Chapter 350: Still the Great Cultivation Heroine

When Rong Juan returned, the young prince followed up by asking, "Do you want to compete with Fu Bao?"

Rong Juan asked in a milky voice, "Compete over what?"

"Go find your father and have Fu Bao's courtyard removed," the young prince said, having his own way of handling things. "Find a pretext to drive Fu Bao away; where you are, there can be no Fu Bao."

Rong Juan shook her head. "No."

"You won't drive Fu Bao away?" the young prince said. "After all, you're back! He He Shizi isn't childless."

"I won't drive her away," Rong Juan said. "Her whole family wants to use Fu Bao's status as the legitimate young lady of the Yan Guogong Prefecture to fight for luck and fortune. I want her to see it, but not be able to touch it."

The young prince was puzzled: "..."

"What does that mean?" the young prince couldn't figure it out and was very curious.

Rong Juan was small in stature, not to mention anything else.

She took out boiled melon seeds, put one in her mouth, bit with her small teeth, cracked it open, and peeled the seed. The child loved boiled melon seeds; her mother loved them too, and the little milk dumpling loved them too.

The young prince still didn't understand: why dare not drive Fu Bao away?!

He Yan held the little one while watching the children. He peeled melon seeds to feed the little milk dumpling. When Rong Juan got tired of peeling, she went over with the young prince. He Yan spread out his hand and gave the accumulated melon seed kernels to Rong Juan.

The little milk dumpling, Rong Juan: "????"

He had been eating them all along!

Rong Juan grabbed the peeled melon seeds and ate them happily.

He Yan didn't like eating melon seeds, only occasionally having a handful at banquets. These past two days, however, he had become quite skilled; the elegant and gentle young master had learned the art of peeling melon seeds, supplying the little milk dumpling while still saving peeled kernels for Rong Juan.

While He Yan was here with the two children, Fu Bao had already returned to Qin Yan Hou Fu.

At this moment, the Young Master's Lady called everyone to the front courtyard for tea. The people of Great Yan liked to drink tea and admire flowers in the courtyards; for no other reason than that flowers, plants, and trees were precious and couldn't be seen inside the house.

It was late autumn, not yet cold, but far from hot.

With the afternoon sun shining brightly, setting up tables and chairs in the courtyard made drinking tea and admiring flowers the most pleasant activity. The more flowers and plants there were, the more it displayed the prosperity of the prefecture; the more flowers, the more it showed wealth.

The symbolism was good, and the atmosphere was good too.

Qin He arrived first. Dressed in a light green autumn dress, she teased the Young Master's Lady, "Sister-in-law, do you have any good tea? I only drink good tea; if there's no good tea, I won't drink."

The Young Master's Lady, who was counting on this little rich lady to make money, also laughed. "If you want to drink good tea, bring it yourself."

Qin Han had come along with her, and they were all joking with the Young Master's Lady. Qin Bi hadn't arrived yet, so the Young Master's Lady asked a maid, who had already been sent to invite her, but Qin Bi still hadn't come.

"Her!" Qin He's legitimate sister said. "She just doesn't like being with us."

The meaning was that Qin Bi was not sociable among the sisters, and Qin He's legitimate sister said it on purpose.

Qin He smiled. The Young Master's Lady pretended not to hear. In a Hou Men family, it was not good to show displeasure on one's face; it was enough to keep any dissatisfaction in mind. Speaking it out would show a lack of heart.

Qin He thought Qin Bi wouldn't come, so she said a few words herself.

Who knew that before long, Qin Bi arrived with Jiang Shi and Lin Shi. After exchanging greetings, everyone sat down to drink tea, eat melon seeds, and admire the flowers blooming in the courtyard in autumn.

When Fu Bao came to Hou Fu, Qin He saw her from afar.

Qin He's legitimate sister had something to ask. She lifted her skirt hem and went to meet her. This spot was far enough from everyone that they couldn't hear, and besides, not everyone would notice this side anyway, so Qin He's legitimate sister pulled Fu Bao aside to talk.

"Why did you come back so quickly?" Qin He's legitimate sister asked.

"They wouldn't play with me," Fu Bao pouted. "So I came back."

Qin He's legitimate sister's eyes sharpened. "Was it Rong Juan who wouldn't play with you? Why bother with him? You are the legitimate young lady of the Yan Guogong Prefecture. If he ignores you, you ignore him too. He wasn't raised in the Yan Guogong Prefecture since childhood."

Fu Bao was unhappy. "No one plays with me. Even He Boye is only focused on watching the children."

Qin He's legitimate sister froze: "..."

This was something she hadn't anticipated. Regarding He He Shizi, Qin He's legitimate sister dared not say anything. The Second Branch could have what it had today and live comfortably only because of He He Shizi's favoritism toward Qin He.

A maid from Xue Wang Fu hesitated, feeling that telling Qin He's legitimate sister would be useless. Even their Young Master's Lady had to be more restrained when visiting the Yan Guogong Prefecture, let alone the legitimate young lady of the Second Branch.

The maid ran to find Qin He, who was joking with the Young Master's Lady, deliberately making it seem like she had a better relationship with the Young Master's Lady, causing the young ladies of Qin Yan Hou Fu to be both envious and admiring.

The maid leaned in and whispered to Qin He, "Our little princess Fu Bao was slapped by Rong Juan, the young master of Rong Wang Fu."

"What?" Qin He's face turned cold.

The Young Master's Lady and everyone else looked over. The maid lowered her head and repeated it quietly.

After hearing this, Qin He immediately frowned. She was a great heroine, and a great heroine of cultivation at that. How could her child, Qin He's child, be beaten? Qin He instantly couldn't hold back her anger.

Qin He turned to Qin Bi and said, "Sister Qin Bi, your Rong Juan hit my Fu Bao. Fu Bao is the most fortunate little princess in Great Yan. Rong Juan, at such a young age, hit his cousin. What do you have to say?"

The Young Master's Lady and others were stunned, exchanging glances. Seeing Qin He's gloomy face, they assumed it was indeed true.

Qin Bi didn't know about it and wasn't intimidated. "Where was she hit?"

"She was hit at the Yan Guogong Prefecture," Qin He said. "My Fu Bao is a first-rank little princess and has never been hit since childhood. Yet your Rong Juan just went ahead and hit someone for no reason."

"You are making baseless accusations that Rong Juan hit Fu Bao," Qin Bi said. "But I don't know what happened."

"Exactly," Lin Shi interjected quietly. "Children playing and fighting is very common. Qin He, you are being too particular. Qin Bi doesn't know what happened; it's better to ask and clarify."

Qin He pulled Fu Bao close and checked her face. There were still red marks visible. Qin He's anger surged. "Clarify what? My Fu Bao was beaten! Look, her face is red."

Qin Han and Qin He's legitimate sister immediately crowded around, each expressing heartache and blaming the little milk dumpling for hitting too hard.

"This..." The Young Master's Lady glanced over. Seeing Fu Bao's face was still red, she said to Qin Bi, "How about you go back and ask what happened? If it was Rong Juan's fault, you should apologize to Qin He and Fu Bao."

What was she thinking? Qin Bi remained expressionless. Apologize to Qin He and Fu Bao? That was a joke; how could that be possible? Qin Bi glanced at the Young Master's Lady, who felt inexplicably confused. She hadn't favored anyone!

Qin Bi withdrew her gaze, looked down on Qin He, and said, "Since the beating happened at the Yan Guogong Prefecture, go to the Yan Guogong Prefecture to demand an explanation. I don't know what happened, do I?"

Qin He was speechless. She glared fiercely at Qin Bi, then pulled Fu Bao and went to the Yan Guogong Prefecture.

The Second Young Master's Lady of the Yan Guogong Prefecture saw Qin He. After hearing Qin He explain her purpose, the Second Young Master's Lady was surprised. "Is there such a thing?"

"Go ask He He Shizi and you'll know," Qin He said.

The Second Young Master's Lady was speechless, then just smiled. "My eldest brother isn't free."