Chapter 181 The Palace Relocation and Promotion Turmoil

Huo Lin's kisses gradually moved down, landing on her slender neck, leaving a trail of burning marks.

His hands were no longer still, slowly moving along the curve of her waist, his fingertips sending shivers down her spine wherever they touched.

"Wait, wait..." Jiang Huan pushed his shoulder, her breath unsteady. "The door... the door isn't closed yet..."

Huo Lin didn't even look up, his voice muffled.

"Who dares to look?"

[I'll gouge out his eyes.]

"She's so beautiful, only I can see her."

As he spoke, he pulled the bed curtains over with one hand.

Heavy curtains fell in layers, enveloping the two in a secret space.

In the dim light, his eyes shone with an astonishing brightness, like two flames burning within them.

"Is it okay now?" he asked with a low laugh, his hands continuing to move.

Jiang Huan was amused by his anxious appearance: "Didn't Your Majesty say that you should be pure and have few desires? What kind of purity and abstinence is this?"

Huo Lin gave her a light bite on her collarbone as punishment: "It's all because you provoked me."

[She was the one who flirted with me first, and now she's blaming me for not being able to control myself?]

[I've tried my best to restrain myself. I've managed to purify my heart, but to ask me to abstain from desire for her... I simply cannot do it.]

Jiang Huan was amused by his attempt to shift the blame: "That wasn't the reward you asked me for..."

Before he could finish speaking, Huo Lin sealed his words with a kiss.

The kiss was deep and intense, as if it wanted to devour her whole.

Jiang Huan was so overwhelmed by his kisses that her mind went completely blank.

Taking advantage of the moment, Huo Lin unbuttoned her clothes and caressed her delicate skin.

Jiang Huan trembled from the heat of his palm and instinctively tried to dodge, but he held her firmly in his grasp.

"Why are you running?" His voice was incredibly hoarse. "Weren't you quite daring just now? Hmm?"

The last syllable rose in pitch, carrying a clear flirtatious tone that made Jiang Huan's ears burn.

That bastard, all he does is bully people!

Huo Lin felt a surge of warmth in his heart when he saw her embarrassed and annoyed expression.

He leaned down, his warm breath spraying onto her sensitive earlobe. Jiang Huan felt a surge of heat rush up her spine, and her whole body went limp.

Huo Lin watched her reaction with satisfaction, his movements becoming increasingly gentle, yet also increasingly bold.

His kisses traveled down from her earlobe to her delicate collarbone.

"Huo Lin..."

Jiang Huan unconsciously called his name, her voice incredibly soft.

This soft call seemed to ignite the final fuse, and Huo Lin's rationality collapsed instantly.

He tightened his arms around her, pulling her deeper into his embrace, and his burning lips and tongue covered hers once more.

The temperature inside the curtained room rose rapidly, and the sounds of soft breathing and the rustling of fabric mingled together.

As the sun rose higher outside the window, bright sunlight streamed in through the window frame, but was blocked by the heavy bed curtains, casting only a hazy shadow on the floor.

Huo Lin's kisses grew deeper and heavier, leaving Jiang Huan dizzy and disoriented, only able to passively endure them.

“I’m here…” he murmured at her lips, his voice filled with an intense, possessive desire.

Jiang Huan tried to respond in a daze, but was blocked by his new offensive.

The spring scenery inside the curtained room was enchanting.

After an unknown amount of time, the fierce waves finally subsided, leaving only faint gasps and the clatter of hearts.

Huo Lin lay on his side on the bed, carefully holding the drowsy Jiang Huan in his arms.

Her fair cheeks still had a lingering blush, her eyelashes trembled slightly, and her breathing was even; she was clearly exhausted.

She's so beautiful, even when she's asleep.

[It's all my fault, I couldn't control myself. Did I tire her out...?]

Huo Lin thought to himself with delight, gently stroking her loose hair that was scattered on the pillow with his fingers, his eyes so tender they could melt water.

Jiang Huan vaguely sensed his little movements, wrinkled her nose in dissatisfaction, and snuggled closer to him.

"Stop it...I'm sleepy..."

That bastard, he's been keeping me up for so long and won't let me sleep. I can't even lift my arms anymore.

Huo Lin's heart softened at her unconscious coquettishness, and he quickly softened his movements, gently placing a kiss on her forehead.

[Yes, yes, I will be very quiet, I will even hold my breath, so as not to disturb her.]

However… she doesn’t seem to have had lunch yet?

I understand the pain of not being able to sleep on an empty stomach.

He rose gently, casually draped an outer robe over his shoulders, and walked to the palace entrance.

"Wang Degui".

The voice was so soft it was almost nothing but breath.

Thanks to Wang Degui's decades of experience in serving others, he didn't miss the order: "This servant is here!"

"Serve her a light meal, and also prepare some of her favorite snacks."

Huo Lin gave the order, then added, "Be quiet, don't disturb her."

"This servant will take care of it immediately." Wang Degui understood, immediately lowered his voice, and left to carry out the order.

Huo Lin returned to the bedside and looked at Jiang Huan sleeping soundly. He felt an overwhelming sense of satisfaction.

He gently helped her up, let her lean against him, and then pulled the quilt over her tightly.

She's so light, it's effortless to carry her.

They're all probably busy feeding me and have neglected themselves.

[No, this matter of me wanting to learn cooking needs to be put on the agenda immediately!]

A short while later, Wang Degui and several palace maids quietly entered, placed the meal on the table in the outer room, and then quietly withdrew.

Huo Lin personally brought a bowl of warm porridge back to the bedside and gently called out, "Wake up, eat something before you sleep."

Jiang Huan groggily opened her eyes, saw the steaming bowl of porridge in front of her, and then looked at Huo Lin's handsome face full of expectation, and couldn't help but roll her eyes.

There's a kind of hunger that Huo Lin thinks you're hungry...

"I don't want to eat, I'm sleepy..." She shrank deeper into the blankets, her voice filled with weariness.

Huo Lin persisted, scooping up a spoonful of porridge and bringing it to her lips.

"Just a few bites, otherwise it'll be uncomfortable to have an empty stomach."

Jiang Huan was driven to desperation by his persistence, so she reluctantly opened her mouth and drank the spoonful of porridge.

Huo Lin watched her sip the porridge, and his sense of satisfaction swelled even more.

After finishing her bowl of porridge, Jiang Huan was so sleepy that her eyelids were drooping.

Its head bobbed up and down like a chick pecking at rice.

Huo Lin looked at her like this and couldn't help but chuckle. He gently placed her back on the pillow and carefully tucked the blanket around her.

"Go to sleep, I'm here with you."

Jiang Huan heard these words in a daze, felt a warmth in her heart, and quickly fell into a deep sleep.

Huo Lin watched her fall asleep, gently stroked her hair, and then quietly got up and went to the outer room.

Wang Degui was already waiting there. When he saw him come out, he quickly went up to him with a smile on his face.

"Your Majesty, what's happening at the Imperial Study..."

This fatal punctuation made Huo Lin frown, and his eyes instantly turned cold.

"Don't tell me it's another urgent matter."

Wang Degui shuddered at his gaze, but still forced himself to say, "Your Majesty, several officials are already waiting in the Imperial Study, saying they have a memorial that Your Majesty needs to review..."

Is this some kind of curse?

Whenever he wanted to spend a moment of tenderness with Jiang Huan, some clueless ministers would try to get close to him.

So annoying.

Can't these old orange peels line up and jump into the slop bucket themselves? Stop causing trouble!

He waved his hand impatiently: "Let them wait, I'll go later."

Wang Degui looked troubled: "This, Your Majesty..."

Huo Lin swept a sharp look at him, and Wang Degui immediately fell silent, cold sweat pouring down his forehead.

Is it becoming an addiction to bothering people?

Other people's love lives involve only two people, but his love lives involve four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, or even ten people!

No, this absolutely cannot continue.

A thought suddenly flashed through Huo Lin's mind.

Hey, I've got it.

Why does he have to run back and forth? He could just move the nest next to hers.

I had thought about this before, but I was always worried that it might disturb her.

Why not clean up the palace next to Weiyang Palace? With just a wall separating them, they can visit her anytime without offending the ministers.

From now on, I can hug and kiss you whenever I want, and I won't have to see Wang Degui's sour face peeking in at the door anymore.

The Imperial Study, huh, it's like a cold palace tailor-made for him.

He wanted to free himself and throw himself into Jiang Huan's arms!

The more he thought about it, the better he felt it was, and he immediately instructed Wang Degui: "Wang Degui, convey my decree, I want to move the palace."

Wang Degui: ? ? ?

He looked up, bewildered, thinking he had misheard.

"Your Majesty...does Your Majesty mean...moving the palace?"

Huo Lin nodded: "Yes, I want to move my bedchamber next to Weiyang Palace. You should do it immediately, the sooner the better."

Wang Degui was completely dumbfounded, stammering, "But...but Your Majesty, this...this is against the rules, and besides, a sudden relocation of the palace might cause controversy in the court and among the people..."

Huo Lin frowned, his eyes instantly turning cold.

"Dissent? They dare to offer any criticism, but let's see what happens."

They used to control everything, from the heavens to the earth, and now they're even controlling where people live!

If anyone tries to interfere, I'll stay at their house tomorrow.

Wang Degui shuddered at his gaze, but still forced himself to continue persuading him.

"Your Majesty, please calm down. That's not what I meant. It's just that the relocation of the palace is a massive undertaking, extremely costly, and involves ancestral regulations. It's no small matter. Your Majesty, perhaps you should... reconsider?"

"And shouldn't we discuss this matter with Consort Zhuang...?"

Huo Lin's eyes lit up: "Yes, and her too."

While busy with his own palace relocation, he couldn't neglect his promotion.

She deserves the best.

"By imperial decree, Consort Zhuang is virtuous and kind, and has won my heart. Effective immediately, she shall be promoted to Imperial Noble Consort."

Wang Degui's legs went weak, and he almost knelt down.

"Your Majesty, this is impermissible! Absolutely not!"

Huo Lin frowned: "What's wrong with that? If not her, should we appoint you?"

Wang Degui knelt down with a thud, his voice trembling with sobs.

"Your Majesty, Consort Zhuang is already one of the Four Consorts, a position of great honor. This sudden promotion to Imperial Consort is no small matter. Moreover... Moreover, Consort Zhuang's family is not a prominent one, so it may be difficult for her to gain the support of the people!"