The Flourishing Era of Female Merchants

"You should return to the palace first. Emperor Mingde's power is now much stronger, and his attitude towards the Feng family is no longer as friendly as before. You must remember that if you have the opportunity to get close to Emperor Mingde, you must never show any affection for the Feng family. You were sent to the palace by the Feng family, and Emperor Mingde is already wary of you. It won't be easy for you to gain his favor again. However, I believe that with your abilities, this matter will only require some effort and won't be difficult for you." Old Master Feng's eyes narrowed, and he seemed to be thinking about something, but no one could catch a glimpse of what he was thinking.

"Please rest assured, Master, I know what to do." A glint flashed in Yunxiu's eyes, as if she already had a plan in mind. "However, there are some things that I'm afraid I'll need Her Majesty the Empress's help with. That way, we can achieve twice the result with half the effort."

Thinking about what she had experienced in the palace during this time, Yunxiu felt a strange feeling. The more Empress Feng didn't want her to serve by the Emperor's side, the more she wanted to be by his side. In the past, she was simply acting out of her own desires and because of Old Master Feng's orders. But now, she had another reason in her heart: Empress Feng.

She wanted to let Empress Feng know that Yunxiu, through her own abilities, was capable of enjoying immense favor, and that no matter how much Empress Feng tried to stop her, she would never succeed!

When she gains the Emperor's favor one day, she will surely take good care of Empress Feng!

Thinking about it, Yunxiu felt excited. This time, she was determined to have Empress Feng pave the way for her. She wanted to see if Empress Feng would listen to the order personally given by Old Master Feng!

However, she knew that given the current situation, Empress Feng, for the sake of the so-called "big picture," would have no choice but to listen, even if she didn't want to!

She couldn't wait to see what kind of expression Empress Feng would have!

"Alright, I will inform the Empress about this matter." Old Master Feng's gaze was fixed on Yunxiu. Even in the darkness of the room, he could sense Yunxiu's concern and urgency regarding this matter.

Master Feng wasn't stupid; he immediately guessed that Yunxiu must have her reasons for acting this way. However, he wisely chose not to investigate further; he only needed to see the result!

He thought that with Yunxiu's eagerness, the plan to get close to Emperor Mingde would not fail this time!

Old Master Feng's eyes narrowed slightly. Instantly, the old man's previous coldness vanished, replaced by the loving kindness of an elder. He beckoned to Yunxiu, "Come here."

Yunxiu paused for a moment, then stepped forward, "Grandpa..."

"Yunxiu, I have always regarded you as my daughter." Old Master Feng patted Yunxiu's shoulder and spoke gently, "At first, I thought that our father-daughter relationship was so deep that we didn't need those formalities and empty gestures. However, I thought about it carefully later. You lost your parents at a young age, and you must be longing for family. How about this, in private, you can call me 'Father,' and we will be father and daughter?

Yunxiu never expected that Old Master Feng would say such a thing. Although she knew that Old Master Feng might be trying to win her over, she needed it no matter what. Her nose tingled, and Yunxiu softly called out, "Father."

"Good, good!" Old Master Feng laughed heartily, his previous displeasure dissipating somewhat.

That evening, Empress Feng returned to the palace and went to see Emperor Mingde. She relayed to Emperor Mingde the request from Old Master Feng to hold the funeral the next day. Emperor Mingde was in a good mood after hearing his subordinates report what had happened in the mourning hall earlier, so he granted Old Master Feng's request.

The following day, Feng Yu's funeral was attended by only a handful of people. Old Master Feng was injured and unable to get out of bed, so he was unable to attend Feng Yu's funeral. The lavish funeral that Emperor Mingde had mentioned earlier seemed even more ironic compared to the desolation at the moment.

Since then, Old Master Feng claimed to be ill and stayed in the mansion, never leaving the residence. On the other hand, Qinglan, who was also injured that day, went to court as usual after resting for a few days.

Meanwhile, the situation in the capital was also subtly changing. During the few days that the Crown Prince was recuperating, the Crown Princess Sima Yan was not idle for a moment. The wives of court officials kept coming to visit. Sima Yan was not stupid. Although it was a conversation between women, they were subtly representing the intentions of the man behind them.

After Qinglan recovered from her injuries, Sima Yan attended banquets every day, keeping her extremely busy.

On this day, An Mi came out of the Flourishing Flame. The carriage had just started moving when it suddenly stopped. An Mi frowned, and Liu Guang, who was beside her, had already lifted the curtain to see what was going on. When she saw the carriage blocking their way, Liu Guang frowned slightly and turned to An Mi, saying, "Miss, it's the First Prince's carriage!"

The First Prince's residence? Qinglan or Sima Yan? Almost subconsciously, Anmi's guess leaned towards the latter.

Sure enough, just as An Mi was thinking this, she heard a voice from outside the carriage, "Is that Miss An Mi? It's rare for us to meet, what a coincidence today."

An impatience flashed across An Mi's eyes. If there was one person she least wanted to see in the capital, it was Sima Yan. And today, what a damn coincidence!

Anmi knew that she couldn't avoid it today, so she sighed helplessly. Anmi gave Liuguang a look and told her to lift the curtain. Without the curtain to block the view, Anmi could see the woman in the carriage opposite, whose curtain had also been lifted.

Sima Yan was dressed in a luxurious outfit and looked radiant, with a smile in her eyes. However, An Mi could sense the same hostility in that smile as always.

Sigh! It seems I have no choice but to face it today!

Knowing this, An Mi did not hesitate or shrink back. With a smile on her lips, she greeted Sima Yan, "An Mi greets the Crown Prince's Consort."

Sima Yan glanced at An Mi indifferently, a cold and disdainful look flashing in her eyes. She was, after all, the Crown Prince's Consort, while An Mi, even if she was liked by Qing Lan and was Bai Yi's fiancée, not to mention that she had not yet become the Princess of Bohai, even if she did become the Princess of Bohai one day, wouldn't she still have to bow down to Sima Yan?

Sima Yan became secretly pleased. "Mi'er, since we've met today, why not make it a chance encounter? It just so happens that I, the Crown Princess, am going to a banquet at the Marquis of Jin's residence today. I heard from the eldest young mistress of the Marquis of Jin's residence that the young lady of the Marquis of Jin's residence has returned, and many court ladies will be attending today. Why don't you come with me and join in the fun?"

“Miss…” Liu Guang glanced at An Mi. This Crown Prince’s wife had shifty eyes and was definitely up to no good. After all, her status was higher than Miss’s. If Miss suffered any injustice because of this…

But An Mi knew that she had no choice but to agree now. Even if she knew that Sima Yan had ill intentions, she had no choice but to accept it. In the end, it was uncertain who would suffer the most.