Chapter 418 Anger

Huo Lin's gaze was as cold as ice, and the previously lively atmosphere in the banquet hall instantly froze.

Tubar felt a chill run down his spine under that gaze, and forced a smile as he tried to explain, "Your Majesty, Miss Ulan, she..."

"Enough!"

Huo Lin slowly stood up, not even bothering to look at the plate of roasted meat. His gaze was like a knife, piercing Tubar: "Are you insulting me, or are you insulting my wife?"

"You find a woman with only a rudimentary culinary skill, have her make a few mediocre dishes, and dare to present them before me, presuming to be compared to my wife? And you even have the audacity to call it critique and guidance? Who gave you the guts!"

His voice suddenly rose: "How could the skills of my wife be even a fraction of what these pretentious and vulgar women could achieve?"

"This is utterly absurd! It's disgusting!"

These last few words, so scathing and cutting, were like the loudest slap in the face to Ulan.

Her face drained of color, and her hands, holding the plate, trembled violently, making the silver plate clang.

She has been highly sought after since childhood because of her beauty and skills. She has never been criticized so bluntly and mercilessly.

His legs immediately gave way, and he collapsed to his knees with a thud, not daring to lift his head. His whole body trembled like a leaf, and tears mixed with rouge streamed down his face, leaving a pathetic mess.

Tubar and his envoys were terrified and immediately knelt down, their backs instantly soaked with cold sweat.

"Your Majesty, please calm down! This subject...this subject had absolutely no such intention!" Tubar's voice trembled, and his scalp tingled. "This subject merely...merely admired Her Majesty's grace and wished for Ulan to learn a thing or two from her. I would never dare to harbor the slightest disrespect! This...this is all a misunderstanding!"

"Misunderstanding?" Huo Lin sneered, his eyes growing even colder. "Bringing such scum, harboring thoughts of currying favor, and producing such filthy things, you tell me it's a misunderstanding?"

With a flick of his sleeve, the fierce wind he created even stirred the flames: "Get out! Get out of here right now! I can't stand the sight of you!"

Just then, a slightly languid, soft voice came from the doorway, like a clear spring dripping onto a jade plate, breaking the tense atmosphere.

"Huh? What's going on? I can hear a loud noise from far away."

Upon hearing the sound, everyone involuntarily looked towards the doorway, their breath catching in their throats.

Jiang Huan stood gracefully, draped in a snow-white fox fur cloak.

She had clearly just woken up; her hair was slightly loose, and a few strands of black hair lazily fell to the side of her neck, making her skin appear even whiter than snow.

Not quite asleep, her eyes were still slightly misty, sparkling with a captivating beauty. Though she wore no makeup, she outshone all the bright lights in the room.

She simply stood there casually, yet she possessed an ethereal charm that was worlds apart from Ulan kneeling on the ground.

Jiang Huan glanced at the crowd kneeling on the ground, then at Huo Lin, whose face was ashen with anger, and finally her gaze fell on the almost untouched plate of roast meat and Wu Lan, who was about to faint, with a hint of bewilderment.

Did she oversleep and miss some major event? And who angered Huo Lin this time?

Who is that girl? She's dressed like a gift box, why is she so scared?

This barbecue... the spices smell way too strong, is it trying to cover up the fact that the ingredients aren't fresh?

Moreover, judging from the color, it's clearly overcooked; the meat will definitely be tough. Thumbs down.

Upon seeing her, Huo Lin's imposing aura instantly diminished, and he strode forward to her side, appearing completely different from before.

"Why are you awake? Were you disturbed? It's windy outside, why didn't you wear more clothes?" As he spoke, he reached out and naturally adjusted the collar of her fox fur coat.

Jiang Huan leaned into his arm and yawned: "I woke up after a good night's sleep. I heard it was quite lively outside, so I came out to see what was going on."

She looked curiously at the plate of roasted meat and the kneeling Ulan: "Who is this?"

Huo Lin's face darkened, and he was about to tell her to ignore these sordid matters when Jiang Huan gently squeezed his arm, signaling him to calm down.

She took a few steps forward, leaned slightly forward, and carefully examined the plate of roasted meat, even taking a gentle sniff.

Then, she raised her head and smiled at Ulan, whose face was ashen.

"The girl's skills are evident, but the lamb from the northern desert is actually the most tender when roasted in its original flavor. Too many spices will overpower its natural taste."

Her attitude was natural and generous, as if she were simply exchanging cooking tips, and her composure was in stark contrast to that of Ulan.

Ulan felt even more ashamed after hearing what she said, wishing she could disappear into the ground on the spot, and she lowered her head even further.

Seeing that Jiang Huan was completely out of sorts and was even giving serious comments, Huo Lin's remaining anger dissipated considerably.

[People are trying to steal her away, and she's still here teaching people how to cook?]

But it's good that she's like this, unlike those people who are full of scheming.

He put his arm around Jiang Huan, no longer looking at the person on the ground: "Alright, this place is too smoky and not suitable for you to stay. I'll go back with you to rest."

Seeing this, Tubar felt as if he had been granted a pardon, but fearing that the emperor's anger had not subsided, he quickly kowtowed: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, today's events were all due to my foolishness. I... I have prepared some small gifts to appease Your Majesty and Your Majesty and apologize for your shock. I beg Your Majesty and Your Majesty to forgive me."

As he spoke, he quickly gestured to his attendants to bring over several heavy boxes, which were then opened. Inside were gold and silver jewelry, precious furs, and rare medicinal herbs, all specialties of the northern desert region, a dazzling array of valuable items.

Huo Lin snorted coldly, not even bothering to look.

Jiang Huan's eyes lit up slightly. She tugged at Huo Lin's sleeve and whispered, "Hey, that snow ginseng looks pretty good, and that white fox pelt is so glossy. It would be perfect to make a little vest for the baby!"

Huo Lin looked down into her eyes, which were filled with desire, and the last bit of displeasure in his heart vanished.

His expression remained indifferent as he said to Tubar, "You should kneel and thank the Imperial Noble Consort for her great kindness. If it weren't for her today, I would have made you suffer."

He looked at Jiang Huan, his tone instantly softening: "As for these things, pick whichever you like, and put the rest into storage."

"Alright!" Jiang Huan didn't stand on ceremony and pointed to several of the best-quality medicinal herbs and furs with a smile. Huo Lin immediately signaled the palace servants to carefully put them away.

Tubar and the others breathed a sigh of relief, wiped their cold sweat, and retreated, still feeling lingering fear.

After stepping down, Tubar pondered the matter, still feeling uneasy.

Although he had narrowly escaped death today, he had clearly offended the emperor. Fearing that it would affect the subsequent peace talks, he gritted his teeth and went to see Ayina, hoping that she could intervene and say a few kind words.

But as soon as he arrived, Ayina, as if she knew his intentions, slammed the door shut.

"Get out! You'll have to take responsibility for your own stupid mistakes. You think I, the princess, will clean up your messes? Dream on! If you dare bother me again, believe me, I'll whip you!"