Chapter 458: She’s Taking the Blame for Pei Yin

Chapter 458: Chapter 458: She’s Taking the Blame for Pei Yin

Fortunately, the Emperor had a mind of his own.

He clasped his hands behind his back and frowned. "We recall that the imperial guard placed the Glazed Buddha on a rather high altar, where it was bathed in incense smoke."

"Miss Qi’s height makes it unlikely that she could have knocked over the Glazed Buddha. Not unless she stood on her toes and deliberately threw it on the ground, but she would have absolutely no reason to do that."

Princess Consort Qi’s gaze was dark as she looked at Qi Xiuwei. "Wei’er, you truly didn’t break the Glazed Buddha, did you?"

Before Qi Xiuwei could even nod,

everyone heard Princess Consort Qi say to the Emperor, "It seems there really was a mischievous eagle. What Wei’er said must be true. The eagle flew into the Sunlight Tower, accidentally broke the Glazed Buddha, and then flew away when it heard someone coming."

The Emperor mused, "Now that you put it that way, it is a possibility."

Princess Consort Qi shot Qi Xiuwei an inscrutable glance.

"Your Majesty need only find who in the palace is raising this eagle and hold them strictly accountable. That will be enough to give the people an explanation."

Qi Xiuwei’s face went pale.

’Pei Yin!’

’If I don’t confess, Pei Yin will be the one to take the blame.’

The Emperor had already begun asking those around him, "Does anyone know where in the palace eagles are kept?"

Shen Ningning was about to help explain when, to her surprise, Qi Xiuwei suddenly dropped to her knees.

"Your Majesty," she said, her face ashen and her lips bloodless, her eyes dark and sorrowful. "I lied. I’m sorry."

Everyone was stunned. Even the Emperor turned back in astonishment, reassessing her with his gaze.

"You lied? So, you really were the one who broke it?"

Qi Xiuwei’s eyes were already red-rimmed. "Yes... It’s because I was always curious about what the Glazed Buddha looked like. I wanted to take a look inside when no one was around."

"I didn’t expect to drop and shatter it when I took it down. When Your Majesty questioned me just now, I denied it because I was afraid of being punished."

Shen Ningning knew at a glance that she was protecting Pei Yin.

She cried out anxiously, "Xiao Wei! You’ve seen the Glazed Buddha before, don’t..."

Before she could finish, Qi Xiuwei lowered her head even further and interrupted, "This is my responsibility alone. I ask for Your Majesty’s punishment."

Qi Xiuwei kowtowed deeply.

Shen Ningning stood frozen in place.

’She’s taking the blame for Pei Yin.’

’But is it worth it? Does she know that Pei Yin has been secretly corresponding with some other girl for a long time?’

’The two of them might have already developed feelings for each other.’

Mo Lingwei saw the expression on Shen Ningning’s face and knew the matter wasn’t so simple.

He took the initiative to persuade the Emperor. "Father, I believe there’s more to this. Why not send Miss Qi home for now? We can investigate and question her properly tomorrow when we have time."

"The urgent issue is that the winner will be arriving at the palace soon. With the Glazed Buddha destroyed, Father, you will need to find another item as a replacement reward."

The Emperor frowned, deeply agreeing. "You’re right. But we already announced to the public that the prize was the Glazed Buddha. Won’t a last-minute change be hard for them to accept?"

Mo Lingwei pressed his thin lips together, a faint, calm smile playing at their corners.

"The reason people want the Glazed Buddha is because they desire a blessing from the blessed girl. Later, during the evening meal, we can have the winner stay and dine with us."

"Father, you can then present them with another precious treasure and frankly admit that the Glazed Buddha was broken, which is inauspicious. Therefore, we’ve replaced it with a different reward."

Shen Ningning nodded along. "Brother’s idea is excellent."

Since they both agreed, the Emperor had no further objections.

So, with a wave of his hand, he ordered, "Someone, escort Miss Qi home."

Qi Xiuwei was led away in tears.

Watching her delicate figure recede into the moonlit distance, Shen Ningning couldn’t help but worry.

’Mrs. Qi Sr. is such a harsh person. How will she punish her when she finds out she might have made a mistake?’

The moment the little girl looked away, she caught a cold sneer flash in Princess Consort Qi’s eyes, who was standing behind the Emperor.

A chill ran through Shen Ningning’s heart.

’Princess Consort Qi did this? Didn’t Qi Xiuwei say that she had forgiven the Qi Family?’

The little girl grit her teeth in secret.

’She knew it. With Princess Consort Qi’s vengeful nature, there was no way she would so easily let go of someone who had offended her.’

A short while later, a guard led the winner of the lantern contest into the palace.

When everyone saw who it was, they couldn’t help but stare in astonishment.

"Auntie, the Princess Consort!" Shen Ningning was the first to react, her fair little face beaming with a joyous smile. "You were the one who made the lantern?"

The Princess Consort smiled gently. Behind her, two maids were holding a lotus moon lantern, its craftsmanship exquisite.

Inside, a layer of soft yellow cloth was painted with blooming lotuses. The outer frame was a movable wooden circle coated in silver powder.

A gentle touch would make it spin, revealing the image of lotuses blooming gracefully.

It was truly a masterpiece.

No wonder the government had selected it as the winner.

The competition was extremely fair; no one knew this was Princess Shu’s creation until after it had won.

Princess Shu smiled warmly at Shen Ningning. "It is mine."

Mo Lingwei began to laugh. "I remember now. Eldest Aunt’s lantern-making skills have always been masterful. She and Eldest Uncle first met at a lantern festival."

The Emperor roared with laughter. "We remember that too! That time, Big Brother almost got into a fistfight with someone over your ’Lamp King’."

At the mention of the past, Princess Shu’s eyes sparkled with affection, and her cheeks flushed pink.

Shen Ningning, however, noticed that Princess Consort Qi’s expression had soured. The hand hidden beneath her sleeve was clenched tightly, restraining her emotions.

’It seems King Shu knew Princess Consort Qi before he met Princess Shu?’

Since she was family, the Emperor told Princess Shu the reason the Glazed Buddha had been broken.

Upon hearing the story, Princess Shu said very kindly, "If an eagle destroyed it, then you can’t blame Miss Qi. I only entered the competition for fun anyway. Your Majesty, please don’t blame her."

After speaking, Princess Shu lovingly pulled Shen Ningning into her arms.

"Just being able to share a few meals with our Ningning is reward enough."

Everyone laughed and headed toward the main hall for the banquet.

Princess Consort Qi, however, cupped her hands. "I drank some wine earlier and I’m afraid I can’t hold my liquor. Your Majesty, please permit me to return and rest."

The Emperor didn’t think much of it. There were many people to keep him company tonight; it didn’t matter if Princess Consort Qi was there or not.

He waved his hand. "Go on, you may go rest."

Princess Consort Qi gave her thanks before turning and departing gracefully.

Watching her retreating back, Shen Ningning impassively averted her gaze.

She smiled sweetly, her dimples showing, and asked Princess Shu,

"Auntie, the Princess Consort, why didn’t the Prince come to the palace with you?"

Princess Shu looked up and glanced at Mo Lingwei, who was beside her.

She whispered to Shen Ningning, "He went to see a famous doctor from the martial world. I heard this person has a secret remedy for conceiving a child. But the man has an eccentric temper, and we had to wait a long time for him to travel to the Capital City, so the Prince hurried to pay him a visit. That’s why he couldn’t come."

As she said this, a shy blush inevitably appeared on her face.

"The Prince is very considerate toward me. He knows I’ve always wanted a child of my own. No matter what others say, he has always indulged me. Ningning, you really are a lucky little one. If I hug you more often, maybe I’ll be able to have a child as cute as you."

Hearing this, Shen Ningning sighed in her heart, feeling helpless.

She quietly called out to Mo Lingwei, said a quick word to Princess Shu, and the two of them headed off in the opposite direction.

Mo Lingwei asked, "Are you going to check for clues in the Sunlight Tower now?"

"Princess Consort Qi left so suddenly. I suspect she might be going to clean up the evidence. I’m afraid that if we wait until after dinner and investigate tomorrow, any clues the real culprit left behind will be gone." After saying this, Shen Ningning and Mo Lingwei quickened their pace and hurried back to the Sunlight Tower.