The Flourishing Era of Female Merchants

If it's because of attractive appearance, that's fine, but if it's not because of appearance, it makes people even more uneasy.

"Are you An Mi?" After a long silence, the Empress Dowager suddenly spoke, a smile appearing between her brows. Gone was the sternness from before; instead, her face was full of affection, and her gentle voice sounded as if she were her own grandmother. The Empress Dowager beckoned to An Mi and then said, "Come, get up quickly and come to my side so I can take a good look at you."

After a slight surprise, An Mi thanked the Empress Dowager and slowly walked towards her. The closer she got, the more intense the scrutinizing gaze became. The Empress Dowager had summoned her here without causing any trouble, but this only made her realize how difficult the Empress Dowager was to deal with!

"Come over here a bit more." The Empress Dowager beckoned again, her expression even more amiable.

An Mi stepped forward, and the Empress Dowager reached out and took An Mi's hand, examining it closely. "I heard long ago that your hands could embroider exquisite works of art. Seeing them today, I can see that they are indeed skillful hands. No wonder the Third Prince likes them so much."

Anmi paused for a moment, then finally got to the point.

An Mi lowered her gaze slightly, understanding the situation, but said nothing more. The tavern was quiet. The Empress Dowager occasionally glanced at An Mi, making it impossible to guess her thoughts. However, An Mi knew that the Empress Dowager had gone to great lengths to bring her here so late at night, and it was definitely not just to see her once.

Anmi's mind was already filled with several possibilities, none of which were good!

After a moment of silence, the Empress Dowager's voice rang out again in the tavern, "I must say, the moment I saw you, I felt a surge of affection, as if I were seeing my own daughter. I... haven't felt this way in a long time, alas..."

An Mi was startled. Her daughter? A bad feeling suddenly spread through her heart. Her intuition told her that what the Empress Dowager was about to say was definitely not what she wanted to hear.

An Mi quickly realized what was going on and said with trepidation, "This humble woman is terrified. What virtue or ability do I possess?"

The Empress Dowager's eyes narrowed, and she chuckled, "What virtue or ability do you possess? You naturally have both virtue and ability. Today, I feel an instant connection with you. How about we return to the palace and I issue an edict recognizing you as my goddaughter?"

As expected! An Mi's mind went blank for a moment, and her head spun. Although she had prepared herself, hearing these words from the Empress Dowager's mouth was still quite shocking. Adopted daughter?

Then, shouldn't she address Emperor Mingde as her elder brother, and what about her relationship with Bai Yi...?

Ha! Just as I expected, the Empress Dowager doesn't want her to marry Bai Yi!

An Mi took a deep breath and said slowly, "I appreciate Your Majesty's kindness, but His Majesty has already decreed my marriage to the Prince of Bohai. As for the matter of my adopted daughter..."

Anmi didn't continue speaking. Judging from the Empress Dowager's expression, her previous kindness and affection had vanished, replaced by a gloomy look.

"Granted? So what if I did?" the Empress Dowager shouted sternly, letting go of An Mi's hand. At this moment, she no longer concealed her displeasure and her dislike for An Mi.

Her gaze was fixed on An Mi, and her voice suddenly turned icy cold, "An Mi, I thought you were a smart person, but I didn't expect you to be so muddle-headed. I'm not discussing this with you now."

"Your Majesty, please calm your anger. Anmi is only stating the facts. I hope Your Majesty will forgive me." Anmi lowered her brows and said neither humbly nor arrogantly. She knew that she would inevitably anger the Empress Dowager, and she had already angered her. Since that was the case, she only needed to insist on her marriage agreement with Baiyi.

Bai Yi's image appeared in her mind. In recent days, Bai Yi had been busy with preparations for their wedding, and now it was her turn to make efforts for their wedding.

So what if we offend the Empress Dowager?

She is fearless!

The Empress Dowager had not expected that An Mi would persist in this way, and her brows furrowed involuntarily. It seemed that she had underestimated An Mi.

The Empress Dowager couldn't help but look An Mi up and down again, as if re-examining the woman. Her appearance was not exactly stunning, but at this moment, the firm light shining in her eyes made her face brighter and made her even more charming than before.

The Empress Dowager's eyes narrowed, as if she had finally understood why Bai Yi was so infatuated with this woman.

She possessed a radiance that none of the young ladies from prominent families in the capital possessed today!

A figure also appeared in the Empress Dowager's mind, her brows furrowed even more, and her eyes were filled with a turbulent expression. An Mi, who was paying attention to the Empress Dowager's expression, also noticed her unusual behavior. It was as if she was thinking of someone she hated.

Hatred? Who could make the Empress Dowager hate so much?

Before An Mi could even guess the answer to this question, the Empress Dowager slammed her hand on the table beside her and stood up abruptly. Her piercing eyes were filled with anger as she coldly snorted, "The truth? Do you think a commoner like you can survive in the royal family? Hmph, you are still young and ignorant, and do not understand the ways of survival in the royal family. It may be fine if you are just a commoner, but you have already been rejected by my royal family for showing your face in public!"

The Empress Dowager's sharp tone and fierce expression startled An Mi, as if she were about to be sentenced to death.

"Hmph, let me tell you frankly, I don't want this marriage. Since you're a smart person, you should think carefully about your future and Bai Yi's future." The Empress Dowager paused for a moment before continuing, her words clearly carrying a warning. She was telling An Mi without any pretense that her choice would determine her future and Bai Yi's future. Once An Mi's choice went against her wishes, she had ways to deal with her, and that outcome was not something An Mi wanted to see.

With An Mi's intelligence, she naturally understood her meaning, but... after a long silence, An Mi raised her eyes to meet the Empress Dowager's gaze, and the corners of her mouth turned up slightly. "Your Majesty, An Mi also does not want to go against Your Majesty's wishes, but regarding the marriage between me and Bai Yi, An Mi does not want to be a faithless person. Please understand, Your Majesty."

The Empress Dowager's eyes narrowed. She still wouldn't compromise?

Hmph, what a peaceful place!

However, no one in this world dares to disobey her wishes!

The Empress Dowager lowered her brows, her previous sharpness gone, and her smile returned to its original loving tone, even more so. She took An Mi's hand again, gently patting the back of her hand, and said unhurriedly, "I'm not in a hurry for your answer. There are still a few days before your marriage to Bai Yi. Use these days to think it over carefully, and you can make a decision at any time. I really want to take you as my adopted daughter! Once you become my adopted daughter, what kind of wonderful marriage can't you have? Don't you think so?"