"Donghua, you... you're going too far!" Dongfang Yi frowned and roared. The wound on her back throbbed painfully as her emotions flared up.
Seeing her like this, Donghua couldn't help but lower her head. Looking aggrieved, she said, "Your Ladyship, I did this all for your own good. You really can't fall ill again. I..."
Here she stopped. Her shoulders trembled uncontrollably, as if she was crying.
"Alright, alright. Why are you getting so upset? I promise I won't get out of bed for the time being!" Dongfang Yi replied helplessly. She obediently tucked her hands and feet back under the covers, looking like a well - behaved child.
Seeing her like this, Donghua managed to calm her emotions. She raised her hand to wipe away the tears from the corners of her eyes, then nodded heavily.
"You! When did you become such a crybaby!" Dongfang Yi reached out and tapped the bridge of the woman's nose in front of her, looking as if she was teasing her.
She still remembered that when she first met Donghua, she thought Donghua was a stunning and tough woman. After all, even those martial - arts - trained men were no match for her. How could she have become someone who cried at the drop of a hat?
Thinking of this, she couldn't help but let out a long sigh. Then, under the woman's confused gaze, she said, "So even a tigress has the heart of a little white rabbit..."
On the other side, in Concubine Chu's palace.
Concubine Chu was sitting on the grand chair in her bedroom, thinking about her next move. Although she had killed all the palace servants who knew the truth, the most crucial thing was that the emperor had witnessed her actions. So it seemed that she was doomed this time. The best way out was to find a perfect scapegoat.
Thinking of this, she couldn't calm down. She stood up, tidied herself up, deliberately put on a plain robe, then left Concubine Chu's palace and headed in another direction of the harem.
The place she was going to was Concubine Dong's palace.
In Concubine Dong's palace at this moment.
Concubine Dong paced back and forth in her bedroom. She didn't know why she felt so uneasy. There was no bad news from outside.
However, the letter she sent back home yesterday had not received any response. It was as if it had sunk into the sea without a trace, which made her couldn't help but worry if something had happened to her family.
She already knew that the emperor had woken up. Although she wasn't sure what had really happened outside, she had heard that a divine doctor had come to the palace. Presumably, it was this doctor who had cured the emperor of his poison.
When she heard this news, she felt a sense of relief. She didn't know why. She just felt lucky that she hadn't ultimately killed the emperor.
After all, she had shown mercy back then. She didn't want to drive him to a corner. It was just the situation that forced her to make such a choice...
In less than an incense - stick's time, Concubine Chu arrived at Concubine Dong's palace gate. Before entering, she saw the spy she had planted here. So she asked, "Has Concubine Dong heard any rumors about the Dong family?"
After all, she was still a bit wary of this.
The spy whispered in reply, "Your Ladyship, don't worry. We've surrounded Concubine Dong's palace tightly. There's no way any rumors could get in!"
Concubine Chu nodded, then walked into the bedroom.
Concubine Dong had heard the commotion outside the palace just now. She came out to greet her early. After seeing who it was, she bowed slightly, then said respectfully, "Your servant pays respects to Concubine Chu. May I ask what important matter brings Your Ladyship here?"
She naturally didn't think that the woman in front of her would visit out of the blue for no reason.
Concubine Chu didn't respond. Instead, she lowered her head. This went on for dozens of seconds. Just when Concubine Dong was about to go over and ask what was wrong, she suddenly raised her head, with tears in her eyes. Then she ran into the bedroom.
Concubine Dong frowned. She didn't know what the woman was up to, but she instinctively felt that something was very wrong. So she followed her.
When she entered the bedroom, she found that the woman in front of her was wearing an extremely plain robe. She wasn't even wearing any hair ornaments, and her face was tear - streaked without any makeup.
Immediately, she seemed to think of something and asked, "Concubine Chu, could it be... that something has happened to the Nangong family?!"
After all, with her mourning - like appearance, it was hard not to think that something had happened to her family. Since wearing mourning clothes was not allowed in the palace, her plain clothes and hair were like wearing mourning.
Concubine Chu shook her head when she heard her words, denying what she said. Then she sat down on a chair beside and wiped her tears with her hand.
Concubine Dong just felt more and more uneasy. It was as if she was about to learn something extremely important. So she asked tremblingly, "Your Ladyship... what on earth has happened? Could it be... something has happened to my family..."
Here she didn't dare to continue. Instead, she looked at the woman in front of her with her eyes.
Concubine Chu then raised her head, frowned at her, and then nodded heavily.
Concubine Dong felt as if a thunderbolt had struck her mind. She stammered, "Your servant... which member of my family has had an accident?!"
Concubine Chu stared at her without blinking. Then she said word by word, "All 132 members of your family are dead. Even your eight - year - old younger brother didn't survive."
All dead!
These four words completely crushed Concubine Dong. After hearing this, she staggered back a few steps. Then, feeling dizzy, she almost fainted but just fell to the ground. Then she murmured, "It can't be. How could my family have suffered such a disaster... What on earth is going on..."
Then, as if she had thought of something, she crawled towards the woman in front of her. Instinctively, she grabbed her calf. Then she looked up with red eyes and asked, "Your Ladyship, you're just lying to your servant, right? How could my family be exterminated?!"
Seeing her like this, Concubine Chu instinctively wanted to pull out her foot. She rolled her eyes at her as if in disgust. But then she gritted her teeth and pretended to be shocked and sad, squeezing out some tears. Then she said, "How could I lie to you? Among all the concubines, you and I are the closest. Of course I won't lie to you!"
After hearing this, the last straw on Concubine Dong's heart broke. She knew that the news of her family's extermination must be true.