Chapter 146 Refusal to Serve in Bed
After Consort Jia left, Weiyang Palace finally returned to tranquility.
Jiang Huan did not feel relieved; instead, she felt as if a heavy stone was pressing on her heart.
Huo Lin's unfamiliar gaze lingered in my heart like a dark cloud, impossible to shake off.
She dismissed the palace servants early and sat alone by the window, watching the night gradually fall outside.
The cold moonlight spilled into the courtyard, adding to the sense of loneliness.
Jiang Huan's mind was in turmoil. One moment she saw Huo Lin shielding her from the arrow, the next she saw his cold gaze after he woke up, and then she saw the strength in his arm when he put his arm around her waist...
The difference before and after is like that of two completely different people.
When will he finally remember?
Jiang Huan became increasingly agitated as she thought about it. She rubbed her hair, blew out the light, and lay down fully clothed.
Inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Huo Lin was also troubled.
His wounds throbbed, but what bothered him even more was the obvious gaps and breaks in his memories.
The imperial physician said that the remaining poison had been cleared and the body was fine, but the memory was damaged and needed to be restored through rest. However, the word "restoration" was completely vague and unrealistic.
The day's accumulated official business had been dealt with, and only the crackling of candlelight remained in the bedchamber.
Huo Lin tried to clear his mind, but Jiang Huan's image kept popping into his head.
Her face was pale, her eyes were slightly red, and she had a look of disappointment in them.
Whenever Huo Lin thought about it, he felt a tightness in his chest, and an indescribable emotion swirled within him.
Concubine Zhuang, Jiang Huan.
Wang Degui said he personally conferred the title of Consort upon Jiang Huan and was even injured while saving her.
If he hadn't known that Wang Degui wouldn't lie to him, he would never have imagined that the person Wang Degui was talking about was himself.
He was the emperor, and his impulsive act of saving people was completely contrary to his usual calm and self-controlled principles.
But his injuries were clearly visible, and there was also the instinctive protectiveness he showed when he saw her fall.
It all seemed to be etched into his very bones; if you said he had no relationship with Jiang Huan, probably no one would believe it.
Huo Lin's mind became increasingly confused, so he simply got up and went outside.
The cool night breeze calmed his mind somewhat, and he wandered aimlessly under the moonlight.
When they came to their senses, they had already arrived at Weiyang Palace.
When the palace servants on night watch saw the emperor arrive, they immediately knelt down to pay their respects.
Huo Lin waved his hand to dismiss the formalities and headed straight for Jiang Huan's bedchamber.
Since we're here, we might as well meet them; perhaps it will awaken some dormant memories.
Or at least let him figure out what the source of his inexplicable concern for Jiang Huan is.
The lights inside the hall were off, and it was pitch black except for a little moonlight coming in from the windows.
Huo Lin pushed open the door and went inside.
Jiang Huan hadn't fallen asleep, and the slight sound of the door hinges turning immediately woke her up.
She sat up abruptly and, by the moonlight, saw who it was.
Huo Lin?
What is he doing here in the middle of the night?
Huo Lin walked to Jiang Huan's bedside and stood there, his back to the moonlight, making it impossible to see his expression.
"Your Majesty?" Jiang Huan's voice was somewhat nervous.
She instinctively gripped the brocade quilt tightly around her; Huo Lin in front of her felt somewhat unfamiliar.
Huo Lin's gaze fell on Jiang Huan, and even in the darkness, he could sense her wariness.
His eyes darkened, and a hint of displeasure flashed through his mind.
What does Consort Zhuang mean by this? The other concubines are all eager to see him.
Now that he has come to her bedchamber, shouldn't she be overjoyed to welcome him?
What's going on with this look of being on high alert?
Huo Lin suppressed his displeasure, his voice remaining calm, yet carrying the unquestionable majesty of an emperor.
"I will stay here tonight."
These words left Jiang Huan completely stunned.
Huo Lin has lost his memory and forgotten what happened between them, so is he coming here late at night just to exercise his imperial rights?
Is he treating her like any ordinary concubine he can casually favor?
Jiang Huan felt a pang of bitterness in her heart, and the more she thought about it, the angrier she became.
The Huo Lin before her was not the lover who would respect and love her, but a true emperor.
Jiang Huan's eyes reddened slightly. She couldn't accept such intimacy, especially when he had completely forgotten about her.
“Your Majesty,” Jiang Huan’s voice trembled slightly as she tried to sound calm, “Your Majesty is still recovering from illness and should not be overworked. I am also feeling unwell today and dare not serve Your Majesty. Please return to the Hall of Mental Cultivation to rest.”
Huo Lin's brows furrowed instantly.
Ha, what a lame excuse.
He was quick-witted and eloquent during the day in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, but now he's learned to feign illness.
Is she rejecting me? What right does she have to reject me!
A surge of anger at being defied and an indescribable sense of frustration suddenly welled up inside me.
He is the emperor. Does he need to consider the concubine's feelings to decide which concubine's palace he wants to stay in?
Huo Lin stared at the blurry figure in the darkness, his chest heaving.
He wanted to question her, to use his imperial power to force her to submit, but his remaining rationality was pulling him back.
Two emotions clashed fiercely, but in the end, reason prevailed.
He, Huo Lin, the supreme ruler, would not force a woman who was unwilling.
Huo Lin snorted coldly, said no more, and turned to walk away with long strides.
The dark robes drew a cold, hard arc in the air as the palace doors were closed, isolating the inside from the outside.
Jiang Huan lay frozen on the bed, listening to the footsteps recede into the distance without a backward glance, until they disappeared completely.
Her tense body instantly relaxed, and she took a deep breath to suppress the sob in her throat.
She curled up and covered her head, as if that would shield her from all the bad things.
Outside Weiyang Palace, Huo Lin walked back with a sullen face.
He doesn't appreciate it at all.
With three thousand beauties in the harem, is she really the only one missing?
Huo Lin felt restless, yet his heart felt empty.
When he returned to the Hall of Mental Cultivation and looked at the empty sleeping quarters, his agitation not only did not subside, but intensified.
He dismissed all the palace servants and sat alone on the dragon bed, feeling a chill in the palace he had never experienced before.
It must be because he was just rejected, definitely not because he was thinking about that woman.
Jiang Huan was unwilling to serve the emperor, but many others were.
Huo Lin, his face cold, called out loudly, "Wang Degui!"
Wang Degui immediately jogged in: "Your Majesty?"
"Go," Huo Lin's voice was completely flat, "and send word..."
Huo Lin paused here.
Whom did he want to send the message to? The names that subconsciously flashed through his mind made him feel a sense of unease.
The woman just rejected him, and he's still thinking about what to do.
Huo Lin waved his hand impatiently: "Enough, all of you, leave. I'm going to rest now."
Wang Degui sighed as he watched Huo Lin, who was extremely annoyed but had nowhere to vent his anger and could only sulk.
He silently withdrew and closed the palace door.
Meanwhile, news that the Emperor had gone to Weiyang Palace at night but had not been able to stay overnight and had returned to Yangxin Hall had already been spread by the spies that Consort Jia had planted in Weiyang Palace.
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