The princess regretted it.

Chapter 342: Scheming

In the main hall, the other concubines who had accompanied Concubine Cen to the Jade Palace sat in tacit silence. Tonight, they had all been unexpectedly invited over by Concubine Cen to discuss matters related to the upcoming Lunar New Year and the ceremonial ceremonies both within and outside the palace.

At the end of each year, the families of the concubines outside the palace would carefully prepare gifts and send them to the palace as a token of their gratitude. They would also take this opportunity to select items as return gifts for their relatives outside the palace. As the highest-ranking concubine in the palace, the rules and regulations regarding this matter naturally required careful deliberation and adherence to fairness. Neither over-promoting nor under-promoting treatment for any concubine would cause unnecessary disputes and conflicts.

Everyone was gathered together, intently discussing festival matters, the atmosphere lively and orderly. Just then, a maid hurried in, her tone nervous and hurried, "Ladies and gentlemen, the Imperial Guards seem to have discovered that someone has mistakenly entered the Jade Palace, and they are currently conducting a thorough investigation."

This news sent shockwaves through the room, and everyone exchanged glances. Concubine Cen's brows knitted together, and after a moment's thought, she suggested, "Sisters, let's go over and take a look. After all, she's the Emperor's eldest daughter, a distinguished princess of the imperial family. While Concubine Zhang isn't generally well-liked, if we knew the news and ignored it, and the Emperor heard about it, I'm afraid he'd blame us."

All the concubines nodded in agreement. Firstly, they felt that what Concubine Cen said made sense and they did not dare to offend the emperor easily; secondly, they were all curious about this sudden situation.

So, led by Concubine Cen, the group headed towards Jiaoyu Palace in a mighty procession.

Who would have thought that when they got there they would find Mingyue, who had been missing from Concubine Cen's palace for many days.

The concubines were all extraordinary people with sharp minds. They understood immediately that there might be another hidden story behind this matter. Perhaps someone had deliberately set up a trap and was secretly taking advantage of them.

But now they are in it, and the situation is out of control. They are like riding on the back of a tiger, with no way forward or backward. They can only stay in Concubine Cen's palace for the time being, quietly waiting for subsequent developments, and secretly praying in their hearts not to be involved in any trouble that is difficult to escape.

"The Emperor has arrived!" Eunuch Fuquan's shrill and long voice suddenly rang out, like a thunderclap, instantly breaking the original silence in the main hall.

Upon hearing this announcement, all the concubines sitting in the main hall seemed to have pressed a unified switch. They stood up in unison, lifted up their skirts, knelt gracefully on the ground, and knelt to welcome the emperor with the most respectful attitude.

Concubine Cen, supported by her maid, hurried out of the inner chamber. Her face was pale and her expression was haggard, but she still managed to hold on. She knelt down with a dignified manner and saluted, saying softly, "Your Majesty, I respectfully welcome you."

The Emperor strode into the room with steady steps. Eunuch Fuquan and Commander Zuoquan stopped outside the door and did not follow him in. The Emperor's sharp eyes quickly scanned the room. Seeing so many concubines gathered together, his eyes darkened slightly, and a hint of subtle displeasure flashed in them.

However, he did not explode immediately, but just said lightly: "Everyone get up!" His voice was low, but revealed unquestionable majesty.

After saying this, he walked straight to the main seat and sat down with an upright posture. After hearing the emperor's order, Concubine Cen and the others stood up cautiously, with their hands hanging down.

Concubine Cen walked forward slowly, her eyes were already red and tears were welling up in them, as if they would burst out in the next second.

She said to the emperor with a look of sorrow, "Your Majesty, did you hear that my maid Mingyue was rescued and come to see me?"

The Emperor did not respond to Concubine Cen's question. Instead, he cast a cold gaze at the other concubines. His voice was as cold as the cold wind in December, without a trace of warmth: "Why are you here at this time?"

The concubines' hearts tightened, and they exchanged glances with each other, each seeing a hint of panic in the other's eyes. Then, they all knelt and bowed.

At this moment, Concubine Cen took the lead and reported: "Your Majesty, I invite all the sisters to come here to discuss the matters related to the New Year's gifts."

Concubine Cen paused for a moment and continued, "At this time of year in previous years, each palace would prepare annual gifts to send to relatives outside the palace. The rules and weight of these gifts must be carefully discussed and the rules cannot be broken. I thought it would be more comprehensive if the sisters discussed it together, so I invited everyone here."

"Unexpectedly, as I was speaking, I heard that the Imperial Guards had discovered something in Jiaoyu Palace. I was worried about the princess's safety, so I invited my sisters to go and take a look. As a result... they found Mingyue." As Concubine Cen spoke, her voice trembled slightly, and tears rolled down her eyes uncontrollably.

When the other concubines heard Concubine Cen say this, they all nodded and echoed, "That's right, Your Majesty."

"Yes, we were concerned about the princess and worried about Sister Cen Fei, so we went together."

The emperor frowned slightly, his eyes scanning everyone's faces one by one, a scrutinizing look in his eyes. After a moment, he slowly said, "Since that's the case, I will investigate this matter thoroughly. You will all return to your palaces and refrain from wandering around." The emperor's tone was calm, but it carried a majesty that brooked no disobedience.

The other concubines responded as if they had been pardoned, "We will follow Your Majesty's orders." Then, led by the palace maids, they quietly retreated one by one.

Concubine Cen noticed that she had taken the initiative to speak twice, but the emperor had not given a positive response. She was very perceptive and had already roughly guessed the emperor's intentions.

At that moment, she took a deep breath, calmed herself down, and stood aside, just constantly wiping the tears that were falling with the handkerchief in her hand, trying to cover up the complex expression that kept flowing in her eyes with this seemingly sad action.

In a flash, only the emperor, Concubine Cen, and the maid who was supporting her were left in the room.

The Emperor stared at Concubine Cen with a sharp, scrutinizing gaze. After a moment, he slowly spoke, his tone tinged with dissatisfaction and disappointment: "Concubine Cen! I've always felt that despite your frail stature, you're sensible and reasonable. But what happened today truly surprised me. You're so cunning and calculating!"

Upon hearing this, Concubine Cen's heart skipped a beat, and a look of terror crossed her face. With a thud, she dropped to her knees, her voice trembling with deep trepidation as she spoke, "Your Majesty, I am a fool. I truly do not understand what you are saying. I beg you to clarify." She lowered her head, not daring to meet the Emperor's gaze, but her heart was churning.