Dongfang Yi and Concubine Luo were walking on the grand avenue of the palace.
"Your Majesty, aren't you curious why I've been so nice to the Empress Dowager?" Concubine Luo asked.
Dongfang Yi clearly didn't expect her to be so straightforward. Although she wasn't really interested, she tilted her head, feigning curiosity, and replied, "Why?"
Concubine Luo lowered her head and hesitated for a moment. Then she looked up at the woman in front of her and began to tell her story, "My family fell into decline. If it weren't for the Empress Dowager's rescue, I might have been begging on the streets by now."
"Fortunately, the Empress Dowager is kind-hearted. She let me enter the palace to serve the Emperor. In this vast harem, with the Empress Dowager's protection, what does it matter if I have the Emperor's favor or not?"
Every word she said was filled with genuine emotion. Dongfang Yi never thought that the seemingly fierce Empress Dowager was actually a kind person.
Thinking of this, she couldn't help but look at the woman in front of her with a bit of sympathy. Only then did she understand why this woman, though in the palace, seemed to have seen through everything and didn't care about all the vanity.
For some people, just surviving is a gift from heaven, so they don't dare to ask for more.
"Sister Concubine Luo, the world is unpredictable. Who can foresee the distant future?" Dongfang Yi said.
She hoped that Concubine Luo could understand the meaning behind her words and not feel inferior because of anything. Since heaven had allowed her to survive and enter the palace, there must be a plan.
Concubine Luo was suddenly a bit surprised and widened her eyes. But soon she returned to normal, curled her lips, and said to the woman in front of her, "I thank the Empress!"
"Look, we're almost at your palace. Go back quickly!" Dongfang Yi also smiled at her and patted her on the shoulder.
Then she led Donghua and continued walking towards the Empress's Palace.
The woman still standing behind her was staring intently at her back.
The smile on her lips gradually faded, and there were indescribable emotions swirling in her teary eyes.
She just murmured something under her breath.
"Yeah, who can foresee the distant future?"
After saying that, she took a meaningful look at the figure in the distance and then entered her own palace.
On the other side, Dongfang Yi.
"I didn't expect Concubine Luo to be such a pitiful person," she said, frowning.
She thought that she had only met pitiful people in the harem. First, there was Concubine Shu, who was used by her own father. Now, there was Concubine Luo, whose family had fallen into decline.
Thinking of this, she felt that she was much luckier. Although she used to be weak and often bullied, at least she had loving parents.
Donghua behind her let out an almost imperceptible bitter smile and replied, "There are so many pitiful people in this world..."
There was a hint of sadness in her expression.
After hearing Concubine Luo's story, she also thought of herself. Wasn't she also the only one left in her family after they were all killed? Fortunately, someone had saved her, and she had managed to survive.
Dongfang Yi noticed her melancholy and frowned and asked, "Donghua, what's wrong with you?"
After all, she rarely saw the woman in front of her like this. She was usually lively and cheerful.
But Donghua just shook her head and then put on her usual smiling face, as if the sadness she had just shown was just an illusion to Dongfang Yi.
Seeing her like this, Dongfang Yi didn't ask any more questions. She had been curious about Donghua's identity before.
She was extremely skilled in martial arts and was also Helian Qi's confidant. She didn't seem like an ordinary maid at all.
Moreover, from the way she could read, it seemed that she had been specially taught by a teacher.
She had also heard that something had happened to Donghua's family. She wasn't very clear about what it was, but only Donghua was left in the whole family.
Maybe after hearing Concubine Luo's words, she felt a resonance in her heart.
Thinking of this, she couldn't help but feel a pang of pity. But on the surface, she still joked and tapped Donghua on the nose and said, "Don't think too much!"
Then she turned around and continued walking towards the Empress's Palace.
Donghua felt warm in her heart. She had been worried about how to answer if Dongfang Yi had asked her about herself. Fortunately, she didn't ask. Maybe she was also protecting her little self-esteem.
In less than a quarter of an hour, they returned to the Empress's Palace. Dongfang Yi, who hadn't eaten all day, felt her stomach growling.
As soon as she entered the palace, she slumped on the bed and said, "I'm starving!"
Seeing her like this, Donghua couldn't help but laugh and said, "Your Majesty, get up quickly! I've already asked Xiao Qian to prepare dinner."
Dinner? Oh, it was already evening. She had been so busy all day. Thinking of this, Dongfang Yi couldn't help but hold her forehead.
Then she thought that she would have to wear a heavy weight and a very heavy headdress to attend the morning court tomorrow.
She felt so tired just thinking about it.
"Why! Being the Empress is so difficult!"
As soon as Helian Qi entered the palace, he saw the woman lying on the bed and shouting. She didn't look at all like a dignified Empress.
So he raised his hand and pretended to cough a few times.
"Donghua, why are you coughing? Am I wrong?" the woman on the bed said with a sad and indignant tone.
Donghua beside her felt a bit embarrassed and whispered, "Your Majesty, it wasn't me who coughed!"
"If it wasn't you, then who else could it be..."
Before she could finish her sentence, something suddenly came to her mind. She quickly jumped up from the bed. After seeing who it was, she quickly bowed and said, "Your servant greets the Emperor."
Why did he come? There was no sound at all.
She couldn't help but look sideways and use her eyes to ask Donghua beside her.
Donghua also used her eyes to tell her that she didn't know anything.
"I came to see how well the Empress is prepared for tomorrow's court. Now it seems that the Empress is already well-prepared," Helian Qi said.
There was a hint of teasing in his tone.
He didn't know why he just liked to see the embarrassed look of the woman in front of him.
Dongfang Yi replied hesitantly, "Yes, Your Majesty. I'm ready!"
"Really?" he asked.
"Yes, yes, yes!" Dongfang Yi answered quickly, not realizing at all what Donghua was trying to signal her with her eyes.
"Then the Empress can demonstrate for me the etiquette you need to follow when receiving foreign tributes," he continued.
There was a look of anticipation on his face.
What? There was also etiquette? How come she, Dongfang Yi, didn't know about it?
Then she turned her head and used her eyes to ask Donghua beside her.
Donghua looked helpless, as if to say, I've already signaled you, but you just agreed so quickly.
Dongfang Yi stiffly turned her head back and put on an embarrassed smile and said,
"Um... Your Majesty, I still need to prepare more in terms of etiquette. Hehe..."