Chapter 340 Cold Shower
Huo Lin was about to go to the Imperial Study to deal with some backlogged memorials when a eunuch from Cining Palace rushed over.
"Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager requests your presence, saying she has important matters to discuss."
Huo Lin paused, his brows furrowing.
What kind of mischief are they up to now?
The old strife of the previous dynasty has barely subsided, and now the harem is already restless again?
Sigh, if it weren't for the need to maintain appearances, he would have loved to pack up the Empress Dowager and throw her away a hundred and eight thousand miles away!
Huo Lin muttered to himself, but his face remained expressionless as he simply said, "I understand."
He then led Wang Degui and several guards to Cining Palace.
There seemed to be fewer palace servants on duty outside the palace than usual, and the atmosphere was unusually quiet.
He stepped into the main hall, but as soon as he entered, an unusually sweet and rich fragrance wafted towards him, penetrating his nose and making his head feel slightly heavy, even causing him to feel dizzy for a moment.
What is this smell? It's so cloying it's making me dizzy. Are there ten concubines hiding here?
When did Cining Palace change to this kind of incense? Does the Empress Dowager, at her age, still want to act like a seductive, cheap woman? Isn't she afraid of suffocating herself with the stench?!
No...something's not right, this scent is a bit strange.
Huo Lin frowned slightly, becoming wary, and his sharp gaze swept across the hall.
The light inside the hall was dimmer than usual, with only a few palace lanterns lit. Layers of gauze curtains hung low, fluttering gently in the breeze, creating a strangely enchanting atmosphere.
The Empress Dowager, who should have been sitting on the phoenix throne waiting, was nowhere to be seen.
Oh no!
He immediately held his breath, instinctively covered his nose with his sleeve, and alarm bells rang in his mind.
This is clearly not the atmosphere for discussing important matters.
Huo Lin's face grew increasingly gloomy, and he stopped walking, no longer venturing inside. His sharp gaze swept across every corner of the dimly lit hall like that of a hawk.
Suddenly, a faint rustling sound and the soft tinkling of jade pendants came from behind the gauze curtain on the right.
Immediately afterwards, a figure gracefully walked out.
She was a young woman, draped only in a thin veil, her graceful figure almost completely visible in the dim light, her skin faintly discernible.
Her face was charming, her eyes sparkling, filled with a shy yet bold longing, as she approached Huo Lin step by step, her voice sweet and soft, as if it could be squeezed to release water.
"This humble woman greets Your Majesty."
Huo Lin's pupils suddenly contracted, his gaze as cold as a sharp blade.
He vaguely remembered the woman; she was a distant niece of the Empress Dowager's family. She had been brought into the palace some time ago, supposedly to keep the Empress Dowager company.
Her purpose in appearing here in this manner is self-evident.
What a scoundrel! How dare the Empress Dowager use such despicable means to send such a shameless thing to him? What does she take him for?
A surge of anger, seemingly orchestrated, instantly rose to his head, nearly burning away his reason.
In particular, the strange sweet fragrance seemed to become stronger with his breathing, and an unfamiliar heat surged uncontrollably in his lower abdomen, making him even more irritable and furious.
Seeing that Huo Lin was only staring at her with a gloomy face and did not immediately reprimand her, the woman felt a sliver of hope, thinking that the emperor was bewitched by her beauty.
She mustered her courage and took half a step forward, her voice becoming increasingly soft and suggestive: "Your Majesty, it's stuffy in the palace. Would you mind if I helped you undress?"
As she spoke, she reached out her hand, adorned with red nail polish, and tried to touch Huo Lin's collar.
"Insolence!" Huo Lin roared, his voice carrying a chilling killing intent that echoed in the empty hall.
The woman was so frightened by the sudden outburst that she screamed and froze in mid-air, as if she had been frozen in place.
She looked up in terror, meeting Huo Lin's chilling eyes, which held no emotion, only contempt as if he were looking at something filthy.
"Your Majesty..." she stammered, her teeth chattering.
"Who gave you the audacity to dress like this and commit such lewd acts in the Cining Palace? Do you want to die?!"
"No...no...Your Majesty, please calm down!" Lady Chang panicked completely, her face ashen, and tried to grab Huo Lin to explain, "It's...it's my aunt...the Empress Dowager...she...she told me to wait here for Your Majesty, saying...saying that I should serve you well...ah!"
"Get out of my way!" Huo Lin spat out the two words through gritted teeth, turning away in disgust to avoid her touch. His aura was terrifying, as if it were a physical entity descending upon him.
The woman was utterly terrified; her legs gave way and she collapsed to her knees.
Her body trembled violently, and she cried incoherently, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger! This humble woman...this humble woman knows she was wrong!"
She was so frightened that she couldn't even speak properly, tears streaming down her face, completely devoid of the alluring demeanor she had just displayed.
Huo Lin didn't bother to listen to her explanation. He turned around, kicked open the palace door, and strode out.
The cold wind from outside the palace rushed in, but it couldn't immediately dispel the sweet smell and heat emanating from him.
His breathing became more and more rapid, his blood felt like it was burning, and the strange fragrance clung to him like a maggot.
This incense is problematic; it's an aphrodisiac.
He suppressed the surging desire within him and returned to his palace as quickly as possible.
"Prepare cold water! Immediately!" he growled at the approaching palace servants, his voice hoarse and veins bulging on his forehead.
Although the palace servants were puzzled, seeing the emperor's frightened expression, they dared not ask any further questions and hurriedly went to make preparations.
The cold water was quickly prepared, and Huo Lin stepped into the bathtub without hesitation. The biting cold instantly enveloped him, making him shiver, but it also instantly suppressed the surging heat within him.
He closed his eyes, leaned against the cold barrel wall, letting the chill seep into his limbs to dispel the effects of the medicine, his face extremely pale.
How dare the Empress Dowager use such methods against him? Is she desperate?
They must have seen that Jiang Huan was pregnant and were now plotting to seduce someone!
Just as he was soaking in cold water, gritting his teeth and thinking about how to settle the score for what happened today, Wang Degui cautiously reported from outside.
"Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager has sent someone to deliver a message..."
Huo Lin suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze sharp as a knife: "Speak!"
Wang Degui braced himself and relayed the Empress Dowager's words through the screen: "The Empress Dowager said that she was not feeling well today and went to bed early. She did not know why Miss Chang was in the palace, and was wearing such clothes. She said that perhaps Miss Chang herself did not know the rules and had inappropriate thoughts. She asked the Emperor to calm down."
Upon hearing this, Huo Lin's lips curled into a cold smile.
How shameless! They've managed to absolve themselves of all responsibility.
The blame was entirely placed on an insignificant niece, who was then portrayed as the pitiful victim who had been deceived.
"The Empress Dowager also instructed..." Wang Degui hesitated for a while before continuing, "She said that His Majesty's health is of utmost importance, and even if he is angry, he should not soak in cold water for too long, lest the cold enter his body and damage his health. She told His Majesty to take care of himself."
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