The princess regretted it.

Chapter 327: Relegated to limbo

But Concubine Zhang's relief was premature. As she hurriedly entered Wuqiu Palace, her food box in hand, she was suddenly struck by an inexplicable sense of strangeness. She keenly sensed that something was amiss with the atmosphere around her. Secretly puzzled, she quickly sorted through her thoughts, trying to pinpoint the source of this strange feeling. She feigned composure, her steps unwavering, and she hurried toward the main hall.

Entering the main hall, it was completely deserted. Zhang Concubine subconsciously turned back, her eyes warily scanning behind her, but she saw nothing unusual. She wondered if her trip had been too dangerous, her nerves too high, and she was experiencing an illusion.

So, she took a deep breath, put down the food box in her hand, raised her head, straightened her back, and walked calmly towards the bedroom. As she walked, she whispered, "Qiu Wen, come over and help me change my clothes."

As she reached out and gently lifted the door curtain, about to step into the bedroom, the scene before her struck her like a bolt of lightning. A bright yellow figure suddenly appeared in the room. The familiar color instantly froze her blood, and she felt as if she had fallen into a cold pond, frozen in place, unable to move.

The Emperor's eldest grandson, Hongze, stood with his hands behind his back, his posture erect and his face stern. His eyes, like cold stars, stared at her coldly. His expression was so unfathomable that it was impossible to tell whether he was angry or happy at the moment. Eunuch Fuquan stood beside him, his head bowed.

Qiu Wen, who was standing aside, was trembling all over, like a sieve, kneeling on the ground. She was still wearing Concubine Zhang's clothes, and looked extremely embarrassed.

"You're back!" The emperor's cold and flat voice, like a heavy hammer, slowly rang out in the silent room, making Zhang Pin's eardrums buzz.

Zhang Concubine woke up as if from a dream. With a plop, she knelt on her knees, her voice trembling as she said hurriedly, "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you. Please forgive me!"

"Oh? Forgive me? What crime have you committed?" The emperor spoke slowly, his eyes as sharp as torches, locking onto Zhang Pin's eyes tightly, as if he wanted to see through the secrets in her heart.

Zhang Concubine lowered her head, beads of sweat rolling down her forehead. She was in a panic, but she didn't dare to speak rashly. She knew that she was in a desperate situation at the moment, and if she was not careful, she might be doomed.

In this dead silence, every second seemed extremely long, and Zhang Pin's heartbeat became more and more violent, as if it was about to burst through her chest.

After a long while, Zhang Concubine finally mustered up the courage and said in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty, I violated the house arrest order and left the palace without permission. I truly deserve death. I was confused for a moment, and I beg Your Majesty to show mercy and forgive me this time."

The emperor raised his eyebrows slightly, and a meaningful sneer appeared on the corner of his mouth: "Leaving the palace without permission? I underestimated you, Zhang Pin! How dare you openly disobey the order and deceive the emperor! Are you violating the ban? You are disobeying the order!" As he said, the emperor walked to the chair on the other side and sat down, saying as he walked, "Tell me! What on earth did you do to go out despite the order? Who did you go to see? Hmm?" The last word "Hmm" was slightly raised in tone, but it was like a heavy hammer, hitting Zhang Pin's heart hard.

Zhangpin's brain was working rapidly at this moment. She instantly recalled the source of that indescribable strange feeling when she came back - the guards at the gate of Wuqiu Palace were nowhere to be seen!

Her heart suddenly tightened, and she instantly realized that her outing must have been discovered long ago, and the other party might even know her whereabouts. She knew that at this point, she could no longer hide anything.

She gritted her teeth, her expression filled with determination. She steeled her resolve and said, "Your Majesty, I did leave the palace and went to Jiaoyu Palace. Jiaoyu hasn't set foot in Wuqiu Palace in the past few days, and I'm deeply worried. I've been on edge all day, always fearing something might have happened to her. In a moment of confusion, I was possessed by a demon. To visit my daughter, I risked disobeying the imperial order and leaving the palace without permission. I deserve death, and I beg Your Majesty to forgive me."

She lowered her head, her voice trembling slightly, and beads of sweat began to form uncontrollably on her head and body. The sweat on her forehead slid down her cheeks, but she didn't dare raise her hand to wipe it away, only letting it fall to the ground in front of her, forming small wet marks.

"Is that so?" the Emperor asked softly, his tone hinting at inquiry, yet also hinting at something else. "So, you truly love your daughter! It's my fault for causing you and your daughter so much inconvenience! How about I ask her to come to the palace to accompany you? Okay? Hmm?"

The emperor's inflected "hmm" was like a tight curse, causing Concubine Zhang's face to turn even darker, as if all the blood had been drained away. Terrified, she kowtowed repeatedly, her forehead thumping against the ground as she begged, "Your Majesty, this is my fault. Everything is my fault. Please don't blame Jiaoyu! She knows nothing! Please, Your Majesty!"

The Emperor's gaze grew even colder, like a sharp blade in the cold night. He stood up, his figure looming over Concubine Zhang, bringing a tremendous sense of oppression. He paced slowly, each step steady and powerful, echoing in the silent palace.

"Hmph, do you think I will believe you just because you said that? You left the palace without permission, and there must be an ulterior motive behind it. I will find out whether Jiaoyu knows about it or not. If you don't tell the truth, don't blame me for being ruthless." The emperor's cold and ruthless words rang out above Concubine Zhang's head.

Zhang's heart tightened, knowing full well that the Emperor was already suspicious and would not let this go easily. She was torn between worrying that Jiaoyu would be implicated and fearing she would completely anger the Emperor.

But at this critical moment, she gritted her teeth. If for no other reason than for the Zhang family, she had to protect her daughter first. "Your Majesty, I left the palace rashly because I was worried about Jiaoyu. If Your Majesty wants to punish me, please punish me alone. Jiaoyu truly has nothing to do with this matter."

The Emperor looked down at Concubine Zhang, his eyes like a cold pond, deep and filled with a chilling chill. He stared at Concubine Zhang in front of him, as if he wanted to see through her and understand all the secrets in her heart.

Under this real gaze, Concubine Zhang felt as if two sharp blades were pressing against her back. The chill kept climbing up her spine and instantly spread throughout her body, making her shiver uncontrollably.

Just when she was about to collapse, the emperor's icy voice came from above her head again: "Fuquan, pass on my decree. Concubine Zhang openly disobeyed my order and deceived the emperor! She will be banished to the cold palace immediately. No one is allowed to visit her without my decree!" After that, the emperor waved his long sleeves with unquestionable majesty, and then turned around and strode away.