The Flourishing Era of Female Merchants

Sima Yan gritted her teeth, her hands unconsciously clenching into fists. When her resentful gaze shifted from Qing Lan to An Mi, all that remained in her eyes was hatred. Thinking of An Mi's previous statement to her, she had already felt much more at ease and her guard against An Mi had decreased. Now, more than ever, she wanted to remove An Mi, this thorn in her side.

So what if An Mi has no feelings for Qing Lan? Perhaps An Mi is the only woman who catches Qing Lan's eye.

She had occasionally heard her father talk about Qinglan's determination, and he had told her more than once that she was destined to be an empress. But what good would it do to be an empress?

When Qinglan becomes the ruler of a country, looking down upon the world, if he wants peace and tranquility, who will dare to stop him? And who can stop him?

Sima Yan felt even more uneasy when she thought of this. No, this was not the situation she wanted.

Even knowing that Qinglan would inevitably have three thousand concubines if he became emperor, those concubines would only be supporting characters and could not enter Qinglan's heart. But Anmi was different.

Sima Yan narrowed her eyes, watching An Mi and Qing Lan get into the carriage. Her gaze became even sharper, like a knife, as if she wanted to devour An Mi alive.

"Anmi is mine, and you can forget about having her!" Sima Yan said, each word distinct, her mind filled with all sorts of wicked thoughts. She was determined not to let Anmi have an easy time; she had to remove this obstacle and prevent her from becoming a thorn in Anmi's heart in the future.

Anmi, sitting in the carriage, had a slight frown on her brow. Just now, under the carriage, she had sensed that someone was watching her. That gaze made her scalp tingle, but after searching around, she couldn't find the source of the gaze.

At this moment, she felt a strange unease, as if she were being plotted against.

"What's wrong? I just wanted to take you to the Bohai Prince's Mansion. You don't need to be so nervous and guarded around me. We're friends, aren't we?" Qinglan noticed her subtle change and thought it was because of him. A bitter feeling welled up in her heart. Was it only the third brother who could make her let her guard down?

Third brother, you were the one who met her first, so why is it that you can't compete with her in her heart?

An Mi was slightly taken aback. When she came to her senses, she looked up and met Qing Lan's eyes. The previous clarity was now clearly clouded. An Mi tugged at the corners of her mouth and said, "Miss Sima is gentle and refined, and well-educated. I can tell that she admires the First Prince. If she marries the First Prince, she will definitely become an asset to you."

As An Mi spoke, Qing Lan's expression grew even more unpleasant. "Who told you that?"

Although the Emperor had indicated his agreement to the request for a marriage decree, the decree was never actually issued, and the outside world remained unaware of the matter. How could things remain peaceful...?

"She told you?" Qinglan narrowed her eyes. These days, Sima Yan and An Mi have been getting very close. Besides her, there probably isn't anyone else. Instantly, her aversion to Sima Yan was replaced by a bit more disgust.

He had to admit that he was most reluctant to let An Mi know that he was going to marry Sima Yan, but he also understood that some things were unavoidable. He couldn't even imagine how An Mi would feel when she found out, but now, she finally knew.

A sense of panic welled up inside her, but she had to feign composure. Qinglan took a deep breath, and when Anmi opened her mouth to say something, Qinglan suddenly grabbed Anmi's hand, her expression revealing her urgency. "Mi'er, listen to me. I have no feelings for her. You know who's in my heart."

An Mi frowned, trying to pull her hand away, but Qing Lan gripped it even tighter. Under his intense gaze, she sighed inwardly, then met his eyes and said, word by word, "Your Highness is a wise man and should understand who you should cherish. Your Highness has great ambitions and is no ordinary person, while An Mi is merely a young woman, not worthy of Your Highness's attention..."

"No, don't call me Your Highness the First Prince! You're not allowed to call me Your Highness the First Prince!" Qinglan interrupted Anmi, his emotions becoming even more agitated. He hated that title coming from Anmi's mouth. Anyone could respectfully call him the First Prince, but Anmi couldn't. When she called him so distantly, it made him feel even more distant from Anmi. He didn't like this feeling, he really didn't like it.

An Mi fell silent because of his agitation. She knew that some things needed to be said more clearly. Taking a deep breath, An Mi had made up her mind, "Qing Lan, to me, you can only be a friend, only His Highness the First Prince, there can be no other!"

Qinglan, holding Anmi's hand, was visibly startled. At that moment, the anxious look in his eyes turned into one of helplessness. What did Anmi mean? How could he not understand?

He had known this before, but Anmi's attitude had never been so firm and resolute, as if telling him that he could never enter her heart.

A sudden, inexplicable pain shot through his heart, like a knife cutting into it. Almost instinctively, Qinglan tightened his grip on Anmi's hand until Anmi could no longer bear it and let out a soft cry. Only then did Qinglan come to his senses and loosen his grip slightly, not wanting to see Anmi in pain. However, the turmoil in his heart did not subside. After struggling to calm himself for a long time, he finally managed to utter a low, suppressed voice, "Why? Why can Bai Yi do it, but I can't!"

The last few words were practically spat out from Qinglan's teeth, venting his pent-up emotions.

Anmi looked into Qinglan's eyes, sighed inwardly, and Bai Yi's image floated into her mind. From his initial disdain when they first met to his later gentle treatment and meticulous care for her, Anmi subconsciously revealed a smile on her face as she thought about the scenes she had experienced with Bai Yi. She didn't even realize it herself, but Qinglan saw it.

A sudden jolt went through her, and the pain intensified. Was she thinking of Bai Yi? He had never seen such a smile before, and it seemed to have given him the answer.

An Mi likes Bai Yi, or rather... she's fallen in love with him!

Qinglan released Anmi's hand and clenched her fist. Bai Yi, why is he so lucky?

He suddenly felt a pang of regret. If he hadn't left Rongjincheng and had stayed by Anmi's side, would he have become the one to enter Anmi's heart?

Qinglan knew that none of the "what ifs" were valid, and he had to face the reality that Anmi had just said: to her, he could only be a friend, only the eldest prince, and there could be no other!

This fact clenched his heart; how could he accept it?

If… A thought suddenly popped into Qinglan’s mind: If he were to rule the world, would he be able to have a beautiful woman in his arms?