The princess regretted it.

Chapter 321 Jin An suspects his grandfather knows the Zhang family secret

And now, he received the devastating news that his son might have been murdered. This was undoubtedly a devastating blow to Zhang Hengrui. His heart, accustomed to a smooth life, could not accept such a heavy reality for a while.

In fact, Zhang Chengde and the old master had already had this suspicion in their minds. They knew that Zhang Hengrui would find it difficult to accept this result. Moreover, it was just a guess at the time, and there was no solid evidence to confirm it. Therefore, they thought of keeping it secret from him for the time being, thinking that it would not be too late to make plans after they had more accurate information.

However, the situation was now urgent. Given the time it took for this information to reach them from its source, it's easy to imagine that the people in the base, following instructions, would have already set off for the capital without stopping. If they kept Zhang Hengrui Zhenyuan's situation a secret until the plan was about to be implemented, he would undoubtedly be in a state of panic. This would severely impact the success of the entire plan and could even lead to the Zhang family's irreparable destruction.

Zhang Chengde stood aside, watching his son's distraught and grief-stricken state. His eyes couldn't help but redden slightly. He felt distressed and turned to the old master and whispered softly, "Father, this news is too sudden for Hengrui. He can't bear it for the time being. Why don't you let him go down and rest first, so that he can calm down."

Upon hearing this, the old master let out a long sigh helplessly, as if he wanted to expel all the annoyance and worries in his heart with this breath. He slowly closed his eyes, was silent for a moment, and then waved his hand, his movement revealing a bit of weakness and fatigue.

Seeing this, Zhang Chengde immediately turned around and gently took the note that Zhang Hengrui was still tightly holding in his hand. He supported his shoulders and said to him earnestly, "Go down first and take your time. Be careful not to let your mother and wife notice anything. If they knew, they would only worry more. I will discuss this with you in detail later. There is no concrete evidence that Zhenyuan has been killed. Perhaps he was just captured by the enemy. Or he is hiding somewhere to recover from his injuries. Let's work together to find a way to get through this difficult time."

Zhang Hengrui felt as if a hard object was stuck in his throat, making every swallow painful, as if it would slice through his throat at any moment. He suppressed the grief and turbulent emotions in his heart, nodded slightly, bowed, and left the study with heavy, slow steps. His back looked so lonely and helpless, as if all his energy had been drained away in an instant.

After he left, a brief silence fell in the study. The old Grand Tutor and Zhang Chengde exchanged glances, each seeing a solemnity and determination in the other's eyes. Then, they laid out their carefully crafted plan once again, meticulously analyzing and deliberating word by word, trying to find a glimmer of hope in this complex situation, ensuring its smooth implementation and safeguarding the Zhang family's glory and future...

Jin'an's carriage sped along, soon coming to a steady stop in front of the main gate of Prime Minister Mu's residence. Han Shuang gently lifted the curtain, and Jin'an bowed slightly. With Han Shuang's support, he slowly stepped out of the carriage. She was dressed in a simple yet elegant dress, her expression tinged with anxiety and solemnity. After disembarking, she hurried straight into the residence.

It was true that Jin'an had been coming to the Prime Minister's residence more and more often these days, visiting almost every other day. Over time, everyone in the residence had become quite familiar with her. Even the concierge, who was usually in charge of welcoming and seeing off guests, seemed to have lost his initial restraint when he saw her. It was as if he didn't treat Jin'an as some high-ranking, noble princess, but rather as the eldest daughter of the Mu Mansion.

Seeing her coming, the doorman's face was immediately filled with smiles. He stepped forward warmly and bowed respectfully, saying, "Princess, you are here. Please come in." As he spoke, he quickly stepped aside to make way for Jin'an to enter.

Jin An nodded slightly, and without saying anything, she walked into the mansion. As she walked quickly towards her grandfather's study, she was thinking about how to tell her grandfather and uncle about the Zhang family's private soldiers.

Soon, Jin An arrived at the study where Mu En usually held meetings. Mu En's attendant in the study saw him and hurried forward to greet Jin An. Jin An nodded and said, "Are my grandfather and uncle here?"

The attendant replied respectfully, "Yes, Princess. Please wait a moment." Then he turned back to the study door and reported to the inside, "Prime Minister, Marquis, Princess Jin'an is here."

"Please ask her to come in." Mu Xiang's calm voice came from inside the house.

Jin An quickly stepped forward and pushed open the door, only to see Prime Minister Mu hunched over his desk, reviewing documents, while his uncle Mu En was sorting through files nearby. Seeing Jin An, both men rose to greet him.

"Jin'an, you came in such a hurry today, but what happened?" Mu Guan asked concernedly, his eyes fixed on Jin'an.

Jin An didn't beat around the bush. His expression was serious as he said, "Grandfather, Uncle, I've come here to report a matter of great importance to the safety of our nation. The Zhang family is secretly raising private soldiers!"

As Jin An finished speaking, the study suddenly became so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. Mu Xiang and Mu Feng exchanged a quick glance, their eyes filled with both understanding and surprise.

Mu Xiang's face was solemn and serious. He asked, "Jin'an, this is no small matter. How did you learn this? Do you have any solid evidence?"

Jin An didn't hesitate, unleashing everything he'd heard from the guards, the Second Prince's unwitting knowledge, and the various thoughts that had swirled within him since learning of the matter. "I wanted to report this directly to my father, but firstly, the evidence wasn't sufficient, and secondly, the Zhang family's influence was so complex that I feared a rash move would alert the enemy. So, I've come to consult with my grandfather and uncle first."

After hearing this, Mu En slammed the table in anger: "So their carefully planned plan actually has such a wicked ambition! This is simply treasonous!"

Mu Lian quickly raised his hand to signal Mu Feng not to say anything more. Mu Feng suddenly came back to his senses and looked at Jin An awkwardly.

Jin An sensed something else in his uncle's overreaction. He scoured Mu Xiang and Mu Feng's faces, questioning them with doubt in his eyes, "Grandfather? Uncle? Did you guys already know about this? After hearing what I said, you didn't seem particularly surprised by their keeping private soldiers. Uncle? You're only questioning their ultimate intentions, not their keeping private soldiers at all?"

Mu Feng was speechless for a moment, not knowing where to begin, and could only look at his father for help.