Chapter 117 The Case Files Are Fake
As soon as they arrived at the mansion gate, Su Qing, dressed in a plain white dress, knelt on the ground, clutching her stomach, tears streaming down her face. Beside her stood an apprentice in grey cloth, holding a medical record sheet, who shouted to the onlookers, "I am an apprentice from Huichuntang. Miss Su is indeed more than a month pregnant, and the child is General Pei's!"
Pei Zhi stood on the steps, his face ashen, his hand on the sword at his waist, clearly furious. Seeing Ye Wanning approach, he quickly descended the steps, grasping her hand: "Don't listen to their nonsense. I haven't seen Su Qing since the last palace banquet!"
Ye Wanning nodded, pulled her hand away from his, walked to Su Qing, and squatted down: "Miss Su, you said you are pregnant with Pei Zhi's child, do you have any evidence?"
Su Qing raised her tear-streaked face, a hint of panic flashing in her eyes, before she hardened her resolve again: "I have medical records to prove it! And Cui'er can testify; she saw me with the General!"
Ye Wanning then noticed a familiar figure standing behind Su Qing—it was Cui'er, the maid Ye Lingwei had left behind before being expelled. Cui'er had covered for her when Ye Lingwei harmed her.
"The fifteenth of last month?" Ye Wanning smiled and turned to the crowd of onlookers, saying, "On the fifteenth of last month, Pei Zhi spent the whole day at Ci'an Hall, making kites with the children. More than ten children can testify to this, as can the old nanny in Ci'an Hall, who can also prove that Pei Zhi didn't even enter the Vice Minister's residence!"
Chun Tao quickly stepped forward: "That's right! That day I was with General Pei, and he even helped Xiao Douzi make a tiger kite. He cut his finger on the kite string, and he still has the scar!"
Pei Zhi raised his hand, revealing a shallow scar on the back. The crowd nodded, pointed, and began to hurl insults at Su Qing and Cui'er. Su Qing panicked and tried to argue, "Even if it didn't happen that day, it could have happened on other days! The medical records don't lie!"
"Whether the pulse diagnosis is genuine or not can be determined by checking at the Imperial Hospital." Ye Wanning stood up and said to the guards behind her, "Send Miss Su and this apprentice to the Imperial Hospital and have the head physician examine Miss Su's pulse in public. If she is indeed pregnant, the Pei family will acknowledge it; if it is false, they will be punished for falsely accusing a noblewoman of the court!"
The guards stepped forward in response, but Su Qing quickly stepped back: "I'm not going! I'm weak and can't take the strain!"
"What? Miss Su doesn't dare to go?" Ye Wanning sneered, "Are you afraid that the Imperial Hospital will find out that your medical record is fake?"
The onlookers joined in the jeering, shouting, "Go ahead! If you're not brave enough, you're lying!" "Trying to curry favor with General Pei? You don't even know your own character!"
Facing everyone's accusations, Su Qing's face turned red, and Cui'er's legs went weak, causing her to kneel down with a thud: "Madam, spare me! It was Miss Su who made me do this! She gave me fifty taels of silver and told me to impersonate an apprentice from Huichuntang, and to lie!"
Upon hearing this, Su Qing collapsed to the ground, her face as white as a sheet. Pei Zhi's face darkened further, and he said to the guards, "Go, take both of them to the authorities and punish them for false accusation and perjury!"
The guards lifted Su Qing and Cui'er up, and the people below cheered: "General Pei and Madam Pei are so fair!" "Miss Su deserves it! She tried to harm others, but ended up harming herself!"
Ye Wanning breathed a sigh of relief, watching the two people being dragged away. Pei Zhi pulled her close, resting his chin on her head: "Were you scared?"
"A little." Ye Wanning leaned against him. "I'm afraid you really..."
"Silly girl." Pei Zhi hugged her tightly. "You're the only one in my heart. How could I be involved with anyone else? If anyone tries to frame you again, don't come out on your own. Just wait for me to handle it."
Ye Wanning nodded, turned around and looked at him: "I didn't want to run away by myself, I just wanted to prove that you are innocent."
Pei Zhi leaned down and kissed her forehead: "I know." He took her arm and walked into the house. "Come on, let me make you some ginger soup. You've been standing at the door for a while, don't catch a cold."
As soon as I entered, Xiaodouzi came over holding a tiger kite: "Brother Pei! Sister Wanning! What were you doing at the door just now? There were so many people gathered around!"
Ye Wanning smiled and patted his head: "It's nothing, someone just mistook you for someone else. Is this kite the one Brother Pei made for you last time?"
"Okay!" Little Bean said, holding the kite high. "Today I'm going to Ci'an Hall to fly kites with Sister Xiaohua. Sister Wanning, do you want to come with us?"
“Okay.” Ye Wanning looked at Pei Zhi, her eyes full of anticipation. Pei Zhi smiled charmingly: “I’ll go with you and take down the Drunken Spring Orchid that Liu Ruyan gave us to use as decorations for the children.”
The general's mansion was brightly decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers, with red silk hanging from the main gate to the main hall. Ye Wanning stood in front of the mirror, looking at her pomegranate red silk dress, holding a brocade box in her hands, inside which was a longevity pattern she had embroidered for three months.
“Miss, your embroidery of the Hundred Longevity Characters is so beautiful, every single one is different.” Chun Tao tucked the hem of her skirt in for her. “The old general will definitely love it.”
Ye Wanning smiled as she opened the brocade box: "I used tribute silk from Sichuan, and each longevity character has a hidden silver thread pattern that will glow when exposed to light. I just don't know if it will meet the old general's standards."
"Of course!" Chun Tao hugged the brocade box to her chest and helped her straighten her dress. "The general said that the old general has been looking forward to your birthday gift for a long time, and he asks you every day if you have finished embroidering it."
As soon as she reached the entrance of the main hall, she saw the Crown Princess, dressed in a bright red palace gown, holding a brocade box and chatting with the guests. Seeing Ye Wanning approach, her eyes lit up, and she deliberately blocked her way: "Madam Pei, is this the birthday gift you prepared for the old general? It doesn't look very big; I wonder what treasures are inside?"
The surrounding guests all looked over, and Ye Wanning tightened her grip on the brocade box: "These are just some handicrafts, not as precious as Your Highness, the Crown Princess."
"Handicrafts?" The Crown Princess smiled and deliberately opened her brocade box—inside was a gold-inlaid jade statue of the God of Longevity, gleaming brightly. "This statue of my God of Longevity was made by the imperial craftsmen in the palace, costing three thousand taels of silver. If Madam Pei's handicrafts are too shabby, don't bring them out to embarrass the Pei family."
Ye Wanning didn't reply, but strode to the center of the main hall and handed the brocade box to General Pei: "Father, I wish you good health and longevity."
Just as General Pei was about to open it, the Crown Princess suddenly stepped forward and "accidentally" bumped into Ye Wanning. The brocade box fell to the ground, and the "Hundred Longevity" painting inside fell out—but it was not embroidered by Ye Wanning at all; it was just a crude imitation, with crooked stitches and even smudged colors.
"Oh dear! Madam Pei, I'm so sorry!" The Crown Princess feigned concern as she picked up the painting. "Is this the Hundred Longevity Scroll you embroidered? It looks just like the ones you buy for ten coins on the street. Madam Pei comes from a humble background and can't even afford a decent birthday gift. I'm afraid you'll disappoint the old general."
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