Early the next morning.
At dawn, Dongfang Yi was awakened by the shouts from outside the palace. Donghua rushed in and said, "Your Majesty, the Emperor has sent someone to deliver something! Hurry up and go take a look!"
Dongfang Yi slowly opened her eyes, rubbing her head and muttering, "Why send something so early in the morning? What is it?"
Donghua replied excitedly, "Your Majesty, go and see for yourself! It's a great treasure!"
Hearing it was a great treasure and believing Donghua wasn't lying, Dongfang Yi got out of bed, without even bothering to dress her hair, and walked out.
She saw Ru Yi and Eunuch Li standing in the outer courtyard. Eunuch Li was holding a redwood box in his hands.
The box looked familiar, so she asked, "Ru Yi, what have you brought so early?"
Ru Yi turned around and lifted the lid of the redwood box with one hand.
Suddenly, a bright light burst out.
It was actually the rare night pearl!
Dongfang Yi was shocked for a moment and immediately asked, "Did the Emperor send this to me?"
"Your Majesty the Empress, the Emperor sent me to convey that this pearl matches you perfectly," Ru Yi said, bowing.
Hearing this, Dongfang Yi felt a warm feeling in her heart and immediately thought of the man.
On the day of the court session, did he notice that she liked this night pearl?
Then she thought it was ridiculous. She thought that such a large night pearl was liked by everyone. Maybe he just thought the night pearl was useless and gave it to her as a casual gesture.
Thinking of this, she let out a bitter smile and then said to the man in front of her, "Please convey my gratitude to the Emperor on my behalf. I will visit the Emperor in person another day!"
After saying that, she waved her hand, signaling Donghua to take the box with the night pearl back to the bedroom.
When Ru Yi returned to the Chengan Palace, he said to the man who hadn't had time to change out of his court clothes, "Your Majesty, I have delivered the night pearl to the Empress."
"Was she happy?" the man asked.
"Her Majesty was very happy!" Ru Yi replied.
Only then did Helian Qi show a contented smile on his face. The corners of his mouth couldn't stop rising, and his eyes shone with joy.
He still remembered that on the court, when the Crown Prince of the Southern Neighboring Country presented this night pearl, the sparkle in the eyes of the woman beside him.
It was joy and fondness. So how could he miss the chance to make her smile?
After thinking this, he waved his hand, signaling Ru Yi to leave. Then he returned to his desk and started to review official documents.
Because he hadn't given a response for a long time, a series of urgent reports from Nangong Liuyun were sent into the palace one after another.
Helian Qi looked at the scattered envelopes on the ground. His eyebrows frowned tightly, and his displeasure reached its peak.
Immediately, he took out a piece of rice paper, dipped his brush in ink, and started to write on it.
On the other hand, the news that the Empress had been rewarded with a rare night pearl spread like wildfire in the palace within half a day.
People in the palace all said that the pearl was a precious tribute from the Southern Neighboring Country. Just because the Empress said she liked it, the Emperor generously gave it to her.
When Dongfang Yi heard these rumors, she couldn't help but burst into laughter. She thought that the people in the palace were really good at making up stories.
Just a few days ago, they said that the Empress had completely fallen out of favor. Now, because of a night pearl, they said that she was extremely favored by the Emperor.
Although the favor and disfavor in the palace could change in an instant, it couldn't always happen to her, Dongfang Yi.
Thinking of this, she sent Donghua to gather all the palace servants in the outer courtyard. Then she said sternly, "If anyone dares to gossip behind my back, I will pull out your tongues sooner or later."
After saying that, she heard a flurry of panic below. All the palace servants looked very scared.
Only then did Dongfang Yi raise the corners of her mouth in satisfaction. Her goal was to make them afraid.
She couldn't control or hear the rumors outside the Empress's palace, but in the palace, she wanted to see which bold person dared to be so presumptuous!
After a while, she heard the shout from outside the palace.
"Concubine Dong, Concubine Shu, and Concubine Jia are requesting an audience!"
How fast the news spread in the palace! It wasn't even noon yet, and someone had already come after hearing the news.
As she expected, as soon as Concubine Shu entered the palace, she rushed to her and asked, "Your Majesty, I heard that you just got a night pearl. I'm really curious. Please take it out and let us sisters have a look!"
After saying that, she stretched out her hand and kept shaking her arm.
Concubine Dong and the others were used to Concubine Shu's behavior and knew that she wasn't a person who paid much attention to etiquette, so they didn't scold her.
Instead, they all looked at her expectantly with their eyes.
Seeing their expressions, Dongfang Yi couldn't help but laugh a few times and said, "Okay, okay. Follow me."
After saying that, she turned around and walked towards the main palace.
The night pearl was placed in the center of the main hall of the main palace.
She thought that in this way, there would be no need to light candles at night.
Moreover, the light emitted by the night pearl was very soft, which was quite good for the eyes.
As soon as they entered the main palace, Concubine Shu and the other two weren't immediately attracted to the night pearl but stared blankly at the fireplace on the wall.
"Your Majesty, why did you dig such a big hole in the wall?" Concubine Shu frowned and asked puzzledly.
It wasn't strange that they didn't understand. Since the fireplace was built, Concubine Shu and the others hadn't come to pay their respects for a long time, so of course they didn't know there was such a thing here.
Dongfang Yi smiled and told them about the fireplace.
After hearing this, they nodded their heads with expressions of admiration. Only then did they notice the night pearl placed quietly beside them.
"This night pearl is really big!" Concubine Dong said as she looked at the treasure in front of her.
Then she took a deep breath and continued, "Why does it have a faint fragrance?"
Regarding the fragrance, Dongfang Yi just discovered it today. At the court session, because the distance was too far, she didn't know that it could emit a fragrance.
Now in a small place like the bedroom, if you got close, you could smell the faint fragrance it emitted. Gradually, the whole palace would be filled with its fragrance.
"Yes, it's really a treasure," Dongfang Yi said with a faint smile.
She really liked this thing.
"Oh, I'm so envious! I really want to have such a big pearl too!"
Concubine Shu beside her said with a slightly disappointed face, her tone full of envy.
"Concubine Shu, you're being rude. How can you compare yourself with the Empress casually!" Concubine Dong frowned and scolded the woman in front of her.
Then she wanted to apologize to Dongfang Yi on her behalf.
But Dongfang Yi just smiled and said it was okay. Then she continued, "Since you like it so much, Concubine Shu, you can take it and admire it for a few days. Just return it to me in a few days."
She knew Concubine Shu's character well. She was just such a simple and carefree person. With such a character, she might speak a little carelessly, but Dongfang Yi really liked this kind of character.
Concubine Shu shouted happily and asked, "Really?!"