Chapter 343 Arrogance Due to Favor
"No...this humble woman did not!"
If she had known this poem would cause such a big mess, she would have chosen a different one.
Xu Yujiao collapsed to the ground in fright, blurting out incoherently, "This poem wasn't written by me, it was written by someone else, sob sob..."
She realized she had said something she shouldn't have when she was halfway through her sentence, and began to sob uncontrollably.
Dou Wenyi was slightly taken aback, and instantly understood what she meant by not saying more.
Xu Yujiao is truly an eye-opener. Not only is she stupid, but she's also a traitor to her father. This is like pulling up a radish and bringing out the mud; the Xu family is probably in big trouble this time.
Pei Siyan was furious. Pointing at the painting, he demanded, "Xu Yujiao, do you have anything to say?"
How dare they do this? These vile women are simply courting death. They have no respect for the Empress, no sense of hierarchy, and think that just because they are from a powerful family, they can look down on the world and do whatever they want?
Xu Yujiao was already so frightened that her legs went weak, fear spreading throughout her body, afraid that she would say something wrong and bring about her own demise.
Her mind raced, she trembled, and couldn't utter a single word for a long time.
A member of the clan sighed, “Your Majesty, that poem should be a congratulatory one to you and the Empress. The Empress is dignified and virtuous, like the bright moon hanging high in the sky. Miss Xu is just a young lady from a humble family. How could she dare to be disrespectful to her and compete with her for glory!”
"Yes, yes, this humble woman only wanted to praise Her Majesty the Empress, that's all." After being prompted by someone, Xu Yujiao finally grasped the direction and immediately echoed.
Consort Zhang also smiled and smoothed things over, saying, "Your Majesty, the girls are terrified."
Pei Siyan composed himself and snorted coldly, "Just now, you said this poem wasn't written by you? Then who wrote it?"
Upon hearing this, the expressions of everyone present turned somewhat disdainful, vaguely recalling that she had said something similar.
Xu Yujiao is too audacious. Is the selection of concubines really going to be a sham?
He even exposed it himself. If this scandal gets out, Tianning City will have something to talk about again.
"Guards, investigate this thoroughly for me!"
Xu Yujiao couldn't withstand the investigation. Before the Imperial City Guard even began their interrogation, she confessed in detail that she had bought the poems at a high price from outside.
The fact that the Minister of Personnel had used his power to bribe several top painters in the Hanlin Academy was also exposed. The news that the Xu family had spent a lot of money to create a reputation for their daughter's talent spread like wildfire, and the Xu family became the laughing stock of Tianning City.
Many politically astute individuals seized the opportunity to impeach the Xu family, but the emperor remained silent. The Xu family, trembling with fear, dared not show their faces again, lest they be punished later. But that's another story.
Xu Yujiao was deeply shocked and was placed under house arrest upon returning home.
She racked her brains but couldn't figure out where things went wrong. Everything was under their control, so how did things suddenly get out of control?
She knelt in the ancestral hall, facing rows of gloomy memorial tablets, her eyes swollen badly.
Madam Xu entered, her temples throbbing, a dull ache in her heart. She really didn't want to face this wretched daughter. "Do you know where you went wrong?"
Xu Yujiao shook her head blankly.
Madam Xu sighed; the Xu family's advisors had already analyzed the situation clearly.
“From the moment we entered the palace to visit the Empress, looked down on her, and thought she would be moved by our ‘small gifts,’ we had already fallen into their trap. Those lotus flowers, those twin lotus flowers, were all a trap they deliberately set.”
It was precisely because they underestimated Dou Wenyi, thought she was easy to deal with, and mistakenly believed the information she gave them that they allowed you to take shortcuts and secretly buy the poems at high prices.
If someone else were to write a poem about twin lotus blossoms, they could easily gloss over it with just a couple of lines.
Unfortunately, Xu Yujiao had something to hide, and the emperor's imposing aura was too strong. In her panic, she naturally revealed her true colors.
Dou Wenyi watched quietly as Xu Yujiao was driven mad. She remained aloof and detached, truly befitting the mistress of the harem; her methods were indeed ruthless.
"Another day, your mother will find you a suitable match in your hometown of Huainan. The palace walls are too high; they are not suitable for you."
Two clear tears streamed down Xu Yujiao's face. Having witnessed the emperor's demeanor, even if only briefly, she was truly moved and would likely never forget it for the rest of her life.
She couldn't possibly find any other ordinary people worthy of her attention.
She still wanted to stand shoulder to shoulder with him, and she even wanted to trample Dou Wenyi underfoot, but none of this was true!
Is this affection destined to wither before it even begins?
Why should that poor woman stand beside him in such a glamorous way, while he himself is treated like a rat in the street, hated by everyone?
Xu Yujiao's voice choked with sobs, "Mother, I want to go to the palace, I can't bear to leave..."
Madam Xu was furious and slapped her across the face. At that moment, she was extremely grateful that she hadn't gone to the palace.
"Being stupid isn't your fault, but making a fool of yourself in public is. Someone, bring the Third Miss some walnuts over, so she can have a good boost of brainpower!"
The grand selection of imperial concubines has come to an end. All the noble ladies who made it to the final two rounds received a prize. To their surprise, it turned out to be the Eight Treasures Nourishing Beauty Pill made by Little Fairy Doctor, which was in high demand in pharmacies and often could not be bought even with money.
These tiny pills can regulate the body, and with long-term use, the skin will become delicate and fair.
The noble ladies were overjoyed and extremely happy.
Ultimately, three women were selected to enter the palace. Apart from one noblewoman, the other two were from humble backgrounds. However, the noblewoman was ultimately not selected because her birth chart clashed with the emperor's.
Although Lin Zhiyi was not selected, this time, many noblewomen have taken notice of her again and have been privately inquiring about her marriage prospects. Although she did not readily agree, she gradually regained her confidence.
After this incident, the court officials all realized the reality and understood that Pei Siyan loved the Empress dearly. They took this as a warning and dared not make any more moves in the matter of "selecting concubines".
——
When Dou Wenyi woke up, the bed beside her was empty and still warm. She looked around and saw Pei Siyan leaning against the windowsill, gazing at the dark night sky.
"What's wrong?"
Hearing the noise, Pei Siyan turned around to look at her.
Dou Wenyi slowly sat up, smiling shyly, "I think I'm a little hungry..."
Pei Siyan's gloomy expression vanished instantly, and he laughed, "What do you want to eat? Let them get it."
"Let's make a bowl of plain noodles."
Immediately, a palace maid on night duty bowed and withdrew.
Pei Siyan's smile widened, and he strode over to sit beside her, taking her wrist in his hand. "Your tastes are so unpredictable, sometimes you like sour, sometimes you like spicy. I wonder if it's a son or a daughter. Doctor Hu said it's a son."
She actually hoped for a son, after all, with an heir, those nagging ministers wouldn't keep urging her every day.
Dou Wenyi winked playfully, her tone slightly teasing, "Two new concubines have entered the palace, Your Highness. Why not work harder? You're sure to reap the rewards!"
"Yi'er, don't think that just because I can't touch you now, you can be arrogant and spoiled. There are plenty of tricks in bed! If you keep talking nonsense like this, I'll punish you!"
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