Chapter 368 Visiting Relatives
The palace maid was sent flying like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily into a pillar in the hall. She immediately lost consciousness, and the short dagger in her hand clattered to the ground.
All of this happened in the blink of an eye, leaving everyone in the hall stunned by this sudden turn of events.
Wen Yilin was so frightened that she forgot to cry out, her mouth agape and her face as white as paper.
This...this is someone from her palace? How could she...?
Having succeeded in his attack, Huo Lin didn't even glance at the palace maid. He immediately turned around and pulled Jiang Huan into his arms, scrutinizing her from head to toe.
"Are you alright? Were you scared? Is anything bothering you?"
Jiang Huan felt a sharp pain from his embrace, but the sensation of his rapid heartbeat and the palpable panic that threatened to overwhelm her actually lessened her initial shock.
She patted his back, her tone relatively calm: "I'm fine. You reacted quickly; she didn't even touch me."
Huo Lin breathed a slight sigh of relief, but his face remained terribly gloomy.
He shouted sternly, "Guards, drag her away and keep her under strict guard. Pry open her mouth and find out who is behind this."
The guards immediately stepped forward and dragged the unconscious palace maid away like a dead dog.
Huo Lin then turned to Wen Yilin, who was slumped on the ground, completely terrified.
When Wen Yilin met his gaze, she shuddered and immediately kowtowed: "Your Majesty, I didn't know her... how could she... it's my fault for failing to discipline her properly, I deserve to die, but I had absolutely no intention of instructing her to assassinate anyone, Your Majesty!"
At this moment, she was truly afraid.
While she could claim ignorance of the poisoning, the fact that a palace maid dared to assassinate the Imperial Noble Consort in public was a crime that would bring ruin upon her and the entire Wen family.
Huo Lin stared at her, as if he wanted to peel her skin and dissect her bones to see through her completely.
He was filled with rage, but also harbored a sliver of doubt.
Wen Yilin is foolish and arrogant; she doesn't have the brains to plan such an assassination, but the palace maid is her person, so she can't escape responsibility.
"Shut up!" Huo Lin interrupted her sharply, glancing at her with disgust. "Take her away with you and keep her under strict guard. No one is allowed to visit her without my order!"
Wen Yilin was utterly desperate. She was dragged away by the guards like a limp rag, and her cries gradually faded into the distance.
The storm has temporarily subsided, but the atmosphere inside Weiyang Palace has become even more somber.
Huo Lin held Jiang Huan's hand; his palm was ice-cold.
He was still shaken; the thought of that terrifying moment made his heart clench.
"From today onwards, the number of guards in Weiyang Palace will be doubled. All personnel entering and leaving the palace, regardless of rank, will be subject to strict inspection. All items sent into the palace must be examined one by one!"
As Huo Lin spoke, he glanced at Jiang Huan and said seriously, "And you, you are not allowed to leave Weiyang Palace alone without my company!"
[I hereby guarantee that not even a single mosquito will be allowed to fly into Weiyang Palace!]
Jiang Huan looked at his taut jawline and the lingering shock and anger in his eyes, and knew that he was really frightened, so she didn't argue and obediently nodded.
"Okay, whatever you say."
Sigh, now he's really become a caged canary. But seeing how scared he is, I guess I'll just go along with him.
Huo Lin's expression softened slightly when he saw that she agreed, but his vigilance remained undiminished.
He immediately summoned Shen Yi and gave him instructions in a low voice for a long time, clearly having laid a trap to find the mastermind behind it all.
However, the investigation did not go smoothly.
Under severe torture, the palace maid gritted her teeth and refused to utter a single word. No matter what methods were used, she insisted that she was the only one who did it.
Even more chillingly, on the second night of her imprisonment, she silently succumbed to poisoning and died in her heavily guarded cell.
Upon examination, it was found to be a deadly poison that had been hidden in the teeth, capable of causing immediate death upon contact with blood.
The trail went completely cold.
Upon learning the news, Huo Lin was furious, but there was nothing he could do.
The other party is ruthless and meticulous in their planning; they are clearly not an ordinary person.
This is more like a warning, a demonstration.
His sense of crisis intensified, and his protection of Jiang Huan reached an almost obsessive level.
Weiyang Palace was practically surrounded like an iron barrel; even a strange fly flying in would be questioned for three generations.
A few days later, one afternoon, He Ling carried a small food box, eagerly intending to go to Weiyang Palace to chat with Jiang Huan and share interesting stories. However, she was stopped as soon as she reached the palace gate.
"Please wait, Consort Hui." The guard at the gate said expressionlessly, in a businesslike manner.
"Um... brothers, I'm here to have a word with the Imperial Noble Consort." He Ling said with a smile.
"Please show your identification badge and submit to inspection." The guard remained cold and unyielding.
He Ling quickly took out her identity token from her sleeve and handed it over. A guard carefully verified it and nodded.
Immediately afterwards, two palace maids who had been waiting nearby stepped forward and examined He Ling.
They carefully searched He Ling from head to toe. He Ling's hair was untied and carefully examined to make sure there was nothing hidden inside. Her earrings and bracelets were removed for inspection, and even the soles of her shoes were checked.
The food box she brought was opened, and each pastry was broken apart and repeatedly tested with a long silver needle to confirm that it was not poisonous.
After all the checks were finally completed, He Ling felt like she had been robbed before she was finally allowed inside.
She straightened her somewhat disheveled clothes and hair, carried the food box, and walked unsteadily into the inner hall.
Upon entering the inner palace, she saw Jiang Huan leisurely leaning against the couch eating grapes. She immediately rushed over with a mournful face and said, "Your Majesty, it's harder than climbing to heaven to get in here now. I almost thought I brought a bomb instead of snacks!"
Hearing this, Jiang Huan couldn't help but chuckle and handed her a grape: "Thank you for your hard work. The Emperor has been a bit nervous lately because of the poisoning incident."
He Ling took the grape and popped it into her mouth, muttering, "It's more than just nervous, it's like I'm seeing ghosts everywhere. I felt so uncomfortable when I was touched, like my innocence was about to be exposed."
Jiang Huan was amused by her and said, "Alright, alright, I know you've been wronged. I'll have the Emperor issue you a pardon later."
He Ling quickly waved her hand: "No, please. The Emperor sees everyone as an assassin now. I'd better just accept the inspection honestly. Safety first, safety first!"
After chatting and laughing for a while, He Ling suddenly remembered the important matter and looked a little uneasy.
“Your Majesty, I have something to tell you,” she leaned closer and lowered her voice, “My parents are coming to see me.”
Jiang Huan was slightly taken aback upon hearing this.
He Ling's parents? She didn't seem to have heard He Ling mention her family in detail.
He Ling seemed to see her confusion and explained, "A few days ago, a letter came from home saying that the Emperor, because of the crops I grew, has granted them permission to visit me in the palace in a few days."
She said, a little worried, "To be honest, although they are the parents of this body, they are strangers to me. I don't know if they will be easy to get along with, or if they will notice anything amiss..."
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