Chapter 382 Similarity
The following morning, the hot spring villa was quiet.
The faint morning light shone through the window, illuminating the two sleeping in each other's arms. Jiang Huan slowly woke up in Huo Lin's warm and firm embrace.
After a good night's sleep, the palpitations and physical discomfort caused by yesterday's fright have mostly subsided, and my complexion has regained its rosy hue.
Huo Lin had actually been awake for a while, but he kept his arms around her, afraid of disturbing her.
Feeling the movement in his arms, he immediately lowered his head, his gaze falling on her gradually clearing eyes, and asked softly, "How are you feeling? Are you still uncomfortable?"
Jiang Huan snuggled comfortably against him like a satisfied cat and shook her head.
"Much better, just a little hungry."
As she spoke, she subconsciously touched her protruding belly.
The two little ones inside seemed to have woken up as well, and stirred slightly, as if echoing their mother's words.
A gentle smile appeared in Huo Lin's eyes. He carefully helped her sit up and called out to the palace servants waiting outside to serve breakfast.
It's good to be hungry; it means your energy is returning.
[I need to make sure she eats plenty later, to help her recover. She must have been terrified yesterday; she needs to calm down.]
Breakfast was served quickly; it was light and delicious, prepared according to the imperial physician's instructions and Jiang Huan's taste.
Huo Lin sat to the side, personally serving her food and porridge. Although his movements were a little clumsy, he was extremely attentive.
Jiang Huan enjoyed the emperor's service, feeling incredibly happy, as if she had secretly eaten honey.
She watched Huo Lin intently blowing on her porridge to cool it down, and then carefully picking up her favorite side dishes and placing them on a plate. Her heart warmed.
She tilted her head, her eyes curving into crescents, and deliberately dragged out her words, trying to tease him.
"If those ministers saw you serving me like this, they would probably start gossiping again, saying that I, the Imperial Noble Consort, am arrogant because of the emperor's favor."
As she spoke, she deliberately glanced at his hand holding the spoon.
Huo Lin calmly placed a spoonful of warm chicken porridge to her lips, his tone flat and even, but a faint smile flickered in his eyes.
"As for my cooking skills, my lady can judge for herself. There is no need for others to comment."
[It's good that my jaw dropped; it saves those old fogies from nagging me all day long, either advising me to distribute my favors equally or suggesting I choose a concubine.]
[What business is it of theirs if I am happy to serve my wife? They may interfere in everything, but what business is it of theirs in my bedroom?]
Hearing his true thoughts, Jiang Huan chuckled and obediently opened her mouth to eat the porridge. The lingering shadow in her heart from yesterday's assassination attempt was completely dispelled by this warm feeling.
Meanwhile, on the tree-lined path leading to the Royal Hot Spring Villa in the outskirts of Beijing, an exquisitely decorated carriage was traveling at a leisurely pace, followed by several smaller carriages.
In the lead carriage sat several well-dressed and exquisitely made-up young women, who were noble ladies from prominent families in the capital.
They agreed to go on a spring outing today, but their true intentions were quite different.
"Sister Wanqing, are you sure the Emperor is really in this villa?"
A noblewoman in a pale yellow dress asked a woman beside her in a low voice, who had a more serene demeanor.
The noblewoman, addressed as Wanqing, smiled slightly upon hearing this and lowered her voice mysteriously.
"It's highly likely that news came from the palace yesterday that the Emperor did not return to the palace after the assassination attempt, but instead rested at this hot spring villa to allow the Imperial Noble Consort to recover."
Another noblewoman in red excitedly chimed in, "If we could happen to meet the Emperor, even just a glimpse from afar would be wonderful!"
"Yes, yes, I heard that His Majesty personally served food to the Imperial Noble Consort at the New Year's banquet just a few days ago. How considerate..."
Another person chimed in, their tone filled with undisguised envy and longing.
They chattered excitedly, their faces flushed, as if they could already foresee the scene of their romantic encounter with the emperor.
The carriage came to a fork in the road, and ahead, the towering walls and upturned eaves of a villa could be vaguely seen.
Lin Wanqing signaled the driver to stop. She tidied her hair and clothes and said to everyone, "Alright, let's proceed according to plan. We'll pretend to be lost and go ask for directions. If we can get permission to go in and rest, that would be a blessing."
Several noble ladies alighted from their carriages, rubbed their ankles with feigned ease, and put on expressions of weariness and confusion before gracefully walking toward the gate of the villa.
However, before they could even get within a hundred paces of the gate, several guards dressed in black appeared silently from the woods on both sides of the road, their steel swords still sheathed, but their imposing aura instantly surrounded the delicate noble ladies.
"Halt! This is a royal forbidden area. Unauthorized personnel are not permitted to approach!" The head guard's voice was icy cold, devoid of any emotion.
The noble ladies had never seen such a scene before. They were so frightened that their faces turned pale, and they cried out in alarm. They instinctively took a few steps back and huddled together.
Lin Wanqing forced herself to remain calm, stepped forward, and curtsied.
"Gentlemen guards, please calm down. We are from the capital and came here for a spring outing. Unfortunately, we got lost in the mountains and have been walking for a long time. We are exhausted and thirsty. Seeing that this place looks like a courtyard, we just want to ask for a cup of water and rest for a while. We have no ill intentions and hope you will be accommodating..."
As she spoke, she slightly raised her face, revealing her carefully made-up eyes, which looked pitiful to behold.
However, the guards remained expressionless and unmoved, coldly repeating, "Leave now, or don't blame us for being impolite."
Just then, the side gate of the villa opened, and Wang Degui came out upon hearing the noise, wanting to see who dared to make a fuss outside the royal villa.
He frowned, his gaze sweeping over the group of trembling noble ladies. Just as he was about to reprimand and drive them away, his eyes suddenly fixed on Lin Wanqing, who was speaking.
Wang Degui's face changed instantly, as if struck by lightning.
It's so similar, so incredibly similar!
The woman in front of me had eyebrows, nose, and facial features that bore a striking resemblance to Jiang Huan, about six or seven points.
Having spent decades navigating the complexities of the palace, Wang Degui instantly sensed something extraordinary about this situation.
The Imperial Noble Consort was just frightened yesterday and is resting here to prepare for her pregnancy. Today, a woman who looks so much like the Emperor appears and tries to get close to him.
There's no such thing as a coincidence; there must be a conspiracy behind this!
He almost immediately shouted, "Take that woman away, gag her, and take her to the side courtyard to keep her under guard. No one is allowed to approach her without my order, and no one is allowed to make a sound."
Although the guards were puzzled, they obeyed orders and immediately stepped forward.
Seeing that things were going badly, Lin Wanqing was terrified and forgot all about her manners, screaming in a shrill voice, "What are you doing? Let me go! Help!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com