With only one day left until the wedding, the bronze bells of the general's mansion tinkled in the draft. Magpies fluttered their wings from the sycamore trees, casting the morning light across the red silk floor. Shen Weiwan tiptoed in a circle, the ninety-nine golden phoenixes on her wedding dress shimmering with her movements, and the pearl tassels swept across the blue brick floor, making a delicate, crisp sound.

"Miss! This is bad!" Chun Tao slammed open the carved wooden door, shaking the jasmine flowers in her bun to the ground. "Liu... Liu brought Shen Ruorou over the wall! The guards at the back door said they bribed the jailer in the west of the city!"

Chen Weiwan slowly and methodically tightened the heart-shaped knot around her waist, her fingertips tracing the lines of the mutton-fat jade "Trickster Token." The cool touch made her lips curl upwards. The dressing box snapped open, revealing a row of small celadon bottles. She picked up a jade bottle inlaid with rose crystal and gently shook it. "You've arrived just in time! I've just developed my new 'Peach Blossom Drunk,' and I'm still worried about testing it for poison... er, on a test subject."

The old butler rushed in, leaning on a jujube-wood cane. The account books rustled in his trembling hands, his gray beard quivering like a reed in the autumn wind. "My lady! Liu has brought a dozen ruffians with her, holding torches and saying they want to...burn all the dowry!"

"Burning the dowry?" Shen Weiwan's eyes suddenly lit up. The phoenix tail feathers on her wedding dress swept across the dressing table, knocking over the glass jar of itching powder. "She probably doesn't know that the red box in the third row of the warehouse contains a lot more than just silk—" She winked at Chuntao, "Go and get the 'surprise gift package' we prepared for our distinguished guest. Remember to bring the fake snake that can scream."

The front yard was already in chaos. Liu, wearing a faded, coarse shorts, her hair a tangled mess, the torch in her hand casting a ferocious, terrifying light on her face. "Chen Weiwan! You've robbed the general's estate, and you still want to marry the Seventh Prince in grand style? Dream on! Even if I die, I'll take you with me!" Beside her, Shen Ruorou was even more disheveled, her prison uniform patched upon patched, with straw from the prison smudged between her fingernails. But her eyes still shone with venom.

"Aunt, have you just returned from training at the acrobatic troupe?" Shen Weiwan walked out gracefully, waving a round fan, the pearl tassels on her wedding dress jingling with every step. "Aren't you afraid of straining your waist with such a difficult stunt as escaping the prison? Be careful that when you get to the King of Hell, he'll think you're too fragile!"

Liu rushed forward, torch in hand, but was stopped by the guard Chang Ge. She was so angry that the torch nearly burned her hair: "Little bitch! If you hadn't said such nonsense in front of the emperor, how could I..."

"Stop!" Chen Weiwan suddenly leaped onto the stone steps, her jade bottle drawing a silver arc in the morning light. "Auntie, don't be impatient. You look so dusty and dirty, how can you be worthy of ruining the place? Come, try the 'Peach Blossom Beauty Powder' I specially prepared. It will definitely make you more beautiful than the others!"

The moment the pink powder dispersed like smoke, Liu suddenly started coughing violently. "A-choo! A-choo!" She reached out to rub her itchy face, but the chili powder on her hand caused more red spots on her face. "What...what did you mix in it?"

"Nettle leaves as the base, chili powder for flavor, and some itchy grass for a kick." Shen Weiwan leaned close to her ear, her warm breath scented with jasmine, "Specially developed for your aunt's mouth that loves to distort right and wrong. I guarantee you'll be tickled for three days and three nights until you doubt your life~"

Seeing this, Shen Ruorou tried to slip away, but Chuntao and four sturdy maids stopped her. Shen Weiwan shook the fake straw snake in her hand, the firefly wings pinned to its head glowing faintly in the dark: "Cousin, don't go! I've prepared a cute little glowing one!" The moment the fake snake was precisely stuffed into Shen Ruorou's sleeve, her shrill scream almost lifted the eaves of the house.

"Snake! There's a snake! Help!" Shen Ruorou ran around the yard, the hem of her prison uniform caught on the rockery, revealing her patched trouser legs. The servants watching were so stifled in laughter that their faces flushed red. Some couldn't help themselves and turned away, their shoulders twitching.

Liu looked at her daughter's ugly appearance and trembled with anger: "Chen Weiwan! Don't be so proud! I have already sent someone to..."

"Boom!" A sudden explosion echoed from the backyard, sending thick smoke, tinged with a pungent aroma, soaring into the air. The old butler stumbled over, holding the charred account book, his eyebrows singed. "Oh no! Liu's men were trying to burn down the warehouse, but they ended up setting fire to the young lady's stockpile of 'Western Region Fireworks Powder'!"

Shen Weiwan slapped her forehead, but a cunning look flashed in her eyes: "Oh, I forgot to remind them - although the box says fireworks powder, it is actually seven-star pepper powder with three times the spiciness." She turned to the guards and ordered, "Quick! Give wet towels to the people who are fighting the fire, and don't let them open their eyes!"

At that moment, the sound of horse hooves approached from afar. Xiao Yu, riding his snow-white horse, came galloping towards him, his moon-white robe rustling. As he dismounted, he happened to see a yard full of weeping scoundrels. Some rolled on the ground, rubbing their eyes, while others hugged trees and sneezed violently.

"Weiwan, are you holding the first chili powder tasting conference in Beijing?" Xiao Yu walked closer, waving a folding fan, his eyes sweeping over the jade bottle in her hand that was still smoking.

"Your Highness, you've arrived just in time!" Chen Weiwan immediately grabbed his sleeve, and the gold thread on her wedding dress wrapped around his jade belt. "My aunt insisted on performing the 'Burning the General's Mansion' drama, and I was worried about not having professional judges." She nodded at Liu, "Look, the red dots on her face are so festive, doesn't it look like she's pasted baby's breath on her face in advance?"

Xiao Yu lowered his head and chuckled, his warm breath brushing against her head: "I think we should let the Jingzhao Yin rate this farce." Just as the words fell, the sound of gongs and shouts of "Get out of the way! Arrest the wanted criminal!" came from afar.

Liu panicked, dragging the still-trembling Shen Ruorou to her escape, only to be surrounded by the guards' spears. Shen Weiwan, waving her "Trick Token," stepped forward and pulled out several oil-paper packets from her sleeve. "Auntie, don't be in such a hurry to leave! I've prepared a 'farewell gift pack'—croton powder and honey. If you're hungry on the way back to the prison, drink this. It's guaranteed to be more effective than a laxative!"

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