Volume One, Chapter 14: The True Heiress Is the Powerhouse
The moment Cheng Mingyue heard An Qianqian’s words, her nerves immediately tensed. Of course, she was aware of An Qianqian’s errand today—delivering medicinal herbs to Si Chengnian. As a mother, her first instinct was that her daughter might have taken a liking to that hostage prince. If it were anyone else, it might have been manageable, but since it was the hostage prince of Yan Kingdom, the matter was far more complicated. Moreover, Si Chengnian was the legitimate eldest son of the Empress.
“Qianqian, are you hoping His Highness Si will also attend your recognition banquet?” Cheng Mingyue decided to hold back for now and test the waters first. If her daughter truly liked him, well... at worst, before Si Chengnian left Shang Kingdom, she could quietly bring him back and fulfill her daughter’s wish.
“Yes, after all, he is a prince,” An Qianqian replied calmly as always. Seeing her daughter’s composed attitude, Cheng Mingyue finally exhaled in relief. She had just been pondering how to tie up Si Chengnian in a sack. It seemed her daughter was merely concerned with appearances.
“Qianqian, rest assured. Your mother will make sure your recognition banquet is grand and splendid. Since His Highness is a prince of Yan Kingdom, your mother will certainly invite him to attend.”
After rehearsing the flow of tomorrow’s recognition banquet and ensuring An Qianqian had memorized everything, Cheng Mingyue grasped her hand, gave a few final reminders, and left with peace of mind.
No sooner had she stepped out of the Chunfeng Garden than An Ruowei entered with her maid, her face adorned with a saccharine smile.
“Sister, tomorrow is your big day. I thought you might be feeling lonely, so I came to keep you company.”
An Qianqian, engrossed in flipping through a miscellaneous journal, did not even lift her eyelids and only gave a faint “hmm.”
Unbothered by her coldness, An Ruowei went to the dressing table, picked up a beaded hairpin, and began showing it off.
“Sister, look at this beaded hairpin. Does it go well with your outfit for tomorrow? Mother truly dotes on you. I’ve never even seen such fabric before.”
Her gaze lingered on the new dress draped nearby, its shimmering dark patterns making her eyes sparkle with envy.
“The embroidery is absolutely exquisite,” she feigned admiration as she approached, lightly brushing the hem with her fingertips. “Sister, look at these stitches—so dense that not even a needle tip could fit through...”
Before she finished, she suddenly gasped as if pricked by something. Her fingers quickly twisted into the seam, and when she pulled back, several fine golden threads clung to her fingertips. The tassels hanging from the cuff were quietly hooked as well. Taking advantage of her turning motion, she tugged gently, and a few strands of thread became entangled on her handkerchief.
“Silly sister almost ruined your new dress,” she said hurriedly, withdrawing her hand and patting her chest in relief. “Luckily nothing happened, or how would I explain it to Mother?”
Finally, An Qianqian lifted her eyes, her gaze settling on the tightly clenched handkerchief. A faint, cold curve tugged at the corner of her mouth.
Does she think I’m blind to such little tricks?
“Do you still remember why Father and Mother adopted you?” An Qianqian asked An Ruowei with a cold voice.
“What nonsense is that, sister? I grew up in this manor, and Father and Mother have treated me like their own daughter. I will remember their kindness my entire life.”
“Seems like you don’t understand plain words. Fine, there’s no need to waste time with you, you fool. Chuntang, show her out.”
The smile on An Ruowei’s face instantly froze, her eyes reddened, and tears spilled down like broken pearls. Her voice choked, “Sister... I only came to see you because I was worried you’d be nervous tomorrow... How can you call me a fool...”
Chuntang quickly stepped forward, her tone cold, “Seventh Miss, please.”
An Ruowei bit her lip, bowed in grievance, and as she turned, a subtle movement of her wrist slipped the silver threads back into her sleeve.
An Qianqian watched her retreating figure and lightly tapped the book page with her fingertip.
Fool? Yes, she was foolish enough to think such a petty trick could fool anyone.
She looked at Chuntang. “Take that new dress to the sewing room. Have the embroiderers inspect it thoroughly. Repair what’s needed. If it can’t be fixed, replace it.”
Chuntang hesitated briefly, then nodded understandingly, bowing, “Yes, Miss.”
At the door, she turned back and asked, “Miss, should we inform Madam about this?”
“Settle it all after the recognition banquet. Family scandals must not be exposed; the reputation of the Duke of Rong’s household is also important.”
An Qianqian had always believed that no matter what turmoil occurred behind closed doors among family, if outsiders laughed at them, it would be a disgrace to the entire clan.
No matter how foolish An Ruowei was, as long as she bore the name of the Duke of Rong’s family, she must not embarrass herself in front of outsiders.
Right now, the recognition banquet was the most crucial event and could not afford any mishaps.
Meanwhile, Si Chengnian looked silently at the manor undergoing constant repairs and at the invitation in his hand. An Qianqian had indeed lavished love on him—sending him medicinal supplements and spending a fortune fixing the estate.
Sigh.
This love was heavy; how should he respond to it?
No, he must not let her develop other thoughts, lest she be dragged into trouble later.
Tomorrow was her recognition banquet; he would accept the identity jade pendant his mother had given him as a token of gratitude.
At Chunfeng Garden, An Qianqian sneezed loudly.
Who was whispering about her?
An Ruowei? Or Princess Qin? Or perhaps Liu Shan?
Before she could ponder further, the maid beside Cheng Mingyue invited her to the front hall.
[Host, your mission reward has arrived.]
An Qianqian, still lingering in the corridor, saw two rows of black-clad guards with silver-sheathed short blades standing like pines outside the main hall.
Inside, Cheng Mingyue was speaking with an elderly man in a green robe, behind whom stood eight maidservants holding gilded lacquer boxes.
“Qianqian, this is Elder Xing from the Starwatch Pavilion,” Cheng Mingyue gestured.
Elder Xing cupped his hands, “The Starwatch Pavilion has been ordered to deliver congratulatory gifts.”
The maidservants placed the lacquer boxes on the table. Once opened, the room was filled with radiant light.
All the rewards promised earlier by the system were here.
[Host, this life you have been granted the identity of Pavilion Master of the Starwatch Pavilion. Those people will not appear after tomorrow; they exist solely to authenticate your status. In future worlds, such identity validations may not exist, but the system will automatically cause everyone to overlook the source of your wealth.]
“Understood. What exactly does the Starwatch Pavilion do?”
[It is essentially an independent city-state, wealthy beyond measure, where the people live without want.]
“Is this place real in this world?”
[Yes. Their influence spreads across all corners of the world. They usually remain uninvolved but are widely known.]
“I hadn’t expected such a presence in this world.”
An Qianqian glanced at Elder Xing and said calmly, “Thank you. You may put it down. Tomorrow is my recognition banquet. Please attend then.”
Elder Xing signaled the maidservants to withdraw and bowed with increased respect. “As you command.”
“For tomorrow’s banquet, the Starwatch Pavilion has prepared the ceremonial guard and will not disgrace the pavilion master’s honor. There are also covert guards stationed outside the city, and some supplies added to the storeroom. Should you require anything, send word at any time.”
An Qianqian glanced at the lacquer box on the table. “No need for extravagance; follow the proper protocol.”
Elder Xing bowed deeply. “I understand.”
Only after she raised her hand did he take his leave.
Once everyone from the Starwatch Pavilion had departed, Cheng Mingyue finally regained her composure.
“Qianqian, for thousands of years, the Starwatch Pavilion has been a mere legend. I never expected them to appear at our Rong Duke’s estate. You and your mother must tell me clearly—what exactly is their relationship to you?”