The princess arrives and the prosperous Tang Dynasty begins

Life in the palace seemed peaceful, but it was actually full of undercurrents. One day, Lin Xiaoru was sorting out her belongings in her bedroom as usual, but suddenly she found that her most cherished set of precious jewelry had disappeared. It was a necklace made of South China Sea pearls, each of which was round and full, exuding a soft luster, a pair of jade earrings, emerald green and transparent, beautifully carved, and a bracelet inlaid with rubies, the bright red color was like a burning flame. These jewelry were not only priceless, but also her favorite.

Lin Xiao was suddenly flustered and confused. She clearly remembered that she had put these jewels in a specific box, and there were always maids guarding the bedroom. How could they disappear inexplicably? She immediately summoned all the maids and eunuchs who served her and asked them if they had seen these jewels. Everyone looked terrified and shook their heads to indicate that they did not know.

Lin Xiao realized the seriousness of the matter. This was by no means a simple theft. She began to carefully look for clues in the bedroom, leaving no corner untouched. She found that the windows of the bedroom seemed to have been pried open, and there were some slight scratches on the ground, which made her have some guesses. She decided to conduct an investigation herself and must retrieve these precious jewelry.

Lin Xiao first started with the maids and eunuchs around her, asking them one by one about their recent whereabouts and what they had seen and heard. One of the maids, Xiao Cui, caught her attention. When Xiao Cui answered the question, her eyes flickered, as if she was hiding something. Lin Xiao continued to ask other maids calmly, secretly observing Xiao Cui's reaction. After some observation, she felt that Xiao Cui was more and more suspicious.

So, Lin Xiao called Xiao Cui aside, looked at her seriously and said, "Xiao Cui, I know you must know something. If you confess the truth now, I can give you a lighter sentence. But if you continue to hide it, once I find out, you know the consequences." Xiao Cui was so scared that her face turned pale, her legs went weak, and she fell to her knees with a thud.

“Princess, please spare me. I didn’t hide it on purpose, it’s just…just…” Xiao Cui stuttered, with beads of sweat on her forehead.

"Just what? Tell me quickly!" Lin Xiao urged.

Xiao Cui gritted her teeth and finally told the truth: "Yes, it was Concubine Li who instructed me to do this. She said that if I could steal your jewelry and give it to you, Princess, she would give me a large sum of money and promised to help me transfer out of this hard-working palace and work somewhere else. I was confused for a moment and agreed to her request. Princess, please spare my life!"

After hearing this, Lin Xiao couldn't help but get angry. She knew this Concubine Li. She was always at odds with her and often mocked her on occasions. She didn't expect that she would resort to such a despicable method to deal with her. But Lin Xiao didn't get angry immediately. She knew that she couldn't easily confront Concubine Li without solid evidence.

Lin Xiao asked Xiao Cui to describe the whole thing in detail, including how Concubine Li instructed her and how she stole the jewelry. Xiao Cui did not dare to hide anything and told the truth. After listening to it, Lin Xiao already had a plan in mind.

She asked Xiao Cui to pretend that nothing had happened and continue to work in the palace as usual. She secretly sent people to monitor Li Fei's every move to see if the lost jewelry could be found. At the same time, she also began to collect some of Li Fei's daily behaviors, preparing to expose her ugly face at the right time.

In the next few days, Lin Xiao's people did not find any unusual behavior from Concubine Li, and the jewelry seemed to have disappeared without a trace. Lin Xiao began to get anxious, worrying that the longer it took, the less likely it would be to find the jewelry. Just when she felt helpless, an unexpected discovery brought a turn for the better.

One day, when Lin Xiao was walking in the Imperial Garden, she accidentally saw a little maid running out of the direction of Concubine Li's bedroom in a panic. She immediately called the little maid. When the little maid saw Lin Xiao, she was so scared that her face turned pale and she almost collapsed to the ground. Lin Xiao said gently: "Don't be afraid, I just want to ask you a few questions. When you came out of Concubine Li's bedroom just now, did you see anything strange?"

The little maid stammered, "Princess, I didn't see anything."

Lin Xiao looked into the maid's eyes and knew she was lying, so he emphasized his tone and said, "If you don't tell the truth, I will send you to the Ministry of Punishment right now."

When the little maid heard the words "Ministry of Punishment", she was so scared that she started crying and said quickly, "Princess, please spare me. I just saw Concubine Li in the room, smiling foolishly at some jewelry. Those jewelry seemed to be the ones you lost."

Lin Xiao was delighted, she finally found a clue. She immediately took people to Li Fei's palace and asked to meet with Li Fei. Li Fei was a little flustered when she saw Lin Xiao's sudden visit, but she still pretended to be calm and said, "I wonder why the princess came here today?"

Lin Xiao sneered and said, "Madam Li Fei, you know exactly why I came here. Are the jewelry I lost with you?"

Concubine Li's face changed and she denied it flatly: "Princess, please don't slander me. How could I take your jewelry?"

Lin Xiao didn't waste any words and directly asked the people behind him to start searching in Li Fei's bedroom. Seeing this, Li Fei wanted to stop them, but was stopped by Lin Xiao's people. After a search, they finally found the lost jewelry in the drawer of Li Fei's dressing table.

Lin Xiao held the jewelry, looked at Concubine Li coldly, and said, "Madam Concubine Li, what else do you have to say now?"

Concubine Li's face turned very ugly. She knew that she was doomed this time. She fell to her knees and cried, "Princess, please spare me. I was confused for a moment. I shouldn't have coveted your jewelry. Please forgive me, Princess!"

Lin Xiao looked at Concubine Li's ugly face, and her heart was filled with disgust. She said, "Concubine Li, as a concubine in the harem, you actually did such a petty theft, which really brought shame to the royal family. I will report this matter to the emperor and let him make the decision."

When Concubine Li heard that she would report to the emperor, she turned pale with fear, collapsed to the ground as if her bones had been pulled out, and kept begging for mercy. But Lin Xiao had made up her mind, she would not let go of the man who had hurt her easily, as if he was a ferocious wolf, leaving deep scars in her heart.

Lin Xiao packed her clothes, took her jewelry and evidence, and headed for the emperor's bedroom. She felt uneasy but full of anticipation. When she arrived at the door of the bedroom, Lin Xiao informed the guards of her purpose and waited for the emperor to summon her.

After a while, the eunuch came out and announced: "The emperor summons Lin Xiao to see him!" Lin Xiao took a deep breath and walked into the bedroom with firm steps. After seeing the emperor, Lin Xiao bowed deeply and then stood aside respectfully.

The emperor sat majestically on the dragon throne, looked at Lin Xiao sharply, and asked, "Lin Xiao, I heard that you have something important to report?" Lin Xiao raised his head, with a determined light flashing in his eyes, and reported the whole story to the emperor.

After hearing Lin Xiao's words, the emperor's face turned gloomy. He slammed the table in anger and shouted, "Damn Concubine Li, how dare she be so bold! Come, send Concubine Li to the cold palace as a punishment!" When Lin Xiao heard this decision, he felt relieved and extremely gratified.

The emperor turned to look at Lin Xiao and said, "Lin Xiao, I know all your grievances. Thanks to you, the truth has been revealed to the world this time. I will reward you." Lin Xiao was grateful and knelt down to thank him.

Afterwards, the emperor ordered the guards to escort Lin Xiao back to the palace and retrieve the precious jewelry that had been stolen. Lin Xiao finally got justice for herself and got back the precious jewelry. Her heart was filled with joy and emotion.

After this incident, Lin Xiao understood more clearly the complexity and cruelty of palace life. She knew that she had to stay alert at all times to survive in this place full of intrigues. At the same time, she also strengthened her determination to work hard to improve herself and create a better future for herself and the people around her.