Chapter Thirty-Nine: Just a Fright
Unfortunately, Jiang Huan vomited again after only getting to the beginning of her speech.
The discomfort in her stomach made her unable to speak at all.
Huo Lin sat beside him, his aura heavy and his handsome face terrifyingly gloomy.
The imperial physician looked at the two men's expressions, somewhat puzzled.
Isn't it a good thing that the Empress is pregnant? Why do the Emperor and Consort Zhuang both look rather unhappy?
Especially Consort Zhuang, her eyes were practically murderous.
The surrounding air was quiet. The imperial physician wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, feeling extremely tormented.
He's old, he can't be easily frightened.
[Whose child is this so unruly? They kicked Consort Zhuang so badly she can't even speak properly anymore!]
[She's with me every day, how could she possibly have time to get pregnant?]
Huo Lin's eyes burned with intensity, as if he could see right through Jiang Huan.
"Your Majesty, I'm not... vomiting, I'm just a little dizzy..."
Jiang Huan was vomiting so badly that she nearly died when she heard Huo Lin's heartbeat.
He's been wronged! He's just thinking of himself as a time management master!
Jiang Huan reached out and grabbed Huo Lin's wrist with great force.
Her eyes were red-rimmed, glistening with natural tears, making her look pitiful, yet her gaze was unusually resolute.
Huo Lin frowned, his gaze lingering on Jiang Huan's face with a complex mix of emotions.
[What's with Consort Zhuang's expression? She looks even more wronged than Dou E!]
[Does she want me to give her another chance? Fine, considering how much she usually eats, I can wait a little longer.]
[I've started the timer, one second, two seconds!]
"Alright, don't speak yet. Let the imperial physician take your pulse properly once your pulse has stabilized."
As the death countdown rang in her ears, Jiang Huan's heart pounded.
She collapsed back onto the bed, half-dead.
"vomit--"
[...Ten seconds, eleven seconds, I'm losing my patience!]
No, I need to calm myself down quickly.
Jiang Huan forced herself to relax, and after a few deep breaths, the dizziness in her head gradually disappeared.
After Xiao Zhao helped her treat her shoulder wound, she had completely calmed down.
The imperial physician climbed back into the carriage, and Jiang Huan quickly stretched out her hand, her face resolute as if she were about to go into battle.
A moment later, the imperial physician withdrew his hand.
"Sir, I'm not pregnant, am I?"
Jiang Huan stared intently at the imperial physician, her eyes screaming, "Prove my innocence!"
Huo Lin also looked at the imperial physician, but his gaze was not as direct as Jiang Huan's.
Under the intense gazes of the two men, the imperial physician felt immense pressure.
"Please forgive me, Your Majesty. I was wrong. The Empress is not pregnant. She has indigestion and has been vomiting due to the shock. A few doses of calming medicine will do the trick."
Jiang Huan finally felt relieved.
No regrets, no regrets.
If she's actually pregnant, that would be a huge problem.
She turned her head, her eyes sparkling as she stared at Huo Lin, her face full of excitement, "Your Majesty, did you hear that? I'm not pregnant, I'm innocent!"
Huo Lin's fingers twitched slightly, but he did not break free.
"I heard you."
[It turned out to be a misunderstanding. Consort Zhuang, you were secretly enjoying yourself behind my back; now you're getting your just desserts.]
[If this happens again, Consort Zhuang will be punished by having to eat with me!]
The two men's expressions cleared up as if the clouds had parted and the sun was shining, but the imperial physician was completely bewildered.
All the other concubines were hoping to get pregnant, so why was Consort Zhuang so happy that she looked like she was about to jump for joy when she heard that she wasn't pregnant?
The imperial harem is truly a complex and confusing place.
The imperial physician gave Jiang Huan a few more instructions, and with Huo Lin's tacit permission, he quickly left the carriage.
Because of the assassin incident, the imperial entourage temporarily stopped to rest, and the imperial physician took this opportunity to have someone prepare medicine for Jiang Huan.
Xiao Zhao brought over the bowl of medicine, and Huo Lin took it from her.
"I am here."
[Alright, alright, in the end, I misunderstood. Consort Zhuang took a knife for me and almost got beheaded, but it turns out she was just being nosy. Pfft... I'll reluctantly take care of her then.]
Although I cannot give her a child, I can still treat her well.
His men used a subtle force to help Jiang Huan sit up.
He picked up the medicine bowl, scooped out a spoonful of the medicine, and thoughtfully blew on it to cool it before bringing it to Jiang Huan's lips.
"Here, drink your medicine."
Jiang Huan: emmmm
She doesn't want children.
However, getting injured or frightened will bring a small benefit: Huo Lin's care.
It's quite a good deal.
Jiang Huan parted her lips slightly as the medicine was fed into her mouth.
only……
"puff--"
Jiang Huan's expression changed drastically, her brows furrowed, and she covered her mouth, forcing herself to swallow it.
She stuck out her tongue. "It's so bitter."
Why are you acting like a little kid?
Huo Lin looked around, then picked up a candied fruit and brought it to Jiang Huan's lips.
"Eating a candied fruit will make the bitterness go away."
Jiang Huan was in great pain when she took a bite of the candied fruit.
Soft, warm lips inadvertently touched Huo Lin's fingers. He was slightly startled, but casually withdrew his hand.
Jiang Huan felt a tingling sensation where she was touched, and the bitterness in her mouth faded, replaced by the sweetness of candied fruit.
We adults have the right to eat candy too!
Seeing her half-crying and half-laughing face, Huo Lin couldn't help but smile.
"Drink your medicine now, don't wait until it gets cold."
Upon hearing about taking medicine, Jiang Huan shuddered again.
Having thought of all the happy things in her life, she was still staring at the soup bowl with a miserable expression.
"Can I not drink it?"
"No." Huo Lin refused ruthlessly.
Is it really that bitter? Perhaps I should try mashing up some candied fruit and soaking it in the medicine? Consort Zhuang has such a sweet tooth; surely she could drink it if it became a bowl of sweet porridge?
Jiang Huan silently shifted her gaze from the medicine to Huo Lin.
It felt like looking at a bottle of poison.
Crushed candied fruit and put into medicine, and it's supposed to be sweet porridge? It's clearly a version of DDT with added ingredients!
Moreover, with Huo Lin feeding her bite by bite like this, even the sweetest candied fruit wouldn't be enough for her!
She frowned, her face full of disgust, struggled several times, and finally tilted her head back.
A short, sharp pain is worse than a long, drawn-out one; she was simply not worthy of the Emperor's service.
"Your Majesty, let me do it myself."
Huo Lin's culinary disaster plan failed, but as long as Jiang Huan drank it, that was fine, so he handed over the medicine bowl.
Jiang Huan looked at the dark medicine, gritted her teeth, and resolutely tilted her head back to drink it all in one gulp.
Before the bitterness could spread, Jiang Huan stuffed several candied fruits into her mouth in one go. Her cheeks were bulging, and she looked like a hamster hoarding food.
A smile flashed in Huo Lin's eyes.
[Empress Zhuang, a grown woman, is actually afraid of taking medicine.]
Jiang Huan slowly chewed on the candied fruit.
What's wrong with being afraid to take medicine?
She's being magnanimous and doesn't hold a grudge against the Emperor.
Huo Lin's carriage was the largest, the most comfortable, and the most fully equipped.
After Jiang Huan finished drinking the medicine, Huo Lin kept her there.
When Consort Jia learned of this, she nearly tore her handkerchief to shreds.
"You bitch!"
If it weren't for the difficulty in targeting Jiang Huan earlier, that bottle of aphrodisiac incense wouldn't have brought down Consort Wan.
However, there's plenty of time; there will be many opportunities in the future.
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