The capital, this bustling, bustling, ever-changing ancient capital, has always been a hub for the gathering and dissemination of news. The news that the Duke's son had been kicked out by Jiang Nianli, like a sudden, torrential downpour, instantly spread across every corner of the capital. From the teahouses and taverns lining the streets to the pavilions and towers of the mansions, people were discussing this novelty with relish.
Upon hearing this news, Prime Minister Su was both surprised and delighted. He sat upright on the armchair in his study, his fingers gently stroking his beard, a subtle smile flickering in his eyes. After a moment's reflection, he gently patted the table and summoned his trusted secret guards.
The secret guard appeared quietly like a ghost, knelt on one knee, and waited for Su Xiang's instructions. Su Xiang lowered his voice and said, "You, go to the Jiang Mansion immediately and find out the truth of this matter. You must find out the whole story clearly and make no mistakes." After receiving the order, the secret guard disappeared into the study in a flash.
Not long after, the secret guard returned and respectfully reported to Prime Minister Su: "Prime Minister, according to my investigation, the young lady did kick the prince three meters away with one kick. The momentum was even more powerful than that of the young marquis back then!" As the secret guard spoke, he gestured to describe the scene at that time, his face full of amazement.
Upon hearing this, Prime Minister Su couldn't help but burst into laughter, his laughter echoing throughout the study. "Great! Nianli is so good, she really takes after her mother!" Su Xiang's eyes were filled with satisfaction and pride, as if he saw the heroic woman of yesteryear. After laughing, he pulled a silver note from his sleeve, handed it to the secret guard, and said, "Go buy the young lady some fine knives. Don't let her keep holding that toy knife and lose her dignity." The secret guard took the silver note and left again, receiving his orders.
Meanwhile, Su Qingyao also heard about her sister's "feat." She had always doted on her quirky, lively sister, and upon hearing this, a strange thought welled up in her mind. So, she carefully selected a box of her newly developed "chili red" rouge and excitedly went to the Jiang residence to visit Nian Li.
Su Qingyao entered the Jiang residence and headed straight for Nianli's boudoir. Nianli was sitting at her dressing table, fiddling with her hair idly. Su Qingyao smiled as she walked into the room, handed the rouge box to Nianli, and said, "Nianli, I heard you kicked out the prince of the Zhenguo Duke. You looked so impressive! I brought you a box of my newly developed 'Chili Red' rouge. Next time before you hit someone, put this rouge on and kick them beautifully. That would be truly impressive!" As Su Qingyao spoke, she opened the rouge box, gently took out the rouge, and waved it in front of Nianli.
Nian Li looked at the box of rouge, her brows furrowed slightly, a hint of disdain showing through her eyes. She took the box and said helplessly, "Sister, what I want is a good bow and arrow, something that will allow me to show off my skills in the martial arts field, not this rouge." Nian Li's eyes revealed her desire for the bow and arrow. In her heart, those delicate rouges were far less practical than a sharp bow and arrow.
Su Qingyao gently tapped Nianli's forehead and said with a smile: "If you need a bow and arrow, go ask your father. As your sister, I will be responsible for teaching you how to become more beautiful. A woman should be good at fighting and beautiful. This is called being both civil and martial. Come, sister will help you draw your eyebrows first." As she said that, Su Qingyao picked up the eyebrow pencil and gently drew eyebrows for Nianli.
Si Yan, who was standing by, overheard their conversation and became curious. He put down the abacus he was fiddling with, leaned over, stared at the box of rouge, and began to calculate seriously: "Sister, this rouge costs two taels of silver, but it sells for five taels, so the profit is a full 30%. How about this, give me a 10% share? I can also help you with ideas to expand this rouge business." Si Yan's eyes flashed with a shrewd gleam. In his view, anything can be transformed into a business opportunity.
"Go away," Su Qingyao waved her hand and said angrily, "Don't make trouble here and don't delay me from teaching your sister to be beautiful. Don't get involved in this rouge business." Su Qingyao continued to concentrate on drawing eyebrows for Nianli, as if she was carving a precious work of art.
At this moment, Jiang Yan happened to pass by Nianli's boudoir. He heard the laughter in the house and couldn't help but stop and look in through the window. He saw Su Qingyao concentrating on drawing Nianli's eyebrows. Nianli looked helpless but seemed to enjoy it, while Si Yan was chattering about the rouge business. Jiang Yan looked at this scene, sighed helplessly, pushed the door open and walked in, and said: "You two sisters, one teaches people to beat people, and the other counts on making money. If Nianli can't get married in the future, it will all be your fault." Jiang Yan's tone was full of ridicule and doting for his family.
"It's better if you can't get married," Su Jinli walked in with a smile on her face, carrying a plate of exquisite snacks. "Stay at home and be my bodyguard, so I can look impressive when I go out." Su Jinli placed the snacks on the table, picked up a piece, handed it to Nianli, and said, "Baby, try some of the snacks I made. They're fresh out of the oven and smell so good."
Nianli took the snack, took a bite, and a satisfied smile appeared on her face: "Well, the snacks made by mother are still the best. But mother, I don't want to be a bodyguard. I want to do something big like father." There was a determined light in Nianli's eyes, and the seeds of dreams had already been planted in her heart.
Jiang Yan looked at his daughter and said with a smile, "Okay, Dad believes in you. But don't just think about doing big things. As a girl, you still need to pay attention to your image. Don't wield swords all day long like a tomboy."
"Dad, you don't understand this," Nianli put down the snacks in her hand and said seriously, "What era is it now? Girls can have their own ambitions and make a name for themselves. What's more, I can wield swords and spears, and maybe I can defend my country in the future." Nianli became more and more excited as she spoke, as if she could already see herself looking heroic on the battlefield.
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