After the dual baptism of the arranged marriage controversy and the Liu family's farce, the bond between Su Jinli and Jiang Yan, like fine gold tempered by fire, grew stronger and deeper. Meanwhile, Su Jinli's fame spread rapidly and widely throughout the capital, like a spring breeze sweeping across the land. Her meticulously crafted storybooks, upon their release, captivated the public like a magnet, earning enthusiastic acclaim and widespread praise.
As Su Jinli's fame spread far and wide, she also brought a new atmosphere to the poetry club she founded. Her fame became a beacon, attracting more noble ladies from the capital to join, fueling the club's growth and vitality. However, as the saying goes, "A tree that stands out in the forest will be destroyed by the wind," Su Jinli's unparalleled popularity sparked the jealousy of a noblewoman named Lin Wanyue.
Lin Wanyue, born into a prominent family, received a good education from a young age. She prided herself on her talent and often held herself in high esteem, looking down on others. When she saw Su Jinli's immense fame and success in the capital, the flames of jealousy ignited like dry wood ignited by the wind, flaring fiercely.
"Hmph, Su Jinli is just lucky. What real talent or knowledge does she have? It's just some opportunistic tricks." Lin Wanyue sat in her beautifully decorated boudoir, clutching the embroidered handkerchief tightly in her hand, and said with gritted teeth, her eyes revealing full of jealousy and unwillingness.
Cui'er, the maidservant standing nearby, saw her mistress so angry and quickly chimed in, "Miss, please don't get yourself sick from anger. In my opinion, you are much better than her. She just knows how to use her cleverness to fool everyone."
After hearing Cui'er's words, Lin Wanyue's anger didn't subside. Instead, her eyes rolled, and a vicious thought came to her mind: "No, I can't just watch her gloat like this. Cui'er, go steal Su Jinli's recent works from the poetry club. I want to see how she can thrive without them. I want to make her look bad in front of everyone and become the laughing stock of the capital."
Upon hearing this, Cui'er couldn't help but hesitate. She frowned slightly and said with difficulty, "Miss, this... this is probably not a good idea. Stealing other people's works is an immoral act. If you are discovered, the consequences will be disastrous."
Lin Wanyue glared at Cui'er, her eyes filled with impatience and anger. "What's wrong with that? Just go when I tell you to! Do you want to disobey my orders?"
Seeing the lady's insistence, Cui'er was reluctant in her heart, but she didn't dare to say anything more. She could only respond and turned away in a hurry. Not long after, Cui'er came back with Su Jinli's poem manuscript in a panic. She carefully handed the manuscript to Lin Wanyue and said, "Miss, here it is."
Lin Wanyue couldn't wait to take the manuscript, quickly browsed through it, and a smug smile gradually appeared on her face: "Hmph, these poems are well written, but from now on, they are mine. Su Jinli, I want to see how proud you can be this time." Her laughter was full of calculation and malice.
A few days later, the poetry society held a grand poetry gathering as usual. This poetry gathering seemed like a grand gathering for the talented women in the capital, attracting many talented women to participate, and Su Jinli was naturally among the invited guests.
The atmosphere at the poetry gathering was warm and cheerful. The ladies, adorned with gorgeous attire, chatted quietly, chanted and sang in unison, showcasing their talent and elegance. Just as everyone was in high spirits, Lin Wanyue deliberately cleared her throat, stood up, and, holding Su Jinli's manuscript in her hand, spoke with a confident smile, saying, "Today, I have brought you a few poems that I have carefully composed recently. I hope you will be so kind as to offer your insights and appreciation."
After that, she began to recite in a rhythmic manner. Su Jinli's face turned pale as she heard it, and anger flashed in her eyes. She had never imagined that Lin Wanyue would be so bold as to plagiarize her poem.
"Lin Wanyue, you actually plagiarized my poem!" Su Jinli stood up suddenly, her voice trembling slightly with anger. She stared at Lin Wanyue straight, her eyes seemed to be spitting fire.
Lin Wanyue blinked her eyes innocently and said with a look of grievance: "Su Jinli, don't talk nonsense. This is obviously written by me. Why do you say it was written by you? Don't slander me and tarnish my reputation." As she spoke, she gently wiped the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief, making a pitiful look.
The other ladies, upon hearing the argument, immediately began to discuss the matter. Some were close friends with Su Jinli and knew her talents and character well, so they naturally believed her. Others, however, were close friends with Lin Wanyue, or perhaps were less familiar with the situation and felt that Lin Wanyue, from a prominent family, would not do such a thing, so they were skeptical of Su Jinli's accusations.
"Su Jinli, if you can't produce solid evidence, don't slander others here. Otherwise, if this gets out, it will be bad for your reputation." Lin Wanyue looked at Su Jinli proudly, her eyes full of provocation.
Su Jinli took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. She knew she couldn't panic at this moment and had to remain calm. "Evidence? Of course I have it. Most of the sisters in the poetry club were present when I wrote these poems, and they can testify for me. Moreover, my poems have my unique mark on them, which is a unique proof."
As she spoke, Su Jinli calmly pulled her own draft from her sleeve and compared it with the one in Lin Wanyue's hand. Everyone gathered around to take a look. Sure enough, the two poems were identical, word for word. And in the corner of Su Jinli's draft, there was her unique plum blossom imprint. The lines of the plum blossom were delicate and lifelike, clearly a meticulously crafted creation.
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