The princess regretted it.

Chapter 380 Curiosity

A sudden exclamation and the force against her arm jolted Jin An, lost in memories of her past life, back to reality. Her head buzzed, and her heart trembled. Her body swayed a few times from inertia, nearly losing her balance. Her eyes widened, a trace of daze and panic still lingering on her face.

At that moment, she came to her senses. She had been so caught up in the painful and unbearable past that her mind was in a turmoil that she hadn't noticed where she was. The ground was slippery, covered in a thin layer of snow. Her foot had slipped. If Ziyun hadn't been quick to drop his umbrella and try his best to catch her, she would have fallen to the ground in a mess.

After stabilizing her body, Jin An was still in shock. She was breathing heavily, her chest heaving violently. She adjusted her breathing, slowly turned her head and looked at Ziyun.

Ziyun's cheeks were slightly flushed with nervousness, beads of sweat were oozing from her forehead, her hair was a little disheveled, and the look of panic on her face had not yet dissipated. Her eyes were filled with worry, and she looked at Jin'an anxiously, asking hurriedly, "Princess, are you feeling unwell?"

Seeing that Ziyun was even more frightened than her, Jin An reached out and gently patted Ziyun's hand, "It's okay, luckily you held me back."

Seeing that Ziyun was even more frightened than himself, Jin An felt warm in his heart. He reached out and gently patted her hand, saying in a gentle voice, "I'm fine. Thanks to you for holding me in time."

Ziyun stared at Jin'an, carefully examining her. She breathed a sigh of relief, confirming she was safe. But then she looked back and saw that, in just a moment, a thick layer of snow had settled on Jin'an's cloak. She quickly bent down, picked up the umbrella she had just discarded, and held it firmly above Jin'an's head. Then, carefully reaching out, she gently flicked the snowflakes off Jin'an.

Looking at Ziyun busying around, Jin An felt a warm feeling in her heart. She gently pulled Ziyun's hand down, a faint smile on her lips, and said softly, "Okay, did I scare you?"

Ziyun hurriedly shook her head, looking self-blaming and saying, "It was my fault that I didn't take good care of the princess. She almost got hurt. It's all my fault."

"How can I blame you? I was just lost in thought." Jin An said softly, "Well, it's so cold, let's go quickly and get to Father soon."

"Okay!" Ziyun nodded vigorously, holding the umbrella for Jin'an again and following beside her. But this time, she held the umbrella steadily with one hand and gently supported Jin'an with the other. The two of them walked slowly forward against the wind and snow, and the falling snow quickly obscured the shallow footprints behind them.

When Changsun Hongze heard the eunuch rush into the palace to report the arrival of Princess Jin'an, he had just finished a meeting with the Prime Minister and was reviewing a memorial. He quickly put down his pen and ordered urgently, "Quick, let her in."

The eunuch quickly retreated, and the emperor looked at the door with an anxious look of worry. Soon, Jin An walked in. She walked quickly to the emperor and was about to salute. The emperor saw her and waved her repeatedly, his voice full of concern: "No need, come quickly, come to your father. It's so snowy and windy, you must be freezing all the way here."

Jin An raised his head slightly, his eyes met his father's worried face, and his eyes instantly turned slightly red.

She quickly stepped forward and approached the emperor. Eunuch Fuquan quickly brought a chair and asked him to move one of the charcoal basins in the hall to Jin'an. Jin'an's lips curled up slightly, revealing a gentle smile. He nodded slightly at Eunuch Fuquan and said softly, "Thank you for your help, Eunuch."

After saying this, she brushed her clothes and sat down. She looked up at the emperor and said softly, "Father, I'm fine. I just heard that the envoy from the State of Yu had arrived in the capital, and I have some doubts in my heart. I have come to ask your Majesty for clarification."

"The Yu Kingdom was defeated by us this time and requested a truce, which naturally requires peace talks between the two sides. Logically, this envoy has arrived late." The emperor, assuming Jin'an was simply curious, casually explained. "But fortunately, they have already arrived in the capital and are now staying at the inn."

He paused for a moment, then continued: "However, are you curious about them, or about their appearance? If you are curious about them, you only need to ask your grandfather. If you are curious about their appearance, they will be arranged to enter the palace in a few days, and you will be able to see them then. It's freezing cold, and you still run out in person. What if you catch a cold?" The emperor frowned slightly, his face full of disapproval.

"Your Majesty, rest assured. I'm dressed warmly and didn't feel cold all the way here." Jin An's voice was soft and a bit coquettish. He then straightened his expression and said seriously, "Your Majesty, I won't hide it from you. In fact, I am curious about Prince Dun's visit to the capital."

"Oh?" The emperor raised his thick eyebrows, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. "What's so special about this Prince Dun? He's the brother of the ruler of Yu State, and usually doesn't interfere much in government affairs. He's simple-minded and impatient. In my opinion, he was most likely sent here by his brother to serve as a shield."