The Flourishing Era of Female Merchants

"Yes, Your Majesty, I will do my best to manage the Crown Prince's residence." Sima Yan gradually calmed down from her earlier confusion and anxiety. She thought to herself that Emperor Mingde had only temporarily stopped mentioning An Mi and the Prince of Bohai. Judging from his attitude towards her now, he must agree to her request. Thinking this, Sima Yan couldn't help but feel proud. After all, the Emperor's words meant that he considered her family!

She could also take this opportunity to show An Mi that she was the one the Emperor had chosen as the Crown Prince's consort!

Ke Anmi looked at everything before her, her brow furrowed, but she was thinking about something else entirely.

The ruler of a country is the most unpredictable person; serving a ruler is like walking on thin ice. What we see now is Emperor Mingde giving advice to his daughter-in-law like an ordinary father, but what about the next moment? Who can know the hidden secrets behind these kind words?

An Mi glanced at Emperor Mingde without leaving a trace. The faint smile on his face made An Mi pause again. Her intuition told her that the consequences of Sima Yan angering Emperor Mingde would not be good.

As expected, Emperor Mingde nodded in satisfaction after hearing Sima Yan's words and continued, "There are many things to do in the residence of a prince. I suddenly have an idea. Since you and Qinglan are celebrating today, why don't we take another concubine for Qinglan? Firstly, she can take care of Qinglan for you, and secondly, she can help you manage the residence."

Before Emperor Mingde finished speaking, everyone's expression changed. They were surprised by Emperor Mingde's sudden decision. After a moment of stunned silence, they quickly realized that Emperor Mingde was angry and wanted to punish Sima Yan!

An Mi couldn't help but twitch her lips, her gaze falling on Sima Yan. She couldn't help but feel sorry for her. Emperor Mingde, as the ruler of a country, was an old fox. Sima Yan's request for him to grant her and Bai Yi a marriage was clearly against Emperor Mingde's wishes. Emperor Mingde was digging a trap for Sima Yan!

Sima Yan probably regrets getting involved in this mess now!

An Mi frowned, realizing that if Emperor Mingde punished Sima Yan so severely, what would he do to her and Bai Yi?

Emperor Mingde is using the punishment of Sima Yan to intimidate and warn her and Bai Yi!

Almost subconsciously, An Mi looked up and met Bai Yi's eyes. The moment their eyes met, a smile appeared on Bai Yi's handsome face, as bright as the sun. It seemed that he saw An Mi's worry and was telling her that he was there for her and that she didn't need to worry at all!

For some reason, my previous worries vanished without a trace, replaced by calm and an inexplicable sense of security!

An Mi knew that no matter what lay ahead, no matter how angry Emperor Mingde was, she had made up her mind to walk hand in hand with Bai Yi!

"No, Father..." Sima Yan, who was stunned for a moment, suddenly realized Emperor Mingde's intention. At this moment, she panicked. A concubine? Today is her big day. How can she let a concubine ruin her wedding?

Sima Yan instinctively wanted to resist, but Emperor Mingde would not give her any chance.

Emperor Mingde's previously gentle face was now gloomy, and he suddenly raised his voice, "I have always heard that you are a well-educated and reasonable woman. You will not have any objection to my decision, will you?"

Sima Yan's eyes flickered as she met Emperor Mingde's sharp gaze. Her heart skipped a beat, and a chill ran through her body. She seemed to see a strong warning in Emperor Mingde's eyes, as if he was telling her that if she resisted in any way, the consequences would be even more undesirable.

"Yan'er, tell me, you have no objection to Qinglan taking a concubine, right?" When Emperor Mingde spoke again, his tone was even more stern. It sounded less like a question and more like a threat and coercion. There was only one answer he wanted to hear.

Sima Yan took a deep breath, as if to calm herself down, but the thought of the word "concubine" made her unable to calm down.

She regretted it. She thought she could bring about the marriage between An Mi and Bai Yi, thus ending all possibilities between Qing Lan and An Mi. However, she had not thought carefully about the consequences. Now she had indeed angered the Emperor, and the consequences seemed to be beyond her ability to bear.

A concubine? She knew that Qinglan, as the eldest prince, could not possibly have only one concubine in his life, but even if there were other concubines, they should not be born at this time! If she agreed to the emperor's request, then this concubine would be like a thorn, forever stuck in her heart, causing her immense pain. But what if she did not agree?

Sima Yan's mind cleared up. Did she not have the right to refuse?

Sima Yan gritted her teeth and glared fiercely at An Mi. In her opinion, it was all because of An Mi. If it weren't for her, Qing Lan wouldn't have protected her so much, and she wouldn't have wanted to cut off all possibilities between her and Qing Lan. If it weren't for her, she wouldn't be in such a dilemma right now!

Anmi met her resentment and complaints, and couldn't help but sigh in her heart. What followed was irony; it seemed that she had become a thorn in someone's side again!

However, An Mi did not take Sima Yan to heart. She was focused on how to get Emperor Mingde to agree to her marriage with Bai Yi!

"Yan'er..."

Sima Yan remained silent for a long time. Emperor Mingde called her name again, urging her on, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes. So what if she was the royal family's daughter-in-law? If she dared to go against him, she would have to be prepared to bear the consequences. He was telling Sima Yan, as well as Bai Yi and An Mi, that no one could defy his will!

Sima Yan trembled, and she withdrew her gaze, biting her lip tightly, a trace of crimson even seeping from it, which, against her wedding dress, gave her an eerie look. Her fists clenched tightly beneath her sleeves. After a long silence, Sima Yan finally released her lips, "Your subject... has no objection!"

Each word was like a knife, slowly torturing her. She would remember every bit of pain, and all of this would have to be returned to An Mi!

As soon as Sima Yan finished speaking, Qing Lan's already unpleasant face turned as black as it could possibly be. But he knew that he could never get rid of this concubine who had been brought in by Sima Yan's foolishness. He couldn't help but feel even more disgusted with Sima Yan, a woman who was more trouble than she was worth!

"Haha, very good! Yan'er truly lives up to her reputation as a lady of the Yonghou family. Such magnanimity is a model for women of our Great Jin Dynasty. My beloved ministers, if any family has a daughter of marriageable age, you may recommend her to me. I must carefully select Qinglan's concubine and bestow upon her the title of Princess!" Emperor Mingde was overjoyed and announced loudly.

His words were like a thunderclap from a clear sky, leaving everyone stunned.

The title of Princess? What does this mean? Throughout the entire Jin Dynasty, although there are a few daughters of officials with official ranks, they are all far lower in status than a Princess. Isn't the Emperor's move intended to embarrass Sima Yan?