Volume One, Chapter 15: The True Heiress Is a Powerhouse
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“They’re suckers,” An Qianqian explained casually.
Cheng Mingyue’s mouth twitched. Forget it. Since her daughter did not wish to explain, she would not press her.
“If there’s nothing else, Mother, I’ll go back first. I have to rise early tomorrow.”
“All right. Get some rest. Oh, your fourth brother will be coming home tomorrow as well. He serves as the Crown Prince’s companion and went with him to Jiangnan some time ago. As it happens, he’ll make it back tomorrow.”
An Qianqian returned to Spring Breeze Garden and slept soundly until dawn.
The next day.
The family recognition banquet prepared by Cheng Mingyue and An Mingxia was indeed an impressive affair.
Not only had every clan elder of the An family arrived, but the wives and families of nearly every official in the capital of the third rank or above were also in attendance.
From the Hour of the Dragon onward, carriages streamed endlessly before the Duke Rong’s residence. A scarlet carpet stretched from the vermilion gates across the street.
On the tables in the main hall sat fruit dishes filled with lychees from Lingnan and grapes from the Western Regions, while silver-gilt twin-fish wine ewers had been set out for the guests.
Beneath the covered walkways, the finest musicians from the Imperial Music Bureau performed, drawing curious glances from the common folk at the street corners.
At the beginning of the Hour of the Snake, a clan elder stood in the center of the main hall holding the family documents. After loudly proclaiming An Qianqian’s origins, he gestured for her to step forward.
An Qianqian gathered her robes and performed three prostrations before Cheng Mingyue, then offered her a cup of tea.
“Mother. Father.”
Cheng Mingyue and An Mingxia accepted the tea and presented the gifts they had prepared.
The master of ceremonies called out each guest’s name, and the presents were offered in turn.
Si Chengnian had arrived at the Duke Rong’s residence early and withdrawn to an upper tower, calmly watching the streams of people below.
An Ruowei stared fixedly at An Qianqian’s clothes. Even now, they remained perfectly intact.
She had clearly calculated everything the day before. After removing the threads, An Qianqian’s clothes should have fallen apart the moment she performed the prostrations today.
Could it be that An Qianqian had discovered her scheme?
No, that was impossible. How could some country bumpkin from the countryside have noticed any of it?
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No. She had to test it.
Clutching her handkerchief, An Ruowei forced a gentle smile onto her face and lifted her skirt as she hurried through the crowd.
When she reached An Qianqian’s side, she deliberately twisted her ankle and reached out to steady herself against the other woman’s sleeve.
“Careful, Sister—”
The instant her fingertips touched the cuff, her wrist was seized by a cool hand.
An Qianqian did not even raise her head. She merely lowered her eyes to look at her, and with the slightest pressure from her fingertips, An Ruowei felt as though her bones were caught in iron pincers. The pain nearly made her shatter a tooth.
“Stand properly. The paving stones are slippery. It wouldn’t look good if you fell.”
An Qianqian’s voice was mild, yet it carried an irresistible force.
Today was her important day. No one was going to ruin it.
An Ruowei tried to pull her hand free, but An Qianqian’s grip only tightened. Cold sweat slid down her temples.
“Th-thank you, Sister.”
“Take your seat.”
An Qianqian turned and walked toward the seat of honor, leaving An Ruowei frozen in place. She stared at her reddened wrist, a trace of venom flashing through her eyes.
Only when the master of ceremonies called the next name did she bite her lip, gather her robes, and follow the crowd to a corner seat. Her gaze, however, remained fixed on An Qianqian.
When the banquet ended, An Qianqian accompanied her parents, brothers, and sisters-in-law in presenting each guest with a parting gift.
Commandery Princess Heqin and Yuan Mei, heir to the Prince of Chen’s estate, came down as well.
Naturally, Commandery Princess Heqin had wanted to cause a scene and embarrass An Qianqian. However, Cheng Mingyue had deliberately arranged for several people to keep her occupied, leaving her no opportunity to act.
An Ruowei had proved useless too. She had actually been restrained by An Qianqian to the point where she could not move at all.
When only a few guests remained, Heqin finally shook off the people Cheng Mingyue had assigned to her and strode straight toward An Qianqian.
“An Qianqian, hand over the ginseng you bought the other day at once, or don’t blame me for being impolite!”
An Qianqian raised her eyes and gave a derisive laugh.
“If you’re asking someone for a favor, you should at least show the proper attitude.”
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Commandery Princess Heqin was about to lose her temper, but Yuan Mei immediately restrained her.
“Miss An, what happened that day may have been a misunderstanding. That ginseng is of the utmost importance to my father. I ask that you kindly part with it.”
“I asked Commandery Princess Heqin that very day. If you want to buy it, the price is two million taels.”
Heqin seemed to have heard the most ridiculous joke in the world and let out a shrill laugh.
“Two million taels? Who do you think you are? A country bumpkin who crawled out of some muddy village dares demand an exorbitant price from the Prince’s household? You probably can’t even recognize a ginseng seedling!”
She stepped forward, intending to glare down at An Qianqian from a superior height, only to discover that she was apparently not tall enough. With no other choice, she could only make her manner more overbearing.
“Let me tell you plainly: for a thousand-year-old ginseng to catch the eye of the Prince of Chen’s household is its good fortune. Giving you the chance to present it to us is already showing you great favor! Don’t mistake kindness for weakness. Do you really think that just because the Duke Rong’s household has acknowledged you, a mere village girl, you can start throwing your weight around?”
Cheng Mingyue’s expression darkened. She raised a hand and drew An Qianqian behind her.
“Mind your words, Your Highness! Qianqian is the legitimate daughter officially acknowledged by the Duke Rong’s household. It is not anyone else’s place to criticize her!”
Her gaze swept over Heqin’s flushed face, reddened by the rebuke, and she continued, “Besides, buying and selling are matters of mutual consent. Anything Qianqian purchased is her private property. No matter how honored the Prince of Chen may be, he has no right to forcibly seize a junior’s belongings, much less insult her so openly!”
An Mingxia stepped half a pace forward and looked at Yuan Mei. His tone was even, but carried indisputable weight.
“Young Lord, you heard her. Though my daughter has only just returned to the household, the Duke Rong’s residence is still capable of protecting its own child. If the Commandery Princess’s words today were to spread, people would accuse the Prince of Chen’s household of bullying others through its power—and the reputation of my own household would be dragged into it as well.”
Yuan Mei hastily tried to smooth things over. He cupped his hands toward An Mingxia.
“Duke Rong, please do not be angry. My sister is young and does not know how to weigh her words. She has offended your daughter and the two of you, and as her elder brother, I failed to discipline her properly. I hope you will forgive her.”
He then turned to Cheng Mingyue, his tone earnest.
“Madam, you know that my father’s condition is critical. This ginseng is truly a lifesaving medicine. My sister was simply frantic with worry and spoke without thinking. The Prince’s household has no intention of bullying anyone; the situation is merely urgent. I hope that you and the Duke can understand.”
With that, he looked toward An Qianqian, his eyes carrying a hint of speculation.
“Sixth Miss, my sister was in the wrong that day. I apologize to you on her behalf. But this ginseng concerns my father’s life. For the sake of our household’s filial devotion, I ask you to part with at least some of it, no matter the price. You paid one million taels for it before, so I will buy it from you at the same price. Would that be acceptable?”
An Qianqian looked Yuan Mei up and down, her voice turning cold.
“I already named my price. All this talk from you is nothing more than an attempt to bargain, isn’t it? In that case, today I certainly will not—”
Before she could finish, Cheng Mingyue pulled her aside.
“Qianqian, there’s only one large piece of ginseng left now, along with a few roots. It won’t fetch that much silver anyway. Why don’t we do the Prince of Chen’s household a favor and have them exchange it for their hot-spring estate outside the city? When winter comes, you can go there to enjoy the baths.”
Keeping herself hidden from the others, An Qianqian casually reached into her wide sleeve and pulled out another thousand-year-old ginseng.
“Mother, I dug it up back in the village. I still have one left.”