Hearing this, Dongfang Yi was also a bit surprised. She didn't expect that Helian Qi would reject such a stunning beauty. After all, for a beauty like Yaoji, most men would find it hard to resist.
At this time, Shun, standing below the hall, said, "Is it that the fifth princess of our country fails to catch the eye of the emperor of the Eastern Sheng Dynasty?"
There was a hint of arrogance in his words. The ministers beside him shouted angrily, "The emperor has already said that he is reluctant to take someone else's love. How can you misinterpret his words at will!"
"I've already said that I'm willing to offer Yaoji to the emperor. Where is there any talk of taking someone else's love? It seems that the emperor of the Eastern Sheng Dynasty looks down on our Southern Neighboring Country!" Shun continued, his words still full of offensiveness.
The ministers beside him were so angry that they wanted to retort, but Helian Qi waved his hand, signaling them to be silent.
"Prince Shun, you're overthinking. I just think that Yaoji is extremely beautiful. I'm afraid my harem would wrong her," Helian Qi said with a slight curl of his lips.
But Dongfang Yi clearly didn't see the slightest trace of a smile on his face. She knew that he hated being forced to do anything the most.
Suddenly, a sense of uneasiness rose in her heart. If the prince of the Southern Neighboring Country insisted on offering the beauty, Helian Qi might be extremely angry.
However, the prince apparently didn't understand what the man sitting high above was thinking and kept saying disrespectful words.
Just as Helian Qi was about to explode in anger, a female voice suddenly sounded.
"I'll accept Yaoji on behalf of the emperor!"
Dongfang Yi said so. She was really afraid that if Helian Qi got angry at this moment just because of a woman, it might arouse people's resentment, which would be a great loss.
The people below the hall were all shocked when they heard the queen, who had been silent all along, suddenly speak.
But Shun below the hall seemed still dissatisfied and continued, "The queen has a great deal of face. Can she make decisions for the emperor?"
But Ye beside him quickly bowed and said, "Then we thank the queen. Yaoji, why don't you pay your respects!"
Hearing this, Yaoji quickly bowed and said, "Thank you, queen."
Shun wanted to say something else, but Ye gave him a warning look, and he stopped talking.
Helian Qi didn't expect the woman beside him to suddenly make a decision. His eyes narrowed slightly, and his eyebrows furrowed tightly.
Dongfang Yi naturally didn't dare to look directly at the man beside her. After all, she wasn't even sure if what she did was right.
She only knew that if the emperor got angry at this moment, the consequences would be unimaginable.
It wasn't until Helian Qi's gaze left her that she let out a long breath.
"The queen's will is my will," Helian Qi said.
He also realized that he almost got angry just now. Fortunately, Dongfang Yi had come to his rescue in time. Otherwise, he might really have made a big mistake.
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but glance at the woman beside him out of the corner of his eye, his heart filled with complicated and unclear emotions.
He seemed not to care about having any woman at all, and she was so generous as to expand his harem and accept new women for him.
No matter how beautiful those women were, he wouldn't care the slightest bit.
A bitter smile curled up on his lips.
This thrilling court storm was finally over safely. After the court session was completely over, Helian Qi ordered the chief eunuch to arrange accommodation for the envoys of the Southern Neighboring Country, and then dismissed the court.
Dongfang Yi quietly left the scene with Donghua in a hurry.
As soon as she entered the queen's palace, she quickly took off the heavy headdress on her head and changed out of her luxurious robe.
After a series of actions, she raised her head and drank a cup of tea, and then collapsed on the couch.
This morning, not only was her body exhausted, but her heart had also endured a great deal. She wasn't sure if it was right for her to make a decision for Helian Qi just now.
But the result proved that she was right!
Although being worshiped by thousands of people was quite exciting, she didn't want to experience it again.
After thinking about it, she asked Donghua beside her, "How about it? Did I perform well today?"
Donghua smiled at her, then bent down to rub her shoulders and said, "Your majesty did very well!"
After she completely relaxed, Dongfang Yi suddenly remembered the scene when she first saw Helian Qi today.
He was dressed in a bright yellow court robe, curling his lips and saying to her,
"The queen today is extremely beautiful."
Thinking of this, his star - like eyes appeared in her mind.
Even to this day, she still sighed that there could be such a handsome man in the world.
His beauty was completely different from Situ Qing's. Situ Qing was as beautiful as a woman, with a feminine charm, while Helian Qi exuded a unique masculine charm all over his body.
After thinking about it, Dongfang Yi quickly shook her head, trying to shake off these messy thoughts in her mind, and rubbed her face to make herself more awake.
How could she be so infatuated!
Just as she was daydreaming, she heard the announcement outside the palace, "Yaoji requests an audience!"
Dongfang Yi frowned slightly. It had only been about an incense - burning time since the court session ended. She came a bit too quickly.
Not long after, a woman in a purple - gauze long dress walked in. Her green eyes were full of affection.
She bowed and said, "Yaoji pays respects to the queen."
"Rise," Dongfang Yi said and waved her hand, signaling her to sit down.
But instead of sitting down, Yaoji suddenly knelt on the ground.
Dongfang Yi was extremely surprised and didn't know what was going on. Then she heard Yaoji say,
"Yaoji thanks the queen!"
"What are you thanking me for?" she asked.
"If it weren't for your majesty's timely words to keep Yaoji, Yaoji might have been killed by my father after returning to the country!" Yaoji said with a look of panic on her face.
It seemed that she was extremely afraid of the person she was talking about.
Hearing this, Dongfang Yi was even more surprised. She frowned and asked, "Aren't you the fifth princess of the Southern Neighboring Country? Why would your father kill you?"
Yaoji sneered and replied word by word, "That man never spares useless people."
"If Yaoji can't stay in the Eastern Sheng Dynasty, then she is useless."
Only then did Dongfang Yi fully understand. She didn't expect that there would be such a father in the world who would kill his children just because they were useless.
Moreover, if Yaoji couldn't stay in the Eastern Sheng Dynasty, it was just a trivial matter. Why was she so afraid?
It seemed that the Southern Neighboring Country was really not simple.
After thinking about it, she stretched out her hand and signaled Yaoji to get up quickly, and then said, "Since you've entered the harem, we're all family. There's no need to thank me."
Yaoji looked at the woman in front of her with gratitude on her face, and a smile curled up on her lips.
Truly, her smile could topple a city. The emperor was really blessed to have such a charming woman in his harem, Dongfang Yi thought.
"Yaoji, go and tidy up. I've vacated the Fanglan Garden for you. You can live there at ease. If you have any problems, feel free to come to me," she said with a generous smile on her face.
After all, as the queen, she should have the dignity and generosity of a queen.
Hearing this, Yaoji bowed and then withdrew from the queen's palace.