The princess regretted it.

Chapter 221 Adoption (1)

"Princess!" Hongyu ran into the house excitedly like a gust of wind, her little face full of mystery.

At that moment, Jin An was concentrating on practicing calligraphy at his desk, the tip of his brush moving like a dragon and a snake, the fragrance of ink slowly wafting through the air. Hearing Hongyu enter, she raised her eyes slightly and glanced towards the door. Seeing Hongyu's face full of excitement, she knew that the girl must have heard something new.

Since entering the palace, Hongyu, with her generous and intelligent nature, has navigated the complex maelstrom of courtly interpersonal relationships with ease. Like a skilled craftsman with a deep understanding of human nature, she knows exactly what tactics and methods to employ to navigate different individuals. As a result, her acquaintances with numerous young women have steadily increased, forming an invisible intelligence network within the palace, and her access to ever-increasing information has naturally enriched her.

As soon as she stepped into the house, she saw Jin An immersed in calligraphy. She stopped in her tracks and stood obediently by the door, not going forward to disturb the princess's interest.

Seeing this, Jin An gently put down the brush in his hand, walked to a chair nearby and sat down. A faint smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, and he waved gently at Hong Yu, "Come on, tell me, what new and interesting things have you heard?"

Hong Yulian walked forward with a gentle smile, gracefully kneeling and bowing to Jin An. After standing up, she slowly approached Jin An and said in a low voice, "Princess, today, Concubine Cen went to Wuqiu Palace. After she left, Qiu Wen ran out in a panic, begging the guards at the door, saying that she wanted to send for the imperial physician because Concubine Zhang had fainted. But who would have thought that the guards did not directly send for the imperial physician, but instead hurriedly went to report the matter to the emperor."

Hongyu paused briefly at this point, then continued, "Princess, do you know that when the Emperor heard about this, he immediately sent for the imperial physician. However, surprisingly, the Emperor did not go to Wuqiu Palace to visit Concubine Zhang, but instead went to Concubine Cen's palace."

Hongyu continued excitedly, "When the Emperor arrived at Concubine Cen's palace, he learned that Concubine Cen had been ill since returning from a visit to Concubine Zhang and was bedridden. She even claimed that she wanted to return the power of the six palaces to the Emperor."

She paused, adjusted her breathing, and continued, "The emperor then consulted Mingyue, who was beside Concubine Cen, and only then did he understand the whole story. According to Mingyue's description, when Concubine Cen went to visit Concubine Zhang today, Concubine Zhang was very hurtful. She mocked Concubine Cen's infertility and said that she raised a dog as a son. Even if she held the power of the six palaces, she was only temporarily managing it for others. Her words were full of harshness.

Furthermore, Concubine Zhang accused Concubine Cen of deliberately going there to make fun of her, and then yelled at her, ordering her to leave immediately. Concubine Cen, kind-hearted, tried to dissuade her from doing so, urging her to reflect on her mistakes. Unexpectedly, Concubine Zhang, enraged, attempted to strike Concubine Cen, but she tripped and fell, fainting.

Hongyu described it vividly, as if she were there herself. "When Concubine Cen returned to the palace, she was already frightened by Concubine Zhang's rude behavior. She had never expected that Concubine Zhang's personal maid Qiuwen would indiscriminately accuse Concubine Cen, which undoubtedly rubbed salt in the wound, causing her to be infuriated again. As a result, she collapsed upon her return and was bedridden. After hearing these words, the Emperor immediately summoned the imperial physician for Concubine Cen and rewarded her with a jade five-phoenix gold hairpin."

Jin An pondered Hong Yu's claim that the Emperor had bestowed upon her the Five Phoenix Golden Hairpin. She felt that the Emperor must have believed Ming Yue's words and was trying to appease Concubine Cen. Could it be that the Emperor had also grown suspicious of Concubine Zhang's character, and knew that she might have said those things? She pondered this and asked, "Hong Yu, didn't the Emperor send anyone to investigate?"

"Of course we checked. The most important thing is that the emperor checked it and then issued an imperial edict." Hongyu said mysteriously.

"Oh? What imperial edict? Why haven't I heard of it?" Jin An asked in confusion. She hadn't gone out today, and no one had told her about it, so she really didn't know.

"The Emperor had just issued this decree. When I heard it, I immediately inquired about the cause of the matter and came back to tell the princess. The Emperor sent Eunuch Fuquan to investigate the matter after listening carefully to the results of the imperial physician's diagnosis in Wuqiu Palace. Eunuch Fuquan was also very careful and thorough. He took two people and went quietly without disturbing Concubine Zhang and her servants in the house.

The master and servant were completely oblivious and continued to curse Concubine Cen in the house. Eunuch Fuquan heard every word they said and reported it to the emperor truthfully upon his return. The emperor was furious. He sent another imperial edict to Wuqiu Palace, declaring that Concubine Zhang was of poor moral character, an insult to the dignity of the royal family, and completely unworthy of being the mother of a prince. Therefore, the second prince would be adopted into the name of Concubine Cen from that day forward. "Hongyu said in a low voice.

Jin An was also deeply shocked upon hearing this. Such a severe punishment! "Father, you're trying to kill Concubine Zhang!" After all, adopting a prince is usually only done in extreme circumstances, such as when the prince is young or his mother has suffered a major tragedy, like death or an unforgivable crime that has resulted in the loss of custody. But now the Second Prince is an adult. Although Concubine Zhang has fallen from favor and been confined, her crime isn't enough to warrant losing custody. Father, for issuing the decree so easily, shows that he's furious at Concubine Zhang's words and actions, showing no mercy.

Could there be another reason for the emperor's severe punishment? She felt like there was something she didn't know. But after much thought, she couldn't come up with a clear reason. The Zhang family had been very quiet recently. Even when Concubine Zhang was initially demoted and confined to her house, it was only Zhang Chengde who went to the palace to apologize, and nothing more had happened since then.

The harem's intrigues were numerous, and my father couldn't have been unaware of them. As long as the heir wasn't harmed or the peace and stability of the palace weren't endangered, he mostly turned a blind eye, allowing the concubines to secretly compete in this small world. After all, the complexity of the harem was like a vast and intricate web, entwining the numerous forces and family interests of the previous dynasty.

Although Concubine Zhang was outspoken and insulting Concubine Cen this time, Concubine Cen is probably not so innocent. Father cannot fail to understand this.

Furthermore, Concubine Cen had been immersed in the harem for years, her mind was astute and shrewd as any other. How could she have gone to Wuqiu Palace to visit Concubine Zhang without any reason? She was likely scheming and plotting something of her own. Perhaps she wanted to take advantage of Concubine Zhang's confinement to test her strength, inadvertently intimidate her, and consolidate her newly acquired power over the six harems. Or perhaps she was deliberately provoking Concubine Zhang with her words, hoping to cause her to make a serious mistake and thus create an opportunity for herself.

Yet, Father still issued this imperial decree based on this mistake. Could it be that Father had discovered some secret of the Zhang family? Or perhaps, Father was using this opportunity to test the Zhang family's reaction, to see how this powerful family in the court would respond. Would they choose to remain low-key and forbearing, or would they recklessly stir up trouble?

Not to mention the commotion Concubine Zhang would cause if she learned of this imperial decree, the Zhang family outside the palace would certainly not let this go. Jin An knew that the Zhang family was quite influential within the court, with many family members serving in government, and their ties to the throne were deep. Now that Concubine Zhang had suffered such humiliation in the palace, and her son had been adopted by someone else, the Zhang family, a force to be reckoned with within the court, would naturally not accept such an outcome lightly. They would undoubtedly use every possible means, both overt and covert, to pressure their father to change this situation.