Chapter Seventy-Four: Saving the Country Through a Circuitous Route
Huo Lin's thoughts came to an abrupt halt, and he looked at Jiang Huan, who was fast asleep in his arms, with a suspicious gaze.
Nobody's talking, is there?
Jiang Huan seemed to sense danger. Even in her sleep, she instinctively shrank back and snuggled deeper into his arms, as quiet as a well-behaved porcelain doll.
Huo Lin's thoughts were interrupted. He looked at the person in his arms and sighed softly.
He carefully laid Jiang Huan flat on the couch and then meticulously tucked her in.
The next morning, Princess Ayina dressed herself up and strolled out of the palace gate.
She specially changed into the most luxurious clothes in the northern desert, a fiery red gauze skirt adorned with pearls, and silver bells at her waist jingling crisply with each step.
“Princess, I’ve inquired,” the maid whispered. “His Majesty practices swordsmanship in the Imperial Garden every day at Chen Shi (7-9 AM).”
Ayina nodded in satisfaction: "Let's go to the Imperial Garden."
The morning mist had not yet dissipated in the Imperial Garden. As Ayina approached the flowerbeds, she heard footsteps.
She was overjoyed, thinking it was Huo Lin, but instead saw Consort Liu approaching gracefully with her maids.
"Oh, isn't this the princess from the northern desert?" Consort Liu raised an eyebrow slightly, her tone carrying a hint of surprise.
Ayina glanced at her, her eyes revealing a hint of indifference and arrogance.
She nodded slightly in response, but did not speak, as if she disdained to have any further interaction with Consort Liu.
Consort Liu didn't care. She gently waved her fan and glanced around as if searching for something. In the end, she pursed her lips, clearly not seeing the person she wanted to see.
Unwilling to give up, the two each took a stroll in the Imperial Garden, only to meet again.
They stared at each other in silence for a moment before Liu Guicai forced a smile.
"Is the princess also here to admire the flowers?"
Ayina replied perfunctorily, "This princess has heard that the Imperial Garden is extremely beautiful, so I came to see it for myself."
Consort Liu nodded, said nothing more, and stood aside, occasionally glancing into the distance.
Ayina and her maid strolled around the Imperial Garden for a while longer. It was past Chen Shi (7-9 AM), but the Emperor was still nowhere to be seen.
Ayina frowned slightly, her eyes revealing a hint of impatience.
Seeing this, the maidservant hurriedly said, "I've heard that His Majesty has been visiting the library frequently lately. Princess, shall we go and take a look?"
"Walk."
However, as soon as Ayina arrived outside the library, she saw Zhang Jieyu standing under the eaves with a book in her arms, looking somewhat disappointed.
Hearing the commotion, Zhang Jieyu managed a weak smile upon seeing Ayina.
"The princess has also come looking for books?"
Ayina nodded and made up a random excuse.
"I want to find some ancient books that are not available in the northern deserts."
Zhang Jieyu hummed in agreement, but her gaze kept drifting towards the library, her mind clearly not on the books.
The two stood awkwardly for a while before Zhang Jieyu finally let out a soft sigh.
"It seems the Emperor won't be coming today."
Ayina was taken aback: "Are you waiting for the Emperor?"
Zhang Jieyu's expression stiffened slightly as she realized she had let something slip, and she quickly smiled to cover it up.
"No, I just happened to be passing by."
Ayina knew perfectly well that no one would believe the idea that she just happened to be passing by.
Next, Ayina traveled to several other places.
At the edge of Taiye Pond, Consort Xian leaned against the railing feeding the fish. When she saw her arrive, she merely nodded faintly, clearly in a bad mood.
At the martial arts training ground, Consort Hui practiced archery alone. The target was almost worn out from shooting so many arrows, but the Emperor was still nowhere to be seen.
...
Ayina, accompanied by her maid, explored all the places the emperor frequented, as she had learned about them.
She "chancely encountered" countless elaborately dressed concubines in the palace, but she just couldn't find Huo Lin.
After a long day of running around, Ayina was so tired that her steps were heavy.
"These concubines are all just like me!"
She leaned against a pillar, slightly out of breath, sweat soaking the stray hairs on her forehead.
The accompanying maid from the northern desert looked at her princess with heartache and asked with concern.
"Princess, what do we do now?"
This cycle isn't a solution.
This palace is so big, no one knows where the emperor will appear, so we have to think of another way.
Since she can't see the Emperor, why not let the Emperor come to see her?
Ayina narrowed her eyes, then suddenly sneered, "We can only start with his most favored concubine."
The maid quickly realized, "Does the princess mean Consort Zhuang?"
"Not bad." Ayina straightened her sleeves and wiped the sweat from her forehead with a handkerchief handed to her by a maid.
"By getting close to Consort Zhuang, we will naturally have a chance to meet the Emperor."
It is said that the emperor favored Jiang Huan and often visited her.
Since that's the case, she might as well try to build a good relationship with Jiang Huan first.
"Let's go, let this princess meet this favored concubine."
Having made up their minds, the master and servant headed towards Weiyang Palace.
When the palace maids of Weiyang Palace saw Ayina, they quickly bowed and said, "Greetings, Princess. This servant will go and inform Your Highness immediately."
Ayina haughtily raised her chin and stopped the palace maid.
"No need, I will go in myself."
Before the palace maids could react, she had already stepped over the threshold with her personal maid and walked straight into the front hall.
The light inside the hall was soft, not opulent, but it showed signs of meticulous care everywhere.
The windows are bright and the tables are spotless, without a speck of dust.
The air was filled with a delicate fragrance, mixed with a faint scent of flowers and herbs, which brought peace to the mind.
Ayina's gaze slowly swept over everything, but a cold smile curved her lips.
The arrangement was so meticulous; every flower, every blade of grass, every brushstroke seemed to have been carefully calculated in terms of placement.
Such elaborate dressing up must be the result of careful planning.
"If one can take such meticulous care of even inanimate objects, then wouldn't a living person be adorned with gold leaf and powder every day, looking like a fairy in a painting?"
She's truly a vixen; no wonder she receives the Emperor's exclusive favor.
Ayina's sneer intensified. Without stopping, she walked straight through the front hall and into the deeper part of the hall.
She could almost imagine how many hours Jiang Huan spent each day in front of her dressing table, using expensive perfumes and cosmetics to create a seductive illusion.
However, as they turned the corner of the corridor, a fragrance completely different from the floral scent they had just smelled wafted over.
Ayina wrinkled her nose: "What's that smell?"
The maid looked puzzled as well: "It smells like food?"
The two followed the scent to the backyard, where the sight before them made Ayina's eyes widen instantly.
All the images in my mind of a femme fatale dressing up in front of a mirror collapsed in an instant.
Jiang Huan was standing at the door of the small kitchen, wearing only a simple plain dress with the sleeves rolled up high, revealing her slender arms.
Her face was covered in flour, her hair was loosely tied up, and a few stray hairs fell beside her cheeks.
It looks like they're cooking?!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com