"Your Majesty, First Princess lost her hairpin. The hairpin was gifted by Your Majesty to the Princess."
The nanny kneeled down on the floor in front of the Emperor and told him.
Princess Wenling looked at all this in confusion.
The nanny just asked her for her hairpin and told her that now she needn't worry. Li Rui will never be able to step in her way again.
However, the nanny didn't tell her what she was going to do. Now the nanny was telling the Emperor that her hairpin was lost. She was very curious to see what the nanny was going to do.
Sitting on the throne, Zhao Wang Lei frowned when he heard the nanny.
"Father Emperor, this daughter has always cherished the hairpin given by Father Emperor. It is my fault today that I wasn't careful."
Princess Wenling stepped forward and said the same words the nanny had asked her to say.
"The Princess said the truth. Your Majesty, this servant has seen with her own eyes how Princess cherishes that hairpin. Even though the hairpin didn't match with Princess' dress today, Princess still brought it with herself with the sachet."
The nanny also said a few words and the Emperor immediately ordered.
"It must have fallen somewhere in the banquet. Send some maids and servants to search the Princess' hairpin."
At the Emperor's order, the servants started searching all over the banquet area.
The banquet didn't proceed ahead. Losing a hairpin that was given by the Emperor himself was an important matter.
The Emperor's frown got deeper with every passing minute.
"Princess, this servant will also look around."
Princess Wenling nodded.
The nanny turned around and clutched her sleeves with one hand. She looked here and there for a few moments and pretended that she didn't find anything.
When she was near Li family, she stopped there for a long time.
While passing behind their chairs, she suddenly bumped against a maid standing behind Li Rui.
"Ahhh…"
The nanny fell on the ground and held her shoulder screeching in pain.
Everyone's attention turned towards them.
"This one didn't see clearly and bumped against Miss Li's maid. Apologies."
However, everyone's attention was not on her. They were looking at the beautiful hairpin lying on the ground that exactly looked like Princess had mentioned.
Two peach blossoms-shaped flowers were hanging on the hairpin.
The nanny pretended to glance around casually and then looked at the hairpin.
"Ah… Princess' hairpin. Princess this servant found the hairpin."
Saying this, the nanny leaned down to pick the hairpin from the ground but suddenly stopped.
"However, how did it…"
She then looked at the young maid with scrutinizing eyes just like everyone.
The hairpin was very close to the young maid and the nanny fell a few steps far away.
'The young maid stole the hairpin.'
This was what everyone was thinking.
"Young Miss…"
Li Mei's face had already gone pale under everyone's eyes. She hid behind her young Miss and said tremblingly.
"I…this servant didn't steal anything. This servant didn't…"
Li Rui held her maid's hand in front of everyone.
"I know."
She looked at the nanny coldly and whispered to Li Mei.
"It's not you who is at fault."
Princess Wenling walked near Li Rui's seat. She saw her hairpin lying on the ground and then she looked at the nanny.
"This…Young Miss Li…. Although Miss Li has liked Princess' hairpin always, it is not ideal to tell your maid to steal it."
Whispers ran through the large banquet hall.
Being accused of stealing something was not a small allegation, especially for the daughter of a noble elite family.
Li Rui looked at the silent Princess.
However, the Princess didn't meet her eyes.
"Wenwen, do you think that Rui will steal something?"
Li Rui questioned calmly. She still has hope that Princess would not lie.
Princess Wenling swallowed in panic. She was about to open her mouth to say something when from her behind she heard the nanny's voice.
"Princess, this is the last chance. If Princess wants then Miss Li will never be able to stand against you again."
The words made the Princess conscious or that was what she thought.
"Rui, I know that you really liked my hairpin. I would have given you the hairpin but it was gifted by Father Emperor to me. Even after knowing how much the hairpin matters to me, you…you… tried to steal it."
The last words came out choked and with a little trembling in Princess' voice.
"Look at the Princess, Miss Li what have you done? You don't even know how sad and disappointed Princess' heart must be after you did something like this. My Princess gave you so much and always treated you like her sister but you gave her this in exchange."
The nanny covered the young princess' stuttering by calling it her despair.
Everyone believed the nanny's words. The Princess didn't use honorifics with Young Miss Li. Even this small thing was enough to show how much freedom Li Rui was given by the Princess.
The nanny then stepped in front of the Emperor and exclaimed
"Justice, Your Majesty, Justice. This servant demands justice for the Princess."
"No…No, My Young Miss never told me something like that. Neither had I stolen anything."
Li Mei stepped forward and defended her young Miss.
She was very sacred. Her hands and legs were shivering but she can't anyone slander her young Miss.
The nanny glared at the maid and said
"How can anyone believe in your words? After all, you are Miss Li's maids. It is natural that you will try to protect your Young Miss."
Li Mei shook her head hearing the nanny. She knelt down in front of the Emperor and said
"Your Majesty, My Young Miss will never commit such acts. She really thinks of Princess as her best friend and has always cherished this friendship. She…"
The nanny didn't let the maid continue.
"Cherish the friendship? This servant highly doubts these words."
"Your Majesty, this servant can't believe this maid after I have seen Miss Li pushing the Princess inside the pond."
As soon as the nanny completed her words, the collective gasps were heard in the large banquet hall.