Hearing his question, Dongfang Yi's expression stiffened for a moment. Her mind raced as she tried to figure out how to answer him.
Just when she didn't know what to do, an old male voice suddenly came from below the stage.
"Your humble subject pays respects to Your Majesty the Emperor and Her Majesty the Empress!"
The speaker was none other than Prime Minister Dongfang. At this moment, he was slightly bowing towards the two people sitting on the stage.
Helian Qi frowned slightly in displeasure.
Dongfang Yi, relieved to be rescued from the awkward situation, immediately stood up and bowed slightly towards the person below the stage. "Father!"
The relief in her tone was obvious. Helian Qi squinted at her lucky escape look, and the corner of his mouth curled up imperceptibly.
"What is it, Prime Minister Dongfang?" he asked.
Prime Minister Dongfang looked a bit hesitant. "Your humble subject... still advises Your Majesty to think twice!"
It was obvious that he was referring to the matter of renovating the imperial mausoleum. After the Mid - Autumn State Banquet today, Nangong Liuyun would lead those people to the imperial mausoleum.
After hearing his words, Helian Qi couldn't help but frown. He had expected that Prime Minister Dongfang, being a loyal subject, would advise him, but he hadn't expected that he would be so persistent.
Thinking of this, he felt a surge of gratification, but on his face, he showed disdain. "I've already made my decision! Why do you need to persuade me anymore, my subject?"
Just then, a man walked over from not far away. Squinting his long and narrow eyes, he said with a sly smile, "Dongfang, Dongfang, why spoil His Majesty's good mood on such a wonderful day!"
The man was Nangong Liuyun, and behind him was his second son, Nangong Yunze.
They bowed towards the two people on the stage and said, "Pay respects to Your Majesty the Emperor and Her Majesty the Empress."
Although Dongfang Yi didn't fully understand their conversation, she roughly realized that her father was out of step with them in the matter they were talking about.
In her impression, her father was a real royalist, while the Nangong family was at odds with the emperor.
But why was the reality not as she had imagined?
Thinking of this, she couldn't help but prick up her ears and listen attentively.
"Prime Minister Nangong, why are you here? Are you afraid that I'll speak ill of you?" Prime Minister Dongfang said with displeasure in his tone.
"Hahaha, Prime Minister Dongfang, you're being too sensitive. Your humble subject is just here to bid farewell to His Majesty!" Prime Minister Nangong laughed loudly in response, deliberately emphasizing the word "farewell", as if he was deliberately provoking the person in front of him, indicating that no matter how much he advised the emperor, the fact couldn't be changed.
As he expected, after Prime Minister Dongfang heard his words, his two eyebrows shot up in anger. Just as he was about to retort, he was interrupted by Dongfang Yi on the stage.
"Father, don't be angry," she said.
She already knew that her father and the Nangong family were sworn enemies. In this situation, if her father continued to retort, he would surely suffer.
"May I say one more thing, Your Majesty?" she then asked, tilting her head slightly towards the man beside her.
Helian Qi looked at her. Although he knew that there were probably many schemes hidden beneath her cute and playful appearance, he still couldn't help but nod.
Seeing his approval, Dongfang Yi continued, "Your humble subject would like to ask, where is Lord Nangong going?"
Nangong Liuyun glanced at her disdainfully. "Reporting to Your Majesty the Empress, your humble subject has received His Majesty's order to renovate the imperial mausoleum!"
The arrogance in his tone was hard to hide, as if the Dongsheng Kingdom would bear his surname tomorrow.
After hearing his answer, Dongfang Yi finally understood why her father was so angry. Prime Minister Dongfang was a well - known kind person in the capital, always considerate of the common people. Of course, he strongly disapproved of such a labor - and money - consuming project as renovating the imperial mausoleum.
But why did Helian Qi make such a decision so easily? She wondered in her heart.
Dongfang Yi knew that although she didn't trust his attitude towards feelings, she still had full confidence in him as an emperor. She had seen his dedication to the people, and that was definitely not what a foolish emperor would look like.
Thinking of this, an idea popped into her mind, something she had seen in many modern TV dramas.
The emperor used a little trick to consolidate his kingdom. He pretended to collude with the treacherous officials and disappointed the loyal ones. In the end, there was a big reversal, and it was discovered that the emperor was a wise and just ruler. Everything he did was to catch the evidence of the treacherous officials. Finally, the wise emperor was vindicated, and there was a happy ending.
After thinking this way, Dongfang Yi looked up at Helian Qi beside her. The more she looked, the more she thought he was just like the character in the TV dramas.
Then she looked at Prime Minister Nangong and Prime Minister Dongfang below the stage. Weren't they the treacherous and the sycophantic officials?
Thinking of this, Dongfang Yi said to her father below the stage, "Father, why are you so angry? Since this is His Majesty's decision, it must be beneficial to the country and the people. You don't need to worry."
To her surprise, Prime Minister Dongfang not only didn't calm down, but became even more furious.
He never expected that his daughter would say such things. In the past, she was the most kind and considerate person, unable to bear to see the people suffer even a little.
But now that she had become the empress, she actually reversed right and wrong and flattered others!
Thinking of this, Prime Minister Dongfang couldn't help but roar at her, "Ignorant girl!"
Dongfang Yi wasn't angry. Instead, she got up and walked off the stage. She took her furious father's arm, bowed towards Helian Qi, and said, "Your Majesty, your humble subject would like to have a few words with father."
Then, regardless of how her furious father resisted, she tightly pulled him towards a corner.
Helian Qi watched their retreating backs, his eyes narrowing slightly in a thought - provoking way.
What on earth was this woman doing? Did she know something?
Thinking of this, an unclear feeling welled up in his heart. Was she really that intelligent?
On the other side, Dongfang Yi led her father to a corner.
Prime Minister Dongfang waved away her hand. "Yi'er! What were you talking about?"
Dongfang Yi wasn't angry. Instead, she respectfully stroked her father's arm and said, "Father, don't always just look at the surface. Maybe the truth is hidden beneath it."
Her words had already implicitly told her father that the matter of Helian Qi sending Nangong Liuyun to renovate the imperial mausoleum wasn't as simple as it seemed. Whether he could understand it or not depended on himself.
Prime Minister Dongfang looked at his daughter in front of him with a puzzled look. Although he was a bit confused, he calmed down a lot.