The Flourishing Era of Female Merchants

The closer An Mi got to the Empress Dowager, the more cautious she became. Holding a teacup, she approached the Empress Dowager with utmost respect, saying, "Grandmother, please have some tea."

That address of "Grandmother" pierced the Empress Dowager's heart like needles, causing her immense discomfort. An eerie atmosphere filled the air as everyone cautiously observed her. The Empress Dowager remained silent for a long while before a smile appeared on her solemn and dignified face. "Hmm, she truly is a well-behaved daughter-in-law!"

As they spoke, the Empress Dowager took the teacup from An Mi's hand. However, as An Mi let go, a cold smile flashed across her eyes. Then, she loosened her grip as well, and the teacup fell to the ground.

Everyone who saw this was stunned. This...this might not be good!

This Princess Consort of Bohai is really something; she can't even serve tea properly. She's just asking for trouble!

An Mi was also startled. No one knew better than her what had just happened. Did the Empress Dowager ultimately not tolerate her?

She did it on purpose. What awaits her next is probably the Empress Dowager using this as an excuse to make a scene!

An Mi's eyes flickered. She knew in her heart that she could not escape the Empress Dowager's anger after all. However, if this could allow the Empress Dowager to vent her anger, it would not be a bad thing. If resentment accumulated for too long, it would only deepen the Empress Dowager's dislike for her.

Anmi was mentally prepared, just waiting for the teacup to fall to the ground. However, something seemed to flash beside her. Instead of hearing the sound of the teacup hitting the ground, she heard Bai Yi's gentle voice slowly ring out...

"What a careless thing to do, you can't even hold a teacup properly, ruining everyone's mood. What should we do?" Bai Yi's eyes flickered slightly. The teacup that was about to fall to the ground was now steadily placed in Bai Yi's hand, without even a drop of tea being poured out.

These words startled many people, who instinctively looked at the Empress Dowager and saw that her face was slightly flushed, making the atmosphere even more tense.

The King of Bohai is truly audacious! His words are quite suggestive. He rebuked her without naming her, leaving it unclear whether he was blaming the Queen Consort for her mistake or the Empress Dowager for deliberately failing to catch her.

Everyone couldn't help but mutter to themselves, "The Empress Dowager is furious!"

If the Empress Dowager gets angry, there will probably be a good show to watch. However, Bai Yi remained calm. He and An Mi both knew that even if the Empress Dowager was angry, she would not vent it.

After all, he didn't name names, did he? If the Empress Dowager really criticized him, then it would be that the Empress Dowager is narrow-minded.

Bai Yi lowered his gaze slightly, placed the teacup back in An Mi's hand, and carefully instructed, "This time, be more careful, don't break the cup again."

An Mi accepted the teacup, a smile blooming on her face. She nodded and then bowed to the Empress Dowager again, saying, "Grandmother, please have some tea."

The hand that was offering the tea remained there, holding the teacup, but the Empress Dowager did not reach out to take it. For a moment, the atmosphere became even more strange, and everyone secretly watched the show, wondering if the Empress Dowager would drink the tea.

After a strange and prolonged silence, the Empress Dowager reached out and took the teacup under everyone's gaze. However, she did not drink it but placed it aside and said coldly, "I have not been feeling well these past few days. The imperial physician advised me that I should not drink tea. So, this tea is not for today!"

As soon as she finished speaking, the Empress Dowager stood up abruptly, her majestic eyes filled with a sharp, condescending gaze. "I'm tired, I'll return to the palace now."

With that, she left the room full of people and strode out of the palace. Those left behind looked at each other, staring at the teacup on the table. They all knew in their hearts that the excuse of not being able to drink tea was just that—an excuse. The Empress Dowager simply didn't want to drink the tea offered by the Princess of Bohai!

Empress Feng saw all of this, and when An Mi later served tea, she was exceptionally warm and attentive.

With the Empress Dowager gone, the atmosphere improved considerably. However, a slight unease lingered, and the banquet didn't last long before An Mi and Bai Yi, the two main characters, made an excuse to leave.

For Yu Anmi, the palace always felt oppressive. The couple did not want to be bound by this oppressive atmosphere. The tranquility and leisure of the Bohai Prince's Mansion seemed to be their paradise. The servants in the mansion often saw the Bohai Prince, who was originally out on business, suddenly ride back to the mansion and head straight for the couple's residence. Even just seeing the princess would make them extremely satisfied.

To cope with the pressure from the royal family, An Mi handed over all the businesses of Shengshi Lieyan, including the embroidery workshop, to Cheng Ying. However, Cheng Ying would use the pretext of visiting An Mi to make a special trip to the Bohai Prince's Mansion to consult An Mi on important business matters.

As the days passed, the Bohai Prince's Mansion was filled with laughter and joy. The tranquility of the passing years made the peace all the more beautiful and moving.

Having weathered the harsh winter and experienced spring and summer, two years have passed. During these two years, the flames of prosperity have spread to every city of the Great Jin Dynasty, almost monopolizing the silk weaving industry of the Great Jin Dynasty, and Bai Yi's business has grown bigger and bigger.

In the past two years, the Crown Prince's residence has been blessed with a son, born to a concubine. Emperor Mingde was very pleased. However, An Mi rarely saw Qing Lan anymore. Sometimes, even when they met in the palace, the two would only exchange a few words of pleasantries without saying much more.

An Mi sensed that distance and felt a pang of sadness, but she was also helpless. However, some things were not something she could decide on her own. What mattered was that her heart and Bai Yi's heart were always connected.

It was late autumn, and the annual autumn hunt was scheduled for tomorrow. Today, the royal court officials led their troops to the hunting grounds.

The royal hunting expedition naturally included the Bohai King's family.

"Mother, shall I wear this to hunt tomorrow?" In the two years since, Liu'er has grown into a more and more clever and charming girl. In the large tent, Liu'er is wearing a light purple outfit, which makes her look quite handsome, like a boy. She holds a small bow in her hand, and there is a sense of heroism between her brows.

With bright, lively eyes, she looked expectantly at Anmi sitting on the tatami mat, longing for Anmi's approval and praise.

Anmi looked her up and down, her eyes filled with a motherly love. "Alright, tomorrow I'll have your uncle tell someone to put some rabbits or something nearby so you can practice."

Upon hearing this, all of Liu'er's excitement vanished instantly. "No, I don't want to just hunt rabbits, and I don't want to just hunt nearby. I want to go with Uncle to the hunting grounds. I also want to hunt a fox so I can make a scarf for Mother!"

When the hunting grounds were mentioned, a glint flashed in Liu'er's eyes for a moment, which An Mi noticed, her gaze flickering slightly.