Chapter 65: Accusing Ning the Consort

Wei Yingya was very anxious, wanting to help Ning Wanyin cheat.

She could still recite a few lines of poetry about lotus flowers…

But she was quite far from Ning Wanyin.

Just as she was thinking about how to cheat from afar…

Ning Wanyin had already picked up her brush and started writing, finishing it in one go.

Even Wei the Beauty was stunned, “Consort Ning, this is a famous painting, think carefully before you write…”

She couldn’t believe that Ning Wanyin dared to write randomly and ruin this famous painting!

Her heart ached!

“Didn’t Beauty Wei ask me to write? Even though my humble work is crude, it’s sincere. I’m sure Beauty Wei won’t mind, right?” Ning Wanyin asked back.

For a moment, Wei the Beauty didn’t know how to refute.

Concubine Shu took over, deliberately flattering her, “A famous painting deserves a good poem. Consort Ning certainly won’t write randomly and ruin this precious painting, Beauty Wei, rest assured.”

Wang Degui presented the scroll to Helian Qi.

Helian Qi’s expressionless face lit up with joy when he saw Ning Wanyin’s inscription:

“Consort Ning’s poem is excellent, bring me a generous reward!”

If Ning Wanyin lost face, his face would also be lost.

Ning Wanyin, with her hidden talents, had perfectly resolved this situation.

Wei the Beauty’s face changed instantly, it couldn’t be.

She clearly didn’t know how to write poetry.

“Since Your Majesty likes it so much, it must be a good poem, this concubine also wants to read it.” Beauty Xue’s eyes were full of suspicion.

Helian Qi directly handed the scroll to Wang Degui, “Circulate it among the concubines.”

The concubines finally saw Ning Wanyin’s inscription.

Although it wasn’t as stunning as Beauty Ying’s works, it was on par with Song Qingzhi’s level.

It was definitely a good poem.

After seeing the inscription, Wei the Beauty was even more incredulous. If Ning Wanyin had this level of skill, why did she run away from the poetry gathering last time?

This must have been written by someone else, she cheated!

But there was no evidence to accuse Ning Wanyin of cheating without a reason.

Wei the Beauty could only grit her teeth and swallow her anger.

Consort Cen, on the other hand, remained calm, she hadn’t spoken a word from the beginning.

She didn’t even bother with Wei the Beauty’s petty tricks.

Even if this worked, it would only make Ning Wanyin lose face and step on her.

To deal with a formidable enemy like Ning Wanyin, stepping on her once wouldn’t be enough. She needed to step on her and send her to hell, leaving her no chance to turn things around.

The good show hadn’t even begun yet.

After the inscription incident, the concubines continued to present their gifts.

The banquet returned to its lively state of singing and dancing.

At this moment, a court official suddenly stepped forward and said, “This minister, Li Rao, the Imperial Censor of the Metropolitan Censorate, has a petition to present. This minister wants to accuse Consort Ning of having an affair with an outsider, she deserves to be punished!”

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire hall was shocked again.

The Emperor, whose complexion had just recovered, instantly turned as dark as water, “What did you say?”

“Your Majesty, please allow this minister to explain. This minister saw Consort Ning and Song Chengyi, the Minister of the Dali Temple, meeting in private during the summer hunt!” Li Rao said in a deep voice.

Everyone was stunned, they all looked at Ning Wanyin and Song Chengyi.

Before Ning Wanyin could speak, Helian Qi was already impatient and angry, “Since you say you saw them meeting in private, why didn’t you report it to me then? It’s been two months now, you knew about it and didn’t report it, you concealed and shielded them, you should be punished with the same crime!”

Everyone was stunned.

The Emperor was too biased, wasn’t he?

Someone else accuses Ning Wanyin, and you say, you didn’t speak up earlier, you’re guilty too.

Isn’t this forcing Li Rao to change his words?

“Your Majesty, please calm down…”

Li Rao quickly changed his words, “Your Majesty, this minister… this minister only saw Consort Ning talking to Minister Song, there was nothing inappropriate about it. Perhaps they just happened to meet, this minister dares not speak rashly…” He continued, “This minister found this suspicious, so he investigated privately and now has evidence of their past relationship, only then did he dare to report to Your Majesty. This minister has witnesses and physical evidence, please summon them!”

Everyone’s faces changed. There was evidence?

Even Song Qingzhi was stunned. What was going on, how could her brother have anything to do with Ning Wanyin?

Helian Qi’s eyes flickered, his expression unclear, “Summon them.”

Soon, two people were brought in by the palace servants.

As soon as he saw the two, Song Chengyi’s face changed.

The private meeting was all fabricated, but some things were true!

“We, the commoners, pay our respects to Your Majesty!” The two bowed to the Emperor.

Ning Wanyin’s eyes narrowed slightly, she didn’t recognize the man who looked like a servant. But the old man with a white beard was her chess teacher.

“Your Majesty, this Master Duan is the teacher of both Consort Ning and Song Chengyi, they met because of him.” Li Rao introduced, “Master Duan, in front of Your Majesty, you must tell the truth, otherwise it will be a crime of deceiving the Emperor!”

Master Duan’s face was filled with shame, “This commoner is indeed their teacher, once, I accidentally dropped Consort Ning’s chess score, and it was picked up by Master Song. He asked many questions, and this commoner told him that it belonged to Consort Ning…”

“This commoner only knows this much, whether they had any private interactions, this commoner doesn’t know…” Master Duan, after all, felt a pang of conscience and added a sentence.

Li Rao was not in a hurry, he pointed at the remaining servant and said, “This one was once a servant of Minister Song, they wouldn’t meet in private in front of their teacher, but the servant knows about it.”

“This commoner can testify, my master met with Consort Ning in private many times. My master admired Consort Ning, he not only wrote love poems to her, but also asked his father to propose to the Duke of Shou’an. But his father refused, so they could only meet in private.” The servant quickly said.

Song Chengyi was furious, “You’re talking nonsense!”

He did write love poems, and he did intend to propose, but he had never met Ning Wanyin in private!

This servant had served him before, but he was kicked out of the mansion for stealing.

He didn’t know how much money Li Rao had paid him to spread rumors.

“Hearing only his side of the story, this minister is very suspicious of the truth of the matter, so he specially sent people to investigate Song’s mansion. Sure enough, in Song Chengyi’s study, a love poem he wrote to Consort Ning was found.” Li Rao said, ordering someone to present a piece of paper.

He continued, “This minister also found a maid who served in Song’s mansion, she personally heard Song Chengyi talk about proposing to the Duke of Shou’an.”

Another maid was brought in.

She was the maid who cleaned the study, and she had heard the father and son arguing outside that day.

“That day, Master Song asked his father to propose to the Duke of Shou’an, his father was very angry and smashed two teacups. Master Song was also angry, he slammed the door and left…”

She described it vividly, with consistent details, it didn’t sound like a fabrication, it sounded like the truth.

Song Chengyi’s face flushed red, he couldn’t refute.

Ning Wanyin listened quietly, her gaze fixed on Song Chengyi, she remembered how he had peeked at her before, then jumped back in fright and avoided her gaze.

So, could it be that everything except the private meeting was true?

It was simply a disaster from the sky, a calamity out of the blue.

After presenting all the evidence, Li Rao said, “Your Majesty, Consort Ning and Song Chengyi had an affair, the evidence is conclusive, they should be put to death!”

Helian Qi looked at the love poem on the paper, his face was as dark as water, he didn’t know what he was thinking.

Ning Wanyin bowed and said, “Your Majesty, this concubine is innocent.”

Even if everything was true, as long as she could prove that one thing was a lie, she could use it to overturn the other evidence.

And luckily, Ning Wanyin could prove that the private meeting was false.

“This concubine doesn’t know Minister Song, and I have never met him. Minister Li said that this concubine met with an outsider during the summer hunt, then I ask, what day, what time, and where did it happen?”