Huo Qinghe glanced at the maids and then went into the inner room.
Green Locust and the others stayed to talk to Miao Xi.
Huo Qinghe came out of the inner room a moment later, carrying something in her hand.
Miao Xi was slightly surprised when she saw it clearly from afar.
This beauty Huo is indeed clever, but things from this time of year are truly rare.
Miao Xi quickly took the things.
Huo Qinghe added, "I would also like to trouble you, Eunuch, to convey a message to His Majesty on my behalf; it is merely a small token of my concern."
Miao Xi listened attentively; she would naturally remember what Huo Meiren had asked her to convey.
After Miao Xi finished listening, the surprise on his face deepened, and finally he agreed with a big smile.
Indeed, this beauty Huo is quite shrewd.
Miao Xi carefully carried the things back to Funing Palace, but after waiting around, his master did not appear. He asked and learned that General Yulin had returned from the north and was seriously injured. The Emperor specially asked his master to take the head of the Imperial Hospital to visit him.
Miao Xi hesitated for a moment, but finally entered the Funing Palace.
Pei Yuanhui had just returned from Cining Palace. It was already May and the weather was getting hot. He was prone to sweating, and at that moment, a young eunuch was pushing a wheelbarrow to provide a cool breeze.
"What are you carrying?" Pei Yuanhui leaned back in his armchair, noticing Miao Xi carrying something from afar, and asked lazily.
Miao Xi hurriedly replied, "This servant was ordered to deliver His Majesty's reward to Consort Huo. Consort Huo asked this servant to send back a thank-you gift and also asked this servant to convey a message."
As he spoke, he raised his arm so that the official could see the object he was holding.
Pei Yuanhui lifted his eyelids slightly, his expression indifferent.
He looked in that direction and first noticed a bright spot.
"This is... a lotus flower?" Pei Yuanhui finally gave it a proper look.
"What message did she ask you to deliver?"
Miao Xi dared not delay and repeated the words verbatim.
"Consort Huo said. She has nothing of value and knows that nothing of value can catch Your Majesty's eye, so she picked the first bright color of this summer to present to Your Majesty, hoping to make Your Majesty smile."
Yes, Miao Xi is holding a basket in her hands right now, filled with lotus flowers and leaves arranged very elegantly and thoughtfully. Some of the lotus flowers are still in bud, and it is no exaggeration to say that this is the first hint of summer this year.
The basket weaver clearly put a lot of thought into it; from a distance, the center of the basket even resembles a lotus flower, so lifelike.
"It's passable."
The palace's flower room was meticulously maintained, so seeing lotus flowers in May was hardly a novelty for Pei Yuanhui.
The only unusual thing was that Huo Qinghe asked Miao Xichuan to tell her what to do.
Pei Yuanhui knew that Xiao Huo was quick-witted; he seemed quiet and reserved, but when he actually spoke, he was quite interesting.
If Miao Xi hadn't brought it up, Pei Yuanhui would have completely forgotten that he had given Xiao Huo an earring as a reward.
For Pei Yuanhui, these rewards were indeed things he could forget in the blink of an eye.
But the thank-you gift Huo Qinghe brought at this moment stirred up Pei Yuanhui's memories, making the emperor unable to resist wanting to see the scene of little Huo wearing those ruby earrings.
So, in the evening, when Consort Chi sent someone to Chengqian Palace to inquire about the condition of General Yulin's injuries, Pei Yuanhui simply sent Jinyang, who had just returned to the palace, to report back. In the end, he naturally chose Huo Qinghe's nameplate.
Chi Qinlin's injuries were not too serious; it was just that he had pursued the enemy too deep and fallen into an ambush. It was already fortunate that Pei Yuanhui did not blame him.
Consort Chi, having just learned the inside story, summoned someone to the Emperor to inquire, seemingly wanting to know about Chi Qinlin's injury, but actually only wanting to know the Emperor's attitude towards it.
Pei Yuanhui understood, but he only let them guess.
It's rare that Consort Chi wasn't summoned again; tonight, it was Xiao Huo who was summoned.
I wonder how many palaces will be burning candles until dawn tonight.
When Huo Qinghe was riding in the Phoenix Spring Grace Carriage to the West Warm Pavilion of Funing Palace, she felt drowsy.
When Huo Qinghe arrived at the West Warm Pavilion, the Emperor was playing the game of pitch-pot. It was remarkable that the Emperor could still be in such high spirits at night.
It was tough on the eunuchs who were constantly carrying palace lanterns for illumination.
Huo Qinghe silently greeted him, without making a fuss.
However, the Emperor had already seen her: "Still so quiet. Come here, let me see if your pitch-pot skills have improved?"
Huo Qinghe didn't enter silently; she made a sound when she greeted them, only standing a little further away.
However, Pei Yuanhui never noticed Huo Qinghe's arrival because of his inner thoughts, but rather because he saw her.
Unlike others who arrived with ulterior motives, Huo Qinghe always arrived quietly and without warning to Pei Yuanhui.
As for her pitch-pot skills, Huo Qinghe's pipa playing has improved recently, but she hasn't even started pitch-pot yet.
Huo Qinghe hadn't yet had Green Locust and the others find all the items.
A gentle smile graced her face: "Your Majesty, please don't tease me, I..."
Pei Yuanhui knew what Huo Qinghe was going to say after hearing the first half of her sentence.
He raised his hand, his index finger covering his lips: "Didn't I tell you not to call someone stupid? I'm tired of hearing it."
As she spoke, Huo Qinghe had already moved closer.
She moved her lips slightly: "What I meant to say was that I learn things slowly, and I'm afraid it will be difficult to make progress in a short time."
Pei Yuanhui glared at her upon hearing this: "You've already said it yourself, so naturally you can say whatever you want."
Listen to the tone of the emperor; he doesn't sound like an emperor who is above all others, but rather like an unreasonable and naughty child.
Huo Qinghe smiled timidly: "This concubine has no right. You are right."
She said it so fluently.
Pei Yuanhui glanced at her again, his gaze suddenly landing on Huo Qinghe's empty earlobe.
Under the warm yellow light of the palace lanterns, Huo Qinghe's delicate white earlobes looked as if they were coated with honey, but they felt empty, as if something was missing.
This time, Huo Qinghe paid close attention to where the Emperor's gaze fell, but she did not deliberately explain.
"Your mouth is truly something else, you can taste both sweet and spicy. And the words you speak are the same too. Since you're unlikely to improve anytime soon, you can just watch me play the game of pitch-pot from the sidelines."
Huo Qinghe sweetly replied, "This concubine will lend a hand from the side."
Pei Yuanhui snorted softly, and as he turned around, he glanced at Huo Qinghe's empty earlobe.
The uncomfortable feeling in my heart intensified.
There was a wind at night, and the Emperor's pitch-pot game was sometimes accurate and sometimes inaccurate. In the end, he even threw a ball that hit the target. The entire Funing Palace was filled with the flattery of the eunuchs and palace maids.
That saves Huo Qinghe the trouble of saying a few words.
Pei Yuanhui broke out in a sweat, then waved his hand and went to take a bath.
Huo Qinghe took another bath, and when she entered the West Warm Pavilion, she was even more plain, with no jewelry on her body.
"Why aren't you wearing the earrings I gave you? Don't you like them?"
Pei Yuanhui didn't beat around the bush, nor did he need to.
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