Su Jinli was furious when she learned of this. She decided to hold a public gathering of scholars, inviting all the famous scholars in the capital to attend. At the gathering, she would personally prove her innocence and expose Lin Wanyue's ugly behavior to everyone.
Jiang Yan fully supported Su Jinli's decision. He used his connections within the court and the literary world to widely send invitations to all parties involved in the literary gathering. He also personally helped with all aspects of the preparations for the gathering, from setting up the venue to arranging the procedures.
On the day of the literary gathering, scholars from across the capital flocked to the event. Inside, everyone chattered and discussed, filled with curiosity and anticipation. Su Jinli, dressed in a simple white dress, stood calmly on the stage. Beside her were Lin Wanyue's manuscript, her own original copy, and correspondence with booksellers, among other evidence.
After the literary gathering began, Su Jinli bowed to everyone. She then detailed what had happened and presented various pieces of evidence. Her voice was clear and firm, each word ringing with power. "Everyone, Lin Wanyue accused me of plagiarizing her work, but the truth is, she bribed the bookseller to pirate my books. This evidence is the best proof. I, Su Jinli, am a man of integrity and would never do such a despicable thing as plagiarism."
After listening to Su Jinli's story and carefully examining the evidence, the scholars in the audience nodded in agreement. However, the scholars associated with Lin Wanyue refused to give up. They tried to refute Su Jinli and asked all kinds of tricky questions.
Just as the atmosphere was tense, Jiang Yan stepped forward. He looked at the scholars and said solemnly, "Everyone, Jinyun Bookstore has always been committed to spreading culture, and Su Jinli is extremely talented. Her works are widely recognized. Now, with irrefutable evidence, you still favor Lin Wanyue. What is your motive? Are you trying to confuse right and wrong for your own selfish gain?"
Jiang Yan's words were like a heavy hammer, waking up many people present. Some of the literati who had been wavering began to reflect on their own behavior, realizing that they might have been misled by Lin Wanyue.
At this time, a respected old scholar stepped forward. He looked at Su Jinli and Jiang Yan and said, "I believe in Miss Su's character and the evidence. Lin Wanyue's actions are truly unbecoming of a scholar. Everyone has seen clearly what happened today. I hope you will not believe rumors and slander others in the future."
The old scholar's words were echoed by the crowd, and those scholars who supported Lin Wanyue did not dare to speak again. Lin Wanyue stood in the corner, her face as pale as paper. She had never expected that her carefully planned conspiracy would be so easily thwarted by Su Jinli and Jiang Yan.
After this literary gathering, Su Jinli's innocence was thoroughly proven, and Jinyun Bookstore's reputation not only remained intact, but was even more deeply rooted in people's hearts thanks to Su Jinli's honesty and Jiang Yan's support. Meanwhile, Lin Wanyue became a laughing stock among the capital's literary circles, and her reputation plummeted.
After returning to the bookstore, Su Jinli and Jiang Yan embraced and cried. After experiencing this storm, they cherished their relationship even more and were even more determined to protect Jinyun Bookstore. They knew that there might be more challenges in the future, but as long as they worked together, nothing could defeat them.
In the days that followed, Jinyun Bookstore's business prospered, Su Jinli continued to create excellent works, and Jiang Yan rose through the ranks in the imperial court. Their lives were filled with happiness and sweetness, and their story became a legend among the people of the capital, inspiring everyone to uphold justice and bravely face life's difficulties.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
