The palace hall fell silent instantly.
Hearing the noise from the other side, Feng Jingyi spotted Princess Mingzhao lying in the middle of the hall at a glance. He immediately got up and rushed over.
Bai Zheng also quickly chased after him. She almost arrived beside Princess Mingzhao right after Feng Jingyi.
"Xiaoqi!"
"Princess!"
Princess Mingzhao's fair and tender little face was now covered with tear - tracks. Seeing Feng Jingyi coming, she pitifully stretched out her little hand and sobbed, "Fifth brother, fifth brother, it hurts!"
Bai Zheng squatted beside her and carefully examined the princess's hands and feet.
Fortunately, the cushions on the floor of the palace hall were thick and soft. It was obvious that Princess Mingzhao wasn't injured from the fall.
Bai Zheng heaved a sigh of relief.
After all, the girl in front of her was extremely precious. If it were her two younger brothers at home who fell, Bai Zheng wouldn't even blink an eye.
Bai Zheng's gaze returned to Princess Mingzhao's fair and tender face.
It was obvious that Wenrui Hall was cleaned thoroughly. Princess Mingzhao just rushed forward too quickly when she fell. Her two round hair buns were a bit messy, but her face was still fair and cute.
As for the hair buns, they would be fine if tightened a bit...
Hair buns...
Hair buns!
Bai Zheng's gaze suddenly stopped.
Princess Mingzhao's hair buns!
"Princess, princess!"
The wet - nurse and the maids who had just stood there as if deaf finally seemed to regain their hearing. They all rushed over, anxiously surrounding Princess Mingzhao and looking her up and down. Someone even ran to the side hall to report something.
Sure enough, before long, there came hurried footsteps from behind the screen.
"Mingzhao!"
Bai Zheng watched the scene in front of her, slightly raising her delicate eyebrows and a thought - provoking sneer curving her lips.
So this was where they were waiting!
Concubine Zhao, supported by Bai Sheng, stumbled out from behind the screen.
Princess Mingzhao had gradually stopped crying. But now, hearing her mother's voice, the sense of grievance welled up again. Big teardrops rolled down one by one. She cried and stretched out her little hand, "Mother..."
Concubine Zhao rushed in front of Feng Jingyi, snatched the chubby little body of Princess Mingzhao without hesitation, and carefully examined her from head to toe.
"Where does it hurt? Does your hand hurt? And your feet, do they hurt?"
Princess Mingzhao shook her head while crying.
Feng Jingyi also comforted her on the side, "Don't worry, Concubine. Xiaoqi isn't injured."
"Send for the imperial physician quickly! You, go and find His Majesty." After confirming that Princess Mingzhao was okay, Concubine Zhao gave the order in a flustered but calm manner.
Bai Zheng watched from afar, with the smile on her lips remaining.
"Zheng'er." Bai Sheng walked up to her.
"Elder sister." Bai Zheng nodded.
Bai Sheng looked at her, a glint flashing in her eyes, "Why were you so careless?"
"Alas." Bai Zheng reached out to tidy up the somewhat messy hair she had got while chasing Princess Mingzhao. She let out a soft sigh, "I'm afraid it wouldn't have made any difference no matter how careful I was."
Bai Sheng's lips slightly curved into a faint arc and she didn't answer anymore.
At this moment, in Wenrui Hall, eunuchs and maids were kneeling all over the place. The guests also fell silent, looking at Concubine Zhao and her daughter with cold expressions. No one said a word.
The only sounds in the whole hall were Princess Mingzhao's low sobs and Concubine Zhao's scolding.
"How did mother teach you on weekdays? A princess should act like a princess! I've told you not to run around. There are so many people coming and going here. What if you got seriously injured? What would mother do?"
Seeing that Princess Mingzhao was really okay, Concubine Zhao's worry gradually turned into scolding. She said angrily to the princess.
Princess Mingzhao pitifully lowered her head, sniffing from time to time and didn't dare to say a word.
Seeing her well - behaved look, Concubine Zhao's anger subsided after scolding a few sentences. As soon as her anger disappeared, her love and pity for her young daughter welled up again, and her gaze became gentle.
She reached out and stroked Princess Mingzhao's lowered head, saying kindly, "Alright, alright, my good child. Don't run around next time... Where's your golden plum hairpin!"
Concubine Zhao's voice suddenly turned shrill.
She suddenly hugged Princess Mingzhao's neck, pulled her head in front of her, and rummaged through her hair.
"I put it on your hair bun just now. Where is it!"
Princess Mingzhao was still young and her hair wasn't very thick yet. Her two round hair buns were small, and it was obvious whether there was a hairpin on her head or not.
Seeing this, several personal maids immediately ran to the place where Princess Mingzhao had fallen in the hall and searched around.
They found nothing.
Concubine Zhao frowned deeply. Her sharp gaze shot towards Bai Sheng and Bai Di like a sword.
Bai Sheng quickly lowered her head and said, "Before I went to the side hall with auntie just now, I entrusted the princess to Zheng'er. I don't know if, if Zheng'er put the hairpin away for the princess?"
As she said, Bai Sheng carefully glanced at Bai Zheng.
Bai Zheng sneered in her heart, but on the surface, she looked blank and panicked as she replied, "No, I didn't! This golden plum hairpin was made by His Majesty himself and given to Princess Qi. How dare I touch it..."
"Since you know how precious this plum hairpin is, why didn't you take good care of it for the princess? Now that the hairpin is lost, what are you going to do about it!"
Concubine Zhao flicked her sleeve robe and said angrily.
Feng Jingyi beside them couldn't bear it and couldn't help but speak up to persuade, "Maybe there were so many people in the hall just now that someone took the opportunity to steal it when the princess was running over. After all, Miss Bai is a delicate girl. It's normal that she couldn't catch up and take care of everything for a moment."
"Does Your Highness the Fifth Prince mean that there is someone with dirty hands in this palace of mine, stealing from their own place?"
Concubine Zhao frowned coldly.
Bai Zheng quickly replied, "The people under Concubine Zhao are naturally well - behaved. But not everyone in Wenrui Hall today is from Concubine Zhao's palace.
Now all we know is that the princess's hairpin is missing. We don't know if any of the highnesses sitting in the hall have lost any treasures and just haven't noticed yet.
Concubine Zhao, for the sake of all the highnesses here, it would be more reassuring to catch the person who stole the hairpin."
Although this birthday banquet was small, it still recruited servants from the imperial kitchen and other palaces to help with the service. Naturally, there were many people and it was easy for things to go wrong.
Moreover, in order to carry the things bestowed by Feng Linche, many unfamiliar eunuchs had flooded into Wenrui Hall.
As soon as Bai Zheng said this, the people sitting there were so scared that they quickly checked their personal belongings.
Concubine Zhao's cold eyes stared directly at Bai Zheng.
Bai Zheng respectfully lowered her head, but her slender body stood straight, allowing her to look.
Concubine Zhao stared at her for a long time and finally slowly nodded. Her bright red lips parted slightly and she uttered a single word, "Fine."
As soon as her voice fell, a personal maid stepped forward and reported, "None of the people who were in the hall just now has escaped. They are all kneeling down there."
Concubine Zhao nodded and said sternly, "Search! Search all these servants thoroughly."