Volume One, Chapter 16: The True Heiress is a Powerhouse 16
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Cheng Mingyue stared at the ginseng in An Qianqian’s hand, frozen in place.
Before she could react, Fourth Brother An Huanyan had somehow already reached them.
“Little Sister, if you’re unwilling, there’s no need to force yourself. If Yuan Mei gives you trouble, Fourth Brother will go to the Crown Prince and ask him to stand up for you.”
An Qianqian placed the ginseng directly into An Huanyan’s hands. “A man who could raise a daughter like Heqin cannot be all that admirable himself. I’ll give this ginseng to Fourth Brother. Dispose of it however you please.”
An Huanyan gingerly clasped the ginseng, his eyes lighting up at once. “Then I thank you, Little Sister!”
He weighed the ginseng in his hand and lowered his voice, though his excitement was impossible to conceal. “You have no idea—locusts have been ravaging the southern provinces lately, destroying every crop in the fields. The authorities are desperate to buy grain for disaster relief, and the treasury has long since been drained dry. The Crown Prince returned with me this time, and he’s been racking his brains over where to find the funds.”
At that, he glanced at Heqin, whose face had turned livid, and at Yuan Mei, whose expression had shifted slightly. Then he deliberately raised his voice.
“Isn’t the Prince of Chen’s household rolling in wealth? Since this ginseng is so important to them, why not do as Little Sister suggested—two million taels? No, wait. Let’s consider it an act of merit for the victims in the south. Three million taels. Not a single coin less!”
An Huanyan tucked the ginseng into his sleeve, then cupped his hands toward Yuan Mei with a teasing smile.
“You heard her, Young Lord. This ginseng belongs to me now. If you want to take it back and save the Prince of Chen’s life, prepare the silver obediently. Otherwise, I’ll send it straight to the grain officials handling disaster relief. Wouldn’t it be more worthwhile to use it to save even more lives?”
Furious, Yuan Mei pointed at An Huanyan. “You—”
Commandery Princess Heqin snapped, “You’re taking advantage of our misfortune!”
“What about me?” An Huanyan retorted. “Are you paying or not? If you refuse, I’ll take it to an auction house. By then, the price may be far higher.”
In the capital, even a single roof tile falling from the sky might strike a fifth-rank official—or some wealthy landowner.
There were countless princely households in the capital. Who did the Prince of Chen think he was?
The Duke of Rong’s household feared no one. Even if the matter reached the emperor, the ginseng might simply end up in His Majesty’s hands. In that case, what would remain for the Prince of Chen?
At last, the composure on Yuan Mei’s face cracked.
He stared fixedly at the bulge in An Huanyan’s wide sleeve, then glanced at An Qianqian, who stood nearby with complete serenity. His chest rose and fell twice. Clearly, An Huanyan’s brazen extortion had left him speechless.
“An Huanyan, don’t push your luck!”
An Huanyan rolled his eyes and turned to leave.
“Stop.”
Yuan Mei raised a hand to restrain him. A flicker of struggle passed through his eyes before hardening into ruthlessness.
Looking at An Huanyan, he spoke one word at a time. “Fine. Three million taels. I’ll return and gather the money, then come for the ginseng in three days. If anything happens to it, even the slightest damage, the Prince of Chen’s household will never let you off!”
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“Rest easy.” An Huanyan patted his sleeve, smiling openly. “The Duke of Rong’s household would never resort to trickery over something like this. Come back in three days. Once the money arrives, the ginseng will naturally be yours.”
Yuan Mei gave a cold snort, seized the still-shouting Commandery Princess Heqin, and turned to leave. As they staggered away, Heqin’s furious curses gradually faded into the distance.
Holding the ginseng, An Huanyan walked over to An Qianqian and spoke with great care.
“Little Sister, don’t worry. The moment we receive the money, Fourth Brother will purchase grain for disaster relief in your name.”
“No need. Use the name of the Duke of Rong’s household instead.”
An Qianqian had no interest whatsoever in empty reputations.
She had no need to accumulate merit.
Yet to everyone else, her words sounded as though she cherished this family above all else.
An Huanyan nearly burst into tears.
“Little Sister has finally accepted us as her family.”
He wiped away a tear and said earnestly, “Little Sister, rest assured. From now on, Fourth Brother will protect you.”
Cheng Mingyue’s eyes grew warm. She stepped forward, took An Qianqian’s hand, and gently rubbed the back of it with her fingertips.
“Good child. Mother knew you truly regarded this as your home.”
She turned to An Mingxia with a smile. “Look at our Qianqian. Isn’t she such a sensible girl?”
An Mingxia nodded, a trace of tenderness appearing on his face as well. “Huanyan is right. From now on, everyone in the family will protect you.”
Her brothers and sisters-in-law echoed him one after another, and those few words filled the hall with warmth.
The scene made An Qianqian somewhat uncomfortable. Almost unconsciously, she swept her gaze around the room.
A moment ago, An Ruowei had been watching her from the corner. Now, that spot was empty.
“Where is An Ruowei?” she asked casually.
The maid standing by the door hurriedly answered, “Replying to you, Miss, Seventh Miss covered her stomach earlier and said she wasn’t feeling well. She left the gathering some time ago.”
Cheng Mingyue looked puzzled. “Qianqian, why are you asking about her?”
An Qianqian briefly recounted how An Ruowei had damaged her clothes.
“She has deliberately provoked me time and again. I intend to settle accounts with her. If none of you can bear to do it, send her to the family temple for religious reflection—or marry her off and let her torment someone else.”
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She was no soft persimmon for just anyone to squeeze.
“Father, Mother, I might have shown An Ruowei some mercy if the methods she used against me had been clever. I might even have thought more highly of her. But her schemes are both clumsy and foolish. Someone like that cannot remain in the household.”
An Mingxia’s face darkened like ink soaking through paper. He said angrily, “Keeping her here would only invite disaster! Send her to the family temple and let her repent before the Buddha and the eternal lamps!”
“Father, wait.”
Eldest Brother An Huancheng, who had remained silent until then, suddenly spoke.
“Though the family temple is quiet, it lies too close to the capital. There’s no guarantee someone won’t provoke her into causing trouble again one day.”
He turned to An Mingxia.
“I was inspecting the southern riverlands some time ago. There is a magistrate there named Zhou, an honest and steadfast man. The terrain of the southern riverlands is treacherous, and over the years we have quietly acquired several properties there. We are in need of someone trustworthy to oversee them. If Ruowei were married there, first, it would put a thousand miles between her and the capital, allowing us all to enjoy peace of mind. Second, the Zhou family is a prominent local clan. They could watch over our holdings, while the marriage would also leave the family a means of retreat should we ever need one.”
Second Brother An Huanqi nodded in agreement. “The Duke of Rong’s household has raised her in luxury for more than a decade. In that sense, we have fulfilled the wishes Father and Mother had after losing Little Sister. Marrying her off to the southern riverlands would at least give her a place to belong.”
Cheng Mingyue did not say whether she agreed. Instead, she asked An Qianqian for her opinion.
“Qianqian, what do you think?”
“Sending her to the southern riverlands is acceptable.”
An Qianqian had no objection. As long as An Ruowei disappeared from before her eyes, it made no difference where she went.
Still, if An Ruowei could be put to practical use, that would be even better. The Duke of Rong’s household had supported her for all these years; they could not have done so for nothing.
Everyone agreed, and they went to An Ruowei’s Orchid Elegance Pavilion. Yet the moment they entered, they all froze.
An Ruowei was wearing nothing but her undergarments, suspended from a roof beam by a hemp rope. Her hair was disheveled, and when she saw them, she began to weep even harder.
“Save me!”
Her outer garments had been tossed across the stone table. It was obvious that someone had stripped them from her.
“What happened?” An Mingxia asked in a deep voice.
There was no one else anywhere nearby.
Standing in the doorway, An Qianqian’s eyes flashed with surprise.
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