Early the next morning, the group set off on their way back to the palace. The ministers all knew that the case of the assassination attempt on the queen had not yet found the real culprit, so they were all quite terrified. After all, there was a high possibility that the murderer was hiding among them. Just thinking about traveling with such a ruthless person made their hair stand on end.
Although Dongfang Yi seemed on the surface to be too lazy to pursue the matter further, how could she easily let go of those who threatened her?
Since Nangong Liuyun had already made a solemn promise, and they knew that the real mastermind behind the scenes was not Concubine Chu, they still had to devise a strategy to make the person behind the scenes show their true colors.
Each person in the group had their own concerns, and no one knew what the others were thinking.
Concubine Chu also learned about the letter her adoptive father had sent to the emperor. Seeing that they were no longer investigating her, she felt much more at ease. A cruel smile even curled up on her lips. If she could escape this disaster, none of those who had framed her would be able to live in peace in the harem.
On the other side, Concubine Lian was sitting in a carriage with a group of concubines. The others were talking about the interesting things that had happened during the outing, but she was sitting quietly in the corner with her head down so low that it was hard to see her expression.
A delicate young maid of honor whose name she couldn't remember looked over and called out, "Sister Lian, what are you thinking about?"
Concubine Lian didn't seem to hear and just kept her head down.
The maid of honor gently pushed her as a reminder.
Unexpectedly, the woman who had been touched suddenly seemed to be stimulated. She raised her head with wide - open eyes and roared at the woman in front of her, "Don't touch me!"
The maid of honor was so frightened that she quickly withdrew her hand and covered her mouth as if about to cry. The other concubines noticed the commotion and started whispering, probably saying how violent she was.
Concubine Lian also realized that she had lost her temper for no reason, but she couldn't control her surging emotions. She could only sigh and lower her head again, thinking about the things she was burdened with.
For the rest of the journey, no one dared to talk to her.
In another carriage, Concubine Yao was also thinking. It was all about Concubine Lian. She really didn't like seeing that woman's sour face all the time, so she decided to get rid of her with a little trick after returning to the palace.
Thinking of this, a more relaxed smile curled up on her lips. She would remove all the obstacles that were unfavorable to her plan for the prosperity of the Southern Neighboring Country one by one.
After about half a day, the group returned to the palace. The ministers reported to the emperor and then went back to their mansions one by one. The concubines also returned to their own palaces.
As soon as Dongfang Yi entered the palace, she saw Concubine Shu waiting in the bedroom. Concubine Shu had missed the hunting tournament because of a cold and had felt regretful at first. But last night, she heard about the assassination attempt on the queen at the hunting ground and immediately began to panic. She came here early this morning and waited, just to see the queen as soon as she returned.
"Your Majesty the Queen, you're back!" she said excitedly. Seeing that the woman in front of her was safe and sound, the stone in her heart finally fell.
The queen's kindness to her couldn't be described in a few words. In this harem, the queen was the only woman she could trust. If anything happened to the queen, she didn't know how she could survive here.
Dongfang Yi looked at the woman who cared about her, walked over, and tapped the tip of her nose. Then she replied with a smile, "Yes, I'm back!"
"I heard what happened to Your Majesty at the hunting ground. Who on earth dared to frame you like this?!" she roared with a look of indignation on her face, looking as if she was about to hit someone.
Dongfang Yi couldn't help but smile. Then she replied, "I'm fine. Don't worry."
"But..." Concubine Shu wanted to say more, but when she saw the look in the woman's eyes in front of her, she stopped. Then she took the queen's arm and walked into the bedroom.
"I've made some snacks. Your Majesty, come and taste them!"
...
On the other side, after seeing off all the ministers, Helian Qi summoned Concubine Chu, who had been waiting outside the Qianqing Palace since they returned to the palace.
"I pay my respects to Your Majesty," she said as she bowed slightly as soon as she entered the palace.
Helian Qi frowned imperceptibly. He had already figured out most of what had happened during the hunting tournament. Although Concubine Chu seemed to be the wronged one, the heinous things she had done in the past couldn't be easily forgotten.
"What's the matter?!" he asked coldly.
The woman below immediately knelt on the ground. She stared straight at the man in front of her and then said loudly, "I know I've committed many sins in the past, but the queen is my elder sister. How could I be so cruel as to hurt her? This time, it was really Concubine Lian who was so ruthless. She not only framed the queen but also shifted the blame onto me. It's really..."
At this point, her eyes turned red and tears began to fall.
This time, she was indeed a bit wronged, but more than that, she was angry. She never wanted to experience the feeling of being betrayed again in her life.
"Oh? Do you have any evidence?" Helian Qi asked, raising his eyebrows.
Concubine Chu frowned tightly and bit her lips. She never expected to be betrayed, let alone thought that she needed to leave evidence.
"I... I have no evidence," she replied with her head down.
"Without evidence, anyone can make empty claims. Everyone in the harem knows that the two of you were inseparable. Why would she frame you now?!" he continued to ask coldly.
"I..." She was left speechless. She never expected that this usually silent man in front of her could be so unanswerable.
"If there's nothing else, you may leave. I will think it over carefully. Also, your adoptive father will return to the capital at the end of the year. You should prepare yourself," Helian Qi said and then lowered his head, clearly indicating that he wanted to dismiss her.
Concubine Chu nodded heavily and then left the Qianqing Palace.
On the way, she was thinking about what the man in the hall had said. It seemed that she had a chance to be cleared of the charges. And since Nangong Liuyun was about to return to court, even if the emperor was in awe of the Nangong family's power, he wouldn't dare to kill her.
Thinking of this, the stone in her heart became lighter. So she didn't want to go back to her own palace but instead wanted to go to the woman who had framed her to see her current expression.