Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 218 Exposed
"Your copy of the 'Wang Qing Tie' from twenty years ago was absolutely amazing!"

"It's just a pity that Master Weishan hasn't produced any new works in recent years."

"that is……"

More and more people below shouted towards Weishan, and at the same time, Yu Daru's face grew increasingly stiff. Seeing the situation was turning sour, their son, Yu Dalang, quickly went up on stage to try and take his mother down.

At the same time, he couldn't help but complain under his breath.

"Mother, today is Father's big day. What are you doing showing up like this? If anything goes wrong, wouldn't it ruin the discussion that Father has been preparing for so long? You should go downstairs first. Isn't it better to take care of the housework than to show your face in public? Although you are getting old now, it is still not good for you to show your face in public. Don't forget about your granddaughters. If there is no good family tradition, how will they get married in the future?"

The women of Weishan turned their heads to look at their own children, their eyes somewhat dazed. Why were their children treated differently, even though they were all their own?
Her daughter was so clever, quick-witted, and understanding. But this son had never been close to her since childhood, or rather, he had learned from his father to despise women. In his eyes, she was not his mother at all, but more like his servant, used to enhance his reputation when needed, and only fit to manage household chores when not.

Wei Shan had always been a gentle person, especially towards her own son. She was willing to be lenient with him. But now, she finally realized that her leniency hadn't been appreciated at all; instead, this rebellious son had taken it all for granted. Exploiting his own mother, sister, niece, and even his own daughter had become perfectly normal to him.

But how can this be taken for granted? All people in this world are born equal.

"Come here, get closer, even closer."

Yu Dalang was initially impatient, but in front of so many people, he couldn't show his impatience to his mother, so he could only move closer as instructed.

But the next moment, Weishan slapped him hard across the face! She used so much force that Yu Dalang staggered a few steps, feeling dizzy and with ringing in his ears.

For a moment, Yu Dalang thought he couldn't hear anymore. When he came to his senses, all that remained in his mind was a buzzing sound.

"You unfilial son! Do you really think you're some extraordinary talent who can disrespect your own mother?!"

"I... I have never disrespected you."

Weishan slapped him again, silencing him completely, before calmly speaking in front of everyone.

"Over the years, which of your calligraphy or paintings has become famous? The only one that has been passed down through the ages is 'Elegy for My Sister,' but did you write it? In front of all the students in the world, would you dare to admit that you wrote it? If you really wrote it, why did you only write one manuscript of such literary talent? Although there is a suspicion that you have run out of ideas, is it really possible for someone to only write one manuscript that has been passed down through the ages in their entire life?"

"Buzz!" The room erupted in chaos as students discussed amongst themselves, hardly believing their ears. What had they just heard? Had Yu Jia Dalang's literary reputation all these years been deliberately built up?
This must be true, right? If it were false, why would the people of Weishan bring it up so openly in front of so many people? After all, Yu Dalang is her biological son!

However, if the "Elegy for My Sister" wasn't written by Yu Dalang, then whose work was it plagiarized? For writers, the most abhorrent thing is having someone else ghostwrite or plagiarize another's work. Especially a manuscript like this, capable of being passed down through the ages—it's enough to secure a place in history! Who would willingly give away something so important? Could it have been obtained by force?
Yu Dalang stared at his mother in disbelief. He was her own son! Did she really have to expose this in front of all the students in the world? How could he face anyone from now on? Could he still be an honest and upright scholar?

"If you all remember, that 'Elegy for My Sister' was full of emotion, but it didn't seem like a brother mourning his sister. My poor daughter was already an adult when she passed away. The longing for her and the imagined image of her in the article are because the person who wrote it had never seen my daughter's face. The reason you all find it strange is because the person who wrote this article was my poor granddaughter!"

"And this article was precisely the one that Yu Dalang tricked her into giving him!"

This was a huge hole, and the people couldn't believe their ears. They could only ask for help from those around them again and again.

"Did I hear that right? The Master of Weishan personally exposed Yu Dalang's true colors? It turns out that the famous 'Elegy for My Sister' wasn't written by him; he tricked his own niece into writing it. How could a grown man have the nerve to do such a deceitful thing!"

"No, I'm completely baffled. Wasn't the Yu family known for its excellent upbringing? Wasn't their deceased daughter a paragon of virtue and chastity? Wasn't it said that even the Second Prince spoke highly of the Yu family?"

"Who knows if the deceased Yu family woman committed suicide willingly! To be honest, there are indeed many suspicious points about what happened back then. What mother would willingly abandon her newborn daughter to follow her husband in death? That child was her own flesh and blood. Moreover, after her husband's death, shouldn't the wife raise their only child and watch her grow up, get married, and have children of her own?"

"Now that you mention it, I do feel like something's not quite right... Wait, do you guys remember the Yu family's granddaughter, the one who made headlines a while ago for attempting suicide by hanging, but was miraculously saved?"

"Of course I remember. Didn't the Second Prince praise her for her chaste and virtuous character in front of all the civil and military officials?"

"Do you think that woman did it willingly?"

"There's no point in us guessing all this. How can hearsay compare to real, concrete evidence and witness testimonies?"

The people of Weishan were too lazy to pay attention to their son who kept tugging at their sleeves. They just turned to look at Yu Daru, who was preparing to make a move against them, and gave him a cold smile.

"I knew you'd try to harm me. Trying to do it in front of so many people is truly laughable. You, surnamed Yu, do you think I've forgotten you? You killed my own daughter, and just a few days ago you almost strangled my only granddaughter! Your reputation all these years has been built on their corpses and blood! How does it feel to be praised by others? Do you remember telling everyone that you're a shameless scoundrel who would use the lives of your own children and grandchildren as a ladder to climb the social ladder?!"

(End of this chapter)