"Hehe! Sister Yanran is joking. I am still unmarried, how could I have a child! It's just that it's grown too big. To be honest, it's also a problem for me, it's causing a lot of trouble." Princess Changning smiled, then puffed out her chest as if she was troubled.
"Pah! Pretentious!" Xiangli Yanran cursed inwardly, but said aloud, "Oh dear, I'm so sorry, I thought you were over twenty, Princess!"
"No way! My sister is only seventeen years old!"
"Oh! Brother Qin Mu is fifteen, and I'm fourteen, so calling you 'sister' is just right!"
Upon hearing Xiangli Yanran say that Qin Mu was fifteen, Princess Changning was taken aback. She wasn't unaware of this, but Qin Mu had developed quickly and looked more like seventeen or eighteen, so she deliberately avoided thinking about it. Now that Xiangli Yanran had brought it up openly, she was forced to confront the issue, causing her to constantly ponder how to deal with it.
In today's world, it's common for men to be older than women. Even in normal marriages, the man is usually older than the woman; couples of the same age are rare, let alone women being older than men. So it's understandable that Princess Changning had some doubts.
Xiangli Yanran had come to the right place to rub salt in the wound. Seeing the change in her expression, she couldn't help but smile broadly, thinking to herself, "Finally, I've won a round!"
However, she forgot that Princess Changning was a member of the royal family, which meant she couldn't be judged by ordinary standards. It wasn't uncommon for some royal princesses and noblewomen to be betrothed to men younger than themselves, although most of these were second marriages after divorce. Princess Changning quickly dismissed this point; she only needed to remember that there were precedents.
Seeing the smug smile on Xiangli Yanran's face, like a fox who had just stolen a chicken, she couldn't help but say again, "Little Yanran, carrying such a tall sword must be hard, right? Look, it's almost as tall as you. Do you want me to help you carry it?"
The implication is clear: Little girl, you're too young and short. Come and compete with me when you're older!
"No need, my sword is too heavy, I'm afraid it will hurt you, sister!" Xiangli Yanran said angrily. What she hated most was that she had never grown taller, and now she also had to add that she had never grown up.
"It's alright! I have plenty of strength!" Princess Changning said with a smile.
"Then I'll have to trouble you, sister!" Xiangli Yanran's eyes darted around, and with a slight sway of her back, a greatsword appeared in her hand. She held it up with both hands and offered it to Princess Changning. She wanted to see Princess Changning make a fool of herself. After all, Princess Changning looked rather chubby and didn't seem like a skilled fighter, and her greatsword was heavier than it appeared. On their first encounter, she might accidentally embarrass herself.
"It's alright! A bit too light for me!" Princess Changning gently grabbed the greatsword, tossed it in her hand, swung it with one hand, and then nodded.
Just by looking at her movements, Xiangli Yanran couldn't help but be slightly surprised. She knew that even she would find it difficult to do something so effortless.
"Sister, you are naturally fair and delicate! This weight is nothing! But it is you who can wield such a heavy sword, Sister Yanran!" Princess Changning saw the surprise in her eyes and said with a smile.
"Ah! No wonder. I'm just naturally strong and muscular, far inferior to your fair and delicate skin," Xiangli Yanran said in surprise, then a sense of frustration rose in her heart. She couldn't even match someone else in her strongest area—strength. And this other person was a princess; the difference in status was too great. How could she compete with her?
Looking at the somewhat pitiful Xiangli Yanran, Princess Changning's hostility disappeared. She gently took her hand and asked, "Is this your first time in Chang'an, Sister Yanran?"
"Yes!" Xiangli Yanran replied somewhat absentmindedly.
"Come on! Let me show you around. I'll tell you, there are so many delicious and fun things to do in Chang'an!"
"Really?" Xiangli Yanran perked up at the mention of food.
"Of course it's true!"
"Sister, let me treat you to rice candy!" Xiangli Yanran took out rice candy from her bag and handed it to Princess Changning.
"Rice candy!"
"Just throw it in your mouth and eat it!"
"Mmm! It tastes good!"
"Right! Brother Qin taught me how to make this!"
"Really? Huai Dao really knows how to cook delicious food. Let me tell you, their restaurant is opening soon. We'll go there to eat then, the food is amazing."
"Okay! I'll teach you how to make popcorn!"
"I'm afraid I won't be able to learn it!"
"It's okay, it's very simple, and it's a lot of fun!"
"Alright then! You teach me!"
The two walked further and further apart, laughing and chatting all the way, just like sisters. However, many people on the street avoided them like the plague!
With a loud "bang!", Li Shentong was so startled that he jerked himself up from the recliner.
The atmosphere in Chang'an, which had just experienced an assassination attempt on the emperor, was tense, and this incident alerted even the Prince's residence. Several guards rushed to Li Shentong's vicinity.
"Your Highness!"
"Your Highness!"
"What's going on? Where did that noise come from?" Li Shentong asked seriously. He had just been dreaming of making love with his concubine when he was awakened by a loud noise and had no idea where the sound came from.
"Your Highness! It came from over there!" the guard pointed and said.
"Changning!" Li Shentong's expression changed, then he waved his hand and said, "What are you all standing there for! Go and take a look!"
"Yes, sir!" the guard replied and immediately ran towards the direction of the sound. Li Shentong also hurriedly followed.
When Li Shentong arrived at his daughter's courtyard, he found that many guards had already arrived, but they all seemed a little confused, as if nothing serious had happened.
Seeing so many guards rush in, Xiangli Yanran couldn't help but stick out her tongue. Only then did she realize that making popcorn in the city would be too noisy.
Princess Changning realized she had caused trouble. She had never expected such a commotion. She had been wondering how shaking the tin can could produce delicious snacks.
"Changning! Are you alright!" Looking at his daughter, Li Shentong strode forward, took her arms, and anxiously asked as he looked her over.
"Dad! I'm alright!"
"What just happened? Could there have been an assassin?" Li Shentong asked, looking at the somewhat messy ground.
The ground was covered in firewood, ashes, and some white stuff, looking quite messy—a rare sight in the Prince's residence. Seeing his daughter so neat and tidy, Li Shentong breathed a sigh of relief. His daughter was quite skilled; seeing her so organized...
"No assassins!"
"No assassins? Then was that loud noise from your place?" Li Shentong asked.
"So what's going on?"
"I was just making some new snacks, but I didn't expect it to cause such a stir," Princess Changning said somewhat embarrassedly, gesturing with her little finger.
"Just some snacks? Why all this commotion?" Li Shentong asked, both amused and incredulous.
“Yes! If you don’t believe me, Father, you should try some!” Princess Changning grabbed a handful of popcorn from a pocket on the ground and handed it over.
Li Shentong looked at the white popcorn in his hand, shook his head speechlessly, and then waved his hand, saying, "Everyone, disperse!"
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