Shen Weiwan looked at the servants lined up in a row, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. Xiao Yu was determined to play the "digging a hole" trick to the end. She waved her hand to let the servants go to rest, and turned around to see the old housekeeper come in with a letter.

"Miss, this is..." the old housekeeper said with a strange expression, "We found it in Liu's room."

The letter was written in the Second Prince's family's handwriting and contained a simple message: "Regarding the birthday banquet, proceed as planned. This prince will make all the arrangements."

Shen Weiwan pinched the letter paper, her knuckles turning white. As expected, the Second Prince was standing behind Liu! She was wondering how Liu could have the courage to fight her, but it turned out that she had the Prince's support.

"Butler," Shen Weiwan said with sharp eyes, "inform everyone that starting tonight, they must step up their guard. Also, check the account book again, especially the expenses related to the Second Prince's Mansion."

"yes!"

In the dead of night, Shen Weiwan sat by the window, her golden hoe polished to a shine. The Seventh Prince's "off-field support" remained a mystery, and the Second Prince's involvement further complicated the situation. She picked up her pen and wrote a third letter to the Seventh Prince: "The trap is already dug, waiting for the prey to fall into the trap. Your Highness, will you come to watch the ceremony?"

This time, the Seventh Prince's reply arrived quickly, and it still contained eight words: "I brought my own melon seeds and will sit in the front row."

Chen Weiwan couldn't help but smile as she read the letter. Whatever the Seventh Prince's intentions, with him around, at least the Second Prince wouldn't dare go too far. She put the golden hoe into a secret compartment, pulled out the blue cloth account book, and used fluorescent ink to draw a larger smiley face next to the words "Five hundred taels of silver for Chen Ruorou's coming-of-age ceremony."

On the day of the birthday banquet, the Forbidden City's Hall of Supreme Harmony was resplendent with gold and jade. Shen Weiwan, dressed in a brocade gown, stood out among the other noble ladies, like a crane among chickens. Shen Ruorou, wearing a new dress bought with Liu's pawned jewelry, was even paler than the dress itself, and she kept scratching her neck.

"What's wrong with Miss Shen Er?" The noble lady next to her covered her mouth and laughed secretly, "Could it be that she has some strange disease?"

Shen Ruorou was filled with shame and indignation, but she could only pretend to be calm. Liu was sitting not far away, staring at Shen Weiwan intently, her eyes almost spitting fire.

At this moment, the Seventh Prince Xiao Yu walked in with a group of princes. His eyes fell directly on Shen Weiwan, and a playful smile appeared on the corner of his mouth. The Second Prince beside him frowned and glanced at Liu.

The Queen Mother arrived, and everyone bowed. The birthday banquet began, with singing and dancing, and clinking glasses. Shen Weiwan, holding a wine glass, seemed to casually walk over to Liu.

"Aunt," she whispered, "look at my brocade. Is it beautiful?"

Liu gritted her teeth and said, "Beautiful! Like father, like daughter, just as ostentatious!"

"Really?" Shen Weiwan smiled innocently, "Then look at this glass of wine in my hand. Does it look like the military pay you withheld back then?"

Liu's expression suddenly changed: "What nonsense are you talking about!"

"I'm talking nonsense," Shen Weiwan leaned close to her ear, "The Queen Mother will know when she sees the account book. Oh, by the way," she pointed at Shen Ruorou, "doesn't the rash on your cousin's neck look like it was pricked by grass? It's the same as the one at the Spring Banquet."

Liu suddenly looked at Shen Ruoruo and saw that she was secretly scratching her neck. Sure enough, there was a red rash! She suddenly remembered that Shen Ruoruo's new dress was bought with the money she pawned her jewelry. Could it be...

"You plotted against me!" Liu screamed, attracting the attention of people around her.

"Aunt, be careful with your words," Shen Weiwan took a step back, a wronged expression on her face, "I'm just concerned about my cousin."

At this moment, the old eunuch shouted loudly: "Your Majesty, the General's Mansion has sent a birthday gift--"

Everyone looked and saw the old butler walking forward with a brocade box in his hand. When they opened it, they saw that there was not gold, silver or jewelry inside, but a blue cloth account book!

"How dare you!" The Second Prince immediately stood up. "How dare you use an account book as a gift at a birthday banquet? How disrespectful!"

The Empress Dowager raised her hand to stop him, signaling the old butler to present it. She put on her reading glasses and flipped through the account book, her expression growing darker the more she looked. When she came to the page that read "Chen Ruorou's coming-of-age ceremony: five hundred taels of silver," the smiling face in the fluorescent ink stood out against the candlelight.

"Liu," the Queen Mother said coldly as she closed the account book, "what else do you have to say?"

Liu collapsed to the ground, her face ashen. Shen Ruorou screamed and fainted. The Second Prince's face turned ashen, but he didn't dare to lose his temper in front of the Queen Mother.

Shen Weiwan stood in the crowd and saw the Seventh Prince raise his glass to her with a smile of approval in his eyes. She also raised her glass and responded from a distance.

The birthday banquet ended in a bad mood. When Shen Weiwan walked out of the Forbidden City, the Seventh Prince's carriage stopped at the palace gate.

"Miss Shen," Xiao Yu lifted the carriage curtain, "I haven't finished my melon seeds yet, would you like to join me?"

Shen Weiwan looked at the teasing in his eyes, smiled and shook her head: "No, I have to go back to deal with the 'garbage'." She was referring to Liu who was taken back to the general's mansion.

"Alright," Xiao Yu lowered the curtain, "Remember to return the golden hoe to me. I need it... to dig a hole."

The carriage slowly drove away. Shen Weiwan stood there, gazing at the bright moon in the sky. The Seventh Prince's "off-field support" had indeed not disappointed her. Next, it was time to deal with Liu and the Second Prince. She touched the golden hoe in her sleeve, a confident smile playing on her lips.

The drama in the capital has just begun, and she is destined to be the most dazzling protagonist.