The Flourishing Era of Female Merchants

The eldest prince's wedding should have been a grand and lively affair. As the eldest prince and one of the rightful heirs, there should have been many people coming to curry favor and cultivate relationships on this special day. However, tonight, the eldest prince's residence was sparsely populated with guests. On the contrary, at Feng Yu's temporary residence, almost all the high-ranking officials and nobles of the court had gathered in this not-so-large mansion. The lively atmosphere that should have been present at the eldest prince's residence was instead found at a general's place.

Inside the First Prince's residence, after Sima Yan was carried back from the palace, the mistress of the residence stayed in the bridal chamber, waiting for her husband. However, even as the night deepened, the door remained unopened.

In another part of the Crown Prince's residence, Qinglan avoided the few guests and quietly drank wine alone in a secluded spot in the backyard. His deep eyes were tinged with the coldness of the night. With each sip of wine, he seemed unaccustomed to its harshness, his brow furrowing slightly. But only he knew that his frown was not because of the wine, but because of something else.

The events of the day lingered in his mind, and the thought of An Mi's gentle smile standing beside Bai Yi caused Qing Lan's heart to clench. He picked up his wine glass and once again tilted his head back to drink it all in one gulp.

"Aren't you afraid of keeping your bride waiting in the bridal chamber while you drink alone here?" A voice broke the silence of the night. It was Nalan Yu.

Nalan Jue sat down opposite Qinglan, his captivating eyes fixed on him for a moment. Seeing that Qinglan seemed not to have heard him and showed no sign of reproach, he continued, "What's the use of thinking about her here? You've already married Sima Yan, and soon there will be another princess as a concubine. She's already someone else's fiancée. Do you really want to snatch her away?"

Qinglan tightened her grip on the wine glass, her deep, drunken eyes flashing with a sharp look. "So what?"

Should we just steal it? Even if we do, so what?

This answer made Nalan Jue realize something, and his expression immediately turned serious. "Who do you think you're trying to snatch it from? It's Bai Yi, the King of Bohai!"

Nalan Jue became exceptionally cautious upon hearing this name, even his pupils changed color.

"The King of Bohai? So what if it is him?" Qinglan's eyes narrowed. The thought of An Mi standing next to Bai Yi made him feel as if a huge stone was lodged in his heart, and a certain idea he had before became more and more firm in his mind.

"So what about him?" Nalan Jue raised her voice as if to wake Qinglan, but then lowered it again for fear of being overheard. "You saw it today too. The wealth of the Prince of Bohai is beyond our expectations. Even Empress Feng's attitude has changed somewhat. Perhaps that woman is also reassessing the Prince of Bohai's strength. How can we afford to offend him? What I'm thinking is, don't be fooled by the Prince of Bohai's wealth. I feel that this man is unfathomable. What if he has other forces hidden behind the scenes..."

Nalan Jue stopped there, her brows furrowing even more. After a moment of silence, she continued, "If we offend him, it would be tantamount to pushing the Prince of Bohai into Empress Feng's camp. I'm sure you understand the implications of this without me having to explain."

Qinglan narrowed her eyes, making it impossible to tell what she was thinking. "He won't!"

He knew that in recent years, Bai Yi and Empress Feng had maintained a peaceful relationship on the surface, but there were some things that remained, and Bai Yi would probably never forget them. He was just lying low. The grudge against his sister and Empress Feng... A smile gradually appeared on Qing Lan's lips, and her expression became more profound. Even Nalan Jue did not understand what Qing Lan's smile meant.

Nalan Jue stared at his nephew for a long time without saying anything. Qinglan drank his wine idly. After a long silence, Nalan Jue changed the subject and said indignantly, "Those officials in the court are really blind. You are clearly the eldest prince, and your status is much more noble than that scoundrel Feng Yu. Yet they went to his residence instead of the eldest prince's residence. Ha, Feng Yu is enjoying his immense prestige."

As soon as she finished speaking, a smile appeared on Nalan Jue's face, making her look even more alluring. She continued, "However, the more people the better. I'm afraid that if there aren't enough people, it won't cause a sensation!"

Nalan Jue thought of his scheme, and his eyes became even more sinister.

Qinglan, on the other hand, seemed completely unconcerned about what Nalan Jue had done, and continued to drink her wine silently...

At Feng Yu's temporary residence, guests gathered, and amidst the clinking of glasses, they all congratulated and flattered this most capable young talent of the Feng family. In their eyes, Feng Yu was deeply favored by Empress Feng, and in the future, the world of the Great Jin Dynasty should be taken over by the Second Prince. At that time, the Feng family would no longer be just a noble family.

Therefore, at this time, they had no choice but to take the gamble. They understood that if the eldest prince gained power, it would undoubtedly have a huge impact on them. But at least for now, it seemed that the second prince was still in the lead.

Inside Empress Feng's palace, Empress Feng had not yet retired for the night. Han Yu was serving her by the side, watching the time, and was becoming increasingly impatient.

"Your Majesty, it is late. His Majesty has not visited any of the other concubines' chambers. He must not intend to favor anyone tonight. Your Majesty, please rest as well," Han Yu said cautiously, assuming that Empress Feng was waiting for the Emperor. It was only at times like this that Her Majesty would frown so much.

But this time, she was wrong. Empress Feng glanced at Han Yu and sighed, "It's not because of the Emperor that I can't sleep."

"Why is that?" Han Yu frowned and asked, as if she had thought of something. "Could it be because of the engagement between the King of Bohai and Miss Anmi today?"

At this mention, Empress Feng felt even more displeased, and her sigh became heavier. "This matter is indeed upsetting, but my unease isn't because of this. I don't know why, but I always feel something strange in my heart, and I can't put my mind at ease..."

Seeing her like this, Han Yu couldn't guess where her unease came from, so she could only offer some perfunctory comfort, "Your Majesty the Empress is blessed with good fortune. Perhaps you are just too tired today, which is why you are like this. You see, General Feng has already had his wedding today. We just received the news that the mansion is exceptionally lively, especially Prime Minister Yang, who is particularly happy. Today, those officials really gave General Feng... no, they really gave Your Majesty the Empress a lot of face."

Han Yu spoke with a hint of smugness; this was exactly the situation Empress Feng wanted. However, just as she finished speaking, there was a rapid knocking at the door. Empress Feng and Han Yu frowned simultaneously. Before Empress Feng could give any instructions, Han Yu hurried to the door, only opening it a crack, and scolded in a low voice, "What's the matter that's causing such a commotion? It's so late at night, disturbing Her Majesty the Empress's rest. You'll regret it!"