In this way, the emperor's men would see what was happening in the side hall, and no one would be able to stop the marriage between Prince Jing and Princess Lingyang.
And because of the hairpin incident, she was able to regain the emperor's trust and favor.
Empress Shen only thought that the emperor had sent Huaifu with people to help her search, but she did not expect that the emperor would come in person.
Empress Shen was almost at the entrance of the side hall when she immediately stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Why has Your Majesty come in person?"
The emperor stepped forward and took her hand: "You've been at the banquet for too long and have a bit of a headache. I came out to help you find your hairpin and get some fresh air."
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Empress Shen led him toward the side hall: "I was changing my clothes in the side hall just now, and I'm afraid I dropped them there. Maybe we can find them if we look there."
She seemed very anxious, which, in the emperor's eyes, meant she cared a lot about that hairpin.
"Your Majesty need not be so anxious. If the hairpin is lost, I will have someone make a new one for you. It would be better if the original one could be found, but it doesn't matter if it can't be found."
The Empress said aggrievedly, "That hairpin was made from the design Your Majesty drew for me for the first time. It represents Your Majesty's true feelings for me. I cannot lose it. Even if I have to search the entire palace, I will find it. Your Majesty cannot refuse me."
The emperor was very pleased, and in a daze, he seemed to see the young woman who had loved him ten years ago.
Love seemed to return in an instant, and the emperor patted the back of her hand to comfort her: "Alright, I will help you find the hairpin."
The Empress wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes and forced a grateful smile: "Thank you, Your Majesty."
Palace maids and eunuchs led the way, while the emperor and empress walked hand in hand in the middle, following the movement of the lanterns as they searched.
Before long, they approached the side hall, where the eunuchs, maids, and others suddenly stopped and held their breath, as if facing a formidable enemy.
Upon seeing this, the emperor frowned and asked, "Why have you stopped looking?"
The eunuchs and palace maids suddenly knelt down, their bodies trembling, not daring to utter a sound.
At this moment, the emperor also sensed that something was wrong. There was a noise coming from inside the room, like a candle wick popping open.
The sobs and the breaths were like crumpled brocade, sometimes taut, sometimes drawn out.
Besides gasps and gasps, there was also the ear-piercing sound of fingernails scraping against sandalwood.
Empress Shen seemed enraged by the voice, her chest heaving as she lowered her voice and said, "Your Majesty, who is so presumptuous as to dare to act so brazenly in your harem..."
The emperor's face was ashen, and he strode into the side hall, looking as if he would not be satisfied until he had burned the men and women inside to ashes.
"I want to see who these two are! Guards, seize them!" The emperor said as he rushed inside, faster than the eunuchs and palace maids could move.
Empress Shen was prepared, so she kept jogging alongside him, wanting to witness that moment with her own eyes.
The thought of her plan being about to succeed made her feel very happy!
Following the emperor into the side hall, one could see a broken pearl chain on the ground, an overturned gilded candlestick, and even... a torn apricot-red bodice, half-fallen beside the bed!
The emperor was furious because he thought his concubines were having an affair there, and he rushed in wanting to execute them on the spot.
Empress Shen was thinking of Princess Lingyang and Yun Zhuo.
Although the emperor and empress thought of completely different people, they shared the same intense emotions.
However, when they saw the person on the bed, not only the emperor was stunned, but Empress Shen was also stunned!
The guards and palace servants rushed in to arrest the person, but were shocked by what they saw!
"Father, save me... save your son! Princess Lingyang used... used drugs on me, I'm about to die..." The man on the bed struggled to reach out his trembling hand to the emperor for help.
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