He could never forgive all of this. If he was lucky enough to survive this time, one day he would spare no effort to fight that man to the death.
At this thought, his eyelids grew heavier and heavier. Soon, he fell into a coma.
The night passed and dawn broke.
On the other side, in the Qianqing Palace of the imperial palace.
He Lianqi was bent over his desk, reviewing memorials. Dong Fangyi was sound asleep in the inner chamber.
Suddenly, there came a cry from outside the palace. Then, a guard rushed in. He bowed respectfully and reported, "Your Majesty, the eldest prince of the Southern Neighboring Country... is dead!"
He Lianqi's heart skipped a beat. He never expected such a thing to happen suddenly. But he knew there must be something fishy behind it. Someone must have done it deliberately.
Thinking of this, he frowned, his eyes filled with complicated emotions.
"Have you found out who did it?!" he asked.
"All we know is that it was a man and a woman. The man was masked, and the woman was dressed in white," the guard replied.
"What about the second prince, Ye?!" He Lianqi asked again.
"He was poisoned at first, but then somehow he recovered. Then he headed in the direction of the Southern Neighboring Country," the guard continued.
He Lianqi thought back and forth but couldn't figure out who it was. He could only order, "Investigate immediately!"
The guard bowed and rushed out.
Dong Fangyi in the inner chamber woke up at this time. Rubbing her eyes, she walked out and came to his side. Seeing his solemn expression, she asked, "What's wrong?"
He Lianqi looked at her and ruffled her hair. "Shun is dead," he said.
Dong Fangyi's mind cleared instantly. Her heart began to pound.
"Who did it?!" she asked.
He Lianqi shook his head, indicating that he didn't know either.
Dong Fangyi lowered her eyes and began to think. This whole thing didn't sound simple at all. Shun had died on the territory of the Eastern Victory Country. Obviously, someone was trying to frame them.
If this was the case, the deal He Lianqi had made with them might fall through. And judging from Ye's personality, he would surely come back for revenge. The feud between the Eastern Victory and the Southern Neighboring Country was now set in stone.
Thinking of this, she immediately began to comfort the man in front of her, telling him not to worry. Everything would pass.
He Lianqi looked at the worried look on his woman's face. A warm feeling welled up in his heart, and a smile appeared on his lips.
"I know, Dong'er," he said, his eyes soft as if they could drip water.
On the other side, in the Lanfang Garden.
Yao Ji obviously didn't know this news yet. If she heard that her elder brother had been killed, she would probably go crazy.
She and Shun were born of the same mother, the queen of the Southern Neighboring Country. They had been very close since childhood.
At this moment, she was still thinking about how to survive more steadily in the harem, how to bring down the queen, and how to make the emperor of the Eastern Victory Country fall in love with her completely.
It had to be said that she was overly confident in herself, so she thought things were too simple. She always thought that beauty could represent everything, and her beauty could help her get everything she wanted.
Little did she know that she had already fallen into a huge whirlpool. She could only be manipulated by others and had no control over her own destiny.
The harem returned to calm for a while. On the surface, everything seemed harmonious.
Another day passed. Early this morning, Dong Fangyi got out of bed. She opened the window to breathe in some fresh air, but a chill hit her.
She didn't know when winter had quietly arrived. The air was filled with a biting cold, and the wind stung her face.
It was probably going to snow, she thought. She looked up at the sky, her eyes filled with anticipation.
Then she looked at the fireplace not far away and thought that she should light it up in the next few days. This winter was destined to be warm.
After thinking this, she wrapped herself in a fluffy shawl and walked out of the bedroom.
As soon as she stepped out, she saw Xiao Qian in a hurry. So she asked, "What's the hurry?"
Xiao Qian bowed respectfully and replied, "Sister Donghua went out. Before she left, she told this servant to prepare breakfast for you in advance."
Dong Fangyi frowned. Donghua had been very busy recently. It had been a long time since she had prepared breakfast for her in the morning.
"Where did Donghua go?" she asked.
But Xiao Qian just shook her head. After all, Donghua didn't tell her what it was all about before she left.
At this moment, there came a lively noise from outside the palace. Then she saw Concubine Shu and the others walking in.
When they saw Dong Fangyi, they all curtsied and said in unison, "Greetings to the Empress Dowager."
Then she saw Concubine Shu rushing towards her. In two steps, she was in front of her. With red eyes, she said, "Finally, I can come and visit Your Majesty. I've been so worried. If anything had happened to Your Majesty, I don't know how I could have gone on living!"
The more she said, the more aggrieved she became. She was almost in tears.
Concubine Dong beside her scolded her with a gentle pat on the shoulder, "Don't talk nonsense. The Empress Dowager is fine!"
Dong Fangyi waved her hand and said it was okay. Then she invited them into the bedroom. After all, it was really cold outside.
"The weather is really cold these days," Concubine Jia said as she blew on her hands.
"It's okay. We'll start heating the stoves in the palace soon. I'm also planning to light the fireplace in the next few days. You should come and sit with me more often!" Dong Fangyi said with a smile.
She found that she was gradually getting used to her life as the empress. She also had her own social circle here.
In this huge empress's palace, it would always feel lonely if she lived alone. But if more people came to visit, it would feel much warmer. It was as if she had found some sustenance in this deep palace.
Thinking of this, the smile on her lips grew wider.
The women beside her all agreed that they would come often.
Concubine Shu then started talking about another thing.
"Your Majesty, I heard that there will be a winter hunting event in the palace soon. It will be held after the first snow. All the princes and nobles will attend, and the noble ladies in the capital will also come to join in the fun!" she said, her eyes filled with anticipation.
Dong Fangyi was also looking forward to it. After all, there were very few opportunities to go out in the palace. Those banquets, although delicious and beautiful, were too formal.
But if it was a hunting event, it would surely be different. After all, everyone would rely on their own skills.
Moreover, Dong Fangyi often went to shooting clubs in modern times. She was very good at aiming. So she was even more looking forward to the winter hunting.
After Dong Fangyi heard about the winter hunting, she told Donghua to order a hunting suit for her from the Clothing Bureau in advance.