sbdcsierra Chapter 103 The person who helped the princess was actually her.
Chapter 103 The person who helped the princess was actually her.
"Song Siyao, you accuse me of cheating, do you have any evidence?"
Wei Hongjin was extremely arrogant, "If you can't produce any evidence today, you're committing slander. Do you know what crime it is to slander a princess? Song Siyao, I'll make you kneel down and apologize to me, I'll make you wish you were dead!"
“Princess Hongjin wants evidence? Then I’ll grant you your wish.”
Song Siyao looked at Wei Hongjin with icy eyes, "Minister of Rites Guo took a concubine a few months ago named Chanyi. Does Princess Hongjin know her?"
Upon hearing this, Wei Hongjin's expression changed, and she immediately denied it, "How could I know Lord Guo's concubine? I have never had any dealings with her."
"Is that so? But someone has personally witnessed this concubine entering and leaving the princess's residence, and more than once. How do you explain that?" Song Siyao asked coldly.
Wei Hongjin panicked and stammered, "I...how would I know? Song Siyao, please...please don't slander me..."
She's feeling guilty.
Song Siyao interrupted her and looked at Yan Wei, saying, "Young Master Yan, you are a teacher at the academy and are also in charge of proctoring this examination. You have no right to interfere with things like cheating, do you?"
"Of course it's my responsibility, Miss Song. Rest assured, I will definitely investigate this matter and give everyone who participated in the assessment justice," Yan Wei said.
Chen Jiang chimed in, "Miss Song, both the cheating case and Princess Hongjin's lawsuit against you involve the two of you. These two cases can be combined, and I have jurisdiction over them."
"Then I'll have to trouble you, Lord Chen," Song Siyao said.
Although Yan Wei is a teacher at the academy, he doesn't have the authority to arrest people. Now that Chen Jiang is involved, things will go more smoothly than Song Siyao expected.
“As an official, one should safeguard the peace and tranquility of the region. Everything I have done is my duty.” Chen Jiang ordered, “Someone, go to the residence of Minister of Rites Guo and bring back the suspect Chanyi.”
Watching the constables leave the courtroom, Wei Hongjin finally realized that she had come to sue Song Siyao. How had the situation changed so drastically, and now the fire had spread to her?
Moreover, she vaguely sensed that she had fallen into a huge trap, and suddenly, endless fear surged within her.
The constables, carrying Chen Jiang's token, arrived at Guo Shouyi's residence to arrest the man.
Guo Shouyi was one of the people in charge of setting the questions for this assessment, as well as the chief examiner and the person in charge of grading the papers. Now that the assessment is over and he's done with his work, he's taking a break at home today.
Upon hearing from the yamen runner that his concubine was involved in cheating on the examination, he immediately lost his composure and brought his concubine to the yamen.
"Master Chen."
"Master Guo."
After exchanging greetings, Chen and Guo got straight to the point.
"Lord Chen, you said Chanyi was involved in the cheating case of this assessment, do you have any evidence?" Guo Shouyi asked.
Chen Jiang looked at Song Siyao, "Miss Song, you tell Lord Guo."
Guo Shouyi looked at Song Siyao, his face slightly cold, "Miss Song, you submitted a blank paper for this assessment. You said someone cheated. Could it be that you're just being resentful and deliberately causing trouble?"
In the past, when the academy held entrance exams, if someone did not perform well, they would be falsely accused of cheating. In the end, the truth was found to be that the person was deliberately causing trouble.
Especially since he was the chief examiner for this assessment, if there was any cheating, he would be in deep trouble when Emperor Changlong questioned him.
That's why he reacted so strongly.
"Lord Guo, you're absolutely right! Song Siyao is just jealous of me. She's resentful, so she's started slandering people. You must arrest her immediately!" Wei Hongjin was overjoyed, as if she had found a kindred spirit.
"Master, you've known Chanyi for so long, you know her best. What do you think Chanyi would do?" Chanyi was in her early twenties, wearing a white dress, ethereal and otherworldly.
She looked like a well-read person, exuding a scholarly air. No way would a woman like that be the type to cheat.
"I believe you. There must be some misunderstanding. Don't worry, I will definitely clear your name," Guo Shouyi said confidently.
He initially liked Chanyi because he valued her noble qualities.
“Miss Song, you say Chanyi is involved in cheating, then produce the evidence.” Guo Shouyi’s face was full of authority and his tone was harsh. “If it is ultimately proven that you framed Chanyi, I will not care about the face of the Marquis of Zhenbei. I will make you kneel down and apologize to Chanyi.”
Song Siyao's lips curled into a cold smile as he asked, "Lord Guo, if it is ultimately proven that Consort Chan leaked the exam questions and helped others cheat, how will you deal with her?"
Guo Shouyi now has complete trust in Chanyi. He believes in his judgment and is certain that the person he chooses will not make a mistake.
He said confidently, "If everything Miss Song said is true, I will definitely handle it officially!"
"Alright, Lord Guo, remember what you just said." Song Siyao looked outside and shouted, "Cang Yue, bring out the evidence!"
"Yes!" Cang Yue responded and entered, taking out two letters from his sleeve and handing them to Song Siyao.
Song Siyao took the letter and handed it to Guo Shouyi, saying, "Lord Guo, here are two letters. One is from someone in the Princess's residence to Consort Chan, and the other is Consort Chan's reply."
Guo Shouyi unfolded the letters and read the first one: "The examination papers, please get them as soon as possible."
Then he unfolded the second letter, which read: I have received the exam paper. When will you fulfill your promise to me?
Guo Shouyi's hands trembled slightly as he looked at Chanyi beside him, his emotions quite complex.
"Lord Guo, the handwriting in the second letter is familiar to you, isn't it?" Song Siyao asked.
Guo Shouyi still refused to believe it. He snorted coldly, "Two letters are nothing. There are plenty of people who can imitate other people's handwriting these days."
He looked at Song Siyao and questioned, "Miss Song, how did you obtain these letters?"
Song Siyao didn't answer, but continued to shout, "Cang Yue, continue!"
Cang Yue then took out several more letters from his sleeve.
Song Siyao took it, opened the first letter, and wrote, "I have gotten close to Guo Shouyi."
Then, she read out the second letter, “I have gained Guo Shouyi’s trust.”
Then came the third letter…
Before she could read the third letter, Guo Shouyi snatched it from her hand.
Guo Shouyi saw on the third letter that it read: He has successfully entered the Minister's residence.
Suddenly, he seemed to go mad, trying to snatch the other letters from Song Siyao's hand.
Song Siyao raised his hand, and he missed.
“Lord Guo, since you don’t believe it anyway, why bother looking?” Song Siyao said, then looked at Chanyi.
Her goal was always Chanyi, not Guo Shouyi.
“Aunt Chan, things have come to this point. Will you confess yourself, or should I speak for you? If I speak up, the promises made to you in your letter may not be fulfilled.”
Chanyi broke out in a cold sweat in shock. How did these letters end up in Song Siyao's hands?
However, as long as she stubbornly denies it, these letters alone cannot do anything to her.
The person she mentioned in her letter was someone that Song Siyao couldn't afford to offend.
Moreover, she also had Guo Shouyi's favor.
She's going to take a gamble.
"Miss Song, please don't wrong me. I did nothing wrong. What do you want me to say? I have no grudge against you. I don't know why you are framing me."
"You won't shed a tear until you see the coffin!" Song Siyao's eyes suddenly turned cold, and she asked sharply, "Cang Yue, has he arrived?"
“Miss, Ting Han has arrived!” Cang Yue replied.
"Have him bring the man up here." As Song Siyao's voice fell, Ting Han walked in carrying a servant and threw the servant on the ground.
Ting Han is a member of the Tianji Pavilion.
When Chanyi saw the servant's expression change, she felt a little flustered.
Wei Hongjin said sternly, "Song Siyao, how dare you arrest my father's people! My father is the Prince Consort, this is insubordination!"
Song Siyao ignored Wei Hongjin and looked at the servant, her voice icy, "Tell me, how did you hand over the examination papers to Aunt Chan?"
The servant had already been dealt with by Ting Han, so he dared not lie and told the truth...