Chen Weiwan laughed so hard that she fell backwards, pointing to the bottom of the bed: "Your Highness, I have prepared a 'surprise' for the bridal chamber!" Several packets of bright yellow powder appeared under the bed. There were little people scratching their ears and cheeks drawn on the wrapping paper. It was the "Beauty Itch" itching powder.
Xiao Yu held his forehead and sighed, "I finally understand why my father said he wanted to set up a 'pit prevention office' in the palace." He suddenly put his arm around her waist, the candlelight reflecting a flickering light in his eyes. "But... even with your quirky nature, you're more endearing than all the rare treasures."
Outside the window, the night watchman struck the third watch. The laughter of the patrol guards drifted in, mixed with a newly composed rhyme: "The bride's veil glitters, making the scumbag cry out for her mother..." Shen Weiwan pressed herself against his chest, suddenly remembering this moment in her past life, curled up in a leaky sedan chair in her tattered wedding dress. And now, the mutton-fat jade "Trickster Token" at her waist poked at her. The man beside her cupped the back of her hand, his fingertips rubbing the knuckles scarred by needlework in her past life.
The next morning, sunlight streamed into the bridal chamber through the carved window lattices. Chuntao stumbled in, clutching a stack of gilded invitations, her hairpin tucked behind her ear. "Miss! Invitations from all the noble ladies in the capital have arrived! The Imperial Tutor's wife even sent ten pounds of spicy peanuts as a gift!"
The top post featured a lotus pattern, and the Taifu's wife's handwriting in small calligraphy read: "I've heard that the Seventh Imperial Concubine's veil reflects light beautifully. I'd like to ask for your advice. Could you please tell me where the mirror was polished? I'm enclosing ten pounds of Western Region Seven-Star Peppercorns as a token of my appreciation." A playful note was also attached to the edge of the post: "Also seeking the recipe for spicy peanuts. I want to give them to my old friend next door."
Chen Weiwan raised an eyebrow and tapped the edge of the post with her fingernails. "Looks like my 'School of Tricksters' has to be officially launched." She looked at Xiao Yu, who was playing with his self-defense mirror. The reflected light made him squint. "Your Highness, how about we start a 'Reflection Technique Crash Course'? Tuition will be in chili powder."
Xiao Yu put down the mirror, scraped the tip of her nose, and dabbed some pearl powder on his fingertips. "Okay, but the tuition fee is calculated by the kilogram. The minimum amount of Western Region Seven Star Pepper is ten kilograms. If you don't have enough, you won't be allowed to enter."
The two smiled at each other, the sunlight gilding their clasped hands and illuminating the scattered spicy peanuts on the table. On the streets of the capital, children clapped their hands and sang a new rhyme: "The bride's veil glitters, making the wicked woman cry out for her mother. The prince blushes uncontrollably, and the palace rejoices every day!" Little did anyone know that this couple, skilled at tricking others, would soon stir up even greater turmoil within the palace, and that Shen Weiwan's "miracle of light reflection" would become a legend feared by all those with ill intentions.
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