Inside the hunting ground.
Half a day had passed, and those who had entered the forest were gradually returning.
After all, this competition would last for two days. The final winner would be determined by the total number of animals hunted in these two days. So when it was time for lunch, they naturally had to come out.
Dongfang Yi had been riding for half a day. Now she felt a bit sore in her back. She couldn't help but complain about her own body. In modern times, she could ride a horse in the equestrian field for a whole day without getting too tired. But now she was as listless as a sickly person.
Thinking of this, she hung her head, thinking that she might have no chance of winning this competition. Not only had she seen Lian Chanjuan's excellent archery skills, but also because Helian Rong was participating. She had heard that her brother - in - law was extremely skilled in martial arts, and his archery skills were unmatched in the entire Dongsheng Country.
However, after half a day of hunting, she had come to terms with it. After all, it was really fun to come out and play. She hadn't been so carefree for a long time.
While lost in thought, she had already walked out of the forest. Looking up, she saw Helian Qi sitting on the dragon - throne not far away. His eyes were fixed on her intently.
She immediately returned a smile, dismounted from her horse, and ran towards him.
Helian Qi frowned slightly looking at the sweating woman in front of him. Then he asked, "Did you have a good time this morning?"
Dongfang Yi immediately nodded vigorously, picked up the tea in front of her and drank it all in one gulp.
"Are you going to continue the hunting competition?" the man opposite her asked again.
He still didn't want her to leave his sight, especially in that unpredictable forest. After all, she was a woman, and Helian Qi was a bit worried.
"Of course! One should never give up halfway. Since I've participated in this competition, even if the result is not satisfactory, I can't give up now!"
Dongfang Yi said seriously, as if she was expounding some great principle. The man opposite her couldn't help but laugh. He found it quite interesting. Then he nodded and replied, "Okay, okay, okay. Everything will be as you wish!"
If she was happy, then let her be. Anyway, he would do his best to protect her. So why not protect her happiness?
Thinking of this, the smile on his lips deepened.
About an hour later, all those who had entered the forest at the beginning rode out on their horses and came to the banquet hall outside the forest. Helian Qi sat in a high - position and signaled the palace servants to serve the food. Then this small banquet began.
Most people at the banquet were discussing the hunting results of this morning, talking about who had hunted the most animals and who had shot down some rare species.
Among them, Helian Rong and the Lian siblings were surrounded by the crowd because they were highly regarded. People kept asking them about their morning experiences.
Helian Qi and Dongfang Yi at the highest position seemed to be detached from the worldly affairs.
"How was your harvest this morning?" Helian Qi asked.
Dongfang Yi counted on her fingers, then looked up and replied, "Not too many, not too few. There were seven in total. Among them, there was a small gray fox. It looked extremely smart, but it still couldn't escape my arrow."
There was uncontrollable pride in her tone, as if she was boasting about how great she was. Helian Qi looked at the woman in front of him, and the corners of his mouth curled up involuntarily. His eyes also slightly curved. He reached out his hand and stroked her hair.
All their actions were seen by a woman below.
Concubine Chu stared at them intently, with flames seemingly burning in her eyes. She still couldn't forget how heartless that man had been to her yesterday, and how she had been forced to have an affair with a low - ranked guard, which had ruined her reputation.
The more she thought about it, the more the anger in her heart made it hard for her to breathe. Her heart seemed to be bitten by countless insects.
All these were noticed by Concubine Lian beside her. How could she not see the hatred and anger in Concubine Chu's eyes? But this was exactly what she wanted, because anger would break down people's defenses and make them do stupid things.
Thinking of this, she quietly left the banquet and walked towards a secluded place. There, Yaoji was waiting for her.
Yaoji was standing with her back to her by a pool. She was wearing a deep - purple hunting suit with tassels on the hem, looking extremely cute. When she heard the sound, she suddenly turned around. Seeing that it was Concubine Lian, she curled her lips and asked, "How does it feel to catch your enemy's handle?"
Her words made Concubine Lian can't help but curl her lips. Originally, her plan wouldn't have been realized so soon. She had to thank the woman in front of her for coming up with the idea, which made it so easy for her to succeed.
After thinking about it, she replied, "I really have to thank Lady Yaoji for all this!"
But Yaoji walked towards her seductively, put her mouth next to her ear and said something. Then she turned around and left.
Concubine Lian, who was still standing there, froze after hearing that, with a hint of fear in her eyes.
Just now, Yaoji had reminded her to beware of Concubine Chu. Concubine Chu hadn't been concentrating on hunting after separating from her this morning. Instead, she had carefully set up a trap in a certain place, aiming to lure her into it tomorrow.
No wonder their harvest was so small this morning. It turned out that that woman couldn't wait to get rid of her.
She knew that Concubine Chu, with her unforgiving personality, would surely take revenge on her. But she didn't expect that she was so impatient and wanted to attack her at this time.
Thinking of this, she couldn't help but curl her lips and sneer. Immediately, a plan came to her mind. Since that woman wanted to use such a dirty trick to kill her, she might as well go along with it and see how she could escape.
After thinking it over, she lost her appetite and rushed towards her tent.
After the banquet, there would be a short rest before the afternoon hunting competition. Most people went back to their tents to rest. Dongfang Yi also planned to return to her tent. Just as she was about to leave, Helian Qi grabbed her hand.
Just as she was about to ask what was going on, she felt him lean over and whisper in her ear, "Wait for me in my tent."
Dongfang Yi felt her face heat up after hearing that. When she came to her senses, she found that the man who had been standing in front of her had already left. She frowned and walked towards the emperor's tent.
The emperor was, after all, the most noble person. His tent was much more luxurious and bigger than others.
This was what Dongfang Yi thought when she first entered the tent. Compared with this one, her tent was really shabby.
About a quarter of an hour later, Helian Qi rushed back and walked up to her in two steps.