Among those who came today, apart from Bai Zheng and Su Muxiao, they were either princes and princesses or the daughters of first - rank officials in the court. Every one of them had a higher status than Bai Zheng.
If they really wanted to search everyone's body, according to their status, Bai Zheng should be the first one to be searched.
Hearing this, Bai Zheng was not annoyed at all. She calmly said, "Elder sister misunderstood. How could I suspect you all? But in this Wenrui Hall, apart from the palace servants from other palaces and us guests, isn't there another group of people who can both get in touch with Princess Mingzhao and freely enter and leave the Wenrui Hall to hide things at the right time?"
"Which group of people are you talking about?" Concubine Zhao's heart skipped a beat.
Bai Zheng raised her head and looked directly at Concubine Zhao. "Your Highness, the people I'm talking about are those who serve you and Princess Mingzhao around you."
"Are you saying that the people around me are crying 'thief' while being the thief themselves?" Concubine Zhao glared angrily.
Bai Zheng quickly bowed and pretended to be extremely frightened. "I wouldn't dare, Your Highness. It's just that..."
"But after all, Zheng'er is the granddaughter of General Bai and the future wife of this Marquis. Even if Your Highness wants to target Zheng'er, you should search all your servants first to make it reasonable, shouldn't you?" Feng Linyuan said coldly with a frosty face.
Empress Chu, seeing this, sneered and looked at Concubine Zhao. "The Marquis is right. The imperial gift was lost in your palace after all, and you're also to blame for this. In my opinion, just do as Miss Bai San said and search the people around you first."
Feng Linche watched coldly from the side without saying a word. At this moment, his mind was still on how to deal with Princess Yunxi, so he simply left the matter of the jade hairpin to Empress Chu.
The grand eunuch was very observant. Seeing that Feng Linche showed no sign of opposition with a calm look, he quickly ordered the maids and eunuchs around Concubine Zhao to be brought up and lined up.
Empress Chu's cold gaze swept over them. She said coldly, "I'll give you one last chance. If any of you stole the jade hairpin that His Majesty bestowed on Princess Mingzhao, confess it before the search. I'll spare your whole body."
The maids looked at each other. Especially Ziyin, who was standing on the edge, blatantly glanced at Bai Zheng after hearing this, but none of them responded.
Seeing that they didn't react, Empress Chu said firmly, "Since that's the case, search them one by one for me!"
The female official beside Empress Chu immediately led a few people forward to start the search one by one after receiving the order.
Bai Zheng watched from afar without saying a word.
Of course, these people being searched were not afraid, especially Ziyin.
According to the original plan of Concubine Zhao and Bai Sheng, they would find someone to take the jade hairpin from Princess Mingzhao's head during the chaos and put it on Bai Zheng.
In fact, the jade hairpin was indeed successfully placed on her.
Today, as long as the hairpin wasn't found on any of these people, Bai Zheng would surely be searched. By then, when the jade hairpin fell out of her, she would be convicted of stealing the imperial gift.
That's why Ziyin was so confident and even dared to provocatively look at Bai Zheng when Empress Chu said they would search.
Bai Zheng smiled.
Suddenly, a hand rested on her arm.
"Aren't you afraid, Zheng'er?" It was Feng Linyuan's smiling voice.
Bai Zheng whispered, "With the Marquis here, there's no reason for me to be afraid."
Since the first time Feng Linyuan appeared and put his hand on her, she knew that the jade hairpin on her had been quietly taken away by him.
However, at that time, she wasn't sure where Feng Linyuan had hidden the jade hairpin.
It seemed that she would soon know.
The corners of Bai Zheng's lips curled slightly.
The female official searched one by one. There was no abnormality until she reached Ziyin.
Concubine Zhao raised her eyebrows slightly. "Well? The people around me are all clean - handed. What else do you have to say, Miss Bai San?"
Feng Linyuan smiled and pointed at Ziyin. "Your Highness is speaking too soon. Isn't there still one left to be searched?"
Concubine Zhao's gaze fell on Ziyin and she couldn't help laughing. "Ziyin? She's been by my side all day today. Even if she wanted to steal, she didn't have the time."
"Precisely because she's the closest to Your Highness and the princess, it's easiest for her to act." Feng Linyuan said indifferently. "Moreover, wasn't it her who was in charge of searching the palace servants in the hall just now? What if she colluded with that person and quietly hid the jade hairpin on herself during the search?"
"The Marquis really won't shed a tear until he sees the coffin! Since that's the case, search her." Concubine Zhao waved her hand. Watching the female official start to carefully search Ziyin, she couldn't help laughing. "Ziyin is my dowry maid. We grew up together. This kind of affection is far from what Cuizhu can compare to. Cuizhu may betray me, but Ziyin won't..."
Before she finished speaking, there was a tinkling sound, and a jade hairpin fell to the ground.
Everyone took a look and saw that it was exactly the red - gold plum - blossom hairpin that Feng Linche had bestowed on Princess Mingzhao. Suddenly, there was an uproar.
Feng Linche's face immediately turned very ugly, while Empress Chu pursed her red lips slightly and said softly like the gentle wind in April, "Concubine Zhao, this is being caught red - handed."
Concubine Zhao stared in disbelief and could hardly say a word.
She suddenly looked at Ziyin.
At this moment, Ziyin was also completely stunned and didn't react for a while. It wasn't until she was roughly pushed to the ground by the female official that she finally felt a strong sense of fear. Cold sweat broke out all over her body and she trembled.
As Concubine Zhao's confidant maid, Ziyin naturally knew that Concubine Zhao and the Bai Sheng sisters wanted to harm Bai Zheng. Even the palace servants serving in the Wenrui Hall today were carefully selected by her.
Wasn't the jade hairpin, according to what that person said, successfully placed on Bai Zheng?
Why did it appear on her now!
She had been by Concubine Zhao's side almost all day today.
She raised her head and looked at Concubine Zhao in panic and fear.
She was Concubine Zhao's dowry maid. She didn't know how many things she had helped Concubine Zhao do and how many people she had harmed. She had never failed. She never thought that this time, she would fall into the hands of a little girl!
"I didn't expect that there would be such a thief beside Your Highness. Fortunately, she was caught. Otherwise, what would happen to my poor Zheng'er?" Feng Linyuan sighed.
Empress Chu immediately responded, "Concubine Zhao, you not only failed to manage your servants well but also kept wrongly accusing Miss Bai San. Now that she's been caught red - handed, what else do you have to say?"
Concubine Zhao stood up abruptly and gritted her teeth. "Your Majesty, Ziyin has followed me for many years. She would never do such a thing!"
Cuizhu, who had been bowing her head hesitating, suddenly raised her head and firmly looked at Concubine Zhao. "Your Highness, for the sake of Princess Mingzhao's good deeds, please admit it! After all, it's the princess's birthday today..."
Concubine Zhao couldn't help but feel a chill on her back and shouted sharply, "What do you mean!"