The princess regretted it.

Chapter 348 Telling Jin'an the Truth

Inside, the eldest princess sat at the head of the room, draped in a deep purple sable cape embroidered with dragons. Her hair, meticulously combed with silver strands, gleamed with a ruby hairpin, accentuating her elegance and awe. Yet, at this moment, her face was filled with relief and kindness, her eyes curved like the warm spring sun, dispelling the chill of winter.

Below the Grand Princess's seat, with his back to the door, sat a man in a navy blue brocade robe with a drawstring cuff. The man had a straight back, an upright posture, and his hair was neatly tied up. Looking from behind, he exuded a calm and capable temperament.

As soon as Jin An stepped into the house and saw the back figure, he was slightly startled and full of doubts in his heart. He felt that the back figure looked inexplicably familiar.

The eldest princess, who was sitting on the upper throne, saw Jin'an coming in. Her smile became even wider and she said lovingly, "Jin'an is here, come here quickly." Her voice was full of intimacy, just like the purest love of an elder for a younger generation.

Jin An quickly stepped forward, a gentle smile on her face. Her skirt swayed gently with her movements, like a blooming spring flower. Just as she was about to bow, the person who had been sitting with their back to her stood up and slowly turned to look at Jin An. Jin An froze in his tracks, as if under a spell, his eyes filled with surprise—it was Zhong Chuzhou!

The Zhong Chuzhou before him looked a little different from the one he had seen in the capital. His skin had darkened, but his features had become more resolute. He had completely transformed from the image of a young master from an aristocratic family. Even his phoenix eyes had lost some of their charm. Only the red mole between his eyebrows remained glaring.

The Zhong Chuzhou before him was vastly different from the one he'd seen in Beijing. His skin had been tanned a bit by the sun, but it made him look even more robust. His features had lost some of their youthful immaturity, and were now filled with a more resolute look. His former image of a gentle, jade-like son of an aristocratic family had undergone a significant transformation. Even his phoenix eyes had lost some of their charm and gained a sharper edge. Only the red mole between his eyebrows remained dazzling, like the brightest star in the night sky.

Being stared at by those tender, almond-shaped eyes, Jin An finally felt a tinge of shame. Her cheeks flushed slightly, like the sunset glow on the horizon. He quickly averted his gaze, collected his thoughts, and graciously bowed to the Grand Princess. "Greetings, Grandmother!" Her voice was clear and melodious, with a hint of girlish charm.

The eldest princess smiled and raised her hand, her tone full of doting: "Okay, get up! Come to my great aunt."

Jin An stood up with a smile and walked gracefully to the side of the Grand Princess. Zhong Chuzhou's eyes followed Jin An's movements closely, as if drawn by a magnet.

This made Jin An feel very uncomfortable, like a kitten tickling his heart, and he couldn't help but secretly raise his eyes and look at him. Their eyes collided instantly, just like a shooting star across the night sky, creating a brilliant scene.

The corners of Zhong Chuzhou's mouth unconsciously lifted up, revealing a gentle smile. Then he reacted and bowed respectfully to Jin An: "Greetings, Her Royal Highness the Princess."

Jin An looked at Zhong Chuzhou who was bowing solemnly at this time, with a decent smile on the corner of her mouth, and returned the greeting gracefully, but her heart seemed to be beating like a small drum. She thought to herself: "How strange, why haven't I heard any news about his return? He didn't return with his uncle and others. He was out alone for so long. What was he doing?" All kinds of questions were entangled in her mind like a tangled thread.

At this moment, the gentle voice of the eldest princess rang out: "Jin'an, I asked you to come here today because Chuzhou has something to tell you. Chuzhou returned secretly under the order of your father. To protect the confidentiality, no one can reveal the news, so my great aunt invited you here in her own capacity."

When Jin An heard this, her heart suddenly moved, and she had a vague guess. She raised her head slightly and looked at the Grand Princess, her eyes full of concern and inquiry, and asked softly: "Grand Aunt, is there anything you need my cooperation?" Jin An knew very well that if it was just an ordinary reminisce, the Grand Princess would not go to such great lengths. Since it was related to her father's secret order, then this matter must be very serious.

"Let Chuzhou tell you! This matter..." The eldest princess hesitated to speak, with a deep look in her eyes. She turned to look at Zhong Chuzhou, as if signaling him to speak.

Following the Grand Princess' words, Jin An's gaze shifted towards Zhong Chuzhou, and upon turning, he once again met Zhong Chuzhou's eyes, so soft they seemed to drip with water. For Zhong Chuzhou, these past few months of separation had been like enduring a long, cold winter. Now, upon seeing his beloved for the first time, his heart and eyes were filled with Jin An's presence, and his love could no longer be concealed, overflowing from his eyes.

The moment their eyes met, Jin An's eyes subconsciously avoided, as if burned by this straightforward love. Zhong Chuzhou looked at her like this, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but rise, his heart filled with joy.

But he soon realized that important matters needed to be addressed. He lowered his eyelids, took a deep breath, and when he looked back up, his expression had become serious and solemn. He walked steadily forward, approached Jin An, and after a solemn bow, he lowered his voice and said seriously, "Princess, the Zhang family is planning a rebellion at the annual banquet."

"What?!" Jin An couldn't help but exclaim in shock. In an instant, her face turned pale, and her once bright almond-shaped eyes widened, filled with shock and disbelief. She felt her heart suddenly shrink, as if it was about to jump out of her throat. Although she had expected something unexpected to happen, this shocking event still took her completely by surprise.

Seeing her panic, Zhong Chuzhou felt deeply distressed and quickly continued, "Jin'an, don't worry! His Majesty has long been aware of this matter and has already made arrangements. Originally, His Majesty didn't want to tell you because he didn't want to worry you. But I'm really worried. The New Year's banquet will be chaotic, and we can't guarantee that we will completely eliminate the hidden tricks set by the Zhang family in the harem. I'm worried about possible changes, so after much thought, I decided to tell you this so that you can be prepared in advance."

After Jin An heard that her father had known about this and had already made arrangements, she suddenly understood the reason behind her father's unusual behavior, and she felt a little relieved. She calmed herself down, looked at Zhong Chuzhou, and asked, "Cousin Zhong, was it also father's will that you stayed away for so long? How did you discover the Zhang family's plan?"

"Let's sit down first!" The eldest princess suddenly spoke, breaking the slightly tense atmosphere.

Jin An and Zhong Chuzhou finally reacted. They looked at each other, a blush of embarrassment appeared on their faces, they smiled at each other awkwardly, and then walked to the side and sat down.

After settling down, Zhong Chuzhou recounted his experiences of the past few months to Jin'an. Jin'an listened, feeling horrified, thinking to himself that his transformation had altered many things in this life. If Zhong Chuzhou and the others hadn't discovered this in time, the consequences would have been truly disastrous.