The Flourishing Era of Female Merchants

"Get up, get up quickly." Emperor Mingde seemed unwilling to let Yunxiu suffer in the slightest. He even got up and personally helped Yunxiu up. This action surprised everyone present.

Especially Empress Feng, whose last remaining smile had faded like a withered flower.

"Your Majesty, I've brewed some tea. You usually have a cup at this time of day..." Yunxiu's delicate features and stunning beauty were captivating, making any man who saw her unable to resist being enchanted.

But if women saw this, their reaction would be quite different, especially if they saw her as a rival in love. Empress Feng twitched the corners of her mouth, a faint smile, but the coldness in her eyes clearly showed her displeasure. "Tea? The Emperor is drinking wine at the family banquet, didn't you see?"

Empress Feng's tone was anything but gentle. Yunxiu seemed startled, shrinking back towards Emperor Mingde and leaning slightly into his arms. She frowned pitifully, "This... Your Majesty, Your Highness, this servant is foolish, this servant did not..."

"Alright!" Emperor Mingde's deep voice rang out, interrupting Yunxiu's fear and self-blame. He glanced at Empress Feng, his expression showing no restraint in protecting Yunxiu. Such a peerless beauty seemed to deserve such protection. He then looked at the teacup Yunxiu was holding, a slight smile playing on his lips. He picked up the teacup from the tray, brought it to his lips, and took a small sip. This single gesture alone demonstrated his protection of Yunxiu.

Empress Feng's face immediately darkened, but Yunxiu's beautiful face blossomed into a radiant smile.

Emperor Mingde took a sip of tea and then laughed, "The tea brewed by Yun'er is exceptionally fragrant and mellow. These days, I seem to have developed a habit; without this tea, I'm afraid I won't be able to sleep all night thinking about it! From now on, I'm afraid I can't live without Yun'er!"

Everyone could understand the implication of Emperor Mingde's words: he seemed to be telling everyone present that he already had a plan for Yunxiu!

Empress Feng clenched her fists subconsciously. Making the Emperor infatuated with Yunxiu was clearly their goal, but now that it had come to pass, she felt extremely uncomfortable.

Bai Yi's eyes lit up, and the corners of his mouth slightly lifted in a half-smile, as if he had found a breakthrough...

"Father, ever since Consort Rong was banished to the Cold Palace, there has been no one to serve you with exceptional care. The Empress is in charge of all the affairs of the harem, and her energy is probably limited. Now, this palace maid has won your favor and keeps you happy, so we, as your children, are naturally at ease." Bai Yi, who had been silent until now, spoke up at this moment, catching everyone off guard.

Almost everyone, including Yunxiu, looked at the King of Bohai upon hearing this, filled with surprise. What did the King of Bohai mean by this?

What she sensed was the goodwill of the King of Bohai in mentioning this matter. She vaguely felt that after he brought it up, some things seemed to become more logical.

On the contrary, Empress Feng's face grew increasingly unpleasant. She was a smart woman, and Bai Yi's words were undoubtedly a way out. As long as one was willing to follow this step, many things would become simple. However, she felt extremely uncomfortable. But thinking of the overall situation, she knew that this was beneficial to the overall situation, but she had no choice but to endure it and swallow her displeasure.

The main hall was silent. Qinglan, the King of Donglin, and even the King of Qin looked at Bai Yi with a hint of incomprehension.

What is Bai Yi doing? Isn't he helping Yunxiu? Who is Yunxiu? She's from the Feng family!

Seeing that the Emperor already had designs on Yunxiu, if he brought this up, and the Emperor actually took the opportunity to bestow a title upon this palace maid, wouldn't the Feng family's power become even more rampant in the palace?

Qinglan, the Prince of Donglin, and the Prince of Qin all looked at Emperor Mingde in unison. Bai Yi had already said those words, and they were powerless to change the situation. Now they could only place their hopes on their father, hoping that he had no intention of bestowing titles upon them.

However, this was just wishful thinking. Emperor Mingde's previous attitude towards Yunxiu had already made it clear. At this moment, his slightly narrowed eyes and the faint smile made their hearts skip a beat. His eyes clearly showed satisfaction!

Emperor Mingde was also surprised by Bai Yi's words, which saved him a lot of trouble!

However… suddenly, Emperor Mingde’s gaze faltered, and he looked at Bai Yi with a more probing look. Bai Yi met Emperor Mingde’s gaze, a smile on his lips, his eyes unusually calm.

"Father, I believe this palace maid deserves to be rewarded! What is your opinion, Father?" Under everyone's gaze, Bai Yi broke the silence once again, seemingly offering another step forward.

Emperor Mingde's eyes narrowed, and he had already made up his mind to take this opportunity to finalize the matter of Yunxiu.

"Haha, Yun'er has been working very hard these days, so she deserves a reward!" Emperor Mingde reached out and took Yunxiu's hand without any hesitation. "Since today is our family banquet, let's take this opportunity to bestow upon her the title of Consort Yun."

Consort Yun! There is absolutely no precedent for a palace maid to be directly promoted to the rank of consort, yet Emperor Mingde...

Empress Feng, Qinglan, Prince Donglin, Prince Qin, and even An Mi were all stunned for a moment. Only Bai Yi seemed to see a brighter dawn. His smile grew even wider as he stood up and stepped forward, "Congratulations, Father Emperor! Congratulations, Father Emperor! Congratulations, Consort Yun! Congratulations, Consort Yun!"

Bai Yi's actions surprised everyone even more. Everyone knew that the King of Bohai was not very close to the concubines in the palace, but he was so flattering to Consort Yun!

Emperor Mingde frowned slightly. His son was a businessman, a successful businessman, and a cunning fox. Was he trying to curry favor for no reason?

Bai Yi seemed to have sensed Emperor Mingde's wariness. Now that the time was right, he didn't need to delay any longer. He cupped his hands towards Emperor Mingde and Yunxiu, "Father, I am overjoyed and envious that you have found such a beautiful woman. It is time for my household to have a mistress. The entire Bohai Prince's Mansion needs one, including Liu'er. Mi'er treats Liu'er like her own daughter, and Liu'er regards Mi'er as her own mother, relying on her immensely. If my sister were alive, she would be at peace knowing that Liu'er has such a loving and caring aunt. I humbly request that Father allow me and An Mi to marry on a chosen date!"

Bai Yi spoke slowly and deliberately. As the conversation progressed, many people's expressions changed. Qing Lan clenched her fists tightly under the table, and Emperor Mingde's previous smile froze completely on his face!