Chapter 240 Hanging
Huo Lin's words caused the Empress Dowager's expression to freeze instantly.
Her face was ashen, clearly she wanted to say something more.
Huo Lin, however, had already picked up his teacup, as if to see the guest out.
The Empress Dowager had no choice but to suppress her dissatisfaction and leave in a huff.
As Huo Lin watched the Empress Dowager's figure disappear through the door, a wave of weariness washed over him.
Day after day, there wasn't a single person in the vast palace who was easy to deal with.
He rubbed his temples, relieved that Jiang Huan was by his side.
Just thinking of her seems to dispel the gloom in my heart and give me the strength to fight against all kinds of things in the world.
His first instinct was to head to Weiyang Palace, but looking at the mountain of memorials piled up on his desk, he could only sigh resignedly.
The next morning.
Huo Lingang had just settled down in the imperial study, but hadn't even had a chance to open the first memorial.
Wang Degui rushed in in a panic, forgetting even to announce his arrival.
His voice dropped an octave, and he was covered in sweat, looking utterly disheveled.
"Your Majesty! Something terrible has happened!"
Huo Lin frowned: "Your house is on fire? What's the panic?"
"Yes...it is Princess Mingzhu."
Wang Degui gasped for breath, "The princess is in the Lanyue Pavilion in the Imperial Garden. She's hung up a white silk ribbon and said she's going to hang herself. She said that if Your Majesty really betroths her to that General Weiyuan's nephew, she'll... she'll die right in front of you!"
Huo Lin: ...
He felt a surge of anger rush to his head, and his temples throbbed.
How old are you? Why are you still putting on this show of crying, making a scene, and threatening suicide?
Did she think this was a theatrical performance?
Huo Lin was so angry that he almost broke the pen in his hand.
Besides, when did he agree to the arranged marriage?
Those idiots and scoundrels want to get close to Mingzhu? He'll be the first to object, okay?
However, since this concerns a political struggle, one must answer with utmost care.
However, the phrase "let's take it easy" is clearly a delaying tactic, but Mingzhu is acting like a chaste and virtuous woman.
Huo Lin felt utterly overwhelmed.
If he were to step in now, Mingzhu would not listen to a word he said and would only complain to him with tears streaming down her face, saying that forcing her into marriage was inhumane nonsense.
We need to find a good-tempered, willing-to-be-sucker, and reliable person to persuade Mingzhu to back down.
Huo Lin rubbed his temples in frustration, his gaze sweeping across the hall before finally settling on a figure in the corner, listening intently to gossip.
"Chen Yi!" Huo Lin had a sudden inspiration and called out loudly.
"Hmm? Is there something else I need to do?"
"Go!" Huo Lin pointed outside the hall, his words concise and to the point, tinged with a hint of gritted teeth.
"In the Imperial Garden, bring that girl who's trying to hang herself down. I don't care what method you use, whether you coax her or lie to her, just make her shut up."
Shen Yi raised an eyebrow. Princess Mingzhu's reputation for being a troublemaker was well-known throughout the palace.
This talkative little sparrow is not easy to catch.
He slowly stood up and dusted off non-existent dust from his body.
"Your Majesty, that little rascal can be deafening when he gets going. It's not that I want to disobey your decree, but I'm simply powerless to do so..."
Huo Lin understood immediately and impatiently waved his hand to interrupt: "Stop talking nonsense and go quickly. Once you've done it, that jar of century-old pear blossom wine in my treasury is yours."
Shen Yi's eyes lit up: "I am suddenly full of energy!"
Before he finished speaking, he had already vanished like a gust of wind, his movements incredibly fast.
The Imperial Garden, the Moon-Viewing Pavilion.
Princess Mingzhu was indeed standing in the pavilion, on an embroidered stool, with a loose shawl hanging around her neck.
Clutching her shawl in one hand and placing the other on her hip, she wept loudly and forcefully at the palace maids and eunuchs who were anxiously pacing around the pavilion but dared not approach.
"Waaaaah... Don't come any closer, none of you come any closer!"
"The Emperor doesn't love me anymore, and neither does my grandmother. They've even decided to marry me off to a complete stranger."
"If I were to marry him, I'd rather be dead right now!"
"Waaaaah, my life is so miserable."
While she was crying and wailing, she didn't forget to adjust the position of the embroidered stool under her feet to make sure she was standing firmly.
The "white silk" was hanging loosely, far from being able to tighten around the neck.
The palace maids and eunuchs surrounded the pavilion, sweating profusely with anxiety, but dared not step forward to pull them away forcefully. They could only offer their advice in a cacophony of voices.
"Princess! Princess, please come down!"
"Danger, Princess!"
"The Empress Dowager loves you the most, how could she bear to marry you off to just anyone?"
"There must be some misunderstanding. Please come down and let's talk this out!"
...
Princess Mingzhu ignored him and cried even harder.
"Waaaaah, I don't want to hear it, I don't want to hear it! You're all lying to me! The Emperor is going to marry me off to him! Waaaaah..."
When Shen Yi arrived, this was the chaotic scene he saw.
He stood outside the crowd, arms crossed, leisurely enjoying Princess Mingzhu's crying scene for a while before slowly pushing his way through the crowd and going inside.
"Oh, isn't this our Princess Mingzhu?"
Shen Yi's voice, with its usual intonation, was neither too loud nor too soft, but it just drowned out Princess Mingzhu's sobs.
"Practicing your singing in the Imperial Garden so early in the morning? With that kind of voice, it's a real shame you're not in an opera troupe."
Princess Mingzhu's crying stopped abruptly. She turned her head sharply, staring at Shen Yi with teary eyes.
"What nonsense are you spouting? Who's practicing their singing? I'm hanging myself! Do you even understand what hanging yourself means?!"
"Hanging?"
Shen Yi chuckled, his gaze sweeping over the shawl around her neck and the embroidered stool beneath her feet, which was as steady as Mount Tai.
To be honest, this young princess is quite afraid of losing her life.
"Princess, your hanging equipment is quite unique! Is that shawl made of Yun brocade from Jiangnan? And is that embroidered stool carved from sandalwood?"
Princess Mingzhu blushed, her neck stiff, and said, "I... I want to die with some dignity, is that so wrong? Anyway... I'm not going to live anymore. If the Emperor doesn't retract his decree, no one can persuade him otherwise!"
"Die?" Shen Yi slowly strolled forward, looking up at her. "Fine, why don't you die and let me see? I promise I won't stop you. But..."
He changed the subject, drawing out his words, "If you really die, you won't be able to eat the new dishes made by Consort Zhuang."
Princess Mingzhu's crying stopped abruptly, her eyes widening in surprise.
"New...new food? What new food?"
When Shen Yi saw that she had taken the bait, a hint of a smile flashed in his eyes, but his face remained serious.
"Oh, it's nothing. I just heard that Consort Zhuang is in a good mood today and has come up with some new and interesting things in the small kitchen. It's called a cake, and the aroma is said to fill the entire Weiyang Palace. It's so sweet."
As he spoke, he smacked his lips with an air of importance, as if he had truly tasted the wonderful flavor.
Princess Mingzhu's eyes widened as she listened, and she subconsciously swallowed.
"What's that? Is it good? Is it better than the fried chicken from last time?"
This is a new dish made by Consort Zhuang! Should we postpone the hanging?
The scales in her heart tipped instantly, and all thoughts of suicide and arranged marriage were thrown to the winds.
If you're really going to die, you should eat your fill first.
Shen Yi looked at her greedy expression and chuckled inwardly.
"Whether it's delicious or not, why don't you try it yourself and see?"
He paused deliberately, glancing at the shawl around her neck.
“But if you keep hanging yourself here, by the time you’re done, the new food will probably all be eaten.”
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