Shen Weiwan raised her head and met his deep eyes, which reflected her appearance and full of seriousness. She sniffed and teased him deliberately: "Propose marriage? Then you need to prepare ten boxes of roast duck as a betrothal gift!"
"I'll give you twenty boxes." Xiao Yu smiled, "and I'll send the roast duck chef from the imperial kitchen to you."
The two men smiled at each other, and the carriage rumbled across the bluestone road, leaving behind laughter and joy along the way.
At that moment, in the Liu residence, Madam Liu was cursing at the rose pot that had been delivered. The nanny knelt on the ground, sobbing and recounting what had happened when she was caught by the Seventh Prince.
"Waste! You can't even handle such a small matter!" Liu was so angry that she threw the vase. "That little bitch Chen Weiwan, and Xiao Yu... I will make them pay!"
Shen Ruorou said timidly: "Mother, there will be a palace banquet tomorrow, why don't we..."
"Shut up!" Liu interrupted her, "This time I found a 'master' who will make Shen Weiwan look foolish in front of the emperor!" A fierce look flashed in her eyes, "Even if it costs my life, I will destroy her!"
A new storm was brewing quietly behind the palace banquet. But Shen Weiwan was not afraid, because she knew that no matter what tricks Liu played, she had Xiao Yu by her side and a belly full of "sand sculpture poems" as weapons.
The next day at the palace banquet, Shen Weiwan wore the pomegranate red dress Xiao Yu had given her and followed him into the banquet hall. As soon as she sat down, she heard Liu say in a sarcastic tone, "Oh, Miss Shen, you're wearing such a gorgeous outfit today. Who are you trying to steal the limelight from?"
Shen Weiwan blinked and pretended to be surprised: "Aunt, don't you know? Red is used to ward off evil spirits, especially those with a 'black heart'!"
The entire room was filled with guests trying to suppress their laughter, and Liu's face turned green with anger. The Emperor, however, laughed heartily: "Minister Shen is right! Come, give Miss Shen a seat!"
Liu watched helplessly as Shen Weiwan sat beside the Seventh Prince, her teeth itching with hatred. Then, her "expert"—a self-proclaimed poet—stood up and said, "Your Majesty, I've heard Miss Shen is a master of 'wonderful poetry,' and I'd like to exchange a few words with her!"
The emperor looked at Shen Weiwan with interest: "My dear Shen, are you willing to accept the challenge?"
Shen Weiwan stood up and smiled brightly: "Your servant obeys your order. I wonder what this gentleman wants to compare?"
The sour scholar stroked his beard and said, "How about writing a seven-character poem titled 'Autumn Chrysanthemum'?"
Liu smiled proudly. The seven-character regulated verse emphasizes the balance of rhythm and parallelism. She didn't believe that Shen Weiwan's crude doggerel could compare to it!
Chen Weiwan was unhurried and cleared her throat: "Autumn chrysanthemums are blooming everywhere, and Liu was stunned when she saw them. She wanted to pinch the flowers, to cheat, but ended up getting bitten by a bee. Ouch, it hurt so much that she cried out, ouch, ouch!"
As soon as this "poem" came out, the whole room was silent, and then burst into laughter. The emperor laughed so hard that he slapped his thigh, while Liu was so angry that she trembled all over and pointed at Shen Weiwan, unable to speak.
The sour scholar's face turned pale: "You...you are writing a crooked poem!"
"What's wrong with a crooked poem?" Chen Weiwan raised an eyebrow. "If it can make the emperor happy and be liked by the people, then it's a good poem! Unlike some people who only show off their knowledge and have bad intentions!"
"Good!" the emperor applauded loudly, "Lord Shen is right! Reward!"
Seeing that her conspiracy had failed again, Liu was so angry that her eyes went dark and she almost fainted. Shen Ruorou hurried to support her, but she pushed her away: "Get out! It's all because of you, a waste!"
The palace banquet ended with laughter. Shen Weiwan followed Xiao Yu out of the palace, and the moonlight shone on them.
"Weiwan," Xiao Yu stopped, "that poem just now..."
"Isn't it wonderful?" Shen Weiwan raised her eyebrows proudly.
"It's wonderful." Xiao Yu looked at her with gentle eyes, "but I like you more."
Shen Weiwan's heart began to beat wildly again. She lowered her head and saw that Xiao Yu had a brocade box in his hand.
"This is the betrothal gift I give you," Xiao Yu opened the box. Inside was a red gold hairpin inlaid with dazzling gems. "It's more beautiful than your mother's. Do you like it?"
Shen Weiwan looked at Buyao, then at Xiao Yu's serious face, and nodded vigorously, but couldn't help but tears fell.
"Silly girl," Xiao Yu wiped her tears, "Why are you crying?"
"I'm happy!" Shen Weiwan sniffed, "I'm happy to meet you, happy to marry you!"
Xiao Yu smiled and inserted his hairpin into her hair: "Then tomorrow, I will ask for your hand in marriage and let the whole capital know that you, Chen Weiwan, are my princess!"
The two smiled at each other. Under the moonlight, everything seemed so beautiful. Meanwhile, in the distant Liu Mansion, Liu was still throwing things hysterically. She knew she had completely lost to the "silly" legitimate daughter she had once looked down upon.
The people of the capital city had a new jingle: "The Seventh Prince, scheming, abducted the talented woman Shen Weiwan. Liu was angry, Ruorou cried, and the whole city laughed out loud!"
Shen Weiwan listened to the laughter outside the window, leaning in Xiao Yu's arms, feeling an unprecedented sense of peace. She knew that her good days had just begun. And those who had bullied her would eventually pay the price for their actions. In this life, she not only wanted to survive, but also live beautifully and wonderfully, letting everyone know that she, Shen Weiwan, was not to be messed with!
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