A crowd of people knelt in front of the elegant pavilion, Hongli sat on a stone bench covered with a brocade cushion, dropping a black piece on the chessboard, before turning his face and slowly asking: “Tell me, what's the fuss?” his eyes passed over Wei Yingluo and he frowned.
There's a saying that said: The one who rushed to speak first has evil intentions.
Wei Yingluo looked calmly at Hong Xiao who started speaking first: “Your Majesty, this court lady has the audacity to seduce the palace guard Qijia Qingxi, Qijia Qingxi has repeatedly refused but this court lady has asked him to come to the imperial garden at three o'clock this evening for a private meeting! This lowly servant has been informed, such a lowly person who would not tolerate such lewdness in the palace, the ruckus was to catch her but she has disturbed his Majesty's pleasure and deserves to die.”
Hongli looked at Wei Yingluo and asked: “Do you confess your guilt?”
Fuheng's heart leapt when he heard Hongli ask Wei Yingluo for her guilt, his hands were clenched in his sleeves.
Wei Yingluo's heart was also cold, she secretly took a deep breath, raised her head slightly and answered: “What Your Highness said, this lowly servant knows nothing, I don't know how to confess what guilt.”
Qingxi, covering his swollen cheek, questioned: “If you did not come here to meet me, why did you come to the imperial garden in the middle of the night!”
Wei Yingluo held up the flower basket by her side, she said innocently: “The weather is getting hot, my master doesn't like the smell of mosquito repellent herbs, I came to collect some flowers to burn in the night incense to chase away the anti-mosquito smell, I didn't expect to run into you, a rascal, fortunately, the Empress Niangniang was considerate and sent some eunuchs with me. If it was a rendezvous, how could I have brought so many people with me to meet this supposed lover?”
Qingxi argued back: “You brought so many people to get back at me for rejecting you! You asked me to come to the royal garden and let them beat me up like a thief, it was a deliberate act of revenge!” At this point, Qingxi quickly pulled out a piece of rice paper from his pocket and held it up high saying: “Your Majesty, this lowly servant has proof, this is a letter sent by Wei Yingluo, please read it.”
Hongli looked at this farce and said in a sullen manner: “Present it.” Liyu unfolded the paper and offered it to Hongli.
On the white paper was written: “Tonight at three o'clock, East Gate of the Pear Garden, see you soon, Yingluo. Hongli was furious when he read it, he threw the paper at Wei Yingluo's face and said: “What else do you have to say!”
The paper fell lightly from Wei Yingluo's face onto her lap, the writing on it is crooked, it is indeed her handwriting.
Wei Yingluo was calm, she picked up the paper and said: “The handwriting does look like it came from this lowly servant but this lowly servant also has proof, that it was not written by this lowly servant.” With these words, she took a stack of papers out of her pocket and continued: “Your Majesty, I am indebted to the Empress Niangniang for teaching Yingluo how to write, Yingluo is a fool but I dare not disappoint Niangniang. Over the past month, Yingluo has tried various methods to practise her handwriting, in order to compare the best with the worst, she has put all her papers in order. This afternoon, this lowly servant noticed that page 28 was missing! So, someone must have stolen Yingluo's calligraphy for the purpose of...”
She turned her gaze to Qingxi and Hong Xiao and said in one word: “Framing!”
Qingxi unnaturally avoided Wei Yingluo's gaze and Hong Xiao snickers: “You said you lost it? I also said you hid it yourself!”
Wei Yingluo sneered and asked: “May I ask Prince Yi of First Rank, what kind of paper is the paper I write on?”
Hong Xiao impatiently replied: “Xuan paper used for writing, of course!”
Wei Yingluo said with a respectful look: “Your Majesty, Yingluo's salary is limited, I dare not waste Xuan paper, so I use hand paper instead, oh, white cotton paper.”
Fuheng, with a slight smile in her eyes, took the secret letter from Wei Yingluo's hand and the paper she had taken out herself and then presented it to Hongli for inspection: “Your Majesty, this letter from Qingxi, the paper is white and dense, the texture is fine, it is of the highest quality from Jing County in Anhui but these papers from Miss Wei are only the most common white cotton paper in the palace.”
Hong Xiao's face sank and he argued: “You have a scheming heart, perhaps you have deliberately did this to avoid suspicion, by finding a top quality raw paper!”
Wei Yingluo sighed softly and said: “It's not that Yingluo is shameless, the Empress Niangniang said, Yingluo practice these 150 words, Yingluo is improving every day, you dared not touch them for fear of me finding out….so you didn’t take the newest ones, so took a paper from the middle, the twenty-eighth one is exactly from January, just compare it with the one from these two days, you will know if it is true or not.”
The evidence is overwhelming, it is irrefutable.
Qingxi's forehead beaded with sweat, he shivered involuntarily.
Hong Xiao suddenly kicked Qingxi in the face and cursed: “Bastard, how dare you deceive me! Your Majesty, this lowly servant didn't expect Qingxi to lie, it must be him...”
“It must be Qijia Qingxi who has failed to seduce me, he deliberately planted the evidence to frame me! Prince Yi of First Rank, is that what you mean to say?” Wei Yingluo smilingly said to Qingxi: “Guard Qijia, did you hear him clearly, he said you seduced me and planted the evidence, if you don't know better, no one will save you.” The last sentence was very meaningful.
Qingxi's face was white, Hong Xiao wanted to save himself by pushing him in the fire, how could he not understand? He kowtowed and said: “Your Majesty, it was Prince Yi of First Rank who threatened this lowly servant to frame Miss Yingluo! this lowly servant doesn't know why he did it but he ordered me to everything, this lowly servant swears to God!”
Hong Xiao kicked Qingxi in the chest and said angrily: “Doggy servant! How dare you throw dirty water on me!”
Wei Yingluo said in mock surprise: “Prince Yi of First Rank ordered you? this lowly servant lives deep in the inner court in the harem, she has never met the Prince, I wonder why the Prince would accuse this lowly servant? But only the Changchun Palace is worthy of the Prince's attention... Is it possible that his Majesty the Prince is actually trying to frame the servant for--”
“That is enough.” Hongli suddenly spoke up, there was a hint of anger in his voice.
The Emperor's anger was like thunder, the crowd was silent.
Hongli said: “Qingxi has falsely accused the Changchun Palace court lady, he is unworthy of the post of guard of the Qianqing Palace, he is to be punished with a hundred strokes of the cane, he is to be dismissed from his post and investigated! Gag him, take him down! This is the end of the matter.”
Before Qingxi could say another word, he was gagged and dragged away by the guards, Hong Xiao was secretly relieved.
The words “This is the end of the matter” hit Wei Yingluo, each word seemed to weigh a thousand pounds, she reluctantly tried to speak, Fuheng reached out and gave her a firm tug and shook her head gently in earnest.
“This is the end of the matter”, the Son of Heaven has spoken the golden words, who can disobey?
Hongli saw Wei Yingluo and Fuheng's little gesture and was even more upset and said coldly: “Wei Yingluo, how can you call yourself a calligrapher? How can you call yourself a calligrapher? You can't even say you're getting better every day! Zhen feels bad for the Empress, you go back and practice a hundred sheets, until you finish, you shall have no rest!”
Wei Yingluo gritted her teeth and hung her head in response: “... Yes.”
A crowd of people knelt in front of the elegant pavilion, Hongli sat on a stone bench covered with a brocade cushion, dropping a black piece on the chessboard, before turning his face and slowly asking: “Tell me, what's the fuss?” his eyes passed over Wei Yingluo and he frowned.
There's a saying that said: The one who rushed to speak first has evil intentions.
Wei Yingluo looked calmly at Hong Xiao who started speaking first: “Your Majesty, this court lady has the audacity to seduce the palace guard Qijia Qingxi, Qijia Qingxi has repeatedly refused but this court lady has asked him to come to the imperial garden at three o'clock this evening for a private meeting! This lowly servant has been informed, such a lowly person who would not tolerate such lewdness in the palace, the ruckus was to catch her but she has disturbed his Majesty's pleasure and deserves to die.”
Hongli looked at Wei Yingluo and asked: “Do you confess your guilt?”
Fuheng's heart leapt when he heard Hongli ask Wei Yingluo for her guilt, his hands were clenched in his sleeves.
Wei Yingluo's heart was also cold, she secretly took a deep breath, raised her head slightly and answered: “What Your Highness said, this lowly servant knows nothing, I don't know how to confess what guilt.”
Qingxi, covering his swollen cheek, questioned: “If you did not come here to meet me, why did you come to the imperial garden in the middle of the night!”
Wei Yingluo held up the flower basket by her side, she said innocently: “The weather is getting hot, my master doesn't like the smell of mosquito repellent herbs, I came to collect some flowers to burn in the night incense to chase away the anti-mosquito smell, I didn't expect to run into you, a rascal, fortunately, the Empress Niangniang was considerate and sent some eunuchs with me. If it was a rendezvous, how could I have brought so many people with me to meet this supposed lover?”
Qingxi argued back: “You brought so many people to get back at me for rejecting you! You asked me to come to the royal garden and let them beat me up like a thief, it was a deliberate act of revenge!” At this point, Qingxi quickly pulled out a piece of rice paper from his pocket and held it up high saying: “Your Majesty, this lowly servant has proof, this is a letter sent by Wei Yingluo, please read it.”
Hongli looked at this farce and said in a sullen manner: “Present it.” Liyu unfolded the paper and offered it to Hongli.
On the white paper was written: “Tonight at three o'clock, East Gate of the Pear Garden, see you soon, Yingluo. Hongli was furious when he read it, he threw the paper at Wei Yingluo's face and said: “What else do you have to say!”
The paper fell lightly from Wei Yingluo's face onto her lap, the writing on it is crooked, it is indeed her handwriting.
Wei Yingluo was calm, she picked up the paper and said: “The handwriting does look like it came from this lowly servant but this lowly servant also has proof, that it was not written by this lowly servant.” With these words, she took a stack of papers out of her pocket and continued: “Your Majesty, I am indebted to the Empress Niangniang for teaching Yingluo how to write, Yingluo is a fool but I dare not disappoint Niangniang. Over the past month, Yingluo has tried various methods to practise her handwriting, in order to compare the best with the worst, she has put all her papers in order. This afternoon, this lowly servant noticed that page 28 was missing! So, someone must have stolen Yingluo's calligraphy for the purpose of...”
She turned her gaze to Qingxi and Hong Xiao and said in one word: “Framing!”
Qingxi unnaturally avoided Wei Yingluo's gaze and Hong Xiao snickers: “You said you lost it? I also said you hid it yourself!”
Wei Yingluo sneered and asked: “May I ask Prince Yi of First Rank, what kind of paper is the paper I write on?”
Hong Xiao impatiently replied: “Xuan paper used for writing, of course!”
Wei Yingluo said with a respectful look: “Your Majesty, Yingluo's salary is limited, I dare not waste Xuan paper, so I use hand paper instead, oh, white cotton paper.”
Fuheng, with a slight smile in her eyes, took the secret letter from Wei Yingluo's hand and the paper she had taken out herself and then presented it to Hongli for inspection: “Your Majesty, this letter from Qingxi, the paper is white and dense, the texture is fine, it is of the highest quality from Jing County in Anhui but these papers from Miss Wei are only the most common white cotton paper in the palace.”
Hong Xiao's face sank and he argued: “You have a scheming heart, perhaps you have deliberately did this to avoid suspicion, by finding a top quality raw paper!”
Wei Yingluo sighed softly and said: “It's not that Yingluo is shameless, the Empress Niangniang said, Yingluo practice these 150 words, Yingluo is improving every day, you dared not touch them for fear of me finding out….so you didn’t take the newest ones, so took a paper from the middle, the twenty-eighth one is exactly from January, just compare it with the one from these two days, you will know if it is true or not.”
The evidence is overwhelming, it is irrefutable.
Qingxi's forehead beaded with sweat, he shivered involuntarily.
Hong Xiao suddenly kicked Qingxi in the face and cursed: “Bastard, how dare you deceive me! Your Majesty, this lowly servant didn't expect Qingxi to lie, it must be him...”
“It must be Qijia Qingxi who has failed to seduce me, he deliberately planted the evidence to frame me! Prince Yi of First Rank, is that what you mean to say?” Wei Yingluo smilingly said to Qingxi: “Guard Qijia, did you hear him clearly, he said you seduced me and planted the evidence, if you don't know better, no one will save you.” The last sentence was very meaningful.
Qingxi's face was white, Hong Xiao wanted to save himself by pushing him in the fire, how could he not understand? He kowtowed and said: “Your Majesty, it was Prince Yi of First Rank who threatened this lowly servant to frame Miss Yingluo! this lowly servant doesn't know why he did it but he ordered me to everything, this lowly servant swears to God!”
Hong Xiao kicked Qingxi in the chest and said angrily: “Doggy servant! How dare you throw dirty water on me!”
Wei Yingluo said in mock surprise: “Prince Yi of First Rank ordered you? this lowly servant lives deep in the inner court in the harem, she has never met the Prince, I wonder why the Prince would accuse this lowly servant? But only the Changchun Palace is worthy of the Prince's attention... Is it possible that his Majesty the Prince is actually trying to frame the servant for--”
“That is enough.” Hongli suddenly spoke up, there was a hint of anger in his voice.
The Emperor's anger was like thunder, the crowd was silent.
Hongli said: “Qingxi has falsely accused the Changchun Palace court lady, he is unworthy of the post of guard of the Qianqing Palace, he is to be punished with a hundred strokes of the cane, he is to be dismissed from his post and investigated! Gag him, take him down! This is the end of the matter.”
Before Qingxi could say another word, he was gagged and dragged away by the guards, Hong Xiao was secretly relieved.
The words “This is the end of the matter” hit Wei Yingluo, each word seemed to weigh a thousand pounds, she reluctantly tried to speak, Fuheng reached out and gave her a firm tug and shook her head gently in earnest.
“This is the end of the matter”, the Son of Heaven has spoken the golden words, who can disobey?
Hongli saw Wei Yingluo and Fuheng's little gesture and was even more upset and said coldly: “Wei Yingluo, how can you call yourself a calligrapher? How can you call yourself a calligrapher? You can't even say you're getting better every day! Zhen feels bad for the Empress, you go back and practice a hundred sheets, until you finish, you shall have no rest!”
Wei Yingluo gritted her teeth and hung her head in response: “... Yes.”
