Chapter 155: Where Did This Mad Dog Come From?

Xiang Xinyao and Xiang Xinyu were preparing to leave.

The old man stared at the ginseng in Xiang Xinyu’s hands without blinking. “Little girl, would you mind leaving one of those ginseng roots for me to study? Even just one would do.”

Xiang Xinyao smiled faintly and generously said, “I’ll leave you one to study at your leisure. The other one, I’ll take back to plant. Who knows, it might save a life someday.”

“Alright, alright, just one is enough. Little girl, see you tomorrow.”

The old man watched Xiang Xinyao leave, his mind filled with questions.

Would the Chuanbei she planted really sprout tomorrow morning?

What was the white powder she put in the water?

And how come the ginseng he was holding had fresh, vibrant leaves now?

He couldn’t figure it out.

The old man scratched his head in confusion.

Meanwhile, Xiang Xinyao and Xiang Xinyu headed to East Street to browse the markets.

Along the way, Xiang Xinyu asked curiously, “Sister, where did you get the ginseng from?”

Xiang Xinyao grinned and replied, “I have magic. I used magic to make it.”

Xiang Xinyu’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Then the little seed you planted really will sprout tomorrow?”

“It’s not a little seed, it’s Chuanbei, and yes, it will sprout tomorrow.”

“And the white powder you put in the water—what is it?”

“Vitamin C.”

“Vitamin C? What’s that?”

“…”

Xiang Xinyao was becoming more and more exasperated with her sister’s endless questions.

“Alright, sister, stop asking. You’ll learn about it all later. For now, let’s hurry up and shop. The treasures we find today will be money in the future!”

Hearing that, Xiang Xinyu nodded eagerly.

“Okay, okay!”

Though Xiang Xinyu didn’t care much about money, if her little sister liked it, then they needed to make as much as possible.

The two sisters spent hours on East Street, picking up many treasures before heading toward home.

However, as they neared the gates, a woman suddenly blocked their path.

Xiang Xinyao didn’t recognize this woman, though she had heard of her.

Xiang Xinyu, on the other hand, recognized her right away, but didn’t like her.

This was the famous beauty of Bianjing, Qi Ruyuan.

Qi Ruyuan was indeed stunning, as she was known as the most beautiful woman in Bianjing.

But compared to Xiang Xinyao, she was still lacking.

Her features were not as delicate as Xiang Xinyao’s, and her figure was fuller, not as slender.

“You’re Xiang Xinyao?” Qi Ruyuan asked, frowning, with a tone that lacked any politeness.

Xiang Xinyao raised an eyebrow. “I am Xiang Xinyao. And you are?”

What a bother! Walking home, and out of nowhere, she was being targeted.

She couldn’t help but feel annoyed.

Qi Ruyuan sneered. “Hmph! You’re not that impressive. How could South Brother possibly like a girl like you—someone as thin as a bean sprout?”

“Why don’t you smarten up and leave South Brother alone, go to the emperor and cancel the engagement yourself.”

Xiang Xinyao smiled, but the smile didn’t reach her eyes. “Oh, my bad temper! Where did this mad dog come from, suddenly jumping out to bite people?”

Qi Ruyuan’s chest heaved in anger at being called a mad dog.

Before Qi Ruyuan could erupt, Xiang Xinyao shouted, “Hey! Everyone, whose mad dog is running around biting people? Someone get a leash and tie it up!”

Xiang Xinyao’s loud shout immediately attracted a crowd of onlookers.

Qi Ruyuan was so furious she nearly spat blood. “Xiang Xinyao, don’t go too far.”

Xiang Xinyu exploded with anger.

It was one thing to bully her, but no one was allowed to bully her sister!

She pointed at Qi Ruyuan’s nose and launched into a tirade. “Qi Ruyuan, who exactly is being unreasonable here? We were just walking along when you jumped out like a mad dog, blocking our way!”

“How about it? Is this road yours?” Xiang Xinyu continued to challenge, her voice full of scorn. “You want my sister to step aside and leave your ‘South Brother’? ‘South Brother’ is someone you think you can just call like that?”

She glared at Qi Ruyuan. “And you want my sister to go to the emperor to cancel her engagement? The engagement was arranged by the late emperor and the empress dowager. If you’re not happy with it, go argue with the late emperor!”

Xiang Xinyu’s anger was palpable. “Do you really think that just because you’ve been given the title of ‘Bianjing’s First Beauty,’ you can do whatever you want? With your kind of upbringing, do you really deserve that title?”

Xiang Xinyu’s words became even sharper. “Your father’s a prime minister, yet you act like this. Aren’t you afraid of embarrassing your father, with your behavior?”

Qi Ruyuan was stunned.

She hadn’t expected that this so-called “fake daughter” of the Xiang family, someone not even of proper standing, could be so sharp with her words.

Wasn’t it said that Xiang Xinyu was gentle and demure, well-educated and graceful? Why didn’t she feel that at all?

Wasn’t Xiang Xinyao just recently found by the Xiang family, pulled out from some remote countryside? Weren’t country bumpkins usually meek and easy to bully?

Yet why did she not seem to have the demeanor of a country girl at all?

Qi Ruyuan had long been infatuated with Mo Jinnan, believing that such a noble figure should only be matched with someone like her, Bianjing’s First Beauty.

But every time she tried to get close to him, she was pushed away.

Mo Jinnan never even spared her a second glance.

How could she accept that?

Her father, Prime Minister Qi, also hoped for his daughter to marry someone extraordinary. The one he had set his eyes on was Mo Jinnan.

Not for any other reason, but because Mo Jinnan had power, looks, and ability.

If his daughter could marry Mo Jinnan, Prime Minister Qi could help him seize the throne.

Once Mo Jinnan sat on the throne, his daughter, Qi Ruyuan, would become the empress, elevated above all.

And Prime Minister Qi himself would naturally become the country’s most powerful figure, second only to the emperor.

But imagining things was easy; reality, however, was harsh.

Not only had his daughter, Qi Ruyuan, failed to get close to Mo Jinnan, but even Prime Minister Qi himself could not get close.

In Mo Jinnan’s eyes, Prime Minister Qi was nothing but a sycophant, a petty opportunist.

He had only risen to his position by flattering the emperor.

But Prime Minister Qi was not satisfied with just that.

He wanted more than the position of Prime Minister.

In truth, the current crown prince, Mo Haowen, was infatuated with Qi Ruyuan.

But Mo Haowen, despite his status, could not compare to Mo Jinnan in terms of appearance, knowledge, or ability.

To put it bluntly, if Mo Jinnan had been ruthless enough to rebel, disregarding his mother’s safety, and taken the throne, it would have been almost too easy.

That was one reason why Prime Minister Qi kept his daughter, Qi Ruyuan, in a delicate, ambiguous relationship with the crown prince.

They could flirt, but the marriage could not be agreed upon too easily.

This was to protect against Mo Jinnan possibly starting a rebellion and seizing the throne.

Prime Minister Qi also knew that Mo Jinnan was already engaged.

But since Xiang Xinyao had not been found for so many years, and Xiang Xinyu, no matter how good her looks or talents were, was no match for Qi Ruyuan, he had not given up.

Rumors had it that Qi Ruyuan was proficient in all the arts—music, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, and singing.

In reality, Qi Ruyuan could only play the piano and dance decently.

The rumors of her being skilled in all these arts were just a product of her father’s manipulation to create a public image, something that had never been exposed.

Only the Qi family knew the truth—Qi Ruyuan had very little true talent.

Her status as Bianjing’s First Beauty was something her father, Prime Minister Qi, had carefully crafted for her.

In recent days, Qi Ruyuan had heard that Xiang Xinyao had been found.

She had also heard rumors that Mo Jinnan had been getting close to Xiang Xinyao. This pushed her over the edge.