Henkeng grabbed the ring and ran away. He turned back and made a face at the door, and gold dust fell off the stone. The emperor picked up the stone and examined it carefully. The gold dust fell off, revealing the dusty gravel. He was so angry that he blew his beard and glared: "Well, Wan'er! You three have teamed up to trick me! This stone is clearly picked up from West Street!"
Chen Weiwan clapped her hands and laughed, saying to the stunned students, "Did you see that? This is the essence—the eyes must be sincere, the tone must be firm, and the right amount of 'physical evidence' must be used!"
The old beggar quickly drew circles on the torn notebook, his missing front teeth leaking out: "Dean, can I use this trick to trade for two meat buns with the bun shop owner?"
"Of course!" Shen Weiwan smiled brightly, "Remember to tell him with tears in your eyes that your mother is seriously ill, and then shake the stone in front of his eyes. It will definitely work!"
The emperor was so angry that he pounded the stone table, but he couldn't help laughing. "Alright! You're awesome! But 30% of the bonus must be sent to the Imperial Study tomorrow. If you're even a tael short, I'll send an imperial censor to impeach your academy for 'misleading students'!"
Five days later, at a morning court session, the emperor triumphantly pulled out his "golden bean" for his ministers to see. Just as he lifted it mid-air, the gold dust fluttered down his sleeve, revealing the dusty gravel beneath. The entire courtroom, civil and military officials, blushed with suppressed laughter. The Left Censor-in-Chief coughed and fell to his knees, "Your Majesty, this is... a rare stone from outer space, radiating a gilded glow. I have never heard of such a thing before..."
The emperor was furious and returned to the harem when the empress dowager hit him on the head with a whisk: "You old fool! You're trying to steal business from your grandson's wife, you deserve to be ripped off! I told you before, Wan'er is ten times more devious than you!"
Shen Weiwan melted 30% of her profits into pure gold and had a silversmith forge two hollow golden gourds, adorned with tassels, which she hung around Kengkeng and Wawa's necks. Kengkeng touched the cool golden gourds and waved them at Wawa, saying, "Sister, the emperor's money could buy a basket of candied haws. We could have Fatty Wang from East Street deliver them to us every day!"
Wa Wa spun around holding the golden gourd, and Liu Su swept across Kang Kang's face: "We have to buy the biggest one, so that the emperor will drool over it and beg us to give him half!"
Xiao Yu stood in the corridor and watched his children playing. He said helplessly to Shen Weiwan beside him: "You even dared to plot against our father. Next time, I'm afraid you will take the throne home and use it as a decoration."
"This is called royal cooperation!" Shen Weiwan raised her eyebrows and wiped the gold powder off his collar with her fingertips. "Besides, didn't you see that every time the emperor comes here, he smiles like a naughty boy? It's much more interesting than in the court."
Sure enough, the emperor frequently visited the academy as a "teaching staff." He even personally inscribed a plaque: "Royal Certified Scamming Academy," and specially had the word "scam" (scam) framed in gold foil. The people of the capital composed a new ballad, and children clapped their hands as they sang: "The old emperor loves business, and he's invested in the Scamming Academy. He's traded gold beans for a jade ring, and three generations of grandparents are delighted!"
Half a month later, at dawn, a thin mist enveloped the corner gate of the Prince's Mansion. Li Xiu stood limping before the door, his arms clutching a half-empty basket of rotten, worm-eaten apples. His fingers nervously scratched the edge of the bamboo basket, his cuffs patched and patched until they were shiny. When Shen Weiwan opened the door, he was so frightened that he nearly dropped the apples. He stammered, "Dean Shen... Dean Shen, I... I want to thank you."
"What are you thanking me for?" Shen Weiwan looked at his tanned face, which looked thinner than the last time they met.
"Thank you for not cheating me again." Li Xiu lowered his head, his Adam's apple rolling. "I work odd jobs at the bun shop on West Street. The owner saw that I was honest and let me take care of the accounts... Although it's tiring, I can sleep well every night and don't have to hide from my debts anymore."
Kengkeng ran out with breakfast in his hand. Seeing Li Xiu, Kengkeng pulled out two golden beans from his pocket and stuffed them into his hand: "Uncle Li, these are for you. Buy some buns. The kind with the most meat!"
Li Xiu pinched the cold golden beans and looked at the children's innocent smiles. His turbid tears dripped onto the rotten apple, making a small dent in the peel. "Thank you... Thank you, Your Highness... I wish you... I wish your academy will continue to prosper..."
Shen Weiwan watched Li Xiu limp away. The morning sun stretched his shadow long, and his trouser legs were still stained with last night's dew. She whispered to Xiao Yu beside her, "Look, sometimes letting go of someone you've cheated on is more reassuring than cheating them. He's living like a human being now."
Xiao Yu put his arm around her shoulders, watching the plaque "Royal Certified School of Tricksters" gleam in the morning mist. The shadow of the pomegranate tree cast on the blue brick road, swaying gently in the breeze. He knew that within Shen Weiwan's "trickster" wisdom lay a clarity more precious than political schemes—not all enemies needed to be trampled underfoot; sometimes letting them go was a way to save both others and oneself.
This prince's mansion, brimming with laughter and the hustle and bustle of everyday life, would always be her strongest support. Here, she could bring her family and continue to live a life of retribution, using her devious wit to the fullest. It was so refreshing!
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