The Flourishing Era of Female Merchants

So what if it's an arranged marriage? They're not married yet, are they? Without marriage, anything can change. He has many ways to put the marriage on hold. He believes that Master Yu also knows how to weigh the pros and cons.

Hmph, this time, he will not only put the marriage on hold, but also give himself a legitimate reason to go to the capital!

The smile on his lips deepened, and the King of Donglin's eyes narrowed. He loudly ordered, "Send this letter out at top speed, without fail!"

"Yes." The steward accepted the order and stepped forward to take the letter. He knew that prying into the contents of the letter was disobeying his master, but a few words he accidentally glimpsed made him startled.

Yu family...funeral...mourning...

This… The steward glanced at his master without leaving a trace, and seeing the coldness in his eyes, he couldn’t help but shudder. Was his master’s plan to have the Yu family hold a funeral? But whose funeral would it be?

The butler dared not explore any further and quickly retreated...

The next morning, when Anmi woke up, it was already noon. As soon as she regained consciousness, she felt a sharp pain in her head. When she opened her eyes and saw her face magnified in front of her, she couldn't help but be startled.

“You…” An Mi frowned, calmed down, glanced at the man sitting casually beside her bed, and said coldly, “Your Highness seems to have a lot of free time!”

No sooner had he finished speaking than Bai Yi chuckled, a profound look flickering between his brows. “I am indeed very free, but I won’t be so in a moment!”

After saying that, Bai Yi clapped his hands, and then Liu Guang and Yi Fei walked in with clothes. An Mi looked at the two of them and asked, "What are they up to?"

"Help Miss Anmi change her clothes!" Bai Yi ordered. Liu Guang and Yi Fei exchanged a glance, curtsied, and accepted the order. They then walked to Anmi and said, "Miss, please get out of bed..."

After being manipulated by the two maids, An Mi changed her clothes and did her makeup in no time. When she reappeared in front of Bai Yi, she saw Bai Yi scrutinizing her from head to toe. He then nodded in satisfaction, said softly, "Let's go," and took An Mi's wrist as they left the room.

"Where are we going?" An Mi asked anxiously, following Bai Yi's steps. She felt that something was off about Bai Yi today, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. There was always something about Bai Yi that she couldn't understand.

Bai Yi glanced back at her, slowed his pace, and said with a half-smile, "You'll know when we get there."

Hearing him say that, An Mi smiled slightly, thinking that Bai Yi was just being cryptic and didn't realize that being led by him like this warmed her heart.

The servants in the manor watched as the prince led Miss Anmi out of the manor, got into the carriage that had been prepared in advance, and drove away.

The streets of the capital were bustling with activity, with carriages weaving through them. Inside one carriage, Bai Yi and An Mi sat facing each other. Bai Yi wore his usual smile, his gaze lingering on An Mi's face. An Mi listened to the commotion outside the carriage, still wondering why Bai Yi had brought her out.

Not long after, an even more lively sound came from outside the carriage, with gongs and drums beating loudly. The carriage stopped, and An Mi was wondering what was making such a commotion outside when Bai Yi lifted the curtain...

Anmi got off the carriage and quickly guessed why it was so lively. It turned out that a shop was opening. Looking at the crowd of onlookers, who were packed three layers deep and almost blocked the entire street, Anmi suddenly felt curious. What kind of shop was opening that attracted so much attention?

Anmi looked toward the plaque, but all she saw was a red silk cloth covering the characters, making it impossible to read them. However, when she looked away, she saw many faces.

Although Anmi did not stay in the capital for long, she had seen many young ladies from prominent families in the capital at the palace banquet on the day of the Ghost Festival, and weren't some of them standing there?

Not only that... An Mi, out of curiosity, inadvertently met a pair of familiar black eyes. An Mi's body stiffened slightly, and Qing Lan also saw her and was walking towards her.

The scene of drinking last night suddenly jumped into Anmi's mind. Before Anmi could figure out how she got drunk and what happened after she got drunk, Qinglan had already walked up to her.

"Elder Brother, you seem to be in high spirits. Even the opening of a small shop can keep you here. You seem to have a lot of free time today," Bai Yi said first, his eyes holding a half-smile.

Qinglan glanced at Bai Yi and tugged at the corner of her mouth, "Didn't Third Brother come too? Shouldn't Third Brother be busier than me?"

Qinglan said meaningfully, "There are plenty of shops in the capital. Even if a property under his Crown Prince's name opens, he wouldn't care much. A small shop is even less likely to make him stop. However, the person he saw when he passed by this shop just now made him subconsciously stay here."

Qinglan looked towards the shop. The person was no longer there. However, seeing Bai Yi bringing An Mi with him, he became even more certain of some things.

"What kind of store is this? It's so popular!" An Mi couldn't help but ask out of curiosity.

Bai Yi maintained his enigmatic smile, but then frowned. "You don't know?"

Anmi felt surprised and asked in return, "Is there something I should know?"

Qinglan's brows relaxed, and she glanced at Bai Yi subtly. Since An Mi didn't know, it seems that Bai Yi had planned all of this!

Recalling Bai Yi's nonchalant attitude towards An Mi's impending departure from the capital while drinking last night, Qing Lan suddenly realized something and chuckled, "It's nothing, I was just thinking that this shop might give people a pleasant surprise."

As astute as Anmi was, she sensed something strange was lurking within the crowd. Just then, an even more intense commotion erupted from the crowd. Looking over, Anmi saw someone who shouldn't be in the capital at the entrance!

“Cheng Ying…” An Mi murmured. The person standing at the shop entrance was none other than Cheng Ying. Not only Cheng Ying, but also several women from the Prosperous Flame of Rongjin City were standing beside her. Each of them had an exquisite flame embroidered on the collar of their clothes. Cheng Ying, whom she hadn’t seen for a long time, had a smiling face and a more dignified air than before. The confidence between her brows showed no sign that she had once been a pitiful woman who had been abandoned.

"Ladies and gentlemen, today is the opening day of my shop. My name is Cheng Ying, and I am in charge of this shop. I hope you will all take good care of me in the future." Cheng Ying's clear voice rang out in the crowd, and her every move exuded competence.

An Mi was pleased with Cheng Ying's poise, but she was wondering why she was in the capital. And looking at the scene before her...