The Flourishing Era of Female Merchants

For a moment, the atmosphere in the hall became eerily tense, as if even the air had been sucked away. An Mi watched all this with a smile, then suddenly spoke, breaking the strange silence, "Hearing that lady mention the masterpiece of the embroidery competition's champion, I'm quite curious. What kind of embroidery could win the championship? It must be the best of the best. How lucky I would be to have the opportunity to feast my eyes on it!"

Anmi's casual remark elicited frequent nods from the guests present. They had long heard that today's bride was the champion of the day's embroidery competition, and they were already filled with curiosity about what kind of embroidery the champion had produced.

An Mi looked at the effect she had created with satisfaction, and glanced at Madam Liu without leaving a trace. She saw that Madam Liu's expression was normal, but the glint in her eyes did not escape An Mi's sharp eyes.

Anmi knew the fish had taken the bait!

He frowned slightly, then spoke again, "It seems I won't have the chance to witness this. Oh well, today is Young Master Liu's wedding day, so we shouldn't delay the auspicious time. The wedding ceremony is the most important thing."

An Mi's reminder brought many people to their senses. Liu Xuan remained silent, but a hint of anxiety flickered in his expression. Seeing this, Madam Liu quickly spoke up, "Yes, yes, yes, let's continue the wedding ceremony. As for..."

Madam Liu paused, her gaze sweeping around the room. How could she not see the curiosity in everyone's eyes about the embroidery Xinhe had created at the embroidery appreciation event? That embroidery now belonged to the Prince of Bohai. However, the owner of that piece was right here, and once the wedding ceremony was completed, An Xinhe would be a true member of the Liu family. Originally, when she proposed that day, she had intended for An Xinhe to embroider another piece, in order to establish the reputation of that embroidery style in advance. Back then, before the marriage, it was a bit risky, but what did she have to fear now?

At home on such an occasion... Today, many prominent figures have come to the Liu residence. With them as witnesses and promoting the Liu family, the effect is self-evident.

Today is the master's birthday, so this is a birthday gift that she arranged to give to the master. It's good to make the master happy!

With this plan in mind, Madam Liu became even more certain of her decision and continued loudly, "Ladies and gentlemen, since you have all graced us with your presence at Zhan'er's wedding today, we should certainly make sure you all enjoy yourselves to the fullest, shouldn't we? How about this, after Zhan'er and Xinhe complete their wedding ceremony, at Master's birthday banquet, I will have Xinhe embroider a piece in front of everyone, so that you can all feast your eyes on it. It will also serve as a birthday gift from your daughter-in-law to your father-in-law, and by the way, it will also shut up those who intend to slander our Xinhe. Master, what do you think of my arrangement?"

Liu Xuan's tense face gradually relaxed. He could naturally tell what Madam Liu was thinking. This was for the best. Just now, some woman had caused such a scene, staining the Liu family's wedding and his birthday banquet. He knew the power of public opinion best. Presumably, in the future, when people mentioned the Liu family, they would still remember that stain. The best course of action now was to have Xinhe embroider in public, which would surely erase that stain.

Since Xinhe has mastered that long-lost exquisite embroidery technique, she will surely impress everyone and amaze them. This will also be a good opportunity to make the Liu family's embroidery skills famous!

With so many benefits combined, how could a smart man like him disagree?

"Madam's arrangement is excellent. We will do as you say," Liu Xuan said loudly. The displeasure he had felt earlier had dissipated considerably, and a smile appeared on his face.

The richest man's words caused an even greater stir among the crowd. Their curiosity had been satisfied, making their trip worthwhile.

"Xinhe, did you hear that? You'd better do well later and not disappoint your parents and all the distinguished guests here." Liu Zhan also spoke up, his tone tinged with pride. His mother's arrangement was exactly what he wanted. No... no, it wasn't just exactly what he wanted, it was simply perfect. Not only did it please his father, but Xinhe's performance would also make him, Liu Zhan, look good.

"Xinhe heard you, Xinhe will definitely not let everyone down." An Xinhe's soft voice came from under the veil, and her smile was exceptionally bright. She knew that if she pleased everyone later, she would please her husband Liu Zhan. She wanted to make Liu Zhan proud because of her.

Thinking this, An Xinhe tightened her grip on Hong Ling's hand, as if she were making a firm decision about something.

"Thank you so much, Mr. and Mrs. Liu, for making this a feast for the eyes!"

"To win first place at the embroidery competition, Madam Liu's embroidery skills must be unparalleled in the world."

"Yes, yes, I heard that even the King of Bohai praised it highly that day. The embroidery is still in the King of Bohai's collection. It is naturally a rare and exquisite piece."

As everyone engaged in deep conversation, the atmosphere in the hall instantly shifted from its gloomy and eerie mood, thanks to Madam Liu's arrangement, and returned to its lively state.

An Mi watched this scene with a slight furrow of her brows, her lips beneath the veil still curved into a gentle smile, calmly observing the calculations, expectations, and smugness in the eyes of these people...

Will I not disappoint everyone? Hehe... Of course I won't disappoint our distinguished guests, but perhaps I'll disappoint them themselves!

Standing on the other side, Bai Yi had been watching the veiled woman closely the whole time, a smile playing on his lips. He thought about the farce that An Yuefeng's concubine had just staged, and his intuition told him that it was probably related to An Mi in some way. As for how she had used this pawn... Ha! An Mi was a woman whose intelligence he hadn't yet discovered. He didn't mind peeling back her layers and understanding her little by little.

Suddenly, Bai Yi frowned again. What was wrong with him?

When did he develop such a strong desire to understand someone? It was so intense that even he was surprised. Was this desire a good thing or a bad thing for him?

Bai Yi glanced at Qing Lan subtly, his eyes deepening slightly. No one could guess what he was thinking. However, after a moment, the smile returned to his handsome and resolute face and bright eyes. It was his usual ambiguous smile, and his gaze sent chills down your spine, as if he could see through any secret you might have.

An Mi deeply understood this feeling. However, even though she felt Bai Yi's gaze lingering on her, she deliberately ignored it. Having spent some time with this fox, she knew how to deal with him.

Although she felt an urge to go up and gouge out those intimidating eyes whenever he looked at her with those eyes, the best course of action, after weighing the pros and cons, was to turn a blind eye.

"Husband and wife bowing to each other."

On the other side, the matchmaker's voice came again, continuing the wedding ceremony that had not been completed earlier.