After the Empress Dowager returned to the Qianqing Palace, she rushed to Helian Qi's bedside. Her brows were tightly knitted, and her heart was filled with unease. The current situation was beyond her control. Before long, the news of the Emperor's poisoning would no longer be able to be concealed, and the ministers in the court were already suspicious of each other. Sooner or later, the whole city would be in an uproar.
Thinking of this, her gaze towards the man on the bed turned haggard.
When will you wake up...
Then she let out a sigh, stood up, and walked out. Remembering what the ministers had said just now, she silently made a decision.
"Granny Li!" she called out sharply.
"What are your instructions, Empress Dowager?" Granny Li replied.
"Announce my decree. Depose Dongfang Yi from her position as the Empress and send her to the Cold Palace from now on!" the Empress Dowager said coldly, without the slightest hesitation in her expression.
She had always disliked Dongfang Yi. Now that such a thing had happened, she naturally had to take measures. Moreover, she had only promised the Dongfang family not to harm their daughter's life. But matters regarding the concubines in the harem were still under her control. So she made this decision on the spot.
Hearing this, Granny Li nodded without hesitation and said, "This servant obeys your order!"
She had served the Empress Dowager for forty years. No matter what orders the Empress Dowager gave, she would always listen and strive to carry them out. That was why she had become the most favored head maid in the Cining Palace. Even ordinary concubines would show her respect.
After receiving the order, she had the Empress Dowager's decree drafted according to her instructions, and then rushed to the Empress's Palace.
On the other side, in the Empress's Palace.
Dongfang Yi was sitting on the stone steps in front of the sleeping chamber, counting her fingers out of boredom. From time to time, she would look towards the outside of the palace. Now that Concubine Chu had left, the two guards had become even more vigilant. It was almost impossible for her to rush out again.
While she was deep in thought, Xiaolan ran over from the side and said, "Empress, I heard that the Empress Dowager has temporarily resolved the matter regarding the Emperor, but..."
She stopped here and looked up hesitantly.
"But what?!" Dongfang Yi asked loudly.
The fact that Helian Qi's matter had been temporarily resolved was surely good news. But what was this "but" about?
Xiaolan bit her lips and then continued, "Empress, I heard that the official Li Jian has advised the Empress Dowager to depose you from your position as the Empress, and also said that you are..."
She stopped again. After all, the following words would be extremely disrespectful to the woman in front of her.
Hearing this, Dongfang Yi couldn't help but let out a cold laugh. Who was this Li Jian? She never expected that besides the Nangong family, there would be someone else so targeting her. Now that she had already been sent to the Cold Palace, they still wanted to make use of this opportunity. It was truly like a tiger that had fallen to the ground being bullied by dogs!
"What did they say about me?!" she asked, raising her eyebrows with disdain. She wanted to hear what other offensive words they could come up with.
"Your Majesty, you'd better not listen!" Xiaolan shook her head and didn't want to answer. Her brows were knitted tightly.
"Speak!" Dongfang Yi ordered again.
She was Dongfang Yi, who was not afraid of anything. Could she be drowned by their slander?
Seeing that if she didn't say anything, the woman in front of her would go and ask by herself, Xiaolan lowered her head and whispered, "They said that it was all because of you that the Emperor was assassinated, and that you are a... femme fatale who brings disaster to the country."
What a "femme fatale who brings disaster to the country"! Dongfang Yi sneered after hearing this. In modern times, she had always watched on TV how those extremely beautiful women entered the harem and were slandered as femme fatales. Now, she had actually received this "honor" herself!
"Their words are nothing special," she said coldly.
Although she was unhappy in her heart, she wasn't so angry that she lost her mind. After all, it would be a disgrace if she were to be defeated by just a few words.
Xiaolan looked at the woman in front of her, biting her lips and feeling very conflicted. She had always heard that the Empress was strong, and now she finally saw it for herself.
While they were talking, there came a sound of footsteps outside the palace gate. Then an old woman appeared in their sight.
It was Granny Li, the maid beside the Empress Dowager.
As soon as Dongfang Yi saw her, her heart skipped a beat. She seemed to have already anticipated something.
Granny Li didn't say much after entering. She directly opened the imperial edict in her hand and began to read.
"By the decree of the Empress Dowager, Dongfang Yi, as the Empress, should have set an example for all women and governed the harem with virtue. However, she has been disobedient and reckless. Therefore, she is hereby deposed from her position as the Empress and demoted to Concubine Yi. She shall be sent to the Cold Palace to rectify the rules of the harem."
She read word by word. Dongfang Yi felt desolate in her heart after hearing this. She never expected that things would happen so quickly. She had just heard about it, and the Empress Dowager's decree had already arrived.
Thinking of this, she sneered. Then she heard the old woman in front of her say, "Empress, oh no, Concubine Yi! Come and receive the Empress Dowager's decree."
What a "Concubine Yi"! Dongfang Yi sneered, stood up, and received the decree. Then, without saying a word, she turned around and walked into the sleeping chamber with a flick of her sleeve.
"Concubine Yi, the Empress Dowager remembers that you were once the Empress, so the Empress's Palace will not be taken back for the time being. You'd better take good care of yourself!" Granny Li said in a deep voice, and then left the Empress's Palace.
Dongfang Yi sat down on the grand master's chair in a daze. Although she had anticipated this moment, she still felt a little sad when it actually came.
But she only thought about it for a while, and then let out a sigh. After all, her current situation was not something to be worried about. The most important thing to her was Helian Qi.
The two guards who had been guarding outside the palace gate had left with Granny Li, but the palace gate had been tightly locked from the outside. After all, this place had been confirmed as the Cold Palace, and it was impossible for her to step out of the palace gate again.
Naturally, the guards didn't need to keep an eye on her anymore.
Thinking of this, her brows knitted together. She quickly ran out of the sleeping chamber and looked into the distance. She found that the wall of the Empress's Palace was not too high. She thought that she could climb over it if she tried hard. She must find a way to go to the Qianqing Palace and take a look when no one was around tonight.
After all, she hadn't seen Helian Qi for a long time, and she was extremely anxious.
"Don't worry, Your Majesty. When the Emperor wakes up, you will surely be the only Empress again!" Xiaolan comforted her with red eyes.
In her eyes, Dongfang Yi's abnormal behavior was just a sign of mental disorder caused by being deposed from the position of Empress. After all, no one could bear the fall from such a high position.
Hearing this, Dongfang Yi curled her lips and replied, "I never really cared about the position of the Empress."
The only thing she cared about was Helian Qi.