Chapter 333 The Person I Admire

Huo Lin's face turned cold, and he simply watched the emotionally charged Empress Dowager.

Each time, she would first adopt a posture of deep concern for the country and its people, and then steer the conversation in the direction she wanted to lead the conversation in.

Spending too much time with someone like Huo Ting makes even the most skillful methods of manipulating people become clumsy and incompetent.

Birds of a feather flock together, just as pigs are grouped by kind.

"My mother died because her maternal clan was weak and had no foundation in the court, and even more so because her own brother chose to betray the country and collude with the enemy for his own selfish interests at a critical moment."

With each word he spoke, the Empress Dowager's face paled a little more.

Back then, the political situation was turbulent, and Huo Lin was still young. She thought that Huo Lin might not have known these palace secrets so clearly.

Huo Lin took a step forward, approaching the Empress Dowager, exuding the imposing aura of someone who had long held a high position.

"Back then, Zheng Mingqing only saw a few clues and tried to persuade the late emperor to investigate thoroughly. He was then dragged into it and became a scapegoat for some people to cover up the truth. His imprisonment was not only unrelated to his mother's death, but it also proved that there was indeed a miscarriage of justice in what happened back then."

He looked at the Empress Dowager and said sarcastically, "Your Majesty, are you bringing up this old matter today because you are genuinely indignant on behalf of my mother, or are you worried that some old matters buried in the dust will be brought to light again because of Zheng Mingqing's release from prison?"

Forced by his words, the Empress Dowager staggered back a step, her face drained of color, her lips trembling, but she could no longer utter a word.

Huo Lin's eyes were too sharp, as if he had already seen through everything.

All her questions were thus laid bare, appearing pale and laughable.

Huo Lin stopped looking at her and turned away with a flick of his sleeve.

"There are some things that the Empress Dowager insists on asking me about, but she is only humiliating herself."

After saying this, he left Cining Palace directly.

He dismissed the palace servants who wanted to follow him and walked alone on the long palace road, his black dragon-patterned robes fluttering in the wind.

Back then, my uncle betrayed his country for his own selfish interests, dragging the family into the abyss and indirectly pushing his mother to her death.

Blood relatives can sometimes be more terrifying than enemies.

Thinking of the Empress Dowager's calculating face, Huo Lin felt a surge of disgust.

They all used the guise of concern to engage in power struggles and profiteering.

Is this palace a breeding ground for idiots?

Meanwhile, in the experimental fields of Weiyang Palace, a completely different scene of vitality unfolded.

Jiang Huan was watching with great interest as He Ling directed several eunuchs to harvest the potatoes they had planted, her sleeves rolled up.

The soil was turned over, revealing clusters of plump, round fruits. Although they weren't particularly large, the quantity was considerable, making them a delightful sight.

"We're rich! We're rich!" He Ling excitedly picked up a potato covered in mud and presented it to Jiang Huan like a treasure. "This yield is enough to equip an entire potato army!"

This batch of potatoes produced yields twice as much as the original potatoes in this world! Twice as much!

[It seems people really need to learn how to farm; the happiness level is off the charts!]

Jiang Huan took the potato, weighed it in her hand, and smiled. "Thanks to you. You've worked so hard taking care of the fields while I was away. Tonight, you can order, and I'll demonstrate a hundred ways to cook potatoes."

As the two were talking, they heard a familiar voice coming from afar.

"Your Highness, Sister He Ling, you're here."

Princess Mingzhu lifted her skirt and pounced over like a butterfly, her face flushed and her eyes full of excitement.

Jiang Huan saw her and waved with a smile: "Mingzhu, what are you doing here? Watch your step, don't fall."

Princess Mingzhu ran over and looked at the potatoes on the ground: "Your Highness, are you digging potatoes?"

"Yes, these are all new seeds, and the yield is very high," Jiang Huan explained simply, then looked her up and down, "You look so happy, what good thing happened?"

Upon hearing this, Princess Mingzhu's face flushed red, and she twisted the handkerchief in her hand shyly, her voice lowering.

"Yes... there is something I want to tell Your Majesty."

Seeing her lovestruck expression, Jiang Huan immediately understood the situation and deliberately teased her.

"Oh? What has made our young princess so embarrassed? Could it be that she has taken a fancy to some handsome young master?"

Princess Mingzhu blushed even more upon hearing this, stamped her foot, and said coquettishly, "Your Highness! You...you're making fun of me!"

He Ling chuckled to herself, "I told you, I told you. You've heard it, so be it. I promise I won't spread it around!"

Jiang Huan deliberately leaned closer, lowered her voice, and said with a gossipy tone, "Tell me quickly, which family's son is so lucky to have our fearless Princess Mingzhu showing such girlish behavior? Tell me, and I'll give you some advice."

Princess Mingzhu was teased by the two and had nowhere to hide. She subconsciously twisted the embroidered handkerchief in her hand and almost buried her head in her chest.

After the three of them laughed and joked for a while, Princess Mingzhu finally spoke hesitantly, "He's a very good person, well-educated, with a good temperament, and very considerate to me, it's just that..."

Princess Mingzhu twisted her handkerchief, her voice growing softer and softer, her cheeks as red as ripe apples.

"It's just... his family is rather poor and he doesn't have much of a background. I'm afraid... I'm afraid that if my uncle finds out, he'll think we're not a good match and won't agree..."

As she spoke, she secretly glanced at Jiang Huan, her eyes filled with apprehension.

"Your Highness, do you think the Imperial Uncle will agree?"

Looking at her sweet yet melancholic expression, Jiang Huan felt both amused and affectionate.

She reached out and pinched Princess Mingzhu's burning cheeks, teasingly saying, "Look at you, so easily frightened. You become like a mouse seeing a cat the moment your royal uncle is mentioned. He can be quite intimidating when he's stern, but he's not unreasonable."

Princess Mingzhu pouted and said aggrievedly, "How can this be the same? My legs went weak the moment he glanced at me, how could I dare to say these things to him?"

As she spoke, she made an exaggerated shivering motion.

"What if he thinks I'm being unreasonable, or he looks down on the other person's family background and kicks them out of the capital? Wouldn't I be ruining their life?"

Jiang Huan couldn't help but laugh out loud as she listened to her elaborate performance.

It seems that Huo Lin's image as a cunning and wicked mother-in-law is deeply ingrained in Mingzhu's mind.

"Alright, alright, look how scared you are." Jiang Huan put her arm around her shoulder and patted her reassuringly. "If that person is of good character, your royal uncle might not necessarily reject him because of his family background."

"Besides, I'm here for you. I'll sound him out first and see what his attitude is about this. When he's in a good mood, I'll give him a little nudge. It's better than you going straight for the iceberg, right?"

Upon hearing this, Princess Mingzhu's eyes lit up instantly, as if she had grasped a lifeline, and she tightly held Jiang Huan's hand.

"Really? That's wonderful! Your Majesty, you're the best!"

She was so excited she almost jumped up, and the worry on her face vanished.