Volume One, Chapter 10: The True Heiress Is a Powerhouse 10

An Qianqian turned to look. She did not recognize the person speaking, so she turned back around.

"Shopkeeper, are you selling or not? One million taels. Bring out whatever you have that is worth this price; I’m in a hurry."

And she certainly was in a hurry. The system had commanded her to spend all the money within two hours, and quite some time had already passed. If she couldn’t finish spending it, she would be forced to spend double the amount. The very thought of being coerced into spending money made her inexplicably irritable. This feeling of being threatened was truly detestable!

"How dare you ignore me, the Princess?!"

Princess Heqin was so angry she gritted her teeth. She rushed in front of An Qianqian in a few strides and barked, "Open your dog eyes and look! I am Princess Heqin! Does a country bumpkin like you think you can put on airs in front of me?"

"Princess He-qin?" An Qianqian frowned. "Never heard of you."

Who would name their child "Heqin" (a term often associated with political marriage)? How inauspicious!

An Ruowei, who was standing behind her, quickly stepped forward. She feigned an attempt to mediate, but her voice was loud enough for everyone nearby to hear: "Sister, this is Princess Heqin, the most noble lady in the capital. It’s no wonder you don’t recognize her since you just returned from the countryside. Hurry and apologize to the Princess."

As she spoke, she leaned toward the Princess’s ear and added fuel to the fire in a whisper: "Your Highness, please don't be angry. My sister has stayed in the countryside for too long; I’m afraid she hasn’t even heard the word 'Princess,' let alone understood these rules."

Princess Heqin scoffed. "I wondered who it was—turns out it’s that sister of yours who was just dug out of the countryside. Is she so dim-witted from chewing on tree bark in the village that she thinks 'a million taels' is just some wild chestnut to be shouted about? Go take a look at your own reflection in a puddle—do you think you’re worth that kind of money?"

An Qianqian glanced at An Ruowei. *Heh! A little green tea bitch.*

She turned around, pulled a stack of silver notes from her wide sleeves, and slammed them onto the counter with a loud *bang* that made the shopkeeper tremble three times over.

"Shopkeeper, get the goods! What do you have today?"

The shopkeeper finished counting the notes with shaking hands, his face flushed red. He suddenly slapped his thigh. "Enough! More than enough!"

He rushed to the back courtyard and returned a moment later clutching a gold-traced sandalwood box. As he opened it, his eyes glinted. "My lady, look at this! A thousand-year-old wild ginseng. It was originally prepared for the Noble Consort, but if you want it, I’ll wrap it up for you right now!"

Princess Heqin’s eyes widened. "A thousand-year-old wild ginseng?! I’ll take it!"

An Qianqian quickly snatched it up. She lifted her gaze to look at Princess Heqin and said calmly, "Fine, I’ll sell it to you—for two million taels."

An Ruowei hurried over and grabbed An Qianqian’s sleeve, her eyes reddening as she spoke in a timid voice: "Sister, that wild ginseng is a life-saving medicine, and the Princess needs it for Prince Chen... How can you ask for double the price? If word gets out, people will say we are relying on our family status to bully others..."

As she looked up, tears clung to her eyelashes, and she quickly lowered her head again: "The Princess is of such noble standing; it is only right that we yield to her. Why damage the harmony for a bit of money..."

An Qianqian rolled her eyes impatiently. "If you’re so generous, then you give me two million taels and I’ll sell it to you. You can give it to her as a favor."

"Sister, you—!"

"You what? Are you buying or not? If not, get lost!"

The tears in An Ruowei's eyes threatened to fall, but she suddenly remembered the massive amount of money An Qianqian had just produced. How could the Duke of Rong’s mansion give her a million taels all at once? Could it be that she was treated differently just because she was their biological daughter? She had only been home for a few days, yet her daily spending was exorbitant. *No, I must go back and stir up trouble with the family. No matter how large the family fortune is, it can't be squandered like this, right?*

Princess Heqin’s face turned pale with rage. She pointed at An Qianqian, unable to speak, and turned to roar at the shopkeeper: "If she can buy it, why can't I? Bring out the oldest ginseng you have here!"

The shopkeeper wore a bitter expression, rubbing his hands together with a forced smile. "Your Highness, please forgive me, but the pharmacy has nothing left. That was the only century-old ginseng we had, and this young lady has just purchased it. The best we have in the warehouse now is fifty years old. Perhaps you would consider..."

"Fifty years? Do you think I want that fifty-year-old piece of trash?!"

She glared at An Qianqian, her eyes venomous. "You just have a bit of filthy money, don't you? Do you really think I can't afford it?"

An Qianqian slowly tucked the ginseng box into her arms and glanced at her, her tone lazy and indifferent. "Oh? Then are you going to pay the two million taels now, Princess?"

Princess Heqin’s face went paper-white. Between her monthly allowance and rewards, she couldn’t even scrape together one hundred thousand taels, let alone two million. She had only come because she’d heard rumors that Rongchun Hall had received a thousand-year-old wild ginseng. Even though she didn't have the money ready, she had relied on her status as Prince Chen’s daughter to claim the item first, assuming the shopkeeper wouldn't dare refuse. She never expected An Qianqian to swoop in and pay the full amount on the spot, not even leaving her the time to send someone back to the estate to gather funds.

She had wanted this ginseng specifically for her father, Prince Chen. His health had been declining, and she hoped that by presenting this life-saving treasure, she might win his favor. Now that An Qianqian had intercepted it, not only was her chance to show filial piety ruined, but she had also lost face in front of everyone. Princess Heqin felt her chest tighten with agonizing fury, nearly unable to catch her breath.

"You!" She trembled with rage, yet was rendered speechless.

An Qianqian couldn't be bothered with her anymore and turned to leave. "If you don't have the money, don't pretend to be rich. Look at you," she said, rolling her eyes.

Chuntang and the maids followed closely behind, their pace quickening. This young lady, just brought back from the countryside, was truly formidable! She dared even defy the Princess.

As they passed by An Ruowei, no one so much as lifted an eyelid. Once they were far away, Princess Heqin’s fury finally found an outlet. She pointed at An Ruowei’s nose and cursed: "This is the kind of girl your Duke of Rong’s mansion produces! A country bumpkin dares to ride roughshod over me, and you, the adopted daughter, just stood there and watched—didn't you know how to stop her?!"

An Ruowei fell to her knees in terror, tears streaming down her face. "Your Highness, please calm your anger! I... I tried to persuade her, but my sister wouldn't listen..."

"Persuade? I think you were just waiting to watch me make a fool of myself!"

Princess Heqin grew even angrier the more she thought about it. She slapped An Ruowei across the face and sneered, "The Duke of Rong’s mansion truly picked up a fine gem! Just you wait, this is not over!"

On the other side, An Qianqian, having completed her task, was in an excellent mood. She casually tossed ten taels of loose silver to the maids and servants who had accompanied her, even giving some to the coachman. Usually, the monthly allowance for a senior maid was only three taels; this casual reward of ten taels instantly won over everyone’s heart. Even laborers had to eat. With a mistress who didn't beat or scold her servants and handed out rewards so freely, they would follow her to the grave!

Upon returning to the Duke of Rong’s mansion, An Qianqian took the ginseng out of the box and held it casually in her hand. Because she had returned so quickly, Cheng Mingyue hadn't yet heard the news about the incident with Princess Heqin. Seeing that An Qianqian was back, she quickly set down her account books. Her daughter had only been out for a short while, so she must not have had a good time. After all, she used to be the type to shop until nightfall.

"Qianqian, why are you back so soon? Didn't you have a good time?" Cheng Mingyue took An Qianqian’s hand, not yet noticing the ginseng in her grasp.

"No, I finished what I needed to do, so I came back. There wasn't anything worth shopping for. Where are the others?"

"They’ve all gone to the morning court; they’ll be back in an hour."

The two walked into the main hall, and An Qianqian casually tossed the ginseng onto a side table.

"Mother, I bought a somewhat un-fresh radish while I was out today. I’ll make you some tea with it."

Cheng Mingyue’s expression stiffened. Her daughter went out and bought a radish? She must have been swindled. *Forget it,* she thought, *if she was cheated, she was cheated. As long as she’s happy.*