Chapter 427 The Storm Is Brewing

As Jiang Huan's due date drew closer, four midwives had already moved into the side hall, ready to serve her at any time, 24 hours a day.

The Imperial Hospital staff took turns on duty, and all kinds of emergency medicines, ginseng slices, and hot water were readily available. The palace servants subconsciously walked with light steps, for fear of disturbing the Imperial Noble Consort who was about to give birth.

Huo Lin's anxiety was written all over his face. He almost stopped going to his study and stayed with Jiang Huan in Weiyang Palace, wishing he could give birth in her place.

That afternoon, sunlight streamed in through the window, making it warm and cozy.

Jiang Huan reclined on the chaise lounge, taking small bites of candied plums.

Huo Lin sat on a low stool next to her, holding a memorial in his hand, but his eyes kept drifting over to her.

"I caught you peeking again! What's with that look in your eyes that makes it seem like I'm about to give birth?!"

Jiang Huan swallowed the plum, sighed helplessly, and reached out to poke Huo Lin's tense arm.

"I have a long way to go. If you keep watching like this, I'll be driven crazy by your anxiety before the kids drive me crazy."

Huo Lin grabbed her mischievous fingers, held them in his palm, and frowned slightly: "What nonsense are you talking about?"

These plums are so sour they're giving me a toothache, how come she's eating them with such relish?

[Besides, how could I not be nervous? I have to prepare everything before and after her birth; I absolutely cannot let her suffer.]

Listening to his jumbled thoughts, Jiang Huan deliberately picked up a plum and held it to his lips.

"Here, Your Majesty, would you like to try some? It's delicious and a great appetizer!"

Huo Lin looked at the plums that glistened with an enticing sheen but exuded a sour smell. His Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily, and he instinctively wanted to turn his head away. However, seeing Jiang Huan's bright and expectant eyes, he forced himself to open his mouth.

The plum entered his mouth, its sour taste stimulating his taste buds. Huo Lin couldn't help but wrinkle his handsome face. He forced it down, feeling his teeth go weak.

"How was it? Wasn't it especially refreshing?" Jiang Huan asked with a smile.

Huo Lin took a sip of tea to suppress the sour taste, and glanced at her helplessly: "Hmm, it'll help you stay alert."

This isn't just a pick-me-up, it's a life-saving boost!

Seeing his sour expression, Jiang Huan couldn't help but laugh and leaned on his shoulder.

Huo Lin quickly reached out and put his arm around her, afraid that she would laugh herself sick, but the corners of his mouth also unconsciously turned up.

The atmosphere inside Weiyang Palace was warm and inviting, but this warmth did not last long.

Although Huo Lin was stationed at Weiyang Palace, he did not completely relinquish his duties in court.

The senior officials were quite sensible; unless it was an urgent matter of military or national importance, they would not easily disturb him. Each day, they would only send the selected important memorials to the outer room of Weiyang Palace, where Huo Lin would review them in his spare time.

But the more this happened, the more tense Huo Lin became.

With a great victory at the border, the Empress Dowager recovered from her illness, and Huo Yunxing also recovered from his injuries. He will soon return to the capital.

At this critical moment, the court and the inner palace were as calm as a stagnant pool.

Something unusual must be going on. Would those lurking demons really be willing to watch his child be born safely?

Huo Lin showed no outward sign, continuing to spend his days with Jiang Huan, but secretly he had ordered his shadow guards to raise the alert level to the highest level and monitor all suspicious movements.

That evening, the afterglow of the setting sun bathed the window frames in a warm gold. Huo Lin, having finished reviewing several memorials, was gently massaging Jiang Huan's lower back.

Jiang Huan squinted comfortably, like a lazy cat.

"Hmm... a little to the left, yes, right there, it's really sour..."

Huo Lin pressed with practiced ease, but just then, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the hall.

Wang Degui practically tumbled in, his face deathly pale.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Something terrible has happened! Princess Mingzhu...the princess...she was attacked on her way to the palace and has been kidnapped!"

"What!" Jiang Huan was so shocked that she sat up abruptly. The baby in her belly seemed to be startled as well, kicking, which made her face turn pale instantly, and she covered her stomach.

"Careful!" Huo Lin's heart clenched, and he immediately hugged her tightly, placing one hand on her lower abdomen. He felt the fetal movement and was both anxious and angry.

He looked up at Wang Degui, his eyes chillingly cold: "What happened? Explain yourself!"

[I had a vague feeling that something was amiss, but I never expected that it would be Mingzhu that was involved in the accident!]

[Is this aimed at me? Or is it an attempt to provoke her?]

Wang Degui lay prostrate on the ground, trembling all over: "Your Majesty, just half an hour ago, when the princess's carriage reached the long street outside Xihua Gate, several masked men in black suddenly rushed out. They were extremely skilled in martial arts. The guards fought desperately, suffering heavy casualties, but the thieves still succeeded! The scene was chaotic, and we only found this..."

Wang Degui trembled as he held up a pearl earring stained with a few drops of blood; it was the very pair that Mingzhu liked to wear.

Huo Lin's face turned ashen. He snatched the earring, gripped it tightly in his hand, and his knuckles turned white from the force.

Just then, another commotion broke out outside the hall, and the Empress Dowager rushed in with a group of palace servants, looking flustered.

"Your Majesty, I heard that Mingzhu is in trouble!"

The Empress Dowager's face was full of anxiety, and a few tears even squeezed out of the corners of her eyes.

"How could this happen? What are we going to do? Your Majesty, you must save her!"

She rushed up to Huo Lin and grabbed his arm with such force that Huo Lin frowned slightly.

"What are you standing there for? Quickly send your most capable bodyguards to chase after her! Send more men! You must rescue Mingzhu safely! If anything happens to her, how will I live?"

Huo Lin withdrew his arm without showing any emotion, his tone calm and steady.

"Your Majesty, rest assured, I will not stand idly by. I have my own plan for this matter. Your Majesty has just recovered from your illness, so please return to the palace to rest first. As soon as there is any news, I will immediately send someone to report to you."

The Empress Dowager was rebuffed by his words, which were neither too soft nor too hard. She wanted to say something more, but when she met Huo Lin's gaze, she swallowed back the words that were on the tip of her tongue.

"Then we'll have to rely entirely on the Emperor. He must rescue Mingzhu..." With that, she left, supported by palace servants, turning back to look at him every few steps.

Even after the Empress Dowager left, the atmosphere in the hall remained heavy.

Jiang Huan leaned against Huo Lin's chest, her face pale. The discomfort in her abdomen gradually subsided, but her worry remained undiminished.

Mingzhu is timid; I wonder how terrified she is right now.

"Huo Lin..." she had just opened her mouth when Huo Lin gently patted her back.

"Don't be afraid. The other party must have a reason for kidnapping Mingzhu. They won't easily take her life before they achieve their goal. The most important thing for you now is to calm down and prepare for childbirth. You must not let this affect the baby."

He helped Jiang Huan slowly lean back against the soft pillows to make sure she was comfortable before getting up.

"You should rest well. I'll be right back," Huo Lin ordered in a deep voice. "Issue my decree to send an additional detachment of imperial guards to strictly guard Weiyang Palace. No one is to disturb the Imperial Concubine's rest."

"Yes!" the attendants inside and outside the hall responded in unison.

Huo Lin strode out of Weiyang Palace, and the shadow guards who had been waiting outside the hall followed him silently.