Chapter Ninety-Two Wooden Wheelchair
Huo Lin put down his vermilion brush and looked up at Huo Yunxing, who was standing in front of the imperial desk.
The candlelight cast varying shadows on his cold, handsome face, but a barely perceptible smile flickered in his eyes.
"What does this mean, Imperial Uncle?" His voice remained calm and steady, revealing no emotional fluctuation.
Huo Yunxing was unusually serious, his hands resting on the table, his gaze intense.
"I request Your Majesty to issue an imperial decree to grant me and Ayina a marriage."
Huo Lin glanced at Huo Yunxing and said, "But I seem to remember that just a few days ago, my uncle said he would rather become a monk in a temple?"
Huo Yunxing's ears turned slightly red, but he stubbornly refused to move.
"Times have changed. Besides, wasn't it you who insisted on bringing us together?"
Huo Lin smiled slightly: "If the princess is unwilling, forcing a marriage might affect the diplomatic relations between the two countries."
Huo Yunxing frowned: "Then what should we do?"
"Doesn't the Imperial Uncle pride himself on being a dashing and romantic man? Then go and pursue him yourself," Huo Lin said slowly and deliberately.
Huo Yunxing's eyes widened: "You!"
"I still have memorials to review."
Huo Lin interrupted him directly, lowered his head and continued reviewing the memorials, adopting a gesture of seeing him off.
Huo Yunxing was so angry he wanted to grind his teeth, but he was helpless and could only turn and leave.
Only after the footsteps faded into the distance did Huo Lin raise his head.
He got up, straightened his sleeves, and led Wang Degui to Weiyang Palace.
Night had fallen, and the palace lanterns swayed gently in the wind, casting long shadows of him.
Thinking that Jiang Huan might be lying on the bed in a daze, Huo Lin unconsciously quickened his pace.
She must be so bored all by herself. I wonder if her legs still hurt.
She seemed to really like the pastries that the imperial kitchen sent today; please have more prepared tomorrow.
As soon as they arrived outside the palace, they heard Jiang Huan and Xiao Zhao laughing and talking inside.
Huo Lin paused, a barely perceptible smile playing on his lips.
Wang Degui was about to make the announcement when he raised his hand to stop him.
Inside the palace, Jiang Huan was leaning against the headboard, holding a piece of pastry in her hand, listening with great interest to Xiao Zhao telling her about the latest happenings in the palace.
"My lady, didn't you see? The scene was quite lively when the carefree prince and the princess met together."
Jiang Huan immediately became interested: "Really? Tell me more in detail."
Upon hearing this, Huo Lin coughed lightly and stepped inside.
"Your Majesty?" Jiang Huan turned her head in surprise.
A hint of a smile flashed in Huo Lin's eyes, but his face remained cold and stern.
"Is your injury better?"
Jiang Huan nodded: "Much better, but I still can't move."
Huo Lin sat down by the bed and tucked the blanket around her.
"The carefree prince has come to see me today."
Jiang Huan's eyes lit up: "Is it about the princess?"
Sure enough! She knew it.
There's definitely something going on between these two bickering lovers.
Huo Lin raised an eyebrow: "How did you know?"
Why is she so concerned about others? Why doesn't she care more about me?
I specially finished reviewing the memorials early today to come see her, and what did she do...?
Upon hearing Huo Lin's sour thoughts, Jiang Huan knew something was wrong.
"Just a guess, Your Majesty. Tell me quickly, what's going on between the prince and the princess?"
Huo Lin recounted Huo Yunxing's request for a marriage decree, and Jiang Huan's eyes lit up as she listened.
"Your Highness has finally seen the light."
Seeing Jiang Huan's excited expression, Huo Lin felt even more uneasy.
I visit her every day, but I've never seen her this happy.
[Does he find his uncle more interesting than me?]
He pursed his lips, then suddenly said, "You seem to care a lot about them?"
Jiang Huan rolled her eyes and deliberately sighed.
"Since we can't go out, we can only listen to other people's interesting stories to relieve our boredom."
The vinegar jar has been overturned again.
Huo Lin gave a noncommittal snort, but Jiang Huan seemed oblivious and continued with the previous topic.
"Princess Ayina is straightforward, and Prince Xiaoyao is unconventional. They may bicker, but they might actually get along well."
Huo Lin glanced at her: "Your analysis is quite insightful."
[You talk as if you know everything.]
Why doesn't she analyze my thoughts?
"That's right, Your Majesty has discerning eyes."
As Jiang Huan spoke, she lowered her eyes.
Does the Emperor even need analysis? She hears this every single day.
Besides, she dared not analyze the Emperor's occasional, wolfish thoughts.
Huo Lin snorted softly and didn't reply.
The two chatted for a while longer as night deepened.
Huo Lin stood up: "It's getting late, you should get some rest."
Jiang Huan nodded and watched him leave, feeling inexplicably lost.
The next morning, Jiang Huan had just woken up when she heard a commotion outside.
"Xiao Zhao, what's going on outside?" Jiang Huan asked curiously.
Xiao Zhao brought in water for washing her face, looking mysterious: "Your Highness, the Emperor is making something in the courtyard."
"Make something?" Jiang Huan was even more puzzled. "What kind of thing?"
Xiao Zhao shook her head: "This servant doesn't know either, His Majesty forbids me to say."
Jiang Huan was itching to go out and see what was happening, but unfortunately her leg injury hadn't healed, so she could only worry helplessly.
"Xiao Zhao, help me to the window to take a look."
Xiao Zhao quickly helped her move slowly to the window. Through the window, Jiang Huan saw Huo Lin squatting in the courtyard, holding tools and intently fiddling with a pile of wood.
Why is this place so difficult to deal with?
But for her sake, I have to do it no matter how difficult it is.
With this, I can finally go out for a walk.
Hearing this heartfelt message, Jiang Huan felt a warmth in her heart. So the Emperor was making something for her?
Judging from its shape, it looks like a... wheelchair?
Jiang Huan stared wide-eyed, unable to believe that the emperor of a nation would personally make a wheelchair for her.
Huo Lin seemed to notice the gaze and looked up towards the window. Jiang Huan quickly pulled her head back, pretending not to be peeking.
After a while, Huo Lin pushed in an exquisitely crafted wooden wheelchair.
"Try it and see if it suits you." He said casually, as if he had just made a little gadget on a whim.
Jiang Huan looked at the exquisitely crafted wheelchair, with even the wheels thoughtfully covered with a layer of soft leather for shock absorption, and couldn't help but marvel.
"The Emperor would actually do this?"
"The late emperor disliked me. When I was young, I lived in the cold palace for a period of time. There was no one to take care of me there, and I had to do many things myself."
Back then, no one cared about me; I had to find a way myself.
Looking back now, however, I did develop a valuable skill.
Huo Lin spoke calmly, as if he were talking about something perfectly ordinary.
Jiang Huan's heart skipped a beat. She suddenly remembered that Huo Lin in the original book was the late emperor's least favored prince. His birth mother died early, and he was even abandoned in the cold palace to fend for himself when he was young.
He survived and has worked his way up to where he is today; he must have endured countless hardships.
"Your Majesty..." Jiang Huan's nose tingled with emotion, and she said softly, "Once my leg is healed, I'll make you some sweets."
She wanted to make the most delicious desserts in the world for the Emperor, to make up for all the sweetness he lacked in his childhood.
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