Huo Qinghe couldn't keep up the act for more than a few seconds after being dazzled by the official's tassel. She didn't open her eyes immediately, but laughed for a moment before finally opening them.
"How did Your Majesty find out? I really did fall asleep..."
Huo Qinghe was indeed asleep, but she wasn't sleeping soundly. When she heard the sound of the porcelain falling to the ground, she immediately woke up.
She hadn't expected the officials to come in so quickly, so pretending to be asleep was just an instinctive reaction.
She didn't want to provoke the angry emperor, so she pretended to be asleep to appease him, and then it was up to him to decide how he felt.
Huo Qinghe opened her eyes with a smile, tickled by the teasing. Hearing the Emperor's soft hum, she knew that he could still crack a joke at this moment.
She propped herself up, pretending to be a little scared: "Your Majesty... please don't be angry, be careful not to hurt your health."
Pei Yuanhui didn't answer. Instead, he sat down casually on the edge of the bed and slowly asked, "Aren't you going to plead for the Meng family?"
Seeing this, Huo Qinghe propped herself up from the bed, bent her knees, and boldly raised her hand to pat the Emperor's back: "Sometimes it is possible to plead for forgiveness when someone does something wrong. However, if I make a mistake in front of you, I still want to appease you first. Since you are angry, I dare not plead for Consort Meng, for fear of adding fuel to the fire... Also, I am still thinking that Your Majesty is angry."
What she meant was that when Huo Qinghe knew the Emperor was angry, her first thought wasn't to plead for Meng, but rather to worry about the Emperor's health.
But it wasn't that she hadn't thought about Meng Shi; however, it was an established fact that Meng Shi had made a mistake.
Pei Yuanhui had never seen Xiao Huo have so many opinions; she always had so many explanations.
Yet it doesn't annoy people.
Pei Yuanhui waved his hand, stopping Huo Qinghe's slow, panting movements: "Clever words and a flattering appearance."
Huo Qinghe defended herself: "I didn't, Your Majesty asked me yourself. I'm telling the truth. Your Majesty, I'm hungry."
She didn't quite manage to change the subject skillfully, but she was genuinely hungry.
It's already noon, how can I not be hungry?
She hadn't noticed the smell of medicine coming in from outside when she first woke up, but now that the palace maids had finished cleaning up and the smell had dissipated, Huo Qinghe was truly hungry.
Furthermore, it's likely that the Emperor didn't enjoy his lunch properly.
Huo Qinghe was really hungry. She had grown up hungry and couldn't stand being hungry.
However, Pei Yuanhui naturally took Huo Qinghe's second half of her statement as an attempt to persuade him to have lunch, or even as Huo Qinghe's concern for his health.
Pei Yuanhui stared into Huo Qinghe's bright eyes, and ripples of emotion stirred within him once more.
He pursed his lips, as if to smile: "Your knee doesn't hurt anymore?"
Huo Qinghe did not speak while lying down, since the emperor was the one who was ill. She remained kneeling and bent while speaking to him.
Upon hearing the Emperor's words, Huo Qinghe immediately grimaced and said, "It hurts... I need to have lunch before I feel better."
"You still say it's not just flattery and sophistry."
Pei Yuanhui lightly tapped Huo Qinghe's nose, then reached out his hand towards her.
"Let's go."
Huo Qinghe nodded repeatedly, placed Rouyi in the official's hand, and was helped up and out of bed by the official.
When the two arrived at the outer hall, the palace maids had already tidied it up, opened the flower windows for ventilation, and burned incense that wasn't too pungent in the small incense burner.
As soon as Huo Qinghe entered the outer room, she sniffed and then whispered to the Emperor.
"When I was at home, I heard that people who catch a cold can't taste what they're eating. Does Your Majesty also experience this? Wouldn't you also be unable to taste the bitterness of medicine? And what about the pear syrup candy I sent you the other day...?"
Huo Qinghe's statement made the officials both laugh and cry.
"You'll find out when you catch a cold."
Huo Qinghe glanced upwards, her expression lively and bright: "Then let's not..."
Once they were seated, Huo Qinghe leaned close to the official and spoke mysteriously.
"My question just now was actually a lie to Your Majesty. I used to find the medicine extremely bitter when I had a cold. I was just trying to cheer you up. Your Majesty, I've been dining with you. Has your anger subsided?"
It seems that Huo Qinghe said those words just now to completely appease Pei Yuanhui.
Indeed, Huo Qinghe's statement just now was full of loopholes.
Pei Yuanhui glanced sideways at Huo Qinghe's slightly swaying earlobe as she spoke, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly in response: "Extremely bitter? Even with pear syrup candy, it's still bitter? You've got quite the nerve."
The Emperor was referring to Huo Qinghe's words, "With your concubines accompanying you during your meal, has your anger subsided?"
Huo Qinghe is gradually learning how to get along and talk with the officials. She spoke the truth once, and her nose wrinkled slightly: "It's not like you can eat pear syrup candy every time you're sick."
Pei Yuanhui's smile faded slightly, but he did not ask any further questions. He had already picked up his chopsticks.
"Enjoy yourself here with me."
The emperor is rich beyond measure; he has everything.
Huo Qinghe smiled and picked up her chopsticks to begin her lunch.
Unlike Meng, Huo Qinghe was having lunch with the officials, and there were other people serving her.
Having spoken so much with the emperor, Huo Qinghe didn't have much to say during lunch.
The lunch was somewhat similar to the first time the Emperor had lunch at Yanliang Pavilion.
Huo Qinghe had the same good appetite that time.
Huo Qinghe had a good appetite and ate her lunch heartily, so Pei Yuanhui, who was standing next to her, also ate an extra half bowl of rice.
This truly surprised Jin Yang, who was serving the dishes on the side.
This was the best appetite the official had had in the past few days since he fell ill.
After lunch, Huo Qinghe chatted with the Emperor while Jin Yang and the others brought in the medicine.
However, this time it wasn't those words meant to please the emperor.
"Your Majesty, Lady Meng is still waiting outside."
She had already received the signals from Green Locust and the others beside her, but she only spoke up after lunch.
Pei Yuanhui was in a good mood at the moment and was giving Huo Qinghe face, so he was very relaxed.
"Tell Madam Meng to go home. She doesn't need to attend to the sick person today..."
Huo Qinghe looked longingly at the official.
Pei Yuanhui saw it and really loved the various expressions on Huo Qinghe's face.
"Have Meng go to the side hall to peel lotus seeds."
Jin Yang waited a while before agreeing.
Peeling lotus seeds is better than being sent back by the officials.
After Pei Yuanhui drank the medicine, Miao Xi handed him a bowl of pear syrup soup.
He was also quite talkative: "This is a soup made from pear syrup candy."
Green Locust, standing nearby, also took a cup and carefully handed it to Huo Qinghe.
She suppressed a laugh.
When Miao Xi left, she also received a look from her master. When she went out to relay a message to Consort Meng, she cleverly mentioned Consort Huo's plea for mercy.
Lady Meng didn't say much, thanked him, and then went to the side hall.
"If it weren't for Xiao Huo pleading for me, I don't know what would have happened today."
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