The princess regretted it.

Chapter 405: Take Care of Me 12

Just as Jiaoyu was wondering if her father's "find out?" was referring to something unusual in her gift, or something else entirely, Jin'an's next response put her heart at ease.

"Your Majesty, the follow-up arrangements for the Lanxin Palace, Eunuch Fuquan, have already been made. They will definitely not disturb Concubine Chun." Jin An bowed slightly and replied cryptically, his voice soft and calm. He then pointed to the gift boxes Jiaoyu had brought. "These gifts were personally delivered by my sister in the snow after she learned the good news."

"Oh?!" The emperor's eyes swept over the boxes Jin'an had pointed at, then fell on Jiaoyu. There was a look of scrutiny in his eyes.

Jiaoyu had come back to her senses and quickly stood up to continue Jin'an's conversation, with a gentle yet cautious smile on her face. "Father, I was very happy to hear that Concubine Chun gave birth to the fourth prince safely. I specially selected some nourishing foods and the best brocade from the warehouse to send to you to express my congratulations!" As she spoke, she unconsciously glanced at the brocade that Doctor Fang had placed on the side, feeling a little uneasy.

"Hmm!" The emperor noticed Jiaoyu's cautious tone and noticeable weight loss as she spoke, and his heart couldn't help but surge with emotion. Although he hadn't paid much attention to Jiaoyu recently, he was aware of the harem's tendency to flatter the powerful and despise the weak. In his opinion, Jiaoyu's cautiousness at this moment was probably due to the lingering fear of some of her previous experiences.

Thinking of this, the emperor sighed inwardly and nodded slightly, his tone filled with recognition and praise: "You are thoughtful. In such a heavy snowstorm, you can just send someone to deliver it. Why bother to come here in person? Your sincerity will be remembered by your father."

Jiaoyu still looked respectful, and said, "I dare not disappoint my father's teachings!"

The emperor clearly sensed the awkwardness hidden in this respect, and it was difficult to say anything else. He could only nod again and raised his hand to make a downward gesture, "Sit down!"

Jiaoyu bowed slightly and slowly sat down. Jin'an raised an eyebrow at Jiaoyu's cautious expression, a barely perceptible twitch of the corner of her mouth, but she didn't interrupt. Firstly, Doctor Fang hadn't yet clearly stated what kind of incense it was, nor had he explained the exact harm it caused. Secondly, she didn't want to appear aggressive in front of her father. It wouldn't be too late to wait for Doctor Fang's results before making a final decision.

"Jin'an, what did you mean by being cautious?" The emperor looked at Jin'an and asked slowly while taking the hot tea that Nanny Su had just brewed and brought to him. His tone was casual and warm, which was different from before.

Jiaoyu's heart instantly rose to her throat again. She glanced at Jin'an in a panic and didn't even pay attention to the hot tea that Nanny Su offered her.

Nanny Su glanced over quietly, clearly seeing Jiaoyu's uneasy expression. She withdrew her gaze and gently placed the teacup on the table beside Jiaoyu. Then she quietly bowed and stepped aside.

"Your Majesty," Jin An replied softly, "When I saw the gifts from my sister, I thought that people from the palace would surely come to congratulate and send gifts one after another. However, Concubine Chun and my fourth brother need to rest and recuperate right now, and it's not suitable for them to see guests. Their food and expenses also need to be paid special attention to. So I thought I'd ask Doctor Fang to do some hard work. From now on, all gifts from everyone will be reviewed by Doctor Fang, and he will then decide whether to give them to Concubine Chun and my fourth brother."

Having said that, Jin An paused, and the fingers hidden in his sleeves curled slightly. His heart tightened, and he bit his lower lip secretly with his teeth.

Jin An's voice slowly rang out, "Just now, I wanted Doctor Fang to take the brocades that the princess brought back and examine them carefully. I was worried that the princess might be unhappy, so I was explaining this to her."

"Why do you want to take these brocades back for inspection?" After hearing Jin'an's words, the emperor looked at the box that Nanny Su had placed aside, then looked at the brocades beside Doctor Fang, and then looked at Jiaoyu, asking meaningfully, "Is there something wrong with these brocades?"

Jiaoyu's fingers, hidden within her sleeves, clenched suddenly, the silver armor digging deeply into her palms. Feeling her father's gaze, she tried hard to control herself and not lose her composure.

Jin An looked at Doctor Fang, who stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty, when I examined it just now, I noticed a faint fragrance coming from this brocade. It resembled some kind of incense, or perhaps some herbal scent, but I can't confirm it yet. Considering that the special materials and craftsmanship used in making incense are not suitable for postpartum women and infants, Princess Jin An decided to let me take it back for further inspection."

After hearing Doctor Fang's words, the Emperor's brows furrowed slightly, his gaze darting back and forth between the brocade and delicate jades. Then, he lowered his eyes and fell silent. After a moment, he looked up at Doctor Fang and said in a deep voice, "Since that's the case, let's do as Jin An says. From now on, all gifts sent to the Lanxin Palace must be personally inspected by you. This is especially true of food and personal belongings. Nothing should be neglected!"

"I obey your command!" Doctor Fang bowed quickly and accepted the order. After packing up the medicine box, he took the pieces of brocade and left.

Jiaoyu's heart finally settled down, and her clenched hands slowly loosened, and only then did she feel a slight pain in her palms.

"Madame Su, you should step aside as well. Take good care of Concubine Chun and the Fourth Prince!" The emperor looked at Madame Su beside him and said slowly.

Nanny Su bowed quickly, turned around, took the box containing ginseng and bird's nest, bowed and retreated back to the inner room.

The emperor glanced at the rest of the people in the room. Jin An understood that his father probably wanted to speak to him and Jiao Yu alone. He then turned his head and winked at Han Shuang, who nodded in understanding, then bowed and retreated outside the hall.

Seeing this, Jiaoyu also understood, and her heart, which had just been relieved, was once again in suspense. She forced herself to remain calm and signaled to her companions, and the palace maids who had accompanied her also retreated outside the palace and stood on the other side of the palace door opposite Han Shuang.

The emperor then looked at Jin'an and Jiaoyu, his fingertips rubbing the jade ring on his thumb, and said in a deep voice, "This pregnancy of Concubine Chun was not easy to come by, and the Fourth Prince is the child I have been waiting for for many years. Now that there has been a happy event in the palace, I don't want to see any evil spirits causing trouble."

His gaze first fell on Jin'an, and his tone became more serious. "Jin'an, Concubine Cen is weak, and the harem is overwhelmed with miscellaneous affairs. You are now calm and steady, and you and Concubine Chun have always been close, so you should take care of Lanxin Palace." He paused, then added, "You can take charge of some matters as appropriate. If there are special circumstances, you can ask Eunuch Xunfu or Commander Zuo Quan to help. However, you must also be careful with your methods and avoid causing more trouble in the harem!"

"I understand." Jin An bowed slightly. "I will definitely prioritize the safety of Concubine Chun and my fourth brother and act with moderation."

The emperor nodded and turned to look at Jiaoyu. Her eyelids were drooping, and her long eyelashes cast a small shadow under her eyes, making the hollows in her cheeks more obvious.