Chapter Thirty-Nine: This Heroine Leaves the Old Scammer a Way to Survive

“This crown prince is anything but ordinary—a destiny to unite the four seas! He could speak as soon as he was born, recognize characters within three days, and compose poems within five,” an elderly man jumped in, adding even more fantastical details.

“Yes, yes, I’ve heard that too. When he was a month old, dozens of palace guards couldn’t catch him as he ran through the palace,” another chimed in.

Indeed, nothing sets off a tale of the miraculous like a strange birth and an extraordinary lineage. Su Jingluo listened to these extravagant praises, struggling to suppress her laughter, but, fearing a beating, hurried out of the teahouse.

As dusk approached, Su Jingluo decided it was time to head home. Just then, a carriage rolled nearer from the distance, and an old man beside her stared at it intently, looking eager to act.

As the carriage drew close, the old man suddenly collapsed right in front of it.

“Oh my, someone’s been run over! That heartless driver’s hit someone right in the street! My old bones are shattered!” The old man wailed loudly, his voice ringing out, and rolled about as if in agony. The performance was rough, but he threw himself into it with gusto.

Was this era plagued by scam artists too?

“There he goes again. When he spots a carriage without a noble’s banner, he pulls this stunt,” a nearby shop boy muttered to a customer.

“This is the capital—doesn’t he fear some powerful figure will deal with him?” The customer marveled at the man’s daring.

“Carriages without banners are hired or belong to small merchants. They have money but no connections. A bit of money settles it. This guy was a rogue in his youth—no one dared speak against him. Offending him means he’ll stand at your door cursing your ancestors day and night. Who could bear that?” The shop boy explained patiently, and the customer nodded in sudden understanding. Su Jingluo, too, grasped the situation.

“Uncle, are you alright? What should we do? Should I take you to the clinic?” The young coachman, just a boy himself, was flustered by the situation, unsure how to proceed.

“Don’t move me! If you touch me, the pain will kill me—I can’t go to the clinic,” the old man protested, the classic refusal to seek medical attention.

“What should I do? What should I do?” The coachman was nearly in tears.

The curtain in the carriage fluttered, but before anyone inside could step out, Su Jingluo rushed forward. She couldn’t stand such shameless trickery, especially when preying on the young by feigning age and frailty.

“Uncle, I saw you waiting for your chance beside me. You collapsed before the carriage even reached you—I saw it all.” Su Jingluo wasted no time exposing him.

“You little girl, what nonsense is this? I can’t even stand! Are you saying I’m risking my life to extort them?” The old man, caught off guard after years of running his racket on this street, was so angry he could explode on the spot.

“Oh, aren’t you just extorting them? Word is you’re a habitual offender. Everyone on this street knows it. You avoid powerful people, and whenever you see a carriage without a noble’s banner, you throw yourself on the ground. Aren’t you worried that if someone’s in a hurry and fails to stop, you’ll truly be crushed? But maybe that would be a blessing—ridding the world of evil for the people.” Su Jingluo repeated everything the shop boy had said, and the surrounding merchants gasped. This girl dared to say anything—her words were frightening.

“You, you, you—girl, are you looking for trouble?” The old man, nearly furious enough to faint, forgot about his act and sprang up, ready to beat Su Jingluo for meddling.