The Flourishing Era of Female Merchants

An Mi watched Yi Zhuxuan's every move and listened to her every word, but her mind was still on what she had overheard in the alley earlier.

Which village?

She thought about the timing. The day Yi Zhuxuan escaped from prison was the same day as the murder case in Widow Village. Was there a possible connection between them?

The more Anmi thought about it, the more she felt there was some connection. However, being as cautious as Anmi was, she would not wrongly accuse someone or forgive them easily. She was determined to get to the bottom of this matter.

She was reserved and serene, her heart heavy, yet her face remained calm, as if nothing had happened. "I'm sorry to have worried you. I just saw something interesting and couldn't resist buying it. I didn't expect you to be so anxious. It was my oversight."

As An Mi spoke, she took a hairpin from her bosom. It didn't look like it was made of any expensive material, but its exquisite craftsmanship was rare. Yi Zhuxuan looked at it, twitched the corners of her mouth, and hurriedly said with a smile, "What are you saying, Miss? It is this servant who is dull and cannot guess what Miss is thinking. If this servant were more shrewd, she would have been able to see Miss's preferences and buy this hairpin for Miss."

A hint of irony surfaced in Anmi's heart. Stupid? Yi Zhuxuan was anything but stupid!

An Mi looked at Yi Zhuxuan, a smile playing on her lips, and gave her a wink, "Hurry up and get in the carriage. Today, you're going to accompany me on a good tour of the capital!"

Seeing the smile on An Mi's face, Yi Zhuxuan thought that An Mi was in a good mood today and wanted to take a good look around the capital. So, as long as she stayed by An Mi's side, she would have enough opportunities to slowly guide An Mi.

The carriage started moving again. Inside, Yi Zhuxuan was pondering how to start the conversation, but hadn't come up with a better way yet. An Mi, however, spoke up, saying quite warmly, "Yi Xuan, I suddenly thought of the time in Rong Jincheng. Back then, I was still the young lady of the An family. I was bullied by them every day, and even the servants would give me attitude. Thinking back to that time, it seems like it was a long time ago."

Yi Zhuxuan hadn't expected An Mi to suddenly bring up the past. Unable to fathom An Mi's thoughts, she had no choice but to continue the conversation. "Yes, it feels like so long ago. But Miss was destined for great fortune and honor. Back then, who could have imagined your status and position today? I think the news of Miss becoming the fiancée of the Prince of Bohai must have reached Rong Jincheng by now. The people of Rong Jincheng must be looking at Miss with new respect, as well as the Madam and the Eldest Miss..."

Yi Zhuxuan was naturally unaware that Madam and An Xinlian were no longer alive. An Mi overheard this, and a smirk appeared on her lips. Looking at Yi Zhuxuan's ingratiating appearance, the irony in her heart grew stronger. This woman in front of her was indeed the same as in her previous life—so hypocritical and so good at acting.

An Mi seemed to suddenly remember something, and frowned. "Zhu Xuan, remember before, you were framed and imprisoned because of Feng Xianglan and An Xinhe? How did you end up in the capital?"

Yi Zhuxuan's body stiffened, and a moment of awkwardness flashed across her face, but she quickly returned to normal, tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Perhaps it was God's mercy. I thought that I had no power or influence, and no one would save me. Staying in the prison would only lead to my death. So, when someone broke into the prison that night, I took the plunge and escaped with them in the chaos."

"Oh? That's truly a blessing from heaven, congratulations." An Mi said calmly, noticing Yi Zhuxuan's nervousness and unease as she tried her best to hide. "It's fortunate that you escaped, otherwise we wouldn't have the chance to meet again in the capital."

"Yes, thankfully we escaped." Yi Zhuxuan's eyes changed color as she thought of her previous experience. She had escaped, but what good was it? In the end, she was still just a servant.

Thinking of Feng Yu's threat earlier, Yi Zhuxuan's heart was in turmoil. Looking at An Mi, she thought, "If only I had such good fortune..."

"Alright, let's go back to the manor!" An Mi suddenly instructed the coachman outside the carriage.

Yi Zhuxuan snapped out of her daze and asked in surprise, "Miss, weren't you going to walk around a bit?"

Are we going back home already? But she has things to do...

"I'm a little tired, it's fine to come out for a walk another day." An Mi noticed the undisguised disappointment in Yi Zhuxuan's expression and said this deliberately.

"That's fine then. I'll accompany you out again another day, Miss." Seeing that she couldn't change An Mi's mind, Yi Zhuxuan didn't say anything more.

Back at the Bohai Prince's Mansion, An Mi made an excuse to send Yi Zhuxuan away. After Yi Zhuxuan left for a while, Yi Fei entered the room, carefully closed the door, and respectfully said, "What are your orders, Miss?"

Just now, as soon as she returned to the manor, she heard her mistress's secret signal, which meant that she should come to find her later. In fact, she and Liuguang had been following their mistress all the way, secretly protecting her safety.

Anmi sat in the chair, her gaze fixed intently on a certain spot. "I need to know how Yi Zhuxuan met Feng Yu, and what she did!"

Was that village really a village of widows?

If so, what does that mean? Anmi wants to know everything, desperately wants to know everything, and these things seem easy to find out!

Yifei was slightly taken aback. She was a smart person, and she immediately realized the importance of this matter to Anmi. She firmly accepted the order, "Yes, Miss!"

After saying that, Yifei withdrew and gave Liuguang a wink in the shadows, instructing her to take good care of the young lady, before quickly leaving.

Just one day later, Yifei reappeared before Anmi. In the room, besides Anmi, Cheng Ying was also there. Yifei glanced at the two of them, indicating whether Cheng Ying should leave. Cheng Ying understood and was about to find an excuse to leave when Anmi's calm voice rang out, "Cheng Ying is not an outsider."

Cheng Ying was taken aback. The words "not an outsider" stirred a strange warmth in her heart, and naturally, a smile gradually appeared on her face.

With An Mi's words, Yi Fei naturally had no more concerns. Thinking of the information she had gathered, her gaze darkened. "Miss," she said, "I found out about the guard who went to Rongjin City with Feng Yu. Feng Yu's trip to Rongjin City was originally a secret, and Feng Yu had issued a gag order. However, one of the guards was recently injured and, because of his disability, was dismissed by Feng Yu and is now at home. I used some effort to learn from him that Yi Zhuxuan met Feng Yu in a village outside Rongjin City, at that time..."

Yifei paused for a moment, then continued, "At that time, Feng Yu ordered Yi Zhuxuan to kill all the women and children in the village."

As Yifei spoke, her expression became particularly solemn. The horrific scene described by the guard was terrifying even to her. Yifei cautiously glanced at Anmi's expression. Although Anmi's face appeared normal, her hands were already tightly clenched with her embroidered handkerchief. Yifei knew that her mistress's heart was not as calm as her face suggested.