Chapter 380 Leaving the Palace
The festive atmosphere of the New Year gradually subsided, and before we knew it, it was time for Princess Ping'an's wedding.
The wedding was grand and dignified, befitting the status of a princess while maintaining a gentle and elegant demeanor.
The following day, according to etiquette, the newlywed Princess Ping'an and Prince You, Gu Yanzhi, were required to enter the palace to pay their respects and express their gratitude to the Emperor.
Inside the Imperial Study, Princess Ping'an, dressed in a royal princess-level dress, appeared even more dignified and serene.
Beside her stood King You, Gu Yanzhi, a man of upright posture and impeccable manners.
Huo Lin, as was customary, said a few words of encouragement and bestowed generous gifts upon the two before they withdrew.
The carefree Prince Huo Yunxing also came today. He was sitting lazily at the lower end of the table, sipping his tea casually. He had obviously been dragged here to discuss some business, and he looked like he wanted to slip away.
Looking at his uncle, who was rarely seen, Huo Lin remembered something and said, "Uncle, you seem to have a lot of free time lately."
Upon hearing this, Huo Yunxing immediately sat up straighter and chuckled dryly, "Your Majesty is joking. I was just... observing the people's conditions and taking a casual stroll. It's not exactly leisurely, not at all."
Oh no, this kid's always starting with that slow, leisurely tone, it's never good.
They're either giving me trouble or assigning me arduous tasks; I need to find a way to escape as soon as possible.
Huo Lin knew exactly what he was thinking, but he remained expressionless and continued, "I remember that the wedding date between the Imperial Uncle and Ayina seems to be approaching soon, doesn't it?"
Huo Yunxing's smile suddenly became somewhat subtle, his eyes darted around, and his ears quietly turned red.
He picked up his teacup and took a sip as if to cover up his true feelings before replying with feigned composure, "Ah, why is Your Majesty suddenly concerned about this?"
Looking at his strong and composed appearance, Huo Lin smiled and continued, "Uncle's marriage is of course important, but the New Year has just passed, and there are still many government affairs piled up in the capital. Spring plowing preparations and reports from various places cannot be delayed."
He glanced at the memorials on his desk and said calmly, "I need to leave the palace for a few days to supervise the spring plowing. I will trouble you, my uncle, to handle these affairs for the time being."
This is a good opportunity to accompany Jiang Huan out of the palace to relax. She has been cooped up in the palace for a long time and is sure she can't stay idle.
Although the Imperial Uncle is carefree and loves to live a life of leisure, he is capable enough and meticulous enough that this burden will not break him.
Besides, he's been living a carefree life for so long; it's time he did something for the court.
Otherwise, once he gets married, he'll probably use the princess as an excuse to disappear every few days, making it even harder to catch him then.
Upon hearing this, Huo Yunxing's smile froze instantly, and he almost choked on his tea.
He put down his teacup and waved his hands repeatedly, "No, no, no, Your Majesty, my dear nephew! Aren't you making things difficult for me? Don't you know my own abilities? I'm completely clueless when it comes to handling state affairs. Besides, my marriage is just around the corner, and there's a ton of work waiting for me at the Ministry of Rites..."
Good heavens, the mountain of memorials is enough to make my scalp tingle just thinking about it.
Is his beautiful spring day going to be wasted on these boring documents?
No, I have to struggle!
Huo Lin remained unmoved, glancing at Huo Yunxing: "Uncle, you are too modest. Marriage and politics do not conflict. Shen Yi will also help you."
He leaned forward slightly, looking intently at Huo Yunxing: "If you feel that the affairs of state are too heavy and you are unable to attend to them, then I will have the Ministry of Rites postpone the wedding date. After all, the affairs of state are of utmost importance, and I believe that the people in the northern desert will understand."
The implication couldn't be clearer: either stay in the capital and handle government affairs, or forget about holding the wedding as scheduled.
Huo Yunxing was speechless, staring at Huo Lin for a long time before finally slumping back in his chair and wailing, "You brat, you're pushing the Imperial Uncle into a fire pit!"
If he had known, he wouldn't have gone to the palace today; he's really walking right into a trap.
He sighed heavily, looking utterly hopeless: "Fine, fine, I'll obey the decree. But Your Majesty, please promise me you'll come back soon. Don't let me grow old and gray from all this paperwork!"
A triumphant smile flashed in Huo Lin's eyes, but his face remained calm.
"Thank you for your hard work these past few days, Imperial Uncle."
Huo Yunxing bowed weakly, not wanting to say anything more, only wanting to leave this place that had robbed him of his freedom as soon as possible.
Huo Lin watched his retreating figure, which seemed to float away from the imperial study, and felt quite pleased.
The following day, the weather was fine and the spring breeze was gentle.
Huo Lin changed out of his dragon robe and put on a brocade robe with dark blue patterns and cloud motifs. He tied his hair up with a simple jade crown, which made him look less like a cold and imposing emperor and more like a handsome and refined young man from a noble family going out for a spring outing.
Jiang Huan wore a pale yellow ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), her hair was simply tied up and adorned with a plain silver hairpin. She wore no makeup, which made her appear even more lively and charming.
The two rode in a carriage, accompanied only by a few skilled bodyguards disguised as servants and maids, who followed them from a distance, and quietly left the capital.
Along the official road outside the city, willows sway gently, and the fields are already showing signs of new green.
The air was filled with the fragrance of earth and grass, which was very pleasant.
The carriage stopped beside a clear stream. Jiang Huan stepped out of the carriage, stepped onto the soft grass, took a deep breath, and her face was filled with a bright smile.
"It's so much more comfortable outside. I'm going crazy from being cooped up in the palace!"
Seeing her excited expression, Huo Lin smiled gently, took her hand, and strolled slowly along the stream.
The guards were scattered at a distance, seemingly casually, but in reality, they were vigilantly protecting the area.
The stream babbled, birds sang, and flowers bloomed. The two walked and chatted like an ordinary, loving couple.
Although Huo Lin didn't talk much, he patiently listened to Jiang Huan chatter on about the wildflowers she saw, the butterflies that flew by, and the interesting stories and anecdotes.
"Yes, no wonder she loves coming out; the air outside smells sweeter than in the palace."
[Have someone plant more wildflowers in the Imperial Garden; she'll definitely like them.]
Jiang Huan felt a sweet warmth in her heart as she listened to his simple yet somewhat silly thoughts.
Just then, a rustling sound suddenly came from the bushes by the roadside.
Immediately afterwards, an old woman with tattered clothes and gray hair staggered out and fell down in front of Jiang Huan.
"Please, be kind and give me some food! My grandson... my grandson is starving!"
Behind her was a little boy, about seven or eight years old, thin and pale, who was leaning weakly against a tree trunk, clutching his stomach and sobbing softly.
"Grandma... I'm hungry... I'm so hungry..."
This sudden turn of events startled Jiang Huan. Huo Lin instinctively shielded her behind him and glanced at the old man and the young man.
The old woman, tears streaming down her face, kept kowtowing: "Please have mercy, kind sir! We haven't eaten for two days..."
The little boy's cries grew louder and louder, making him seem very pitiful.
After recovering from her initial shock, Jiang Huan peeked forward, wanting to take a look at the family.
But upon closer inspection, something seemed off; there was something wrong with it.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com