The Flourishing Era of Female Merchants

"Do you know who sent it?" Liu Guang walked up to the servant and took the brocade box as she spoke.

"This servant doesn't know. That person gave this box to this servant and left. This servant didn't even have time to ask..." The servant said, but seeing Liu Guang's brows furrow, he subconsciously lowered his head and dared not continue speaking.

"You may leave." An Mi glanced at the servant but said nothing more.

After the servants left, Liu Guang stared at the box for a long while, about to say something, when he heard An Mi speak again, "Let me see it."

Liu Guang and Yi Fei exchanged a glance, both looking troubled. "Miss, this thing is of unknown origin, we can't..."

“Since someone specifically requested this for me, I should know what’s inside.” An Mi interrupted Liu Guang. She knew Liu Guang and Yi Fei were trying to protect her, but she had been feeling uneasy lately. Today, someone had presented her with this brocade box, making her feel that she couldn’t miss out on something.

After a brief standoff, Liu Guang and Yi Fei finally gave in and presented the brocade box to An Mi. An Mi took the box, and both of them tensed up. As An Mi opened the box, an envelope appeared in their sight. Liu Guang and Yi Fei breathed a sigh of relief, but their brows remained furrowed.

A letter? Whose letter is it?

An Mi had the same question in her mind. With a slight lowering of her gaze, she took out the letter, opened the envelope, unfolded the letter, and quickly browsed through it. Liu Guang and Yi Fei watched An Mi read the letter without blinking, trying to guess its contents. However, the young lady's face remained calm and undisturbed, making them even more puzzled and increasingly nervous.

"Miss..." Liu Guang saw that An Mi had finished reading the letter, but before she could say anything, she was interrupted.

"Liuguang, please take Liu'er back for me." An Mi put the letter away. As soon as she finished speaking, Liu'er's face clearly fell, unable to hide her disappointment. An Mi seemed to have expected this. She squatted down, gently stroked Liu'er's head, and said softly, "Liu'er, Mother is tired today. Let Liuguang take you back to your room. Tonight, let Liuguang stay with you, okay?"

"Mother, are you feeling unwell? What's wrong?" Liu'er saw An Mi frowning and completely forgot her previous disappointment, her heart filled with worry for An Mi.

An Mi saw this and felt a warmth in her heart. She wished she could stay with Liu'er forever, but... thinking of something, An Mi hardened her heart and said, "Liu'er, Mother is fine. Be a good girl and go back to your room with Liu Guang to sleep. Mother will be fine after resting in her room."

Liu'er looked at Anmi for a long time before finally nodding. "Okay, Liu'er will listen to you, but Liu'er wants to see Mother first thing tomorrow morning."

"Okay, Mother promises Liu'er that when Liu'er wakes up tomorrow morning, she can see Mother." Anmi held Liu'er's two little hands.

Having received Anmi's promise, Liu'er finally smiled brightly. "Mother, Liu'er will go back to her room now."

“Go ahead.” Anmi nodded and gave Liuguang a wink, signaling her to take Liu’er back to her room.

Liu Guang could not disobey An Mi's orders, so she took Liu'er back to her room. Before leaving, she gave Yi Fei a wink. With their long-standing tacit understanding, Yi Fei understood Liu Guang's meaning in just one glance. She nodded imperceptibly, telling Liu Guang that she would keep a close eye on her mistress.

An Mi observed the two's actions without showing any emotion. Only after Liu Guang led Liu'er out of the hall did An Mi get up and walk out of the hall herself.

Yifei had already sensed Anmi's unusual behavior and followed her closely all the way back to the courtyard. Anmi went into the house, and Yifei followed her the whole time. Even after Anmi changed into her bedtime clothes, Yifei still showed no intention of leaving the room.

An Mi saw this but didn't say anything. She sat down under the lamp and started reading. The atmosphere in the room was eerily quiet. After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, An Mi's face showed signs of fatigue.

"Miss, you should get some rest," Yifei said cautiously.

Anmi turned to another page, "Yifei, light some incense to refresh me."

Yifei hesitated for a moment, thinking that as long as she kept a close eye on her mistress that night, she would let her continue reading if she wanted to.

Thinking this, Yifei turned around and took out some incense from the box to refresh herself. As she turned away, she didn't notice that for a moment, the weariness on her previously serene face vanished and quickly returned, so quickly that it was imperceptible...

The fragrance of incense slowly filled the room. After some time, Anmi put down her book and turned to look at Yifei, only to find that Yifei had already fallen asleep on the couch.

With a smile playing on her lips, An Mi slowly rose to her feet. Looking at the incense, her eyes flickered. Yi Fei didn't know that although this was supposed to be an invigorating incense, the combination of the incense and the unburned incense from before would neutralize its invigorating effect, making her even more drowsy.

An Mi felt a wave of dizziness. If she didn't drink some tea, she probably wouldn't be able to stay awake. However, she couldn't stay in the room any longer. Remembering the letter she had received in the hall earlier, An Mi frowned, a look of seriousness gathering in her eyes. But it eventually turned into determination. Without saying anything, she quickly changed her clothes and left the room.

She went to the stables to fetch a horse and headed straight for the city gates. The city gates were already closed, but before Anmi could figure out how to get out, the guards on duty opened the gates when they saw her. Upon seeing this, Anmi instantly understood what was going on.

I didn't expect them to be so thoughtful!

It seems that he was extremely eager to see her!

Anmi didn't stop and continued riding. Before long, she arrived at a small tavern about ten miles outside the city. Inside the tavern, it was pitch black, and it seemed that everyone was already asleep.

An Mi dismounted, understanding the situation. Since that person had allowed her to pass without hindrance, he wouldn't let her be turned away. With a slight frown, An Mi walked towards the tavern, pushed open the door, and entered. The room was pitch black. An Mi stood there, knelt down, and greeted, "An Mi greets Your Majesty the Empress Dowager."

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire tavern suddenly lit up, as if all the candles had been lit, illuminating the tavern as if it were daytime. The person who invited An Mi here today was sitting in a chair, facing An Mi. In the moment of bright lights, a pair of experienced eyes quickly looked An Mi up and down.

At that moment, An Mi's peripheral vision also quietly caught sight of the old man. He was dressed in plain clothes, yet his nobility was undeniable. His hair was already white at the temples, but he was still vigorous. In particular, his sharp eyes exuded a majesty that inspired awe.

Is this the Empress Dowager of the current dynasty as revealed by the thorough investigation?

Is this the legendary An Mi? The Empress Dowager thought to herself. She has beautiful features and a dignified appearance, but she is not a beauty that could topple kingdoms. Yet she has the ability to make the third prince so infatuated. It seems that she underestimated An Mi before!