The Empress Dowager was so enraged by Dongfang Yi that her whole body trembled. Her hands gripping the armrests of the chair shook uncontrollably. For many years, as the mistress of the palace, she had never been spoken to like this. And yet this mere empress dared to say such things!
"Guards! Arrest her for me!" the Empress Dowager roared.
As soon as she finished speaking, two teams of men rushed in from outside the palace. All of them were clad in silver - white armor. They were undoubtedly the imperial guards in the palace.
"Empress Dowager, you can't kill me. Helian Qi won't allow it. How can you, as the Empress Dowager, casually take a life!" Dongfang Yi stepped back while constantly justifying herself. But the two leading guards still immediately forced her to kneel on the ground. Their strength was so great that she couldn't resist at all.
"Even at this point, you still dare to call the Emperor by his given name. How bold you are, Empress!" The Concubine Chu, who had been watching the drama from the side and had already wiped away the tears on her face, now wore a smirk of triumph on her lips, looking gloating.
Dongfang Yi kept wriggling her body. Her forehead was already soaked, but she couldn't escape at all.
Suddenly, a little eunuch ran in from outside the palace.
"Empress Dowager, Concubine Luo requests an audience."
The Empress Dowager frowned. What did Concubine Luo want? But she still waved her hand to allow her in.
"Greetings to the Empress Dowager. Empress Dowager, you must think twice. The matter of the Empress needs careful consideration. You can't..." Before Concubine Luo could finish her plea, a thunderous shout startled her into silence.
"Concubine Luo! Do I need you to teach me how to do things now?!" The Empress Dowager glanced disdainfully at Concubine Luo, who was kneeling on the ground pleading.
Concubine Luo was so frightened that she didn't know what to say. Even though she wanted to help Dongfang Yi, unfortunately, the Empress Dowager didn't give her a chance at all.
"Sister Concubine Luo, you don't need to plead for me. Justice lies in people's hearts. I will never admit to something I didn't do, even if I die!" Dongfang Yi, who was being held captive on one side, roared hoarsely.
"Well said! Humph, Dongfang Yi attempted to assassinate the Emperor. She is unforgivable and deserves to die. Today, let me send you on your way!" The Empress Dowager waved her hand, signaling the nanny holding the wine on one side to give the wine to the leading guard.
The wine cup was clear and jade - like, but the wine in it glowed blue. It was undoubtedly poisoned wine!
The guard was only five steps away from Dongfang Yi and was gradually approaching. Was she really going to die like this? She hadn't even had the chance to experience what it was like to be an empress. But maybe this was good. Maybe she could go home like this...
Thinking of this, a warm feeling welled up in Dongfang Yi's desperate heart, and a smile involuntarily tugged at the corner of her mouth.
"Stop!"
Suddenly, a male voice came from outside the palace. The voice was filled with urgency and unease. Then, Helian Qi strode into the palace.
The first thing Helian Qi saw when he entered the palace was Dongfang Yi kneeling on the ground, about to be forced to drink the poisoned wine.
And there was still a faint smile on that woman's lips. Did she really want to die that much? An unnamed fire flared up in his heart. Immediately, he strode forward and swept the guard who was about to force - feed the poisoned wine to the ground. The wine cup fell to the ground, making a tinkling sound.
Dongfang Yi slowly opened her eyes when she heard the noise. As soon as she opened her eyes, she met Helian Qi's deep, dark eyes.
"You're here..." Dongfang Yi forced a big smile, then tilted her head and fell into a coma.
Helian Qi quickly knelt down and hugged her. He said in a voice that only the two of them could hear, "If you can't smile, don't. Stupid woman."
"Your Majesty!"
"Your Majesty..."
The Empress Dowager and Concubine Chu shouted out at the same time. One was angry, the other was resentful. Both shouted to show their dissatisfaction.
"Mother, the matter of my assassination needs careful consideration. We'll discuss it later." After saying that, Helian Qi picked up Dongfang Yi and strode out of the Empress's palace.
The Empress Dowager angrily slapped the armrest of the chair and coughed twice. She could only sigh.
"Empress Dowager... What about Dongfang Yi..." Before Concubine Chu could finish speaking, the Empress Dowager interrupted her.
"Shut up! Go back to your own palaces!" After saying that, she was escorted out of the palace by the nannies.
Only Concubine Chu was left sitting slumped on the ground. She resentfully tugged at her skirt. Unexpectedly, this movement pulled the wound on her knee, making her scold angrily, "Dongfang Yi, I will never let this go!"
When Dongfang Yi woke up again, it was already dark outside the window. As soon as she looked up, she saw Helian Qi bending over the desk, reviewing official documents.
The dim yellow candlelight made his side face look especially gentle. The concentration in his eyes was so obvious that Dongfang Yi could feel it clearly even from afar.
He should be a good emperor, and also an extremely handsome man... Realizing what she was thinking, Dongfang Yi couldn't help scratching her head to relieve her embarrassment.
"Have you looked enough?" Helian Qi suddenly spoke, but his eyes didn't move from the official documents at all.
Dongfang Yi looked around to make sure there was no one else in the room. After confirming that he was really talking to her, her ears began to burn. She had no choice but to bury herself in the quilt.
A rustling sound in the air reached her ears, followed by two footsteps. Dongfang Yi lifted a corner of the quilt and peeked out secretly. All she saw were the tips of a pair of black - flowered and gold - inlaid shoes.
Suddenly, the quilt was pulled away. Dongfang Yi got up in surprise but bumped into a chest full of sandalwood fragrance.
"Is the Empress so impatient?" Helian Qi said in a cold voice.
"No, no, no... I'm not..." Dongfang Yi hugged the quilt and stepped back. Her eyes kept dodging, and the redness on her ears had spread to her face.
Helian Qi stared at the little woman's flustered and embarrassed appearance without blinking. He actually found her cute. Looking at her blushing cheeks, an evil fire rose in his chest.
"Get up quickly and go out with me." Helian Qi stepped back two steps and ordered. Then he withdrew and returned to the desk to review the official documents.
Dongfang Yi only felt her heart beating erratically. She patted her face to relieve the burning sensation on her face, and there was an unnamed sense of shame in her heart.
In the back garden, the imperial palace was silent at night with no one around. The sky was like a curtain dotted with stars. From time to time, the chirping of nightingales came, creating a peaceful atmosphere at this moment.
"Your Majesty, why did you bring your servant here to the back garden?" Dongfang Yi asked.
Helian Qi, who was walking a few steps ahead, suddenly stopped when he heard the question. He turned around and looked at the woman behind him. He said word by word, "I'm here to punish you. You attempted to assassinate me!"
Dongfang Yi quickly bowed and replied, "Your servant is innocent!"
"Oh? Innocent? Then the Empress should show the evidence of your innocence." Helian Qi continued to ask.
"Your servant has no reason at all! Why would your servant harm Your Majesty? Your Majesty is the king of the country, and your servant is Your Majesty's empress. What else could I be dissatisfied with? What benefit would your servant gain by harming Your Majesty?"
Dongfang Yi looked at Helian Qi firmly with her eyes and continued, "If Your Majesty were assassinated, then your servant would become... a widow..."