My younger sister insisted on marrying me and made me the Marquis' wife.

Chapter 696 Taking Without Asking
Upon hearing these words, the heavy shackles in my heart were instantly lifted.

Qin Siyuan relaxed his brows. Yes, his poetic talent had been awakened, and no amount of mudslinging would help.

I was so flustered just now that I completely forgot about this.

Qin Siyuan looked up and said, "I'll go down and confront them."

Qin Yuan nodded: "No rush, we'll go down together later."

Lord Gu said, "Don't be afraid, no one can bully my people."

Qin Siyuan smiled gratefully.

Mr. Songshan stroked his beard and said earnestly, "Siyuan, you should reflect on your mistakes afterward. Those who enter officialdom face far more dangers every day. One careless move can not only ruin all your previous efforts but also implicate your family and clan."

Qin Siyuan nodded cautiously.

He usually buried himself in his studies and had the most contact with his teachers and friends. He had never seen the dangers of the world, so even if he was wary of others, it was not enough.

Qin Yuan said, "After the exam, read more miscellaneous books and buy more official notes." She paused and added, "There are also many records in history books, but when you read them, you don't think about yourself... In the end, you still have to apply what you've learned."

He then turned to Mr. Songshan and said, "I will have to trouble you again to give Brother Siyuan more guidance."

Mr. Songshan frowned and glared at Qin Yuan: "Fine!"

It had a distinctly gritted-teeth feel to it.

Qin Siyuan couldn't help but curl up slightly, and the anger and guilt that had just surged into his heart disappeared, and he immediately calmed down.

The King of Qi had already sent someone to invite Qin Siyuan down from the pavilion, with Qin Yuan and the others following closely behind. As they passed through the wall of people, the eyes of the people pointing and whispering on both sides were no longer filled with the same admiration and enthusiasm as before, but rather with doubt and indignation.

Qin Siyuan did not take this to heart.

Qin Yuan and the others remained calm and composed.

Upon seeing this, Wu, the scholar, felt even more resentful and cried out, "Your Highness Prince Qi, Your Highnesses the two princesses, please do justice for the scholars of the world! I am risking my life to expose this matter, not for personal gain, but only to seek justice for the scholars of the world."

"Yes, we demand justice. Regardless of whose son or nephew he is, seeking fame and fortune is inappropriate and should be condemned by all scholars."

Lin Ziqi stood silently to the side, seemingly at a loss for what to do.

After approaching, Qin Siyuan first bowed four times to Prince Qi and the two princesses before saying, "This humble student, Qin Siyuan, greets Your Highness Prince Qi and the two princesses."

Mr. Songshan, Young Master Nantang, and Lord Gu also bowed and stood by their sides.

Princess Fuyun stared intently at the young master of Nantang, who was standing beside Marquis Gu, his body mostly obscured.

My heart was filled with joy.

If it weren't for the inappropriate occasion, they would have already surrounded them and started talking.

Seeing this, the Ninth Princess lightly adjusted her clothes and snorted disdainfully.

Although this young master from Nantang was handsome, he was thin and frail, and there was really nothing to see about him.

How could she be so captivating?

Seventh Sister is still too inexperienced.

After everyone had stopped standing, King Qi cleared his throat and said, "Qin Siyuan, you heard what Scholar Wu said just now, so I won't repeat it. I'll just ask you one question: is what he said true?"

Qin Siyuan said in a deep voice, "Of course it's not true. Please, Your Highness, allow me to explain." The Prince of Qi nodded, "Very well."

Qin Siyuan remained calm and composed: "It is true that I was enlightened by Young Master Nantang and opened my heart to poetry. At that time, I was invited by my cousin-in-law Lin Ziqi to visit Yuyuantan Park. During our conversation, we mentioned starting a poetry club. I have always felt ashamed of my inferiority in poetry. While lamenting this, I was fortunate to meet Young Master Nantang and receive his guidance. After visiting Yuyuantan Park, my poetry became very different from before. Therefore, Wu Juren's claim that I and Young Master Nantang were deceiving the world and stealing fame is a false accusation."

Just as Wu, the scholar, was about to speak.

King Qi said, "Wu, the scholar, produced a poem as proof, claiming that it was a poem you obtained before visiting Yuyuantan Park, written by the young master of Nantang. You made slight revisions and gained fame based on it. As a reward, the chief minister Qin and the Marquis of Dingbei's mansion promoted the young master of Nantang's talent. Do you agree?"

The crowd was in an uproar.

"What Scholar Wu is saying is that the Imperial Academy Chief Minister Qin married his daughter to the Marquis's family, and the Marquis's family used money to promote Qin Siyuan!"

"Qin Siyuan gained fame by borrowing the poem of the Young Master of Nantang, and then Qin Jijiu held a poetry contest at the Imperial Academy, promoting the Young Master of Nantang and Mr. Songshan. That's really brilliant!"

"If that's really the case, wouldn't we students without any backing be trampled underfoot by them? This is outrageous!"

Qin Siyuan remained calm and said loudly, "Of course I don't admit it."

Wu, the scholar, jumped up and down, pointing at him angrily and shouting, "How can you deny it? I took this manuscript from the book box by your bedside. It has annotations on it, including poems by the young master of Nantang."

Qin Siyuan sneered, "You, a scholar, actually do such petty theft; you have no morals whatsoever!"

Scholar Wu, his face flushed, said, "I did this out of necessity to seek fairness for all scholars in the world!"

Qin Siyuan said to Prince Qi, "Your Highness, Young Master Nantang did indeed have someone pass on a manuscript of poems to me before visiting Yuyuantan, so that I could figure out his methods of composing poems and selecting words. But I don't know if the manuscript that Scholar Wu presented was the original one that I received."

"Look, you yourself admit it happened, yet you still deny it!" Wu, the scholar, pointed triumphantly at Qin Siyuan.

The crowd was buzzing with discussion.

Qin Siyuan took two steps back in disdain and said, "Scholar Wu, please calm down. I do not agree with your accusation. I did not alter Young Master Nantang's poems to gain fame."

The claim that the Marquis of Dingbei's mansion and the Grand Master of Ceremonies promoted the talent of the Young Master of Nantang as a form of gratitude is utterly absurd.

The poems of Young Master Nantang and Mr. Songshan have long been published throughout the land, and anyone with eyes can see their talent. There is absolutely no need for the Marquis of Dingbei's mansion and the Grand Master of Ceremonies to promote them.

The manager of Shuhaige had searched for them countless times, but had never been able to find them.

If they want empty fame, why not seize this golden opportunity?

Wu, the scholar, sneered, "They're still being stubborn even when they're about to die. They want to curry favor with the Marquis of Dingbei's family and use their talents to enhance your reputation! Shuhai Pavilion has been in business for many years, but its owner has never entered officialdom; he's only a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), so naturally they look down on him."

Princess Fuyun couldn't help but shout, "Scholar Wu, although this is not a government office, we cannot lose the dignity of the royal family. Do not make baseless accusations."

Scholar Wu quickly shut his mouth.

A smile appeared on King Qi's lips as he glanced at Princess Fuyun.

The Ninth Princess urged, "Brother Qi, quickly have Qin Siyuan verify whether the poem that Scholar Wu brought out is the original."

She has already sent someone to find the Prince of Jin. If the Prince of Qi dares to favor the Qin family, he can’t blame the Prince of Jin for using him as a stepping stone, nor can he blame his mother for whispering in his father’s ear.

King Qi nodded, and a guard handed Qin Siyuan a stack of manuscript papers.

Qin Siyuan took it and frowned as he carefully examined it.

After a long pause, he said, "Your Highness Prince Qi, this is indeed the original manuscript sent by Young Master Nantang. After reading it, I carefully put it into my bedside book box and kept it as a treasure, intending to pass it on to my descendants in the future. I never expected that it would be stolen by Scholar Wu."

Wu, the scholar, took bribes without permission, behaved frivolously, and spoke recklessly. He fabricated charges against the school official without any evidence. We implore Your Highness Prince Qi to uphold justice.