The princess regretted it.

When Concubine Zhang asked her grandfather and great-grandfather if they knew about this, Changsun Jiaoyu was also unaware. "I don't know if my uncle has told me," she whispered.

"No, we must find out clearly. If they still don't know, what if the Cheng family's affairs are exposed? Then today's incident will be compounded and we will be in trouble." As Concubine Zhang said this, she was about to get up and find someone to make arrangements.

Zhangsun Jiaoyu grabbed Concubine Zhang and said, "Mother, let me arrange it. I have a way."

Concubine Zhang frowned slightly and looked at her daughter with some hesitation.

Changsun Jiaoyu quickly said, "Mother, don't worry, I will be careful. Besides, this matter was caused by me, so I should be responsible for solving it." This was also one of the things she was worried about. Now she is even more afraid of what her father would do to her if he knew the truth of the matter.

Concubine Zhang sighed and said, "Okay, then you must be careful. Find out as soon as possible whether your grandfather and the others know about this, and then we can discuss countermeasures."

Changsun Jiaoyu nodded, then stood up and left to make arrangements.

As soon as Changsun Jiaoyu left, Jin'an received the news. Jin'an's mouth curled up slightly and said with a smile, "It's really not easy. For a while, they thought they could laugh at me. They were quiet for so long, and now they are anxious!"

Ye Yi didn't respond, but his expression showed a hint of hesitation. Seeing his expression, Jin An was moved and said, "Just say whatever you want to say."

Ye Yi bowed and said, "Princess, I have discovered the hidden golden armored guards at Concubine Zhang's place!"

"Golden Armor Guards?" Jin An stood up suddenly, "It's actually my father's men!" Her eyes turned and a smile slowly emerged. As she expected, her father became suspicious and would definitely arrange people to investigate.

"Did he find you?" Jin An turned his head to look at Ye Yi and asked.

"I'm not sure. But I waited until he left first before leaving." Ye Yi answered honestly.

"That's fine," Jin An said after a moment's contemplation. Even if his father knew, it wouldn't matter. If he discovered Concubine Zhang and Changsun Jiaoyu's conspiracy, he'd definitely dig deeper. After all, as an emperor, suspicion is inevitable. He must already know what happened tonight.

As she expected, Changsun Hongze, his face gloomy, listened to the Golden Armor Guard's report in his bedroom. He listened quietly to the Golden Armor Guard's report and said nothing else. Instead, he ordered, "Keep watching. I want to know all the routes they use to get out of the palace. Also, have someone check on those who were previously expelled from Wuqiu Palace and Jiaoyu Palace to see if they can reveal anything. Don't alarm them for now; investigate secretly."

After the golden armored guards withdrew upon command, Changsun Hongze's gaze grew deeper, like a whirlpool, unfathomable. There seemed to be an undercurrent surging in those deep eyes, making it difficult to fathom his current thoughts.

"Bang, bang, bang!" There was a sudden burst of rapid knocking sounds at the door of Cheng Mansion. A dusty man was knocking hard on the door of Cheng Mansion.

"Who is it?" The doorman's voice came slowly from inside the gate, with a hint of impatience at being disturbed.

"Open the door quickly, I'm Tian Qi." The person knocking on the door shouted loudly, his voice full of urgency.

With a creak, the door slowly opened a narrow gap. Tian Qi pushed it open impatiently and hurried into the mansion. The doorman quickly closed the door after Tian Qi entered, but when he turned around, Tian Qi was already running towards the main courtyard like an arrow from a bow. Seeing this, the doorman thought to himself: Something bad has happened!

Tian Qi ran all the way to the main courtyard, his feet flying. When he arrived at the main courtyard, he didn't even have time to catch his breath before he hurriedly shouted into the house, "Sir, I, Tian Qi, am back!"

After a rustling sound in the room, the door quickly opened from the inside. Cheng Zhijing looked at Tian Qi nervously and asked, "How is it? Have you found any important information?"

Tian Qi's face was covered in fatigue, yet his eyes gleamed with anxiety and unease. He gasped for breath and said, "Sir, I've searched my hometown and the surrounding area thoroughly, but there's no sign of the young lady and her companions. I also visited the forest along the way, but found no clues. There aren't many people living there, but there's a teahouse a few miles from the forest where you can rest."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Zhijing felt his legs go weak, and he stumbled, nearly falling to the ground. He quickly grabbed the door frame and managed to steady himself. He knew deep down that his daughter was in great danger.

He waved his hand and said weakly, "I understand. You can go down and rest for a while. You've had a hard time on the journey. Don't let my wife know about this for now."

Tian Qi looked at Cheng Zhijing's dejected expression and felt sad. He opened his mouth, as if wanting to say something comforting, but in the end, nothing came out. He just bowed silently and turned to leave.

Cheng Zhijing turned slowly, his steps heavy as if each was treading through mud. He walked slowly to the couch and sat down, his movements filled with exhaustion and despair. He couldn't imagine the dangers his daughter might have faced, and regret and self-blame grew within him. His resentment towards Princess Jin'an deepened. If it weren't for her, his daughter wouldn't have been sent back home, let alone suffered this misfortune.

He wasn't sure if his daughter had been targeted by bandits or someone else. But he had a guess: someone must have done it on purpose. The forest was close to the official road, and Wang Zhengxing had previously sent people to investigate, and he had also sent people to search it thoroughly. Furthermore, his family sent people along that road every year to deliver festival gifts, and he had never heard of any banditry. If someone had done it on purpose, who could it be? Princess Jin'an? Or, like the case with Miss Lin, was someone deliberately trying to frame Princess Jin'an? Who could it be then? Or the Zhang family? But he had nothing worthy of the Zhang family's attention.

Cheng Zhijing's brow furrowed, lost in deep thought. He tried to recall all the recent events, trying to find some clue. However, his mind was a mess, with no clue at all. He sighed softly, feeling helpless and worried. His wife had been bedridden for some time due to their daughter's disappearance, and her condition hadn't improved. If she knew today's news, her condition would probably worsen.

Perhaps I could go visit Minister Lin and see if I could find any clues from the incident involving Miss Lin. Cheng Zhijing finally thought to himself.