Another moment passed, about the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, and they returned to the Queen's Palace. Seeing that there was no one around, Dongfang Yi was supported by Donghua into the inner chamber of the Queen's Palace.
Immediately afterwards, Donghua began to spread the news of her injury as Dongfang Yi had instructed.
Before evening had even fallen, the news that the Queen had gone to the city tower to check the arrangements for an event and had fallen off a chair, getting injured in the process, had spread throughout the harem and even reached the front court.
But unexpectedly, the first person to come to the Queen's Palace to visit Dongfang Yi was Concubine Chu, whom they hadn't seen for a long time.
When Concubine Chu appeared in front of the palace gate, Xiao Qian, the young maid guarding the gate, was a bit startled and stammered, "You... Your Ladyship Concubine Chu, may I ask what you want?"
Concubine Chu outside the gate rolled her eyes disdainfully and looked at the maid in front of her with disgust. Then, in an overbearing tone, she said, "I heard that the Queen is injured, so I've come to visit her. Go and announce my arrival at once."
Xiao Qian was a bit surprised at her words. Although her tone was still overbearing, her behavior was much more proper. Usually, she would barge into the palace without permission, but now she actually knew to ask for an announcement.
Hearing this, Xiao Qian turned around and trotted into the inner chamber. After a while, she ran out again, waved at Concubine Chu, and called out, "Your Ladyship Concubine Chu, the Queen has summoned you!"
Concubine Chu walked in with a haughty air, looking as if someone owed her a fortune.
Inside the palace, Dongfang Yi was lying on the bed, looking haggard. Doctor Li was standing beside her. She really looked as if she had suffered a serious injury.
Dongfang Yi had expected that some people would come to visit her, but she never thought that the first one would be Concubine Chu, her old rival. She couldn't help but feel suspicious. Could it be that Concubine Chu was the one who had caused this? Maybe she came to see if Dongfang Yi had been seriously injured in the fall.
Concubine Chu slowly walked into the palace. When she saw the sick - looking woman lying on the bed, a gleam of schadenfreude flashed in her eyes for a moment.
Dongfang Yi couldn't help but think that her look of disgust was too obvious.
But then Concubine Chu walked to the bedside and sat down. She said to Doctor Li beside her in a commanding tone, "You may leave."
It was an order, so Doctor Li had no choice but to bow and leave the palace.
Dongfang Yi watched this woman's series of actions and knew that she probably had something to tell her. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she wondered what Concubine Chu wanted to say.
Sure enough, as she expected, after Doctor Li had completely disappeared from their sight, Concubine Chu glanced at Donghua who was still standing beside them. She was about to say something when Dongfang Yi interrupted her.
"Concubine Chu, just say what you want. Donghua doesn't need to leave," Dongfang Yi said.
Concubine Chu's embarrassed expression froze for a moment, but she still endured her annoyance and said, "Dongfang Yi, to tell you the truth, I know who the mastermind behind your injury is."
As soon as Concubine Chu opened her mouth, she showed no regard for her words or behavior. She spoke in an overbearing tone.
Dongfang Yi was a bit annoyed by her tone, but from the meaning of her words, she felt that Concubine Chu might know something. Although she couldn't completely trust her, she still decided to listen. So she nodded, indicating for the person in front of her to continue.
Seeing that she had received approval, Concubine Chu's eyebrows arched involuntarily, and she continued, "The culprit is Concubine Shun!"
The purpose of her visit was to expose Concubine Shun. Since Prince Nangong Liuyun had left her palace last time, he had allowed her to deal with Concubine Shun as she pleased. And she was the only confidant of the Nangong family in the harem.
The most important thing was that before Nangong Liuyun left, he had handed over the spy she had placed in Concubine Shun's palace to her. That was why Concubine Chu knew that Concubine Shun deeply hated the Queen.
Although Concubine Chu also disliked Dongfang Yi, when she heard that Concubine Shun hated her too, her first thought was that Concubine Shun was seeking her own death. She had experienced Dongfang Yi's methods before.
Later, when she heard that Concubine Shun was planning to cause trouble for the Queen during the Mid - Autumn Festival banquet, she didn't come to tell Dongfang Yi immediately. Firstly, she knew that even if she told her, Dongfang Yi wouldn't believe her. Secondly, she was also a bit lucky. She thought that if Dongfang Yi was seriously injured in the fall, and then she came to lodge a complaint, it would be a win - win situation.
Thinking of this, she stared intently at the pale - faced woman in front of her.
But unexpectedly, Dongfang Yi just laughed twice and then asked, "Sister Concubine Chu, how do you know this? Could it be that you're jealous of Sister Concubine Shun being more favored than you, so you've come to frame her?"
Her words were very straightforward, which immediately made Concubine Chu, who had a bad temper, fly into a rage.
"Good for you, Dongfang Yi! I'm kindly coming to warn you, and this is what you say. Why should I be jealous of that little bitch?!" Concubine Chu said.
Dongfang Yi looked at the furious woman in front of her and couldn't help but feel like laughing.
In fact, after thinking about it all afternoon, she could roughly understand the whole thing and guessed that it was unlikely that Concubine Chu was the culprit. According to Concubine Chu's personality, she wouldn't harm someone in such a covert way. On the contrary, Concubine Shun, with her seemingly submissive personality, no one knew how ruthless she could be.
As for why Concubine Chu was the first to visit her, Dongfang Yi didn't understand at first. But after she started speaking, she roughly understood. After all, both Concubine Chu and Concubine Shun were backed by the Nangong family. Now that the Emperor doted on Concubine Shun alone, and the Nangong family also valued her highly, this greatly affected Concubine Chu's status in the palace and even in the Nangong Mansion.
The reason why Concubine Chu knew about Concubine Shun's plan must be that she had placed a spy in Concubine Shun's palace. And telling her after her injury was also to achieve a double - edged effect.
Thinking of this, Dongfang Yi couldn't help but sneer. She thought that the women in the harem were really one problem after another.
Seeing that Dongfang Yi still looked indifferent, Concubine Chu became even more angry and scolded her, "Believe it or not, it's up to you."
Then she angrily flicked her sleeves and left the Queen's inner chamber.
Dongfang Yi, still lying on the bed, watched the woman's back gradually disappear from her sight. Her eyes began to sparkle, and then she asked Donghua beside her, "Donghua, do you believe what she said?"