Chapter 129: Adversaries

Watching Anna’s eyes sparkle with infatuation, Yan Yan finally understood the true meaning of a "male protagonist aura." Ninth Prince was currently radiating that aura in full force; no matter where he went, he attracted a trail of unwanted admirers, and now, he had even captivated a foreigner.

Yan Yan remained rational, knowing this wasn't the reason she and Ninth Prince had been at odds. She curled her lips slightly and said to Anna with a sense of pride, "My husband." Anna immediately gave Yan Yan a thumbs-up, then turned to Ninth Prince with elegant poise. "Honorable Ninth Prince, I am Anna, a shareholder of the British East India Company. It is a great honor to meet you." With that, she performed a standard Western court curtsy.

The interpreter, as if finding a savior, hurriedly translated Anna's words for the prince. Ninth Prince merely raised the corner of his mouth slightly. He offered no praise, nor did he return the gesture; his entire demeanor remained remarkably arrogant and dismissive.

Yet, Anna still considered him the epitome of a gentleman, even whispering praises about him to Yan Yan. Yan Yan couldn't help but sigh; it truly was a world that judged by appearance, whether it was centuries later or here in the Great Qing Dynasty. She cast a sympathetic glance at the Tenth Prince. In truth, he wasn't ugly—being a son of Kangxi, how bad could he look? Ninth Prince was simply a bit taller, thinner, paler, and more refined.

The Tenth Prince seemed to sense he was being looked down upon and suddenly shoved the Ninth. To everyone's surprise, while the Ninth Prince remained unperturbed, Anna let out a startled cry, instinctively reaching out to steady him. Seeing that he was unharmed, she glared at the Tenth Prince and unleashed a torrent of rapid-fire foreign words. The Tenth Prince, utterly frustrated by the gibberish, pointed his finger at her and barked, "Don't think that just because you're a woman, I wouldn't dare strike you!"

Anna blinked, looking at the Tenth Prince with confusion. This time, she didn't need an interpreter, as his raised fist made his intent clear. Disbelieving, she looked back at Yan Yan: "Is he going to hit me?" Yan Yan lowered her head in embarrassment. Anna immediately grasped the situation; instead of backing down, she stepped forward twice. "Go ahead and hit me! I want to see just how shameless you can be."

The Tenth Prince clearly hadn't expected such a reaction. As Anna moved closer, he caught a glimpse of the fair skin at her neckline and the subtle curves beneath. His dark face turned beet-red. He shoved her away, muttering, "How scandalous! A sin, truly a sin."

Even though Anna was taller than the typical Qing girl, she was still a woman. The shove sent her sprawling to the ground. Yan Yan was startled and quickly signaled Cui'er to help her up.

The Tenth Prince then grabbed the Fourteenth Prince, dragging him away as he fumed, "Fourteenth brother, let's leave! My eyes will start to sting from the sight of this if we stay any longer."

Anna scrambled to her feet and chased after them a few steps before stopping, shouting a final string of indignant curses at the Tenth Prince’s retreating back. Watching her, Yan Yan couldn't help but laugh. Ninth Prince approached her, tapped her forehead, and said with a playful glint in his eyes, "Making a mockery of my tenth brother is not something you should be doing."

"My Lord!" Yan Yan called out softly, unable to suppress her smile.

Ninth Prince tapped her nose gently and lowered his voice. "Something has come up ahead. Take the ladies to the venue you prepared. We will begin the children's ritual of 'grasping for their future' once I return."

Yan Yan tugged on his sleeve with concern. "Is it serious?"

"Don't worry, it's nothing major. I'll be back in an hour!" He patted her hand and headed off in the same direction the Tenth Prince had gone. Yan Yan watched his retreating figure, feeling a sense of unease; she knew something must have happened for him to handle official business at such a time. Nearby, He Xuanyuan, who had been kneeling, slightly lifted her head to watch the prince leave, her eyes filled with envy.

Despite her concern, Yan Yan led the ladies to the room designated for the children’s ritual. The children were playing happily inside. Sweetheart sat quietly at the table, fiddling with the objects prepared for the ritual, seemingly deep in thought about which one she would eventually choose.

Hong Zheng and Hong Zhang were running back and forth on the floor, ignoring all of Zi Su’s attempts to make them stop. Seeing Yan Yan enter, Hong Zheng rushed into her arms, pointing at something in the corner of the room and babbling excitedly.

Yan Yan picked him up and pointed at the apple tree in the corner. "Do you want that?" Hong Zheng nodded vigorously. Following the style of a modern kindergarten, Yan Yan had constructed a fake apple tree from branches and paper, hanging several red paper apples from its boughs. The little glutton clearly thought they were real and wanted to pick one to eat.

Yan Yan placed him on the table and leaned in, keeping her gaze level with his. "Be a good boy, Hong Zheng. That tree is fake; you can't eat it. How about Mother takes you to have real fruit later?"

Hong Zheng shook his head like a rattle, still pointing and babbling at the tree. Hong Zhang ran over, clutching her leg. "Hold, hold!" Yan Yan had to lift him onto the table as well, placing him next to Hong Zheng. She couldn't help but feel that having multiple children was a handful; they were only a year old, and she was already struggling to keep up.

To everyone's surprise, Hong Zhang didn't point at the apple tree. Instead, he pointed at Hong Zheng and said, "Fake, silly, silly!" The room erupted in laughter. He Xuanyuan remarked, "The Second Prince is truly clever to be talking at such a young age."

Everyone joined in to praise Hong Zhang, but Hong Zheng remained persistent, tugging at Yan Yan, determined to examine the apple tree, as if threatening to cry if she didn't comply.

He Xuanyuan smiled from the side. "The Eldest Prince is a determined child. Let me take him over to see it. It’s no wonder he was fooled; it looks quite real to me." She reached out toward Hong Zheng, but he turned away awkwardly, stretching his small hands toward Yan Yan. He Xuanyuan looked embarrassed and added, "Side Consort, please take him over to see. We will look after the Second Prince here."

Yan Yan looked at He Xuanyuan with a strange feeling, but seeing Hong Zheng’s persistence, she carried him to the apple tree and lifted him high so he could touch the paper fruit. "See? It's fake. Mother didn't lie to you. Mother will never lie to Hong Zheng..."

As she spoke, Yan Yan suddenly froze. Behind the tree, she had caught sight of a pair of eyes watching her—and they were filled with chilling malice.