Xiao Yu pondered for a moment, then suddenly reached out and held her hand on the stone table. The warmth of his palm came through his fingertips: "This king thought you came first."
Shen Weiwan was stunned: "Me?"
"Well," Xiao Yu looked into her eyes, his expression so serious that her heart skipped a beat. "It was only after I had a quirky little girl like you that I realized that mountains of gold and silver are nothing but fleeting clouds, and even the most talented people are not as interesting as you."
Shen Weiwan's heart was beating like a drum. Just as she was about to retort, a noisy shoving sound suddenly came from the front yard. Chun Tao hurried in, not even having time to adjust her skirt: "Miss! Liu is here with Li Xiu, saying that she wants to solve the puzzle herself!"
Shen Weiwan sneered and patted the melon seed shells on her hands: "You came just in time." She stood up, straightened her clothes, and winked at Xiao Yu, "Your Highness, let's watch the show."
In front of the general's mansion, Liu dragged the lame Li Xiu into the crowd, her sharp voice cutting through the clamor: "Chen Weiwan! You little bitch, get out of the way! Master Li is here to solve the puzzle!"
Shen Weiwan stood by the railing on the second floor, looking down at them with a smile on her lips: "Oh? Which problem does Mr. Li want to solve?"
Li Xiu straightened his back, trying to appear polite, but his nervousness made him stutter. "Of course, it's 'which came first, the chicken or the egg?'" He cleared his throat, trying to recall the sage books he'd read. "I think the chicken came first! The Book of Rites says, 'The chicken represents good fortune.' Auspicious things should be given priority..."
"Wrong!" Shen Weiwan interrupted him in a clear voice, "The old hen in my chicken coop laid three eggs yesterday. Why don't you turn a chicken into me?"
Li Xiu's face flushed red as he argued, "Then... the egg came first! Without the egg, where would the chicken come from?"
"Wrong again!" Chen Weiwan waved her round fan and smiled slyly, "Eggs are laid by chickens, and chickens are hatched by eggs. So, tell me, who laid this first egg?"
The people around burst into laughter. Someone pointed at Li Xiu and shouted, "Look at his limp. I'm afraid the puzzle is too difficult for him!" Li Xiu was so angry that his face turned pale, and his limp became more obvious unconsciously. Liu quickly tried to smooth things over, shouting in a shrill voice, "Oh, Master Li was just nervous for a moment! Shen Weiwan, don't embarrass him. Tell him the answer to the puzzle quickly!"
Shen Weiwan chuckled softly and deliberately dragged out her tone: "The answer? It's very simple——" She looked around and her voice was as clear as a bell, "First there was someone who wanted to marry me, then there was this whole house full of mysteries!"
Xiao Yu had stood beside her on the second floor without her noticing when, and continued, "For example, this king."
Everyone exclaimed in surprise, and Liu and Li Xiu's faces turned pale in an instant. Shen Weiwan looked at the smile in Xiao Yu's eyes, her heart sweet, but she said: "Your Highness is talking nonsense again!"
Xiao Yu stepped forward, calmly placing himself in front of Shen Weiwan. His gaze swept over Liu and Li Xiu with a cold look. "Liu, Li Xiu," he said in a low voice, yet it carried an undeniable pressure. "Is it your turn to dictate what the general's daughter does?" He paused, his tone even colder. "If you dare to bother me again, I wouldn't mind treating you to a cup of cold tea in the Ministry of Justice's jail."
Liu was frightened by his eyes and she dragged the equally trembling Li Xiu away in a hurry amid the laughter of the people. The onlookers burst into warm applause, praising Shen Weiwan for her cleverness and the Seventh Prince for his affection.
As the sun set, the crowd in front of the gate gradually dispersed, leaving only a few sour scholars arguing under the tree. Shen Weiwan looked at Xiao Yu's back, thinking of the tragic situation in her previous life when Liu and Li Xiu had jointly plotted against her. Now she could watch them flee in despair with a smile, and her heart was filled with mixed emotions.
"What are you thinking about?" Xiao Yu turned around, and without knowing when, a piece of crystal osmanthus cake appeared in his hand, which he handed to her.
Shen Weiwan took the cake and whispered, "I was thinking... Fortunately, I have you."
Xiao Yu chuckled and reached out to ruffle her hair, his movements natural and intimate: "Silly girl."
Chun Tao watched from the side and smiled secretly. Her young lady had finally found someone who could protect her from the wind and rain.
In Xiefang Courtyard, Liu smashed the last jade bottle, leaving the floor in a mess. Shen Ruorou asked timidly, "Mother, what should we do now?"
Liu stared at the debris scattered across the floor, a sinister glint in her eyes. "What should I do? I don't believe I can't defeat that little bitch!" She raised her head sharply, "Go! Prepare a sedan chair for me! I want to go to the palace to see the Queen Mother!"
Shen Ruorou was startled: "Empress Dowager? Mother, what are you going to do?"
Liu sneered, her lips curled up in a twisted arc: "I want to ask the Queen Mother to issue an order to assign Shen Weiwan to that fifty-year-old Shangshu Wang!" Her eyes flashed with madness, "I don't believe that she dares to disobey the order!"
Shen Ruorou looked at her mother's distorted face and suddenly felt a sense of fear, but more of a deep jealousy. She stamped her feet, covered her face and ran back to her room.
In Tinglan Courtyard, after listening to Chuntao's report that Liu was going to ask the Queen Mother for help, Shen Weiwan just smiled faintly and picked up the wolf hair brush on the desk.
"Miss, aren't you worried?" Chuntao couldn't help asking as she looked at her calm appearance.
Shen Weiwan shook her head, a sly look flashing in her eyes as she wrote on the rice paper: "Worried? I'd like to see what support Liu can muster." She handed the written note to Chuntao, "Go, post this at the gate of the mansion."
Chuntao took it and looked at it. Written on it in playful small characters was the following: "Bottom: The Empress Dowager and the Prince both fell into the water. Who should be saved first?" She was startled, and her voice changed: "Miss, this question... is it too risky?"
Shen Weiwan raised her eyebrows and looked out the window at the Seventh Prince's carriage slowly approaching: "Risky? Liu wanted to use the Queen Mother to pressure me, so I blocked her way first." A confident smile rose at the corner of her mouth, "Besides, I believe His Highness will not make things difficult for me."
Chun Tao looked at the light in her young lady's eyes and smiled too. Yes, with the Seventh Prince around, the Liu family's dirty schemes would be shattered sooner or later.
In this life, her young lady will definitely protect the general's mansion, trample all the bad guys under her feet, and live the happiest life with His Royal Highness the Seventh Prince.
A new puzzle at the General's Mansion once again set the capital ablaze. Citizens gathered around the list, pointing and wondering what Miss Shen was up to. When the Seventh Prince, Xiao Yu, saw the puzzle, he chuckled and whispered to his guards, "Go tell Miss Shen my answer: rescue her first. Whether she's on land or in the water."
When Shen Weiwan received the answer relayed by the guard, her cheeks flushed slightly, but her heart felt warm as if a heater had been placed in her arms. She knew that no matter how Liu harassed her, she would no longer be afraid. Because she had Xiao Yu and her own wisdom, she would surely win beautifully and live a wonderful life in this life.
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