This matter was actually quite difficult to handle.
Everyone knew that the Princess of Ding'an would not steal Consort Wei's Sheng Hua hairpin.
Yet, the hairpin was found on her.
It was obvious she had been framed.
If Consort Wei had been more forceful, pinning the charge of theft onto the Princess of Ding'an and forcing the Empress Dowager to side with her, the matter would have ended with the Princess of Ding'an suffering in silence.
But Consort Wei's attitude was ambiguous, lacking conviction, as if she didn't want to pursue the matter.
Instead, the Princess of Ding'an insisted on seeing it through.
Consort Wei could not admit to framing the Princess of Ding'an, and the Princess of Ding'an was unwilling to be wronged.
There was no way to investigate, so things remained at a stalemate.
The Empress Dowager didn't know what to do either, her brow furrowed as she tried to devise a reasonable excuse that could clear Wang Qingyao's name without causing Consort Wei to lose face.
It was truly difficult.
Even Consort Wei herself was thinking of an excuse for Wang Qingyao.
Yet, Wei Yu, oblivious to the gravity of the situation, was jumping around. Consort Wei couldn't help but yell at her, "Shut up!"
She was truly annoyed.
Wei Yu was taken aback. She could sense the anger in Consort Wei's tone.
But wasn't the act of playing good cop and bad cop just for show? How could Consort Wei be genuinely angry with her?
Consort Wei said with a stern face, "Have I not taught you about respecting hierarchy? Is this how you speak to the Princess of Ding'an?"
Wei Yu's eyes reddened.
"Apologize to the Princess of Ding'an!"
Consort Wei gave Wei Yu a meaningful look.
Wei Yu couldn't understand the direction the situation was taking.
However, as the highest-ranking person from the Wei family, Wei Yu was very obedient to Consort Wei.
Though unwilling, she curtsied to Wang Qingyao and said, "I'm sorry, Princess of Ding'an. I am young and ignorant and don't know how to speak properly. Please don't hold it against me."
Her eyes turned redder, tears welling up as if about to fall at any moment.
Consort Wei tried to smooth things over, "I think this whole thing was a misunderstanding. Let's just let it go. The hairpin has been found, after all. Let's go have dinner."
Some people had already started to move, but they heard Wang Qingyao say resolutely, "No!"
Everyone looked at her in surprise.
She said, neither subservient nor arrogant, "This matter must be investigated thoroughly! No matter who it is, if they can frame me once, they can frame me a second time. I don't want to live in constant fear of being schemed against!"
As she spoke, she kept her eyes fixed on Consort Wei, almost naming her directly.
Consort Wei felt miserable. It really wasn't her!
Consort Wei sighed. Since Wang Qingyao insisted on finding the culprit, she could only offer a scapegoat.
It was impossible to sacrifice Wei Yu, of course.
Consort Wei made up her mind and was about to casually call out a palace maid to take the blame when someone announced that the Emperor had arrived.
Consort Wei was startled. Things were indeed getting more chaotic.
"What's going on? I heard voices from afar!" It was the New Year, and the Emperor, in a festive mood, asked casually, sounding very approachable.
Except for the Empress Dowager, everyone else knelt in greeting.
Seeing them poised to leave but then stopping, the Emperor didn't sit down. He stood and gestured for them to rise, then asked Consort Wei and the Empress Dowager, "Were you about to have your meal?"
Consort Wei: "Yes."
Empress Dowager: "There was a small incident."
The Emperor raised his eyebrows, a look of confusion on his face.
Wang Qingyao "thumped" and knelt before the Emperor again, saying with a wronged expression, "Reporting to Your Majesty, Consort Wei deliberately framed me for stealing her Sheng Hua hairpin. I refused to admit it, and that's why this commotion arose!"
Wow.
Good heavens.
She had directly accused Consort Wei of the crime.
She had made it perfectly clear.
Although it was essentially the truth, Consort Wei was the Emperor's favorite concubine, the birth mother of the Crown Prince!
The others looked at Wang Qingyao as if she were a warrior.
Consort Wei was furious. How dare Wang Qingyao!
Consort Chen slowly added fuel to the fire, "Alas, I wonder if Consort Wei bears a grudge against the Princess of Ding'an because of the death of Consort Wei's sister..."
Consort Wei roared, "Consort Chen, mind your words!"
Others might fear Consort Wei, but Consort Chen did not.
She looked at Consort Wei, her tone surprisingly sincere, "Consort Wei, are you so angry because my words hit a nerve and you're embarrassed?"
Consort Wei's anger was about to reach the heavens.
"I—am—not!" she said, each word squeezed out as if from between her teeth.
"This concubine is innocent!" Consort Wei looked at the Emperor, her wronged expression mixed with a hint of anger. "Your Majesty, I truly did not frame the Princess of Ding'an. You know, this banquet was my way of apologizing to the Princess of Ding'an. Why would I frame her?"
Consort Wei, as the favored concubine, quickly regained her composure after a brief moment of panic.
"Your Majesty, perhaps some other servants in Huayang Palace acted on their own initiative." She wiped her eyes, her eyelids quickly turning red. "Although Yun'er did something wrong, she is usually kind and helpful. She has visited my Huayang Palace many times and has always praised me. Perhaps something happened that I was unaware of."
As Consort Wei spoke, she glanced at Tuan'er.
Tuan'er, understanding Consort Wei perfectly, nodded slightly and was about to step forward to take the blame when she heard Wang Qingyao say, "Consort, stop pretending. That hairpin was on your person. Who could have taken it without disturbing you? It was clearly at your instruction!"