The mistress just wanted to be bad, but she took off after being replaced

The sweet smile on Shen Xiner's face froze instantly, and she looked stiff and helpless.

Their carefully designed "Late Autumn" theme was ruthlessly exposed at this moment, revealing a fatal flaw.

Sheng Ruijiao was obviously confused by this sudden turn of events. She widened her eyes and looked confused: "What? There are no wheat ears in autumn?"

Sheng Junwei was not sure whether Concubine Sheng knew the season when wheat ears ripened, but she knew very well that the concubine who was deeply favored by the emperor must have extraordinary wisdom and insight.

If Concubine Sheng appeared in front of the emperor wearing such a gorgeous dress embroidered with summer wheat ears but labeled "late autumn", it would undoubtedly expose her lack of common sense about farming.

Si Qi said bluntly: "What I mean is that wheat ears belong to summer, and in the autumn fields, there are only golden corns."

Si Qi walked closer to Sheng Junwei, picked up the scissors and pointed them at the hem of her skirt.

The excess embroidery threads are peeled off one by one. They once tried to cover up the truth, but now they can only hang down helplessly.

Then she looked up at Sun Xiuniang and her daughter and said, "This skirt was originally embroidered with several corns with tassels of different shapes. When I learned that someone was trying to steal my masterpiece, I decided to outsmart them and cleverly changed the pattern to ears of wheat."

The covered threads should have been difficult to completely remove, especially to distinguish which were original works and which were later added, which was almost a seemingly impossible task.

However, Si Qi is no ordinary embroiderer. She is recognized as a top master in the industry with extraordinary memory and skills.

Therefore, although there are still faint traces of embroidery on the fabric after cleaning, it cannot in the least conceal the exquisiteness of the original pattern.

In comparison, although the original wheat ear pattern looks acceptable at first glance, it is obviously inferior to the corn in terms of craftsmanship and innovative design.

Si Qi turned his gaze to Lang Gu, his bright eyes seemed to be able to see through everything.

"Not only did they steal my work, they also tried to sell it at the viewing party. Aunt Lan, how do you plan to deal with this matter?"

Aunt Lan's face was pale at this moment, and her heart was like a raging storm.

For Yunjin Textile, the viewing banquet is not only a display of strength, but also a competition for reputation and status.

However, what Sun Xiu Niang did today was undoubtedly a serious blow to the reputation of Yunjin Textile.

Such behavior made Aunt Lan very sad, and also caused everyone present to instantly lose trust in Sun Xiu Niang and even Yunjinfang.

"Sun Xiu Niang, from now on you are not allowed to set foot in Yunjin Textile again!" A cold and stern shout burst out from Aunt Lan's mouth.

When Sun Xiuniang heard the voice, her body trembled violently and her face turned as pale as paper.

She fell to her knees in panic, tears welling up in her eyes, her voice trembling: "Master Steward, please forgive me this time! I really know I was wrong, and I will never do it again!"

However, facing Sun Xiu Niang's pleading, Aunt Lan's face was stern and there was no trace of pity in her eyes.

She chose to remain silent, letting Sun Xiu Niang's plea dissipate in the air.

At this moment, Sheng Junwei suddenly laughed softly, and that laughter seemed to contain some deep meaning.

"Sun Xiu Niang, maybe you can try to ask Madam Zheng Sanshao for help?"

Hope instantly rekindled in Sun Xiu Niang's eyes.

She crawled to the edge of Sheng Ruijiao's skirt, her eyes filled with tears, and begged, "Mrs. Zheng Sanshao, please, forgive me this time because I sincerely repent! I swear, I will change my past, start my life anew, and never do anything against my conscience again!"

When Sheng Ruijiao heard this, her delicate face twisted in an instant.

She has always carefully played the role of the embodiment of kindness, but now Sheng Junwei's words hit the nail on the head, touching the soft spot in her heart that she is most reluctant to show to others.

Sheng Ruijiao looked down at Sun Xiuniang, who was kneeling at her feet with a sad face. She wanted to kick her away to vent her hatred.

But with everyone watching her, she knew she had to maintain the mask of hypocrisy.

She took a deep breath, trying her best to suppress her inner anger, and put on a look of deep grief, her voice trembling slightly.

"Sun Xiu Niang, I really can't do anything about your problem. Fortunately, my brother-in-law has a unique vision and saw through the difference at a glance. Otherwise, your actions would have constituted the crime of deceiving the emperor. Not only will you be severely punished, but I will also be implicated because of you. The money used to buy your skirt..."

She paused deliberately, raised her hand and gently wiped the corners of her eyes, tears seemed to be flashing in her eyes: "I... really misjudged you!"

However, before her performance was fully launched, a graceful lady in the crowd suddenly interrupted and broke the delicate atmosphere: "Let's put aside Sun Xiu Niang's matter for now. The most important thing now is what to do with the dresses we have already paid for."

Another woman who also bid a high price for Sun Xiu Niang's skirt immediately agreed: "Of course I want a refund!"

When Sheng Ruijiao heard this, she was secretly delighted.

She had already made some plans about the money, but because of the image of a weak and innocent girl she had always portrayed, she was reluctant to take the initiative to start a dispute.

Now that someone has taken the initiative to propose it, it is undoubtedly exactly what she wants.

However, this joy did not last long. Sheng Junwei gently put down the teacup in her hand, her tone calm and long, but her words contained a power that could not be ignored.

"It is true that today's incident was caused by Yunjin Textile's negligence in its work, but Miss Siqi had already warned you about this, but none of you were willing to listen. Only Aunt Lan suggested suspending the embroidery banquet in order to find out the truth, but you regarded her reasonable proposal as insignificant just because she is a silver medal embroiderer."

"Now that the truth has been revealed, Si Qi is innocent, and Yunjinfang has done nothing wrong. Therefore, the money that has been paid should not be refunded."

Upon hearing this, Sheng Ruijiao's face instantly turned as dark as iron, and anger almost overflowed from his eyes.

She immediately realized her mistake, "How...how is this possible?"

She forced a smile and tried to sound calm: "You also said that this was just a mistake made by Yunjinfang..."

Sheng Junwei interrupted her coldly, her eyes burning with fire: "When Yunjinfang was willing to take responsibility for the mistake, it was you who obstructed Aunt Lan's investigation. Among them, you supported Sun Xiu Niang and firmly believed that the old gold medal embroiderer would never do such a despicable act as plagiarizing the work of a young girl."

"How can you easily blame others for the mistakes you made?"

She took a deep breath, her bright eyes flashing with a serious light, "Sister, don't forget that you are now the young lady of the Duke's Mansion. Your words and deeds affect the reputation of the entire Duke's Mansion."

Sheng Ruijiao felt a sudden tightness in her heart when she heard these words.

She was clearly aware that since the sweetness of the honeymoon period had gradually melted away, Zheng Yiyang's attitude towards her had undergone subtle changes.