I pinched my nose and took two steps back, a perfect expression of fear and innocence on my face. "Prince Wang, this is not my fault!" I turned to Uncle Zhang and said, "Uncle Zhang, why did the horse suddenly get startled just now?"
Zhang Bo's face flushed from stifling laughter. He replied seriously, "My dear Miss, this young man was so quick and shouting just now that he startled the horses."
I nodded and looked at Young Master Wang with a look of worry in my eyes. "Young Master Wang, are you okay? Why is this dung bucket sitting on the side of the road? It's so dangerous!" I said to Mo Zhu in a feigned caring manner, "Mo Zhu, please check if Young Master Wang is injured. Do you want to call a doctor?"
Mo Zhu burst out laughing and quickly covered his mouth: "Yes, Miss."
Prince Wang looked at my "caring" expression, then at the people around him, bent over with laughter, and felt a surge of anger rushing to his head. He let out a howl, not caring about his appearance at all, covering his face and running away, leaving behind a trail of dripping filth and a lingering stench. Seeing this, his followers also scattered, running faster than rabbits.
"Hahaha! Run away!"
"Go slowly, Prince Wang! Don't fall into the cesspool again next time!"
"The eldest daughter of the Xiangfu is truly amazing! Without even a single soldier, she made that bastard suffer a great loss!"
The people cheered in unison. I bowed to them and said, "Excuse me, everyone. But the accumulation of filth on the street is unsightly. I'd like to ask the village head to send someone to clean it up as soon as possible."
"Yes, yes, yes! Miss is right!" The headman next to her was already frightened to death and nodded quickly.
I said nothing more and, with Mo Zhu's help, boarded the carriage. Uncle Zhang whipped the horses, and the carriage slowly drove away. Through the gap in the curtains, I saw the old man selling candied haws giving me a thumbs-up. The people around him were also smiling and pointing.
Mo Zhu closed the carriage curtains and couldn't hold back any longer, laughing uncontrollably. "Miss... you're really... amazing! The way that young master Wang fell into the dung bucket... Hahaha! I'll never forget it!"
I took out a small mirror and looked at myself. Seeing that there was nothing on my face, I breathed a sigh of relief and couldn't help laughing. "Who told him to be so blind and go to such a 'good place'?"
"Miss, did you deliberately scare the horse just now?" Mo Zhu came closer, his eyes full of admiration.
I raised an eyebrow and smiled, neither admitting nor denying. "Warfare is all about deception. How can we teach this idiot a lesson without using some tactics?"
When the carriage reached the studio's entrance, Miss Li and Miss Zhang were already waiting. Seeing my carriage, they immediately came forward to greet me. Miss Li covered her mouth and laughed, "Sister Su, we heard it all! Was it Young Master Wang who was just messing around?"
Miss Zhang was excited: "Tell us quickly! Did you really throw him into the pit?"
I got off the carriage and shook my head in feigned resignation. "Don't mention it. All of a sudden, a drunk guy showed up out of nowhere, startled my horse, and ended up falling in by accident. It's really bad luck."
"Hahaha! Sister, stop pretending!" Miss Li took my arm and said, "The whole street heard that noise just now! You're really amazing! Now that kid from the Wang family can't even hold his head up in the capital anymore!"
We chatted and laughed as we entered the studio, the air thick with the scent of ink and paint. I selected a few wolf-hair brushes and azurite-green paints, mentally plotting my next move. Prince Wang was merely a clown; the real trouble lay in the prime minister's backyard.
When I returned to the Prime Minister's residence in the evening, my eldest sister, Su Qingyao, was already waiting in my courtyard. She couldn't help but smile when she saw me. "Good job, Su Jinli! You got Prince Wang into the cesspool right in the street—well done!" She handed me a cup of hot tea. "Father heard about it in the front hall just now. He said you were 'playing tricks,' but when he turned back to his study, the corners of his mouth almost curled up to the sky."
I took the teacup, and the warmth spread from my fingertips to my heart: "Eldest sister, this is just a small matter."
Su Qingyao snorted, "A small matter? Did you know that when Mrs. Liu heard about it, she smashed a set of teacups in her own courtyard? Also, my father asked you to go to the study tomorrow. He said he wanted to test your accounting skills."
Something in my heart moved me and I nodded. It seemed that my father was starting to truly support me.
Late at night, in the stillness of the night, I sat by the window, gazing at the crescent moon in the sky. Today's events were merely a warning to the enemy. I will settle the accounts of the Liu and Wang families, one by one. It's time for a change in the Prime Minister's residence.
Suddenly, a few soft bird calls echoed outside the window. I stood up and opened the window, only to see a gray sparrow perched on the window frame, a small scroll of paper tied to its claws. I untied the paper and unfolded it. On it was the handwriting of my father's trusted secret guard: "The Wang family's gambling debts have been settled. Madam Liu handled this, and it's related to Liu's dowry account."
I held the note to the candle flame and lit it, watching it turn to ashes. A cold smile slowly curled up at the corner of my mouth.
Liu, I finally found your weak spot.
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