Chapter 114: Chapter 110: This Chapter Is Very Long

Originally, some people wanted to speak for Song Yun for various reasons, but upon hearing Shen Jingxian mention a second half of the verse, they immediately stopped.

The previously harmonious atmosphere instantly froze. Shen Jingxian appeared calm, as if she was completely unaware of the massive impact her words had on those present.

Everyone’s gaze involuntarily fell on Song Yun, wanting to see how she would respond to the Princess’s question.

After all, looking at the Princess’s demeanor, she didn’t seem to be speaking without proof.

At this moment, Song Yun felt very anxious inside.

Her poems were all bought from others, and to keep her secret from being leaked, every time she purchased a poem, she would have both the middleman and the poet killed.

To avoid attracting the attention of the government officers, she chose solitary, impoverished scholars, who had some talent but were constrained by lack of money.

Using money as bait, she proposed using the other party’s talent as a standard for support, taking the opportunity to have them write poems, producing nearly a hundred.

Many people sensed something was wrong, but lacking power and influence, they could do nothing about Song Yun, eventually losing their lives.

Over the years, the poems she presented were accompanied by bloodshed, but so what? It was their fault for not being able to prove their loyalty. If they could reassure her, she wouldn’t have had them killed.

Besides, dying for her was their honor.

The mouths of the dead were undoubtedly the most secure. Over the years, Song Yun had gained a considerable reputation from the poems left by the dead, and no one had ever caused her trouble.

But this time the poem was different.

This was someone she had recently found, a person with no support, no power or influence, not even a legitimate status in Yunyi Country, yet every poem he wrote was exceptional. This was why Song Yun couldn’t bear to kill him yet.

She needed this person to write more poems, or else if she never found someone of this caliber to write for her again, she would be labeled as having exhausted her talent.

She didn’t want that.

The poem just now was created by that person a few days ago. It was so beautifully written that she memorized it on the spot.

That person had never mentioned that this poem had a second half.

Song Yun steadied her mind, with the person under her control, there was no way the poem could be sold again.

Shen Jingxian must be trying to scare her.

Because of Song Yan, she wanted to embarrass her publicly, to make her lose face.

Knowing that as a Princess, no one would dare to contradict her, she wanted to directly accuse her of plagiarism.

Song Yun increasingly felt her thoughts were correct.

Indeed, the person was under her control, and the poem couldn’t have been leaked. The Princess was bluffing, trying to frighten her. If she were truly scared here, then she would lose.

Song Yun calmed her mind. When she looked up again, there was sadness, disbelief, anger, and grievance in her eyes, but notably, no fear.

From another perspective, Song Yun had proven her innocence.

Sure enough, someone who was compassionate couldn’t help but speak up, “Could Your Highness please recite the second half of the verse?”

Shen Jingxian’s eyes turned to the speaker, an unfamiliar face, indicating that this person’s status wasn’t high.

“Are you doubting my words?” Shen Jingxian’s voice was calm, but as soon as she finished speaking, two strong, nondescript men in tight-fitting clothes suddenly appeared beside the person.

Shen Ming recognized them as the Hidden Guards, causing a chill to run down his spine.

The Hidden Guards belonged exclusively to the Emperor, taking orders from no one else. With their presence by the Princess’s side, Shen Ming wondered whether to marvel at the Princess’s favor or the deeper implications.

The person who spoke for Song Yun was intimidated by the display. He was just an ordinary scholar-candidate who came to see the Princess out of curiosity. He usually enjoyed looking at paintings of beauties, but even those couldn’t capture a fraction of the Princess’s beauty.

However, no matter how beautiful the Princess was, she couldn’t belong to him. Instead, he thought he could pursue the talented woman before him.

With this intention, he had dared to speak to the Princess, hoping to gain the lady’s favor.

But he didn’t expect the Princess’s gaze to be so terrifying and for two strong men to suddenly appear beside him. He immediately regretted speaking out of turn.

Before he could say anything else, he suddenly felt a press on his neck and lost the ability to speak.

“I am always lenient, able to laugh off harmless jokes and innocent familiarity, but for those who dare to insult me, I cannot show mercy, lest they overstep their bounds,” Shen Jingxian said. “Cousin Shen Ming, what do you think?”

Shen Ming felt uncomfortable upon hearing the words “innocent familiarity,” and hearing Shen Jingxian call his name, he understood clearly. Shen Jingxian was indirectly warning him!

Shen Ming knew Shen Jingxian was favored, but in his view, no matter how favored a woman was, it was all a man’s gift.

Shen Jingxian was beautiful, and with his nature of cherishing beauty, he was willing to treat the Princess favorably.

Furthermore, since the Princess was favored by the Emperor, a little flattery was no big deal to him.

But now, Shen Jingxian was clearly insinuating in front of everyone that he didn’t know his place. Didn’t this mean she didn’t care about the blood relation between them?

Shen Ming’s rationality told him that this was the Emperor’s favorite princess, and he couldn’t provoke her, but his emotions told him to teach this woman a lesson.

Song Yun could clearly perceive the change in Shen Ming’s emotions. She knew the opportunity had come and gently spoke, “Your Highness Princess, please do not take your anger out on others. It’s all Yun’er’s fault. Yun’er’s poem is unworthy of the elegant, sullying the Princess’s ears, which is why the Princess is displeased.”

With one sentence, she turned the Princess’s doubts into deliberate nitpicking, even jealousy.

Jealous that she had written such a good poem, which is why she was venting her anger on others.

Song Yun’s words reminded Shen Ming. Yes, if the Princess truly knew the latter half of the poem, how could she not have said it by now?

Could it be as Yun’er said, the Princess is deliberately nitpicking?

To confirm, Shen Ming asked Song Yun again, “Yun’er, this poem was written by you just now, right?”

Song Yun shyly lowered her head, “Yes, it was just composed by Yun’er. I’m sorry, Brother Ming, Yun’er is so useless…”

“No, Yun’er, your poem is excellent. It’s just that some who have only noble status lack the magnanimity to tolerate others.”

To be honest, Shen Jingxian had tolerated Shen Ming’s foolish behavior for a long time. She immediately stopped enduring and directly confronted his snide remarks, “Cousin might as well outright say Yi Fen lacks magnanimity. This kind of indirect implication is not what a true man should do; it seems petty.”

When Shen Jingxian mentioned pettiness, she also glanced at Song Yun, “Indeed, birds of a feather flock together.”

“Cousin, seeing how indignant you appear, how about we make a wager?”

Shen Ming controlled his temper, “What wager?”

“Let’s bet on whether the so-called most talented woman in the Capital you defend has stolen someone else’s poem.”

Shen Ming looked at the greatly aggrieved Song Yun beside him and the aggressively pressing Shen Jingxian in front of him. A mix of manly honor and reliance on Song Yun fueled his reckless decision, “Bet it is then!”

Upon hearing, Shen Jingxian signaled for Li Hua to come forward, “I wager a hundred thousand taels that I will win. How about you, cousin?”

Shen Ming was stunned.

A hundred, a hundred thousand?

A hundred thousand taels is no small amount. Even though the Prince Rong Mansion is vast and wealthy, most of it is real estate, and the movable silver doesn’t exceed eight hundred thousand taels. Taking out a hundred thousand taels would surely hurt.

No, such a serious matter cannot simply be measured with money!

The dignified Princess turns out to be so vulgar!

Yet, seeing Shen Jingxian’s calm and collected demeanor, he felt he couldn’t swallow his pride.

His consort mother was right; the more beautiful a woman, the more treacherous she is.

“As a Princely Heir, I also wager a hundred thousand taels that Yun’er did not plagiarize.”

Song Yun was truly terrified this time. Although she analyzed that the Princess could not possibly know, what if… A hundred thousand taels, if she were exposed, Shen Ming wouldn’t just lose a hundred thousand taels, but her years of effort would be wasted.

“Brother Ming, Yun’er is not worth such…”

In Shen Jingxian’s ears, these words meant: quickly take back the silver, for fear you’ll be embarrassed soon.

In Shen Ming’s ears, it became: Brother, you are so good to me.

Thus, Shen Ming became even more generous in his gestures.

Shen Jingxian glanced again at the bystanders. Now, some of them kept their heads down, some looked out the window, wishing they’d never existed in this moment.

“Why don’t you all bet together and decide whether to trust Song Yun or trust me?”

This was a life-or-death question.

Many present were close with Song Yun and Shen Ming, and logically they should choose Song Yun, but they dared not offend the Princess either, finding themselves in a dilemma.

Gong Yu spoke up first, “I wager on Her Highness Princess.”

Facing Shen Ming’s incredulous gaze, Gong Yu left behind the silver with carefree ease.

Afterwards, quite a few people wagered on the Princess, while some went against the tide and bet on Song Yun. The Princess did not seem angry, which allowed everyone to boldly place their bets.

Shen Jingxian, satisfied that everyone participated, knew that now Song Yun was finally trapped.

Shen Ming became increasingly anxious; to him, this wasn’t just an insult to Song Yun but an insult to him as well!

“Your Highness Princess, haven’t you caused enough trouble!”

Shen Jingxian ignored him, speaking to herself, “The latter part of the poem is: Not wear makeup, only to scatter powder, No trees stand, flowers alone float. Encompassing emptiness shameful at sunset, Color shattered to bid farewell to morning glow.”

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