Volume 1, Chapter 6: The True Heiress is a Powerhouse 6

As An Mingxia followed the crowd to the Noon Gate, he caught sight of a figure on horseback that looked hauntingly familiar. Then, hearing that crisp, spirited voice, he realized—it was his newly found daughter!

He panicked, rushing forward with long, hurried strides. "Qianqian? What are you doing here?!"

His shout, ringing out like a gong, instantly pinned the gaze of everyone nearby onto An Qianqian. Well, that sealed her identity in public.

An Qianqian unceremoniously dumped Liu Shan from her horse right in front of Liu Cong. With a loud *thud*, Liu Shan let out a howl of pain.

"Father, this Liu Shan claimed in the middle of the street that he was my grandfather. Doesn't that mean he wants to be your father?"

Before she could finish, Liu Shan, wincing in pain, saw his father and, thinking he had backup, lay sprawled on the ground and began to curse at her: "You little bitch, how dare you hit your grandfather? Just wait until I deal with you!"

That did it—the charge was confirmed.

An Mingxia had once served on the battlefield under the late Duke of Rong. To have this punk Liu Shan try to claim seniority as his father in front of all the court officials? That was the last straw. Without a word, he grabbed Liu Shan by the collar like a chick.

"You little brat, trying to take advantage of the An family? Let’s go! We’re going to see the Emperor and let His Majesty judge this! You want to turn the world upside down and be my father, do you?!"

Liu Cong rushed to intervene. "Your Grace, please calm down! My son is just babbling nonsense, there is no need to disturb the Emperor..."

"Get out of the way!" An Mingxia kicked him aside. "Look at the fine son you’ve raised! Insulting my daughter and cursing the ancestors of the An family in the street. If we don’t settle this today, the Duke of Rong’s mansion will never let this go!"

Liu Shan, dangling with his feet off the ground, was still trying to be tough. "Let me go! You old..." Before he could finish, An Mingxia threw him down with a backhand, sending him crashing hard to the ground.

The matter eventually reached the Emperor. Liu Shan was severely punished, and the Prime Minister did not fare well either. The Emperor even warned everyone in public not to bully Si Chengnian, as the entire incident had started because Liu Shan was mistreating the hostage prince from the Yan Kingdom. Regardless of the reason, a hostage prince was still royalty; insulting him publicly did no favors for diplomatic relations.

When An Qianqian and An Mingxia returned to the mansion, the moment they crossed the threshold, An Mingxia’s stern expression vanished.

"Good! Truly worthy of being my flesh and blood! Just back in the capital and you already have the guts to drag that punk Liu Shan to the Noon Gate! That spirit—it’s more impressive than all your brothers combined!"

He spoke loudly, intending for the whole family gathered in the main hall to hear. "Today at the Noon Gate, Qianqian’s words were so firm and resonant that they left that old bastard Liu Cong speechless! Even His Majesty praised her for having the backbone of the old Duke of Rong!"

Cheng Mingyue was both shocked and delighted. She took An Qianqian’s hands, looking her over. "My sweet girl, were you wronged? That Liu Shan didn't hurt you, did he? Your fifth brother sent word back, and it scared us to death."

"Don't worry, Mother, I'm perfectly fine," An Qianqian replied calmly.

An Ruowei stood behind the crowd, her nails digging deep into her palms, yet she wore a smile sweeter than anyone else’s. "Sister is so brave! But I heard the servants say that Sister offended Young Master Liu so severely that my heart is racing."

She stole a glance at An Mingxia’s expression. Seeing his displeasure, she lowered her head, her voice dropping lower. "Prime Minister Liu has such great influence in the court. Will he... will he hold a grudge against our family? If this causes trouble for Father and the brothers..."

As she spoke, her eyes reddened, and her hands trembled as she clutched An Qianqian’s. "It’s all my fault for being useless and not stopping Sister earlier. I know Sister meant well for the family, but... Young Master Liu is the Prime Minister's legitimate son. If we really push him too far, it might be difficult for our family in the court later on..."

Her words sounded like she was worried about An Qianqian and the family, but in reality, every word was a label she was pinning on An Qianqian: *Look at how much trouble this wild girl causes; she's brought a powerful enemy to the house the moment she arrived!*

Finally, she looked up at Cheng Mingyue, on the verge of tears. "Mother, I’m not blaming Sister. I’m just... I’m just afraid that after finally welcoming Sister back, our family will be wronged because of this little incident..."

An Mingxia snorted coldly. "Crying, crying, all you do is cry. You'll cry away all our good fortune. I am the head of this household and I’m not afraid, so what are you afraid of? Mingyue, arrange the homecoming banquet properly. It’s time for those with eyes that can't see to take a good look at our daughter, so she won't be bullied again."

"Yes, husband," Cheng Mingyue quickly agreed.

An Ruowei was choked off by An Mingxia’s rebuke, her tears hovering in her eyes before she forced them back.

*[Wow! Host’s father is so cool! He shut that white lotus up with just one sentence. His tea-detecting skills are absolutely maxed out!]*

"And why do you think he has no concubines? A chaotic inner court leads to a chaotic home; he understands that perfectly."

*[I know, I know! The host’s father is the best. But speaking of which, when are you going to find Si Chengnian? He’s probably still groaning in pain at the street corner. If you don't go ask for his wish, what if he passes out and forgets what he wanted? You'll be stuck in this world forever!]*

"I'm too tired today. We'll talk later." There was no time limit, so she wasn't worried.

*[But Host, have you forgotten about today's 'spendthrift' mission?]*

An Qianqian gasped—she had totally forgotten! Could this broken system not have reminded her later?! She stood up from her chair, her face as cold as if it had been pulled from an ice cellar. While she cursed the system a thousand times in her heart, she had to turn to Cheng Mingyue with feigned reluctance. "Mother, I didn't get a chance to go shopping today."

Cheng Mingyue, feeling sorry for her daughter after the day's ordeal, nodded immediately. "Where do you want to go? Should I have your fifth brother accompany you?" She then reconsidered. "No, no, your fifth brother is useless; he didn't help you at all. Let your third brother and his wife go with you."

Third brother An Huanyang and his wife Wu Miaomiao stepped forward. Cheng Mingyue handed An Qianqian a thousand taels of silver, which, combined with what the accountant had delivered that morning, made two thousand taels.

"Third son, you and Miaomiao keep a close eye on your sister. Don't let any stray cats or dogs bother her."

An Huanyang and Wu Miaomiao bowed. "Don't worry, Mother, we will take good care of Sister."

An Qianqian: ... She just wanted to go out alone and spend the money quickly to get it over with. If they followed her, it would just be another delay.

Never mind, let them follow. She was actually struggling with what to buy anyway.

As soon as the three of them entered the jewelry shop, An Qianqian started ordering like she was reading a menu. "These sets of headpieces, those pairs of bracelets—wrap them all! Oh, and the ones hidden in the back of the storehouse, don't hide them; bring them out and load them onto the carriage!"

Wu Miaomiao and An Huanyang: "!!!"

They feared the two thousand taels Mother gave wouldn't be enough. An Huanyang tugged at Wu Miaomiao’s sleeve, looking distressed. "Wife, the two thousand taels Mother gave probably won't cover it. Sister just came from the countryside; how would she know the market prices in the capital? Should we... add some more? We can't let Sister be embarrassed at the counter."

Before Wu Miaomiao could answer, An Qianqian slammed five thousand taels of silver onto the counter. "Third brother, sister-in-law, let's go, next shop."

Wu Miaomiao and An Huanyang: "!!!!!!!!!!!"

An Huanyang: "Wait... Sister, where did you get this money?"

An Qianqian: "System, you make up the excuse. I can't think of one."

*[Host, our money is always provided in a reasonable way; you don't need to fear an investigation. So, relax, you can make up any reason you want.]*

An Qianqian: ... She knew this thing was never reliable!

Wu Miaomiao: "Yes, Qianqian, Mother only gave you two thousand taels. Where did this extra money come from?"

An Qianqian pursed her lips and squeezed out one sentence: "A sucker gave it to me."

An Huanyang became even more nervous. "Sister, which sucker? Are you being scammed?"

An Qianqian: "Don't worry, no one can scam me. Alright, next shop, let's go."

By dusk, the backyard of the Duke of Rong’s mansion was piled high with a mountain of goods. Silks were bundled like firewood, jewelry boxes were stacked higher than a person, the delivery staff were exhausted, and the maids and servants were groaning as they moved everything. Looking at the scene, one would think they had emptied out half the commercial district of the capital!

An Huanyang followed behind An Qianqian, his legs feeling like they were filled with lead, his voice breathless. "Sister... I... can I take a break? If we keep shopping, I'm afraid my legs are going to fall off and be used as firewood!"

An Qianqian didn't look back, asking the system instead: "Is the quota cleared for today?"

*[Ding—just fifty taels left. Let's round it up to make it perfect, Host!]*