The Eldest Daughter is Delicate and Pretty, How Can She Be a Malicious Supporting Character - Chapter 48

Chapter 48: Exposing the Truth

“Who is making such a commotion?” Xiao Huaijin looked up at the speaker and saw a young girl being held back outside the courtyard. The girl looked like she was only 14 or 15 years old, younger than most people present.

However, her eyes were bright, and there was a determined spirit in her eyebrows.
“The speaker is my younger sister. I beg Your Highness’s pardon.”

Pei Lingyi wore a smoke-pink dress, and the hem of her skirt fluttered in the wind. Her waist was slender, like a blooming peach blossom on a spring branch. Her features were delicate, like a painting. Her eyebrows were like dark green, and her eyes were like autumn water. Just one glance made Xiao Huaijin’s heart skip a beat.

It was her…

The man waved his hand, signaling for the girl outside to be let in.
Pei Sitang came in, panting slightly. She didn’t even have time to wipe the thin sweat on her forehead.

“Your… Your Highness, this Third Miss Xue is a plagiarist. She didn’t write those poems herself.”
When these words were spoken, everyone present looked at each other in surprise.
“This…”

Xue Yiran, who was about to make a decision, was suddenly taken aback by these words. She was stunned.
How did she know?

In an instant, she subconsciously thought that the other party might also be a time-traveler. Otherwise, how could she know that Xue Yiran had used someone else’s poems? But if the other party wasn’t a time-traveler, how could she say that Xue Yiran had used someone else’s poems?

She had specifically gone to Chengxian Street to investigate, and no one should have known about her poems.

In an instant, Xue Yiran’s mind was in chaos. She didn’t know why this Second Miss Pei was targeting her.
However, since Pei Sitang had publicly accused her in front of everyone, she couldn’t just ignore it. Otherwise, people would think she was indeed a plagiarist.

So she had to force herself to sound calm, while secretly hoping that the other party wasn’t a time-traveler.
Xue Yiran asked calmly, “You say my poem is plagiarized from someone else’s work. Does the person happen to be surnamed Gao?”
Her tone was flat, and she didn’t show any fear.

This made it hard for others to understand, and for a moment, no one spoke. They just waited for the two of them to confront each other.
Pei Sitang frowned, looking at Xue Yiran with hostility.

However, she still answered honestly, “The poet isn’t surnamed Gao.”
When she heard this, Xue Yiran’s hanging heart finally relaxed. It was good that the other party wasn’t a time-traveler.

After confirming that the other party didn’t know the original author, Xue Yiran’s tone finally had some confidence. She countered, “Second Miss Pei, you say I’m plagiarizing, but where’s the evidence?

Without evidence, you can slander people at will. Is this the kind of education you receive in the Pei family?”
Her words were directed at Pei Sitang, but her gaze drifted towards Pei Lingyi.

This action of hers annoyed many people in the field, who thought she was being too arrogant.
Zhang Zhishu had initially admired the Third Miss Xue, given that such a poem came from a woman’s mouth. However, now that he saw her randomly attacking Pei Lingyi, he became increasingly displeased.

Seeing her indirect accusations, Pei Sitang couldn’t hold back anymore.
She coldly said, “What do you mean? I’m the one who said you’re plagiarizing, but you’re looking at my elder sister. You want evidence? I’ll present it to everyone.”

The girl took out a poetry collection from her sleeve. The collection had a parchment cover, and the paper was yellowed, indicating it was old.
Pei Sitang handed the poetry collection to Xiao Huailin, who was standing in the center of the crowd.

She said respectfully, “Your Highness, I’m not intentionally accusing Third Miss Xue. I just can’t bear to see her plagiarize others’ work to show off.”

“This poetry collection is something I obtained from a folk merchant before the gathering. I thought it would be interesting to read in my free time. But after flipping through a few pages, I realized that the poems were all masterpieces.”

“I was suspicious about why such a precious poetry collection would be sold, but when I went back to the place, the merchant was already gone.”
Pei Sitang stood in front of the man and saw his displeased expression.

She was delighted and quickly poured out her heart: “Although I’ve been busy with the gathering, I’ve made time to read some of the poems. When I heard Third Miss Xue’s poem [Farewell], it sounded familiar. I couldn’t remember where I had seen it before.”

“Later, I asked to withdraw from the competition and explained the reason to my elder sister. Although she didn’t agree, she couldn’t persuade me otherwise. I told Mister Zhou that I had something important to attend to, and then I ran back to our courtyard to search for the poem in the collection.”

“Sure enough,” she sneered, then turned her gaze to Xue Yiran.
“Third Miss Xue, don’t you want to explain why the poem in the book became yours?”

Pei Sitang had placed a osmanthus flower as a bookmark on the page. When Xiao Huaijin opened the book, he saw that the poem on the page was identical to the one Xue Yiran had just written.

The Crown Prince was known for his kindness, and almost no one had seen him lose his temper. However, seeing his furrowed brow, everyone knew that what Pei Sitang had said was likely true.
Xue Yiran saw that although Pei Sitang was young, she spoke in a well-organized manner. For a moment, Xue Yiran was flustered.

Although she knew that the poetry collection might be fabricated, the fact remained that the poem she
just written wasn’t original.

Even if the other party was fake, she couldn’t defend herself.
She opened her mouth to say something in rebuttal, but she couldn’t think of anything to say.
Xiao Huaijin flipped through the pages casually, and indeed, they were all timeless masterpieces.

However, what was most important now was whether the other party had indeed plagiarized someone else’s poem.

He turned around and respectfully handed the poetry collection to the two old men. “Teachers, please take a look at this poetry collection.”

“This is a serious matter, and it concerns the foundation of our literary world. If what Second Miss Pei said is true, let’s leave the decision to the teachers.”
He had come to appreciate the talents of the participants at the gathering, but he hadn’t expected such a situation to arise, and it involved her.

Recalling Xue Yiran’s arrogant demeanor when questioning Pei Lingyi, even Xiao Huaijin, who had a good temper, couldn’t help but feel displeased with her.

The two old men took the poetry collection and flipped through it casually. It was almost entirely filled with timeless masterpieces, such as “Heaven has given me talents for use, a thousand pieces of gold will come back after being spent.”

Or “I searched for him for a thousand times, and when I turned back, he was standing in the fading light.”
Every poem or verse in the collection was a timeless classic.

The more they read, the more astonished they became. Their eyes lit up, and they exclaimed, “This… this isn’t just a poetry collection. It’s a treasure trove that can be passed down for generations!”

When they turned to the page marked with the osmanthus flower, they indeed found the poem [Farewell] that Xue Yiran had just written, as well as the poem she had written for the Flying Flower Order.

Both men were connoisseurs of talent. If you truly had talent, you could choose between the National Academy and the Imperial College. However, if you not only lacked ability but also plagiarized others’ work, they wouldn’t be lenient.

The green-robed elder’s face was stern, and his words carried a hint of anger, “Xue Yiran, what do you have to say for yourself now?”