Reborn into the palace, she seduces the emperor's heart, driving the chief minister to madness!

Chapter 13 Washing Away the Stigma

The gatekeeper quickly went to do as instructed.

A crowd of onlookers had already gathered outside, pointing and whispering amongst themselves.

Upon seeing Chu Qingyin appear, Lin Yue immediately adopted a deeply affectionate demeanor: "Yinyin, you've finally agreed to see me! I thought you'd forgotten our promise!"

Chu Qingyin watched his performance with cold eyes, secretly sneering to herself.

The original owner must have been blind to even be interested in someone like this. She's the daughter of a high-ranking official; she should at least be eating something good.

She stood before the steps, calmly sizing up the slender, somewhat handsome man, and asked indifferently, "Who are you, and what brings you here?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Yue seemed to have suffered a great injustice, his voice choked with emotion: "Yinyin, how could you do this to me? Have you forgotten the vow we made?"

As he spoke, he pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and read aloud with great emotion: "Last night's stars, last night's wind, the painted pavilion to the west, the cassia hall to the east. Though I lack the wings of a phoenix to fly with you, our hearts are connected by a single thread of understanding. This is the love poem you wrote for me yourself!"

Those watching the spectacle clicked their tongues in disapproval upon hearing this: "Who would have thought that this seemingly refined Miss Qiao would actually be secretly involved in illicit affairs and transactions with someone?"

"Yes, yes, that's so shameless. She's supposed to be the daughter of a high-ranking official, it's really embarrassing."

"I don't know how Minister Qiao raised his daughter, to produce such a shameless person."

Despite the stares and questions from the crowd, Chu Qingyin remained calm.

She looked at Lin Yue coldly, a mocking smile playing on her lips.

"Young Master Lin, I advise you to think twice before you speak."

Chu Qingyin spoke slowly, her voice carrying a hint of sharpness, "You keep saying that I have an agreement with you, then I want to ask you, who instructed you to come to my Minister's mansion to slander my reputation? And how much money did they pay you to put on this show here?"

Lin Yue's expression changed slightly, and he stammered, "What...what are you saying? I don't understand..."

Chu Qingyin stepped forward, her gaze sharp as a knife: "Stop pretending. The poem you recited is 'Untitled' by a poet from the previous dynasty. How could I possibly have written it for you? Besides, I, Qiao Qingyin, act with integrity and never do such sneaky things. You came here today simply to ruin my reputation."

As she spoke, she looked around at the onlookers and said, “I also advise you all not to be misled by this shameless scoundrel. This scoundrel has lost his mind and is courting death, but what crime is it to slander the reputation of the Minister’s daughter? Do you want to share the blame with him?”

As soon as he finished speaking, the onlookers all shut their mouths in dissatisfaction.

While they might enjoy the spectacle, ordinary people like them couldn't afford to offend the officials.

Lin Yue, sitting below, was also intimidated by Chu Qingyin's imposing aura and couldn't help but take a few steps back, his heart filled with suspicion.

Is this still the same idiot he used to know?

How come you seem like a completely different person after just a few days?

Chu Qingyin noticed Lin Yue's questioning gaze, but she didn't need to waste her breath explaining to such a person. She simply turned to the guards beside her and said, "This scoundrel has come to my mansion to cause trouble and ruin my reputation. Tie him up and take him to the authorities!"

"Yes!" The guards immediately stepped forward, ready to take action.

Seeing that the situation was getting out of hand, Lin Yue panicked and shouted, "Wait! Wait! Yinyin, you can't do this to me!"

Chu Qingyin scoffed: "Can't I treat you like this? Who do you think you are?"

She paused for a moment, then narrowed her eyes and said sternly, "If you don't want to go to the government office, that's fine too. Just tell me honestly who sent you here, and I might spare you this time."

Lin Yue hesitated, "This..."

"Heh, it seems they won't shed tears until they see the coffin."

Chu Qingyin tugged at her crimson lips and waved her hand dismissively: "Guards, take him in!"

"No, no, no, I'll talk! I'll talk!"

Chu Qingyin raised her hand to signal the guards to stop, and looked coldly at Lin Yue: "Speak, or I'll cut out your tongue!"

Her words were sharp and incisive, causing beads of sweat to appear on Lin Yue's forehead. He stammered, "It was...it was Aunt Jiang! Aunt Jiang sent me!"

These words immediately drew gasps of surprise from those around them.

Although Chu Qingyin had expected it, a cold glint still flashed in her eyes when she heard the name.

She stared at Lin Yue and continued, "Explain clearly, how did she instruct you? How much money did she give you?"

Lin Yue, deflated like a punctured balloon, confessed everything: "Aunt Jiang found me and said that if I made a scene in front of the Minister's mansion, she would give me fifty taels of silver. She also gave me this love poem and taught me how to say it... I... I really needed the money, so..."

Chu Qingyin interrupted him: "Just for fifty taels of silver, you would disregard other people's reputation and be willing to do such a despicable thing? Ha, you are a scholar who has studied the classics and has the title of Xiucai."

Lin Yue lowered his head in embarrassment, not daring to speak again.

Chu Qingyin took a deep breath, turned to face the crowd, and said in a clear and strong voice: "Fellow villagers, you have all heard this. This person has been bribed to slander me. I, Qiao Qingyin, am upright and honest, and I would never do anything that would disgrace my family. I ask you all to see the truth of what happened today."

Upon hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement, "We all heard it! Miss Qiao is completely innocent!"

"Bah! You call yourself a scholar? You're utterly shameless!"

"But who is this Concubine Jiang? A concubine from the Minister's household?"

Upon hearing this, Chu Qingyin's dark eyes flashed.

Having proven their innocence to the public, it's time to deal with family matters behind closed doors.

She was worried that once she entered the palace, she might not have time to deal with the mother and daughter in her household. Little did she expect that they would choose the path to hell when there was no way to go to heaven.

It would be a real waste for her not to make the most of this incriminating evidence that has been handed to her so readily.

"This matter may involve my family affairs. Guards, detain this scholar and bring him into the mansion. My father will decide what to do after he has finished his business!"

The guards responded and dragged Lin Yue to his feet.

As Lin Yue was led into the mansion, the vermilion gates closed again, and the onlookers dispersed.

Chu Qingyin knew that Lu Zhiheng was still in the mansion. She originally planned to wait until Lu Zhiheng left before taking him to Qiao Gongquan. However, Qiao Gongquan had already heard about the commotion outside and sent someone to invite her over.

When she led her people into the main hall, Qiao Gongquan and Lu Zhiheng were both seated in the hall.

"Yinyin, what exactly happened?" Qiao Gongquan's thick eyebrows were furrowed, and his face was ashen.

Chu Qingyin bowed gracefully to the emperor, then raised her eyes again and said in a deep voice, "Father, someone is trying to frame me."

As she spoke, she briefly recounted Lin Shusheng's story.

Upon hearing this, Qiao Gongquan's wrinkled old face darkened horribly: "How dare you! You actually cause trouble in front of my Qiao family's gate!"

Just as he was about to reprimand Lin Yue, who was trembling and prostrate on the ground, Qiao Gongquan caught a glimpse of Lu Zhiheng still sitting to the side. He took a deep breath and tried to remain calm, saying, "Lord Lu, our official business has been discussed. If there is nothing else, why don't you go back to your residence to rest? I can also take care of some family matters here."

This is a clear order to leave.

Lu Zhiheng remained unmoved, looking calmly at Qiao Gongquan: "Mr. Qiao, it is indeed inappropriate for me to linger on matters concerning your household affairs. However, this matter concerns the reputation of Miss Qiao, and she is on the list of candidates for the upcoming selection."

"His Majesty has entrusted me with the selection of concubines. If the reputation of the young women who are about to enter the palace is tarnished and the matter is not handled properly, it is hard to guarantee that it will not cause discussion in the court and among the people. His Majesty may even hold me guilty for dereliction of duty."

The man held a blue-and-white porcelain cup, took a slow, deliberate sip, and then looked leisurely at Qiao Gongquan: "What do you say, Mr. Qiao?"