Chapter Ten: Luoning Sang Falsely Accused, Part Two

No one believed her—not even the teacher, not a single soul.

“What evidence do you have to accuse her of cheating? Making baseless accusations without proof is slander. And you, as an educator, you jump to conclusions based solely on hearsay,” came a voice before the man himself appeared.

Everyone turned toward the voice, and the teacher was the first to recognize the newcomer.

With a thud, he knelt and greeted loudly, “Present for His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince!”

The students behind him suddenly seemed to awaken from a daze, bowing hastily with heads lowered in unison.

The teacher scurried over to the Crown Prince, bending low with a face full of ingratiating smiles.

“I was unaware of His Royal Highness’s arrival; please forgive my lack of preparation,” he said, like a begging dog wagging its tail.

“I was passing by with nothing to do and heard some commotion inside, so I came to take a look,” the Crown Prince replied calmly, hands clasped behind his back, his gaze involuntarily fixed on Ning Sang. Concern filled his eyes.

In truth, he had come out of the palace today specifically to check on Ning Sang’s exam results.

He had noticed how diligently his sister had been studying day and night for the imperial exams. If she truly ranked in the top ten, he was determined to celebrate properly.

But as he reached the doorway, he heard the noisy disputes within. Listening carefully, he realized his sister was being bullied like this, and a fierce anger flared within him.

“Without any evidence, Ning Sang is rightfully seventh place,” the Crown Prince declared, his stance clearly supportive.

“Even the Crown Prince cannot show such bias. Ning Sang cheated—there’s no way someone could jump from near the bottom to seventh place in just a few days,” Xiao Xiao said defiantly, though fear stirred in her heart.

The Crown Prince was momentarily at a loss, unsure how to respond to Xiao Xiao’s words. Just then, Mo Wu pushed through the crowd.

Mo Wu admired his master’s foresight; he had prepared all this evidence early on, anticipating the princess might be falsely accused.

The Crown Prince took the seating chart of the exam hall from Mo Wu, who whispered details into his ear. Straightening immediately, he pointed to the chart, analyzing the sightlines and blind spots.

Ning Sang’s seat was fully exposed—every move under the vigilant eyes of the proctors.

With a cold snort, the Crown Prince said, “With such strict surveillance, how could there be cheating?”

“Your Royal Highness, the bet was just a joke among students, not to be taken seriously. Sister Ning Sang has been working hard lately—we’ve all seen it. Her results are genuine,” Shen Shuwan stepped forward softly, her voice gentle and persuasive.

Dressed in a pure white gauze gown, graceful and poised like a snow lotus blooming atop a mountain, her demeanor was cool yet gentle. Her words defended Ning Sang while generously urging others not to dwell on the bet, offering Xiao Xiao a graceful way out. Anyone hearing would praise her tact and subtlety.

But Ning Sang sneered silently in her heart, coldly scoffing: Shen Shuwan is just good at playing the saint. When I was wrongly accused, where was she to stand up for me? Now that my brother has come to back me, she jumps out to show off.

“What do you mean ‘not to be taken seriously’? If I don’t make the top ten today, you, Shen Shuwan, would surely take the bet seriously, right? Ha... Your little friend lost and calls it a joke. Didn’t she even ask the teacher to witness the bet, with the loser kicked out of the academy?” Ning Sang crossed her arms, chin raised, unapologetically retorting. Her eyes burned with stubbornness—today she was determined to see Xiao Xiao expelled, freeing herself from annoyance.

“No, Sister Ning Sang, you misunderstood me. If you had lost today, I would have persuaded Xiao Xiao. We are all classmates; the bet was only to encourage each other to improve,” Shen Shuwan’s eyes glistened with tears, large drops rolling down her cheeks. Her pitiful expression stirred sympathy among many men present, who cast her tender glances.

Seeing her brother’s helpless expression, Ning Sang rolled her eyes in frustration. The Crown Prince looked so flustered he could barely walk, practically wanting to rush over and wipe Shen Shuwan’s tears.

“Miss Shen, please don’t cry. Since this is a misunderstanding, let’s just drop the bet,” the Crown Prince waved a large hand impatiently, his mind occupied with his sister’s grievances, eager to end the matter and disperse the crowd.

Ning Sang snorted coldly and turned to leave, her heart heavy with both grievance and anger, her steps quick and forceful.

Seeing this, the Crown Prince hurried to wipe the sweat from his brow and chased after her, calling, “Ning Sang, wait...!”

“Brother Ze’an, what is the relationship between the Crown Prince and Sister Ning Sang? The Crown Prince clearly stood up for Sister Ning Sang today,” Shen Shuwan wiped her tears and quietly asked Xiao Ze’an, her eyes following the fleeing Ning Sang and the chasing Crown Prince.

She knew perfectly well that today’s incident required uncovering their true connection. She suspected Ning Sang had somehow entangled the Crown Prince, securing his support.

Xiao Ze’an frowned slightly, his expression cool but quietly thinking Ning Sang must be feeling deeply wronged now. He wondered if the Crown Prince could soothe her.

Xiao Ze’an was certain Ning Sang had not cheated—her seventh-place finish was entirely her own.

On exam day, he had deliberately sat beside her, expecting she might ask for help.

But to his surprise, Ning Sang never glanced at him once, focused solely on her own answers.

Though her handwriting remained ugly, her answers were all correct.

When did Ning Sang become so formidable? She was not as superficial as she appeared.

Xiao Ze’an found himself increasingly unable to understand her, which only drew him closer, eager to learn more.

Curiosity is the beginning of all affection—that was precisely part of Ning Sang’s plan.

Men were like this: the less control they had over something, the more they wished to conquer it.

Every move in Ning Sang’s game was unfolding exactly as she had envisioned.

“Brother Ze’an, are you listening?” Shen Shuwan nudged him.

“I don’t know the relationship between the Crown Prince and Ning Sang. As to what exactly it is, I cannot say carelessly,” Xiao Ze’an replied after a moment’s pause.

Even knowing they were siblings, he dared not reveal her true identity.

“That Ning Sang must have hooked up with the Crown Prince; otherwise, why would he come to our academy and take her side?” Xiao Xiao said, arm linked with Shen Shuwan’s, clearly dissatisfied.

“That Ning Sang is shameless, chasing after Lord Xiao and now cozying up to the Crown Prince,” another girl sneered.

“The Crown Prince is so noble; she’s just a servant girl trying to climb above her station. I think she’s only good enough to keep the Crown Prince warm at night, not worthy of him,” another voice mocked.

“The only one worthy of the Crown Prince is our Miss Shen—both beautiful and talented,” yet another chimed in.

“Right, I saw the Crown Prince’s eyes secretly watching Miss Shen just now,” the girls grew more outrageous.

Shen Shuwan listened proudly, convinced she was the unrivaled woman worthy only of the finest man.

She felt a flutter for the Crown Prince’s exalted status, but Xiao Ze’an better fit her expectations.

After all, Xiao Ze’an was the legitimate son of the Grand Tutor’s family, unmatched in looks and talent throughout Yan Chi Kingdom. Such a man suited her far more. The Crown Prince, apart from his status, was hard to accept.

“Stop talking nonsense, I... I won’t listen to you anymore,” Shen Shuwan shyly buried her head on Xiao Ze’an’s shoulder, looking delicate and dependent.

Xiao Ze’an wrapped his arm around her and led her through the crowd, escorting her out of the academy.

Meanwhile, Ning Sang stormed along angrily, with the Crown Prince close behind, struggling to catch up. Finally reaching out, he grabbed her sleeve.

“Princess, slow down, please, don’t be angry!”

“Lo Shaochen! You disappoint me so much. At first, you stood up for me, and for a moment I was touched—then you showed your true colors. Can’t hold your tongue in front of a beauty, huh?” Ning Sang yanked her sleeve free, face full of fury.

“Don’t follow me anymore. This isn’t over. I don’t expect help from you—I’ll handle it myself,” she snapped, unable to swallow her bitterness. She had been bullied, and when someone finally backed her up, they failed her.

“My dear sister, I admit my mistake. I swear next time I’ll stand firmly by your side, not wavering even a bit,” the Crown Prince held up three fingers, swearing by the heavens.

“There won’t be a next time. You’re so fickle. When Shen Shuwan sheds a few tears, you cling to her like glue,” Ning Sang said sarcastically, eyeing him up and down.

“I... I...” Lo Shaochen scratched his head awkwardly. Shen Shuwan did make his heart flutter.

“Didn’t I tell you? Shen Shuwan is a fake, full of pretense and hypocrisy, a green tea bitch. Stay away from her. She and Xiao Ze’an belong together forever!” Ning Sang said, frustrated at how to make her foolish brother see reason.

“Got it, got it,” the Crown Prince replied carelessly.

“I have some errands to run, so don’t follow me.”

Seeing she couldn’t persuade him, Ning Sang planned to let Lo Shaochen see Shen Shuwan’s true colors at the right time, so he would give up.

“Sister, whatever you want to do, I can accompany you. I’ve finished all my studies today and purposely saved time to be with you,” the Crown Prince said, having left the palace early and unwilling to return so soon, now sticking close to his sister for a stroll.

“I want to have a jade pendant made,” Ning Sang said.

A few days ago, her father had given her a fine piece of jade. She had been longing to carve it into a pendant to give Mo Youli.

Whether in her past life or this one, Mo Youli had been so kind to her, and she sincerely wanted to express her gratitude.

After the exam yesterday, she even drew the design herself and today planned to take the jade to the workshop.

“Father gave you that piece of jade?” the Crown Prince leaned in, incredulous.

That raw stone was a rare treasure accidentally discovered by the imperial astronomy bureau. When cut open, it revealed a crystal-clear, pure jade of exceptional quality.

Lo Shaochen had asked the emperor for it several times but was always denied—never expecting his sister to receive it.

“Want it?” Ning Sang toyed with the jade in her hand.

“Sister willing to give it to me?” The Crown Prince’s eyes sparkled.

“Indeed, Your Royal Highness, please look at my shabby clothes; I am hardly worthy of such a precious thing,” Ning Sang teased, patting her sleeve, revealing a slightly faded cuff.

Though teasing, the Crown Prince truly felt sorry for his sister. What kind of meager life was she living? Yet, he recalled she withdrew a large sum of silver monthly from the bank, so her life could hardly be so impoverished.

“Sister, don’t be stingy with yourself. If the monthly silver isn’t enough, just tell me. I’ll find a way to help,” Lo Shaochen said, pulling out a handful of silver notes—the last of his money. Used to luxury, he didn’t have much cash on hand.

“You remind me—Father’s silver has fattened the entire Grand Tutor’s household for years. It’s time for a change,” Ning Sang said.

She loved Xiao Ze’an, offering him everything.

Because the emperor had designated the bank, Ning Sang could withdraw silver using the emperor’s token, though with monthly limits. Still, the amount she withdrew was enough to live lavishly.

Before, she was naive and gave the token directly to Xiao Ze’an, so most of the Grand Tutor’s household expenses were paid from the bank account. The small amounts Xiao Ze’an gave Ning Sang were carefully saved.

The Grand Tutor’s wife had even said that Ning Sang’s clothing and living expenses all came from the Tutor’s household, so she rarely needed silver herself. Having too much silver on hand was even unsafe.

The Grand Tutor’s household had large monthly expenses and needed money everywhere, so it was natural for the Grand Tutor’s wife to use Ning Sang’s silver.

Because the emperor’s daughter was raised there, he occasionally sent gifts worth thousands of gold. The Grand Tutor’s wife was never stingy, often using small amounts of silver to appease Ning Sang, claiming it was to train the princess.

“Sister, all these years the silver has gone into the Grand Tutor’s pockets? This is outrageous! I must report it to Father and have him punish that family!” Lo Shaochen fumed, furious that his sister had suffered so much.

“No need to report to Father. I have my reasons. I only need you to help me with something,” Ning Sang said.

Even if she told the emperor, the silver was willingly given to Xiao Ze’an. Besides, this was not how her plan was meant to unfold.

“Tell me, sister. No matter the danger, I will do it without hesitation!” Lo Shaochen almost beat his chest in vow.

“No need for danger—just tell Father...” Ning Sang whispered something in his ear, a meaningful smile curling on her lips.