The door to the grand hall was open and Zhang Lin proceeded to walk inside. He can feel all kinds of hostility staring from the concubines and consorts.

If staring can kill, Zhang Lin would have been dead already.

A couple of the concubines along with the consorts that had just slipped a mouthful of tea couldn't help, but spat out the tea upon seeing Zhang Lin's figure. Not that his figure surprised them but rather it was the robe, the golden phoenix robe.

The empress dowager was somewhat surprised to see an unfamiliar figure wearing the golden robe designated for the empress, but quickly recovered from it.

Seeing that her beloved son, the son of heaven didn't say anything the empress dowager wasn't sure if she should do something about it or not.

The emperor has been staring at Zhang Lin from the moment he walked inside the banquet without blinking his eyes.

Despite the veil covering half of his face, the emperor could never forget those round sparkling eyes.

Zhang Lin had no idea that the emperor was staring at him since the emperor had his crown tassel accessory on which blocked his face and beside the dragon throne was quite far thus he couldn't see the emperor's face.

Walking forward, Zhang Lin looked up and saw a gorgeous lady sat near the emperor.

Is that the empress? Then where is the old empress dowager?

Zhang Lin started to feel uncomfortable with the many gazes directed at him.

Zhang Lin hadn't paid any attention to the emperor yet, but then when he turned his attention to the man sitting on the dragon throne, he couldn't help but was shocked.

What the hell! Why is the emperor wearing the same color robe as mine? Is this why I am getting stared at by these consorts and concubines for wearing matching couple robes? Oh lord, they have all misunderstood. Wait...Why the hell is everything in this room seem to be golden....Wait..wait...if the emperor wears a golden robe...and everything here seem to be in golden...that..that could only mean that he likes that color...then wouldn't he..he wouldn't feel disgust with my choice of clothes and not going to kick me out. Omg...my plans have been ruined again....Wuwuw. Zhang Lin cried inwardly with his thought.

Even though Zhang Lin has no knowledge about etiquette in the palace, however, a few days ago he had asked the maid, Ju to teach him some of the basic one just in case and in fear that people would find him to be disrespectful and kill him.

Walking near the dragon throne, where the empress dowager and emperor was near each other Zhang Lin bowed to greet them, "Greeting your highness, the emperor, and empress."

Everyone except for the emperor was shocked upon hearing Zhang Lin's voice.

Despite the veil covering half of his face, everyone could tell that the voice was very soft and delicate.

Despite their shock after hearing Zhang Lin's voice, the consorts and concubines upon hearing Zhang Lin's greeting almost burst out laughing, but suppressed it in fear of angering the emperor and empress dowager.

The emperor also found Zhang Lin's greeting to be funny, but his face showed no expression and only displayed his usual cold face.

The empress dowager wasn't angry at Zhang Lin's greeting, but when she thought that since the latter didn't seem to have any knowledge about the golden robe that she wore, she must have stolen the robe thus the empress dowager asked, "Where did you get that robe?"

Zhang Lin has never thought that the empress would be asking him where he got the golden robe thus he was a bit shocked.

The empress seems to dislike seeing me wear this robe, was it because her husband is wearing a similar one?

"Replying to the empress, I got this robe by coincidence."

The empress dowager was once again startled by Zhang Lin's voice. The voice seemed to be very enticing, but still continued the interrogation. "Coincidence?"

Zhang Lin nodded and replied, "Yes. And If you like this robe, I can give it to you as a birthday gift."

Seeing the emperor wearing a similar robe, Zhang Lin could already tell that his plan has already failed which makes him no longer want to keep wearing the golden robe, so if the empress wanted, of course he would give it to her. Maybe..maybe the empress would be grateful toward him and when that happens he would just ask the empress if he can go out.

However, to Zhang Lin’s disappointment the empress dowager had misinterpreted Zhang Lin's word and instantly got angry at Zhang Lin as she called for the guards, "Guards, come hold her up."

Not only Zhang Lin, but everyone including the emperor was startled by the empress dowager's sudden action.

The emperor was also angry at Zhang Lin's word, but still didn't do nor say anything.

In a blink of an eye, Zhang Lin was being held on the ground with both his hands on his back.

"Move the veil from her face." The empress dowager commands the guards.

The guard moves quickly and pulls Zhang Lin's veil off his face without much effort.

Seeing the face, everyone froze on the spot with the exception of the emperor. Some even have their mouth wide open from the shock.

Originally, they have thought that the reason Zhang Lin wears a veil is because he is ugly or his lower face has scar which is why he didn't dare to show his face in front of everyone, especially to the emperor thus it never came to their mind that the face behind the veil was a beauty.

Beside the emperor, everyone there has yet to discover the fact that Zhang Lin was a man as they all thought of him as a woman with the body, face, and voice Zhang Lin have.

As much as the consorts and concubines hate to admit, the face behind the veil was much better and prettier than any of them. In fact, it was one of the most beautiful faces that they had ever seen in their life.

With the exception of the emperor and empress dowager along with the guards, everyone there couldn't help, but feel jealousy toward Zhang Lin.

How could this person be this lucky? Not only did she have a beautiful voice, she also has a beautiful face, all of the consorts and concubines thought inside themselves.

The hate they accumulated for Zhang Lin has now doubled up.

Despite being shocked by Zhang Lin's face and voice, the empress dowager recovered it quickly and asked, "Speak, who did you get that robe from?"

Zhang Lin was frightened by the empress dowager's who he thought was the empress, so he quickly blurted out, "I got it from a strange ambassador. I have no idea who that ambassador was though."

"Ambassador?" The empress dowager asked Zhang Lin while turning to look at her beloved son.

The emperor shows no interest in his face and just lets his dear mother do as she pleases with Zhang Lin, but inside he is dying from laughing.

Hahaha..So, you really thought I was some strange ambassador. Haha...how cute.

"Yes...Yes...I happen to meet that strange ambassador while going out for a walk." Zhang Lin lied to the empress dowager.

There was no way he would tell the empress dowager that he got rape by that strange ambassador and couldn't find his clothes anywhere the next morning and happen to see that golden robe.

The empress dowager knew that Zhang Lin was lying as there haven't been any recent ambassadors that were sent to the palace at the moment. And seeing that her beloved son didn't do nor say anything she can only assume that Zhang Lin had stolen the empress robe.

"Guards, go bring the punishment table and give this person 50 hits until she spoils the truth."

"Yes."

Hearing the empress dowager's order, Zhang Lin's face turned pale, however people couldn't see it as his face was very white to begin with thus they couldn't tell the difference.

I have been beaten in my original world by my aunt and uncle, and now in this strange land, I'm going to get beat up? Why is my life so miserable?

All of the consorts and concubines couldn't help, but their mood brightens up upon hearing the empress dowager's order. To them it could only mean that the person wearing the empress robe is not the empress and the empress dowager is giving them justice by punishing her for wearing the robe as a pretense to be the empress.

Seeing Zhang Lin's facial expression changed, the emperor found it to be amusing.

The emperor did not stop his mother as he wanted to see Zhang Lin's facial expression when getting beat up. Besides, he was still angry at Zhang Lin for wanting to give the empress robe to someone else, even if that person was his mother.

The thought of Zhang Lin giving the empress golden phoenix robe to someone else makes the emperor annoyed to the point of wanting to teach Zhang Lin another lesson in bed. Thus, when his mother ordered Zhang Lin to be hit, the emperor was still silent and didn't give out any opinion.

The guards came back quickly with the table. They drag Zhang Lin and lay him on the table with his stomach facing the table.

"Hit!" The empress dowager ordered.

The guard holds a big wooden stick and starts to hit Zhang Lin.

"Ah!!"

The strength of the guard was not light when hitting Zhang Lin to the point that Zhang Lin could only cry and groan.

All of the consorts and concubines were happy upon seeing the scene of Zhang Lin being beaten. They all silently hope that the emperor would step in and do something about it since they all knew how ruthless the emperor could be.

Seeing the figure below him being beaten, the emperor suddenly felt his chest in pain. He thought that he would be happy seeing Zhang Lin being taught a lesson, however he was wrong as watching the scene in front of his eyes, it was as if he was the one being beaten. Unlike the others, the emperor could see Zhang Lin's face had turned more pale.

"Stop."The emperor said in a cold voice as he could not bear to watch Zhang Lin getting beaten anymore.

Hai, was the guard that was hitting Zhang Lin halted his action when he heard the emperor's order. He could feel a shiver down his spine as he can sense a deadly aura coming from the emperor directly at him.

Everyone was surprised upon hearing the emperor's word. The guard had only hit Zhang Lin less than 5 times, so why is the emperor telling the guard to stop?

Could it be that the emperor got annoyed by this person and was about to bestow this person with a death sentence, many of the consorts and concubines thought. They couldn't wait to hear the emperor sentence the person to death.

Zhang Lin hadn't seen the emperor's face yet, thus he was shocked upon hearing the emperor's voice. That voice, it was the voice that he could never forget. He could never forget that voice, because it belongs to the person that stole his virginity. He tried to look up, but to his disappointment his body had failed him and he ended up fainting on the spot.

"Send concubine Lin to light palace." The emperor spoke in a cold voice. He didn't forget to make a little note in his mind that he would punish Hai, the guard that was in charge of beating Zhang Lin.

Since it wasn't entirely the guard's fault for hitting Zhang Lin on purpose, but rather he was just following orders, however hitting was hitting. Zhang Lin had been hit 4 times, thus inside the emperor's mind, later he would punish the innocent guard with 20 hits.

"Yes, your majesty." Jin Mu replied.

All of the consorts and concubines were stupefied at the emperor's command as they did not expect that the emperor would let a low concubine off.

The empress dowager was stunned at her son's command. She had always known that her beloved son was ruthless and had never once stopped anyone from being beaten before thus she was confused as to why her beloved son would suddenly stop the guard from hitting this low concubine.

As if he could read his mother's mind, the emperor said, "Today is an important day for imperial mothers, thus we don't want to see this kind of scene happening."

The empress dowager knew that her son didn't mean what he said, but still said nothing.

Without waiting for the empress dowager to react, the emperor continued, "The banquet resumed."