Chapter 342 Execution
Huo Lin looked down at Jiang Huan's peaceful sleeping face, then lowered his head and placed a kiss on her smooth forehead.
Like a butterfly perching on its nest, as if afraid to disturb her peaceful slumber.
Sleep well, get a good night's sleep. I'll handle those dirty affairs.
[I will never allow anyone or anything to disturb her in the slightest.]
He carefully tucked the blanket around her again, making sure there wasn't a single gap that would let in a cold draft, before quietly getting up and leaving.
After getting dressed, he took one last look at the person sleeping peacefully on the bed. His gaze softened for a moment, then was replaced by a cold sharpness.
He turned and walked out of the inner hall, gently closing the door behind him, his aura chilling and intimidating.
"Wang Degui".
"Your servant is here." Wang Degui immediately bowed and replied, feeling a chill run down his spine as he sensed the emperor's chill emanating from him.
Huo Lin stood with his hands behind his back in the hall, his eyes as deep and cold as a pool: "Where is that Chang woman now?"
Wang Degui hurriedly reported, "Your Majesty, the disgraced woman, Lady Chang, has been kneeling in the side hall of Cining Palace ever since she was dismissed, saying that she is innocent..."
"Injustice?" Huo Lin's lips curled into a cold smile, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. "That's right. If she didn't have such a thick skin, she wouldn't have done something as stupid as drugging me."
He snorted coldly and ordered, "If that's the case, then make her skin thinner and let her suffer in agony."
Wang Degui shuddered, cold sweat instantly soaking his back: "This servant obeys the decree."
Such a cruel punishment—does the Emperor think that executing him is too lenient?
However, it is also the fault of this Chang woman who brought this upon herself. The Empress Dowager used her as a pawn, but how could she not be blinded by lust?
An hour later, a commotion was heard outside Cining Palace.
"What's going on?" the Empress Dowager asked, frowning and displeased.
The personal maid rushed in, her face deathly pale, her voice trembling: "Your Majesty...Your Majesty! The Emperor is here, and...and..."
Before he could finish speaking, Huo Lin strode in, exuding a chilling aura.
Behind him, two guards carried a stretcher covered with a white cloth, through which a human figure could be vaguely seen, with a pair of feet wearing embroidered shoes peeking out at the end.
When the Empress Dowager saw the stretcher, her heart sank and her face instantly turned extremely ugly.
Huo Lin waved for the guards to place the stretcher in the center of the hall, his gaze sweeping coldly over the Empress Dowager, his voice as if chilled to ice.
"I have come today for two reasons. First, to thank the Empress Dowager for her concern. Second, I would like to show my filial piety by presenting you with a gift."
He gestured to the guards to lift a corner of the white cloth, revealing the face of Lady Chang, which had been mutilated beyond recognition, bloodied and mangled, with her eyes wide open in death.
According to Huo Lin's orders, she died from excruciating pain.
"Ah—!" The palace maid beside the Empress Dowager screamed in fright and quickly covered her mouth.
The Empress Dowager trembled, her fingers gripping the armrest tightly until her knuckles turned white, and all color drained from her face.
Huo Lin ignored her fear, his voice as cold as ice, each word striking clearly in the silent hall.
"If I remember correctly, this is your niece, isn't she? She replaced the sleeping potion in the main hall of Cining Palace in an attempt to curry favor with the emperor. Your niece is too audacious and shameless, so I had her face gouged out so that she can be reborn as a person who knows shame in her next life."
With each word he spoke, he took a step closer, his gaze like a sharp blade piercing the Empress Dowager.
"You are getting old and should be enjoying your retirement, but you have such a troublesome person by your side. I also bear responsibility for this."
The Empress Dowager was forced to retreat repeatedly by his relentless pressure. Her face was ashen, her fingers gripped the armrests of the chair so tightly that her knuckles turned white, and she had difficulty breathing.
Huo Lin stopped just three steps away from her, looking down at her with an imperial aura that seemed to freeze the air.
“Therefore, I will keep a closer eye on Cining Palace from now on. If any similar incidents occur again, I will kill them all.” He paused, his voice turning icy, as if issuing a final ultimatum, “No matter who it is.”
These words were a blatant threat.
Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager trembled violently, as if all her strength had been drained away in an instant, and she collapsed onto the phoenix chair.
Her lips trembled as she tried to retort, but she found herself unable to utter a single syllable.
She knew Huo Lin was capable of doing it.
Finally, the Empress Dowager, trembling, managed to squeeze out a few broken and trembling words.
"Your Majesty's kind intentions... I appreciate them."
Huo Lin gave her one last cold glance before leaving, leaving the hall in deathly silence.
He returned from Cining Palace with a chill in his body, and when he stepped into the inner hall, he subconsciously made his steps extremely light.
Jiang Huan remained in the same position he had left in, fast asleep, her breathing steady and long.
He waved away the palace servants who were attending him, then quietly removed his outer robe, carefully lifted a corner of the brocade quilt, and lay down inside.
Feeling Jiang Huan's warm body temperature, Huo Lin's tense nerves gradually relaxed, and a wave of fatigue washed over him, causing him to fall into a deep sleep.
The next morning, Jiang Huan woke up with great difficulty amidst a cacophony of inner thoughts.
She rolled over! Was the blanket not covering her properly? Is she cold?
[Your brow furrowed slightly? Did you have a nightmare? What did you dream about? Did it scare you?]
Still your arms are sore? You must have been exhausted last night. I'm such a jerk!
Is your breathing a little heavy? Is your throat dry? Do you need some water?
[Should we secretly summon the imperial physician? No, that would wake her, but what if she's feeling unwell? Should we still summon him? But she says sleeping is the most important thing...]
[Ugh, I'm so conflicted! Should I make a move or not?]
Jiang Huan's eyelids felt as heavy as if they were glued on, but her mind was buzzing, as if hundreds of ducks were arguing.
She barely opened her eyes a crack and, through the haze, saw Huo Lin's magnified handsome face hovering directly above her, looking like a guard watching over some fragile treasure.
Seeing her open her eyes, Huo Lin was instantly jolted awake, bombarding her with a barrage of questions: "Awake? Are you feeling unwell? I noticed you weren't sleeping soundly, are you in pain somewhere?"
His voice was very low, but he spoke very quickly; his slight nervousness almost seemed to solidify.
Jiang Huan was momentarily stunned by the barrage of questions, and her sleepiness was somewhat dispelled.
She sighed helplessly and rubbed her sleepy eyes.
"I'm fine, how about you? Last night... you weren't feeling unwell anymore, were you?"
Huo Lin took her hand in his own, his warm palm enveloping her slightly cool fingers.
"It's all taken care of, you're fine now." He paused, looking at her carefully. "Are you really alright anywhere? How about your arm? Is it sore? Let me massage it for you?"
As he spoke, he actually reached his other hand under the covers and carefully grasped her wrist, gently massaging it with a very light touch, his eyes focused as if he were dealing with some kind of precision instrument.
Jiang Huan was both amused and exasperated by his overreaction, feeling both soft-hearted and warm-hearted.
She enjoyed his ministrations, lazily squinting her eyes like a cat being stroked, and mumbled, "Hmm...not bad...a little more pressure on the left side..."
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