The Flourishing Era of Female Merchants

"That rebellious son, does he really wish I were dead? Very well, Bai Yi, when will the troops Qing Lan has invited arrive?" Emperor Mingde sat on the grand chair, his brows furrowed with murderous intent. At this moment, he had no pity for his second son whatsoever.

"My eldest brother has been gone for quite some time. According to the messenger, he should arrive in no more than three days." Bai Yi frowned. "However, my second brother is already at the city gates with his army. He has brought two-thirds of the troops stationed in the capital, and our troops here are far from sufficient to resist him. I'm afraid..."

Bai Yi stopped there and didn't continue, his brows furrowing even more.

Upon hearing this, Emperor Mingde met Bai Yi's eyes and said, "Third brother, you've always been shrewd. Delaying that rebellious son for three days shouldn't be difficult for you, right?"

“Father…” Bai Yi’s eyes darkened slightly. “If Father trusts me, I will do my utmost.”

"Haha, good, as long as you say so, then I am relieved." Emperor Mingde's brows relaxed considerably. This son had never disappointed him, and this time, he certainly wouldn't either.

“However…” Bai Yi’s thick eyebrows furrowed. Just those two words reached Emperor Mingde’s ears, and the emperor’s expression changed drastically.

"But what?" Even someone as experienced as Emperor Mingde couldn't hide his urgency at this moment.

Bai Yi frowned and said slowly, "Father, once this matter is settled, do you intend to completely eradicate the Feng family?"

Upon thinking of the Feng family, Emperor Mingde's expression immediately darkened. "Yes."

We need to nip it in the bud, right?

"The Feng family is deeply entrenched, and Father Emperor must have heard about their unauthorized troop buildup." Bai Yi made no attempt to hide it; this was no secret, which was why Empress Feng's faction dared to be so arrogant!

Emperor Mingde's eyes darkened as he glanced at Bai Yi. "Even if he has secretly amassed an army, I'm afraid it would be difficult for him to stand against my vast army."

"Yes, Father's army is invincible. As long as we can hold out for three days, my second brother will be no threat. However, I would like to ask Father to allow me to lead one-third of your elite troops to eliminate the Feng family. I promise that after I have wiped out the Feng family, I will return the million elite troops to Father in three years."

Emperor Mingde froze, staring intently at Bai Yi as if trying to see right through him. "Three years? What are you going to do?"

"Your subject only wants to give himself three years to create a peaceful haven for Mi'er," Bai Yi said unhurriedly.

Emperor Mingde frowned, realizing what was going on. "Are you afraid that you'll be harassed again once you return to your territory? Don't worry, with me here and my imperial edict, there won't be any problems even after I'm gone."

"Father, I only want to ensure that nothing goes wrong." Bai Yi met Emperor Mingde's eyes with unwavering determination.

Emperor Mingde remained silent for a long while before finally speaking, "This matter requires my careful consideration!"

Bai Yi paused, glanced at Emperor Mingde, but said nothing more.

Within three days, the Second Prince personally led his army to attack the city several times, but all his attempts failed. Instead, he accumulated a lot of resentment. On this day, the Second Prince could no longer bear it and once again led his soldiers to the city gates.

On the city gate, Bai Yi, dressed in military attire, looked down at the Second Prince on his horse like a god, a cold glint in his eyes. "Second Prince, this is rebellion, a heinous crime. If you surrender, Father may spare your life."

The second prince sneered, "Third brother, it's you who rebelled! Perfect, these are the words I wanted to say to you too."

"I, the Emperor? How dare you refer to yourself like that!" Bai Yi's eyes narrowed slightly, a glint of shrewdness flashing in them.

"Haha, so what if you call yourself that? This throne is mine now!" The second prince was very proud. As if he thought of something, his eyes narrowed. "Where is my mother? Hand over my mother quickly, and I might be able to keep you for a few more days."

"Bring his mother here!"

A voice rang out, filled with rage, but it didn't come from Bai Yi. Below the city gate, the Second Prince searched for the source of the voice, and after a moment, he saw a figure in bright yellow robes, and his body suddenly stiffened...

"Father...Father Emperor..." The Second Prince's face turned deathly pale. How could this be? His father was clearly dead, wasn't he? But this...

"My son, stop now! I beg your father to spare your life." Empress Feng was brought in, and after several days of imprisonment, she looked noticeably haggard.

The sound sent a jolt through the Second Prince's mind. "Mother... how could this be..."

"Your Majesty, my son didn't mean it. Please, please don't take it to heart." Empress Feng knew the situation best. If the Emperor were really dead, everything would be different. But with the Emperor alive, her son's actions were tantamount to rebellion!

"Not intentional? Heh, Empress, this is the fine son you raised. Look at what he's doing! Not intentional? He's already referring to himself as 'I, the Emperor,' and he still says it's intentional? Does that mean everything I'm seeing is fake?"

Empress Feng was stunned. The Second Prince's expression changed repeatedly as he looked at the bright yellow robe. Now that things had come to this, what could he do?

"Father, your son..." the second prince began, but before he could finish speaking, he was angrily interrupted by Emperor Mingde.

"You unfilial son, since you want your mother, then I will grant your wish." Emperor Mingde said each word clearly, his voice carried by the wind to the ears of everyone below the city. Before the crowd could guess what Emperor Mingde meant, they saw him slowly raise his hand and wave it toward the guards escorting Empress Feng.

Immediately, the guard gave her a gentle push, and Empress Feng swayed, losing her balance. All eyes were on her. Below the city gate, the Second Prince's eyes widened as he watched Empress Feng fall over the city wall. Instinctively, he spurred his horse forward, shouting, "No..."

"Your Majesty...my son..." Empress Feng's eyes were filled with despair. She felt her body falling down, and a bitter smile appeared on her lips. She seemed to see death beckoning to her.

"Mother..." The second prince rode off, trying to catch Empress Feng, but how could he keep up with the speed at which Empress Feng was falling?

A loud bang, seemingly mixed with the sound of bones shattering, rang in his ears. The next moment, the world seemed to stand still. The Second Prince saw blood slowly flowing from under Empress Feng's body just a few steps away. In the pool of blood, Empress Feng's eyes were wide open, her condition extremely tragic.

"No!" the Second Prince screamed, his body unusually cold. Everyone watched this scene, especially the soldiers who had come with him. Every face was filled with shock and horror.