Chapter 148 Talent Show
"Drag him away, keep him under strict guard, and await further orders." Huo Lin's voice was completely calm.
"Your Majesty, I am innocent!" Consort Jia cried out in a shrill voice.
She wanted to say something more, but guards came forward and dragged her out of the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
Wang Degui dared not utter a sound and directed the eunuchs to quickly clean up the scene.
Huo Lin sat back down in his chair and rubbed his temples.
He had seen plenty of tricks in the harem, but Consort Jia was the first to dare to put an aphrodisiac in front of him and try to take advantage of the situation.
He has amnesia, not mental retardation!
But then, another face uncontrollably surfaced in my mind.
They both tried to get close to him by any means necessary, while the other avoided him at all costs.
Tsk, wait, why am I even thinking about her?
Huo Lin opened his eyes, and that empty feeling in his heart returned.
He waved his hand impatiently: "All of you, step back. I'm tired."
After dismissing the palace servants, Huo Lin returned to his bed and lay down, tossing and turning until he finally fell asleep.
The next day, in the Imperial Study.
Huo Lin had just finished reviewing several memorials when he heard Wang Degui's voice.
"Your Majesty, General Lin Zheng requests an audience and has been waiting outside the palace for quite some time."
Huo Lin's eyes flickered slightly, and a cold smile appeared on his lips.
They arrived quickly.
"Announce."
Lin Zheng walked in hurriedly, his anxious expression evident on his face.
He knelt down, his voice loud but unable to hide his urgency: "Your subject Lin Zheng kowtows to Your Majesty, and begs Your Majesty to show mercy and pardon Consort Jia. Consort Jia is loyal to Your Majesty and has absolutely no intention of harming Your Majesty."
Huo Lin leaned back slightly, resting on the large dragon throne, looking down at Lin Zheng.
Sunlight streamed through the window lattice, casting shadows on his dark dragon robe, which further accentuated his cold and stern face, exuding an imposing aura even without anger.
"Completely loyal?"
Huo Lin's voice was not loud, but it was chilling: "Using drugs to bewitch the emperor's mind, what a loyal heart you are."
Lin Zheng's forehead instantly broke out in a cold sweat: "Your Majesty, the Empress... she must have been deceived, or..."
"Enough." Huo Lin suddenly spoke, his icy gaze piercing him.
"It's tough on General Lin. Besides fighting the enemy, he also has to plead for his good-for-nothing sister."
"Your brotherhood is so deep that you can disregard even the Emperor. Does your Lin family intend to rebel?!"
This sharp shout made Lin Zheng freeze, and a chill ran from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.
Huo Lin didn't give him a chance to argue and directly said to Wang Degui, "Bring it here."
Wang Degui immediately brought over a stack of prepared files and placed them on the ground in front of Lin Zheng.
"Take a good look at the mess your dear sister has made in the palace all these years."
Huo Lin's voice was as cold as a knife, "And you, do you really think that just because I've lost my memory, I'm deaf and blind, and that the Lin family can do whatever they want with me?"
Lin Zheng's heart skipped a beat, and he opened the file with trembling hands.
After reading only a few pages, my vision went black and I almost collapsed to the ground.
The dossier records everything Consort Jia has done since entering the palace, including framing other concubines and hiring assassins.
In addition, there were the shady things he had instructed his subordinates to do over the years, things that couldn't be brought to the emperor's attention.
He thought he had done something discreet, but the emperor found out everything.
"Your Majesty... Your Majesty... Your Majesty..." Lin Zheng's lips trembled, and he couldn't utter a single word.
He then realized that while the emperor had indeed lost his memory, his methods had never disappeared.
Moreover, judging from the contents of the case file, the Emperor must have been investigating the Lin family for a long time, but he just hasn't found a suitable opportunity to take action against them.
His plea for mercy today is tantamount to walking into a trap.
Huo Lin looked at his dejected appearance with indifferent eyes, his gaze filled with a chilling coldness.
Consort Jia's use of drugs was the trigger, a handle delivered to their doorstep.
Lin Zheng, along with the increasingly arrogant Lin family behind him, is the real cancer he needs to eradicate.
The evidence has been collected and is just waiting for the right opportunity.
Now, the opportunity has arrived.
Huo Lin's eyes were devoid of any warmth: "Lin Zheng, your crimes are unforgivable, but out of respect for your father, you may be spared the death penalty."
"Guards, convey my decree: Lin Zheng is immediately stripped of his command, his general's seal is revoked, and all his titles and honors are revoked. From this day forward, he shall be confined to his quarters to reflect on his mistakes. As for Consort Jia, Lin..."
He paused, then snorted coldly: "Consort Jia, née Lin, is vicious and immoral, and has repeatedly violated palace rules. She is demoted to a lower-ranking concubine, moved out of Chang Le Palace, and relocated to Jing Xin Palace to reflect on her mistakes."
"emperor!"
The name Jingxin Palace sounds nice, but it's actually a cold palace. How could anyone who goes there have a good ending?
Lin Zheng screamed in despair, but could no longer utter any words of pleading.
He felt as if all his strength had been drained away, and collapsed to the ground, letting the guards drag him out of the imperial study.
Huo Lin's swift and decisive actions not only completely eradicated the cancerous tumor that was Consort Jia, but also reclaimed the military power that Lin Zheng relied on, serving as a warning to others and intimidating the court and the public.
When the news reached Weiyang Palace, Xiao Zhao was overjoyed.
"Your Majesty, it's fantastic news! Consort Jia... oops, I mean, that Consort Lin, she's finished!"
Jiang Huan was staring blankly at a pot of flowers and didn't quite hear what was said. She turned her head when she heard it.
"What?"
"Consort Jia has been demoted to a low-ranking concubine by the Emperor!" Xiao Zhao exclaimed excitedly, her voice rising eight octaves. "Her brother has also been stripped of his official position by the Emperor and is now confined to his home."
"Hmph, this is truly gratifying. Let her be so arrogant all the time, even trying to poison the Emperor. Now she's been sent straight to the Cold Palace. Let's see how she stirs up trouble in the future."
Xiao Zhao was overjoyed, as if she could already see Jiang Huan's bright future of enjoying the Emperor's exclusive favor.
"Your Highness, this is good. No one will bully you anymore."
The downfall of Consort Jia and the dismissal of Lin Zheng were indeed fantastic news.
But is that the main point right now?
As long as she studies diligently day and night, she has no worries that she won't surpass Consort Jia in skill level.
The main problem is that Huo Lin has completely forgotten about me, so what's the point of arguing?
Jiang Huan felt increasingly resentful as she thought about it, and with a snap, she broke a small flower in half.
"Your Majesty, what's wrong? Is it the joy of getting revenge? Why are you frowning?"
Seeing her master's fierce expression, Xiao Zhao was a little confused.
Jiang Huan twitched the corners of her mouth, her smile resembling that of a wilted, bitter gourd burning with anger.
"It's nothing, I just didn't sleep well last night."
This isn't just idle talk; she really did toss and turn all night, unable to sleep.
I have a feeling of unease and a sense of foreboding.
As expected, Jiang Huan's unease was not unfounded.
In just one morning, the situation in the palace changed again.
The concubines, who had just learned of Consort Jia's fall from grace, had not been happy for long when they received another piece of news.
Similarly, the news also reached Jiang Huan.
"Your Majesty, something terrible has happened!"
Jiang Huan's eyelids twitched.
"Get out, get out! Has Huo Lin not only forgotten her, but now he's even issuing an order to kill her?"
She wasn't surprised, and neither was she.
In contrast, Xiao Zhao seemed very anxious, and her voice was trembling.
"The Emperor has decreed that the imperial selection process shall begin."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com