Chapter 188 The Third Person?

Li Nanke pretended to be blank as he looked at the paper in his hand. After a long while, he nodded with a troubled expression.

"If Her Majesty the Empress says it's mine, then it's mine!"

Empress Xue was so angry she almost had a heart attack.

What do you mean by saying it's true just because she says so?

It was clearly Li Nanke who benefited and got first place, yet he made it sound so far-fetched.

Isn't the point to make her say it herself that Li Nanke wrote the "Admonitions for Women"?

That brat is so young, but she's got a lot of tricks up her sleeve!

Empress Xue nearly bit her teeth to pieces, but she had no choice but to accept the result and hastily ended the first exam.

The second test focused on etiquette and manners, mainly concerning walking, sitting, lying down, and eating.

There's no need to prepare specific questions; everyone will have lunch together in the palace at noon.

During mealtimes, a head maid supervised and observed their every word and action, and recorded it.

Therefore, for the rest of the time, the group of girls held their breath and spoke in hushed tones, afraid of making the slightest mistake.

After all, if a woman doesn't know the "Admonitions for Women," she can make excuses like being nervous and forgetting.

However, if one goes wrong with the rules and etiquette, it will be seen as a sign of poor manners.

The reputation of all the girls in the family has been damaged!

The entire Zishan Hall was quiet; no one dared to cause trouble.

We had a half-hour break after lunch.

Xue Ting was taken to Empress Xue's palace.

Upon entering, he saw Empress Xue's face so gloomy it was almost dripping with water. Startled, he stood at the door and timidly called out, "Aunt."

Empress Xue slammed her hand on the table.

“I’m asking you, what’s wrong with you today? Didn’t I already tell your mother about the test for women?”

Why couldn't you recite it from memory? It's one thing to not be able to recite it from memory, but you couldn't even memorize it!

Empress Xue looked at her with a disappointed expression.

"Do you even realize how utterly disgraced the entire Xue family you've made!"

Xue Ting was so frightened that tears streamed down her face. Between sobs, she said aggrievedly, "I'm naturally slow at memorizing things, and my aunt knows that."

"Even if you memorize it slowly, ten days should be enough, right? I can tell you haven't studied at all!"

Xue Ting sniffed, looking indignant.

"Since my aunt has already agreed to help me switch the answer sheets, why should I memorize them?"

It doesn't matter how I write it, it'll be changed anyway!

Empress Xue was shocked.

She and her sister-in-law planned to switch answer sheets that day because they knew Xue Ting had a poor memory and her handwriting was not outstanding. They were afraid that something might go wrong, so they prepared a foolproof plan.

She specifically instructed her sister-in-law to urge Xue Ting to study and practice diligently when she got back.

If Xue Ting can write it herself, then of course there's no need to change it!

Unexpectedly, Xue Ting found out about this secret plan.

How do you know all this? Did your mother tell you?

Xue Ting's eyes flickered.

"No...no, I...I overheard your conversation with Mother."

Empress Xue was so angry that she nearly fell backward.

"So you just wrote whatever came to mind?"

"This isn't my fault! Aunt, did you not switch my answer sheet at all?"

If I had known my aunt couldn't be switched, I... I wouldn't have written that nonsense.

Xue Ting felt very wronged.

Empress Xue was furious.

She was clearly switched!

A trusted palace maid entered from outside, and she secretly glared at Xue Ting.

"I'll settle the score with you later!"

Turning to the palace maid, she asked, "What did you find out? Did anyone else go to the side hall of the Zizheng Hall?"

Before the lecturer arrived, all the paper tubes were placed in a room in the side hall.

The trusted palace maid nodded.

Empress Xue narrowed her eyes slightly. "Is it someone from the Wang family?"

That vile Consort Wang, she acts like a smiling fox all day, but in reality, she's full of wicked intentions.

The palace maid shook her head, her expression strange.

Empress Xue frowned. "Not someone from the Wang family? Then who is it? Could it be...?"

The palace maid lowered her voice, interrupting Empress Xue's speculation.

"It's the green-clad maidservant who serves the princess."

Empress Xue suddenly looked up, her gaze almost swallowing people whole.

"How could it be green?"

The woman in green was a palace maid serving Zhao Ning. After the last time she fell into the water, two of Zhao Ning's palace maids were beaten to death.

She then personally selected two palace maids to place beside Zhao Ning.

The one in green is one of them.

Are you sure it's green?

The trusted palace maid nodded, "I've investigated thoroughly; only the woman in green entered that room."

Empress Xue was furious. "Bring that lowly maidservant to me."

Immediately, a palace maid brought in a woman in green and, without saying a word, pinned her to the ground.

Empress Xue: "You lowly servant, who sent you to the side hall of Zishan Hall to switch the answer sheets?"

"If you don't tell the truth, I'll have you beaten to death on the spot!"

The woman in green's face changed drastically, and she cried out that she was innocent.

"It was the princess who instructed me to do this."

"Zhao Ning? How is this possible! You wretched servant, how dare you frame your master! Beat her!"

Empress Xue was furious.

The woman in green cried and begged for mercy, "Your Majesty, spare my life! It was really the princess who ordered me to do it."

At this moment, Princess Zhaoning ran in from outside.

"Mother, please don't hit the woman in green! I was the one who ordered her to do it!"

Empress Xue looked on in astonishment and grabbed Princess Zhaoning.

"You had Xue Ting and Li Nanke's answer sheets switched?"

Princess Zhaoning nodded, a smile on her face.

"Yes, I heard that Li Nanke wrote a particularly good answer sheet."

My cousin Ting's writing is so-so, I don't want Li Nanke to be my reading companion.

So, on a whim, I had Greenie switch the labels on Li Nanke's and Cousin Ting's paper tubes when no one was around.

Princess Zhaoning looked up at Empress Xue with a smug expression.

"Mother, did Li Nanke get last place?"

Ha, needless to say, she'll definitely be last place. Now I can laugh at her mercilessly!

Haha, last place! Li Nanke is so embarrassed!

She wasn't at Zishantang that morning and didn't know what had happened inside.

Princess Zhaoning, lost in her excitement, didn't notice that Xue Ting behind her had turned green with rage.

Xue Ting was trembling all over!

She's in last place!

She's the one who's utterly shameful!

It's not Li Nanke at all!

Unfortunately, Princess Zhaoning was too excited to notice anything unusual about her.

Instead, he asked Empress Xue with a smile, "Mother, wasn't I clever? Wasn't this move brilliant?"

Amazing my foot!

Empress Xue, who considered herself the most dignified and virtuous person, felt an urge to swear for the first time in her life!

She glared at Princess Zhaoning, her eyes blazing with anger, her heart pounding with rage, and she felt an urge to hit her.

But the woman in front of her was her own daughter, her only daughter.

She has already lost her son, how could she bear to hit her daughter!

Empress Xue was so angry that her teeth chattered.

She never imagined that her carefully designed plan would be ruined by her own daughter!

She had just sent someone to replace Xue Ting's answer sheet with her own, and then her daughter switched the seals on Li Nanke's and Xue Ting's answer sheets!

wrong!

Empress Xue suddenly realized what was happening.

When she replaced Xue Ting's answer sheet, she also had someone replace Li Nanke's answer sheet with a blank sheet of paper.

If Zhao Ning had switched the name cards of the two people, then Xue Ting's paper tube should have contained a blank sheet of paper!

Instead of that messy pile of stuff Xue Ting wrote!

So, was there a third person who went into the side hall?