The Flourishing Era of Female Merchants

The Empress Dowager chuckled and gave the palace maids a wink. Immediately, the maids lifted the red silk on the tray, revealing a dazzling array of bright red wedding gowns, magnificent phoenix crowns, and various jewelry. At a glance, one could tell that each piece was of the finest quality.

Phoenix coronet and embroidered robe?

"These past few days, I have indeed put you in a difficult position, but even so, you have persevered. Now, I am beginning to waver. Baiyi is my grandson, a member of the royal family, unlike men from ordinary families. I have to uphold the rules of the royal family. Your birth is not good, and you often appear in public, which cannot be tolerated by the royal family. But people are ultimately made of flesh and blood. These past few days, seeing you like this, I have finally given up hope. Very well, I might as well wish you well." The Empress Dowager said softly, looking at Anmi with exceptionally genuine affection in her eyes. "However..."

At this point, the Empress Dowager paused, her gaze slightly lowered, and continued, "I have a request that I hope you will grant."

"What is it?" An Mi looked at the old woman in front of her, feeling somewhat dazed. Was the Empress Dowager in front of her real? Why did she feel so unreal?

"Now that you've become the Princess of Bohai, you're a daughter-in-law of the royal family. I hope you can promise me that you will no longer interfere in your business dealings." The Empress Dowager met An Mi's eyes, her tone becoming more resolute.

An Mi frowned, but did not respond immediately. After a long silence, she said, "An Mi promised the Empress Dowager that Bai Yi would make the decisions regarding the business."

"Good, very good!" The Empress Dowager nodded in satisfaction, and when she looked at the phoenix coronet and wedding gown, her voice was filled with even more joy. "Tonight, you will try on this phoenix coronet and wedding gown. Tomorrow, I will personally escort you to the bridal sedan chair."

An Mi followed her gaze, a smile playing on her lips, "Thank you for your kindness, Empress Dowager."

The Empress Dowager held Anmi's hand and said softly, "From now on, we are all one family."

After saying this, she loudly ordered the palace maids present, "Quickly, quickly help the future Princess of Bohai put on this phoenix coronet and wedding gown, I want to take a good look at her!"

"Yes." The palace maids acknowledged the order and surrounded Anmi, letting them do as they pleased. In just the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Anmi had changed out of her previous somewhat dirty and messy clothes. Her bright red wedding dress, paired with her exquisite makeup, made her stunningly beautiful.

Even the Empress Dowager was momentarily stunned upon seeing this.

"No wonder! No wonder Bai Yi is so devoted to you and insists on marrying no one but you." The Empress Dowager praised, "Women like An Mi are so rare!"

Those daughters of noble families, though well-bred, also had the drawbacks of being well-bred. They were all raised to be gentle and virtuous, but they lacked a certain soul. Anmi, on the other hand, was gentle and elegant, yet she also possessed the heroic spirit of a man. Who wouldn't like such a rare woman?

Another figure flashed into his mind. Yes! Bai Yi's mother was such a woman. The emperor was infatuated with her, and now, Bai Yi was also infatuated with An Mi. The similarities were astonishing!

The Empress Dowager frowned slightly, clearing her mind of her thoughts, and her face regained its previous kind expression. "This wedding dress fits you perfectly. In that case, you should rest well tonight, as you'll have plenty of work to do tomorrow!"

For some reason, An Mi felt a strange sensation upon hearing those words, and her unease grew stronger.

But at this moment, An Mi remained calm and composed, saying, "Yes, Empress Dowager."

The Empress Dowager nodded in satisfaction, then glanced at the palace maids in the room and ordered loudly, "You all stay here and serve Miss Anmi well. Be sure to help Miss Anmi with her makeup and dressing up early tomorrow."

"Yes," the palace maids replied in unison.

With everything arranged, the Empress Dowager gave An Mi a deep look before leaving the room. After the Empress Dowager left, the smile on An Mi's face gradually froze. Looking at herself in her bright red wedding dress in the mirror, her expression became increasingly solemn.

Will the Empress Dowager really grant her wish?

Her eyes narrowed slightly, a hint of wisdom appearing in her tranquil gaze. She glanced again at the row of palace maids standing in the room and softly ordered, "You may all leave!"

The palace maids remained motionless, as if they hadn't heard An Mi's words. An Mi's expression darkened slightly, and she spoke again, "All of you, leave!"

This time, Anmi's tone was more forceful, but the palace maids still didn't move. One of them stepped forward and said, "Miss Anmi, Her Majesty the Empress Dowager has instructed us to serve you here. It's getting late, and we have to get up early tomorrow. Miss Anmi, please rest early."

As she spoke, the palace maid gave the others a wink. Immediately, several palace maids stepped forward together. An Mi was taken aback and frowned, asking, "What are you doing?"

"We will help Miss Anmi change her clothes." A palace maid smiled, but to Anmi, that smile seemed to carry a chilling undertone.

An Mi instinctively stepped back and raised her voice, "Although the Empress Dowager ordered you to serve, you should still listen to me, shouldn't you? If you don't want to leave, then stand at the door. Don't bother with anything else!"

Although An Mi was smiling, her eyes were like sharp swords, making people afraid to approach her.

The palace maids looked at each other, exchanged glances, hesitated for a moment, and finally compromised. They walked to the door, stood in a row, and looked at Anmi as if in defiance.

Being stared at like that made An Mi even more displeased, and she felt even more strongly that this night was probably very unusual, but since she was fighting alone, she could only wait and see.

An Mi took off her wedding dress, every cell in her body tense. She lay in bed, but couldn't fall asleep. Tomorrow was her wedding with Bai Yi. What was Bai Yi doing at this time?

As the night deepened, it was destined that many people would be unable to fall asleep.

In another part of the Empress Dowager's palace, a woman sat on the edge of the bed, dressed in a bright red wedding gown. Her jewelry and every other detail of her attire were exactly the same as Anmi's from before.

"Aunt, I...I'm scared!" A woman's trembling voice came from the edge of the bed, filled with unease and fear. This was her first time in the palace, and she was being dressed in this bright red dress. Even in her ignorance, she knew it was a wedding gown.

My aunt said she was going to marry the Prince of Bohai, but... she was just an ordinary woman. The Prince of Bohai? He was a prince, a god-like figure. How could he be the one she was going to marry?!

“What is there to be afraid of? Your aunt is here! Besides, starting tomorrow, you will be the Princess of Bohai. There are very few people in this world who can make you afraid.” Granny Li said excitedly, “I am getting old. It is thanks to this opportunity that we, the Li family, have been able to send you to such a position that we will prosper in the future. However, after you become the Princess of Bohai and enjoy wealth and honor, you must not forget your aunt.”

Granny Li smiled and said that this opportunity was probably a once-in-a-century occurrence, and it just so happened that she had stumbled upon it.

From now on, she will be the aunt of the Princess of Bohai, a member of the royal family, and will be a superior person in the palace!