Early the next morning, Dongfang Yi woke up. After lying in bed for a while to collect her thoughts, she remembered that today she was going to expose Yaoji in Concubine Chu's Palace. Inevitably, she felt a bit excited. Since Yaoji came here, she had done so many things to harm her. But every time, she couldn't convict Yaoji because she couldn't find any evidence.
Also, because of the Southern Neighboring Country behind Yaoji, currently Helian Qi couldn't afford any war with foreign courts. So, if they wanted to kill Yaoji, they still had to present solid evidence.
She let out a long breath and then rolled out of bed. Hearing the noise, Donghua rushed in and said, "Your Majesty the Emperor has been waiting for you in the side - hall for a quarter of an hour, Your Highness."
Dongfang Yi couldn't help frowning and asked, "Why didn't he wait here?"
Donghua smiled and replied, "His Majesty said that you sleep lightly and are easily woken up, so he didn't want to come in. He said he would wait until you woke up naturally before coming in."
As she was speaking, Helian Qi strode in. With a solemn look on his face, he said to Donghua, "Too talkative," and then walked to the bedside.
Dongfang Yi felt a warm current in her heart. It was because of his concern for her and his meticulous thoughtfulness.
"I don't sleep that lightly. He didn't even come into my sleeping quarters," she said, pretending to be angry with a raised eyebrow.
Helian Qi gently scraped the tip of her nose and then said with a smile, "You would wake up even when I turned over in my sleep. You still say you don't sleep lightly."
After hearing this, Dongfang Yi's face blushed immediately. Then she started to shoo him away, saying, "Get out quickly! I'm going to change my clothes!"
Only then did he leave the sleeping quarters with a smile on his lips. Then Donghua said with a smile, "His Majesty really knows you well, Your Highness!"
Then she pushed Dongfang Yi in front of the dressing mirror and started to do her hair. After simply coiling her hair into a cloud - shaped bun, she inserted a hairpin in the shape of a pomegranate branch. With a water - red robe on, she looked extremely elegant, refined yet dignified.
After finishing her dressing, she had breakfast with Helian Qi and then they rushed to Concubine Chu's Palace together.
On the way, Dongfang Yi was still a bit uneasy. Since Yaoji was always full of tricks, she wondered if Yaoji was still hiding some other schemes this time.
Helian Qi noticed the uneasiness on her face and patted her hand to comfort her, saying, "Don't worry. Just leave it to me."
His words immediately calmed the uneasy woman down. In less than a quarter of an hour, they arrived at Concubine Chu's Palace.
Concubine Chu never expected that they would come here on their own initiative. She thought it was the credit of her adoptive father. But they didn't even glance at her. Instead, they sent someone to bring out that box half - filled with sand again.
After pouring out the sand, they turned the box over. Sure enough, they found no trace of the mark of the Eastern Sheng Country on the bottom of the box. This proved that the box was not an item from the Eastern Sheng Country at all. Then how could Concubine Chu have such a thing? There must have been someone here.
Helian Qi couldn't help curling the corner of his mouth. Then he said to the woman beside him, "I've also appraised that jade flute. It's indeed not an item of our dynasty but was made with the craftsmanship of the Southern Neighboring Country."
Hearing this, Dongfang Yi felt a burst of joy in her heart. She didn't expect that her clues would go so smoothly. In this way, that woman would surely not be able to escape.
Although Concubine Chu didn't know exactly what they were investigating, she roughly understood that they had found out her innocence and had already discovered the evidence that Yaoji was the real culprit. So she said to the people in front of her,
"Your Majesty, you finally know that I'm innocent. Every word I said yesterday was true. It was Yaoji who framed me!" she said, covering her face with a look of grievance.
Dongfang Yi raised her eyebrow and scolded her, "You're so stupid! If you hadn't easily believed the instigation of others, how could the following things have happened? Hurry up and go to repent. What are you pretending to be pitiful for here!"
Just as she said at the beginning, even if Concubine Chu was not the real culprit, she was still a stupid accomplice. Because the snake flew out from her sleeve. Without her, Xiao Qian wouldn't have died.
"You!..."
Concubine Chu wanted to say something else, but when she met Helian Qi's dangerous look, she didn't dare to say another word. Instead, she lowered her head reluctantly and gritted her teeth, saying, "Forgive me, Your Highness the Empress. I was stupid!"
No matter how much she hated in her heart, she definitely couldn't lose her temper in front of the Emperor. After all, she was just a concubine while Dongfang Yi was the Empress. If she got the crime of disrespect at this time, it would be a great loss.
Anyway, there was still a long time in the future. She would surely get back what this woman owed her!
"Go and arrest Yaoji for me!" Helian Qi ordered coldly with a cold look in his eyes.
He also felt secretly happy in his heart. Finally, he could completely uproot this spy from the Southern Neighboring Country planted in the harem. As long as she was still here for one day, he couldn't feel at ease.
On the other side, in the Orchid Fragrance Garden.
Before the people sent by Helian Qi arrived, she had already heard about the box. She didn't expect that she had made a careless mistake and forgotten such an important detail. And that jade flute, she had forgotten that it was originally brought from the Southern Neighboring Country. At that time, she only remembered to frame Concubine Chu but forgot that these actions might expose herself.
So she immediately picked up a pen and wrote a letter. Her hand holding the pen was slightly trembling, making the words she wrote extremely scribbled.
The letter described the situation she might encounter soon, and she hoped that her elder brother could come to save her. After finishing writing, she gave it to the maid beside her and told her to deliver it to Ye, the second prince of the Southern Neighboring Country at all costs.
Soon, the people sent by the Emperor arrived at the Orchid Fragrance Garden. They rudely arrested her and said, "Let's go, Lady Yaoji. Come with us to see His Majesty the Emperor and Her Highness the Empress!"
She gritted her teeth and lowered her head, enduring their shoving. She never thought that just overnight, she would be treated like this. It was really unpredictable how things could change.
In less than a quarter of an hour, she was brought to Concubine Chu's Palace. Sitting in front of her were the Emperor and the Empress.
"Yaoji, I'll ask you one more time. Did you come here to see Concubine Chu that day?!" Dongfang Yi asked coldly with a cold look in her eyes.
She was so angry that she wished she could tear the woman in front of her to pieces, but the proper procedure still had to be followed.
Yaoji sneered, then raised her head. Her pair of beautiful but dangerous blue eyes stared at Dongfang Yi and said, "What's the meaning of Your Highness the Empress asking this question now?!"