After leaving the palace gate, Dongfang Yi was about to return to her own chambers. But she glanced at the sky and thought it was still early.
Returning to the chambers too early would be boring as there was nothing to do. Moreover, with the mood of having just had a confrontation with her enemy, she should take a stroll outside. So she said to Donghua behind her, "Let's take a walk in the imperial garden."
Donghua's voice hesitated for a moment. Her lips parted and closed, but she said nothing. She simply gave a soft response to the woman in front.
Dongfang Yi, in high spirits, didn't notice Donghua's oddness. She strode towards the imperial garden.
The imperial garden had just bid farewell to winter and welcomed spring. All kinds of flowers were vying for beauty. As soon as they entered the garden, they were greeted by a gust of fragrant floral scent, which was refreshing.
"Donghua, go ahead and see if there's an empty pavilion," Dongfang Yi ordered. She just wanted to enjoy the flowers alone and didn't want anyone to follow her.
Donghua seemed a bit hesitant, but she still replied, "Understood," and walked forward with hesitant steps.
As Dongfang Yi walked, she came to a cherry - blossom tree. She thought it was unexpected that there were cherry blossoms in the palace. When she was in the modern world, she had always wanted to go abroad to see cherry - blossom forests but never had the time.
Now seeing this cherry - blossom tree in the imperial garden, a strange feeling welled up in her heart - she missed home, her modern home.
She wondered how her parents were doing after her "death". Would they be very sad? Had they got over their grief?
Thinking of this, her eyes welled up with tears. She raised her head to prevent the tears from falling and looked at the pink cherry blossoms that covered the tree like a canopy. A bitter smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.
...
"Your Majesty~ What are you looking at?" Concubine Shun asked the man beside her. Then she followed his gaze.
She saw a woman in red standing under the cherry - blossom tree not far away in the garden. The woman was looking up at the cherry blossoms on the tree. Due to the distance, it was impossible to see her expression clearly, but the falling petals made her look as beautiful as a painting.
"Your Majesty—," Concubine Shun called again. She could sense the sadness in the man's eyes beside her, and it seemed that his sadness came from the woman under the cherry - blossom tree.
"Who is that woman?" Concubine Shun asked.
But the only response she got was the silence in the air.
Helian Qi just stared at the woman for a while and then said, "Let's go."
After saying that, he turned around and walked forward. Concubine Shun behind him couldn't help but frown slightly and then followed him.
She didn't know who the woman was, nor did she know why the emperor would rather watch her secretly than go over. But she could feel the obvious sadness, the uncontrollable sadness floating in the air...
Dongfang Yi had only been standing under the cherry - blossom tree for a short while when she heard Donghua call her from behind, "Empress, there's a pavilion not far ahead. Let's go there and take a rest."
Dongfang Yi wiped the corner of her eyes imperceptibly, then turned around and said, "Let's go."
After saying that, she strode in the direction Donghua had indicated.
In less than a quarter of an hour, they reached the pavilion Donghua had mentioned. But before Dongfang Yi could step up, she saw a group of people coming from the opposite direction.
Dongfang Yi recognized at a glance that the person coming was Helian Qi. Her expression froze for a moment. Donghua beside her was also a bit surprised, but more worried as she looked at the woman in front of her.
When Helian Qi and Concubine Shun fully came into their view, Dongfang Yi stared at them for a few moments without blinking. Then she looked at the woman beside him.
She had a distinctively different temperament from other concubines. Her face was pure and innocent - looking, with a baby - fat face that was clearly a likeable one.
Dongfang Yi sneered inwardly. Was this the new favorite? He had good taste this time. At least she wasn't like Concubine Chu, whose face looked like it had been painted.
Thinking of this, her smile turned a bit bitter. But she still bowed gracefully and said, "Your servant pays respects to Your Majesty."
On the other side, Concubine Shun was also very surprised to see Dongfang Yi. She thought this was the woman she had seen under the cherry - blossom tree just now. So she was also one of the emperor's concubines. She secretly glanced at the man beside her. The man just said, "The empress may rise."
Empress? Concubine Shun's eyes widened in shock. So this was the empress, the very empress whose rumors of being extremely vicious had been spreading like wildfire in the palace recently.
Unexpectedly, she was so stunningly beautiful. But looking at her face, she didn't seem to be as the rumors had described.
Although she didn't usually believe rumors, the rumors had been so intense recently that even she couldn't help but hear a bit.
After hearing Helian Qi's words, Dongfang Yi straightened up and then said, "Since Your Majesty has chosen this pavilion, your servant won't disturb. I'll go and find another place."
But Helian Qi said in an irresistible tone, "The empress might as well enter the pavilion and sit with us."
Dongfang Yi had already turned around, but she didn't expect him to say such a thing suddenly, and in a commanding tone that left no room for refusal. She couldn't help but curse his ancestors in her heart while still facing away from him.
But she still turned around with a smile on her face, said "Okay," and then entered the pavilion with Donghua.
Donghua, who had been a bit hesitant when she heard they were going to the imperial garden, knew that the emperor would bring Concubine Shun here. She had thought they wouldn't run into each other, but unexpectedly they did, and in such an awkward situation.
The three of them sat at the table in the pavilion. A eunuch was boiling tea beside them. For a moment, the silence was a bit awkward.
It was Concubine Shun who broke the ice first. "Empress, your servant has never had the chance to visit you in your chambers. I feel deeply sorry. Next time when I have time, I will surely visit you with gifts."
Dongfang Yi snorted inwardly. She thought, "As the empress, do I need your gifts? I don't want them!" But she still maintained a kind smile on her face and said, "Okay, you're very kind - hearted."
Helian Qi, who was sitting between them, suddenly asked, "How has the empress been recently?"
He had heard about the rumors in the palace recently but had never intervened. He just wanted to see how long this little woman could hold on. But he didn't expect that Dongfang Yi had already resolved all the issues today.
"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. Your servant is doing well," Dongfang Yi replied politely.
In fact, she was really doing well, as she had just settled the matter of the rumors about herself.
But whether she was doing well or not had nothing to do with Helian Qi anyway.