The Flourishing Era of Female Merchants

She hadn't forgotten that Empress Feng was still eyeing her covetously; at this time, she needed to be even more careful.

Consort Rong was taken aback. "Could it be that you think it's too little?"

Hmph, that's quite bold of her. She certainly has a big appetite. She underestimated this embroiderer earlier.

Or… Consort Rong’s expression changed. If she didn’t accept her things, could it be that she didn’t want to do anything for her? Could it be that she still had her eye on the Empress?

Consort Rong's expression immediately turned even more unpleasant. An Mi saw her reaction and knew that if she didn't accept the jade bracelet, Consort Rong wouldn't feel at ease. However, the jade bracelet was too dangerous for her. If someone with ulterior motives found out about it and framed her with something unfounded, she would have no way to explain herself.

Thinking of something, An Mi met Consort Rong's somewhat displeased gaze, forced a smile, and feigned embarrassment. "Your Majesty, I am a simple woman and do not understand such elegant and noble objects as jade bracelets. It would be a waste for such a precious jade bracelet to be in my hands. Compared to jade bracelets, I think silver is much more practical..."

As An Mi said this, Consort Rong suddenly realized, and her previous displeasure vanished instantly. She looked at An Mi with disdain. "Silver, huh? Very well, I'll bring you some silver first thing tomorrow morning."

He really is a country bumpkin from a small place; the most precious thing in his eyes is money.

An Mi ignored her disdain and beamed with joy like a village girl who had just received silver. The less Consort Rong paid attention to her, the more advantageous it was for An Mi.

Consort Rong wanted peace of mind, so she would give her peace of mind. Silver is not like a jade bracelet, and there is no name engraved on it. Even if someone knew that Consort Rong had given her silver, in the end there would be no evidence.

Consort Rong glanced at An Mi, then left with satisfaction.

“Miss, that Consort Rong is really ungrateful. Should we…” Liu Guang frowned. Consort Rong’s arrogant attitude was really irritating. How could Consort Rong look at someone whom even the Prince cherished with such contempt?

An Mi smiled faintly, "Let her be! No matter what, she is a concubine in the palace, and I am just an embroiderer. I just need to do my job well."

After Anmi finished speaking, she found a palace maid and, led by the maid, returned to Yanfu Palace.

Yanfu Palace is located at the boundary between the residences of the palace maids and the masters, and is not far from the Shangyi Bureau. As soon as Anmi arrived at Yanfu Palace, she saw many palace maids busy carrying various fabrics and embroidery supplies. However, none of these palace maids paid any attention to her. Instead, they looked at her with hostility.

An Mi couldn't help but shake her head. It seemed that her arrival had made many people dislike her.

But she didn't come here willingly! Thinking of the culprit behind this, An Mi frowned. Bai Yi got what he wanted, but he pushed her into this dangerous situation. She would make him make amends sooner or later.

Just as a palace servant brought out the evening meal, several eunuchs rushed into Yanfu Palace. The leading eunuch was the same one who had followed Emperor Mingde in the Imperial Garden earlier that day.

An Mi was surprised. What was the chief eunuch of Emperor Mingde doing here at this time?

Soon, she had her answer. Eunuch Qin walked towards An Mi and said warmly, "Miss An Mi, you've just started your meal? Hehe, just in time, I've arrived at the perfect moment."

"Anmi greets Eunuch Qin. May I ask what brings you here?" Anmi said politely, knowing that Eunuch Qin's arrival was timely and he certainly wasn't looking for a free meal.

"Hehe, I am here on the Emperor's orders to invite Miss Anmi to dine with him." Eunuch Qin stared intently at Anmi, as if trying to see through her every expression.

Ah, this woman, upon hearing these words, merely frowned slightly, showing no surprise whatsoever. No wonder the Emperor summoned her today.

"Miss Anmi, let's go now, don't keep the Emperor waiting." Eunuch Qin urged.

"I'll trouble Eunuch Qin to lead the way." An Mi knew that this was the Emperor's territory. Although she didn't know why the Emperor had summoned her, she understood that even if it was a den of dragons and tigers, she had no choice but to go.

An Mi followed Eunuch Qin out of Yanfu Palace, while the busy palace maids looked at each other in bewilderment.

On her first day in the palace, the embroiderer was not only given a special palace to stay in, but the Empress also instructed that she could use all the resources of the Imperial Wardrobe. Now, the Emperor has summoned her to accompany him.

One of them realized something, quickly dropped what he was doing, and jogged out of Yanfu Palace, heading towards the Shangyi Bureau.

Upon hearing the news brought by the palace maid, Aunt Xue, the head of the Imperial Wardrobe, suddenly turned pale and stood up abruptly. "What did you say? The Emperor summoned him for a meal?"

"Isn't that right? She's just an embroiderer, but she's quite skilled." The palace maid frowned and said.

Aunt Xue's gaze darkened slightly. This embroiderer from Rongjin City, relying on her embroidery skills, actually managed to get the Empress to order the entire Imperial Wardrobe to cooperate with her. At first, she was worried that if the embroiderer named An Mi really made a contribution during the Ghost Festival, then she might lose her job as the head of the Imperial Wardrobe. Therefore, she instructed her maids to ignore the embroiderer.

But now it seems... the Emperor usually only summons his concubines for meals, and would never let a palace maid... Could it be... that the Emperor is plotting something?

Aunt Xue took a deep breath. If that was the case, then she couldn't ignore the embroiderer anymore!

"Let's go wait at Yanfu Palace." Aunt Xue made a quick decision. This new embroiderer was probably quite extraordinary.

Inside the emperor's bedroom, the lights were on full display, and guards were stationed every three or five steps, making the defense extremely tight.

Anmi followed Eunuch Qin into the main hall, where she saw Emperor Mingde, dressed in bright yellow, sitting at a table. The table was laden with an extraordinary variety of dishes, more than twenty different kinds for one person.

An Mi lowered her brows slightly. Is this the extravagance of the imperial palace?

They truly have no idea about the suffering of ordinary people.

"Your Majesty, Miss Anmi has arrived," Eunuch Qin said respectfully.

An Mi also curtsied, saying, "This humble woman, An Mi, greets Your Majesty."

Emperor Mingde gave a wink to the palace maid who was serving him food. The maid immediately put the dishes he wanted into his bowl one by one. Emperor Mingde seemed not to hear Eunuch Qin's words or An Mi's greetings, and continued eating by himself.

Anmi lowered her brows. It seems that the royal family has a habit of leaving people hanging. The empress does this, and so does the emperor. They truly are a couple.

An Mi naturally knew that the Emperor was deliberately ignoring her, so she didn't dare to act rashly. She stood silently to the side, waiting for the Emperor to be happy and to speak.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Emperor Mingde glanced at An Mi without leaving a trace. He saw that her face was calm, without the slightest fear, anxiety, or worry. The corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up. She was indeed a composed woman.