In the current Dongsheng Kingdom, Lian Cheng had already rushed back to the capital city. After entering the imperial palace, he went to the Qianqing Palace to pay homage to the emperor and reported to him in detail that Yaoji had returned to the court safely.
There was an obvious hint of pleasure on Helian Qi's face. After all, he didn't want to start a war at this time, so the fact that Yaoji was still alive was the best outcome. Then he asked, "Did you encounter any troubles on the way?"
Lian Cheng frowned and told him about the assassins they had met on the road a few days ago. He said that those people were obviously from the Southern Neighboring Country. It was very likely that they were the warmongers from that country who deliberately wanted to kill Yaoji to provoke a war between the two countries.
After hearing this, Helian Qi wasn't very surprised. The reason he had sent Lian Cheng along was that he had anticipated such a thing. He trusted Lian Cheng's martial arts skills and believed that he would be able to stop the assassins. So he wasn't surprised to hear this now.
After Lian Cheng reported everything that had happened on the road, he withdrew from the Qianqing Palace.
Shortly after, Dongfang Yi rushed over. As soon as she heard the news that Lian Cheng had returned to the capital, she immediately rushed over from the Queen's Palace.
"Helian Qi!" she shouted as soon as she entered the palace, looking at the man sitting on the high seat.
Hearing her voice, the man looked up, then curved his eyebrows and said to the woman not far away, "Dong'er, you're here."
"Has Yaoji returned to the country safely?" Dongfang Yi walked over and sat down beside him and asked.
Helian Qi nodded heavily after hearing this.
The huge rock that had been hanging in her heart finally fell to the ground completely. She really didn't want a war to break out. Now hearing that Yaoji was safe was really good news, so even her expression became a bit more lively.
"By the way, there's something I want to tell you," she suddenly said, looking at the man in front of her with wide - open eyes.
"What is it?" Helian Qi asked.
But his heart skipped a beat, because he knew that when this woman in front of him showed such an expression, it meant she had some tricks in mind.
"Isn't the Lantern Festival coming up soon? I heard that there will be a really big lantern festival in the capital city. I want... to go and have a look!" she said, lowering her head and playing with her fingers.
She felt a bit nervous after all, because she had just left the palace before the New Year, and it hadn't been long since then. So she was a bit uneasy when making this request.
After Helian Qi heard her words, a smile curved his lips. He thought it was something big, making her so nervous. It was just about leaving the palace!
"Silly girl, this isn't a big deal. I'll grant your request," he said, reaching out to gently tap the tip of her nose.
"Really?!" she exclaimed in surprise, then threw herself into the man's arms in front of her. She played with the strands of his hair that had fallen and then said, "You're so good!"
She originally thought that Helian Qi would definitely not agree and would try to stop her, but she didn't expect him to agree so readily.
Looking at the woman in his arms who seemed to be acting coquettishly, the man's heart melted completely. Sure enough, he could be cold - blooded and heartless in front of anyone, but towards her, he just wanted to give her all the tenderness in the world.
Thinking of this, he used one hand to lift the woman's chin in front of him and stared into her brown pupils without blinking. Then he kissed her without hesitation.
As their lips and tongues intertwined, they exchanged their breaths, and the saliva secreted their affection.
"Um..."
Just as they were deeply in love, there came a cry from outside the palace: "Prime Minister Nangong is here!"
Hearing this, Helian Qi separated from the woman in front of him. Panting, there was a hint of annoyance in his eyes. Probably no one would like to be interrupted at such a moment.
Dongfang Yi's ears and cheeks turned red, as if something shy had been caught. Then she stood up and said to the man in front of her, "I'll go back to the palace first."
Helian Qi could only nod slightly and replied, "I'll go to the Queen's Palace to find you after I've dealt with things."
After saying that, they parted reluctantly. At the same time, a man walked in from outside the palace.
His fat body trembled with every step he took. On his face full of flesh, his eyes were narrow and long, and his thick lips said to the man sitting on the high seat, "Your humble servant pays homage to the emperor!"
"Rise, my subject," Helian Qi replied coldly, with no emotion in his eyes.
Then Nangong Liuyun began to talk about his matters regarding leaving the capital. After all, his return this time was only a temporary stay. Now that the New Year had passed and he had inquired about the matters in the court and solved the matter about Concubine Chu, the most important thing was the matter regarding the imperial mausoleum.
But of course, he wouldn't talk about the details. He just pretended to be loyal and said that he was really worried about the matter of the imperial mausoleum. Since he wanted to share the emperor's burdens, he must do his best.
Helian Qi looked at his hypocritical appearance and knew what he was up to in his heart, but he didn't expose him. After all, they would finally see the outcome.
Thinking of this, a smile curved his lips. Pretending to be gratified, he said, "I'm deeply gratified that you're so loyal, my subject. Then go back and prepare quickly!"
Then Nangong Liuyun respectfully withdrew from the Qianqing Palace. The man still sitting there watched his back gradually disappear from his sight, and the smile on his lips faded away.
The team sent to repair the imperial mausoleum had been out of the capital for more than half a year. It was estimated that it would be completed in a few more months. At that time, they would go to the newly - built imperial mausoleum to pay homage to their ancestors, and then the good and the evil would be revealed.
On the other side, Nangong Liuyun, who had already left the palace, heaved a long sigh. The purpose of his coming to the palace was to inquire about the news of Yaoji. Now that he knew that the woman had successfully returned to the court, he felt relieved.
He wasn't worried about what Helian Qi would do, but was afraid that the Southern Neighboring Country would take the lead before he had completed all his preparations. Then all his efforts in the past year would be in vain.
So there must be no war at this time. When he dethroned Helian Qi and ascended to the throne himself, he would naturally handle the relationship with the Southern Neighboring Country properly.
Just as he was deep in thought, he heard a commotion in front of him. He couldn't help but frown. He knew that the capital city was the imperial city, the guards were of the highest level, and the public security was impeccable. Who on earth dared to cause trouble here?
Thinking of this, he cleared his throat and motioned to the guard beside him.
The guard drew out his sword and walked to the outside of the crowd, shouting loudly, "Prime Minister Nangong is here! All idlers, step back quickly!"