Chapter 297 Notice
Huo Lin immediately ordered the Ministry of Works to gather all its best craftsmen and work day and night to complete the project.
We must develop a usable sample in the shortest possible time and start mass production as soon as possible, prioritizing its deployment to the Northern Food Guard.
The entire military industry system started operating at high speed because of a single sketch by Jiang Huan.
Under Huo Lin's personal supervision and the efforts of countless craftsmen, the improved lightweight repeating crossbow was quickly developed. Although its range and power were slightly inferior to the traditional powerful crossbow, its rate of fire and portability far exceeded expectations.
The first batch of finished products was rushed to the northern front.
A few days later, an urgent military report arrived: the supply convoy, equipped with new repeating crossbows, had dealt a heavy blow to the Northern Di cavalry during their routine harassment.
Arrows rained down, swift and dense, catching the Northern Di light cavalry off guard. They suffered heavy casualties and were forced to retreat in panic.
The news sent excitement throughout the government and the public.
With the first victory in the northern border, the tense nerves of the government and the public could finally be eased.
Huo Linlong was overjoyed and ordered a banquet to be held in the palace to reward the meritorious generals and the officials who had worked hard for days.
At the celebration banquet, toasts were exchanged and the atmosphere was lively.
Huo Lin, unusually relaxed after days of tension, accepted round after round of toasts from his ministers.
He already had a high alcohol tolerance, and in his cheerful mood, he accepted all drinks offered.
Jiang Huan sat beside him, watching him chat and laugh with his ministers. Although there was still some fatigue between his brows, he had gained a lot of spirit. She was happy for him, but she couldn't help but worry about his health.
Drinking so much, I'm sure I'll have a headache tomorrow morning; hangovers are really bad for your health.
However, he has been too busy and tired lately, his nerves have been constantly on edge, and it has been a long time since I have seen him truly relax like this.
Oh well, it's rare for him to be so happy, let's just let him be today.
As the banquet dragged on into the night, Huo Lin was already seven or eight parts drunk. His handsome face was flushed, and his usually sharp eyes were misty with moisture.
He waved for everyone to leave, and with the help of Jiang Huan and Wang Degui, he returned to Weiyang Palace with slightly unsteady steps.
Upon entering the inner palace, Huo Lin dismissed the palace servants and shed all imperial majesty, leaning against Jiang Huan like a large ornament.
He wrapped his arms tightly around Jiang Huan's waist, rested his chin on the crook of her neck, and his warm breath mixed with a faint scent of wine sprayed on her ear.
"Jiang Huan..." His voice was hoarse, heavily intoxicated, and his tone was much slower than usual, sounding almost like a coquettish plea.
"Hmm? I'm here." Jiang Huan struggled to support him, half-carrying and half-dragging him as she tried to move the drunkard to the edge of the bed.
"Don't go," Huo Lin not only refused to cooperate, but hugged her even tighter, his arms encircling her so tightly she could hardly breathe. "You! You're not allowed to leave..."
Jiang Huan was so tight that she didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She even had some difficulty breathing. She could only soften her voice and gently pat his back, just like coaxing a child who was throwing a tantrum.
"I won't leave, I won't leave, please let go and lie down, okay? If you don't lie down, I won't be able to hold on, and we'll both end up lying here..."
Huo Lin seemed not to hear her, muttering to himself indistinctly, yet every word struck Jiang Huan's heart.
"You are mine, you are not allowed to leave me, you are not allowed to go anywhere, you are not allowed... to return to heaven..."
The last few words were almost inaudible, yet they struck Jiang Huan like a thunderbolt.
Go back...to heaven? Why would he think that?
Although this is just wishful thinking, Huo Lin is smart enough to figure it out someday.
Whether it was the strategies she offered for drought relief, instant noodles, or the repeating crossbows from a while ago, she didn't hide anything from him at all.
Because she felt sorry for Huo Lin, she really didn't want to see him troubled by the problem. But wouldn't these unusual things accumulate and eventually lead to unspeakable suspicions?
Just like today, his question, whether intentional or unintentional...
She tried to remain calm and struggled to break free from his embrace to see his expression, but his arms were too tight, and Jiang Huan couldn't move at all.
"I'm not Chang'e, who can fly to the moon. Your Majesty, you've had too much to drink."
Huo Lin did not respond, but buried his face deeper into her neck, his breathing gradually becoming even and long, as if he was drunk and had fallen asleep completely.
Jiang Huan: ……
Hey, seriously? You fell asleep standing up? And you're holding her so tightly!
But he's so heavy!
Jiang Huan was both amused and exasperated. After a great deal of effort, using her fingers and moving the man around until she was sweating profusely, she finally managed to unload the unconscious drunkard and carry him to the bed.
But seeing his slightly furrowed brows even in his sleep, Jiang Huan couldn't shake off the strange feeling in her heart.
The next morning, when Huo Lin woke up, he unsurprisingly had a hangover headache.
He sat up, pressing his forehead, and looked at Jiang Huan, who was still fast asleep beside him. His eyes were momentarily clouded with emotion, but he quickly regained his usual gentleness.
He got up gently without waking Jiang Huan.
When Jiang Huan woke up, Huo Lin had already gone to court.
She sat on the bed, lost in thought for a while, her mind a jumble of thoughts.
Perhaps, maybe, possibly, the drunkard wouldn't remember what nonsense he said?
That subtle atmosphere from last night should only remain last night... right?
But Jiang Huan felt uneasy all day. By evening, she still couldn't sit still, so she went to the Imperial Study.
She kept him company as usual, occasionally observing Huo Lin's expression, but couldn't discern anything amiss, and no one brought up the topic of last night.
He sat by the window reading memorials, while Jiang Huan made him tea.
The hall was quiet, with only the sound of pages turning.
Huo Lin looked at a report on the performance evaluation of local officials and began to analyze it in his mind as usual.
[This Prefect Li consistently receives excellent performance evaluations year after year, but Shen Yi's secret investigation suggests otherwise; he appears to be a man adept at maneuvering.]
As he was thinking, a cup of hot tea was suddenly handed to him, accompanied by Jiang Huan's response.
"I fear his intentions are impure; Your Majesty should investigate him thoroughly..."
As soon as he finished speaking, the hall fell into a deathly silence.
Jiang Huan suddenly came to her senses, realizing what she had just said. Her hand trembled, and she almost spilled the tea.
Oh no, she was a little absent-minded, subconsciously thinking that Huo Lin was talking to her, forgetting about the matter of inner thoughts.
What to do, what to do? If this isn't done right, something terrible will happen!
Huo Lin abruptly stopped flipping through the memorials, and slowly raised his head to look at Jiang Huan.
"What...what did you just say?"
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