Chapter 46 Feeding Medicine

Jiang Huan's face scrunched up like a cat with its fur standing on end, and she suddenly turned her head away.

"don't want."

She pressed her lips tightly together, which were moistened by the medicine, and kept burying her face in Huo Lin's arms.

Only the sad-looking whorl of hair on her head was visible.

Seeing that she was still resistant, Huo Lin's eyes flickered slightly, and he had someone bring over some candied fruit.

"How about we take this?"

Jiang Huan's eyes lit up, like a greedy little cat.

Taking advantage of her distraction, Huo Lin quickly picked up the medicine bowl, brought it to Jiang Huan's lips, and forcibly fed her the medicine.

Jiang Huan gulped down all the medicine, her eyes welling up with tears from the bitterness, and glared at him angrily.

“Candied fruit…” Jiang Huan reached out her hand with a pitiful expression.

Huo Lin chuckled softly and offered the candied fruit he had prepared to Jiang Huan's lips.

Jiang Huan swallowed the candied fruit; the sweetness melted on her tongue, easing the slight bitterness.

Although I took the medicine, the effects of Hehuan San continued to surge like a tide.

She felt unbearably hot all over, and her slender fingers unconsciously clutched Huo Lin's clothes.

"It's so hot...so hot..." Jiang Huan's voice was barely audible, tinged with unbearable sobs.

Huo Lin's eyes darkened. He laid her flat on the dragon bed and turned to the imperial physician, asking sternly, "When will the effects of this medicine wear off?"

The imperial physician was so frightened that he dared not raise his head and could only bow in response.

"Your Majesty, although the calming soup can counteract the effects of the medicine, it will take half an hour to take effect. Consort Zhuang must be patient at this moment..."

Huo Lin frowned and waved for everyone to leave.

The flickering candlelight inside the hall made Jiang Huan's cheeks blush like the sunset.

She shifted uncomfortably, her newly changed clothes already soaked with sweat, clinging to her skin and outlining her graceful curves.

"Don't move." Huo Lin pressed down on her flailing hands, afraid that she would bump into him.

Jiang Huan seemed not to hear, the effects of the drug had completely clouded her judgment.

She suddenly sat up, her burning cheek pressed against Huo Lin's cool hand, and let out a satisfied sigh.

"Cool...comfortable..."

Huo Lin froze, his eyes darkening instantly.

The girl's soft body was almost pressed against his, and a sweet fragrance mixed with the smell of medicine wafted into his nose.

His Adam's apple bobbed as he suppressed the pounding in his heart and pressed her back onto the bed.

"Stop fooling around."

This hoarse, low voice surprised even Huo Lin himself.

After a moment of stunned silence, he took a handkerchief, soaked it in the golden basin, and gently wiped Jiang Huan's burning forehead.

Jiang Huan, still half-asleep, grabbed his wrist, her watery eyes half-open.

"It hurts..."

Her tearful sobs made Huo Lin's temples throb.

He subconsciously pulled her closer to his arms, his large hands gently patting her slender back with incredibly tender movements.

"Just bear with it, it will be over soon."

Huo Lin gently coaxed her, his fingers running through her loose black hair.

Whether it was the medicine wearing off or his reassurance working, Jiang Huan finally calmed down and her breathing gradually became steady.

As dawn broke outside the window, Huo Lin, having stayed with Jiang Huan all night and confirmed that she was alright, gently got up.

When Huo Lin stepped out of the bedchamber, the gentle expression on his face vanished, replaced by a chilling aura.

He walked toward the dungeon, which was cold and damp, with a strong smell of blood mixed with mold.

The guard was chained to the rack, covered in blood, clearly having already undergone a round of torture.

Upon seeing Huo Lin enter, the person in charge of the interrogation immediately knelt down.

"Your Majesty, this man is very stubborn and refuses to say anything."

Huo Lin listened indifferently, then suddenly stepped forward and stopped three steps in front of the rack.

"I can give you a chance."

He raised his hand, grabbed the guard's chin, and forced him to look up. "Tell me, who ordered you to go?"

Though the sound was soft, it was laced with deadly poison.

An eerie silence filled the air, and even the sound of water in the dungeon seemed to have stopped.

Blood trickled from the guard's mouth, but he slowly grinned into a twisted smile.

"No one instructed me; it was I myself who coveted Lady Zhuang's beauty..."

“Heh,” Huo Lin suddenly laughed, but his eyes were filled with icy coldness. “Very good.”

He released his grip, and as he turned around, a gust of cold wind blew up from his robes.

"Wang Degui, bring the ice chest."

"Yes." Wang Degui responded and stepped back.

Before long, the bronze ice chest, emitting a chilling aura, was carried in.

Huo Lin picked up a piece of ice with silver chopsticks and slowly rotated it under the candlelight, reflecting a cold light.

Do you know how the previous dynasty dealt with spies?

An icicle suddenly pressed against the guard's eyelid. "The slowly melting ice water will seep into your eye socket, first causing a stinging pain, then..."

Huo Lin exerted force with his fingertips, the ice cube brushing against the trembling pupils, "Your eyeballs will freeze into two glass beads."

Before the guard could even scream, Huo Lin had already silenced him by striking his pressure point.

"Since you don't want to talk about it, then you don't need to talk about it anymore."

He turned and threw the silver chopsticks back into the ice chest, making a crisp clinking sound.

"continue."

Huo Lin took the handkerchief handed to him by Wang Degui and slowly wiped his fingers.

"Don't let him die."

The dungeon immediately echoed with chilling sounds.

Half an hour later, the person in charge of the interrogation knelt down and reported, "Your Majesty, I'm afraid we can't continue."

Huo Lin narrowed his eyes and suddenly threw the blood-stained handkerchief into the charcoal brazier. The flames shot up and reflected his handsome face, making his expression shift between light and shadow.

Most of the captured guards were suicide squad members, so it was extremely difficult to get the truth out of them.

However, this emperor was not so easily fooled.

Huo Lin suddenly stood up, a cold smile curling at the corner of his lips.

“If he won’t speak, let his master speak for him.”

The night was deep, but Consort Jia's quarters were brightly lit.

She had clearly anticipated Huo Lin's arrival and had been dressed and waiting for a long time.

Upon seeing Huo Lin enter the hall, she immediately knelt down and bowed respectfully.

"Your Majesty's arrival so late at night, is there something you wish to instruct us on?"

She knew that what she had done today could not be hidden from the Emperor's eyes, and that it was only a matter of time before he would punish her.

Having prepared myself mentally and had a plan in place, I naturally felt less panicked than I had been at the hot spring villa.

Huo Lin looked down at her and suddenly let out a cold laugh.

"The Imperial Concubine remained calm."

With a wave of his hand, two of his men dragged in the dying guard and threw him on the ground like a rag doll.

Consort Jia's pupils contracted, and her fingertips trembled slightly, but she managed to steady herself.

She feigned ignorance: "What does Your Majesty mean? Isn't this the madman who trespassed into the hot springs?"

Huo Lin didn't answer. He walked slowly to her and suddenly reached out and grabbed her chin with such force that she cried out in pain.

"I hate being made a fool of." His voice was soft, yet chilling. "Do you think I can't find out who drugged me?"