"Oh! Auntie has fainted!" Shen Weiwan pretended to exclaim, "Quick! Call a doctor!"
Watching Liu being carried back to her room by the servants, the smile on Shen Weiwan's face gradually faded, and she winked at Chuntao: "Go, deliver this letter to the Seventh Prince."
Chun Tao took the letter and saw Shen Weiwan's beautiful handwriting on it: "Thank you for the gift, Your Highness. I am very touched. But in my opinion, Your Highness should send her directly to work at the laxative factory in Beijing. She will definitely be able to make full use of her strengths and benefit the people."
In the study of the Seventh Prince's Mansion, Xiao Yu read Shen Weiwan's reply and couldn't help laughing out loud, almost dropping the white porcelain teacup in his hand. The black-clad guard standing nearby curiously poked his head in: "Your Highness, what interesting thing did Miss Shen reply again?"
Xiao Yu raised the letter, his eyes filled with a deep smile. "She said I should send Liu to run the laxative factory, to ensure the business thrives."
The guard's face flushed from trying to suppress his laughter: "Miss Shen is truly... hilarious."
"More than humorous," Xiao Yu stood up and walked to the window, gazing towards the west wing of the General's Mansion with a meaningful smile on his face. "She's dying to expose Liu's greed and air it out in the sun." He paused, then asked, "Is there any movement from the Second Prince?"
"Your Highness," the guard said solemnly, "The Second Prince's residence is making extensive purchases for his coming-of-age ceremony. They've reportedly prepared a number of rare treasures from the Western Regions, and have even consulted the Imperial Astronomical Observatory to select an auspicious time for the royal temple."
Xiao Yu sneered, tapping the window lightly with his fingertips. "Want to use Chen Ruorou's coming-of-age ceremony to make a fuss? Notice that the King will also go to the Royal Temple to pray tomorrow."
"Your Highness, aren't you most disgusted by these temples and monasteries?" The guard was a little surprised.
"It's a different time now," Xiao Yu said, his lips curled up slightly, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes, "Someone is going to put on a big show, and I have to go and support it, and by the way... watch the fun."
When Shen Weiwan returned to her courtyard, Chuntao couldn't help but ask curiously, "Miss, why is His Royal Highness the Seventh Prince so nice to you? He gave you croton seeds and helped you, and he even joked with you like this."
Shen Weiwan picked up an obsidian chess piece and gently placed it on the board, making a crisp sound. "He just thought it was fun." Even so, she knew in her heart that the Seventh Prince's repeated assistance was not simply because it was "fun." Recalling her own tragic fate of freezing to death in the snow in her previous life, and then looking at the Seventh Prince's silent assistance in this life, her fingertips tightened slightly around the chess piece, and an indescribable ripple rose in her heart.
"Miss," the old housekeeper hurried in, a look of confusion on his face, "Liu has woken up. I heard she threw all the croton seeds in the storeroom into the manure pit in the backyard and smashed several pieces of porcelain."
"Throw it away?" Shen Weiwan raised an eyebrow, a sly smile on her lips, "Tell her it's a shame to throw it away. Ask someone to go to the backyard to pick up the croton seeds, dry them, and sell them to the medicine shop in the west of the city. You can even get a few taels of silver to supplement the family income."
The old housekeeper was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter: "Young Miss, this is a great idea! It will let her know that wasting food will bring divine punishment."
After the old housekeeper left, Shen Weiwan looked at the black and white chess pieces on the chessboard and fell into deep thought. Although the Seventh Prince's cart of croton was funny, it was like a wake-up call, reminding her that the Second Prince and Liu would never give up. The upcoming coming-of-age ceremony was bound to be a tough battle.
"Chun Tao," Shen Weiwan suddenly spoke, her voice calm but with a hint of sharpness, "Go and get my mother's red gold hairpin."
Chun Tao was stunned for a moment, then understood what was happening. She quickly took out a dazzling hairpin from her makeup box. The phoenix, crafted from pure gold, was lifelike, and the pearls inlaid on its tail feathers shone with a warm luster in the sunlight.
"Miss, you want to..." Chuntao was a little confused.
"I can't let Sister Ruorou steal the spotlight at the coming-of-age ceremony, can I?" Chen Weiwan picked up her hairpin, her fingertips gently brushing against the phoenix's wings, a cold glint in her eyes. "Not only will I go, but I'll also dress up beautifully and show everyone who is the legitimate eldest daughter of the general's mansion."
As the night deepened, Shen Weiwan sat before the mirror, the red-gold hairpin reflecting the candlelight. Remembering how her aunt had used this hairpin in her past life, leading her to commit a grave mistake, a fire of revenge ignited in her eyes. But she quickly took a deep breath, suppressed her surging emotions, and a cold smile curled her lips. In this life, she not only wanted to protect her mother's legacy, but also to make all those who had hurt her pay the price.
Meanwhile, in the Seventh Prince's residence, Xiao Yu was looking at the gradually crumbling secret report in his hand. It clearly stated the Second Prince's plan to frame Shen Weiwan for having an affair with a man from outside the royal temple. He stared at the flickering candlelight and whispered softly, "Chen Weiwan, I want to see how you take this fatal blow."
The next morning, Chen Weiwan received a reply from the Seventh Prince. On the letterhead were only eight large characters that could be seen through the paper: "Tomorrow at the temple, this prince will protect you."
Looking at these eight words, Shen Weiwan's fingertips holding the letter paper felt slightly hot, and a piece of ice in her heart seemed to melt quietly. She knew that what could truly protect her was ultimately the chips in her hands and the wisdom in her mind, but the Seventh Prince's undisguised protection made her feel a rare warmth on the cold road of revenge.
"Chun Tao," Shen Weiwan stood up, her eyes gleaming with confidence, "dress up for me. Today we are going to the Royal Temple. I want everyone in the capital to see clearly who will have the last laugh!"
Chun Tao looked at the light in her young lady's eyes and nodded vigorously, her heart filled with admiration. A grand drama centered around the coming-of-age ceremony was about to begin, and the cart of croton seeds sent by the Seventh Prince was just a hilarious interlude in this drama. Shen Weiwan knew that the real challenge was yet to come, but she was ready. In front of the public at the royal temple, she would completely tear off the hypocritical masks of Liu and the Second Prince, bringing them to ruin and eternal damnation.
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