When Dongfang Yi returned to the Queen's Palace, the clothes and jewelry that Helian Qi had given her had already been delivered.
She looked at those things speechlessly.
Donghua, standing beside her, gloated and said, "Your Majesty, look how beautiful these are! Look at this huge piece of Hetian jade!"
Hearing this, Dongfang Yi gave her a fierce look, then went back to her own chamber as if completely exhausted.
Just as she had just lain down to rest for a while, there came another announcement from outside the palace.
Dongfang Yi struggled to get up from the bed and walked out.
She saw Nanny Li, who always served the Empress Dowager, coming in.
"Your Majesty the Queen, the Empress Dowager requests your presence."
Hearing this, Dongfang Yi felt a bit on the verge of collapse. After all, she had just rushed back from the Qianqing Palace and hadn't even had time to catch her breath when she was summoned by the Empress Dowager.
But she couldn't refuse. Otherwise, that old lady might do something to torture her.
Thinking of this, she replied to Nanny Li, "I understand. I'll go right away."
Only then did Nanny Li withdraw from the Queen's Palace.
So she said to Donghua behind her, "Call for the palanquin. The Cining Palace is too far away."
Soon, the palanquin stopped in front of the palace gate.
Supported by Donghua, Dongfang Yi got on the palanquin and headed towards the Cining Palace, the residence of the Empress Dowager.
All the way, she felt drowsy. Although she had slept until noon this morning, she had stayed up all night last night. Coupled with the constant running around, she felt extremely exhausted.
So she dozed off in the palanquin.
It was not until they arrived at the gate of the Cining Palace that Donghua woke her up.
She rubbed her eyes and cheeks, thinking that she must not let her guard down when facing the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager's skills in the harem were beyond her reach.
After entering the Cining Palace, the strong smell of incense hit her.
The Empress Dowager was still sitting in front of the Buddha statue in the palace, counting the prayer beads and muttering something.
Dongfang Yi immediately bowed and said, "Your servant pays respects to the Empress Dowager. May the Empress Dowager be in good health."
She heard the Empress Dowager grunt, a sound that seemed to be forced out of her throat.
"I wonder what the Empress Dowager has summoned your servant for?" she asked.
Then she saw the Empress Dowager, who had been kneeling in front of the Buddha statue, suddenly stand up and walk towards the grand master's chair.
After sitting down, the Empress Dowager asked in a sullen voice with an unhappy look on her face, "Does the Queen only come to pay respects to me when there's something to do?"
Hearing this, Dongfang Yi rolled her eyes at the old lady in her heart, thinking that did she just want to find fault with her?
But on the surface, she still replied respectfully, "How dare your servant? No matter what the Empress Dowager needs, your servant will come at once."
After saying that, she even put on an extremely obedient smile.
Seeing this, the Empress Dowager's expression softened a bit. She raised her hand to signal Dongfang Yi to sit down and then continued,
"I've heard about the visit of the southern neighboring country tomorrow. You'll accompany the Emperor to court tomorrow. Pay attention to your image and don't disgrace our royal family!"
She said this with grief and disdain on her face, as if she looked down on Dongfang Yi.
Hearing this, Dongfang Yi also felt a bit unhappy. She suddenly felt like an ugly daughter - in - law meeting her mother - in - law, and this mother - in - law was really hard to deal with.
Immediately, she replied, "Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, please rest assured. Even if your servant loses her life, she will never disgrace the royal family!"
This sentence seemed to suit the Empress Dowager's taste. Her face became much more amiable.
Dongfang Yi rolled her eyes at her again in her heart. Just as she was about to say that if there was nothing else, she would leave, there came an announcement from outside the palace.
"Concubine Luo requests an audience!"
Dongfang Yi felt that her head was about to explode. She had been hearing all kinds of announcements all day.
Soon, a woman in a green dress walked in. It was undoubtedly Concubine Luo. The green dress made her look extremely delicate, and her watery eyes seemed full of tenderness.
Dongfang Yi rarely saw a doting smile on the face of the Empress Dowager beside her.
"Concubine Luo is here!" the Empress Dowager said with a smile.
Dongfang Yi had only heard before that Concubine Luo was very close to the Empress Dowager, but she never really believed it. After all, it was hard to imagine that a woman like the Empress Dowager would like the concubines in the harem.
But now she understood that the Empress Dowager really liked Concubine Luo.
"Your servant pays respects to the Empress Dowager. May the Empress Dowager be in good health," Concubine Luo said.
Then, after looking at Dongfang Yi beside her, she bowed slightly and said, "Your servant pays respects to Your Majesty the Queen."
Dongfang Yi nodded slightly at her.
"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, your servant has finished copying the Diamond Sutra. This time, I used cinnabar as ink," Concubine Luo presented a stack of rice paper to the Empress Dowager.
Hearing this, the Empress Dowager immediately took it from her hand and flipped through it happily, saying, "Concubine Luo really understands me. I've long wanted a hand - copied version of the Diamond Sutra, but unfortunately, it has too many words, and few people are willing to patiently copy it down."
After saying that, she looked at the woman in front of her with affection.
Concubine Luo also smiled respectfully and said, "These are what your servant should do. It's most important that the Empress Dowager likes them!"
Only then did Dongfang Yi understand why the Empress Dowager liked Concubine Luo. She really knew how to cater to others' preferences.
The Empress Dowager liked to believe in Buddhism, so she copied the Diamond Sutra and presented it. It was hard not to like her.
After thinking this, Dongfang Yi curled her lips. Then she said to the woman on the grand master's chair, "If the Empress Dowager has nothing else, your servant will take her leave first."
The Empress Dowager was completely immersed in the Diamond Sutra. Without even raising her head, she replied, "Leave."
Only then did Dongfang Yi leave the Cining Palace.
Just as she was about to get on the palanquin and return to the palace, she suddenly heard someone calling her from behind.
"Your Majesty the Queen!"
Dongfang Yi turned around and saw Concubine Luo, who had also come out. Then she asked, "Sister Concubine Luo, why are you out too?"
Concubine Luo replied with a smile, "I wonder if Your Majesty the Queen would like to take a walk with your servant?"
Hearing this, Dongfang Yi told the palanquin bearers to withdraw first. Then she turned around and walked with Concubine Luo.
"Sister Concubine Luo, do you have something to talk about?" she asked.
"Doesn't Your Majesty wonder why your servant treats the Empress Dowager so well?" Concubine Luo said.
Dongfang Yi didn't expect her to be so direct.
She had thought about this question before. Maybe Concubine Luo couldn't get the Emperor's favor, so she tried to curry favor with the Empress Dowager in order to gain a foothold in the harem.
After all, it was very difficult to survive in the harem without any support.
So she replied, "No matter what the reason is, it's all for a place in the harem. I won't make random assumptions about you."
Concubine Luo obviously didn't expect the woman in front of her to say this suddenly.
There was a moment of surprise on her face, but then she covered it up with a faint smile.