Chapter 75

“My cousin sent her maid to ask me about something. What’s wrong with it?” A lot of people saw Shuiyue looking for her. Li Yue’er knew that this could not be concealed from others. Moreover, she was not afraid, since it was very normal for cousins to have exchanges via servants.

“I’m afraid Eldest Miss Li isn’t aware that before Second Elder Sister’s maid went to look for you, she went to my room and asked my maid to tell me to wear this hairpin that was given to me by Second Elder Sister.”

Wei Yuewu said softly, her expression neither humble nor arrogant.

“Nonsense.” Li Yue’er said angrily.

“Shuiyue said it to my maid at the door. There should be several young ladies who heard it, right?” As Wei Yuewu said those words, her eyes swept across the crowd. “These ladies are all from aristocratic families and of decent characters. Eldest Miss Li, you will believe their words, right?”

To put it reversely, if they didn’t speak out what they had heard, those young ladies’ characters would be suspicious.

There were a few young ladies who were hesitating about whether to stand out or not. They couldn’t decide. After all, no one wanted to ask for trouble, especially in the imperial palace. However, Wei Yuewu’s words left no other option for them except to speak out.

“The hairpin was sent by Second Miss Wei.”

“That maid also said that she came to Sixth Miss Wei just to pass on Second Miss Wei’s words, who asked Sixth Miss Wei to wear the hairpin given by her.”

“The maid said it herself.” …

The few young ladies who had heard it began to speak one after another. Li Yue’er’s face alternated between green and pale. For a moment, she couldn’t find a way out of this embarrassing situation.

She had never expected that her cousin would be so stupid as to let her maid say that she gave the hairpin and also let so many people hear about it. How stupid must she be to make such a mistake?

“Second Elder Sister has a pair of such hairpins. She gave me one, and she should have the other one. If you don’t believe me, Eldest Miss Li, you can go check it out,” added Wei Yuewu.

“Nonsense, that is impossible.” Although Li Yue’er kept speaking in a harsh voice, she looked obviously a little diffident with her eyes moving left or right pointlessly.

“You don’t seem to believe me. Well, there’s nothing I can help.” Wei Yuewu smiled indifferently.

At this time, the palace maids sent by the two princesses had reached them. They were asked to go to the front of the venue. As Wei Yan was most closely involved, of course she must be sent for. Actually, no one had a good impression of Second Miss Wei by now.

Sixth Miss Wei, on the other hand, who looked weak but was actually firm, inspired people’s sympathy and approval. Furthermore, Wei Yan was not only mean but also ruined someone else’s engagement and wrecked the future of a well-matched couple. It was very likely that she would maliciously frame the victim at this time.

Wei Yan thought that Wei Yuewu had fallen into her trap and was being questioned when she heard that the two princesses summoned her. She thought she was asked over to explain the situation, because Wei Yuewu must have said that the hairpin was given by her. Fortunately she gave the hairpin to Wei Yuewu in the carriage and apart from her and Wei Yuewu, only their maids knew this.

Actually, these two witnesses were useless, since every maid was certainly on the side of her own mistress.

When she thought that she could finally trap Wei Yuewu, Wei Yan felt entirely cheerful. She hurried to the banquet with Shuiyue. She wanted to see what a miserable end Wei Yuewu would meet.

When she came to the two princesses, she saw Wei Yuewu and Li Yue’er standing on two sides, while the hairpin she had given Wei Yuewu was placed on the table. She felt a further relief in her heart. A trace of malicious triumph flashed in her eyes. It seemed that Wei Yuewu really fell into her trap this time.

Yan Huaijing tapped lightly on the table with his slender fingers. He was watching the farce with great interest. The corners of his handsome lips even curled into a gentle smile. The several young ladies who had followed there as witnesses frequently stole glances at him. They clasped their handkerchiefs, blushing in spite of themselves and then lowered their heads, but just couldn’t help looking at him.

They turned their heads stealthily to look at his peerlessly handsome face.

Fortunately, this heir-apparent of the Duke of Yan State seemed to have a good temper. His expression remained gentle and elegant and did not turn cold because other people looked at him.

Lu Yeli, the heir-apparent of the Duke of Lu State, also glanced at Wei Yuewu and said coldly to Yan Huaijing, “Your Heir-apparent, isn’t that Sixth Miss Wei the lady who was with you that day?”

The heir-apparent of the Duke of Lu State was actually also a rare handsome man. However, due to the intense cold aura around him, whoever saw him would feel a little frightened. Nevertheless, this did not prevent a few young ladies who loved his type from secretly looking at him.

“Looks like her.” Yan Huaijing nodded and replied.

Those words almost made Lu Yeli lose his temper. Looked like her? That was exactly her. Furthermore, she had been addressed as “Sixth Miss Wei” several times. Yet he simply said “looks like her” when asked.

Yan Huaijing had undoubtedly shown great admiration toward this Sixth Miss Wei in front of him and the Third Princess that day. After that, Lu Yeli sent someone to briefly investigate this Sixth Miss Wei and found that she was only an unknown young lady who had been neglected by the mansion of Marquis Hua Yang many years and had been raised in a small town in the countryside.

However, that remote rural town was actually very far away from Yan State. He was confused at how she was connected to Yan Huaijing. Or was it possible that Yan Huaijing was hiding something and deliberately had this Sixth Miss Wei involved to confuse people’s judgements?

When he came to this thought, the heir-apparent of the Duke of Lu State felt that he was unable to make out what was on Yan Huaijing’s mind either.

His face darkened and he stopped talking. He would like to see how the two princesses were going to investigate this matter!

“Second Miss Wei, it was said that you let Sixth Miss Wei wear this hairpin. You even sent your personal maid to send this message.”

A palace maid beside the Fourth Princess asked Wei Yan on behalf of the Fourth Princess.

“Hairpin? What hairpin? I didn’t give any hairpin to Sixth Younger Sister!” Wei Yan looked confused. She looked at Wei Yuewu with an extremely innocent look. However, with everything that had been said before, her answer made more aristocratic young ladies looked at her with contempt.

Why hadn’t they been able to discover that this Second Young Lady of the mansion of Marquis Hua Yang was not only vicious but also despicable and shameless?

“This is the hairpin. Second Miss Wei, take a good look before you answer.” The palace maid reached out and took the hairpin from the table.

“This one? Ah, I remember it.” Wei Yan seemed to be surprised for a moment but suddenly remembered. She immediately stared at Wei Yuewu with wide eyes and said, “Sixth Younger Sister, I told you that you mustn’t wear this hairpin. You would violate the rules. Although it’s beautiful, it’s not something you can wear. Why didn’t you listen to me?”

“Second Miss Wei, are you saying that you have seen this hairpin before and you told Sixth Miss Wei not to wear it, but Sixth Miss Wei insisted on wearing it because it’s too beautiful?”

The palace maid looked at Wei Yan expressionlessly and repeated her words.

Standing beside Wei Yan, Li Yue’er was so anxious that she wanted to pull Wei Yan’s sleeve to signal to her not to talk nonsense. With what Shuiyue had said at Wei Yuewu’s door, it was obvious that Wei Yan was deliberately framing Wei Yuewu.

“Second Miss Wei, do you have such a hairpin?” The palace maid asked again at the signal of the Fourth Princess.

“Well yes, I have one. Mine looks like this one but is different. I know that I can’t wear it. I couldn’t possibly… wear it…” Wei Yan’s voice went from high to low and finally got stuck in her throat.

She looked at the hairpin in her hand in astonishment. Her face turned from red to gray and then to pale…

“Second Miss Wei, was this hairpin the one you talked about?” The palace maid didn’t seem to notice Wei Yan’s abnormal reaction but continued to ask.

“I… I… No … this is…” Wei Yan panicked. She now saw the hairpin clearly.

Wasn’t this hairpin the one she had worn before? When did it get into Wei Yuewu’s hands? If Wei Yuewu’s hairpin wasn’t real, what about hers?

Sweat appeared on Wei Yan’s forehead and her lips trembled.

“Second Elder Sister, can you show your hairpin to Her Highnesses?” Wei Yuewu suggested softly from the side.

Wei Yan’s face turned deathly pale out of panic. If the hairpin in front of her was the fake one, the one she kept was the real one. If they weren’t allowed to wear a hairpin of such magnitude, they certainly should not keep one in private!

“That’s right. Second Miss Wei, you said that you also had one. Then take it out and let us see what the difference is.”

“Second Miss Wei, let your maid go get it. Don’t keep Her Highnesses waiting!”

“Second Miss Wei, don’t be so numb. Hurry up and go!” …

The young ladies really despised what Wei Yan had done today. Now they perceived that Wei Yan looked as if her throat had been pinched, many of them made suggestions. They seemed to be urging Wei Yan, but they all looked at her with a hint of contempt.

“I…” Cold sweats dripped down from Wei Yan’s forehead, but she didn’t have time to wipe them off. It was winter, but she looked as if she had been in a stove. She turned to Li Yue’er, who was standing at the side, and asked for help with her eyes. Li Yue’er turned her head away and pretended not to see her.

The Fourth Princess let out a cold snort and asked, “Second Miss Wei, can’t you bring your hairpin over?”

The two of them could be said to have made enemies when they were in the mansion of the Prince of Nan’an. Noble as she was, the Fourth Princess was still scolded by Empress Tu after returning to the palace. Thus the very sight of Wei Yan vexed her a lot.

“I… I left it in the mansion.” Wei Yan answered numbly.

“I’ll send someone to the mansion of Marquis Hua Yang to get it.” The Fourth Princess pursued closely.

“I…might…might…have lost it.” Wei Yan wouldn’t dare to let the Fourth Princess send people to the mansion to get it. Actually, that hairpin was carried by Shuiyue at this moment.

“Lost it? Didn’t you just say that it might be in the mansion? And then you said you lost it?” The Fourth Princess sneered relentlessly.

Wei Yan’s eyes swept past the Fourth Princess and landed on the Third Princess who was smiling gently and sitting on the side with her head lowered. Her lips parted as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she did not make a sound. Compared to the Fourth Princess who held grudges against her, the Third Princess looked much friendlier.

So she wanted to seek the help of the “friendly” Third Princess? However, today, she was destined to be disappointed! Wei Yuewu sneered in her heart, but her face did not show anything. She was waiting quietly for Wei Yan’s next move!