Helian Qi sensed the woman beside him returning. He turned to look at her and found a joyful smile on her face, as if she had just experienced something pleasant.
Unable to hold back, he asked, "How was it?"
Hearing his question, Dongfang Yi playfully raised a finger and said, "I told them a secret. They seemed very happy to hear it."
After saying that, she turned back and stared intently at the sacrificial altar not far away.
Helian Qi had no idea what she had said, but instinctively felt it was related to him. His eyebrows furrowed slightly.
He always felt as if she had seen through everything. However, only a few people knew about his plan. What exactly was behind her joyful expression?
After thinking about it to no avail, he finally gave up. After all, the matter was so complicated. How could she figure it out when she knew nothing? With that thought, he turned his head.
Helian Qi's biggest flaw was that he always underestimated Dongfang Yi. At first, he thought she was too weak to deal with the world. Now, he thought she wasn't smart enough.
In fact, he had missed out on a lot of wonderful things without even realizing it.
Not long after, the sacrifice ended successfully.
Nan Gong Liuyun strode up to them, bowed and said, "Your subject pays respects to Your Majesty the Emperor and Her Majesty the Empress!"
Helian Qi nodded and said, "You've worked hard, my subject."
Nan Gong Liuyun looked up and laughed heartily. His tone was slightly arrogant as he said, "For Your Majesty, how can your subject ever feel hard - pressed?!"
Dongfang Yi couldn't help but scoff in her heart. What a hypocrite! He must have been plotting to overthrow the Emperor behind his back. But on the surface, she still maintained a respectful look.
Nan Gong Liuyun continued, "Your subject is about to leave the capital. The journey is long and far, and renovating the imperial mausoleum will take a long time. It may be a year before I see Your Majesty again. Your Majesty must take good care of your precious body."
His speech was so impassioned that an outsider would surely think he was a rare and loyal subject.
But looking at his face, with his shrewd eyes and thin lips, he looked like a villain no matter how you looked at it. No matter how well he spoke, Dongfang Yi couldn't trust him.
Helian Qi reached out and patted his shoulder, saying with concern, "You must also take good care of yourself, my subject."
Immediately afterwards, Nan Gong Liuyun and his two sons behind him bowed and replied, "Your humble subject thanks Your Majesty!"
After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Helian Qi and his entourage escorted them out of the city.
Dongfang Yi looked at the people who had accompanied them out of the city. Apart from the imperial guards, the rest were ordinary conscripted civilians. Only then did she realize her father's grief and indignation. Such labor - conscription was not the act of a wise monarch.
After watching them leave the city gate, Dongfang Yi bowed slightly to the man beside her and said, "Your subject takes her leave."
With that, she was about to turn around and leave when she was suddenly called out by the person behind her.
"Empress, in a few days, envoys from the Southern Neighboring Kingdom will come to our country to pay tribute. We need to hold a welcome banquet for them. You should appear with me then," Helian Qi said.
Dongfang Yi felt a headache coming on. Why were there so many things happening recently, one after another? She had just finished dealing with the Mid - Autumn Palace Banquet and hadn't had a chance to rest when there came this matter of the Southern Neighboring Kingdom's tribute.
But on the surface, she still maintained a smile and replied, "Your subject obeys."
With that, she turned around and headed towards the Empress's Palace.
Helian Qi, who remained in place, watched the woman in front of him gradually walking away. He couldn't help but curl the corner of his mouth.
He thought it was interesting that she was clearly impatient, but as the empress, she still had to follow the order.
When he realized what he was thinking, his expression froze for a moment. He was shocked that he had smiled like this just to tease a woman. He was a bit confused about himself. Then, frowning, he returned to his Chengqian Palace.
On the other side, Dongfang Yi had returned to the Empress's Palace. As soon as she entered, she heard a rumbling sound.
Looking up, she saw Shen Fu already at work. There were three young boys beside him, presumably his apprentices.
As soon as he saw Dongfang Yi coming back, he quickly handed the work in his hand to his apprentice and rushed over in two steps, saying, "Your subject pays respects to Her Majesty the Empress!"
Dongfang Yi didn't expect Shen Fu to start the work so soon. After all, the fireplace she had mentioned was a modern thing that he had never even heard of. So she asked, "Sir Shen, have you already understood this 'fireplace' that you're starting the work so soon?"
Shen Fu scratched his head shyly after hearing this and said, "Reporting to Your Majesty, your subject has almost understood it. So I'm starting the work now, aiming to complete it as soon as possible so that Your Majesty doesn't have to stay in the side hall any longer."
Dongfang Yi was extremely surprised. She had only been out for an afternoon, but he had already grasped what she had said and started the work immediately. Even in modern times, this could be considered extremely fast, not to mention here.
She couldn't help but have higher expectations for him. If he could really put what she said into practice, he would truly be a genius.
Thinking of this, she laughed twice and said to him, "Sir Shen is truly a rare talent in this world."
After hearing this, Shen Fu looked solemn and respectful. He bowed to the woman in front of him and said, "Your subject should thank Her Majesty the Empress. Thank you for entrusting your subject with this task!"
"If it weren't for Your Majesty's ingenious ideas, your subject might never have thought that there would be such a strange object in the world. Your subject has spent his whole life aiming to create more things!"
His speech made him tearful, which made Dongfang Yi a bit embarrassed. After all, she had just mentioned it casually, just to satisfy her own small desire of not being cold in winter. But he made it sound so great.
So she said with an embarrassed smile, "Hehe, Sir Shen, you don't have to say so. If you can make this fireplace well, I'm willing to give this idea to you. Then you can make it for others as you like."
After hearing these words, Shen Fu's expression became even more moved. Tears seemed about to fall. He immediately knelt down and said, "Your subject thanks Her Majesty the Empress!"
"Alright, alright, sir, please get up quickly."
Dongfang Yi couldn't figure out why he was so excited about such a small thing. Then she thought that maybe this was what a craftsman had been longing for most, and she had just given him a glimmer of hope.
Thinking of this, she smiled understandingly. After giving a few more instructions, she returned to the side hall happily.
But she found that Donghua wasn't there either. Since she had returned to the palace and started talking to Shen Fu, she didn't know where Donghua had gone.
Thinking of this, her eyebrows couldn't help but frown tightly. Where had this girl gone?!