Chapter 701: Who Should Be Believed?
Chapter 701: Chapter 701: Who Should Be Believed?
Qin Siyuan spat disdainfully, "What does this have to do with my second sister!"
If it weren’t for covering up for Qin Yuan, he would have exposed this hypocrite’s true face long ago. Who knew this scoundrel would conspire with others to frame the Qin Family, enough is enough.
At this moment, Wu Junren, while everyone was busy rebuking Lin Ziqi, tearfully lamented, "Prince Qi, Princesses, I had no choice but to do such a lowly thing, as Lin Ziqi relied on being the son-in-law of Qin Jijiu..."
Just as he was about to pour a full basin of dirty water, Qin Yuan interrupted.
"You claim you were coerced by Lin Ziqi, so how did you manage to leave my draft poem as evidence while he was unaware?"
Wu Junren was unable to answer.
The Ninth Princess raised her eyebrows, "Young Master Nantang is a recluse, how would he know these schemes? This is just their mutual restraining act.
The one surnamed Wu was concerned that once the deed was done, Lin would deny it, so he held onto the old poem draft as leverage. Now that things have failed, he uses it as proof."
"Yes, yes, yes," Wu Junren hurriedly nodded, like a chicken pecking at rice, "The Ninth Princess is wise, indeed it is so."
Though it sounded unpleasant, it was still palatable.
The Ninth Princess smugly raised her chin, "What is this, just a dog-eat-dog trick. I’ve seen plenty."
Wu Junren’s face twisted for a moment.
Qin Yuan sneered, "Thank you, Ninth Princess, for your elucidation. However, Wu Junren, there’s another matter I don’t understand.
Since both you and Lin Ziqi were aware of the poetic draft, why would Lin Ziqi still threaten and entice you to smear us?
By comparing the two, you could have cleared my and the Qin Family’s name. Why are you so confident?
Could it be... could it be that you are arrogant enough to take all these princes and princesses, and everyone present, for fools?"
The Ninth Princess’s face twisted for a moment too.
"...This..."
Wu Junren naturally couldn’t answer.
The situation was already unmanageable; how could he drag others into it?
The crowd began to discuss.
"Right, amidst all this uproar, we overlooked this. Lin Ziqi is also a scholar, how could he not know the stakes? Making such a fuss, only to end up with false accusations – he wouldn’t fool around with his own reputation. Who in their right mind would do such a thing?"
"So, you mean to say Lin Ziqi was completely unaware? But look how the two of them were playing off each other earlier..."
"Who would willingly nail themselves to the post? Did Lin Ziqi make such a scene just to force Wu to defect?"
"Hahaha, could he be possessed?"
"...That would be the only explanation..."
"Tsk, Empress Dowager’s longevity, don’t speak ill-omened words here."
...
Though it was the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the bright moon overhead and chrysanthemums fragrant in the autumn breeze, Wu Junren’s sweat dripped continuously, holding on as he said, "How would I know what he was thinking? Didn’t you cover it up only to be betrayed?"
His words strangely made sense.
Everyone looked at Lin Ziqi, seemingly trying to ponder what goes on in his head.
Lin Ziqi’s whole body trembled, "You, you, you... you’re spouting nonsense. If I had seen the poetic drafts, why would I force you to falsely accuse Qin Siyuan and my father-in-law? What benefit would that be to me?"
Wu Junren crossed his arms, sneering, "The matters we discussed in private, you now deny everything. I have no way to argue for myself. But you deny having seen the poetic drafts, then where did the poem come from?"
"Yes, where did this poem come from?"
Everyone turned their heads back to Lin Ziqi.
Lin Ziqi closed his eyes, opting for the last resort: "Enough, enough, I’ll say it. It was in a moment of confusion that I used a poem my wife received in a dream. I never saw Young Master Nantang’s drafts, nor did I know Wu Junren had them. If I did, why would I do this? Wouldn’t it be like lifting a rock to drop it on my own foot?"
"Received a poem in a dream?"
The crowd was dumbfounded, not expecting to hear such an excuse.
Wu Junren looked around and scoffed, "Who would believe such a tale? How could your wife receive a poem in a dream? Even if such a strange event did happen, why is it so similar to Young Master Nantang’s poem? Pah! Even making up a lie, you couldn’t make it sound plausible!"
Surrounded by ridicule and mockery from the crowd, Lin Ziqi’s face flushed with anger. After holding it in for a while, he raised his right hand, pointing a finger at the full moon, swearing loudly: "If I, Lin Ziqi, have lied, may the heavens strike me down with lightning, and may I die a horrible death."
To swear on the Mid-Autumn full moon was similar to swearing an oath before the Buddha.
He was truly cornered!
Qin Yuan’s lips curled into a faint, mocking smile.
As the chatter of the onlookers began to quiet down, Wu Junren grew frantic, cursing shrilly.
"You thief of poems! Qin Siyuan shields you, yet you harbor guilty thoughts of harming others, even implicating me without acknowledgment. Oh heavens, why don’t you strike down the thunder?"
The sharpness of his voice made Prince Qi frown deeply.
The Ninth Princess shook her head, "Who would’ve thought that Qin Jijiu would have such a son-in-law and nephew, with such a lack of propriety in the family—truly, when virtue is not matched by position, disaster ensues."
These words were heavily weighted.
Prince Qi’s face showed disdain: "Why do you believe whatever the one named Wu says? To say you are biased wouldn’t be an overstatement."
The Ninth Princess was unconvinced: "And has Wu not spoken correctly? Young Master Nantang and Qin Siyuan clearly knew Lin Ziqi plagiarized poems, yet they covered it up.
Qin Jijiu’s poetic tournament at the Imperial College surely carried intentions of quelling the matter for the sake of his family’s honor. But this son-in-law is utterly hopeless, driven by envy, publicly slandering others and bringing disgrace upon himself."
Princess Fuyun couldn’t help joining the dispute: "But this is only Wu Junren’s one-sided story. If he truly had something on Lin Ziqi, how could Lin Ziqi dare to threaten and entice him to set up Young Master Nantang and Qin Siyuan? With such an evident flaw, you still believe him."
The Ninth Princess snorted: "You siblings are united in heart, I surely can’t argue you down, and Prince Qi and the Dingbei Marquis are close, naturally siding with the Qin Family. Yet Lin Ziqi’s poem is also an evident flaw, is it not?"
The three of them couldn’t reach an agreement.
The onlookers were similarly divided.
Some believed Wu Junren, some believed Lin Ziqi.
Qin Siyuan quickly said, "Your Highness, Ninth Princess, I was indeed shocked when I heard Lin Ziqi’s poem, but as the draft had never been publicly shared before, though puzzled, I dared not accuse Lin Ziqi of stealing poems, thus it cannot be termed as shielding."
With the Ninth Princess supporting him, Wu Junren grew bolder, with a few cold laughs he said, "Just because you say it wasn’t shared publicly doesn’t mean it wasn’t. Who can testify?
Lin Ziqi’s wife is your cousin!
Furthermore, upon realizing Lin Ziqi’s poem was similar to Young Master Nantang’s, did you not conceal it for familial ties?
Is it not possible that the Dingbei Marquis coordinated with Qin Jijiu at the Imperial College to hold a poetic tournament to help Young Master Nantang gain fame?"
Amidst all this were Qin Yuan and Qin Wan, with many unspeakable matters being forced to emerge, giving him the opportunity to stir up trouble.