food from the table.