So early in the morning, he sent a letter to the palace, and then changed into men's clothing and left the Prime Minister's residence.
Although it was the dead of winter, the sun was shining brightly. Sitting by the window waiting for Meng Junheng, the soft sunlight added a touch of warmth, and before I knew it, my mood had improved.
She rested her chin on her hand, revealing a section of her fair neck as she gazed out the window, her expression relaxed and carefree. Just then, her attention was drawn to a quarrel outside.
"You stole my money!" The voice of an elderly man suddenly made Meng Wan frown. In broad daylight, someone stole money?
Turning my head to look downstairs, I saw a large crowd gathered in front of a pancake stall, where an old man was pulling a middle-aged man along, saying, "Everyone, help me catch this thief! He stole my money!"
The middle-aged man shoved the old man aside, saying, "You old fool, don't make false accusations. What evidence do you have to say I stole your money?"
The old man, enraged, reached out again, his withered hands revealing prominent veins, a clear result of years of hard work: "You...you just passed by my stall, and then my money disappeared. Tell me, if you didn't steal it, where did my money go?"
"Haha—" the middle-aged man laughed loudly, "I'll say I stole your money as soon as I leave." He pointed to the birdcage he was carrying, "But this bird also passed by your stall, why don't you say it stole it?"
"You—" The old man stammered, his face turning purple, unable to utter a single word in rebuttal for a long time.
Meng Wan was starting to get restless.
She wasn't one to meddle, but the old man looked so pitiful, and the middle-aged man, with his silver tongue, didn't seem like a good person. So, she couldn't just stand by and do nothing.
Thinking this, he got up and went downstairs: "This gentleman is quite handsome, he certainly can't be a thief."
Just as everyone's attention was focused on the two people, a clear and crisp voice suddenly rang out, clear and resonant with a hint of certainty.
Everyone turned their attention to the figure, and saw a handsome 'man' walking over. His delicate features made him even more attractive than the woman.
The middle-aged man's eyes immediately lit up: "See? This young man has discerning eyes. He can tell at a glance that I'm not a thief."
Meng Wan felt a sense of disgust and subtly stepped back to avoid his gaze.
"Then tell me, who is the thief? Could it really be this bird?" The people around them began to discuss.
“Yes.” Meng Wan nodded with certainty, agreeing repeatedly: “I completely agree with this guy. This bird is highly suspicious. I think it’s very likely the thief.”
"How is that possible?" the old man exclaimed anxiously. "Young man, don't spout nonsense. How could an animal steal anything?"
The people around burst into laughter, thinking it was incredibly foolish.
Meng Wan waved her hand, giving everyone a reassuring smile: "Don't laugh, everyone. I'll prove it to you."
As he spoke, he picked up a bamboo stick from an old man's stall, circled it in front of the birdcage, and then slammed it hard on the ground. "Bird, you bold fat bird."
Meng Wan circled the man holding the birdcage: "Now, I will interrogate you. You must tell me everything you know."
Meng Wan glanced around at the people, then half-squatted down. "Do you admit that you stole the old man's money?"
The bird in the cage stared, then turned away and remained silent.
Meng Wan smiled, took a bamboo stick and poked it into the cage, then tapped the bird: "What a stubborn fat bird, actually putting up a fight to the end! I'll teach you a lesson!" With that, she tapped it twice more.
The bird, in pain, twisted its body and made soft, whimpering noises.
"You're willing to confess now!"
Meng Wan smiled and brought her ear close to the cage. No one knew what she was doing; they just thought she was watching a show for fun, and their expressions were full of mockery.
Meng Wan seemed oblivious, muttering to herself as she listened to the bird's humming, nodding repeatedly: "Wouldn't it have been better to confess sooner, thus avoiding this physical suffering?"
The bird hummed a few more times before Meng Wan stood up and clasped her hands in a fist salute to the people around her: "This fat bird has confessed that it was indeed the one that stole the old man's money."
"Did it really say that?" the middle-aged man asked hastily.
“Yes.” Meng Wan nodded.
"Haha, I told you, it wasn't me." The man laughed triumphantly.
"How is this possible!" Everyone found it absurd, and the old man was on the verge of tears: "How could an animal steal money? Young man, tell me, where did it hide the money?"
Meng Wan smiled mysteriously: "The bird said that it has an elderly parent and many children and grandchildren, and it stole the money out of desperation. So, if everyone is kind enough to donate a single copper coin to leave enough food for its family, it will tell you where the money is. How about it? If you want to know where the copper coin is, then donate a single coin!"
Meng Wan walked to the old man's stall, took a bowl of water, and then walked around the crowd.
The group looked at each other, unsure whether to join in the fun.
"Alright, I'd like to see how this bird talks." Just then, a man's voice with a laugh rang out from the crowd.
Meng Wan looked up at the sound and saw a man walking out of the crowd. Although he was not young, his extraordinary demeanor was still very intimidating.
Meng Wan glanced up and was taken aback. Her brows furrowed slightly as she thought to herself, "Why is Your Majesty out of the palace at this hour?"
Before she could think any further, the crowd began to urge her on, so she temporarily suppressed her thoughts and walked into the crowd.
The onlookers, already suspicious of the matter, followed suit when they saw someone throw in a coin—they wanted to see how this fair-skinned young man would prove the bird stole money. Before long, they had amassed a large collection of coins.
Meng Wan watched the crowd's actions with satisfaction, and finally walked up to the middle-aged man, holding out the bowl to him: "Brother, didn't you want to clear your name?" As she spoke, she moved the bowl forward a little, "Throw in a copper coin, and I'll clear your name."
The man was very reluctant, but he had no choice but to go along with the crowd. After all, the young master seemed to be helping him, so he took out a copper coin from his sleeve and threw it into the water.
V2 A Beautiful Girl Has Grown Up (Part Two)
The man was very reluctant, but he had no choice but to go along with it. After all, the young master seemed to be helping him, so he took out a copper coin from his sleeve and threw it into the water.
The copper coin sank to the bottom of the bowl, and a thin layer of oil immediately appeared on the originally clear water surface.
Meng Wan glanced down at him, then smiled and said loudly, "The bird said the copper coin is here." As she spoke, she tapped the middle-aged man with a bamboo stick.
"What nonsense are you talking about? How can birds talk?" The situation changed drastically, and the man's expression darkened slightly. He glared fiercely at Meng Wan.