The Flourishing Era of Female Merchants

Nalan Yu's eyes narrowed slightly. Perhaps he had long seen that An Mi was extraordinary, but he had not expected it. He had underestimated her abilities. Men can conquer the world, but women can conquer the world by conquering men. An Mi... Nalan Jue glanced at Qing Lan, the color in his eagle eyes becoming even deeper.

He clearly saw that Qinglan's originally gentle expression had changed, revealing something indescribable. This was exactly what Nalan Yu wanted to see. He knew that even if his words hadn't made Qinglan make a decision, they had still had some influence on him. As for whether he would eventually see what he hoped for, he only needed to give her a few more hints, and there probably wouldn't be any problem.

“Qinglan, remember what you should be doing right now!” Nalan Yu frowned and spoke again. Then, as if he had thought of something, the color in his eyes darkened. “The Emperor has already issued an edict to bestow a marriage upon Feng Yu and Yu Ling’er. Empress Feng’s purpose in facilitating this marriage is as clear as day. Everyone knows that she wants to use the marriage to win over the Yu family, such a powerful ally, for the Feng family. The Emperor is so shrewd that he couldn’t possibly not have guessed this. Yet, he still issued the edict to bestow the marriage. What the Emperor is really planning is truly something to ponder. But in any case, with Empress Feng gaining an ally like the Yu family, she is ultimately a threat to us.”

"A threat?" Qing Lanli narrowed her eyes, the warmth from before vanishing and replaced by a sudden chill.

The Yu family now only has one daughter, Yu Ling'er, and the Yu family's influence in the court should not be underestimated. The Yu family and the Feng family have never had much in-depth interaction. Both families are among the top families in the Great Jin Dynasty. Although they have no conflicts of interest on a daily basis, is the undercurrent of turmoil as calm as it appears on the surface?

He simply couldn't believe that the Yu family would willingly remain subservient to the Feng family forever!

Yu Ling'er and the King of Donglin were so close that outsiders secretly spoke of Yu Ling'er's innocence. Yet, the Yu family did not restrain Yu Ling'er's words and actions because of this. If one thinks carefully, it is not difficult to figure out what the Yu family is planning.

It seems it's not just the Yu family who have designs on us! By now, the fourth brother should have received the news. I wonder how he'll react!

A smile appeared on Qinglan's lips, and the light in her eyes was tinged with a faint glow under the moonlight. "Whether this marriage will happen or not is still a question! Calling it a threat is a bit premature."

The Yu family patriarch is not stupid. As long as he marries into the Feng family, the two families will become interdependent simply because of their kinship. However, if they lose, fine, but if they prosper... well, the Feng family will always be above the Yu family. How could the Yu family be willing to accept that?

Nalan Yu frowned, his gaze towards Qinglan becoming more probing. But soon, he felt a sense of relief. His nephew, who was not much older than him, was always shrewd, and he had already focused all his attention on serious matters. If he said it wasn't a threat, then he must have a countermeasure.

"Do you have a way to sabotage this marriage?" Nalan Yu finally couldn't contain her curiosity and asked.

Qinglan smiled knowingly, "There's no need for me to sabotage this. There are naturally people who care more about this matter than we do. Uncle, the marriage between the Feng family and the Yu family is a joyous occasion. Shouldn't you send some gifts to the mansion to offer your congratulations?"

Nalan Yu frowned, his mind racing. Gradually, something became clear in his mind, and he laughed heartily, "That's how it should be, that's definitely how it should be. Tomorrow, I will prepare a congratulatory gift and personally go to the Yu residence to offer my congratulations!"

Qinglan nodded without saying anything more, assuming Nalan Yu should leave as well. But Nalan Yu remained standing there, silently keeping Qinglan company. Qinglan frowned. "Is there something else?"

Although it was a question, there was no attempt to hide his intention to get rid of her. Nalan Yu glanced at Qinglan and said, "The eldest daughter of the Yonghou family is gentle and virtuous, well-educated and polite. She is of marriageable age. If you can form a marriage alliance with the Yonghou family, it will definitely benefit us."

Qinglan was slightly taken aback. Nalan Yu's meaning was all too clear: a marriage alliance?

"Don't even think about getting involved in my marriage," Qinglan said calmly, her eyes narrowing.

Nalan Yu knew that Qinglan was thinking about Anmi, and sighed inwardly, "I'm thinking about the bigger picture. Even if I don't interfere in your marriage, won't others do?"

Qinglan's hand suddenly clenched into a fist. Nalan Yu was right. Even if Nalan Yu didn't care about his marriage, what about others?

Since he returned to the capital, his father had hinted at the matter of him taking a concubine more than once. Although he had always made excuses to refuse, how long could he keep putting it off?

Qinglan remained silent, her eyes growing even darker. Nalan Yu looked at Qinglan for a moment, then said, "There are quite a few people coming to the Yonghou Mansion to propose marriage. You'd better hurry."

After saying that, Nalan Yu retreated into the night, leaving Qinglan standing there alone, still gazing in the direction where Bai Yi had taken An Mi away. She did not leave for a long time, and the emotions in her eyes were so unfathomable that no one could discern any of her thoughts.

Jicheng is located east of the Prince's Palace.

Inside the study, the King of Donglin looked at the letter in his hand, his thick, dark eyebrows furrowing tightly.

"Your Highness, what is it..." The steward of the Donglin Prince's residence, noticing his master's unusual expression, couldn't help but probe. His master was always adept at hiding his emotions, and even when alone, he wouldn't easily reveal his true feelings. But at this moment...

This letter came from the capital. Could something serious have happened?

Donglin Wang's eyes narrowed slightly, and his brows gradually relaxed. The letter was in the handwriting of the Yu family patriarch. It told him about the Emperor's bestowal of a marriage between Feng Yu and Yu Ling'er, and asked him to think of a way to resolve the matter.

"Steward, secretly make preparations for me. I will be going to the capital soon!" After a moment of silence, the King of Donglin gave the order in a deep voice.

The steward was taken aback, his face showing undisguised shock. "To the capital? Your Highness, you can't... The Emperor has decreed that without a summons, a prince with a fiefdom is not allowed to enter the capital..."

The Prince of Donglin remained calm, glancing at the contents of the letter. "Without a summons, I cannot enter the capital? Then let Father Emperor summon me to the capital, what's wrong with that?"

Should the Emperor summon the Prince to the capital? Is the Emperor's will something that ordinary people can control?

"Your Highness, you...you must think this over!" The steward was full of worry. Something terrible must have happened to make the prince so bold as to try to control the emperor's will.

The King of Donglin's deep eyes were serene. After a moment of silence, he spoke again, "Prepare the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone!"

Without a moment's delay, the steward immediately brought out a brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, placing them in front of King Donglin. King Donglin picked up the brush and wrote a few lines on the paper without thinking. Looking at the content he had written, a smile appeared on his originally cold lips.