As he was speaking, the old housekeeper came in on crutches, his face full of joy: "Miss, the old key to the storeroom has been found! Look, this old servant found it in the old box."
Shen Weiwan took the heavy copper key. It was cold to the touch, but it warmed her heart. This was the key to the storehouse her father had given her before his death. In her previous life, Liu had tricked her into handing it over, and now it had finally been returned to its rightful owner. She stroked the carvings on the key, remembering her father's voice and smile, and her eyes warmed slightly.
"Old housekeeper," Shen Weiwan put the key away, "from tomorrow on, the key to the warehouse will be in my personal charge. As for Liu, you keep an eye on her and don't let her have any more bad ideas."
The old housekeeper nodded heavily. "I'll spare you the trouble! Since the Second Madam was fined her monthly allowance by the old lady, she has been much more obedient recently. But..." He paused, a worried look on his face. "I heard that the Second Madam has been going to the manor outside the city recently. I wonder what she is planning."
Shen Weiwan's eyes turned cold when she heard this. The manor outside the city? Liu's greedy nature made her think she was transferring the property of the general's mansion again.
“Got it,” Shen Weiwan closed the account book, “Send someone to keep an eye on it, and tell me immediately if there is any movement.”
After the old housekeeper left, Shen Weiwan walked to the window and looked at the roses blooming in the courtyard. "Liu, Shen Ruorou, your good days are really over. Now everyone in the noble ladies of the capital knows that I'm not easy to mess with. If you want to plot against me again, you'd better think carefully."
The next day, at the racecourse in the suburban courtyard, Shen Weiwan, dressed in a neat riding outfit, was training a horse. Xiao Yu, riding a snow-white Ferghana horse, stood by and watched with admiration in his eyes.
"Miss Shen's riding skills have improved a lot." Xiao Yu handed over the kettle. "I've never seen you touch a horse before."
Shen Weiwan took the kettle, wiped the sweat from her forehead, and said with a smile: "I used to be stupid and afraid of falling. Now I think it through. Instead of being shot at as a target, it's better to run first."
Hearing this, Xiao Yu couldn't help but laugh: "You see things clearly." He looked at Shen Weiwan's hair blown by the wind, his eyes soft, "I heard that you are the protagonist of the tea party at the Prime Minister's Mansion today?"
Shen Weiwan raised her eyebrows: “Oh? Your Highness has heard about it too?”
"Not only did I hear that," Xiao Yu took a step closer and lowered his voice, "I also heard that you made Miss Shen run away in panic, and she was so scared that she dared not attend tea parties anymore."
Shen Weiwan looked at the mischief in his eyes and couldn't help laughing: "Your Highness is well-informed. It's just some trivial matters in the boudoir. I'm sorry to make you laugh."
"A trifle?" Xiao Yu shook his head. "A 'trifle' that can make the Liu mother and daughter embarrassed is, in my opinion, much more interesting than those poems about the wind and the moon."
As the two were talking, the sound of horse hooves came from afar. Li Xiu came limping over on his horse, his face even gloomier than in the past few days. Ever since the rumor of "Duanxiu" spread, he had become the laughing stock of the capital. He came here today specifically to find Shen Weiwan to argue with her.
“Chen Weiwan!” Li Xiu reined in his horse, his voice hoarse, “Why did you spread rumors to ruin my reputation?!”
Shen Weiwan raised her eyebrows and pretended to be surprised: "Why do you say that, Mr. Li? When did I spread rumors?"
"If not you, then who else?" Li Xiu's face turned pale with anger. "Who else but you would say that I... that I like men?!"
"Oh?" Shen Weiwan pretended to be confused and turned to ask Xiao Yu, "Your Highness, have you heard? Some people say that Master Li likes men? This is really...explosive rumor."
Xiao Yu raised his eyebrows in agreement: "Oh? I heard that Master Li and Miss Shen were caught having a secret meeting in the garden. As for other rumors... I don't know."
Li Xiu watched the two of them singing the same tune, and was so angry that he trembled all over. However, he did not dare to disrespect the Seventh Prince, so he could only vent his anger on Shen Weiwan: "Shen Weiwan! Stop pretending! If it's not you, who is it?!"
"Mr. Li, please be careful with your words," Shen Weiwan put away her smile, her eyes cold, "If you say something without any evidence, you will be held responsible. If you continue to talk nonsense, I will report you to the police."
Li Xiu looked at Shen Weiwan's cold eyes, and suddenly remembered her recent "deeds". He felt timid in his heart and was speechless for a moment.
Seeing this, Xiao Yu spoke at the right time: "Mr. Li, rumors stop at the wise. If you continue to pester Miss Shen, don't blame me for being rude."
Li Xiu looked at Xiao Yu’s cold eyes, knowing that he would get nothing good, so he could only glare at Shen Weiwan hatefully, and rode away on his horse, his back looking even more lame.
Seeing Li Xiu fleeing in panic, Shen Weiwan couldn't help but laugh. Xiao Yu looked at her bright smile, and his heart moved. He couldn't help but ask: "Aren't you afraid of his revenge?"
"Revenge?" Shen Weiwan raised an eyebrow. "He can't even protect himself right now, how can he have the energy to retaliate against me? Besides," she looked at Xiao Yu, a sly glint in her eyes. "I have His Highness's support, what am I afraid of?"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yu laughed out loud: “What a sharp-tongued Shen Weiwan!”
The sunlight shone on the racecourse, stretching the two figures very long. Shen Weiwan looked at Xiao Yu's hearty smile, and for the first time in her heart, she felt a little hope for the future. Perhaps, in this life, she could not only get revenge, but also find someone who truly understood and protected her.
Rumors circulated in the capital, with the news of the General's daughter's increased intelligence spreading. Shen Weiwan knew this was just the beginning. Next, she had to thoroughly investigate the warehouses and expose Liu's greed. As for the Seventh Prince, Xiao Yu, was his appearance an accident, or was it destiny? Shen Weiwan gazed at the distant horizon, a mysterious smile playing on her lips.
A bigger storm is brewing in the General's Mansion. But Shen Weiwan has already prepared to meet all challenges.
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