Chapter 69: Stealing a Verse, Sentenced to Death

Yixiu Palace, Haitang Residence.

“Is someone singing next door? Go and see what my cousin is up to again,” Concubine Wei asked, frowning.

Qiushan agreed and went out to investigate. She returned shortly and said, “Ying Meiren is practicing singing in the courtyard. I heard from the palace servants that she wrote a verse, composed a melody, and plans to sing it to His Majesty when he passes by the Imperial Garden, to attract his attention…”

“This vixen, she has quite a few tricks up her sleeve for vying for favor,” Concubine Wei snorted coldly, feeling both jealous and envious of her. She immediately had an idea:

“Let’s go, let’s copy that verse. Quietly, don’t alarm her, lest she play any tricks.”

The last time, the egg tart didn’t win the emperor’s favor.

Concubine Wei felt that this was because Ying Meiren was forced by her and didn’t put her heart into it.

This time, she would quietly steal it, and there would be no problem!

…

At dusk.

The imperial procession passed through the Imperial Garden on its way to Lingxue Pavilion.

Suddenly, a melodious voice was heard.

“When will the bright moon appear, I raise my cup and ask the blue sky…”

As soon as Helian Qi heard the familiar verse, he immediately instructed Wang Degui, “Go and see.”

Wang Degui understood.

He didn’t know which master it was, but their luck was good, they caught the emperor’s ear.

It seemed that the emperor wouldn’t be going to Lingxue Pavilion tonight.

The imperial procession arrived.

Wei Meiren, who was singing, immediately bowed and saluted, her voice soft and sweet, “This concubine greets Your Majesty, Your Majesty is well!”

She was overjoyed!

This vixen’s trick of seducing the emperor was really effective!

The emperor was indeed attracted to her.

“Where did you get this verse?” Helian Qi’s cold brows furrowed slightly.

Wei Meiren shamelessly said, “This concubine composed it after being inspired by the bright moon.”

Helian Qi’s eyes instantly turned cold, “Bring someone here, summon Concubine Ning and Ying Meiren.”

Hearing Ying Meiren, Wei Meiren panicked.

It’s over, it’s over!

How did the emperor know that this verse was Ying Meiren’s?

The imperial procession stopped in the Imperial Garden, encountering Wei Meiren by chance.

The concubines nearby, who had heard the news, rushed over to join in the fun, wanting to get a piece of the action.

But when they arrived, they found that the emperor was sitting in the pavilion, his face as dark as water, silent. Wei Meiren was kneeling on the ground, her face full of panic.

This…

It seemed like they hadn’t caught anything good?

“This concubine greets Your Majesty—” Ning Wanyin bowed and saluted.

Ying Meiren had arrived earlier than her and was waiting on the side.

Helian Qi beckoned to Ning Wanyin, “Take a seat. The verse you showed me a few days ago, Concubine Wei claims it as her own.”

“How is that possible?” Ning Wanyin looked shocked, “This concubine was having tea with Ying Meiren that day, and I saw her write it with my own eyes.”

Wei Yingya also stepped forward to defend herself, “Concubine Ning can testify for this concubine!”

Wei Meiren had been thinking about countermeasures.

As soon as she saw this scene…

She instantly understood what was going on.

No wonder the emperor was furious, it turned out that he had already seen the verse at Ning Wanyin’s place…

Damn it!

But it didn’t matter…

“Your Majesty, this concubine is innocent! This verse was composed by this concubine before entering the palace. Perhaps when this concubine was practicing singing in the palace, my cousin next door overheard it and took it to Concubine Ning to show off, claiming it as her own… But this is truly composed by this concubine… This concubine also has witnesses…”

“!” Wei Meiren immediately cried out in grievance, “My mother can testify for me, she has seen this verse before.”

Helian Qi sneered, “Bring Wei’s mother here.”

Soon.

Wei Meiren’s mother, the Marchioness of Weiyong, was summoned to the palace.

Although she had never seen this verse, facing the current situation, she immediately knelt down and cried, “Your Majesty, this verse was indeed written by my daughter… Back then, Ying Meiren was the eldest daughter of the Marquis’s mansion, she took advantage of her noble status and stole countless poems and verses from my daughter… I didn’t expect that after she entered the palace, she would still dare to deceive Your Majesty like this…”

As soon as these words came out, she was going to claim all the poems and verses that Ying Meiren had written before as her daughter’s.

The concubines around had different expressions on their faces.

With Wei’s wife saying this, Ying Meiren was in trouble. How could she prove herself?

“Are you sure this verse was written by your daughter? You have to look carefully!” Ning Wanyin pointed to the copied verse.

Wei’s wife nodded affirmatively, “Yes! This verse was written by my daughter last year.”

“Your Majesty, you have to believe this concubine! This verse was truly written by me.” Wei Meiren cried out in grievance.

The eyes of the concubines darted back and forth between the Wei family.

Now, these two were contradicting each other. It was hard to say who wrote this verse.

“Your Majesty, Concubine Wei and the Marchioness of Weiyong are deceiving the emperor and disrespecting the court. Please punish them!” Ning Wanyin bowed and asked.

Wei Meiren glared at Ning Wanyin angrily, “How dare you say I’m deceiving the emperor! I wrote this verse first!”

“If you insist that you wrote the first half, I wouldn’t dare to say for sure whether Ying Meiren borrowed your verse. But the second half was written by His Majesty in front of my own eyes.” Ning Wanyin looked at her, her eyes cold, and she spoke word by word:

“Concubine Wei, you have a lot of guts, you actually stole the emperor’s verse!”

Wei Meiren was dumbfounded.

The concubines who were watching the show were also stunned.

What?

The second half of this verse was written by His Majesty?

Wei Yingya recalled that day, after she gave the verse to Ning Wanyin, she asked:

“Concubine Ning, are you going to show it to His Majesty first? Then let Concubine Wei steal it, and then you can prove that she is deceiving the emperor by impersonating someone else.”

“She can say that she wrote it before you, but you copied it faster.” The person on the main seat said calmly.

Wei Yingya choked, “Then… it seems like there’s no way to prove that I wrote it?”

“But we don’t need to prove that you wrote it.”

Wei Yingya was initially confused, until the next day, she received the second half written by His Majesty.

According to Ning Wanyin’s instructions, she didn’t tell anyone about the origin of the second half.

“Impossible! This is absolutely impossible! How could this second half be the emperor’s verse!” Wei Meiren couldn’t believe it.

The Marchioness of Weiyong was also stunned.

Ning Wanyin’s thin lips curled up in a cold smile, “Ying Meiren only wrote the first half, and she exchanged verses with me. It’s just that I’m not very talented, so His Majesty wrote the second half.”

The concubines suddenly realized. So that’s how it is!

Impersonating someone and stealing the emperor’s verse, such a suicidal act, was truly the first case since the founding of the dynasty.

Wei Meiren’s face turned pale, “How could this be… You deliberately tricked me, it’s you!”

Wei Meiren pointed at Ying Meiren in anger.

“I never said that this entire verse was written by me alone!” Wei Yingya said triumphantly.

Helian Qi had long been disgusted with Wei Meiren and disliked the Wei family. He said coldly, “Wei is deceiving the emperor and stealing the emperor’s verse, execute her. The Marchioness of Weiyong forged false evidence and deceived the emperor, the same crime. Bring someone here, drag them away!”

“Your Majesty, spare me…” “Your Majesty, I was just momentarily confused…”

Wei Meiren and the Marchioness of Weiyong were terrified, begging for mercy.

But it was useless.

Several eunuchs stepped forward and dragged the Wei family mother and daughter away.