Chapter 161 Preparing to Get a Dog

Wang Degui moved swiftly, practically inviting and seeing off the three people with varying expressions as they left Weiyang Palace.

Jiang Huan rubbed her temples and let out a long sigh of relief, the sharp aura she had when facing Wen Yilin instantly dissipating.

Huo Lin felt sorry for him and pulled him into his arms.

[I must do something. Should I have the Imperial Guards surround Weiyang Palace? Or move the Hall of Mental Cultivation here?]

Neither seems appropriate; she would definitely feel uncomfortable.

Haha, today is another day I hate harems.

Jiang Huan snuggled closer to him, finding an even more comfortable position.

Hmph, quite the traditional male virtue.

"Okay, okay." Her voice was soft and helpless. "I'm fine. I'm probably just grumpy when I wake up."

She poked Huo Lin's firm chest with her finger and then ran it along the gold thread of his dragon robe.

He looks so handsome in a suit to coax people!

Huo Lin tightened his grip on her arm: "Next time they come, don't hold back. If you're really annoyed, just kick them out. I'll collect their bodies."

He spoke with absolute certainty, as if he would cover for Jiang Huan no matter how much trouble she caused.

Jiang Huan looked up, her eyes sparkling, and couldn't help but laugh.

"Stop, stop, stop! You think I'm not famous enough in the harem?" She smiled mischievously.

"Besides, how can I cook well if my hands are covered in blood?"

Anyway, she didn't level up her skills to be a mafia boss, so the victims of her knife should just be limited to chicken, duck, and fish.

The taste of human flesh is also just so-so.

Jiang Huan's thoughts wandered, and she found herself amused by her own reflections.

Hearing her sweet laughter, Huo Lin's heart softened, and he lowered his head to kiss her forehead.

"Alright, I'll do whatever you say."

I'll be the villain, she'll prepare the food.

As long as you don't get too angry, anything is fine.

Jiang Huan leaned closer to him.

What a villain! He's clearly the best person in the world.

However, these words did remind her.

Huo Lin is no god. The affairs of the previous dynasty are as heavy as mountains, and he also has to keep an eye on Weiyang Palace. This is too tiring.

She had to come up with a solution herself. Since she hated palace intrigue but couldn't get rid of it, why not try to intercept it?

For example, entering Weiyang Palace will trigger events like the Corn Cannon.

A Buddhist-style lifestyle is acceptable, but only if you have sufficient "energy".

Who can be her 360 firewall?

The guards, palace maids, and eunuchs were all too official and easily bribed or exploited, making them extremely unsafe.

I've got it! How about we get a dog?

Raise a few fierce-looking big wolfhounds, and a few clever little puppies.

It can both guard the house and provide emotional value.

"Your Majesty," Jiang Huan suddenly spoke, her eyes filled with anticipation.

"Um?"

"Tell me, how about I keep a few dogs in Weiyang Palace?"

When the time comes, her imposing dog army will be squatting at the door; they'll be eating royal food and have official positions.

Who dares to harm anyone? Who dares to barge in?

If you want to see her, you have to ask the dog for permission first!

If anyone speaks rudely like Wen Yilin again, then we'll unleash the dogs.

Huo Lin paused for a moment, then smiled and nodded without hesitation.

"Very well, I will hang imperial plaques on them when the time comes, and that will be considered as giving you an army."

"What kind do you like? I'll have the Imperial Beast Administration send over all the best ones for you to choose from."

[Don't even mention the Imperial Beast Administration; even if someone likes tigers from deep forests or venomous snakes from the desert, I'll send people to capture them.]

"There's no need for such a big fuss."

Jiang Huan waved her hand, full of interest.

Tigers and venomous snakes, are they? If they get caught in the palace intrigue, they'll be eaten alive too.

"I'll go to the Beast Taming Bureau myself and stretch my muscles. You go about your business; I'll handle this little thing myself."

Huo Lin was still worried, but seeing her high spirits, he could only nod.

[Waaaaah, they've sent me away again.]

What if they encounter danger again? Therefore, I should accompany her.

[Wuhu, a perfectly legitimate reason.]

Jiang Huan heard his thoughts and smiled as she shooed him away.

"Go back to your study and review the memorials. Don't slack off."

The emperor accompanying her to the animal prison? That scene is too beautiful to imagine.

"Can……"

Jiang Huan interrupted him, "No buts, don't worry."

He then personally took action, using a "legitimate reason" to push Huo Lin, who kept looking back, out of the Weiyang Palace gate.

After seeing Huo Lin off, Jiang Huan tidied up for a while before heading to the Imperial Animal Control Bureau with Xiao Zhao, eunuchs, and palace maids.

In addition to raising royal horses, hunting dogs, and falcons, the Imperial Animal Husbandry Bureau here also kept rare birds and animals from all over the country as tribute, as well as cats and dogs kept by some noble ladies in the palace.

The environment wasn't particularly exquisite, but it was clean and tidy.

As Jiang Huan approached the animal prison, she vaguely heard a commotion, mixed with angry curses.

"You clumsy brat, you can't even do this little thing right."

"That's right, look, you've startled our little darling, hurry up and kowtow to apologize."

"Zhou Fu, you little brat, are you itching for a beating again? Steward, look at how clumsy he is, he deserves a beating!"

Jiang Huan frowned slightly and looked toward the source of the sound.

Several people dressed as eunuchs were gathered around the dog kennel in the corner of the animal prison courtyard.

Surrounded in the middle was a small, thin eunuch who looked quite young.

He was curled up on the ground, next to an overturned wooden bucket of feed, some of which had spilled out.

Several newly weaned puppies hid in their mother's arms in fright, while the mother dog growled warily at the crowd.

The fat eunuch in the lead, who looked like a manager, was reprimanding the junior eunuch with spittle flying everywhere.

"We asked you to feed them, and you knocked over the bucket and disturbed the litter of dogs. You're such a useless piece of trash!"

The young eunuch Zhou Fu was so frightened that he trembled all over, his face turned pale, and he kowtowed desperately while trying to explain himself.

"Your Excellency, he deliberately tripped me, and I accidentally knocked it over!" He pointed to a eunuch who was watching the show with his arms crossed.

"Nonsense!" The eunuch immediately jumped out, pointed at Zhou Fu's nose and cursed, "You lowly bastard, you did something wrong and you want to blame it on me? Master Steward, look at this kid, he's unrepentant and needs to be taught a lesson."

"Yes! He needs to be taught a lesson!" The other eunuchs chimed in.

The fat steward clearly didn't care about the truth; he just wanted to use an easy target to establish his authority and vent his anger.

His eyes widened, and he shrieked, "Still trying to argue? Guards, slap him hard across the face until he admits his mistake!"

Immediately, a eunuch rolled up his sleeves, grinned maliciously, and stepped forward to make a move.

Jiang Huan couldn't stand it anymore. In broad daylight, wasn't this bullying an honest person?

"stop."

The crisp, loud sound brought the hand, which was accompanied by a whooshing sound, to an abrupt halt in mid-air.

The entire room fell silent instantly, and everyone instinctively looked in the direction of the sound, immediately spotting Jiang Huan and the palace maid beside her.

Those who can survive in the palace have a good eye; they can tell from this entourage that the Empress has arrived.

The once arrogant and domineering eunuchs were instantly terrified and knelt down in unison.

"This servant greets Your Majesty, may Your Majesty be blessed with ten thousand years of happiness and peace."

The fat steward reacted a beat slower, but he still scrambled to his knees, burying his head lower than anyone else.

"This humble servant, Liu Youde, the supervisor of the beast taming, pays his respects to Your Majesty. May Your Majesty be well. I was unaware of Your Majesty's presence and have failed to greet you properly."