The princess regretted it.

Chapter 15: Changsun Jiaoyu's Test

Soon, Changsun Jiaoyu arrived at Feiyu Palace. The palace maids and eunuchs greeted Princess Jiaoyu with a gentle bow. Changsun Jiaoyu nodded gently and walked slowly into the palace. Feiyu Palace was elegantly and quietly decorated, and the air was filled with a faint scent of incense.

Princess Jin'an was practicing calligraphy at her desk, while Ziyun ground ink for her and whispered about her visit to the Prime Minister's residence. Hearing footsteps, Jin'an looked up and saw Changsun Jiaoyu and Cuiguo walking in. Cuiguo was holding an exquisite food box.

Jin'an's eyes flashed, and then he put down the pen in his hand and greeted her with a smile: "Royal sister, why are you here?" Ziyun also stepped forward to greet her.

Changsun Jiaoyu, with a gentle and amiable expression, raised her hand to signal Ziyun to stand up. She lightly stepped forward, gently shook Jinan's hand, and said with a faint smile, "It's been a while since I've visited you, sister. I made some Poria cocos cake today, thinking you might like it, so I brought it over for you to try while it's hot." As soon as she finished speaking, Cuiguo had already placed the Poria cocos cake from the food box on the table. The Poria cocos cake was pure white and exuded a light fragrance, which really whetted one's appetite.

Jin An lowered her eyes slightly to glance at the hands holding hers, resisting the urge to shake them off. She also remained calm, acting out the affectionate sisterly act. She smiled and said, "Your Majesty, you're so thoughtful. Please sit down."

Changsun Jiaoyu sat down as instructed, and a maid immediately came forward to serve tea. Changsun Jiaoyu took a sip from the teacup and gently placed it on the table. Her eyes darted around, taking in the surroundings. She smiled and said, "Sister, you're such a refined person! I'm ashamed of myself."

Jin An chuckled, "Royal sister, please stop teasing me. I'm just killing time because I have nothing better to do."

"It's true that the palace has been a bit quiet lately, but yesterday's banquet must have been incredibly lively, right? I didn't go, so I don't know how lively it was. But I heard that my sister went to Mother's flower-viewing banquet. I wonder what interesting things happened at the banquet? Could you tell me about them?" Changsun Jiaoyu's face was filled with anticipation, her eyes filled with curiosity and longing for the banquet. However, only she knew her true purpose.

Jin An sneered inwardly. "Oh, you're trying to trick me! You don't know what happened yesterday! You're just trying to get something you want to hear from me so you can tell me something behind my back." Even as he thought this, Jin An still wore a faint smile on his face as he casually said, "Yesterday! Nothing special. It was no different from any other banquet. It was just some poetry, painting, music, dancing, and drinking."

Changsun Jiaoyu's heart sank, and she thought to herself, "How cautious!" But she maintained a gentle smile on her face. "Indeed, most banquets are pretty much the same. It's just that when I came here just now, I vaguely heard a little bit about the excitement yesterday, and I can't help but feel a little curious."

Changsun Jiaoyu lowered her eyes slightly, her fingers gently stroking the handkerchief in her hand, and said, "Sister, I heard that most of the people attending this banquet are talented daughters from various families. It should be a feast for all flowers. How come none of them caught your eye?"

Jin An's expression remained unchanged. He took a sip of tea and said slowly, "Sister, you know I'm not interested in these things. Besides, aren't all those daughters of the same wealth the same? Compared to previous banquets, there's nothing special about them."

Changsun Jiaoyu frowned slightly, seeming a little unconvinced. She pretended to be angry and said, "Are you trying to trick me? I heard that all the daughters of the rich families gave wonderful performances at the banquet. Is there not a single one that I liked?"

Jin An gently put down his teacup, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly, "Look at what you said, sister. That banquet didn't have any exciting programs. These daughters have been trained in music, chess, calligraphy and painting since childhood. Isn't that what they become after seeing too much?" He sneered in his heart: "What's going on? Are you about to lose your temper?"

Seeing Jin An's impeccable manner, Changsun Jiaoyu felt a little irritated, but she couldn't bring herself to react. She rolled her eyes, pretending to lower her head and smile faintly. She changed the subject, "That's right! By the way, sister, have you heard anything about the excitement outside the palace lately?"

Jin An thought to himself: "It's going on outside the palace? It seems...!" His inner vigilance suddenly increased, but he remained calm. "Why is my sister concerned about what's going on outside the palace? I haven't heard of it. I wonder if you've heard about the excitement?"

Changsun Jiaoyu wanted to say something but stopped herself, almost unable to hold back. Finally, she sighed softly, "Forget it. I haven't left the palace for a long time. How would I know what's going on outside the palace? I also wanted to see if you know what's going on, so we can chat to relieve our boredom. Okay, I won't disturb you from practicing calligraphy. I'll go back first." After that, Changsun Jiaoyu stood up and said goodbye, taking Cuiguo away. Seeing this, Ziyun hurriedly followed and saw them out of the hall.

Watching Changsun Jiaoyu's departing figure, Changsun Jinan couldn't help but sneer in her heart. She was certain that Changsun Jiaoyu must have come here for some purpose. It seemed that the matter was indeed related to her! Was she trying to throw dirty water?

Changsun Jiaoyu maintained a gentle and proper demeanor as she returned to Shuyu Hall. As soon as she entered the inner chamber, her entire demeanor turned cold, her face instantly gloomy, her eyes filled with a sinister coldness. The handkerchief in her hand was nearly torn apart by her delicate hands. Changsun Jiaoyu gritted her teeth and secretly resented, "This Jin'an is as arrogant as ever. He's really as hard as a rock. He thinks I can do nothing if he doesn't accept my challenge! How foolish!"

Changsun Jiaoyu suppressed her anger and sat heavily on the soft chair, her eyes tightly closed. After a moment, she slowly opened her eyes, and the look in her eyes revealed a sinister venom like a venomous snake, which made people shudder. She waved to Cuiguo, who was waiting beside her. Cuiguo hurriedly stepped forward and bent down. Changsun Jiaoyu whispered in Cuiguo's ear, her voice so low that it was almost inaudible: "Cuiguo, go find my uncle and ask him to help me pass on some words... He knows how to do it." Cuiguo took the order and hurried out of the palace.

After Cuiguo left, Changsun Jiaoyu's lips curled up slightly, revealing a sinister smile. She leaned back in the soft chair, tapping her fingers lightly on the armrest as she mentally pondered her next move. She knew this move would inevitably cause a stir. She wanted to see how Changsun Jinan would face the ensuing storm.

The more Changsun Jiaoyu thought about it, the more her grim smile grew. Anyone witnessing this would surely shudder. She could already see the tragic scene of Princess Jin'an, unable to defend herself and scorned by everyone. The pent-up feeling she'd felt earlier gradually dissipated, and her mood brightened, completely immersing herself in the joy of her own self-imagined success.

Outside the hall, a leaf on a lush tree suddenly swayed slightly, as if a gentle breeze had blown by. Then, everything returned to calm, as if nothing had happened. This slight movement did not attract the attention of anyone in Shuyu Hall.