On the other side, in a farmhouse deep in the hunting forest.
After they all reunited, they talked to each other for a while. Most of their conversation expressed the longing between the aunt and nephews after years of separation. But no matter how they asked the princess what had happened to her over the years, she just wouldn't tell them the details.
Looking at her son, Si Lanyi, who was only seven or eight years old. Everyone knew that she had returned from the Western Region State fifteen years ago, and she had come back alone. Later, there was no news of her remarriage. So how did she have a seven - or eight - year - old son?
But since she didn't want to talk about it, Helian Qi and the others didn't want to press further. After all, their aunt had been away from the secular world for more than a decade. The royal family of Dongsheng had already classified her into the Bin Tian royal clan, and no one had expected that she was still alive.
Now that so many people had seen her, it was inevitable that there would be a storm of rumors after they returned to the capital. But that was for later. For now, no one really cared about what would happen in the future.
Dongfang Yi heard the princess talk about many things from Helian Qi's childhood. Only then did she know that Helian Qi's cold and aloof nature had been formed since childhood. He had always been different from ordinary children.
Maybe the late emperor had placed too many hopes on him, so he was much stricter with Helian Qi than with Helian Rong. Since childhood, Helian Qi had rarely had the chance to play with his brother.
After hearing this, Dongfang Yi couldn't help but frown. She never thought that he had been so lonely and pitiful in his childhood, completely losing the innocence that a child should have.
But Helian Rong was different. He had been raised by the current empress dowager since childhood and had received extreme love from everyone. He had a cheerful personality since childhood, while his elder brother had to stay in the study every day, listening to the instructors' lectures day and night.
"They were all good kids since childhood," Princess Shangyang said with a smile on her lips, as if she could recall the scene of those two little boys around her knees.
"Aunt, come back to the palace with us this time," Helian Qi said.
Helian Rong beside him quickly echoed.
After all, living in this forest day after day and year after year was really hard. How could an ordinary person bear it?
But the princess shook her head and retorted, "What's the point of going back? What's the difference between living in the palace and here? Repeating the same life day after day and year after year. I'm already used to living here."
After hearing this, they all frowned. Dongfang Yi thought what she said made sense. For those loveless women in the harem, living alone in the huge palace, they could only repeat the same life day after day. What was the difference between this and being locked in a confined place?
But Helian Qi spoke up again, "Aunt, although you're used to living here, have you ever thought about what will happen to Yi'er? Do you want him to grow up in this forest and be a mountain villager for the rest of his life?!"
His words hit the nail on the head. The princess was visibly shocked after hearing this, as if she had never thought of it at all.
She had thought about her son's future, but she had already experienced the treachery of the outside world. How could she bear to let her son go out and suffer the same hardships?
Thinking of this, she looked at her son beside her with a sad expression. She raised her hand and stroked his head, then asked, "Yi'er, do you want to go out of the forest and have a look?"
The little boy rolled his eyes and replied smartly, "Yi'er wants to go out of the forest. Yi'er has only read in the books that 'the sky is high enough for the birds to fly and the sea is wide enough for the fish to leap', but now Yi'er is not even as free as a bird or a fish."
His words surprised everyone present. Princess Shangyang was even more shocked that her son could say such a sad thing. She let out a long sigh and murmured, "Forget it, forget it. I can't stay in this forest for a lifetime. Since I have to go out sooner or later, I might as well end it all now."
Her words clearly meant that she had agreed to Helian Qi's request. She was going to take her son back to the palace with them.
Dongfang Yi thought that everything had turned out well. She never thought that falling into a trap once could lead to such a warm - hearted scene. It wasn't in vain that she got hurt.
Thinking of this, she couldn't help saying, "I'll make proper arrangements after we get back. I'll definitely find the best teachers for Yi'er and won't let you and your son be wronged."
The princess nodded heavily after hearing this, with a tear glistening in the corner of her eye.
"Mother, will you be sad when we go out?" little Yi'er said.
The princess obviously didn't expect her son to say such a thing. She quickly shook her head and said, "How could mother be sad? As long as Yi'er is happy, mother is willing to do anything."
Only then did Yi'er show a big smile. Then he grinned and said, "Then mother, we've made a deal. You're not allowed to be sad. When Yi'er grows up, he will buy you the biggest mansion and plant your favorite jasmine flowers for you!"
The princess hugged her son in front of her, wiped the tear from the corner of her eye, and said "good, good, good" in a deep voice.
Dongfang Yi was deeply touched when she saw this scene. Just now she was wondering why the yard smelled so fragrant. Now she saw the jasmine flowers in front of the door. It turned out that the princess liked jasmine flowers.
Although she didn't know what the princess had gone through that made her so resistant to the outside world, she knew that the princess must have suffered a great deal of pain to have such a deep - seated fear.
Thinking of this, she turned her head and just happened to see Helian Qi staring at her intently. She gave him a smile in return, and then they left the room tacitly.
Outside, they looked into each other's eyes, as if they were pouring out their hearts to each other. Dongfang Yi didn't know why she was so unlucky. It had not even been half a month since the poisoning incident by the Southern Neighboring State, and now she had fallen into a deep pit trap. She didn't know where the next disaster was waiting for her.
Why was it so difficult to be a queen and be with the one she loved? Did she have to go through all these hardships until she lost her life?
"Helian Qi, what on earth did aunt experience that made her so afraid of the outside world?" she said.
Helian Qi frowned after hearing this, then replied in a deep voice, "Separation in life, failure to guard in death, being forced to be with those you hate, being separated from those you love, and failing to get what you desire. These are the six sufferings in life. No matter which one you encounter, you will be afraid of the world."
His words were solemn, but they made Dongfang Yi's heart tremble. Looking at the man she loved so much in front of her, she wondered how long she could have him. After all, she didn't really belong here. Maybe she would be forced to go back at any time. What would happen to him then? And what about their relationship?
Seeing the woman in front of him looking so sad, Helian Qi thought it was because his words were too sad and had touched her. So he comforted her gently, "Don't be afraid, Dong'er. I won't let you experience any of the six sufferings in life."