The Flourishing Era of Female Merchants

The second prince thought of something and quickly glanced at the letter again. It was clearly stamped with the Empress's seal, which reassured him even more.

That's great! The throne is truly his now!

His eyes narrowed, and the Second Prince looked at the assembled soldiers before him, and said loudly, "His Majesty has passed away. To protect the safety of the capital, you will follow me and dedicate yourselves to the Great Jin Dynasty until your dying breath. The Great Jin Dynasty and I will forget you!"

The soldiers were stunned. Several generals were part of the Empress's faction, and they all knew that this was the most crucial moment. As long as the Second Prince was put on the throne, they would be heroes, and they would be entitled to all the riches and honors in the future!

"We will dedicate ourselves to the cause until our dying breath! We will dedicate ourselves to the cause until our dying breath!" Several generals took the lead, and the other soldiers echoed them, their morale soaring.

The second prince looked at the scene before him and a smug smile appeared on his lips, as if he could see his entire empire at his feet!

Thinking of Qinglan, the Second Prince's eyes narrowed. Now that he had seized the initiative, his next step was to send someone to bring his mother back to the palace and eliminate Qinglan completely!

At that moment, he was unaware that he had fallen into a trap as deep as an abyss.

Hunting grounds.

Emperor Mingde remained silent about the assassination attempt. A pervasive silence filled the tent, and even Empress Feng, usually so reserved, could no longer contain herself. "Your Majesty," she cried, "Say something! The Feng family has always been honest and upright, serving our Great Jin Dynasty without a trace of selfishness. This disgrace is unbearable not only for the Feng family, but also for me! Your Majesty, you must clear the Feng family's name and see who is framing them and manipulating Your Majesty!"

Emperor Mingde narrowed his eyes, and seemed to gasp slightly due to the pain in his chest.

Seeing this, Bai Yi hurriedly said, "Father, you are injured and your body is not suitable for prolonged exertion. Why don't we postpone investigating this matter? I also believe that the Feng family would not do such a rebellious thing!"

Bai Yi's words startled Empress Feng. She glanced at Bai Yi, her mind filled with confusion. Was Bai Yi helping her?

How can this be?

For some reason, Empress Feng had an increasingly bad feeling.

Emperor Mingde frowned and said coldly, "Return to the palace first thing tomorrow morning. As for the assassin, I will investigate it thoroughly. Whether it's the Feng family or a frame-up, I will not let this crime of treason go unpunished. Bai Yi, take the Empress away and make proper arrangements for her."

Empress Feng's heart skipped a beat. "Bai Yi, take her away?"

This… what the Emperor meant… not only Empress Feng, but everyone else present understood the meaning behind Emperor Mingde’s words.

The Emperor probably already considers the Empress a criminal!

"Your Majesty..." Empress Feng's face turned pale and then red, her heart filled with resentment.

"All of you, leave!" Emperor Mingde waved his hand, his voice weak and impatient. He paused, then continued, "Baiyi, once you've done your job, you will stay by my side tonight."

Bai Yi was taken aback, and the color in Empress Feng's eyes darkened even more. Bai Yi accepted the order, and everyone in the camp withdrew one after another. Bai Yi settled Empress Feng in her previous tent and ordered people to guard her strictly. Everyone knew that Empress Feng was actually under house arrest.

Although Empress Feng was unwilling, she was helpless. Thinking of the Second Prince who had returned to the palace, Empress Feng became even more worried. However, now that Bai Yi had replaced all her people, how could she possibly send out the message?

Inside the tent, the usually composed Empress Feng was in a state of utter panic. She could only pray that her son would not do anything rash in the palace.

After settling Empress Feng in, Bai Yi returned to his own tent. Upon seeing An Mi, he immediately relaxed and embraced her. His earlier forcefulness vanished completely, and all he felt beside An Mi was tenderness.

"How did things go?" Leaning gently against Bai Yi's chest, An Mi was exceptionally considerate. She knew that the sudden events of the day had left Bai Yi exhausted, and a pang of tenderness welled up in her heart.

"The assassin has been captured, and the Feng family will likely find it difficult to escape involvement," Bai Yi said softly, resting his chin on An Mi's head.

"Where is the Second Prince?" An Mi frowned. She had already heard that the Emperor had woken up. Now, the biggest hidden danger was the Second Prince. He had returned to the palace. If he were to launch a coup, things would become quite troublesome!

Bai Yi seemed to understand An Mi's concerns, and the corners of his mouth lifted slightly. "Hmph, now, he probably already has control of the palace!"

All of these brothers are shrewd, except for the Second Prince, whose head is very muddle-headed!

Bai Yi's tone made An Mi frown. She stepped out of his embrace, met his eyes, and noticed the strangeness in them. Her brows furrowed even more. "What's your plan?"

"Hehe, nothing escapes your eyes!" Bai Yi affectionately tapped An Mi's nose. "This isn't just my plan, it's a joint plan between Qing Lan and me!"

"Oh? Qinglan?" Anmi frowned.

Bai Yi pulled An Mi to sit on the couch. "After finding out that the assassin died from being poisoned by Jinzhao Zui, I informed Qing Lan. This is a good opportunity, isn't it?"

If this move is executed well, it could not only strike at the Feng family, but also uproot Empress Feng's faction.

Thinking of his sister's grudge and his mother's death back then, Bai Yi's eyes narrowed. He would never be satisfied until the Feng family was destroyed!

This opportunity couldn't be better; it would be such a waste if he didn't seize it.

An Mi frowned, deep in thought, and gripped Bai Yi's hand tightly. She knew what Bai Yi was thinking, and all she could do now was silently support him.

Holding Bai Yi's hand and placing it on her lower abdomen, An Mi smiled and said, "Bai Yi, don't worry, I have Liu Guang and Yi Fei by my side. I will take good care of the baby in my belly. After everything is over, let's find a place and live a life just for our family, okay?"

An Mi thought of many things. If the Feng family was really uprooted in this incident, then the Second Prince would have no chance of the throne, and the only heir to the throne would be Qing Lan!

In the past two years, Qinglan and she have grown distant. However, whenever she thinks of the resolute words Qinglan spoke to her in the carriage two years ago, she feels inexplicably uneasy. This unease makes her feel a sense of fear whenever she thinks about it.

Once Qinglan becomes the heir to the throne, many things will lose their balance.

Therefore, leaving this place of trouble may be the best choice!

Bai Yi was slightly taken aback, his gaze narrowing slightly. How could he not know?