The Flourishing Era of Female Merchants

"Since you don't know how, Mi'er, that's perfect. I'll be a year older than you, so I'll take the place of the older sister without hesitation. Mi'er, do you have any objections?" Sima Yan's gentle and elegant demeanor was now tinged with warmth.

Sima Yan's gaze fell on An Mi, seemingly waiting for her reaction. An Mi simply smiled faintly and remained silent, making it impossible to guess what she was thinking.

"Look how happy you are! From now on, you two sisters must get along well!" Empress Feng said with a chuckle, confirming the relationship between An Mi and Sima Yan. Her gaze swept over An Mi and Sima Yan with a deep meaning that sent chills down one's spine. They were both women, and she had seen too much infighting and jealousy among women in the harem. How could she not know what Sima Yan was thinking when she smiled on the outside?

Sisters? Hmph, who knows how heavy the word "sisters" really is!

The three of them smiled on the surface, but each had their own thoughts. The seemingly calm and ordinary atmosphere contained an eerie feeling that was hard to detect.

“Sister Yan’er, before you came, Her Majesty the Empress said that she wanted to match me with His Highness the First Prince. An Mi was really apprehensive, and now she is even more uneasy. If His Highness the First Prince gets a woman like Sister Yan’er as his concubine, how can he have room for other women in his heart? An Mi would never dare to have any other thoughts!” An Mi chuckled, as if she were joking, but the two of them clearly froze.

An Mi even heard Han Yu, who was serving behind the Empress, gasp slightly. At that moment, Empress Feng's hand, which was holding the teacup, suddenly tightened, and the tea spilled out.

"Oh, Your Majesty..." Han Yu noticed that Empress Feng's clothes were wet with tea and hurriedly made arrangements, but as soon as she opened her mouth, she realized something and glanced at Empress Feng's face, which darkened even more.

Empress Feng's previously stiff face suddenly became embarrassed. An Mi saw this and chuckled inwardly. Did she also have moments when she couldn't save face?

Empress Feng secretly grumbled at Han Yu in her heart, but in the end, she glared at An Mi without leaving a trace. This An Mi really knows how to cause trouble!

By saying that, wouldn't she have created a rift between Sima Yan and her?

Empress Feng's eyes narrowed. What a shrewd woman An Mi was! Empress Feng wanted to get angry, but the most important thing at the moment was not to reprimand An Mi. Besides, in front of Sima Yan, she couldn't do anything, so she could only swallow her resentment.

Looking at Sima Yan again, Empress Feng noticed that she looked somewhat unnatural. She lowered her brows, disregarded her wet clothes, put down her teacup, and affectionately took Sima Yan's hand, saying with a smile, "Yan'er, I was just testing the waters. Fortunately, An Mi has no feelings for Qing Lan, so I can rest assured."

Empress Feng was seething with anger. She had thought that by sowing discord between An Mi and Sima Yan, she could use An Mi on one hand, and Sima Yan would naturally deal with An Mi on the other. However, she did not expect An Mi to pull such a stunt, which completely disrupted her plans, and she had no choice but to make this compromise.

Anmi's lips curled up slightly; this was exactly what Empress Feng wanted to hear.

Sowing discord? It's not just Empress Feng who knows how to do it; An Mi does too! Moreover, her provocations are even more direct and easier to understand than Empress Feng's.

Sima Yan twitched the corners of her mouth. She wasn't stupid. An Mi dared to say such things in front of the Empress, so she certainly wouldn't dare to wrong Empress Feng. It seemed that what she said about matchmaking was true. What exactly was Empress Feng up to?

Sima Yan harbored some resentment towards Empress Feng, but since the other party was ultimately the Empress, she dared not show it. Soon, she composed herself, and the gentle and dignified smile from before reappeared on her face, as if nothing had happened. "His Highness the Crown Prince is of noble status. Having more women can help Yan'er serve His Highness. If Sister Mi'er is willing, Yan'er will be overjoyed!"

Sima Yan said this, but she knew in her heart that no matter whether An Mi had intentions or not towards the First Prince, what she knew was that the First Prince's feelings for An Mi were not pure. How could she not be on guard!

Empress Feng breathed a slight sigh of relief upon hearing this. If Sima Yan hadn't been useful to her, why would she have explained it to her like this?

"It's good that you think that way. Such a reasonable, considerate, virtuous, and beautiful woman is truly a blessing for Qinglan and for our royal family. I will find a time to talk to the Emperor and urge you to hold the wedding as soon as possible." Empress Feng praised her. When Sima Yan heard about holding the wedding as soon as possible, Qinglan's handsome figure appeared in her mind, and a shy blush appeared on her face.

Empress Feng saw this, and a fleeting, almost imperceptible glint flashed in her eyes.

"Then congratulations, Sister Yan'er," An Mi said.

The three sat down and exchanged pleasantries. Empress Feng had just suffered a setback with An Mi and felt inexplicably resentful. During the conversation, Empress Feng intentionally or unintentionally tried to find fault with An Mi, but An Mi responded calmly and did not let her succeed in the slightest. Empress Feng invited the two to have dinner in the palace before letting them leave.

Sima Yan and An Mi bid farewell at the Empress's palace and left the palace together. The two were very friendly along the way, and even when they reached the palace gate, Sima Yan seemed reluctant to part with An Mi.

“Mi’er, how about we ride in a carriage? I’ll take you to the Bohai Prince’s residence first.” Sima Yan looked at An Mi with expectant eyes, a gaze so tender that no one could bear to refuse. An Mi wasn’t one to show mercy to women, but Sima Yan didn’t give her a chance to refuse, and went straight into the carriage. “Mi’er, you’ve come to the capital, and you’re a distinguished guest of the Bohai Prince’s residence. If I can’t get you there safely, and something happens to you, I’ll feel terrible. Come, Mi’er, let me help you up…”

Sima Yan extended her hand to An Mi. Liu Guang glanced at Sima Yan, her brow furrowing slightly. This woman was far too presumptuous; why should her mistress need her to escort her? However, she was even more relieved that her mistress had safely emerged from the Empress's palace. She breathed a sigh of relief, thinking of her mistress's intelligence. So what if it was Empress Feng? Empress Feng was somewhat wary of the Prince, and besides, her mistress's own intelligence wouldn't allow Empress Feng to gain any advantage!

"Hurry up, Mi'er!" Sima Yan urged, already on board the carriage.

An Mi twitched the corners of her mouth and extended her hand as well. At this moment, refusing Sima Yan's request would undoubtedly be asking for trouble. Should she send her back to the Bohai Prince's Mansion? If she wanted to send her, then let her send her!

An Mi boarded the carriage, and it was getting dark. Sima Yan was in the carriage, and Liu Guang sat next to the coachman. Occasionally, a woman's coquettish laughter and charming voice could be heard from inside the carriage, but An Mi was mostly indifferent.