The Flourishing Era of Female Merchants

Old Master Feng let out a long sigh. To others, it sounded like the relief of escaping a desperate situation, but to some, it was a genuine disappointment.

If everyone hadn't witnessed Qinglan taking Nalan Jue's attack for him, why would he have thanked Qinglan?!

Qinglan lowered his gaze slightly, concealing the fleeting hatred in his eyes. Was this the end of it? He made it sound so simple, but he hadn't even asked for his opinion yet, had he?

All eyes were on Qinglan, as if they were expecting him to respond. The entire hall was silent for a long time before Qinglan suddenly stiffened and fell to the ground with a thud.

"Your Highness...Your Highness...What's wrong?" The First Prince's Consort, Sima Yan, panicked. Ignoring everything else, she rushed forward and cradled Qinglan's head in her arms. "Your Highness, wake up..."

As everyone watched this scene unfold, the First Prince suddenly collapsed to the ground, seemingly unconscious. They couldn't help but sigh inwardly. It seemed that Nalan Jue's palm strike had been too powerful, and the First Prince was seriously injured!

Old Master Feng's gratitude to the First Prince was entirely justified; the First Prince had risked his own life to save Old Master Feng!

Old Master Feng was also taken aback, seemingly not expecting Qinglan to suddenly faint. After what had just happened, Qinglan's position in the hearts of the officials remained unshaken; he was still one of the heirs to the throne. If he were to suffer a long-term illness because he had shielded Qinglan from Nalan Jue's blow, and something were to happen to him, then everyone would surely point the finger at him, and the Feng family would likely be in an even more unfavorable situation.

At this moment, Emperor Mingde seemed not to have seen Qinglan fall to the ground and said nothing. But it was clear to anyone with eyes that Emperor Mingde was waiting for Old Master Feng to say something!

Although Old Master Feng was unwilling, he had no choice but to back down step by step at this moment. "Your Majesty, this old minister requests that Your Majesty allow the imperial physician to examine the Crown Prince's injuries."

"Then this..." Emperor Mingde stroked the token in his hand, his eyes slightly narrowed.

"The mastermind behind this, Nalan Jue, is dead. Let's just leave it at that," Old Master Feng said definitively, feeling incredibly frustrated. He had already suffered a loss since arriving in the capital, and many things had exceeded his expectations. It seemed that he would have to re-examine many things during this trip to the capital.

Upon receiving these words, Emperor Mingde tossed the token in his hand to Eunuch Qin and loudly ordered, "Imperial Physician, quickly examine the First Prince. The First Prince is of noble status; if anything happens to him, I will have you buried with him!"

As Emperor Mingde finished speaking, the light in his eyes was as sharp as a sword. The imperial physician was so frightened that he knelt down in panic, saying, "Your subject will do his best, he will do his best!"

Although Emperor Mingde's words were a death order to the imperial physicians, they were interpreted in a different light by many discerning individuals.

The Emperor is clearly telling everyone that His Highness the First Prince is of noble status and no one can afford to hurt him!

As for just how prestigious this status is, that remains to be seen.

Anmi saw things more clearly. Rather than saying that Emperor De was admonishing Old Master Feng, it was more accurate to say that he was balancing the power of all parties. Old Master Feng's trip to the capital, with his self-inflicted injury and dramatic performance, may have brought him some temporary satisfaction, but the Emperor is still the Emperor. Sitting on the throne above all others, he is the master of everything.

Emperor Mingde was shrewd after all. Old Master Feng was too sharp-tongued, so how could Emperor Mingde not suppress him?

An Mi glanced in the direction of Old Master Feng. The paleness on his face and the sadness in his eyes made the corners of her mouth turn up slightly. Old Master Feng was not one to be subservient to others, whether in his past life or this one!

However, how could Emperor Mingde be considered a foolish and incompetent emperor?

It seems this battle for the throne is going to be quite exciting!

Old Master Feng… An Mi looked at Old Master Feng, took a small sip of tea, and the color in her eyes was somewhat unfathomable. Old Master Feng was Bai Yi’s enemy, so he was also her enemy!

Thinking of the gift she had prepared for Old Master Feng, the smile on her lips deepened, a fleeting hint of unease passing through it, as if it had never existed.

"Guards, carry the First Prince to the side hall so the imperial physician can examine his injuries," Emperor Mingde ordered again, glancing at Nalan Jue, who was also lying on the ground. "Take Nalan Jue away. As for what to do with him, we'll discuss that later!"

Emperor Mingde waved his hand, his eyes deep and his brows furrowed. When he met the gaze of Old Master Feng, a hint of pain was revealed between his brows. Looking at his expression, everyone couldn't help but wonder what the emperor was going to do.

Their questions didn't last long before Emperor Mingde's clear voice rang out in the hall, but it was just a long sigh.

With that long sigh, almost everyone's heart tightened, especially Old Master Feng.

"Your Majesty, I have summoned you to the capital this time because there are important matters to discuss. The Feng family is a prominent family in our Great Jin Dynasty and has made many contributions to the dynasty. Therefore, I think there are some things that I must hear your opinion on, Old Master Feng." Emperor Mingde's deep and powerful voice resounded throughout every corner of the hall. Everyone who heard it felt a tightness in their hearts. It seemed that the Emperor was referring to General Feng Yu.

"This old minister is terrified... cough cough..." Old Master Feng suddenly struggled to get up, but perhaps he was too weak. After struggling for a long time, it was still to no avail. Not only that, but large beads of sweat appeared on his pale face.

Emperor Mingde remained silent, and Empress Feng knew that this was not the time to speak. Even if she felt distressed seeing her father's expression, she couldn't say anything. Instead, Feng Qing frowned deeply, "Grandfather..."

"Feng Qing, come, help me up," Old Master Feng interrupted Feng Qing and ordered with difficulty.

Although Feng Qing was worried, he still had to follow the instructions of Old Master Feng and step forward to help him up. Old Master Feng used his strength to support his body. Just as he got up from the bed, he suddenly knelt on the ground.

With a thud, this was the third time Old Master Feng had knelt since entering the palace, and it seemed to be even heavier than the previous two times.

Everyone stared at Old Master Feng and Emperor Mingde, not daring to utter a sound.

Emperor Mingde lowered his gaze slightly, his eyes landing precisely on the kneeling Old Master Feng. "Old Master, what are you doing? You are injured!"

Even a fool could tell how much concern Emperor Mingde had in his words. If he truly cared about Old Master Feng's injuries, why didn't he speak up when Old Master Feng struggled earlier? Emperor Mingde probably just wanted to see Old Master Feng kneel before him!