The Flourishing Era of Female Merchants

With a sharp look in her eyes, Empress Feng snorted coldly, personally tore the paper in her hand to shreds, and with a flick of her wrist, threw it into the Taiye Pool. Soon, the paper fragments were carried away by the water.

In this battle, Empress Feng was the victor, but... thinking of something, Empress Feng frowned slightly. No, her victory was not thorough enough. If Yunxiu could stay by the Emperor's side as she wished, then her victory would be truly magnificent.

Now, even without Consort Rong, she still had to make Yunxiu the Emperor's woman. Although the Emperor had promised her to stay overnight in her palace tonight, she understood one thing after so many years in the harem: there was never a shortage of young women in the harem. Even if Consort Rong had fallen from grace, it wouldn't be long before other young women would take her place. Rather than letting someone she couldn't control gain favor and become arrogant in front of her, it was better to let someone she could control sit in that position.

However, Yunxiu was inexplicably assigned to the Prince of Bohai. Thinking of this, Empress Feng felt uneasy.

"Your Majesty, Miss Anmi is also releasing lanterns over there," Hanyu pointed to a spot not far away and whispered to Empress Feng.

Empress Feng looked in the direction she pointed and saw that An Mi had just put down a lantern. Now, Empress Feng was even less likely to underestimate An Mi. Suddenly, Empress Feng frowned. The reason was simple: behind An Mi, there was a person. That person was none other than Bai Yi.

Empress Feng raised an eyebrow and a smile appeared on her lips. To her, Anmi was still a useful tool.

At this moment, Bai Yi only had eyes for An Mi. His eyes were full of tenderness. Bai Yi dismissed Liu Guang and Yi Fei and slowly walked behind An Mi. An Mi could already see Bai Yi's reflection in the water, but she did not point it out. She just watched quietly.

"What did you wish for?" The voice finally sounded from behind, its tone even deeper in the darkness.

Anmi glanced at the lanterns drifting away on the water, "I hope they can leave here safely."

Bai Yi's face darkened, but only for a moment before he regained his smile. He didn't say anything, but his eyes were exceptionally firm. Even if they left this place, they wouldn't be able to escape him!

"Doesn't Your Highness need to accompany your fiancée?" An Mi frowned and spoke softly. Just now, she seemed to have seen Yun Xiu following behind Bai Yi. She had to admit that Yun Xiu's beauty was beyond the reach of many people. Standing with Bai Yi, they were a perfect match, a match made in heaven.

But thinking of Bai Yi's meaning, he couldn't help but shake his head. How could such a peerless beauty not be liked by Bai Yi?

Anmi's unintentional remark provoked a teasing remark from Bai Yi.

"What? Are you jealous?" Bai Yi's eyes held a half-smile. Sure enough, he saw An Mi's face stiffen. Although he knew that An Mi was not jealous, he still wanted to see her calmness broken by him.

He found the way her eyes flickered slightly adorable, and Bai Yi felt even more satisfied. He took a big step forward and continued, "You don't need to be jealous. She is my fiancée now, but who knows, she might not be tomorrow."

Bai Yi smiled meaningfully. An Mi met his eyes, and with just one glance, she knew what Bai Yi was planning. Judging from his expression, everything seemed to be arranged perfectly, and he was confident. She hadn't expected Bai Yi to act so quickly. It seemed that the show of the Ghost Festival was not over yet.

The image of Yunxiu's beautiful face and Emperor Mingde's threat flashed through Anmi's mind. Her eyes turned cold. She was even more eager to see Emperor Mingde's embarrassed expression. However... Anmi thought of something, and her gaze darkened. "With Your Highness's intelligence, you shouldn't let the Emperor suspect you, right?"

"Are you worried about me?" Bai Yi was secretly delighted. An Mi seemed to be showing her more and more concern, which was a great omen for him.

An Mi frowned, but rolled her eyes at Bai Yi. "In this palace, Your Highness is An Mi's backer, so naturally An Mi doesn't want anything to happen to Your Highness."

Bai Yi chuckled, "Never mind, don't worry, even for your sake, I won't let anything happen to me."

Thinking of his plan, a glint flashed in Bai Yi's shrewd eyes. Tomorrow, he only needed to wait to close the net.

Meanwhile, Emperor Mingde returned to his study early and finished reviewing the memorials he had not yet approved. Late at night, Eunuch Qin reminded him, "Your Majesty, the Empress just sent someone to say that she has prepared some fine wine. Once Your Majesty is finished with your work, you can go over there."

"Hmm." Emperor Mingde responded lightly. Thinking of Empress Feng's magnanimity and his promise made earlier that day, and seeing that it was already late, he stood up and said, "Then let's go!"

Upon receiving the order, Eunuch Qin immediately began making arrangements, instructing that the emperor prepare to travel to the empress's palace.

Just as Eunuch Qin had predicted, Empress Feng had prepared fine wine and was dressed in a sexy gown. She sat at the table, waiting for Emperor Mingde to arrive.

"Have you sent anyone to check? Has the Emperor come?" Empress Feng frowned slightly and asked anxiously. The Emperor had once said he wanted to rest in her palace, but that vile Consort Rong had held him back. She had always remembered this. Now that Consort Rong had been sent to the Cold Palace, she couldn't guarantee that no one else might come...

"Your Majesty, I just sent someone to deliver a message. The Emperor is reviewing memorials and should be here soon," Han Yu said from the side.

Empress Feng sighed, trying to calm herself down, but a sense of unease lingered in her heart, as if a stone was pressing down on her, leaving her feeling uneasy.

Looking up, she saw a graceful figure slowly walking in. Empress Feng frowned. "Why are you still here? Didn't the Emperor bestow you in marriage to the Prince of Bohai?"

The thought of this incident only made Empress Feng more displeased. Looking at Yunxiu's beautiful face, she felt a tightness in her chest. This was a blatant reminder of her miscalculation tonight.

Yunxiu did not react differently to Empress Feng's tone. She calmly curtsied to Empress Feng and said, "Your Majesty, Yunxiu is still Your Majesty's servant. Being betrothed to the Prince of Bohai was not my wish."

When Yunxiu spoke of the King of Bohai, a slight ripple seemed to appear in her calm, still eyes, but it was only for a moment before returning to stillness, as if that ripple had never occurred at all.

Yunxiu's words were telling Empress Feng that she would still obey Empress Feng's orders!

Empress Feng narrowed her sharp eyes, scrutinizing Yunxiu for a moment. Her deep eyes held a complex expression, and after a long pause, a smile finally appeared on her lips. She rose to greet Yunxiu, "Hehe, Yunxiu, from the first moment I saw you, I knew you were a loyal maid. I intended to place you by the Emperor's side, but now… alas…"