The princess regretted it.

Chapter 265 Zhang Bin's Collapse

Jiaoyu brought Yundou to Zhangpin's palace. After Yundou explained in detail why Zhang Hengrui had sent her here, Zhangpin said softly to Jiaoyu, "Jiaoyu, go sit in the side hall for a while."

Although Jiaoyu was somewhat unhappy, she turned away obediently when she saw Zhangpin give her a soothing look. She knew that her mother always loved her and would eventually tell her about the matter.

In the side hall, Jiaoyu fidgeted restlessly, the seconds stretching endlessly. Finally, after Yundou and Zhang Concubine finished their conversation, she hurried back to the main hall, only to be shocked to see her mother's face, unusually pale as paper, her eyes hollow and lifeless. Flustered, Jiaoyu hurried forward to grasp Zhang Concubine's hand, trying to offer comfort. However, the moment she touched her, she felt her hand tremble slightly, and it was icy cold to the touch, sending a chill piercing through her heart.

Jiaoyu was filled with suspicion and resentment. She turned around abruptly and glared at Yundou, who was standing beside her with her head bowed respectfully. She asked in a stern voice, "What did you say to my mother?"

This sudden, sharp shout brought Concubine Zhang back to her senses instantly. She quickly reached out and grasped Jiaoyu's hand, saying in a hoarse, dry voice, "Jiaoyu, it has nothing to do with her." Then, she slowly turned to Yundou and waved her hand weakly, saying, "Yundou, please leave for now."

Yundou bowed and retreated respectfully and quickly.

Jiaoyu was extremely anxious. She leaned over and locked her eyes with Zhang Pin. Her voice was filled with anxiety and urgency. "Mother, what happened? What did my uncle say when he sent that maid here?"

Zhang Concubine raised her hand slightly, trembling as she gently caressed Jiaoyu's delicate face. The heartache in her eyes was so intense that it seemed to overflow. Jiaoyu quickly reached out and tightly grasped the hand pressed against her face, but her heart was filled with panic. She raised her voice again and demanded, "Mother, please tell me!"

Zhang Concubine slowly closed her eyes, as if accumulating endless sorrow and helplessness. After a long moment, she spoke in a voice that seemed to be squeezed out from between her teeth, "Your father... He intends to abandon me completely."

Jiaoyu felt a buzzing sound in her head, and her whole body seemed to be hit by a bolt from the blue. Her body trembled slightly uncontrollably, and even her voice became intermittent: "No, this is absolutely impossible! Father has only temporarily confined Mother's feet. My brother's adoption must have been caused by the bewitching of Concubine Cen, and she was confused for a while. When Father has calmed down, I, your son, will plead with you together with my brother and grandfather. Father will surely remember Mother's past affection and kindness, and will not be so heartless. Things are definitely not that serious!" Jiaoyu said, shaking her head desperately, as if trying to shake this terrible news out of her mind.

"He let your brother be adopted by Concubine Cen. His intention is obvious. He clearly wants to completely abandon my mother and me." Concubine Zhang was on the verge of collapse. Tears burst out of her eyes uncontrollably and flowed down her cheeks.

"That's not true, Mother. Absolutely not!" Jiaoyu looked at her mother, who was nearly despairing and collapsing, her heart pounding. She simply denied Zhang Concubine's claims. She was filled with trepidation, fearing that her mother would be devastated by this heavy blow. An intense fear of losing her mother instantly gripped her heart.

Her thoughts raced, and suddenly a light bulb went off in her head. She hurriedly said, "Mother, don't be afraid! Even though Father is unreliable now, we still have our brother. Although he was adopted by Concubine Cen, blood is thicker than water, and he knows who is truly close to him. As long as he can ascend the throne in the future, you, Mother, will surely become the Empress Dowager. Wealth and glory will be yours, and no one will dare to look down on us anymore."

"Jiao Yu, you don't understand the situation yet. Your father has no intention of passing the throne to your second brother!" Concubine Zhang said sadly while shaking her head.

"Hmph, how is that possible? If father didn't pass the throne to my brother, could he pass it on to someone else? Zhangsun Wuwang? Not to mention his selfish, hypocritical and cunning character, just based on his humble origins and lack of background, how could he have gained a foothold in the court? This is absolutely impossible! Where on earth did my uncle get this information from?" Jiaoyu said with disdain and sarcasm on her face.

"Your father has never considered the third son either!" Zhang Pin kept thinking about what Yundou had just said. She felt as if her spine had been pulled out. She slumped limply on the couch and uttered these words weakly.

"Then who else could Father pass the throne to? Could it be Jin'an?" Jiaoyu's eyes widened in disbelief, then she burst into laughter as if she had heard the most ridiculous joke in the world. "Hahahaha, this is absolutely ridiculous! Jin'an is just an orphan. What right does she have? Just relying on her dead mother and brother, the Crown Prince?"

Concubine Zhang just shook her head silently, the despair on her face was like a dark cloud, weighing heavily on her heart.

Jiaoyu suddenly recalled Jin'an's last words to her, "The Emperor agrees to the selection." Filled with suspicion, she tentatively asked, "Mother, are you trying to say that the Emperor agrees to the selection because he plans to have another son to raise?"

Zhang Concubine smiled bitterly, a smile full of bitterness and self-mockery: "He is about to become the emperor again!"

Jiaoyu felt as if she was in a fog, her mind was in a mess, "W-what?"

"Yundou accidentally discovered a pregnant woman living in a side courtyard that the emperor often visited." Concubine Zhang's voice was low and weak, as if every word drained her of all her energy, her eyes staring blankly ahead. "She passed the news to your uncle, and he sent her to tell me what had happened."

"This, this is impossible. Since a concubine is pregnant with the prince, why is there no news? Did Yundou see it wrong?" Jiaoyu said in shock and disbelief.

"Don't you understand yet? Your father is afraid that your maternal grandparents and I will find out and take action against that person, so he deliberately concealed it. Your father has been suspicious of us for a long time. Do you think he will pass the throne to your brother?" Concubine Zhang raised her lips in a self-deprecating smile, and her laughter was full of sadness.

Jiaoyu's eyes rolled around, and Jin'an's appearance instantly emerged in her mind. A thought came to her mind, "Mother, Jin'an doesn't know about this yet, right? She hates it most that our father has other women and children. If she knew this news..."

"She knew it a long time ago!" Before Jiaoyu could finish her words, Zhang Pin interrupted her.