The princess regretted it.

Mu Zixuan heard this and was about to reach out to take it for a look when Zhong Chuzhou slapped the back of his hand. Feeling pain, Mu Zixuan immediately pulled his hand back, yelling, "If you don't want to see it, then don't. Why are you hitting me?" His face showed an expression of grievance, as if he had suffered a great injustice.

Zhong Chuzhou smiled slightly and said, "This is a gift for Jin'an, why are you joining in the fun?" Mu Zixuan curled his lips and stopped talking, but his eyes kept glancing towards Jin'an.

Jin An gazed at the scroll in her hands, filled with curiosity. She gently unfolded it, revealing an authentic painting by the master Gu Yizhi, "Green Mountain Charm." The painting depicted towering mountains, shrouded in mist and clouds, with gurgling streams flowing through the mountains, shaded by verdant trees, and dotted with quaint pavilions and towers. Gu Yizhi's paintings are renowned for their profound artistic conception and exquisite brushwork. Few of his works remain in print, and each one is a priceless treasure.

Jin An's eyes lit up. She knew the value of the painting and knew that this gift would surely please her good third brother. However, the painting was too valuable. She frowned slightly, feeling a little hesitant.

"Brother Chuzhou, this painting is really too valuable, I..." Jin An hesitated to speak, a hint of worry in his eyes.

Zhong Chuzhou smiled gently and said, "Jin'an, don't worry. This painting is only known to you, Zixuan, and me. No one else knows about it. Besides, this is a gift I carefully prepared for your third brother. I believe he will cherish it."

"No, if I remember correctly, Jin'an, your third brother is the even more hypocritical Changsun Wuwang, right?" Mu Zixuan glanced at Jin'an and Zhong Chuzhou and couldn't help but interrupt. His face was full of confusion and doubt, his brows furrowed, and he continued, "What were you two thinking? Giving him a gift? And such an expensive one? Are you two stupid, or am I?"

Jin An was startled for a moment, then turned to look at Zhong Chuzhou. Zhong Chuzhou closed his eyes, then smiled, and then said to Mu Zixuan, "Zixuan, we all know what kind of person he is, and Jin An knows it too. It's just that others don't know, right? So, this painting is a very suitable gift for him."

"What do you mean by appropriate? Since you, Jin An, also know his hypocritical kindness and false righteousness, you should draw a clear line with him and stay away from him!" Mu Zixuan's face was full of incomprehension, and he looked like he was disappointed in someone.

"Cousin, someone is trying to target me. I have become a thorn in their eyes. I need someone to help me attract some firepower, and he is the most suitable person." Seeing his cousin so excited, Jin An had to tell him clearly.

Mu Zixuan was stunned again after hearing this. He was silent for a long while before he suddenly realized what was going on. He said with a look of enlightenment, "Oh! I understand! Oh, why don't you just say it clearly? Why are you beating around the bush?"

Jin An couldn't help but laugh, his eyes twinkling with a smile, and he quickly said, "It's Jin An's fault, Jin An apologizes to my cousin." She bowed slightly, her expression a hint of playfulness and sincerity. Zhong Chuzhou also laughed and said, "It's my cousin's fault, and my cousin also apologizes to Zixuan."

Mu Zixuan waved his hand and said, "Forget it, forget it. It's not your fault. I just don't like to use my brain like this."

Zhong Chuzhou and Jin An looked at each other and smiled knowingly.

While everyone here was in a state of joy, Concubine Zhang's situation was quite the opposite. Concubine Zhang had also learned of the emperor's oral instructions to the Grand Tutor's Mansion, and her expression was now extremely grim. Her delicate makeup couldn't mask the gloom on her face, and her eyes flickered with anger and anxiety. She bit her lower lip, her slender fingers tightly gripping the handkerchief in her hand, as if she were about to crush it. The surrounding palace maids and eunuchs dared not utter a word, standing trembling by, fearful of angering the wrath of the Concubine.

After hearing the news, Changsun Jiaoyu and Changsun Yunji hurried to Wuqiu Palace. As soon as they entered the main hall of Wuqiu Palace, Changsun Jiaoyu asked all the servants to leave. She walked quickly to her mother and asked anxiously, "Mother, what does father mean by this?" Changsun Yunji also looked at Concubine Zhang with a confused look on his face.

Concubine Zhang looked at her children and suppressed her anger. She sighed softly, a hint of worry in her eyes. "Your Majesty's actions probably indicate dissatisfaction with the Grand Tutor's Mansion." Her voice was heavy and tinged with unease.

"Why? Hasn't the emperor always relied on our great-grandfather and his family?" Changsun Yunji really didn't understand, so he asked directly.

Changsun Jiaoyu's heart tightened, and she thought to herself, "Could it be that Father has noticed something? Or is it that Father hasn't always relied on the Zhang family as much as he appears to? Or is it that Father has always been wary of the Zhang family?"

When she thought of this, a trace of panic flashed in her eyes. She looked at Concubine Zhang, wanting to say something but stopping herself.

Concubine Zhang looked at her son's question, feeling a little bitter. It seemed that she had protected her son too well, so he didn't know the complexity of the court. She sighed softly, a hint of helplessness in her eyes. "Yun Ji, the affairs of the court are not as simple as you think. As the Son of Heaven, your father needs to balance the forces of all parties. The power of the Grand Tutor's Mansion is growing day by day, and your father will naturally be vigilant."

"As long as the Grand Tutor's Mansion is loyal to father and does not have any side activities, why would father be suspicious of grandfather and others? Could it be that grandfather and others really did something?" Changsun Yunji frowned and said with a puzzled look on his face.

Concubine Zhang was slightly startled, a flicker of panic in her eyes. She quickly said, "Yunji, don't say anything nonsense. Your grandfather and his men are loyal to Your Majesty and have no second thoughts. Your Majesty's actions may just be a momentary doubt."

A wave of unease welled up in Changsun Jiaoyu's heart. She knew that once her father's suspicions were aroused, they would be difficult to dispel. If her father learned of what her grandfather and uncle had done, the consequences would be disastrous.

After listening to what the two said, she felt that some things were better to be made clear and could not be hidden any longer. Especially her second brother, she must make him understand the severity of the current situation and the crisis they are facing. She took a deep breath, looked at Changsun Yunji with a firm gaze, and said solemnly: "Second brother, you are too naive. You must know that no matter what grandpa and others did, it was all preparation for your future ascension to the throne. Do you think that you will definitely be the future prince? What makes you think so? Don't you think that the reason you are recognized by the court officials now is really because of your outstanding talent?"