Everyone's eyes were fixed on Cao Sheng, who had been suddenly called out and was now wearing a kaleidoscope of expressions on his face.
"Ah? Th-this..."
Cao Sheng stammered and instinctively looked down at Ye Xi on the stage below.
There she stood, with fair skin like snow and a face like a flower, her black hair as dark as ink. She wore no makeup at all. Standing upright on the stage, calm and composed, she looked ethereal, as if the person being questioned and suspected was not her. Her poise was comparable to that of the imperial children. She was a far cry from the former Ye Xi, who had looked at him with admiration and indulged his every whim.
And this woman, with her peerless beauty and extraordinary talent, should have been his!
The regret and unwillingness that he had deliberately ignored and suppressed welled up to the brim. Gritting his teeth, Cao Sheng was about to speak up for Ye Xi when...
Ye Xi's clear voice rang out, calm and unhurried.
"Your Majesty, I can only say that I'm acquainted with Young Master Cao, but we're not on familiar terms. Asking him won't be of much use."
"Actually, it's quite simple to prove my identity."
Ye Xi gave Cao Wei a cold look and smiled faintly.
"As everyone knows, I'm half a bosom friend with Grand Tutor Cao. When I visited the Cao Mansion in the past, what we talked about and what gifts he gave me... Even if I told someone every single detail, there must still be some omissions."
"As long as we invite Grand Tutor Cao here and confront him, the truth will come to light."
Seeing that Ye Xi would rather go the long way to invite his grandfather as a witness than have anything to do with him, Cao Sheng felt a pang of annoyance in his chest. Just as he was about to speak, Qiao Yan, not far away, beat him to it.
"Exactly. If that doesn't work, then we can invite the Taoist nun Manping here and ask her in public. As the junior sister of Master Hunyuan, she should be trustworthy, right?"
Qiao Yan said this not because she fully trusted Ye Xi. Mainly, she trusted Yi Yuan and believed that he wouldn't do something so stupid. Moreover, she had had a misunderstanding with Ye Xi before and had always wanted to make it up to her. The gifts she had prepared hadn't been of much use, so she was even more eager to make amends.
Qiao Yan thought she was helping Ye Xi and didn't notice the helplessness in the latter's eyes when she looked at her.
Nor did she know that because of her words, Sai Xing and Jiang Ning, who had been observing calmly without any worries, suddenly felt their hearts skip a beat.
"This Miss Qiao... is really kind,"
Sai Xing said quietly.
"Just a bit out of place."
Jiang Ning was both anxious and amused. But since Qiao Yan had already spoken, she could only tug at Sai Xing's sleeve, signaling her to keep quiet and wait and see.
"This is indeed a way."
Emperor Zhaohuan became even more interested.
"I've long heard that there's a powerful Taoist nun in the capital, from the same sect as Hunyuan. Her divination skills are unparalleled in the world."
"I've been wanting to meet her for a long time, but Hunyuan always said it wasn't the right time. Anyway, Grand Tutor Cao isn't here at the moment. It doesn't matter who we invite. Now is a good opportunity. Let's invite the Taoist nun Manping."
"This..."
Qiao Yan hesitated.
After the incident with the Luo family, the Taoist nun Manping had specifically told her that before everything was settled, unless she received a message from Manping, she shouldn't take the initiative to contact her. It was even better not to mention her name to avoid arousing the suspicion of the Luo family. After all, on the surface, the two of them had fallen out. If they still trusted each other as before, it would be very strange.
Suddenly remembering this, Qiao Yan didn't dare to turn her head. She only stole a glance at the Luo family members in the distance and saw that they all looked suspicious.
Qiao Yan regretted her impulsive words and slapped her own mouth. Bowing angrily, she said,
"Your Majesty, please forgive me. I forgot that I don't like the Taoist nun Manping anymore, and I can't contact her now."
Her straightforwardness made Yun Qi smile.
Qiao He pretended to be stern and glared at Qiao Yan. Scolding her, he said,
"How can you talk to the Emperor like that? Hurry up and apologize."
Then he turned to Emperor Zhaohuan, who was sitting in the center, and bowed.
"Your Majesty, please forgive her. A Yan has such a straightforward personality. She didn't mean to offend Your Majesty. Please don't blame her."
"It's okay."
Everyone knew Qiao Yan's straightforward personality, and Emperor Zhaohuan was no exception. Waving his hand indifferently, he said,
"The little girl has a lively personality. She's just adorable. But who else can invite the Taoist nun Manping? Do we have to go back to Hunyuan?"
"Why bother?"
Yi Yuan glanced at Ye Xi imperceptibly and began to openly show his favoritism.
"The Taoist nun Manping is always on the move. Even if we go to Master Hunyuan now, we may not be able to invite her immediately. And I'm sure everyone here knows my little Xi's identity. This is the title she won at the risk of her life. I won't allow her to lose it just because of the jealousy and slander of someone who has been disqualified from the competition."
"She doesn't deserve it. But my little Xi is well-deserved."
Cao Wei, who was almost directly pointed at and called unworthy, instantly turned pale. But Yi Yuan had spoken the truth, and she couldn't refute a single word.
Biting her lower lip involuntarily, Cao Wei hung her head in embarrassment. But she couldn't help stealing glances at Yun Qi beside her. Afraid of seeing contempt in his eyes, she was so embarrassed that she didn't know where to put her hands and feet.
As Cao Wei's aunt, Cao Shu had to speak up for her at this moment, even though she didn't want to.
"Your Highness King Yu'an, your words are a bit too harsh. How can a young girl like Xiao Wei bear such words?"
"Moreover, the events in the Qingyun Competition aren't that difficult. Where is it necessary to risk one's life?"
"Why isn't it necessary?"
Yi Yuan directly refuted her.
"During the archery competition, Xiao Xi was cut by the sharp iron piece on the arrow. Later, in the equestrian competition, she suddenly felt weak and almost fell off the horse. Everyone here saw it with their own eyes. You can't forget it overnight, can you?"
"Nonsense."
Cao Shu frowned tightly.
"How could there be an iron piece on a wooden arrow? She's just not good at riding. She suddenly lost strength halfway through. How can she blame others for this?"
"Your Highness is right."
Yi Yuan immediately responded, his calm and indifferent voice tinged with a hint of killing intent.
"How could there be an iron piece on a wooden arrow?"
"Everyone saw Xiao Xi's ability just now. She only circled the field twice. Why didn't the other young ladies lose strength, but she suddenly had an accident?"
The atmosphere suddenly became heavy.
Although the Qingyun Competition wasn't as formal and strict as the imperial examination, it was still organized by the palace, and there were Grand Tutor Cao and the Censor-in-Chief, two well-known upright and fair supervisors. But something had happened right under everyone's noses. It wasn't just about fame and fortune but about taking someone's life!
Who could have tampered with it without anyone noticing? Was there a problem in his palace? Or was there a problem with the most trusted ministers in his court?
However, no matter which one it was, it only proved that his court and harem were far from as peaceful as he thought.
"Zhang Shiping,"
Emperor Zhaohuan threw the fruit he had just picked back into the plate. The majesty and coldness in his eyes were even more intense than Yi Yuan's.
"Investigate."