The Flourishing Era of Female Merchants

The chilling tone sent a shiver down Anmi's spine, let alone Liuguang and Yifei.

"Liuguang, Yifei, go prepare tea and snacks for the Crown Prince. Leave this to me." Anmi stepped forward, took the ruler from Yifei's hand, and freed the two girls.

Liu Guang and Yi Fei glanced at An Mi, but had no choice but to leave the inner hall.

Inside the hall, only Anmi and Qinglan remained. Anmi held a ruler, while Qinglan raised his arms, letting Anmi carefully measure his dimensions. Neither of them spoke, and a moment of silence ensued.

"How have you been these past few days?" Qinglan asked softly. He had a lot to say, but he didn't know how to say it. He couldn't help but smile bitterly. It was only in front of her that he was so timid and helpless.

"Yes, thank you for your concern, Your Highness. Anmi is doing well." Anmi's tone was naturally distant. Thinking of Qinglan's confession to her when he left Rongjin City, she subconsciously didn't want her actions to cause any misunderstandings for him.

Qinglan was an extremely sensitive person. The smile on her face suddenly froze. "In your eyes, am I just the eldest prince?"

After returning from Rongjin City, he was extremely busy with court affairs. On one hand, he had to deal with the Empress and the Second Prince's targeting and assassination attempts, and on the other hand, he had to do his best to impress his father. However, every night, a certain figure would still appear in his mind.

She seemed to be the only soft spot beneath his cold exterior, reminding him of the peace that once belonged to him.

“The Crown Prince is of noble status, while An Mi is just a lowly embroiderer…” An Mi had to admit that her heart ached a little. In fact, in her heart, Qing Lan was always the first refined doctor who helped her and pitied her after her rebirth, and even her friend. However, things had changed, and his status was destined to be extraordinary, but she did not want to get involved in his extraordinary life.

"What about Bai Yi?" Qinglan's voice was somewhat subdued.

An Mi frowned but did not answer. Qing Lan sneered, "Why can he accept it but I can't? I met you before him, and you can accept him, but to you, I'm just a prince?"

Accept him? An Mi felt her head throbbing. "An Mi just wants to quietly do what she likes to do..."

"Including accepting the third brother?" Qinglan interrupted her. The third brother had always been cunning. She had no choice but to leave Rongjin City, and the third brother had many more opportunities. He was now starting to regret it. If she hadn't left back then, would it be Qinglan who was closer to Anmi now?

"Is the Crown Prince here to humiliate An Mi?" An Mi frowned, somewhat displeased.

Qinglan was slightly taken aback, realizing her impulsiveness, and gave a bitter smile, "I like you, how could I humiliate you?"

He decided to no longer hide his feelings for Anmi.

An Mi frowned even more deeply. She hadn't expected that Qing Lan, such a reserved person, would express his feelings for her so openly, leaving her with no way to avoid it.

An Mi sighed inwardly. She was truly troubled by the feelings these two brothers had for her. She was a person who dared to love and hate, but how could she bravely love someone when she was unsure of her own feelings?

Both are extremely noble men. One is Bai Yi, whom the Emperor warned about last night. Now, Qing Lan has appeared. If the Emperor finds out, who knows how he will guard against her.

A wicked woman who bewitched his two sons? Ha, that's quite a crime. I doubt the Emperor will show any mercy to someone like that!

The royal family is a deep pool, not only deep but also full of undercurrents. One wrong move and you could be sucked in and fall into an abyss of no return.

"Mi'er..." Qinglan called out softly, her voice filled with such longing that it was impossible to ignore. "While you accept the third brother, please give me a chance as well."

A chance for him to enter her heart and steal her away!

"Qinglan, I don't deserve this from you." Anmi frowned, somewhat helpless. She had already severed all feelings and love, but she was still cherished by two men. Thinking about Baiyi last night, and then looking at Qinglan in front of her, even she herself felt that she was being too cruel.

However, they didn't take her refusal seriously at all; they really are brothers!

She's a smart woman; she knows it's dangerous to navigate between these two men. But now that she's on their turf, can she really escape?

Now, she is paying more attention to other sources of danger, such as the Empress and the Emperor!

"Whether it's worth it or not is up to me to decide," Qinglan said, befitting a prince, still possessing a domineering nature at heart.

An Mi knew that dragging things out would only make things worse. She sighed inwardly, met Qing Lan's bright eyes decisively, and said with a smile, word by word, "I'll make my own decisions about my life!"

Qinglan narrowed her eyes, remained silent for a moment, and then smiled, her tone unusually gentle, "Alright, you decide for yourself."

Since she wants to make her own decisions, then he should let her accept him willingly. In the end, won't she be the one making the decisions?

He wanted to win Anmi, so he tried to win her over, but he never thought of taking her by force. He wanted to have her, and last night he was already prepared to have a gentlemanly contest with Bai Yi.

An Mi met Qing Lan's eyes, but found herself increasingly unable to understand him. So she simply stopped trying to figure him out. With a furrowed brow, An Mi put down the ruler in her hand. "I've already measured it. What color does the First Prince like?"

"You decide," Qinglan said softly, his voice tinged with a smile. He liked how Anmi took care of everything for him, as if she were truly his wife.

Anmi endured his gaze, knowing in her heart that her intention to cut the Gordian knot had been completely ignored. "Alright, once the clothes are finished, Anmi will have them delivered to the Crown Prince's residence."

Qinglan remained silent, and the two of them stayed silent until Liuguang and Yifei brought tea and snacks. Only then did Qinglan take a deep look at Anmi and stride out of the inner hall. Today, his purpose was to let Anmi know that he would not give up and that he would do everything in his power to win her over. Seeing Anmi's helpless expression, Qinglan felt a pang of heartache. However, facing Baiyi, a formidable adversary, he had no choice but to be frank and open about some things.

He knew all too well that if he continued to watch her silently, he would only watch helplessly as she walked into Bai Yi's arms!

Throughout the day, An Mi was busy taking measurements for the concubines in each palace, but the images of Bai Yi from last night and Qing Lan from just now kept flashing through her mind, and she couldn't calm down.

As the sun set in the afternoon, Consort Rong brought a considerable amount of silver and a message from the Emperor, saying that the first garment must be made for Consort Rong as soon as possible. An Mi naturally dared not ignore this order, as even the slightest mistake could be taken advantage of.