The Flourishing Era of Female Merchants

When Consort Rong saw An Mi, it was as if she had grasped a lifeline. She said urgently, "An Mi, save me! You must think of a way for me! That vile Empress Feng wants to send me to the Cold Palace. I can't go to the Cold Palace. How can I stay in such a place? An Mi, you must think of a way! How can I avoid going to that awful place?"

Consort Rong looked utterly disheveled, her eyes revealing her anxiety and helplessness. But to An Mi, this was nothing short of ironic. An Mi smiled slightly, looking at Consort Rong with indifference, unmoved by her pleas for help.

"Anmi, say something! What are you standing there for?" Consort Rong frowned and said unhappily.

An Mi's smile deepened, and she finally spoke as Consort Rong had wished. However, what she said left Consort Rong stunned.

"Your Highness Consort Rong, how did the wasps feel?" An Mi smiled sweetly, her eyes full of tenderness, watching Consort Rong's reaction with satisfaction, a hint of disdain creeping into her lips.

Consort Rong's mind went blank for a moment, as if her head had exploded.

"What do you mean?" Consort Rong stared intently at An Mi, processing her words. She already had some guesses in her mind, but she couldn't believe it. However, the expression on An Mi's face made her even more certain of her guess. "How could that be? It's not what I think, is it?"

"Then may I ask Consort Rong, what are your thoughts?" An Mi raised an eyebrow. At this point, Consort Rong posed no threat to her whatsoever. Without the talisman in her womb and without the beauty that had won the Emperor's favor, even a child could easily imagine how difficult it would be for such a woman in the harem.

The Cold Palace? Now that Consort Rong has entered the Cold Palace, she probably will never have a chance to rise again.

Perhaps sending her to the Cold Palace is just the first step. A shrewd and ruthless person like Empress Feng would never leave herself a hidden danger. There is only one way for Consort Rong to end up.

Consort Rong suddenly chuckled, "An Mi, so it was you!"

Even though she was unwilling to accept it, she believed her guess. She was stung by wasps for no reason, miscarried and disfigured. This matter was inseparable from An Mi. She thought it was Empress Feng. However, she never expected that An Mi would also be involved.

"No, Consort Rong, you're mistaken. An Mi was merely offering an idea." An Mi didn't mince words, meeting Consort Rong's gaze. "Well, Consort Rong, you can attract butterflies, but you didn't expect you could also attract wasps, did you?"

Consort Rong froze, then suddenly staggered. "Why?"

“Consort Rong, you are not stupid, but sometimes you are too arrogant and domineering, often disregarding the will of others, which inevitably provokes their anger. And you... don't you know why I did this? What I, An Mi, dislike most is being bullied, framed, and schemed against. Do you understand now?”

Anmi said, word by word, "Even if the other party is a concubine in the harem, so what? Consort Rong will always have her enemies. She can't take action herself, but she can join forces with her enemies, can't she?"

And now, Consort Rong has already fallen from grace.

"Haha..." Consort Rong laughed loudly, her eyes flashing with madness. "An Mi, you are ruthless. I never thought you would join forces with that vile Empress Feng... You promised me that you would help me, didn't you?"

She had just naively sought Anmi's help, but now, thinking back, Anmi probably saw her as a huge joke.

"Agree? Consort Rong, if you weren't plotting against me, why would I think of retaliating? Don't forget, you were the one who was unkind to me first; I'm just returning the favor." An Mi snorted coldly and said indifferently, "Consort Rong, you should just go back to your Cold Palace. For the sake of our acquaintance, I must remind you that the harem, especially the Cold Palace, is the most unclean place. You should know this better than I do. If you fall asleep one night and can't open your eyes the next day, Consort Rong, you'd better leave your last words beforehand."

As An Mi spoke, she noticed the fear slowly spreading in Consort Rong's eyes, and the curve of her lips widened. She knew that Consort Rong would understand what she meant.

Was it a well-intentioned reminder? No, Anmi didn't consider herself that kind.

Her purpose? An Mi's eyes narrowed slightly. Wasn't her purpose simple? Anyone who knew that her situation was unsafe would be filled with unease and defensiveness, and that was the most torturous thing.

This is of no benefit whatsoever to someone who needs to rest and recover from an injury.

"Miss Anmi, may you depart peacefully." Hanyu had been keeping a close eye on the two women. Although she couldn't hear what they were saying, she could guess something from Consort Rong's reaction. Thinking of the "secret conversation" between Empress Feng and Anmi in the Imperial Garden earlier, Hanyu smiled strangely.

"Thank you, Aunt Hanyu." Anmi nodded and strode away.

If Consort Rong's swollen face had been intact, her ashen complexion would have been clearly visible. Han Yu glanced at her and said, "Consort Rong, let's go!"

Consort Rong snapped out of her daze, thinking of the Cold Palace she was about to be sent to, and subconsciously wanted to escape. However, as soon as the thought flashed through her mind, several palace maids grabbed her again. She tried to struggle, but the pain from the struggle made her wince in pain.

"Release me... release me..." Consort Rong continued to shout, but no one paid any attention to her voice until it slowly disappeared into the garden...

The Cold Palace was desolate and quiet, but other parts of the palace remained bustling and lively, unchanged by the incident involving Consort Rong.

As night deepened, the concubines and the wives and daughters of officials gathered by the Taiye Pond, each carrying their own handmade lanterns, ready to be placed into the pond.

"Your Majesty, Consort Rong has already delivered it." Han Yu returned to Empress Feng's side after completing the task assigned by Empress Feng.

"Oh? Did she cause a scene?" Empress Feng asked calmly, her eyes slightly narrowed.

"It's a mess! Consort Rong refuses to stay quietly in the Cold Palace. To calm her down, I had her locked in a room, and the whole room was sealed off." Han Yu carefully observed Empress Feng's expression and saw that the corners of her mouth had widened. She knew that Empress Feng had done the right thing. However, Han Yu still said with trepidation, "I took the liberty of making this decision. Please forgive me, Your Majesty."

Empress Feng glanced at Han Yu and chuckled, "You did a very good job with this matter. What's this talk of forgiveness?"

Empress Feng's gaze fell on the broken lantern on the ground. She picked up the note on it, read its contents, and a disdainful smile curled at the corner of her lips. Consort Rong, Consort Rong, her wish to give birth to a prince safely is something she will probably never be able to fulfill in her lifetime!