The princess regretted it.

Chapter 325: Concubine Zhang's "Switching the Dragon to the Phoenix"

After completely avoiding the eyes and ears of others, she slowed down her pace slightly, quietly raised her eyes, and carefully observed the movements around her. Seeing that the surroundings were quiet and no one was around, she turned nimbly and quickly walked towards the direction of the Jiaoyu Palace.

Soon they arrived at Jiaoyu Palace. Qiuwen still didn't dare to relax. She lowered her head almost into her chest, as if this could hide herself deeper.

The moment she stepped into the palace, Xiangcao was arranging things inside. Hearing footsteps, she subconsciously looked up and saw that it was Qiuwen coming. She followed the palace rules and quickly walked forward, ready to kneel and salute her.

But just as she bent her knees slightly and glanced at Qiu Wen, her whole body seemed to be struck by an invisible electric current and she froze in place instantly.

The greeting that was on the tip of her tongue and ready to be blurted out was stuck in her throat. Her eyes were wide open, filled with astonishment and suspicion, as if Qiu Wen in front of her was hiding some shocking secret, leaving her at a loss for what to do.

Qiu Wen swept across Xiangcao with a cold look like a sharp blade, and then asked in a deep voice: "Where is the princess?" That voice was wrapped in the majesty and oppression unique to those in power. It was not Qiu Wen's voice at all!

Vanilla blinked subconsciously and was about to bow as if by reflex, but Qiu Wen suddenly shouted, "Stand still! Take me to see the princess."

These brief, powerful words, like a thunderclap, instantly brought Xiangcao back to her senses. She quickly stepped aside, striking a respectful gesture, inviting Qiuwen forward, whispering, "The princess is inside. Mother... uh, please come this way!"

Qiu Wen nodded slightly, uttered a low "hmm" through her nose, and then she stepped over Xiangcao and walked quickly forward into the house. Seeing this, Xiangcao looked nervous and hurriedly followed her into the house.

They were completely unaware that Vanilla's unusual behavior had been clearly observed by the man who had been following Qiu Wen closely in the shadows. His eyes darted rapidly as his mind raced back to Qiu Wen's actions since leaving Wuqiu Palace. Suddenly, as if with a flash of inspiration, he seemed to understand everything. He vanished silently, turned, and departed without a sound.

Here, after Qiuwen and Xiangcao entered the house, Xiangcao subconsciously turned and looked outside. After confirming that no one was around, she gently closed the door. Then, she turned around and quickly walked to Qiuwen. With a "thump", she knelt on her knees and lowered her voice, her tone full of awe and fear: "Your servant greets the queen!"

Qiu Wen slowly turned around, straightened her back, and raised her head. At this moment, she was wearing Qiu Wen's clothes and had Qiu Wen's hair style, but her face was clearly that of Concubine Zhang.

It turns out all of this was a carefully planned "switching the dragon for the phoenix" scheme. They had agreed beforehand: Qiuwen would disguise herself as Concubine Zhang and remain within Wuqiu Palace, deftly managing any potential emergencies. Meanwhile, Concubine Zhang, disguised as Qiuwen, successfully evaded the guards' close surveillance and slipped out of Wuqiu Palace.

Earlier, during the fight between the two in the palace, Concubine Zhang feigned anger and locked herself in her room, refusing to leave, thus arousing no suspicion from others. Meanwhile, Qiu Wen pretended to be crying and covering her face after being beaten, thus successfully deceiving the guards on duty. It must be said that this plan was extremely successful.

Zhang Concubine's expression was stern. She parted her thin lips and said coldly, "Get up, tell the kitchen to prepare some food, and then come back and keep watch outside. I have something to discuss with Jiaoyu."

Xiangcao quickly accepted the order and said "yes". Then she quickly stood up, turned around, opened the door and walked out. According to Zhang Pin's instructions, she went to the small kitchen first, then returned to the main hall door, sat on the corridor, put down the basket for beating sashes that she had taken from the side room, and pretended to be beating sashes while carefully paying attention to her surroundings.

At this moment, Jiaoyu, who was sitting in a daze by the window in the inner room, suddenly heard some noise coming from the outer room. She turned her head subconsciously, and at that moment, she saw Qiuwen lifting the door curtain and striding in.

Jiaoyu was just about to ask about the visitor's purpose, but the moment her eyes met the visitor's face, she felt as if struck by lightning. Her mother's face suddenly appeared before her. Shocked, Jiaoyu abruptly stood up from her seat, her eyes wide open in disbelief. For a moment, she stood there speechless.

Zhang Concubine looked at Jiaoyu in front of her, her brows instantly twisted into the shape of the Chinese character "川". However, after just a few days without seeing her, Jiaoyu seemed like a completely different person. She was listless, her eyes were dull, and her face was a sickly pale color.

Concubine Zhang was filled with intense worry. She quickly stepped forward, took Jiaoyu's hand, and carefully examined her daughter's face. She asked with concern, "Jiaoyu, what's wrong with you? Are you sick?"

When Jiaoyu heard Zhangpin's question, she finally came to her senses. Her face was filled with surprise, her eyes filled with disbelief, and she blurted out, "Mother, why are you here? Could it be that Father has lifted your ban..."

Before she could finish her words, Jiaoyu suddenly realized something was amiss. Her eyes quickly fell on Zhangpin's clothing, which was clearly Qiuwen's. Subconsciously, Jiaoyu glanced around, then warily gazed out the window. Her first reaction was to withdraw her hand, turn around, quickly walk to the window, and close it tightly.

Then, she turned around and looked at Concubine Zhang again, her eyes full of doubt and uneasiness, and she stammered, "Mother, you, you..."

Before Jiaoyu could ask the question, Zhangpin took her hand again, pulled her to the couch, and they sat down side by side.

Zhangpin's tone was urgent but unquestionable. She said quickly, "Don't ask too many questions. Mother can't stay outside for too long. She could be discovered at any time. I was really worried about you and your second brother, so I took the risk to come out and check on you. You haven't come to Mother's palace for so many days. Are you sick? Also, have you visited your second brother? How is he now?"

Zhangpin threw out all the questions in her mind in one breath. Jiaoyu's eyes were a little vacant, lingering on Zhangpin's face. Obviously, she hadn't fully digested the shock brought by Zhangpin's disguise.

Hearing Zhangpin's string of questions, Jiaoyu seemed to have flipped a switch and answered subconsciously, "I'm sorry to have worried Mother. I'm fine, and so is my second brother. Your Majesty hasn't blamed my second brother yet, but he's still investigating what happened."

"That's good! That's good!" Concubine Zhang breathed a sigh of relief, her expression slightly relaxed.

Then, she changed the subject, her tone becoming serious again: "Mother has another matter today. I hope you can go to your maternal grandparents' home on my behalf. Mother sent someone to send a message to your maternal grandparents before, but I haven't received a reply. Qiuwen can't contact those people now. Please ask my maternal grandparents on my behalf to see if they have any plans and what we should do next."

Zhang Pin spoke softly while gently patting Jiaoyu's hand, trying to soothe her daughter's emotions, while also conveying her determination and expectations.