Chapter 20 Red Silk
It is now winter, and the lake water is icy cold.
Liu Xi didn't even have much strength left to hold her breath. She watched the water recede further and further away from her, and her consciousness became increasingly blurred.
She did not struggle, and the lake gradually returned to calm.
The fiery red riding outfits billowed in the water, blurring the view.
Is what lies before me gently rippling water, or the vastness of heaven and earth?
Liu Xi was somewhat moved, never expecting that after experiencing life and death twice in a row, her state of mind had become so calm.
But suddenly this peace was shattered by a sudden lunge.
Huo Lin plunged into the water and wrapped his arms around Liu Xi's slowly sinking body.
Liu Xi immediately saw the fear, worry, and a hint of relief on his face.
The red ribbon in his hair was wrapped around the two of them, and as the water rippled, their long hair became intertwined with the current.
Liu Xi looked at Huo Lin quietly, and as if possessed, she stretched out her arms and wrapped them around Huo Lin's neck.
Huo Lin could have simply pulled Liu Xi out of the water, but he didn't move.
He lowered his head and gently pressed his lips to Liu Xi's.
Although he knew that underwater breathing was a pointless and foolish thing to do, he did it anyway.
Huo Lin cursed himself inwardly, cursing himself for being a petty person who took advantage of others' misfortune, cursing himself for disregarding the princess's safety and only caring about his selfish affection and indulgence.
Liu Xi slowly closed her eyes, releasing all her strength, and handed herself over to Huo Lin.
Finally, Huo Lin's reason prevailed over his physical desires, and he held Liu Xi tightly, pulling her towards the surface of the water.
When they reached the shore, the others from the palace caught up with them.
Huo Lin was worried that if he got too close to the princess, it would affect her reputation, so he wanted to get up and move away immediately.
Unexpectedly, the red silk tightly bound the two people's hair, and they couldn't untangle it.
Zhi Xiang, wearing a thick fox fur coat, rushed forward, intending to wrap the princess, who was soaking wet, but accidentally hurt Liu Xi.
She grimaced and gasped for breath, still trying to comfort Zhixiang.
"It's okay, it's not your fault."
What should have been a wonderful polo match ended in such a way. The emperor stood aside, unsure whether to express his concern for the princess or to reprimand the person who trained the imperial horses.
It was the third prince of the Northern faction who spoke first.
“The princess is truly courageous and insightful, which I admire greatly.”
Liu Xi glanced at the imperial horse lying dead by the lake, and subtly gave Huo Lin a look.
This matter must be investigated, but it must be investigated discreetly, especially not in front of foreign envoys.
Although Liu Xi immediately suspected the Imperial Concubine, she couldn't guarantee that there wasn't a conspiracy by the Northern faction behind it all.
The emperor finally gave the order, "Quickly send the princess back to the palace and have the imperial physician take good care of her."
"Huo Lin, you have once again saved the emperor's life. Do you wish to receive a reward?"
Just as Huo Lin was about to refuse, Liu Xi was helped up by a maid. Their hair was pulled in mid-air, forcing Huo Lin, who was kneeling on the ground, to straighten up and face the emperor.
A moment of silence followed, then Liu Xi broke the stillness with a soft laugh.
"Father, let General Huo return to the palace with me first."
The scene was somewhat comical, with light laughter coming from all directions. The emperor, helpless, could only wave his hand and say...
"That's enough, let's all disperse for today."
Among the crowd, only one person's face showed no trace of a smile.
Liu Yu's gaze was gloomy as he stared intently at the two figures disappearing into the distance.
He should be thankful that his sister survived, but at this moment, all he felt was overwhelming hatred and jealousy.
Unspoken love grew wildly in the shadows, and even Liu Yu himself was unaware that his affection for his sister was gradually developing in an uncontrollable direction.
He returned to his palace, locked himself in his room, and forbade anyone to approach.
Inside the Yi Huai Pavilion, Liu Xi had already freed Huo Lin from the confinement of her long hair.
Huo Lin stayed in the courtyard without leaving until the imperial physician finished bandaging Liu Xi's wounds. A doll made of straps sat on the bed inside the room and loudly invited him to come in and talk.
Liu Xi dismissed the palace servants and then asked Huo Lin to sit by her bedside so that she could whisper something to him.
"The incident happened so suddenly today that there was no time for us to investigate. The evidence left on the frightened imperial horse must have been disposed of long ago."
"General, in your opinion, is this matter related to the Three Kingdoms of the North?"
When faced with this question, Huo Lin's answer was hesitant and conservative.
"In recent years, the border areas have been peaceful, and the three northern kingdoms have never overstepped their bounds."
"They will not gain anything by taking such a risk to harm our princes."
Liu Xi nodded. "I understand. It's not worth it."
Since that's the case, Liu Xi no longer needs to doubt anyone except the Imperial Concubine. After all, in this world, the only one who wants Liu Xi to suffer is the Imperial Concubine.
"What are your plans, Princess?"
"There are no plans for the time being. The Imperial Concubine has yet to make a move, and I am waiting for her to make the first move."
Huo Lin almost immediately guessed, "The child in her womb?"
Liu Xi cast an admiring glance at Huo Lin, "General, you can read minds?"
"It was just a coincidence," Huo Lin chuckled.
"If I were to harm an innocent child, would the general think I am a cruel and heartless person?"
Liu Xi wanted to find an opportunity to explain her plan to Huo Lin in a tactful way, but to her surprise, Huo Lin answered without hesitation.
"No, if the princess is unwilling to bear the burden of this sin, I am willing to do it for her."
Liu Xi choked on her prepared remarks, staring blankly at Huo Lin, whose expression was extremely serious, suggesting that he had already made up his mind.
A sudden, inexplicable throbbing in her heart made Liu Xi feel inexplicably flustered and helpless. She subconsciously stuck out her tongue and licked her dry lips, then stammered.
"This princess intends to rest now, General Huo, please return."
She called Zhixiang over again, then lay down on the bed with a thud, turning her head away from Huo Lin.
Liu Xi silently counted in her mind, from ten to ninety, until she could no longer hear Huo Lin's footsteps inside or in the courtyard, before she reluctantly stopped.
Although the surroundings were quiet, her heart was not at peace. When she closed her eyes, all she could see was the scene at the bottom of the Tranquil Lake, where Huo Lin was breathing on her.
Thump, thump, the tireless beating of my heart echoed in my ears.
Liu Xi shook her head, took a few deep breaths, and closed her eyes again. This time, what appeared in her mind was the scene of Huo Lin killing the emperor with his sword in her previous life and crying out her name in the rainstorm.
Liu Xi was completely dumbfounded.
She sat up and turned to look at her dressing table.
On the table, a small section of Huo Lin's long, black hair was wrapped in red silk.
At Jinle Palace, the Imperial Concubine enjoyed a rare moment of pleasure.
"It's a pity that the little bitch wasn't trampled to death by the imperial horse."
She leaned back on the soft mat, playing with the string of beads in her hand.
"But it doesn't matter. If she died so easily, I would still feel unsatisfied."
"I have meticulously planned and created a grand show for that little wretch, so that she can end her life in agony after she finishes her performance."
At this point, the imperial concubine burst into wild laughter, her emotions so intense that she felt a sharp pain in her lower abdomen.
The Imperial Concubine immediately tensed up, "Xiangying! Xiangying! Quickly summon Physician Zhu!"
When Physician Zhu arrived, the Imperial Concubine had already given herself two large bowls of medicine to prevent miscarriage.
"Your Majesty need not be nervous. Your pulse is strong and powerful, which means that the prince in your womb will be born healthy. This is a joyous occasion."
The imperial concubine was overjoyed and immediately ordered someone to bring her a reward.
"I am grateful to Physician Zhu for taking good care of my child. If the prince in my womb is born, I will reward him handsomely."
There was more than one ball game during the court assembly. Liu Xi was seriously injured and unable to participate. To fill the vacancy, the emperor released Liu Yan from the Shenxing Division.
It's unclear where his smugness came from, but before the show started, Liu Yan even went to Liu Xi to show off.
Unfortunately, he had lofty ambitions but lacked the ability. By the halfway point, Liu Cheng's tone when speaking to him had become unpleasant.
However, Liu Xi was not worried about losing the match, since Huo Lin was there.
She sat in the stands, with Liu Yu beside her like a favored concubine vying for her affections, feeding her a grape one moment and peeling an orange the next.
Huo Lin rode his horse around the field, his eyes fixed on Liu Xi as if they were glued to her.
Liu Yu saw all of this, so he always struck up conversations with Liu Xi, chatting about random things, so that Liu Xi would focus her attention on him.
As Liu Xi had predicted, Huo Lin delivered several excellent shots to Liu Cheng, not only failing to steal the spotlight from the Second Prince but also helping him win the polo match.
The Third Prince said, "The Celestial Empire is full of talented people. I am convinced of my defeat. It is just a pity that I could not compete with the Fourth Princess in the end."
He glanced at Liu Xi sitting to the side, making no attempt to hide the desire in his eyes.
Liu Xi felt a little uncomfortable under his gaze and could only give an awkward smile.
"The prince has forgotten that he has already lost one round to the princess, so what's the point of losing another?"
Huo Lin's sudden statement startled even the emperor.
Upon hearing this, the Third Prince did not get angry but laughed; in fact, one could say that the smile on his face became even more amused.
"If I had to pinpoint a reason, perhaps it would be that with a beautiful woman by my side, I would be happier to lose."
Huo Lin put on his cold face again, adopting an aloof and unapproachable demeanor.
"Third Prince, watch your words. Her Highness the Princess is not someone you can joke about."
The emperor found it amusing and also understood Huo Lin's attitude towards Liu Xi.
He interrupted the pointless conversation, "Alright, the polo match is over, but the other interesting events haven't started yet."
The imperial concubine clapped her hands, and the tributes brought by the envoys were brought up.
Among them were live red deer and antelopes, no different from what I had seen in Liuxi in my previous life.
Liu Xi gently patted Liu Yu beside her and said in a low voice.
"It's finally A-Yu's turn to take the stage."
Liu Yu was in a daze, his brows furrowed, his gaze unfocused, and he remained unmoved even when Liu Xi whispered in his ear.
Helpless, Liu Xi could only nudge his lower back with her elbow before she got a response.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
