The early summer cicadas chirped through the gnarled locust branches of the General's Mansion when the ground beneath the grape trellises in Xiefang Courtyard was bathed in golden sunlight. Bunches of unripe, bluish-purple grapes swayed gently in the light that filtered through the leaves. Shen Weiwan reclined on a chaise longue covered with nine-curve cushions, poking a gilded fork at a chilled watermelon on a white porcelain plate. The sunlight refracted the red soil in tiny rainbow patterns. Suddenly, hurried footsteps echoed outside the moonlit gate. Chuntao ran in, leading a guard with askew armor. The guard was a trusted aide to Xiao Yu's household. His helmet was askew, and a streak of mud stained his bronze breastplate.

"My dear lady!" the guard knelt on one knee, his voice filled with heavy panting after a trot. "Your Highness sent me to report at full speed—Lin Wanrou has been captured in the dilapidated temple next to the orphanage! Caught red-handed!"

"Puff—" Chen Weiwan's silver fork slammed into the white jade melon dish, splashing a few drops of bright red juice. She blinked, her long eyelashes casting fan-shaped shadows under her eyelids. Suddenly, she remembered the funny story Xiao Yu had told her in the carriage three days ago: "Wasn't she busy gluing chicken feathers to the pigskin raft and researching the 'flying patent'? How did she get so naughty that she ended up in the ruined temple?"

The guard pulled out an oilcloth bag from his bosom, still stained with fresh mud. "His Highness asked you to go to the Imperial Clan House and take a look. This is the 'treasure' they found in Lin Wanrou's purse."

Chen Weiwan unfolded the oilcloth, revealing a half-filled bag of dark brown powder. It emitted a strange odor, a mixture of sulfur and rotting garlic, which made her wrinkle her nose. Next to it lay a piece of coarse linen paper, on which was written in crooked handwriting: "Bribe the young palace maid, administer ginseng soup and strong medicine, and pay one hundred taels of silver upon completion." The signature was a "Lin" (Lin) drawn like a pig's head, the last stroke a crooked little tail. Her fingertips tapped the mother-of-pearl-inlaid table edge, the gilded armor scratching against the wood grain. "Chun Tao, prepare the carriage! Let's go to the clan government office to see a 'good show.'"

The black iron gate of the Imperial Clan House gleamed coldly in the midday sun, the rust on the knocker like dried blood. Seeing the Seventh Prince's fiancée, the two jailers hurriedly unbolted the door. The rattle of chains echoed through the gloomy corridor, startling bats nesting in the beams. Chen Weiwan, her moon-white skirt lifted, walked through the damp corridor. Moss grew wildly in the cracks of the stone in the corners, making it slippery underfoot. The air was filled with the smell of mold and the faint scent of feces, mixed with the faint moans from afar.

In the innermost cell, Lin Wanrou huddled on a pile of blackened straw. Her prison uniform was three inches too short, revealing ankles covered in dirt and grime, with dark red scratches running down her trouser legs. Her hair was a tangled mess, like a bird's nest, a few wet strands clinging to her sweaty cheeks. Seeing Shen Weiwan, she suddenly lunged at the iron bars like a mad dog, her nails scraping against them with a harsh sound. A half-broken jade bracelet clung to her wrist, visible from the cuff of her prison uniform. "Chen Weiwan! You vicious woman! You bribed the guards to frame me! You picked up that drug powder on the road!"

"Oh?" Chen Weiwan shook the oilcloth bag in her hand, the powder rustling in it. "Did you pick up this note on the road? The handwriting on it is exactly the same as the silver note you gave to the kitchen errand boy last month, even the curves of the hooks and strokes are the same." She paused and deliberately raised her voice. "I heard that you also drew a piglet as a monogram on the silver note. Why is the pig head more vivid on the note that hurts people?"

Lin Wanrou's face instantly turned pale as paper. She suddenly screamed and pounded the railing, making the iron bars buzz. "It was Xiao Yu! He must have forced me to do this! He coveted the patent for my improved Flying Pig Raft and wanted to silence me!"

"Patent?" Chen Weiwan laughed so hard she fell backwards, holding onto the porch pillar to steady herself. The hem of her moon-white skirt swept across the water stains on the ground. "Your bad idea of ​​sticking chicken feathers on the pigskin raft is worthy of being called a patent? I'm afraid the old sow in the pigpen has influenced your brain and made you treasure your bad idea, right?"

Before he finished speaking, Xiao Yu arrived from the end of the corridor, fanning himself. His moon-white uniform shone like a ray of moonlight in the dim light, the twelve emblems of the jade belt around his waist gleaming faintly. He was followed by two burly guards, carrying a half-man-high cypress food box, a few fresh croton leaves stained the lid. "I heard someone wanted to try the 'detoxification and beauty package,'" Xiao Yu raised an eyebrow, unfurling his folding fan. The four cursive characters "Cheating People Tired" appeared faintly on the fan. "I've specially asked the imperial kitchen to prepare some 'pure natural supplements.'"

The moment the food box was opened, a rich aroma of beans mixed with the smell of earth hit her face - inside was a basket full of golden crotons, each one as plump as a golden bean, shining in the sun. Shen Weiwan's eyes lit up, and she leaned over to smell it, her fingertips almost touching the beans: "Your Highness, is this for Miss Lin's 'intestinal cleansing and detoxification'?"

"Of course." Xiao Yu picked up a croton seed with the handle of his fan and tossed it between his fingertips. "Isn't Miss Lin good at giving medicine? This croton seed is a 'pure natural laxative' certified by the Imperial Hospital. Three pounds a day will ensure that you feel comfortable all over and get rid of all the bad water in your stomach." As soon as he finished speaking, the guards poured the entire basket of croton seeds into the cell with a "clatter". The yellow beans rolled on the straw, scaring Lin Wanrou so much that she stepped back repeatedly, and the straw made a "crunching" sound behind her.

Lin Wanrou looked at the rolling croton seeds, her pupils suddenly constricted, and she screamed as if she had seen a ghost: "I won't eat it! You are torturing the prisoners! I will report this to the emperor!"

"Abuse?" Chen Weiwan squatted down, picked up a croton seed, and tossed it between her palms. The sunlight shone through the iron window onto the bean, reflecting the cold light in her eyes. "Why didn't you think of the word 'abuse' when you put arsenic in my ginseng soup? Now I'm letting you taste the laxative. It's a bargain for you." She suddenly stood up and patted the straw scraps on her skirt. "Oh, by the way, this croton seed is a carefully selected 'Xie Li Ting' variety. The Imperial Hospital has reserved it specially for you."

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