Bai Zheng knelt down with the others, but out of the corner of her eye, she stole a glance at the figure in bright yellow at the door.
This was the first time she had seen the Empress of the Great Zhou Dynasty, Feng Jingye's mother and also Chu Feng's elder sister.
Although Bai Zheng was already very familiar with this woman's deeds.
The Empress Chu was different from the mediocre Feng Jingye and even more different from the impulsive and brainless Chu Feng.
She was a brave and intelligent woman. After marrying Feng Linche, in order to help him ascend the throne, she had spared no expense and taken all risks.
Even her eldest son with Feng Linche and her own eldest younger brother had lost their lives in that battle for the heir apparent.
It could be said that Feng Linche's success would not have been possible without the full - strength support of many people in the background. This included the former Marquis of Dingyuan, Feng Zhen, the Princess of Pingyang, the Chu family, and this Empress Chu.
Feng Jingye's position as the Crown Prince was brought by the Chu family and the Empress Chu.
"Get up," Feng Linche waved his hand.
Only then did Bai Zheng get up, stealing a discreet look around.
It could be seen that the Empress Chu standing beside Feng Linche was a woman of medium height. She wore a high nine - tailed phoenix crown on her head, and her bright yellow outer robe trailed on the ground, extremely magnificent.
However, in sharp contrast to such a magnificent appearance was the aging and decline revealed under the Empress Chu's angry face at this moment.
Although the Empress Chu's complexion was well - maintained, the fine lines at the corners of her eyes that could not be concealed and the slightly sagging flesh on her cheeks all testified to a fact: the Empress Chu had reached the time when the flower was withering.
Even though Concubine Zhao was also in a poor mental state, compared with the Empress Chu, she still looked much younger and more beautiful.
Although Concubine Zhao was trembling with fear at this moment, the Empress Chu was not appeased. She just sneered and sized up Concubine Zhao from head to toe.
She had a round face, a small chin, a high nose bridge, and her round eyes were filled with water because of fear.
Sure enough, she was as delicate as a willow in the wind, arousing people's pity!
No wonder she had won Feng Linche's favor since entering the palace and had given birth to children one after another. Now, even though her son had caused such a heinous crime, Feng Linche was willing to protect this mother and son, not hesitating to be at odds with the Marquis Mansion of Gaochang!
While her Chu family, the Chu family that had served Feng Linche so devotedly, had been severely beaten by Feng Linche and had never recovered. Even Feng Jingye's position as the Crown Prince was beginning to waver.
Why!
The Empress Chu looked at her, and her heart ached.
She had been taught by her father since childhood to be a virtuous and gentle woman, to support her husband and raise her children, and to maintain harmony in the harem.
She thought to herself that although she had not been as close to these concubines in the harem as sisters, she had been tolerant, magnanimous, gentle, and caring. Even if someone was more favored, she had never thought of being jealous or harming them.
But unexpectedly, her tolerance and leniency had not won the same respect from the other party. Instead, it had led to the other party becoming more and more insatiable!
Even after Feng Jingye had reminded her, this woman had dared to directly try to beat Bai Zheng without caring about her own face.
Was she really beating Bai Zheng?
She was clearly slapping the face of the Empress Chu!
The more she thought about it, the angrier the Empress Chu became. Her willow - shaped eyebrows stood on end, and she pointed at Concubine Zhao menacingly and said, "Tell me yourself. Who on earth gave you the guts to overstep your authority and order someone to beat Miss Bai the Third in the face on my behalf!"
"Your Majesty the Empress, please calm your anger. Your Majesty the Emperor, please calm your anger," Concubine Zhao pleaded with tears in her eyes. She turned her head and gently wiped the corners of her eyes, then replied with a sob, "I was really too angry for a moment.
If it had been something else, it would have been fine if Miss the Third had stolen it. After all, I am related to her to some extent. Considering that Miss the Third is young and doesn't understand things, I would have just given it to her as a gift and not bothered about it.
But it just so happened that it was the red - gold plum blossom hairpin that His Majesty had just bestowed.
That was something that His Majesty had painstakingly made with his own hands and given to Mingzhao. It was of great significance and a gift from the Emperor. How could... how could..."
Feng Linche had been called here by the person sent by Concubine Zhao. He only knew that Princess Mingzhao had been injured and had rushed over specially to check on his daughter's injury.
Unexpectedly, he had met the Empress Chu on the way and had come here together.
Just now, outside the Wenrui Palace, like the Empress Chu, he had only heard the last few sentences and did not know the specific details of what had happened in the Wenrui Palace today.
Now, hearing Concubine Zhao's words, Feng Linche was quite surprised and couldn't help but ask, "You mean that Miss Bai the Third stole the red - gold plum blossom hairpin that I made for Mingzhao?"
Concubine Zhao nodded. She pulled over Princess Mingzhao, who looked blank - faced, and stroked her empty hair bun regretfully, saying, "The plum blossom hairpin that Your Majesty made is extremely delicate and beautiful. Miss the Third is young and shallow - sighted. It's understandable that she had an inappropriate thought when she saw something so beautiful."
Bai Zheng sneered. With this "understandable" from Concubine Zhao, Bai Zheng's crime and motive had both been firmly established.
At this moment, in a corner where no one could see, Concubine Zhao pinched the fleshy arms of Princess Mingzhao tightly and twisted them hard.
Princess Mingzhao immediately cried out in pain.
Looking at her daughter who was suddenly crying heart - rendingly, Concubine Zhao also showed a sad expression on her face and said, "But after all, this was His Majesty's painstaking effort and a gift for Mingzhao. Mingzhao really liked it very much. Your Majesty, look. Mingzhao is so sad because the hairpin is lost... A mother and daughter share a heart. When Mingzhao is sad, I feel heartache. I'm even more extremely disappointed in Miss the Third.
It was clearly something that everyone could see. I also talked to her nicely. As long as she was willing to hand over the hairpin, I wouldn't bother with her.
But Miss the Third flatly denied it.
I was really, really too angry, so for a moment..."
As Concubine Zhao said this, she hugged Princess Mingzhao in her arms, and her body twitched slightly, as if she was also crying.
Looking at the mother and daughter crying in each other's arms, Feng Linche frowned tightly and looked at Bai Zheng, the initiator of this incident.
Bai Zheng hung her head and said nothing.
However, Feng Linyuan hooked his lips into a smile and said loudly, "Concubine Zhao said that anyone with eyes could see that Zheng'er stole the hairpin. What does this mean?"
The purple - dressed maid beside Concubine Zhao immediately knelt down and replied, "Reporting to Your Majesty, just now in the palace, several noble ladies had drunk too much wine and felt unwell. They were helped to the side hall to rest for a while. Concubine Zhao was worried and went to take care of them.
Princess Mingzhao was originally taken care of by Miss Bai the Eldest. Because Miss the Eldest missed Miss the Second in the side hall, she entrusted Princess Mingzhao to Miss the Third.
When the princess was handed over to Miss the Third, the hairpin was still in her hair bun. Everyone present can testify to this. But when the princess ran to the center of the palace and fell, the hairpin was nowhere to be found.
The Lady has searched the bodies of everyone in the palace and looked everywhere in the palace, but found nothing.
In this case, there is no one else but Miss the Third."
Hearing this, Feng Linche's voice also turned cold: "Miss Bai the Third, what do you have to say?"