After Marrying the Disabled Crown Prince of the Enemy Country

Chapter 42          Benefits

Changqiu Hall.

Huo Changyun, Emperor of Qi sat at his desk with a cold expression and was engrossed in reviewing the memorial. When Lin Wanning saw this scene outside the door, she could not help but lightened her steps. She gave a wink to the attendant beside Huo Changyun, and then picked up her skirt and walked in.

The sweet fragrance filled the air. Huo Changyun slowly raised his eyes and smiled at Lin Wanning gently.

“Your Majesty has been working hard on state affairs and didn’t think about food or drink. I’m very worried.” Lin Wanning pretended to be angry and handed a bowl of stewed snow swallow with golden dates to Huo Changyun.

Seeing this, Huo Changyun’s expression loosened, and a soft color appeared in his black eyes. He laughed softly and stretched out his hand to get the soup bowl, “It’s my fault to let you worry.”

But Lin Wanning was one step ahead of him. She took a few steps closer, picked up the soup spoon, slowly scooped the clear and fragrant sweet soup, and delivered it to Huo Changyun’s lips. When Huo Changyun was about to open his mouth, a dark blue figure approached from a distance with a bow, standing outside the hall in a daze, not daring to enter the hall.

“Cui Feng.” Huo Changyun put away his smile and said coldly, “Come in.”

Hearing this, Cui Feng, who was outside the hall, entered the palace hall swiftly, but he seemed a little uneasy. When he stepped in, he stumbled and almost fell. He staggered twice, knelt in front of the desk, and said in a trembling voice, “Your Majesty, this slave deserved to die. Please punish me, Your Majesty!”

Cui Feng presented the marriage imperial decree above his head with both hands, but his forehead was on the ground, not daring to lift it up.

Huo Changyun understood in his heart, but he still said it indifferently, “Go on.”

“Yes. After this slave announced the decree, His Highness Taizi did not say a word and refused to accept the decree.” Cui Feng’s usual shrill voice carried a frightened tone, “This slave originally wanted to ask Taizifei to take the decree on his behalf, but before this slave could finish speaking, His Highness Taizi… His Highness Taizi sent someone to drive this slave out.”

The hall was completely silent, and the palace maids and attendants standing on both sides did not even dare to exhale, for fear that they would be burned by the anger of the Emperor if they were not careful.

Lin Wanning’s face did not look good either. She glanced at Huo Changyun from the corner of her eyes, and then gave instructions to the inner palace hall, “All of you retreat.”

Everyone was relieved, especially Cui Feng, who got up after kowtowing on the ground a few times and withdrew from the hall trembling.

Lin Wanning bowed towards Huo Changyun slightly and frowned, “Your Majesty, the words and deeds of Taizi have become more and more insolent over these years. As the heir to the throne of the country, he even arrives and leaves as he wished in the morning court. Today, he actually defies the imperial decree. Does Your Majesty still want to let him be like this?”

She stared into Huo Changyun’s eyes as she spoke, but his eyes were cold, and she could not see any emotions.

After a pause, Lin Wanning continued, “Could it be that Your Majesty has forgotten? Before Xu’er went to country Li back then, you said before…”

“I haven’t forgotten. Empress doesn’t have to worry. I’ll arrange the way for Xu’er.” Huo Changyun said in a deep voice, “It’s just that the heir to the throne was set by the former Emperor himself when he was still there. If I want to hand over the throne to Xu’er fairly and honestly, it will take a lot of effort.”

“Yes, I understand.” Lin Wanning said in a warm voice.

Lin Wanning came out of the Changqiu Palace and faced the warm winter sun as the breeze blew across her cheeks. But the bottom of her heart was icy cold.

The phoenix eyes narrowed slightly, and the corner of Lin Wanning’s mouth evoked a seemingly innocent smile. Her husband was the most heroic monarch in the world but was also the coldest person. Even though Huo Changyun repeatedly promised that Xu’er would succeed to the throne in the future, Lin Wanning was not entirely convinced. As long as Xu’er did not ascend the throne for a day, she could not take it lightly for a day.

Did not the former Empress, Huo Du’s birth mother, be deceived by him completely?

At this moment, Huo Changyun, who was sitting at the desk with a blank face, had a sorrowful smile in his eyes, but the smile became stronger and stronger.

His son, who became cold-hearted after self-mutilating his leg, now seemed to have a weakness?

As a father, Huo Changyun felt that this was a good thing, but as the monarch of the country Qi, this was not a good thing.

Huo Du’s appearance appeared in front of his eyes, and those eyebrows gradually overlapped with the obliterated face in the depths of his memory. He still looked more like his mother.

Huo Changyun curved his lips.

After a short while, his face returned to solemnity, as if he had never smiled before.

“Call Taizi to enter the palace.” He ordered coldly without any expression on his face.

—

The news of Huo Du’s refusal to accept the marriage imperial decree quickly reached the Taiwei Mansion.

Lin Yuxian, who had been trying on the wedding dress in front of the high mirror in the bedroom, lost her joyful expression in an instant after hearing the maid’s report. She felt as if she had been drenched in a basin of ice water. The chill penetrated to the core of her bone.

How can it be?

Lin Yuxian could not believe it. Brother Taizi was even willing to marry a princess of the subjugated country, but now he would defy the imperial decree not to marry her.

Presume that he refused because there were not many interactions between her and Brother Taizi in the past, but Le Zhi and he did not even have a trace of interactions. There must be a reason why he resisted the imperial decree.

Did Brother Taizi have something to hide? Or maybe, Le Zhi played some kind of foxy trick to force Brother Taizi to defy the imperial decree.

Thinking of this, Lin Yuxian was burning with anxiety.

After finally waiting for her father’s approval and her aunt’s consent, she could not wait any longer. In the past, she did not dare to go over and say a word to him every time she saw him because she rigidly adhered to the etiquette of the noblewoman. She was always on the side and behind him, watching him silently.

Lin Yuxian figured it out that she had already wasted too much time, and maybe the woman next to him had gotten ahead of her. Therefore, she needed to correct this mistake as soon as possible.

She threw away her modesty and the bashfulness of a young girl. She must go to make known her feelings towards Brother Taizi. She absolutely could not miss it again!

She got to follow her heart.

Lin Yuxian took a deep look at the wedding dress in her hand, then lightly lifted the skirt and ran out of the room.

Brother Taizi, who lost his mother at an early age, was depressed and lonely. And she, Lin Yuxian, was the brightest sun in summer, only she could warm him and kept him from falling into darkness.

—

Taizi Mansion.

Ever since Huo Du sent his men to drive out Cui Gonggong, who came to announce the imperial decree, out of the mansion, the atmosphere in the mansion had become much more depressed.

Defying the imperial decree was not a trivial matter.

Le Zhi dismissed the maids around her, and slowly followed Huo Du to the rear courtyard alone.

On the stone table in the middle of the courtyard, there were still uncollected tea leaves and dried bird nests.

Before Cui Feng came, she asked Jing Xin and Lin Yue to buy all kinds of fine tea leaves, dried bird nests, and dried fish maw. Then, took advantage of the rare good weather to study the quality of these tea leaves carefully in the rear courtyard.

Even Huo Du who rarely had a good mood accompanied her leisurely.

But for a moment, the quiet and pleasant state of mind disappeared.

“Continue, ah.” Huo Du raised his eyes to look at Le Zhi, who was stunned, with his faint eyes, “Isn’t it not finished yet?”

“Ah?”

Le Zhi’s cherry lips parted slightly and looked at Huo Du in surprise.

Is a major event like defying the imperial decree nothing in his eyes? Is there not one thing in the world that can make his heart ripple?

With a sigh in the bottom of her heart, Le Zhi approached Huo Du and slowly sat on the stone chair.

The porcelain white teapot on the stone table was boiling, making a “gurgling” sound.

Le Zhi silently took two empty cups and placed them in front of her, then took some rose tea and put it in the cup. Then she picked up the teapot and poured the water into the teacup. After pouring a cup, Le Zhi was a little absent-minded and restless. While she poured water into another empty cup, she looked sideways at Huo Du’s expression.

But with this side look, the teapot in her hand was also off a little bit. The hot water was poured directly on the back of Le Zhi’s other hand on the stone table.

Le Zhi turned her eyes back almost instantly, because the back of her hand was covered with a cold palm, and then she saw with her own eyes that she poured boiling water on the back of Huo Du’s hand!

She used the fastest speed to remove the teapot, but it was too late. The back of Huo Du’s cold white hands was burnt to red.

Le Zhi widened her eyes and grabbed his hand, feeling anxious and panicked. She raised the back of his hand up and checked it carefully. She stretched out her fingers to touch it, but she was afraid that it would make him more painful.

For a while, she even forgot that there was something in the world called scald ointment.

“Does it hurt?” As soon as the words came out, Le Zhi was shocked by the choking in her voice.

Huo Du did not answer, only stared at her expression earnestly.

“I’ll get the scald ointment.” Le Zhi got up and wanted to leave in a hurry. But her white wrist was being pulled, and with a gentle tug, she fell into Huo Du’s arms again.

“Why are you distracted?”

Le Zhi pursed her lips and moved her body slightly to avoid pressing the back of his hand, “Will there be trouble if Your Highness refuses to accept the imperial decree?”

Huo Du chuckled lightly and raised his eyebrows indifferently.

Le Zhi frowned slightly. She looked at Huo Du’s black eyes and found herself printed in his eyes. At this time, she had an expression that was hesitant to say anything.

After struggling for a moment, she finally asked, “Why did Your Highness… want to defy the imperial decree?”

Then, she saw the smile on Huo Du’s face fade away. He stared into her eyes and asked in a deep voice, “Taizifei means, you hope that I will accept the imperial decree and marry a side concubine?”

Le Zhi was stunned.

She! Did! Not! Ah!

She just asked why.

Why did Huo Du always interpret her meaning groundlessly!

“That’s not what I meant!” Le Zhi was so anxious that she yanked his hand in a hurry and said in a slightly angry tone, “I didn’t let you marry a side concubine!”

Her heart was blocked, unconsciously raised the volume again, and repeated, “I didn’t let you marry a side concubine!”

Huo Du looked at her blowup appearance and found it very interesting in his heart. He chuckled softly and said, “You won’t let me marry, so I defy the imperial decree.”

His tone was so natural that Le Zhi was confused and nodded subconsciously.

After a long time only did Le Zhi react.

No, she was obviously asking him why he defied the imperial decree. Why did he say it as if she made him defy the imperial decree!

She could not outspeak Huo Du, and also did not want to fall into his verbal trap again. She could only stare at him hard.

An Xuan walked hurriedly from a distance, looking at the figure of the two people entangled, a little reluctant to get closer. But he had no choice but to go over to report, so he had to turn his head and moved forward.

“To inform Your Highness, someone outside the mansion is asking to see you.”

Le Zhi’s snowy cheeks were a little red, and she was still sitting in Huo Du’s arms, which was really indecent! She pushed Huo Du’s shoulder and wanted to get up.

But the hand wrapped around her waist tightened even tighter.

Huo Du would not let her get up. He asked lazily, “Who?”

“Daughter of Taiwei, Miss Lin.”

Hearing this, Le Zhi’s expression froze.

This Lin Yuxian was too impatient. Did she not know that if a woman who had not yet married came to the Taizi Mansion rashly would hurt her reputation?

Huo Du raised his eyes to look at An Xuan in dissatisfaction, “Drive her away.”

An Xuan looked miserable and said helplessly, “All the methods that this subordinate can use have been used, but she just won’t leave. Moreover, she is still calling you out loud outside the gate, this…”

What would Lin Yuxian call?

They all knew very well.

Le Zhi looked at Huo Du’s face becoming more and more gloomy, and even those peach blossom eyes were stained with killing intent. She said slowly, “I’ll go deal with it. It’s not good that she keeps messing around outside the gate like this.”

This time Huo Du let go of her, and she stood up smoothly. But he still held her wrist and would not let her go.

Le Zhi looked at him puzzledly.

“Don’t go.” Huo Du raised his eyes with a heavy look, “I’ll go.”

Last time he failed to stop the filthy words uttered by that person. Could it be that he wanted Le Zhi to listen to it again today?

Must be joking, it’s impossible.

“But aren’t you annoyed with her?” Le Zhi said.

“Yes, ah.” Huo Du said slowly, with killing intent in his black eyes.

“Don’t, don’t, don’t…” Le Zhi squatted down and rubbed the back of his scalded hand lightly with her fingers. “She is a little annoying. If Your Highness is really unhappy, then just scold her a few words, and if she is still messing around, let An Xuan beat her twice. Kill a person… let’s forget it, all right?”

The killing intent gradually faded, and Huo Du raised his hand to rub her head. Then he leaned closer to her, and asked with a smile, “Don’t kill her… It’s not impossible. But what benefits is it for me to keep such a troublemaker?”

Le Zhi stared into his eyes, knowing the crooked idea in his heart very well.

This person never wants to suffer any loss.

All right.

She curled her lips with a smile, winked at him, then pressed her lips close to his ear, and said, “I’ll tell you when you’re done, Brother… Taizi.”

The author has something to say:

Du: Ah, ah, ah, ah, I’m dead…

Zhi: ……

An Xiaoxuan: I didn’t see anything. I was so tired and sleepy.

Lin Yuxian: What do you take me for!!!!