The princess regretted it.

"Hey, what's going on? Father, why are you all here?" A clear, melodious voice echoed, and everyone turned to look. Princess Jin'an had changed into a pale blue dress, its hem fluttering in the breeze, like a fairy descending from the heavens. A hint of confusion crossed her face, and her bright eyes scanned the crowd. She was walking slowly towards them, holding Zhong Wenqing's arm, followed by Madam Zhao and Ziyun.

Her appearance instantly shattered the tense and oppressive atmosphere in the Imperial Garden. Everyone looked at Princess Jin'an with varying expressions. Some were surprised, others secretly terrified, while still others speculated about the possible cause of the incident. However, when Zhangsun Wuwang, Wu Anshuo, and his son saw Jin'an emerge safely, their faces paled. Seeing Zhong Wenqing beside her, they wondered if the Prime Minister's Office knew of their plan, or if both the Protectorate and the Prime Minister's Office had a hand in it.

Changsun Hongze watched Jin'an appear, his slightly furrowed brows slowly relaxing, and the weight in his heart was lifted. He quickly walked towards Jin'an and said in a deep voice, "Jin'an, where have you been? Come to our father."

Jin An smiled pretentiously and said, "Father, my third brother and I were drinking earlier, and I felt a little dizzy, so I decided to go to the side hall to rest for a while. When I got there, Lan Zhu said she'd get me some clothes. I sat for a while, and when I felt better, I decided to go back to Feiyu Hall to rest." As she spoke, she let go of Zhong Wenqing and walked towards Changsun Hongze. "Well, I ran into my aunt on the way, so I asked her to come to my place. I changed my clothes and came here." Changsun Wuwang secretly observed Jin An's expression and found that she seemed to be unaware of the situation, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

Jin'an walked up to Changsun Hongze, bowed slightly, and asked in confusion, "Father, what happened? My aunt and I saw a lot of people gathered here from afar." Her eyes were full of curiosity and confusion, and her gaze swept over everyone.

Changsun Hongze looked at Jin'an, sighed slightly, and said, "Your maid Lanzhu fell into the water in the Imperial Garden and is now unconscious. Everyone is puzzled by this matter and wonders why she appeared here."

When Jin An heard this, her face suddenly changed and she looked worried. She said, "What? Lanzhu fell into the water? How is she now? Father, please send someone to rescue her." Her voice was full of anxiety and concern.

Changsun Jiaoyu looked coldly at Jin'an from the crowd. Her father's reaction when Jin'an appeared earlier had only made her even more upset. She bit her lip, a flicker of jealousy and anger in her eyes. Seeing Jin'an asking about it, she stepped out delicately, her face full of false worry, and said, "Sister Jin'an, I only saw Lanzhu just now, not you. I was so worried, after all, you usually dote on this girl the most. Come and see her." With that, she stepped forward, took Jin'an's hand, and walked towards the lake.

Upon seeing this, the Prime Minister's wife, Madam Xue, immediately said, "Princess, please wait." She then stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Princess Jiaoyu, the situation at the lake is unclear. You two princesses are precious, so please don't venture into danger again." Madam Xue knew that Princess Jiaoyu was clearly trying to drag Princess Jin'an into trouble. She frowned slightly, her tone firm and sincere, her eyes wary.

Jiaoyu's face darkened, a wave of displeasure welling up within her, but she quickly shifted to a look of guilt. She lowered her head slightly and spoke softly, "Madam Xiang was right. I was negligent. I was just thinking that Sister Jin'an would be worried, and in my haste, I didn't think things through. Jiaoyu was also concerned about Sister Jin'an's deep affection for this maid, and I was afraid she might get too anxious and angry, which is why I lost my composure. I hope Madam Xiang won't blame me, and please forgive Sister Jin'an for my impulsiveness." There was a hint of sincerity in her words, and regret in her eyes, as if she truly blamed herself for her actions.

How could Jin An not know what she meant? If he didn't go to see her, he would be cold and heartless. She narrowed her eyes slightly, sneered inwardly, but her face remained expressionless. She pulled back Jiaoyu's hand, stepped forward to support Xue, and said, "Grandma, I'm fine." Her voice was soft but firm, and her eyes revealed a hint of comfort.

Jin'an gently patted Xue's hand and continued, "Grandma, don't worry. I'll go see Lanzhu and find out more about the situation." Her eyes fell on Lanzhu not far away, and her eyes revealed concern and worry.

Although she knew that Changsun Jiaoyu had ulterior motives for this, she couldn't show any sign of retreat or indifference in front of everyone. After all, Lanzhu was her personal maid, and the master and servant had a deep bond. If she ignored her, she would surely give people a reason to criticize her.

Jin'an took a deep breath, straightened his back, reached out to support Zhao Ma beside him, and walked quickly towards Lanzhu. Ziyun specially took a palace lantern and walked on the other side.

When Jin An walked in front of Lan Zhu, he squatted down and gently patted Lan Zhu's face to wipe the water stains, secretly pressing his elbow towards Lan Zhu. Lan Zhu choked and coughed, slowly waking up. Jin An's eyes flashed with surprise, and he quickly called out softly, "Lan Zhu, you're awake! That's great."

Seeing this, the people around gathered around. Changsun Jiaoyu had a complicated expression, one of surprise and disappointment. Old Mrs. Xue breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Jinan with concern.

Lanzhu opened her eyes slightly, her eyes still a little confused. She looked at Jinan and said weakly, "Princess..." Jinan held Lanzhu's hand tightly and said, "Lanzhu, how do you feel? What happened? How did you fall into the water?"

Lan Zhu looked at the group of people before her, horrified. Panic washed over her like a tide. Her eyes were filled with confusion and fear, and she had no idea why she had fallen into the water. She only knew that she had been knocked unconscious while on her way to meet Wu Changfeng as planned, but she could never reveal this. If she did, it would inevitably arouse suspicion. Why did they go to the front hall instead of the harem when returning to Feiyu Palace? It was simply impossible to explain.

The princess appeared beside her, safe and sound, leaving Lan Zhu even more bewildered. She had no idea what was going to happen next, nor did she know how to begin. She bit her lip tightly, remaining silent, and slowly looked at the crowd. When her eyes met Zhangsun Wuwang, he shook his head slightly, and Lan Zhu immediately realized her plan had failed.

At this moment, she tried to calm herself, taking a deep breath and trying to compose herself. Then, she said in a hoarse voice, "Princess, I don't know... I only remember going to get clothes for you, and then I fell into the water." There was a hint of trembling in her words, and her eyes revealed helplessness and grievance, as if she were an innocent victim.

"Wow! What a strange thing happened today! This girl fell into the water without knowing how, and Prince Wu also fell into the water without knowing how! What an interesting coincidence!" A voice came from the crowd slowly. The voice was full of ridicule and playfulness, as if watching a farce.