It was originally a sunny afternoon, but the pleasant atmosphere was ruined by an awkward scene in a small pavilion in the imperial garden.
Inside the pavilion, Concubine Shun kept talking about various tea varieties and tea - making topics, smiling sweetly at He Lianqi beside her.
However, Dongfang Yi, sitting next to them, couldn't listen anymore. She even felt a bit drowsy. She thought to herself that Concubine Shun was really something. She was even more hypnotic than her high - school teachers.
The topic wasn't something Dongfang Yi was interested in. Moreover, Concubine Shun's gentle and incessant tone made Dongfang Yi feel that if she listened any longer, she might not even be able to keep her eyes open.
He Lianqi, sitting between the two of them, seemed to be listening to Concubine Shun seriously, but his eyes had already drifted to Dongfang Yi on the other side. Seeing the woman starting to doze off after just a few words, he couldn't help but find it funny.
Watching her head bobbing towards the table, the smile on his lips grew even deeper.
Concubine Shun was quite amazed when she saw the smile on He Lianqi's lips.
She only knew that He Lianqi rarely smiled. Since she became his favorite concubine, she had never seen him smile so brightly. His smile was like spring after the ice and snow had melted. But when she saw where his side - glance was directed, Concubine Shun understood everything. He was smiling so brightly because of that woman - Dongfang Yi.
Suddenly, she remembered that not long ago, He Lianqi had looked at the woman under the cherry - blossom tree, his sadness almost overflowing. Now, he was showing his joy towards the same person.
Concubine Shun immediately stopped talking. Her heart felt bitter. She finally realized that the emperor cared so much about the empress.
He Lianqi came back to his senses when he heard no more sound. He looked at Concubine Shun, and his eyes returned to their usual coldness. He squinted slightly as if asking what was wrong.
Before Concubine Shun could answer, they heard a loud "pop". They both turned their heads and found that Dongfang Yi, who was dozing off, had accidentally hit her head.
Now she was covering her head and groaning in pain. Donghua behind her looked a bit helpless.
He Lianqi couldn't help but frown. He immediately reached out his hand to rub the woman's forehead beside him and said angrily, "What on earth are you thinking?!"
Although it was a scolding tone, Concubine Shun could detect a hint of concern. Her heart felt even more bitter. She knew that in everyone's eyes, she was the most favored concubine. He Lianqi came to her palace every day and sometimes took her for a stroll in the garden.
But only she knew that she was just a pet the emperor kept, or even less than a pet.
She still remembered once in the imperial garden, when she accidentally scraped her knee on a stone. He Lianqi, who was right beside her at that time, didn't even frown, let alone ask a single question. He just told the maids beside him to send her back to the palace and call the imperial doctor, then he turned around and left.
He didn't even bother to stay for a second for the injured her. But now he was scolding his empress so lovingly. How could she not be jealous?
"I didn't do it on purpose," Dongfang Yi retorted in a low voice with her head down.
Seeing that she was fine, He Lianqi withdrew his hand and removed the worried look on his face. He returned to his cold self and said, "With your stupid appearance, you don't look like an empress at all."
Hearing this, Dongfang Yi snorted and stood up. She patted her sleeves and said, "Yes, Your Majesty. Your concubine doesn't seem worthy to be the empress."
Then she looked down at He Lianqi, who was sitting upright. Her eyes were full of teasing. She continued slowly, "If Your Majesty wants to appoint another empress, your concubine has no objections. Then - your concubine will take her leave first."
After saying that, she walked out of the pavilion and gradually disappeared from their sight.
Donghua behind her was also a bit frightened by all this. Then she said to He Lianqi that she was taking her leave and followed the woman who left so boldly.
Only He Lianqi and Concubine Shun were left in the pavilion. Concubine Shun looked at the man beside her with a bit of low - pressure in fear, and her heart couldn't stop trembling.
She had never seen anyone dare to be so disrespectful to the emperor, especially the empress. Then she said tremblingly, "Your Majesty... Your Majesty, don't be angry."
After saying that, she slightly raised her head and observed the man in front of her. The man just looked gloomy for a while, then stood up. Without saying a word, he turned around and walked out of the pavilion.
Only when He Lianqi completely disappeared from her sight did Concubine Shun let out a long sigh of relief. She thought that the emperor didn't seem to be very angry, after all, he was always cold and silent.
But her heart still felt a bit lost. The empress had done such an unreasonable thing, but the emperor wasn't angry. How much did he dote on her...
The more Dongfang Yi thought about it after leaving the imperial garden, the angrier she became. She thought to herself that He Lianqi, that stupid emperor, didn't even approve of her being the empress. If he didn't approve, why did he force her back? Why couldn't he just let her enjoy herself outside? Did he force her back just to satirize her and say that she wasn't worthy of being the empress?!
Thinking of this, Dongfang Yi couldn't help but curse "shit!" at the air.
Donghua, who was following behind her, was completely confused. She had been watching the empress looking very unhappy, and then suddenly shouting something like "shit" at the air!
Who was "shit"? Did the empress's unhappiness have something to do with "shit"?
"Your Majesty, don't take the emperor's words too seriously. He cares about you," Donghua said hesitantly to the woman in front of her.
"Hehe..." Dongfang Yi sneered twice. She, Dongfang Yi, had seen people who cared about others, but she had never seen He Lianqi's way of showing care. Was hitting someone in the face considered love?
Thinking of this, the coldness in Dongfang Yi's eyes deepened. She would never forget the slap He Lianqi had given her.
"Donghua, you're now under my command, so stop saying good things about He Lianqi in front of me, or... hehe..."
Dongfang Yi said to Donghua behind her in a threatening tone, and then made a throat - cutting gesture.
Seeing her like this, Donghua immediately stopped talking and kept shaking her head to show that she would never dare again. After following Dongfang Yi for these days, she finally understood the methods of the woman in front of her.
From the maids to Concubine Chu, she had managed them all obediently. So how could she dare to be disobedient again?
Seeing her obedient look, Dongfang Yi was satisfied. She turned around and continued walking towards the empress's palace.