The Flourishing Era of Female Merchants

Qinglan only saw her outward respect and politeness, completely ignoring what she was saying, her gaze following that graceful figure as she disembarked from the carriage...

The moment An Mi stepped off the carriage, Bai Yi's smile deepened. When An Mi reached the horse, Bai Yi reached out his hand to her. An Mi looked up and met his eyes, placing her hand in his large palm. Feeling the warmth of his large hand enveloping her, An Mi realized that her trust in Bai Yi seemed to have exceeded her imagination.

She even had a feeling that if she put her hand in his, she wouldn't be afraid of anything.

While Anmi was lost in thought, Bai Yi pulled her onto the horse with a slight effort, and she sat right in front of him, held firmly by the hand holding the reins.

Qinglan looked at the two people on the horse and saw the smile on Bai Yi's face. Her hands unconsciously tightened their grip.

Why can Bai Yi get it, but he can't?

Qinglan's face was indescribably gloomy. Watching Bai Yi and An Mi ride away, Qinglan couldn't tear her gaze away for a long time. Only after the two figures completely disappeared from sight did the coachman tentatively ask, "Your Highness, shall we..."

Before the coachman could finish speaking, he was interrupted by Qinglan's icy gaze. He caught his breath and dared not say another word. Normally, his master was cold, but she had never been so frightening.

After what seemed like an eternity, Qinglan finally lowered the curtain, and a calm, unwavering voice came from inside the carriage, "Return to the palace!"

Upon hearing his master's order, the coachman dared not delay in the slightest and immediately drove the carriage back towards the palace.

Inside the carriage, Qinglan's expressionless face revealed nothing of his thoughts, but the gleam in his burning eyes betrayed his true emotions.

Is he just going to give up like this? No, he can't. Or perhaps, when it comes to the woman he loves, there is no such thing as winning or losing. He won't give up so easily. Until the very end, who can say for sure what the future holds?

He was determined to have the throne, and An Mi… Qing Lan’s sharp eyes narrowed. An Mi, he was still determined to have her!

At this moment, Anmi, who was tightly embraced by Bai Yi on the horse, felt a sense of unease surge from the soles of her feet throughout her body. The unease in her heart was even stronger than the one she had felt in Qinglan's carriage earlier.

"What's wrong?" The perceptive Bai Yi noticed An Mi's unusual behavior and asked softly in her ear.

Anmi paused for a moment, then said, "I'm a little worried about Qinglan."

"What are you worried about him for?" Bai Yi frowned. His beloved woman was in his arms, mentioning another man's name and saying she was worried about another man. It really didn't feel right.

However, despite his jealousy, he knew that An Mi wouldn't say such things without a reason. Since she had spoken up, it meant that she must have her reasons.

"Bai Yi, I think I should still go back to Rongjin City," An Mi said in a low voice. It wasn't that she overestimated her position in Bai Yi and Qing Lan's hearts, but she was still worried about some things. Thinking of Qing Lan's determination in the carriage just now, An Mi became more and more uneasy.

"Why?" Bai Yi immediately dismissed his jealousy, replaced by nervousness. He had finally managed to somewhat dispel An Mi's idea of ​​returning to Rong Jincheng, so why did she suddenly bring it up again at this moment?

Go back to Rongjincheng? How can that be? Absolutely not!

Bai Yi made a domineering decision in his heart. No matter what An Mi's reason was for suddenly having this idea, he would definitely nip it in the bud. Going back to Rongjin City? No way!

"Bai Yi, how confident do you think Qing Lan is in ascending to the throne?" An Mi asked in a low voice, looking ahead.

An Mi rarely discussed court affairs with him, but this time, the sudden mention of the sensitive topic of the throne forced Bai Yi to become serious. Thinking about An Mi's question, he said in a deep voice, "Both the eldest and second sons have the right to inherit. Given the current situation, the Feng family's power should not be underestimated, but the eldest son is no paper tiger either, and then there's the Feng family..."

At this point, Bai Yi's eyes narrowed, he paused, and continued, "The second son will never have the chance to sit on the throne!"

Bai Yi spoke so firmly that An Mi understood. Bai Yi hated the Feng family and would naturally not watch them rise. So, in the power struggle between Qing Lan and the Feng family, would Bai Yi step in to help Qing Lan when necessary?

The answer is yes. For Bai Yi, Qing Lan is probably the most suitable person to be emperor. However... Qing Lan's words just now still echoed in her ears. She hoped that it was just a joke, but she felt even more strongly that it was not a joke. Perhaps one day, when Qing Lan ascends to the throne, everything will become something that no one wants to see!

An Mi's worries grew stronger. What she least wanted was for her brothers to turn against each other. What would she do if that day really came?

Thinking of this, An Mi's brows could not relax, and Bai Yi behind her, as perceptive as he was, how could he not notice her abnormality?

Recalling what An Mi had just said and all her reactions, he quickly realized something and tightened his grip on the reins. "What did Qing Lan say to you just now?"

Something must have just happened to make Anmi so uneasy.

Bai Yi was certain of this, and all his attention was on her, trying to find out the answer from her.

But how could Anmi tell him about Qinglan's announcement in the carriage just now?

"What could he say?" An Mi said with a forced smile, realizing that her reaction just now seemed to have aroused suspicion in front of Bai Yi. Yes, who is Bai Yi? Such a shrewd and perceptive person, even the slightest emotional fluctuation of hers could be seen clearly by him.

An Mi knew that she had to keep what Qing Lan had said to her in the carriage to herself and absolutely could not mention it to Bai Yi.

Although An Mi concealed it cleverly, Bai Yi still noticed her avoidance. Even though he noticed, Bai Yi still didn't ask any more questions. He knew that with Mi'er's personality, if she didn't want to talk, even severe interrogation wouldn't get anything out of her. However, he kept an eye on her.

After that day, news spread throughout the capital that two marriages had been finalized by the Emperor on the same day. Two imperial edicts were issued at the same time to the Yonghou Mansion and the Prime Minister's Mansion respectively. Miss Sima Yan of the Yonghou Mansion was betrothed to the current Crown Prince, and Yang Jingyu of the Prime Minister's Mansion was betrothed to General Feng Yu. Even the wedding dates were set on the same day.

These two marriages caused a sensation throughout the capital, but the reactions from the parties involved varied.

Empress Feng immediately became vigilant upon hearing the imperial decree bestowing marriage upon Sima Yan and Qing Lan.

In the Empress's palace, Empress Feng had a gloomy expression. Although she had known for a long time that the Yonghou family and the First Prince's family would be united by marriage, the imperial decree still made her unhappy.