The Flourishing Era of Female Merchants

A subtle smile flickered in Bai Yi's eyes. He hadn't expected Sima Yan to bring this up for him. Under the table, Bai Yi subconsciously took An Mi's hand and held it tightly in his palm. Qing Lan, sitting opposite him, had anger hidden in his eyes. He looked at An Mi and caught a glimpse of her shyly lowered eyes. That gentle beauty was something she had never shown to him before.

My hands clenched into fists silently, and I felt particularly uneasy.

Emperor Mingde's smile became somewhat stiff as a result. Empress Feng clearly noticed his reaction, and a strange glint flashed in her eyes. Sima Yan had now become one with Qinglan. She had displeased the Emperor, and he would more or less take his anger out on Qinglan. Ha, she had thought that this Sima Yan, a lady from a respectable family, would be intelligent, but she had become so foolish because of jealousy.

Empress Feng's gaze narrowed as she looked at Sima Yan, who was smiling, as if she were plotting something.

"Father, don't you think their marriage should be arranged?" Seeing that Emperor Mingde did not respond, Sima Yan became anxious. Without considering whether her words would displease Emperor Mingde, she spoke. As soon as she spoke, Emperor Mingde's smile disappeared, replaced by displeasure.

By the time Sima Yan noticed the gloom on Emperor Mingde's face, it was too late. She was startled and began to feel uneasy.

A moment of silence fell over the hall. No one spoke; some watched from the sidelines, while others waited to see what would happen.

"Yan'er..." After a moment of silence, Emperor Mingde spoke, his gloomy tone sending a chill down the spines of those who heard him. It was as if they could foresee that what Emperor Mingde was about to say was not something someone wanted to hear.

"Father...Father Emperor..." Sima Yan forced a smile, her unease growing stronger, her previous smugness completely gone.

"Having children and grandchildren is a very important matter for the royal family. You have been married to Qinglan for quite some time now, shouldn't there be good news?" Emperor Mingde raised an eyebrow, and as soon as he finished speaking, Sima Yan's face turned red, followed by a deep lividity.

The meaning of the Mingde Emperor was quite clear: she had time to concern herself with other people's marriages, but what about her own duties?

At the same time, these words were like a thorn, piercing Sima Yan's heart and causing her unbearable pain!

Having children? Good news? How could she possibly have good news? Since their wedding, Qinglan hadn't touched her even once. How could she be pregnant?

Emperor Mingde's lips curled into a smug smile. "It's been so long, and no news has come out. I think it's time to hurry up and deal with the matter of the concubine."

Qinglan frowned and subconsciously looked at An Mi, while Sima Yan shouted, "No!"

"No? Yan'er, as the principal wife, you should be magnanimous. You should know that you married a prince. Even wives in ordinary families would look for concubines for their husbands. You have been unable to conceive for so long. Do you want Qinglan to remain childless forever? Our royal family cannot tolerate a jealous wife who lacks a sense of the bigger picture!" Emperor Mingde raised his voice, his words becoming slightly sharp.

Sima Yan's heart skipped a beat. She immediately stood up, walked to the center of the hall, knelt on the ground, and said with trepidation, "Father, please calm down. Your son... Your son did not mean that."

"You didn't mean that?" Emperor Mingde's eyes narrowed, his expression remaining serious. He paused, then continued, "I knew you were from a respectable family. Your parents must have taught you how to be a wife, right?"

"Yes." Sima Yan replied, what other answer could she possibly have but to say yes?

"That's good. I remember that I also arranged a concubine for Qinglan before. I thought that you two were newlyweds and should have some time to get to know each other. Now that the wedding has been over for quite some time, let's arrange the concubine matter today!" Emperor Mingde said unhurriedly. His words were like a bolt from the blue for some people.

Concubine? That concubine was also a thorn in Sima Yan's heart. She wanted to resist, but her remaining rationality told her that if she said anything more, she would definitely make the emperor even more unhappy. At this moment, she was filled with regret and could only endure it. She was still worried about another person, Qinglan.

Sima Yan silently retreated, not daring to look at Qing Lan's face. Even after sitting down next to him, she could still feel the anger emanating from him without looking at his expression.

Now how to do?

Sima Yan was filled with anxiety and couldn't find an answer. She didn't want things to turn out this way, but things had already come to this point, and she was powerless to change anything!

Emperor Mingde seemed to have won a round, and the smile between his brows was even more intense than at the beginning. He glanced at An Mi and Bai Yi, and when he saw that the two of them were drinking wine, his eyes flickered slightly. Bai Yi had mentioned marriage to him more than once, but he had always evaded the question.

Even if the marriage is officially granted, he will still have to postpone it no matter what.

Just then, a palace maid carrying a tray entered the main hall. The maid had a smile on her face. As soon as she entered the palace, her gaze fell on Emperor Mingde, who was sitting in the main seat. There was a hint of a smile in her eyes. As soon as she entered, everyone looked at her. An Mi also carefully observed this woman. Recently, a palace maid who was as beautiful as a fairy had appeared by the emperor's side. So this was her?

Cloud sleeves!

Remembering what happened in the palace some time ago, An Mi looked at the smiling, beautiful face, her eyes flickered, and then she looked at Empress Feng. She saw that Empress Feng had a slight smile on her face, but in An Mi's eyes, that smile was mixed with some other expressions, such as helplessness, displeasure, and jealousy.

An Mi saw Empress Feng's expression and a smile appeared on her lips. If she guessed correctly, Empress Feng's attitude towards Yun Xiu was also extremely complicated. She clearly disliked her, but she still had to cooperate with her to put on that show.

Thinking back to the day Empress Feng punished Yunxiu so ruthlessly, and then to the severity of Yunxiu's injuries at that time, An Mi couldn't help but take a second look at the two women. Their cooperation and sacrifice must have been for a reason.

For the Emperor?

An Mi turned her gaze to Emperor Mingde, only to see that his eyes were fixed on Yunxiu, and the look in his eyes was that of a man looking at a woman with affection. In such a short time, had Emperor Mingde changed from being indifferent to Yunxiu to becoming tender?

It seems that Yunxiu is truly extraordinary!

Lost in thought, Yunxiu had already walked to Emperor Mingde's side, curtsied, and said in a voice as melodious as silk and bamboo, "This servant greets Your Majesty, Your Majesty the Empress, and all the princes."

The King of Donglin glanced at Yunxiu, then frowned and continued drinking his wine. Bai Yi, on the other hand, glanced at Yunxiu and Emperor Mingde without leaving a trace, his eyes thoughtful.