The Flourishing Era of Female Merchants

Consort Rong's brows were furrowed, as if she were troubled by something, "But..."

"But what is it?" At this moment, Emperor Mingde was particularly concerned about Consort Rong.

"I'm afraid Your Majesty will be angry if I say it," Consort Rong said, biting her lip and looking at Emperor Mingde with a pitiful expression, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Speak freely," Emperor Mingde promised.

"Your Majesty, for the sake of the child in my womb, I have no choice but to investigate this matter. I have thought it over and over again these past few days, and I have been extremely careful. Even the food I eat has been checked repeatedly by the palace maids beside me, just in case something goes wrong. But this morning, I ate Phoenix Heart Pastry..." Consort Rong frowned, uttering these three important words, but as if she had accidentally let slip, she quickly 'made amends', "No, I didn't mean there was a problem with the Phoenix Heart Pastry. It's just that the Phoenix Heart Pastry was the only thing that wasn't checked. I thought that since it was Phoenix Heart Pastry, there wouldn't be any problem."

When Consort Rong uttered the words "Phoenix Heart Pastry," many people's expressions changed.

Everyone present knew what Phoenix Heart Pastry meant; it was a dessert exclusively for Empress Feng. If it weren't for Empress Feng's gift, who would get to eat it?

Everyone couldn't help but turn their gaze to Empress Feng, secretly wondering if Empress Feng had known all along that Consort Rong was pregnant with the Emperor's child and didn't want to see the child's existence, which was why she took such drastic measures.

At this moment, Empress Feng froze. When she came to her senses, she felt the Emperor's gaze and a disdainful smile appeared on her lips. "Sister Rongfei, when did I ever bestow Phoenix Heart Pastry upon you? Your skill in framing people is truly remarkable."

Consort Rong sobbed, "Your Majesty, my sister didn't give me the Phoenix Heart Pastry. It's all my fault for being greedy. Yesterday, I went to Yanfu Palace to thank Miss Anmi for making me clothes. When I saw this Phoenix Heart Pastry, I asked for it. I never thought there would be anything wrong with it. It's all my fault..."

Emperor Mingde's face was even more gloomy and frightening. This matter had once again involved An Mi. At this moment, An Mi frowned. When she heard Consort Rong mention Phoenix Heart Pastry, she had vaguely guessed something. However, she did not expect that Consort Rong was so cunning. What did she mean by this? Was she blaming her for this?

Just then, Consort Rong continued, "Your Majesty, I have no vested interest in An Mi, and I believe she would not harm me. But... I fear that someone is using An Mi to lure me into a trap."

An Mi couldn't help but curl a faint sarcasm into her lips. This Consort Rong was truly skilled at both singing and acting. She had previously thought that Consort Rong was guileless, but it seemed that she had underestimated her after all.

She told me to keep her by her side and help her, but now she's stabbing me in the back?

Consort Rong's meaning was crystal clear: she was telling the Emperor that someone had instigated and exploited An Mi, and that person was, of course, Empress Feng.

Empress Feng was immediately enraged, "Consort Rong, don't you dare make false accusations!"

"Your Majesty, I'm so scared... I didn't say it was my sister, the Empress..." Consort Rong grabbed Emperor Mingde's clothes and said in terror.

Empress Feng's actions were undoubtedly an admission of guilt.

Empress Feng's face darkened further. "Your Majesty, I have never done such a thing. Please investigate thoroughly."

Emperor Mingde's mind was not on Consort Rong and Empress Feng at the moment. He narrowed his deep eyes and remained silent for a long time before saying loudly, "Guards, take Anmi away and await my judgment."

"Father..."

"Father..."

Two figures rang out simultaneously, and two figures rushed to the main hall in an instant. The two were none other than Bohai King Bai Yi and the eldest prince Qing Lan.

The crowd looked at the two of them with even greater surprise. It would be understandable if the King of Bohai spoke up for them, after all, he had just made such a firm declaration that An Mi was his beloved, and it was perfectly reasonable for him to stand up for her.

But why did the eldest prince, Qinglan, come out at this moment?

Emperor Mingde's sharp eyes narrowed further, his gaze lingering on Bai Yi and Qing Lan's faces for a moment. The shared anxiety and worry on their faces made him immediately understand.

Ah, what a peaceful place!

She actually has such great abilities. Hmph, it turns out that Bai Yi isn't the only one who's captivated by her!

Now, he was even less tolerant of tranquility.

"Didn't you hear my order? Guards, take Anmi away!" Emperor Mingde seemed to be suppressing something.

Several guards immediately stepped forward, but Qinglan and Baiyi rushed to Anmi's side again, protecting her firmly behind them.

"Father, this matter has not yet been investigated clearly. To convict An Mi in this way is really hard to convince the public." Bai Yi clenched his fists and met Emperor Mingde's sharp eyes from afar. No one could harm An Mi.

“Yes, Father, An Mi really has no motive. Just now, Consort Rong also said that An Mi and Consort Rong have no vested interests. Besides, it seems that Consort Rong’s statement that there is a problem with the Phoenix Heart Pastry is not enough to convince everyone. This matter should be thoroughly investigated to see what really happened.” Qing Lan also said loudly, her attitude was clear: there was no way An Mi would be taken away.

Consort Rong hadn't expected that An Mi would have two protectors at this time. Glancing at An Mi, who was being protected by Qing Lan and Bai Yi, Consort Rong twitched the corner of her mouth and said, "Your Majesty, this matter should be thoroughly investigated."

Investigate? Isn't it just about finding out about that Phoenix Heart Pastry? Hmph, let them investigate however they want, they'll eventually find their way back to An Mi, and then…

Consort Rong thought to herself, "Anmi, Anmi, if you are unwilling to follow me for a long time, then I will have no choice but to force you."

Emperor Mingde frowned, his heart filled with hatred for An Mi, wishing he could kill her on the spot to prevent her from harming his two sons. But now, he had no choice but to investigate her thoroughly.

"Alright, then investigate. However, during the investigation, temporarily confine An Mi to her room and don't let her escape." Emperor Mingde's eyes flickered slightly, as if he were calculating something.

Bai Yi and Qing Lan exchanged a glance, took a deep breath, and looked at An Mi simultaneously.

An Mi smiled and said, "This humble woman will obey Your Majesty's arrangements."

The truth will eventually clear her name, but... she is determined not to let this matter end like this.

“Mi’er…”

"tranquil……"

Qinglan and Baiyi called out softly, their eyes filled with tenderness. House arrest? They were determined to protect her, but for Anmi, wasn't that a humiliation? How could they allow the woman they loved to suffer such disgrace?