The Flourishing Era of Female Merchants

“Your Highness, Anmi thanks Your Highness for your kindness. Anmi came to the capital this time because the Emperor summoned her and entrusted her with the task of embroidering clothes for the concubines during the Ghost Festival. Now that the Ghost Festival has passed, Anmi’s task has been completed, and there is no need for Anmi to stay in the capital. Therefore, Anmi should return to Rongjin City soon, and there is no need for her to feel homesick. Anmi appreciates Your Highness’s kindness.” How could Anmi not understand Qinglan’s feelings? Her heart was filled with gratitude towards him, and she could not bear such kindness. Fortunately, she was about to leave the capital. As long as she left, Qinglan would eventually let go.

Qinglan's expression froze slightly. She had already prepared herself for the other woman to refuse, but she hadn't expected that the other woman was already planning to leave the capital.

Qinglan glanced at Bai Yi subconsciously, but saw that Bai Yi's expression was normal and he looked calm. Immediately, Qinglan felt relieved. Based on his understanding of Bai Yi, he could remain so calm after learning that An Mi was leaving the capital. He must have thought of a backup plan. He was very confident!

Back then, Bai Yi went to great lengths to arrange for An Mi to enter the capital. He put in so much effort, so how could he let An Mi leave so easily?

Thinking of this, a smile reappeared on Qinglan's handsome face. "Alright, I was just saying. Since Mi'er is going back to Rongjin City, she doesn't need this mansion anymore. If you still consider me a friend, Mi'er, please let me know when you decide to leave so I can see you off."

Seeing Qinglan's relaxed reaction, Anmi breathed a sigh of relief. "Alright, thank you for your trouble, Your Highness."

Qinglan frowned. "Don't treat me like some prince tonight. We're drinking as friends, so you should naturally call me Qinglan, right? Does Mi'er not truly consider me a friend?"

In An Mi's heart, Qing Lan was naturally a rare friend. Calling him the First Prince was a deliberate attempt to distance themselves from each other. Now that Qing Lan had said this, she couldn't continue calling him the First Prince. Besides, since she was leaving the capital anyway, she might as well be straightforward. "What are you saying, Qing Lan? In An Mi's heart, you have always been a friend."

Upon hearing this, Qinglan felt a mixture of satisfaction and bitterness. He was satisfied that Anmi was as he had wished; the word "Qinglan" made him feel that Anmi was no longer deliberately avoiding him. However, the phrase "always a friend" filled him with inexplicable bitterness. He knew that in Anmi's heart, he had always been a friend, but only a friend!

Bai Yi, who was standing to the side, listened to the conversation between the two. As shrewd as he was, he heard the deeper meaning in their words and understood it clearly. In the end, Qing Lan's feelings for An Mi had not been dispelled!

Frowning slightly, Bai Yi interrupted the two rather inappropriately, "Weren't you going to drink? What are you still doing standing here?"

Qinglan met Bai Yi's eyes, her gaze darkening slightly. She tugged at the corner of her mouth and said, "I was so busy talking that I kept Third Brother waiting. This way, please."

As Qinglan spoke, she gestured for them to proceed and led the way for them.

Before long, the two arrived at a pavilion in the courtyard. Several jars of wine were already set on the table inside. The servants beside the table bowed respectfully upon seeing their master arrive and withdrew. Qinglan led Anmi to her seat, while Bai Yi, without any restraint, sat down on his own, opened a jar of wine, poured himself a cup, and drank it down in one gulp. The wine was fragrant and mellow, and its taste was refreshing. Even Bai Yi couldn't help but praise, "Good wine!"

Bai Yi filled An Mi's wine glass, then Qing Lan's. He glanced at Qing Lan discreetly, thinking to himself that Qing Lan had put a lot of thought into this promise with An Mi. He recalled the night An Mi first arrived in the capital. If he hadn't acted quickly, Qing Lan would have already fulfilled their promise that day.

He knew he couldn't stop Qinglan from fulfilling her promise, and his actions that day were merely to let Qinglan know his stance.

Bai Yi had to admit that this wine was indeed more fragrant and mellow than the one he had grabbed first last time. As Bai Yi drank the wine, the color of his deep eyes darkened even more.

Qinglan had finally gotten the chance to drink with Anmi. Although Baiyi, the inescapable third party, was present, Qinglan quickly pretended that he didn't exist. Holding her glass, she focused her gaze solely on Anmi. "The first glass is to our reunion."

Qinglan acted very readily, and it would be wrong for Anmi to be hesitant. Anmi picked up her wine glass and drank it down. The wine was fragrant and mellow, but not very strong. She lowered her gaze slightly, even the preparation of the wine was so considerate.

Whoever wins his favor... Thinking of her past life, until her death, although the First Prince's mansion had not married a principal wife, it had several concubines. Suddenly, An Mi felt more comforted and refilled the wine for the two of them. "Then, for the second cup, An Mi wishes Qing Lan to meet her true love soon!"

Although she didn't know who the eldest prince or the second prince was the victor in the struggle for the throne in her previous life, in this life, she secretly hoped that Qinglan could sit on that position. The open and covert struggles in the imperial family meant that once someone ascended the throne, they would definitely eliminate dissidents. Whether it was the eldest prince or the second prince, the day one of them ascended the throne would be the day the other's head was separated from his body.

Reality is cruel; it's either you die or I die!

Qinglan's hand holding the wine glass paused for a moment, and a drop of wine even spilled out of the glass without leaving a trace. May she meet her true love soon.

But Qinglan quickly recovered and a smile appeared on her lips. "Thank you for your kind words!"

After saying that, she tilted her head back and drank the wine in her glass in one gulp. Although it was the same wine, the previous glass was sweet and refreshing, but this gulp made Qinglan feel only bitterness in her stomach.

"The third cup is to toast that day we met!" Qinglan chuckled and spoke again, hastily pouring and drinking the wine in one go, as if he was eager to use this third cup to dilute the bitterness in his heart. He recalled the day he saw this woman on the sickbed in the An family mansion. At that time, she was frail and thin, but the complexity in her eyes surprised him and even made him want to explore her. However, he never expected that this exploration would capture his heart. From then on, there was a special place in his heart that could only hold the existence of a certain woman.

An Mi smiled slightly, but no one could tell what that smile meant. An Mi didn't speak, but just drank cup after cup with Qing Lan. She didn't know how much time had passed, or how many wine jars had been emptied. Perhaps Qing Lan drank too fast, because she looked a little drunk. An Mi was also a little dizzy. Only Bai Yi, who was sitting at the same table but was deliberately ignored by someone, continued to drink slowly and steadily, without the slightest sign of drunkenness. His sharp eyes, on the contrary, were even more radiant.

Suddenly, Qinglan stood up, holding his wine glass, but staggered. Anmi, sitting beside him, almost instinctively got up to support him. However, Qinglan leaned against Anmi, grabbing her wrist. His hazy eyes clearly showed signs of intoxication. "Mi'er, I love your embroidery, I love the clothes you made for me. I really want to wear them forever, but... but what if these clothes get torn? Mi'er... what do you think we should do?"