Helian Qi was taking a nap in the palace at this moment. He had been reviewing official documents until dawn last night and only managed to get a little sleep.
Half - asleep and half - awake, he heard Ru Yi outside the palace announce that the queen had come to pay her respects. Instantly, all his drowsiness vanished. He immediately woke up from the couch, got out of bed, and said to the outside, "Let her in!"
It had been so long since he last saw that woman.
When Dongfang Yi first entered the palace, the nervousness in her heart hadn't subsided yet. After all, it had been a long time since they last met, and this meeting was about official business. She didn't need to think to know that Helian Qi must understand that she had planned everything in this matter.
Thinking of this, the stone in her heart weighed even heavier.
After a while, she saw a man walking out from the inner hall. He was dressed in a black robe embroidered with golden patterns, and there was a black and gold hair crown on his head. He was extremely handsome, with a pair of eyes that seemed to have stars in them, making it impossible for one to look away once they met his gaze.
"Your servant pays respects to Your Majesty," Dongfang Yi said quickly as she bowed her body. She lowered her head, forcing herself not to look into his captivating eyes, for fear of being lost in them again.
Helian Qi squinted slightly as he looked at the woman in front of him. He always felt that there was something different about her today.
Normally, she was always lazy. Her hair was always casually pulled up into a bun and secured with a plain hairpin, looking simple and elegant. But today, she had a delicate coiled - cloud hairstyle. The gold - flower and pearl hairpin in her hair looked extremely beautiful. A long yellow dress made the woman in front of him look extremely delicate and gentle.
Did she deliberately dress up today? Thinking of this, a warm feeling welled up in Helian Qi's heart, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl up.
But his tone when he spoke was still cold: "What's the matter, Queen?"
He still couldn't forget how determined she had looked that night, the look of never wanting to see him again. He really didn't dare to think about it.
"Your Majesty, your servant has come to discuss the Mid - Autumn State Banquet with you," Dongfang Yi replied in a calm tone.
She found that after staying in front of Helian Qi for a while, the big stone in her heart seemed to be slowly falling. She just thought that since she was only here to discuss official business, the man in front of her was the emperor, and she was the queen, so there was nothing to worry about.
Thinking of this, her speech became more fluent.
"Very well. What do you want to say, Queen?" Helian Qi raised his hand, motioning for her to sit down. Then he sat down himself and asked.
After Dongfang Yi sat down, she continued, "Your Majesty, your servant thinks that this Mid - Autumn State Banquet should be different. Since it's a state banquet, the whole country should celebrate together."
Helian Qi frowned slightly when he heard her words. Curiosity flashed in his eyes, and then he nodded, signaling her to continue.
"Your servant thinks that for this state banquet, the whole country should celebrate. The royal family can hold a grand banquet on the city tower, while there will be singing and dancing below. Everyone will be happy. Isn't that wonderful!" Dongfang Yi said, getting a bit excited herself.
Helian Qi was a bit shocked when he heard this. There was also a hint of surprise in his eyes. He seemed not to believe that the woman in front of him could come up with such an idea. At that moment, he felt that he understood her a little more.
"How did you come up with such an idea suddenly?" Helian Qi asked. He was still a bit curious about how a woman who had grown up in the inner courtyard of a deep mansion like Dongfang Yi could have such an idea.
Dongfang Yi was a bit speechless when she heard his question. She couldn't very well say that she had traveled from a distant future and had seen a lot of things. So she had to make up a lie and said, "Your servant had a dream about it when sleeping. Then I thought that it could also win the hearts of the people. Isn't it a good thing?"
After saying that, she stared intently at the man in front of her, looking extremely serious as if trying hard to make the man in front of her believe her words.
Helian Qi didn't expect that after the woman in front of him finished speaking, she would suddenly stare at him seriously with her big eyes open.
Her big eyes were blinking, and even her eyelashes seemed to be shining. Her nose was a bit red, looking extremely cute and playful. Her small mouth was tightly closed.
That serious look was so cute that Helian Qi was instantly stunned. He couldn't remember how long it had been since he last looked at the woman in front of him like this.
Dongfang Yi stared at him for about ten seconds before she felt a bit embarrassed. She suddenly realized that she had stared too intently. Then she quickly averted her gaze, slightly lowering her head and her eyes.
When Helian Qi saw her suddenly lower her head, his heart suddenly felt empty, as if there was a kind of regret that he hadn't been able to look at her a bit more.
"Your Majesty, if we do it this way, it will not only be fun but also win the hearts of the people. Why not do it?" Dongfang Yi said with a cold tone, still with her head down.
"Very well. Let's do it as you said," Helian Qi still stared intently at the person in front of him. Even though the person opposite still had her head down and he couldn't see her expression clearly, he still felt happy just by staring at her.
Dongfang Yi could feel a pair of eyes staring at her even without raising her head. Since there was no one else in the Qianqing Palace, she didn't need to think to know that the gaze came from the man in front of her.
Thinking of this, she felt a bit embarrassed. She also thought that she had reported everything she needed to report, and he seemed quite satisfied with her plan. So she raised her head, intending to say that she was going back.
Unexpectedly, Helian Qi asked her first, "Has the Queen had breakfast?"
"Your servant has," Dongfang Yi replied.
The man standing opposite her paused for a moment, but then he said, "I've recently painted a new picture. Come and take a look, Queen."
After saying that, without giving Dongfang Yi a chance to refuse, he walked towards the desk.
Dongfang Yi couldn't help but let out a long sigh. Helplessly, she couldn't just turn around and leave. Looking at the man who was walking quite fast in front of her, she could only sigh and quickly followed.
When they reached the desk, she saw Helian Qi take out a scroll from the wastebasket beside it. After unfolding it, it was a picture of plum blossoms.
Dongfang Yi didn't understand anything about calligraphy and painting. She could only keep forcing a smile and saying, "It's really good, great, excellent."
Then Helian Qi said that he wanted to paint another one. Dongfang Yi nodded helplessly and then strolled around the desk.
After a while, she found a very different picture among the pile of calligraphy and paintings. She curiously pulled it out, but when she saw the picture, her expression froze.
It was a mess of a picture that could hardly be considered a work of art. It was painted with some messy cartoon characters. In this era, besides her, Dongfang Yi, who else could know about Mickey Mouse?