Early the next morning, Dongfang Yi woke up, first roused by the stabbing pain in her feet.
Then she remembered her out - of - control behavior the previous night. She couldn't help but frown and lift her feet. Eventually, she found that she couldn't walk at all. Disheartened, she shouted towards the outside, "Donghua!"
Hearing the call, Donghua, who was outside the palace, trotted in. Seeing Dongfang Yi awake, she first said excitedly, "Your Majesty is awake!" Then she walked to the window and handed her a glass of water.
Dongfang Yi took it and drank. As if remembering something, she asked, "Is there any gossip in the palace today?"
Donghua lowered her head timidly and didn't say a word.
Seeing her like this, Dongfang Yi immediately understood that what she had thought about the previous day must have come true. So she said, "Are they saying outside that the Emperor and the Empress have fallen out?"
Hearing this, Donghua immediately looked up, surprised and said, "How does Your Majesty know?!"
Since early morning, the palace had been abuzz with rumors that the Empress had incurred the Emperor's wrath and would soon be sent to the Cold Palace.
Dongfang Yi just sneered and didn't answer Donghua's question. But in her heart, she knew very well that her goal had been achieved.
She didn't want to see Helian Qi again. In fact, deep down in her heart, she knew why. It wasn't because of hatred, but because of an uncontrollable heartbeat. She knew there was no result, knew that he didn't love her, but she just couldn't control her feelings.
She firmly believed that as a new - era woman, she couldn't be like those ancient women who had been raised in the deep palace all their lives, being so obsessed with a man that they would risk their lives.
But looking down at her injured feet, she couldn't help but mock herself.
Dongfang Yi, Dongfang Yi, aren't you almost losing half your life for that man?
On the other side, in Chenqian Palace, Helian Qi was talking with his younger brother, Helian Rong, about matters on the border.
Helian Rong noticed that his brother seemed absent - minded and asked, "Brother, what's wrong with you?"
Then, remembering the rumors he had heard from the palace servants on his way to the palace, he continued, "Is it because of the Empress?"
Hearing the words "Empress", Helian Qi finally showed some other expressions on his face, but still didn't say a word.
Helian Rong knew his elder brother best. They had grown up together. His brother could do everything perfectly, but he had been taciturn since childhood.
Maybe it was because he had lost his mother at a young age. He was never like an ordinary child. As he grew up, he became even more decisive. Helian Rong had never seen him look so worried and panicked for someone.
"Brother, you've always been my pride," Helian Rong stared at the man opposite him intently and said sincerely.
Although he didn't know how to comfort this outstanding man at this moment, the only thing he could do was to always stand behind him and never betray him.
After hearing his words, Helian Qi looked at the man who resembled him in appearance. A smile curved his lips. He raised his hand and patted his shoulder, saying, "Good brother!"
Then, hearty laughter came from the palace. As expected, blood was thicker than water. Only the support of family was the most powerful.
Meanwhile, in other parts of the palace, everyone had their own thoughts.
In Concubine Chu's palace, Concubine Chu was sitting on a chair, applying powder to her face with one hand while listening to Concubine Lian, who was combing her hair behind her, say, "This time, the Empress is in big trouble. Haha."
Concubine Chu also wore a smug smile. She thought that Dongfang Yi had messed things up for herself without her having to do anything.
Since her palace was the farthest from the Empress's palace, she didn't know exactly what had happened the previous night. But from what the servants had said, she got the general idea.
Concubine Chu thought that people were just like this. They liked to overreach. Dongfang Yi, relying on the Emperor's favor, really thought she was something special. In the end, she still ended up in this situation.
Then she said to Concubine Lian behind her, "How can Dongfang Yi compete with me? Am I right?"
Concubine Lian quickly replied obsequiously, "Yes, yes, yes. Your Majesty is right. Once Dongfang Yi is sent to the Cold Palace, Your Majesty will be the first candidate for the Empress."
But Concubine Chu just snorted and didn't say anything. She didn't care about being the Empress. The person behind her could give her much more.
Concubine Lian saw the sly smile gradually appear on Concubine Chu's face in the mirror. A chill ran down her spine. She thought that this was really a terrifying woman.
On the other side, in Concubine Shun's palace, Concubine Shun was eating pastries when she heard the maids chattering beside her.
She didn't need to ask to know that they must be talking about what had happened in the Empress's palace the previous night.
Her palace was built next to the Empress's palace. The previous night, Concubine Shun had been woken up by the sound of things being smashed. She had sent the maids to check and found that the sound was coming from the Empress's palace.
She couldn't help but be puzzled. She didn't know why the seemingly gentle Empress would lose her temper so badly in the middle of the night.
Then she heard a maid say that she had seen the Emperor walking out of the Empress's palace at night.
Hearing this, an ordinary person would assume that the Empress had angered the Emperor, who had left in a hurry, leaving the Empress helpless and crazy.
But Concubine Shun didn't think so. From what she had seen in the imperial garden that day, she knew that things weren't that simple. The Emperor's feelings for the Empress weren't that simple either. After all, the Empress was the only woman she had ever seen who could make the Emperor show such an expression.
So Concubine Shun was very angry with those who spread rumors in the palace. She immediately ordered that no one in her palace was allowed to gossip. Once discovered, they would be severely punished.
Immediately, the atmosphere in Concubine Shun's palace improved a lot. The maids were all afraid of her because she was the most favored in the harem at the moment. If they were really punished, it would be a dead end.
At this moment, Concubine Shun was thinking that she must find a time to visit the Empress and see what twists and turns there were in this matter.
The atmosphere in the palace was completely focused on Chenqian Palace. Helian Qi just smiled bitterly when he heard these rumors. He thought that this was probably what that woman wanted to see.
So she had pretended to go crazy after he left and had smashed everything in sight.
What he didn't know was how heart - broken Dongfang Yi had been that night and how badly she had injured her feet.
In the years to come, Dongfang Yi could never walk long distances again because of the serious injury to her feet. But that's a story for another time.