Chapter 42 Hot Spring Trap

As night deepened, the hot spring villa was shrouded in a hazy mist.

Jiang Huan took off her clothes and slowly stepped into the pool. The warm water enveloped her whole body, and she sighed comfortably, leaning against the jade stone by the pool and closing her eyes to rest.

Palace intrigue and assassinations can take a backseat for now.

The fatigue of the past few days instantly disappeared; this is the kind of enjoyment a person should have!

"My lady, I will keep watch outside. Please call me if anything happens."

Xiao Zhao carefully checked the surroundings and only left after confirming it was safe.

Jiang Huan responded lazily, casually flicking the petals floating on the water with her fingertips, and smelling a faint, sweet fragrance.

Hmm... this spice smells quite nice, but I don't know if I put too much in it, the smell is a bit strong.

Jiang Huan didn't care and nestled in the hot spring, soaking in the bath as if she had no bones and didn't want to move.

But gradually, Jiang Huan wiped the sweat from her forehead.

Why does she feel like something's not right?

No, wasn't she soaking in a hot spring? It felt like she was soaking in a pot; it was so hot that it made her feel short of breath and her chest feel tight.

Jiang Huan touched her cheeks, her breathing was rapid, her body was burning hot, and a heat seemed to seep from her bones, engulfing her entire body.

Something's not right, something's very, very wrong.

It seems like she has a fever on her own?

"strangeness……"

Jiang Huan frowned and tried to stand up, but found her legs were weak and she almost slipped.

She looked down at the pool water, and as the water rippled, the sweet fragrance became even more pronounced, making her head spin.

Jiang Huan's heart skipped a beat, and she instantly became more alert.

Even if you haven't eaten pork, you've still seen pigs run, right? This is just a classic plot device for framing someone in a novel.

There's something wrong with the hot spring water; it's most likely been laced with drugs!

As the plot unfolds, the female protagonist encounters countless coincidences, but always manages to escape danger in the end.

But the cannon fodder can pack up and prepare to receive their lunchboxes.

Who knows if she's the female lead or just cannon fodder?!

Jiang Huan gritted her teeth and immediately braced herself against the pool wall with both hands, trying to climb out.

The danger here increases with every second; there is no time to lose.

But his limbs were limp and he couldn't muster any strength. As soon as he tried to exert himself, he almost fell back into the water.

This can't go on.

"Xiao Zhao," Jiang Huan called out, but her voice had become weak and feeble from the spring water.

In a daze, she seemed to hear a sound coming from the entrance of the hot spring, and then the curtain was lifted, and a burly man dressed as a guard walked in.

The guard had no idea about avoiding suspicion. His eyes darted around as he stared intently at Jiang Huan in the water, a lewd smile playing on his lips.

"Your Majesty doesn't seem to be feeling well, so let me serve you," he said, stepping towards the hot spring pool.

Jiang Huan's pupils suddenly contracted, and her blood seemed to freeze.

Her reputation is quite high in the palace now. If someone hadn't instructed her, which guard would dare to approach her so openly?

If someone else were to "suddenly" walk in, even if there was nothing between her and the guard, it would suddenly become something else.

She was definitely having too much fun this time and got a little careless.

With so many eyes in the harem watching her, they wouldn't let her off the hook on the very first day.

Jiang Huan gritted her teeth; her current status was something she had earned through hard work and struggle.

I endured being stabbed, I won't fall for it this time either!

She hid herself underwater and tried to stay alert.

"Get out!"

She rebuked him sharply, but her voice was weak and feeble due to the effects of the drug, sounding more like a coquettish retort.

The guard remained unmoved, his smile widening. He loosened his belt and instead of retreating, advanced step by step, closing in on Jiang Huan.

"Don't be afraid, sir, your humble servant is here to help you..."

Jiang Huan's body trembled violently, as if an invisible force was tearing at every nerve in her body.

Of course, there is a difference between reading books and experiencing things firsthand. She is only human, and even if she understands everything clearly in her mind, her body is somewhat unresponsive.

The effects of the medicine surged like a tidal wave, and her vision began to blur.

Each breath was heavy as lead, yet when it hit the pool, it didn't cause the slightest ripple.

She bit her lower lip so hard that her teeth almost dug into her flesh, and the stinging pain brought her to a moment of clarity.

It's a matter of life and death, so even if it's painful, it's better than losing your life.

No matter how much Huo Lin liked her, he had zero tolerance for being cuckolded.

Once this charge is confirmed, forget about Weiyang Palace, he might not even get to the Cold Palace; he might be executed in the autumn.

Even if she survives by chance, her legs will be broken, and she can forget about ever marrying into a better family again.

Calm down, calm down, you absolutely mustn't faint!

With the guards right in front of her, getting ashore from here was completely impossible; she had no choice but to find another opportunity to escape her current predicament.

Jiang Huan staggered backward, her fingers touching the jade hairpin in her hair. Without hesitation, she pulled it out and held it in her palm.

Time seemed to stretch on endlessly at this moment, yet it also felt incredibly short.

In just a few breaths, the guards arrived at the hot spring pool.

The moment he bent down to grab Jiang Huan, Jiang Huan suddenly raised her hand, her eyes cold and fierce, and stabbed the jade hairpin in her hand into the guard's arm!

"ah!"

Blood flowed down the guard's arm. He cried out in pain, clutching his arm and taking two steps back, his face contorted in agony.

"You bitch!"

Jiang Huan dared not be distracted. Taking advantage of the guards' retreat, she staggered and climbed out of the pool from the side, some distance away from them.

She was only wearing a thin undergarment, which clung tightly to her body after being soaked by the spring water.

Jiang Huan hastily picked up her outer garment and put it on, then took a step to run, but was grabbed by the arm by a guard.

The guard also exerted all his strength, digging his five fingers into the flesh and pulling hard.

"Ouch!" Jiang Huan cried out in pain.

His vision blurred, but he clung tightly to the hairpin.

No, you can't faint right now.

She gritted her teeth, wanting to use the hairpin to give herself another chance.

Bang--

Suddenly, a muffled thud was heard, and the guard fell to the ground.

Xiao Zhao had intended to come in and see if her mistress needed anything, but she was terrified when she saw this scene. She was standing behind her holding a bronze incense burner, her face pale and her eyes filled with undisguised fear.

"My lord! Are you alright?"

Jiang Huan was trembling all over; the medicinal effects of the hot spring made her almost unable to stand, but her mind was unusually clear.

This conspiracy isn't over yet; the person behind it might be waiting nearby, ready to catch the adulterers in the act.

Even though the guard had been knocked unconscious, she still couldn't claim to be innocent.

Only by summoning Huo Lin in person can all suspicions be dispelled.

"Xiao Zhao..." Jiang Huan's voice was hoarse as she spoke with difficulty, "Quickly... quickly go and invite the Emperor... this is a trap..."

The guard's appearance was too suspicious. Xiao Zhao was not stupid and immediately understood, but she was still worried about leaving Jiang Huan with the guard.

"But you're like this..."

"I'm fine." Jiang Huan gritted her teeth and pushed her away. "If you don't go now, it will really be too late!"

If we wait until the guards wake up and the person behind the scenes rushes in, it will be too late.

Xiao Zhao gritted her teeth, turned around, and ran away.

Jiang Huan forced herself to put on her clothes, trying her best to look presentable.

After doing all that, she used the last of her strength to plunge into the spare bathtub filled with cold water.

A bone-chilling cold instantly swept through my body, and the heat subsided slightly, but the effects of the medicine were still raging.

Jiang Huan curled up in the water, her teeth chattering, but countless thoughts flashed through her mind.

Although she asked Xiao Zhao to invite Huo Lin over, Jiang Huan herself wasn't really sure what to expect.

Will Huo Lin believe her? Or will he, like the emperors in those palace dramas, simply give her a cup of poisoned wine?

Cold water soaked through her thin clothes, and Jiang Huan's fingertips were already blue with cold, but waves of heat surged up from within her body, almost engulfing her.