The princess regretted it.

Wu Changfeng sat drenched by the lake in the Imperial Garden, his hair tangled and plastered to his face, dazed. His clothes clung tightly to his body, and water dripped from the corners of his clothes, forming a small puddle on the ground. His eyes were filled with confusion and fear, as if he had not yet recovered from the shock. Several attendants who had come to his rescue stood nearby, their bodies also soaking wet.

Another woman, dressed in a pink palace maid's attire, lay drenched and unconscious on the ground. Her hair, wet and spread out, lay like wet weeds on her face and the ground. Her clothing, equally soaked, tightly wrapped around her body, exposing her slender arms and neck. Her face, glimpsed between her hair, was as pale as paper, devoid of any color. Her lips were slightly purple, as if frozen by the cold lake water.

When everyone arrived at the lake, they saw this scene. A moment of silence fell, and everyone looked at each other, unsure of what to do. Zhang Sun Wuwang, who was in the crowd, saw the two people on the ground, and his mind suddenly exploded. He had already vaguely guessed who the woman was. He stared at the two people, his face livid. He secretly looked around, but couldn't find Jin An in the crowd. Even Zhong Wenqing and Zhong Chuzhou were nowhere to be seen. His heart sank.

When Fan saw her son in this state, her heart suddenly sank, and she rushed over. Her face was full of anxiety and heartache, and she cried out in a shrill voice: "Feng'er, what's wrong with you?"

Seeing his son's state, Wu Anshuo was too distracted to think about anything else. His face instantly turned pale, and a strong sense of unease welled up in his heart. He quickly walked over and pulled Wu Changfeng to his feet. His movements were a little rough, and he whispered, "Changfeng, what's going on?" There was a slight tremor in his voice, and his eyes were fixed on his son.

Wu Changfeng came back to his senses at this moment. Looking at his father, he murmured, "Father, I don't know either. Something is wrong. Father, something is wrong."

Wu Anshuo raised his eyes and met the gaze of Changsun Wuwang in the crowd, then shook his head slightly. Changsun Wuwang slowly closed his eyes, a look of dejection on his face.

Changsun Hongze frowned, a hint of dissatisfaction in his eyes as he watched the scene unfold. His dignified gaze slowly swept over the crowd, finally landing on Wu Anshuo and Fan. He said in a deep voice, "What's going on?" His voice was quiet, but it carried an undeniable authority that sent a chill through the air.

Wu Anshuo's face was pale, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. He forced himself to remain calm and said, "Your Majesty, I don't know what's going on." His voice trembled slightly, revealing his inner uneasiness.

Changsun Hongze looked at Wu Changfeng again and said in a low voice, "Prince Wu, tell me, what exactly is going on? Who is lying on the ground?"

Wu Changfeng quickly knelt down and leaned forward, saying, "Your Majesty, I don't know what happened. I just drank a few more cups and felt a little dizzy, so I thought I'd take a walk outside the palace. Without paying attention, I came to the lake. Somehow, I seemed to step on something, and then I fell into the water. When I was rescued, I saw this woman in the water, unconscious."

Changsun Hongze narrowed his eyes slightly, scrutinizing Wu Changfeng, as if trying to determine his veracity. After a moment, he said in a deep voice, "Then we'll wait until this maid wakes up, and then make a decision. Fuquan, quickly send for the imperial physician, and make sure he does his best to treat this girl."

Fuquan took his orders and left. Everyone in the Imperial Garden quietly awaited the arrival of the imperial physician. Fan stayed close to Wu Changfeng, her eyes filled with worry and heartache. Wu Anshuo, on the other hand, had a solemn expression, secretly speculating on the various possibilities behind this matter.

At this time, the maid beside Lady Qin Susu, the wife of the Duke of Protector of the Country, took a cloak in her hand, walked forward with light lotus steps, and covered the maid with the cloak in her hand.

Soon, the imperial physician arrived. After a careful examination, he stood up and reported to Changsun Hongze, "Your Majesty, this woman is not in danger of death. She simply swallowed too much water and was frightened, which is why she is unconscious. I have applied acupuncture and medicine, and I believe she will wake up soon."

The imperial physician pulled back the hair on the woman's face, allowing everyone to see clearly that the woman was Lan Zhu, Jin An's maid.

After seeing this person's face clearly, the expressions on the faces of the people present were different, some were surprised, some were confused, and some were contemplative.

Concubine Zhang was also quite shocked when she saw Lan Zhu. She knew that Jin An relied on this maid very much. Her mind raced, and she was a little confused as to why this woman was here alone. Changsun Jiaoyu, who was standing beside her, had a gleam in her eyes the moment she saw Lan Zhu. She leaned close to Concubine Zhang, as if afraid, and whispered, "Isn't this Lan Zhu, the one Jin An trusted the most? Wasn't she accompanying Jin An? Why is she here? And where is Jin An?" The voice was heard by almost everyone around.

As soon as she said this, everyone started talking, and the scene became noisy. Various speculations and discussions intertwined, making people feel upset. Changsun Hongze frowned and raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet.

These words infuriated the Prime Minister's wife, Old Lady Xue. She stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Princess Jiaoyu, please forgive me for not understanding what you mean. Are you trying to say this is related to Princess Jin'an?"

Zhangsun Jiaoyu raised her head slightly, a look of panic on her face as she said, "Madam Xue, you misunderstood me. How could I possibly think of my sister like that? I'm just wondering why Lanzhu is here, and I'm worried about Sister Jin'an's safety. Sister Jin'an has always been inseparable from this maid, always taking her with her. Now that the maid has fallen into the water, and Sister Jin'an is nowhere to be found, it's truly worrying."

Her words seemed innocent, but they cleverly directed everyone's suspicion towards Jin An.

Changsun Hongze frowned slightly, feeling somewhat dissatisfied with Changsun Jiaoyu's actions. However, Changsun Jiaoyu's words reminded him, where is Jin'an? Did something happen to Jin'an? Changsun Hongze's face became increasingly gloomy.

Upon hearing this, Old Lady Xue grew even more furious. Just as she was about to speak again, a voice spoke before her: "Since Princess Jiaoyu has some suspicions, Your Majesty, please order someone to find Jin'an immediately. Then everything will be clear!" This person was none other than Changsun Wanqing. Her voice was steady and powerful, carrying an unquestionable majesty.

Concubine Zhang grabbed Princess Jiaoyu, afraid she would say anything more and anger the Grand Princess, something she couldn't bear. Her expression changed slightly, a hint of nervousness and worry in her eyes. She knew all too well Changsun Wanqing's status and influence within the imperial family; if she angered her, the consequences would be disastrous.

In fact, Changsun Jiaoyu had also consciously retreated after hearing Changsun Wanqing's words. She truly didn't dare to refute him. She had heard about this young lady's deeds and was afraid of her. There was nothing she could do, because even the current emperor sometimes had to give her face. How much more so for her? A hint of fear crossed Changsun Jiaoyu's face. She lowered her head, not daring to look at Changsun Wanqing again.

"Hey, what happened? Father, why are you all here?" A clear and pleasant voice sounded, and everyone turned around to look.