After getting tired from strolling around, the three of them walked into a small tavern to take a rest. Looking at the time, it was not yet the Hour of the Boar. They guessed that the excitement on the city tower should still be going on, so they decided to take a short break before going back.
"Sister Dongfang, did you have a good time?" Concubine Shu asked.
Since it was inconvenient to address her as "Your Majesty" in a crowded place, they addressed each other as sisters.
Dongfang Yi hooked the corner of her lips and looked at the girl who was asking her. She nodded heavily and said, "Yes!"
And what about Donghua who was sitting beside them? After having a great time playing, she just remembered that she was supposed to keep a close eye on the Empress seriously. But now she had accompanied her in being wild. By now, the Emperor must have already noticed that the Empress was missing. What should she do!
Thinking of this, she frowned and whispered to the two beside her, "Your Majesties, let's go back quickly!"
Dongfang Yi just raised her eyebrows and looked at her with a teasing look in her eyes. She said, "Oh, Donghua, you only know to be scared now. Why weren't you scared when you were eating the sugar figurines just now?"
After saying that, she and Concubine Shu laughed at her together.
Hearing their words, Donghua knew that they were embarrassing her on purpose, but she still couldn't help blushing. After all, she had been too wild and had forgotten her duty.
The three of them were chatting merrily in the small tavern. They were so carefree and happy.
On the other hand, Ru Yi was in a rather miserable situation. After he followed the three masked people out from the place where they bought the lanterns.
Those three people were just strolling around the fair without any surprises at first. Just when Ru Yi let his guard down, they suddenly took off their masks at the same time. And the faces behind the masks were definitely not those of the Empress and the others!
Seeing this scene, his heart skipped a beat. He secretly exclaimed that something was wrong, and then quickly ran into the crowd to look for them.
Dongfang Yi watched helplessly as Donghua was constantly being forced to drink by Concubine Shu. In a short while, she was a bit dazed. She still said to Dongfang Yi innocently with a face full of innocence, "The Empress! She is simply a perfect match for the Emperor..."
The way she slurred her words was really the result of drinking too much.
Dongfang Yi patted her with a bit of disgust, and then said to Concubine Shu with a complaining look on her face, "Why did you get her drunk! How are we going to get her back?"
Concubine Shu just giggled twice and raised her hand to point not far away.
Dongfang Yi turned her head and saw the man sitting at the table on her right rear side.
Wasn't that Ru Yi!
It turned out that after Ru Yi ran back from the fake masked people, he walked around the whole street twice. When he was tired, he walked into a tavern. Unexpectedly, it didn't take him any effort at all, and he actually met the Empress and the others here.
So he observed them carefully not far away. Seeing Donghua being so drunk after being forced to drink glass after glass of wine, he couldn't help but laugh at her in his heart. What a stupid woman she was!
After seeing Ru Yi, Dongfang Yi hooked the corner of her lips and gave a charming smile to the woman beside her. Then the two of them supported Donghua up.
Donghua suddenly felt her body being lifted into the air. She just let out a couple of yells. And because of being drunk, she couldn't make more accurate sounds.
So the three of them walked slowly towards Ru Yi.
Ru Yi looked at the rather strange expressions on the faces of the Empress and Concubine Shu. He felt a chill in his heart. Just when he was about to ask what they wanted him to do, he felt someone being stuffed into his arms.
It was Donghua who was stuffed into his arms.
"Ru Yi, I'll leave Donghua to you to carry back. I and Concubine Shu will go back too." Dongfang Yi winked at him and said like this.
Without waiting for him to say anything in objection, she pulled Concubine Shu out of the tavern. She left him alone behind with a helpless look on his face, looking at the unconscious woman in his arms. He couldn't help but ruffle his hair impatiently.
Was this woman a fool? How could she get so drunk when she came out with the Empresses!
Ru Yi poked the face of the woman in his arms a bit angrily with his finger. The touch was unexpectedly smooth.
So as if being possessed by a ghost, he raised his hand and touched it twice more.
This woman's skin was actually... quite good.
Realizing what he was thinking, he was a bit at a loss for a moment. His face immediately burned up, and he almost dropped the woman in his arms to the ground.
So he took a long breath to relieve the embarrassment in his heart, then put her on his back and strode towards the outside of the tavern.
When you wake up, I'll settle this score with you properly!
On the other side, after Dongfang Yi and the others walked out of the tavern, they walked down the long street. It was time to return to the palace. There was actually a trace of reluctance in their hearts. After all, freedom was something that the imperial city could never give.
Seeing that Concubine Shu beside her also looked a bit listless, Dongfang Yi comforted her and said, "I'll take you with me next time I go out of the palace."
Concubine Shu just raised her head and forced a smile. She nodded heavily.
Although she always pretended not to care, she still missed the days when her mother was still alive in the countryside. Although the life was poor, it was free and unrestrained.
Thinking of this, Concubine Shu couldn't help shaking her head to get rid of these unhappy thoughts. She said to the woman beside her, "Your Majesty, you must take this concubine with you next time you go out of the palace!"
After saying that, the two of them held hands and ran towards the direction of the city tower.
In the darkness, there was a person silently watching them.
It was a man with a Western Regions face. His eye sockets were very deep, but his nose bridge was very high. There were neat little braids on his head, looking very heroic.
He was holding a black Baogong mask in his hand. His eyes were fixed on Dongfang Yi who was smiling and talking to others not far away.
He couldn't help but smile twice in his heart and said, "Sure enough, she is a beauty, isn't she?"
When Dongfang Yi and the others rushed back to the city tower, fortunately, it was still very lively on the city tower. It seemed that no one had noticed that they had been missing.
At this time, they had already changed their clothes and were sitting upright in their seats again.
She looked around but didn't find the traces of Ru Yi and Donghua. She thought that they had sent her back to the palace in advance.
Thinking of this, the corner of her mouth couldn't help but curl up. She always felt that the feeling of having fun secretly like this was very exciting.
On the other hand, Helian Qi was constantly paying attention to her with his peripheral vision. He watched as she rushed back from below the city tower out of breath. Although she smelled of alcohol all over, she still pretended as if nothing had happened.
Before them, the hidden guards had already rushed back and told him about the masked man.
So he frowned imperceptibly. He thought to himself that this woman was so careless. She didn't know at all that she might be in danger. If it weren't for the fact that he had sent the hidden guards to protect her and the man didn't dare to act recklessly, the consequences would be really hard to predict.
Ru Yi, who had been following them from the beginning, still hadn't sent back any news until now. And Donghua beside her was also nowhere to be seen. How could she still be so oblivious without others to protect her!
Thinking of this, Helian Qi immediately turned his head. His eyes were fixed on her. He asked a bit unhappily, "Where did the Empress go?!"