Chapter 168 The Vengeful Emperor
Huo Lin had clearly come running, the hem of his clothes still fluttering slightly.
He was overjoyed as soon as he finished his court session and headed to Weiyang Palace, but before he even saw anyone, he heard a cry of pain.
His gaze was fixed on Jiang Huan's swollen and blistered hand, the coldness in his eyes almost freezing people to death.
"What happened?"
Princess Mingzhu was most afraid of Huo Lin's indifferent and cold tone. She stood up abruptly, lowered her head, and her already flustered heart jumped into her throat.
She explained with tears welling up in her eyes, like a frightened little rabbit.
"Your Majesty, I didn't mean to. I was helping Sister Jiang open the furnace door and I slipped..."
Huo Lin didn't even look at her. He carefully lifted Jiang Huan's injured wrist, and the shocking wound made the ferocity in his eyes even stronger.
Damn it, she must be in so much pain. If only I could take her pain away.
[Mingzhu, that troublemaker! Those who didn't know better would think she was about to fire a cannon right in my palace!]
[This oven is awful, why can't it just grow legs and move away?]
[The imperial physician! Go and bring me those miraculous elixirs right now. Whether they work or not, administer them to her first.]
She certainly doesn't want scars, so I must restore her hands to a state smoother than mutton-fat jade and whiter than the first snow.
Huo Lin frowned, his jawline taut, and shouted.
"Wang Degui, go and summon the imperial physician!"
Wang Degui walked in from outside and turned pale with fright when he saw the situation inside.
"Yes, this servant will go right away." As soon as he finished speaking, Wang Degui ran off.
Huo Lin then turned his gaze to Princess Mingzhu, who was slumped on the ground, his eyes sharp as knives, full of reproach.
"If you're going to be playful, just stay in your own courtyard. Why are you causing trouble at Weiyang Palace!"
Princess Mingzhu felt a chill run down her spine under his gaze, and tears streamed down her face.
"Yes, I...I know I was wrong."
Looking at Huo Lin's expression, which seemed to kill without leaving a trace, Jiang Huan thought to herself that the advantage of being an elder was indeed different.
His words of reprimand nearly terrified his little niece.
It was all an accident. Jiang Huan couldn't bear to see Mingzhu get scolded, so she endured the pain in her hand and forced a smile.
"Oh, it's no big deal."
"Your Majesty, look, it's just a scratch, a small red patch. If you scold it a few more times, it will heal completely."
As she spoke, she tried to wave her injured hand to prove she was alright, but the movement was a little too large, which aggravated the wound, causing her to gasp in pain.
[A minor scrape? She calls that a minor scrape? The blister is almost the size of a cherry!]
[I was sweating profusely from the pain, but I was still trying to be brave.]
Looking at Jiang Huan's forced smile, Huo Lin felt a tightness in his chest.
Jiang Huan quickly composed herself, realizing that what she had just done was a mistake.
Even award-winning actresses get cheers when they act, so they just need another take.
She quickly changed the subject, her gaze falling on the surviving plate of cherry biscuits on the table, her tone tinged with regret.
"Wait a minute, there's something more important than the burns right now."
"These pirouettes will all wilt if they're not roasted soon. Since they're just sitting around doing nothing, Your Majesty, could you roast them for me?"
She deliberately emphasized the word "listless" and looked at Huo Lin with bright eyes.
Huo Lin was slightly taken aback.
Her hands were shaking so badly, yet she was still thinking about Bi Luo.
[This is all her hard work, so naturally I must help.]
[It's just baking a dessert, right? I'll learn! I'll bake it!]
Huo Lin looked down at Jiang Huan, finding it increasingly difficult to refuse.
"Alright, you teach me."
Jiang Huan hummed contentedly twice, feeling like she had finally become a hero in the Pearl World today.
"It's very simple. Your Majesty, just push the baking tray into the oven, watch the heat, and make sure it's heated evenly until the surface turns golden brown and small bubbles appear."
【Simple. 】
Huo Lin calmed his anger slightly and started grilling according to Jiang Huan's instructions.
Princess Mingzhu was so shocked that she forgot to cry and looked at Huo Lin in disbelief.
That cold-faced emperor who strikes fear into the hearts of all actually cooked and baked desserts for Sister Jiang?
Not long after, Wang Degui led the panting imperial physician in.
"Your Majesty, the imperial physician has arrived."
Huo Lin stopped looking at the stove, the pangs of heartache and anxiety in his heart spreading again: "Quick! Treat Consort Zhuang's injuries!"
The imperial physician rushed forward to examine Jiang Huan's injured hand.
After a careful examination, the imperial physician breathed a sigh of relief: "Your Majesty, the Empress has suffered a burn to the skin from the hot furnace wall. Fortunately, the bones and tendons have not been damaged. I will clean the wound, apply medicine, and bandage it for the Empress."
The imperial physician swiftly fetched water and a medicine box and began treating Jiang Huan's wounds. The cool medicine stung her skin as it touched the burns.
Jiang Huan couldn't help but frown and let out a soft hiss.
Although people who spend all their time in the kitchen will inevitably have some cuts and burns on their hands.
But even though you get used to it, it can still hurt terribly when it hurts.
Hold back, hold back, don't scream, so that Mingzhu doesn't die.
But that sound still didn't escape Huo Lin's ears. His gaze grew colder and colder as he stared intently at the imperial physician's hand until the bandaging was completed.
"Your Majesty, please remember not to get the wound wet these next few days, change the dressing on time, and eat a light diet. It will scab over in a few days."
After the imperial physician respectfully finished giving his instructions, he dared to secretly wipe away his sweat.
"Thank you for your help," Jiang Huan said with a smile, looking at her hands which were wrapped up like a rice dumpling.
Now look what's happened! Forget about making desserts, he probably won't even be able to hold chopsticks properly.
I broke my leg a while ago, and I'm feeling pretty good right now, the whole family is all together.
Just then, an enticing sweet aroma wafted from the oven.
"It looks like it's done baking!" Jiang Huan's eyes lit up as she reminded her.
Huo Lin turned around consciously and put on thick heat-resistant gloves.
[Although, she needs me again, yay!]
He opened the oven door and carefully took out the baking tray.
The cherry cherries on the baking tray had turned golden and plump, radiating an enticing sheen and a rich fruity aroma, and their appearance was surprisingly good.
"Wow, it's perfectly roasted!" Jiang Huan exclaimed with delight, her hands no longer aching.
To bake to this level on her first try, she must be incredibly lucky to be standing next to someone with such good fortune.
As Huo Lin looked at the several golden Bi Luos, the corners of his tightly clenched lips finally curved into a slight smile.
[Hmph, when I take action, it's naturally extraordinary.]
[Look at this color, this fragrance! I have now redeemed myself and am no longer the novice who only made her laugh!]
Hearing this sentiment, which was half smug and half boastful, Jiang Huan smiled.
She picked up a baked cherry biscuit and took a bite. The outer skin was crispy and crumbly, and the sweet and sour cherry sauce inside was warm and delicious, even better than she had expected.
"Perfect." Jiang Huan praised him highly, deliberately raising her voice eight octaves to endorse Huo Lin's cooking skills, "Your Majesty might actually have some talent. If you learn for another two days, you might catch up with me."
As she spoke, she picked up two Bi Luo with her uninjured hand, handing one to Princess Mingzhu and the other to Huo Lin.
"Princess, you should try some too." She stuffed Bi Luo into Mingzhu's hands and winked. "This was baked by the Emperor himself. You won't find this again if you miss it."
Princess Mingzhu looked at the pastries offered to her but dared not accept them.
Seeing this, Jiang Huan smiled and reassured him, "Don't worry, His Majesty only looks fierce, but he's actually not angry anymore, right, Your Majesty?"
After saying that, she secretly gave Huo Lin a wink.
"Yes, I'm not angry at all."
[I was simply thinking of a hundred ways to punish Mingzhu.]
Mingzhu secretly glanced at Huo Lin, whose aura remained low, and shook her head vigorously.
"No, no need, Sister Jiang, I'm not hungry."
Jiang Huan was helpless. It seemed that in Huo Lin's eyes, Princess Mingzhu could only appear as a fully automatic troublemaker for the time being.
After thinking for a moment, she turned to Huo Lin and handed him the other Bi Luo.
"Then Your Majesty should try your own cooking."
Huo Lin looked at Jiang Huan's tightly bandaged hand and had no appetite at all, but he still took it and took a symbolic bite.
A low-pressure atmosphere permeated the small kitchen.
Jiang Huan couldn't take it anymore; the Emperor was practically a refrigeration machine right now.
They're all home appliances, why are they fighting each other so fiercely?
No, no, she needs to find a topic to talk about quickly.
"Speaking of which, didn't the princess mention before that the Empress Dowager was looking for a husband for you?"
Jiang Huan deliberately nudged Mingzhu lightly with her shoulder, "If you find a promising young man you like, be sure to speak up and let your royal uncle give you some advice."
Perfect topic change!
This is a good time to bring it up, and we can also see the Emperor's reaction.
Upon hearing this, Princess Mingzhu's face fell instantly. She secretly glanced at Huo Lin and spoke in a voice barely audible.
"Not yet..."
Huo Lin was seething with anger, but upon hearing this, he slowly swallowed the pastry in his mouth.
"Marriage is indeed a life-long commitment and should be taken very seriously."
He put down Bi Luo and tapped his fingertips lightly on the table, each tap feeling like a tap on Princess Mingzhu's nerves.
"Let me think..." He pondered for a moment, then began to list in a calm tone, "The third son of the Duke of Anguo is quite talented in literature, but I heard that he broke his leg in a horse-riding accident a few days ago and still walks with a limp."
Princess Mingzhu's eyes widened in surprise.
"The second son of the Marquis of Pingxi, from a good family, but unfortunately he contracted a strange illness two years ago, leaving some pockmarks on his face."
Princess Mingzhu's face began to turn pale.
"There is also the eldest son of the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. He is well-educated, but he is too dull. I heard that he still firmly believes that the child was sent by Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy."
Princess Mingzhu's hand holding the teacup began to tremble.
Huo Lin seemed not to notice her reaction and continued slowly, "Oh, right, there's also the nephew of the deputy commander of the Imperial Guard. He's highly skilled in martial arts, but he's too straightforward and rough around the edges. I heard he can eat half a sheep in one meal."
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