"You say that you visited over thirty monks to stitch the characters longevity and prosperity in a scroll but why can't sister provide any evidence?" Ye Shin Ah asked innocently.
"I know that sister must had found it hard to present a birthday gift after me, but saying just empty words in order to curry favour in the eyes of others is simply disgraceful and ruins the honour of the Ye family residence." Ye Shin Ah said pitifully and the guests began to murmur.
"The young Miss is right." said a male scholar in the crowd.
"Besides, is gold silk wrapped thread so easy to find that the the young Miss would have enough for all thirty monks to stitch three characters into a scroll?" asked a noble woman, and the minister of Revenue, Ye Shin Ye's father slammed his hand on the table before him.
"Ye Shin Ye, explain yourself!" Ye Shin Ye's father demanded.
Kneeling down with her hands in front of her face in a half bow, Ye Shin Ye said "Father as you know, my maternal mother's adoptive brother is a general at the border. Getting things like golden silk thread is easier at the border so why would I, Ye Shin Ye, lie for such a petty reason as wanting to stand out." pitifully and some guests began to agree with her.
"It is a well known fact that the adoptive brother of the previous Mrs Ye is indeed a general at the border." said a male scholar.
"And the gold silk trap thread is rarely found in all of Da Xia region but it's occasionally seen at the border." said a noble woman.
"Something is amiss here." a male scholar declared and everyone began to murmur in agreement.
Trying to control the atmosphere once more, Ye Shin Ye said "Then could it be that sister lost the scroll?" in an innocent tone.
"Sister has always been careless and does things half hazard way so it's possible that she lost the scroll and created this ruse as an attempt to cover it up." Ye Shin Ah said innocently and Ye Shin Ye got up in anger.
"How dare you?" Ye Shin Ye asked in rage.
"You and I both know that I am neither careless nor half hazard and that embroidery piece that you so easily passed of as yours, proves it." Ye Shin Ye said in anger before covering her mouth like she had just made a mistake.
"She didn't make the embroidery piece?" the crowd murmured in shock.
"Nonsense." the old madam said as she rushed to protect Ye Shin Ah.
"Ye Shin Ah is a hard working girl and would never steal someone's work." the old madam said in her grand daughter's defense.
"Ye Shin Ye explain yourself!" Ye Shin Ye's father demanded and Ye Shin Ye knelt down immediately.
"Father, it was never my intention to bring this to your knowledge but days before grandmother's banquet, Ye Shin Ah came to my living quarters to beg me to hand over my embroidery piece to her because she lacked talent in embroidery and wanted to impress grandmother." Ye Shin Ye said with her eyes focused ahead to show confidence.
"As the first daughter of the Ye family I was raised from a very tender age to be magnanimous so I gave her the embroidery piece without anything in mind but little did I know that my little sister would turn around to spoil my name." Ye Shin Ye said pitifully and the crowd began to mutter.
"Father," Ye Shin Ah said as she knelt down also.
"Don't believe her lies." Ye Shin Ah said desperately.
"Ye Shin Ah has always been upright and distanced herself from anything unruly so why would I claim a work is mine when I didn't do it." Ye Shin Ah said as tears filled her eyes.
"Ye Shin Ye!" Ye Shin Ye's father said with gritted teeth as he slammed his hand on the desk before him.
"Just when I think you have changed, you turn around and spit on my face by framing your sister on a day such as this?" Ye Shin Ye's father asked in disappointment.
"Frame?" muttered the guests.
"Sister I know you don't like me because you believe I am trying to take your place but I am your sister." Ye Shin Ah said as she stressed the word sister pitifully.
"Why can't you let me go?" Ye Shin Ah said as tears began to drop from her eyes.
"As an older sister how could she do this to her younger sister on a day like this?" guests began to mutter.
"What a vicious daughter." muttered a male scholar.
"The first daughter of the Ye family sure is scheming." a noble lady said and Ye Shin Ye raised her head.
"Sister claims she did this work by hand?" Ye Shin Ye asked Ye Shin Ah and Ye Shin Ah quickly nodded.
"Ye Shin Ah grew up in the countryside but Ye Shin Ah still tried her best to embroid this piece for grandmother even after pricking my fingers day and night." Ye Shin Ah said pitifully as she showcased the bandages on her finger.
"What a filial child." guests muttered.
"Shame on the eldest daughter for wanting to ruin her hard work." said a male scholar.
"Whether Ye Shin Ye is telling the truth or not, father will know if he simply turns to the back of the embroidery piece." Ye Shin Ye said calmly.
Not believing her words but turning around the embroidery piece for the sake of it, Ye Shin Ye's father turned to the back of embroidery piece only to see the name "Ye Shin Ye" boldly stitched into the artwork of the embroidery piece.
"Explain yourself!" Ye Shin Ye's father demanded as he threw the embroidery piece at Ye Shin Ah's feet and Shen Xiatang materialized.
"Is the interesting part finally here?" Shen Xiatang said as she weaved her way towards Ye Shin Ye.
"I thought that I might have died from boredom from the prelude." Shen Xiatang said with a cruel smile.