Chapter 80: Are You the Crown Prince!

To prevent the situation from worsening, He Jun-tian hurried to the front. Seeing his sister standing there safe and sound, not engaged in a fight with the others, he let out a sigh of relief. Across from them stood three people: one man and two women. One of the women was the lady he had just encountered at the mouth of the alley. The man was a stranger to He Jun-tian, which was understandable—Baili Xian was known for wearing a mask for years, and if he were wearing it now, He Jun-tian might have recognized him.

Empress Dowager Chu Meier had spent most of her life secluded within the palace, rarely appearing in public, so He Jun-tian had no idea that the elegantly dressed lady before him was the Empress Dowager of Eastern Chu.

His sister stood watching the group, but her gaze was not on the handsome Baili Xian; instead, she kept stealing glances at Chu Meier. Knowing his sister's temperament, He Jun-tian was instantly irritated. Her old habits were resurfacing, but had she no sense of propriety? This was the Prince of Virtue’s mansion of Eastern Chu, not the Princess’s private garden in Zhongtong!

Striding forward, He Jun-tian grabbed He Yan-er and pulled her aside. “Sister, why are you rushing around blindly? Do you realize you’ve caused trouble again? Do you know what kind of place this is?”

He Yan-er’s face fell—her brother always made her sound like a born troublemaker. She pouted. “I don’t care what kind of place this is. Hey, brother, did you see that beautiful lady? What if I took her back home with me?”

Following his sister’s gaze, He Jun-tian’s face darkened like the bottom of a pot, nearly coughing up blood in exasperation. To openly snatch someone from the Prince of Virtue’s mansion—even if the woman’s identity was unclear, her status was obviously high. He Jun-tian was certain that if he acted on his sister’s whim and took someone from the Prince’s residence, Eastern Chu would send troops against them the very next day.

Liu Ling-er, Baili Xian, and Chu Meier stood outside the door, unmoving. They watched He Jun-tian and He Yan-er speak softly, making no immediate moves. All three were experts, and besides, they were on their own turf, so they weren’t worried about the two siblings escaping.

He Yan-er spoke in a whisper, but what she didn’t realize was that her so-called whisper was perfectly clear to the three martial masters standing nearby. Chu Meier’s expression changed in an instant.

Liu Ling-er was also stunned. Looking at Baili Xian, she saw that he, too, was shocked. Where had such an oddity come from, to utter such rebellious words so casually!

He Jun-tian rolled his eyes at his sister. “Do you really think this is your home? This is the Prince of Virtue’s mansion in Eastern Chu. I think we’d better apologize to the people here; offending them will bring us nothing but trouble.”

While speaking, he glanced at the handsome young man. Although the man appeared harmless, he radiated a dangerous aura. The two women beside him were no less formidable. He Jun-tian was certain that if a fight broke out, he would be subdued within ten rounds.

All he wanted now was to settle things peacefully, attend the Empress Dowager’s fortieth birthday celebration, and then hurry back home with his troublemaking sister. He swore that if he ever had to visit another country, he would never bring his sister along again.

He had high hopes, but reality was harsh. While He Jun-tian wanted to diffuse the situation, He Yan-er insisted on contradicting him. “Brother! How can you be so spineless? Remember, you are the Crown Prince! How can you be so cowardly? You’re embarrassing Zhongtong!”

She had clearly caused the trouble, but somehow he was the one at fault. He Jun-tian felt bewildered, as if he’d been struck while lying down.

Yet this was not the worst of it. He Yan-er’s eyes sparkled mischievously as she grabbed He Jun-tian’s hand. “We’re here to celebrate the Empress Dowager’s birthday. Eastern Chu and Zhongtong have always been close. To show our nations’ friendship, brother, you should marry her!”

Her words were nothing short of shocking. She was referring, of course, to the Empress Dowager Chu Meier, whose face instantly turned pale.

At last, the truth was clear: this brother and sister were the Crown Prince and Princess of Zhongtong. The little princess had her eye on Chu Meier, wanting her to become her sister-in-law. Hmph, they clearly had no idea what kind of person Chu Meier was, to dare scheme to take her for themselves!

Liu Ling-er was utterly bewildered. This youthful princess was truly extraordinary—here to celebrate the Empress Dowager’s birthday, and yet before even offering her congratulations, she was trying to take the Empress Dowager back to her own country. Such thoughts surely belonged to no ordinary person.

Listening to his sister's bold declarations, He Jun-tian rolled his eyes repeatedly and clamped a hand over He Yan-er’s mouth. For her own selfish desires, she wanted him to marry a woman he didn’t even know. Though she was his only sister, he would never do such a thing.

At this point, Chu Meier couldn’t stand it any longer. If she let this girl speak any further, her own reputation would be ruined. She stepped forward and said, “Where did this girl come from, daring to make a scene in the Prince of Virtue’s mansion? Who gave you such courage?”

Seeing that the mistress of the house had spoken, He Jun-tian released his hold on He Yan-er’s mouth, but this only made her harder to control. He Yan-er bounced over to Chu Meier and grabbed her hand. “Beautiful sister, my brother says this is the Prince of Virtue’s mansion. I’m not here to make trouble—uh, cough, oh! We’re here to visit the Prince of Virtue!”

Nonsense! Liu Ling-er was the first to distrust her, especially after seeing He Yan-er’s actions, growing increasingly convinced that this young princess was up to something strange.