He paused here, seemingly wanting to say something but then stopped, but everyone understood the meaning behind his words.

Xin Yunzhou was furious: "Stop being sarcastic! No matter how bad I am, I would never have someone else write for me!"

Seeing the doubt in everyone's eyes, he strode up to Lingbi and said, "Fine! Just tell me, who wrote this for me? Tell me!"

Lingbi trembled and lowered her head, not daring to speak.

Qi Huaiyu said, "Brother Xin, why scare her? This way, she won't dare to say anything."

"Yunzhou," Father Xin said in a deep voice, "come here."

Xin Yunzhou gritted his teeth and walked back to his father's side.

Father Xin's expression remained unchanged, his eagle-like eyes fixed on Lingbi. "Tell me, no one here is making things difficult for you."

Lingbi hesitated for a moment: "Yes..."

Her gaze swept over the people at the table, then suddenly turned her head and looked towards Xin Jiuwei's table.

Xin Jiuwei's heart sank, just as Lingbi suddenly raised her hand and pointed in this direction.

"It's the young lady!"

"This servant saw it with her own eyes; Young Master's article was written by the Eldest Miss!"

"Nonsense!" Xin Yunzhou was the first to react. "Who taught you to talk nonsense!"

Xin Xiyao frowned, a hint of displeasure appearing on her face. She was proud and naturally couldn't stand such criticism.

But she didn't speak; she wasn't as easily provoked as Xin Yunzhou.

Xin Jiuwei, however, understood perfectly, knowing that this was another of Qi Huaiyu's tricks.

Xin's father asked, "Xi Yao, is what she said true?"

Xin Xiyao said, "Of course not, Father."

Mr. Xin then asked Lingbi, "And you, do you have any evidence?"

"This servant..." Lingbi seemed very frightened, and after hesitating for a long time, she took something out of her sleeve, "This servant has evidence!"

This piqued everyone's curiosity.

What Lingbi took out was a sheet of Xuan paper covered with writing.

Xin Xiyao's gaze was fixed on the paper, her expression somewhat puzzled, and she exchanged a glance with Xin Jiuwei.

Mr. Xin had someone take the paper from him. After reading its contents, he frowned and handed the paper back to Mr. Ye.

"This article is indeed the same as the one submitted by Young Master Xin," Mr. Ye said in a deep voice, "but the handwriting is different."

Qi Huaiyu took it and exclaimed in shock, "This, this is Miss's handwriting."

"Impossible!" Xin Yunzhou snatched it away, looked at it for a long time, his expression changing repeatedly, revealing surprise and doubt.

He rarely looked at Xin Xiyao's calligraphy and paintings, and in fact he couldn't recognize Xin Xiyao's handwriting, but did he not know whether it was done by someone else?

"Father, sir, this is a frame-up! I absolutely did not have my sister write it for me!"

Mr. Xin's expression turned somewhat grim. "Then how do you explain this handwriting?"

"I..." Xin Yunzhou was speechless and turned to look at Xin Xiyao.

Xin's father asked, "Xi Yao, you tell us."

Xin Xiyao quickly stepped forward and took the paper from Xin Yunzhou's hand.

"Sister..." Xin Yunzhou asked in surprise, "What happened?"

Xin Xiyao was also shocked when she saw the contents above, because the handwriting on it was indeed hers at first glance!

Lingbi said, "Last night, I passed by the study and saw the young lady and young master inside. I heard the young master say... he really couldn't understand this proposition and didn't know its meaning. The young lady scolded the young master for being stupid, and then..."

She stopped mid-sentence, too afraid to continue.

Father Xin said in a deep voice, "Go on, there's no need to beat around the bush."

Lingbi mustered her courage: "Young Master really couldn't understand what Miss was pointing out. Miss lost patience and simply wrote one for you, so you copied it down and handed it to Mr. Ye today."

Xin Yunzhou roared, "You're clearly making this up! Who instructed you to frame me and my sister!"

Lingbi was so frightened that she cried, covering her face and not daring to speak.

"Yunzhou!" Xin's father shouted.

Xin Yunzhou said urgently, "What she said isn't true! Sir, I know I'm not very talented, but I wouldn't do such a thing. Besides, my sister is of noble character; how could she help me cheat!"

Mr. Xin's face was grim, and everyone was observing his and Mr. Ye's expressions.

When everyone saw that Lingbi had produced evidence, and given their prejudice against Xin Yunzhou's past behavior, they naturally believed her to a large extent, and the courtyard was filled with low murmurs.

Xin Xiyao said, "Father, this handwriting is very similar to mine, but it is definitely not written by me."

Xin's father did not speak.

He had already become quite disappointed in his son, so he had actually come to believe him to some extent. But he was still unwilling to criticize his talented and proud daughter, Xin Xiyao, in public.

Mr. Ye observed the expressions on everyone's faces and asked gently, "Ms. Xin, you say this wasn't written by you. Can you provide any evidence?"

Xin Xiyao squeezed the handkerchief in her hand and said, "No, but I have a clear conscience and will never admit to this unfounded accusation."

Xin's father sighed, his eyes filled with contemplation.

Xin Jiuwei sat in the crowd, observing Qi Huaiyu when no one was paying attention.

Because she knew that in his previous life, after Qi Huaiyu went to the capital, he had many talented people under his command, including a scholar who was skilled at imitating handwriting to an extremely high degree.

Little did they know that it had already been used by Qi Huaiyu so early on.

Qi Huaiyu's methods were not sophisticated, but he did not openly participate in the whole process. Even if the situation reversed later, it would be Lingbi who would have to bear the consequences.

Even if Lingbi betrays Qi Huaiyu and points the finger at him, as long as he holds firm to his denial, how can a mere maidservant bring him down?

The key point of this matter is not whether Xin Yunzhou had Xin Xiyao write it for him, but that Qi Huaiyu was able to use this to plant seeds of doubt in everyone's minds, making everyone naturally think that Xin Yunzhou was incompetent.

Xin Jiuwei walked up slowly and asked Lingbi, "You're just a maid who sweeps and cleans in my brother's courtyard. How could you enter the study and get this so-called article written by my sister?"

Lingbi was taken aback.

Upon hearing her voice, everyone's attention was naturally drawn to her, and they saw Xin Jiuwei looking at Qi Huaiyu.

But he asked Lingbi, "Brother's study is cleaned by a special person, and ordinary people are not allowed to go in. How could you find this piece of paper among so many paintings and calligraphy? Who gave you the authority?"

The crowd immediately started discussing it.

There aren't many masters in the Xin family. Since the father and his three children wouldn't harm themselves, who else could let Lingbi into the study?

Xin Jiuwei's gaze then fell on Qi Huaiyu.

Qi Huaiyu's eyes flickered slightly.

Lingbi, kneeling on the ground, was somewhat flustered and whispered, "This servant...this servant found it in the courtyard."

Xin Jiuwei said, "Since writing on behalf of someone else is cheating, my brother and sister naturally don't want anyone to know, so why would they just throw the evidence around in the yard?"

Lingbi said nervously, "Perhaps, perhaps the person in the study was careless and brought it out by accident."

Xin Jiuwei then asked, "Lingbi, can you read?"

Lingbi broke out in a cold sweat and answered with a forced smile, "I know... I know a few words."

Xin Jiuwei smiled.

Xin Yunzhou, holding the paper, said loudly, "Since you can read, tell me what's written on this?"