The Flourishing Era of Female Merchants

“That would be wonderful. Anmi thanks the Crown Princess. If I hadn’t met the Crown Princess, I wouldn’t have had the chance to see it for myself.” Anmi said with a slight smile, meeting Sima Yan’s gaze without the slightest fear.

This caused Sima Yan's expression to falter for a moment, and a hint of displeasure flashed in her eyes. However, she quickly realized that An Mi was watching her, and she absolutely could not lose her composure in front of An Mi. Instantly, her face regained its smile, "It's alright, then you can come along."

Sima Yan's tone was as if she were bestowing charity upon An Mi. Hearing this, An Mi's lips curled up even wider. Only when she saw that the curtain of the carriage opposite her had been lowered did a hint of sarcasm flash across her eyes.

“Miss, look at her…” Liu Guang felt indignant. Wasn’t Sima Yan just taking advantage of her status as the Crown Prince’s consort? What kind of attitude did she have towards Miss?

Anmi seemed completely unconcerned. "Let's go, don't delay, or people will catch us and gossip."

Liu Guang paused for a moment, and although she was displeased, she still instructed the coachman to turn the horse around before lowering the curtain.

Two carriages, one in front of the other, carried two people with very different feelings. Compared to An Mi's calm demeanor, Sima Yan's inner turmoil was far more intense. Thinking back to the way Qing Lan looked at An Mi when they greeted Old Master Feng at the palace gate that day, even now, Sima Yan felt a surge of jealousy and resentment.

An Mi was usually well protected by the King of Bohai, so even if she wanted to make things difficult for him, she couldn't find an opportunity. But today, it was a real opportunity given to her by heaven, and she had to seize it and make An Mi suffer.

Sima Yan's eyes flickered, as if she was plotting something.

Soon, the carriages came to a stop one after another. In addition to these two carriages, many other carriages had already stopped outside the Marquis of Jin's residence. Several noblewomen were leading their daughters as they disembarked from the carriages. Upon seeing the Crown Prince's carriages, they immediately rushed forward and knelt on the ground, saying, "Greetings, Crown Princess!"

Before even stepping off the carriage, she heard the welcoming greetings. Sima Yan felt an indescribable joy, especially in front of An Mi. This joy seemed amplified countless times. With the help of her personal maid, she stepped off the carriage and glanced at everyone. "Get up, everyone. We're all guests at the Marquis of Jin's residence, so don't be too formal."

Sima Yan's behavior in front of these noble ladies was undoubtedly appropriate, appropriate without the slightest flaw. It was said that she did not need to be bound by etiquette, but with her status as the Crown Prince's consort, who could be rude to her?

After the young lady thanked the emperor and stood up, Sima Yan glanced at the carriage of the Bohai Prince's Mansion behind her. Seeing that An Mi had not yet gotten out of the carriage, she thought to herself, "It seems she is unsure of herself." However, the more this was the case, the happier she became, and the more eager she was to pull An Mi out. A smile appeared on Sima Yan's lips, "Hurry up and help your young lady get out of the carriage. It's not good to keep everyone waiting."

Although she was smiling, even the ladies of noble birth present could tell that the Crown Princess's tone today was subtly hostile.

The group couldn't help but glance cautiously at the carriage behind them. When they saw the insignia of the Bohai Prince's Mansion, they were all taken aback. The Bohai Prince's Mansion's carriage? Who were the people in that carriage?

Just as they were thinking this, they saw a woman get off the carriage. They were all stunned. Who else could it be but An Mi?

Nowadays, in the entire capital, probably no one hasn't heard of An Mi's name. Everyone knows that this woman from Rongjin City is deeply loved by the Prince of Bohai. He even spent an astronomical sum to get the Emperor to grant them a marriage. This girl An Mi has long become a legendary figure in the capital. However, they rarely see her out on ordinary days. Even if they wanted to befriend her, they had no opportunity. But today, she actually came.

"Miss Anmi, you've come too. The eldest young mistress of the Marquis of Jin's mansion, what an honor!" Someone suddenly spoke up, their eyes revealing undisguised friendliness and goodwill.

Sima Yan saw this and a hint of displeasure flashed across her eyes. She glanced at the man, who shrank back. He was about to say something, but immediately shut his mouth and didn't dare to look at Sima Yan.

Sima Yan didn't expect to encounter an unpleasant situation right away. Without even waiting for An Mi, she went straight into the gate of the Marquis's residence. An Mi twitched the corners of her mouth, a faint disdain spreading across her lips. She nodded amicably to the ladies and young women and also entered the Marquis's residence.

The Marquis of Jin's mansion was considered a prominent family in the capital. Several years ago, when the Marquis was still serving as an official in the court, his status was comparable to that of the Marquis of Yong's mansion and the Prime Minister's mansion. However, a few years ago, the Marquis voluntarily resigned from his post, leaving only the eldest son of the Marquis of Jin's mansion serving as an official in the court. Although his official rank was not low, the Marquis of Jin's mansion's status was not as high as before.

Despite this, the eldest daughter-in-law of the Marquis of Jin's mansion has always been very active in the circle of wives of officials.

It is said that the banquet held at the Marquis's residence today is for the young lady of the Marquis's residence. It is said that the young lady of the Marquis's residence suddenly ran away many years ago, and no one knows where she went. Over the years, the Marquis has been sending people to search for her, but all have been in vain.

Fortunately, the young lady of the Marquis of Jin's mansion suddenly returned some time ago, just as unexpectedly as when she left. However, since she had returned, the entire mansion was overjoyed.

When An Mi arrived at the Jinhou Mansion Garden, many people were already there. The women's gathering was held in the garden, where birds sang and flowers bloomed, and the sound of zithers filled the air, adding to the pleasant atmosphere. Everyone laughed and joked. Although it was just women's small talk, it was clear that everyone was focused on Sima Yan, intentionally or unintentionally trying to please the Crown Princess.

Sima Yan caught sight of An Mi's arrival, her smile faltered for a moment, then returned to normal. "Oh dear, Mi'er... I forgot, I invited you too. Now it seems we didn't prepare enough seats!"

The implication is that An Mi is an extra person!

Many people sensed the Crown Princess's hostility. They glanced at An Mi and thought to themselves, "I've heard rumors that the Crown Princess and An Mi, the future Princess of Bohai, are close friends, like sisters. But recently, there have been rumors that the Crown Princess and Miss An Mi have always been at odds..."

What... is the truth...?

Judging from the First Prince's wife's attitude towards Miss Anmi today, everyone seemed to have a better understanding of the situation. It seemed that today's gathering at the Marquis of Jin's residence would not be peaceful!

Once everyone understood this, they became even more cautious.

The most difficult person was the eldest daughter-in-law of the Marquis of Jin's mansion. An Mi was the fiancée of the King of Bohai, and it was only a matter of time before she became the Queen of Bohai. It was already her fault for not inviting her. If she were to be neglected now, what would she do? She hurriedly said, "It's alright, please sit in this seat."