Seeing Xiao Lin frozen in place, Liu Chan breathed a sigh of relief. She glanced at Consort Sun beside her and noticed the woman’s face full of defiance.
Since she wouldn’t be getting along with such a person in the future anyway, she might as well take revenge on the spot.
So she feigned a hint of nervousness and looked at Xiao Lin, “Your Majesty, this humble girl has offended Consort Sun. If you leave later, will she still try to hit me and this cat?”
Seeing her like this, Xiao Lin found it somewhat amusing.
He directly turned to Huang Jiu and commanded, “Issue my decree: Consort Sun, with her malicious nature who bullies the weak, is demoted to…”
He seemed to ponder for a moment, “Demoted to Talent Sun.”
Consort Sun, now Talent Sun, widened her peach blossom eyes in shock.
Although it was only one rank lower, this was a precursor to losing favor!
“Your Majesty, I know I was wrong. I shouldn’t have angered Liu… Miss Liu,” Talent Sun hurriedly apologized. “Your Majesty, please forgive me.”
As she spoke, she quickly turned to Liu Chan, suppressing the resentment in her eyes, “Miss Liu, please be magnanimous and forgive me.”
Liu Chan gave her a cold, indifferent glance.
Anger her?
She wasn’t really angry, but the cats in the Imperial Garden were not to be trifled with by anyone.
The pity was that aside from Huang Jiu, none of the imperial consorts could guess Xiao Lin’s preferences regarding cats.
Though Talent Sun was pleading directly to her, she couldn’t just say nothing, but lightly forgiving someone who wanted to hit her wasn’t in her nature.
So Liu Chan spoke weakly, “Talent Sun shouldn’t be asking for my forgiveness. What you should be begging forgiveness from is… it.”
She lifted the Big Orange Cat in her arms forward slightly.
The Big Orange Cat seemed to think she was about to throw it out and immediately wrapped its paws tightly around her arm, its expression terrified and quite comical.
Liu Chan managed not to laugh.
However, the others couldn’t hold back and burst into giggles. Even Xiao Lin couldn’t help but curl the corners of his mouth.
Xiao Lin waved his hand, “Then let Talent Sun apologize as Miss Liu suggested.”
Talent Sun’s face filled with disbelief again. Apologizing to a cat? Wouldn’t that be the biggest joke in the world? She’d be the laughingstock of the palace forever!
But she didn’t dare to disobey.
So Talent Sun gritted her teeth, “I’m sorry… cat.”
Everyone struggled to contain their laughter again.
Liu Chan, however, wore a serious expression, “Hmm, it will forgive you.”
Xiao Lin’s gaze remained fixed on her face, noticing the girl’s eyes twinkling with mischievous amusement, seeming quite satisfied with Talent Sun’s apology.
“How is your foot?” Xiao Lin asked an extra question.
Liu Chan finally smiled at this, her eyes curving like crescent moons as if she had become much more familiar with Xiao Lin. She lifted one foot and hopped a couple times, “This humble girl can walk on one foot.”
Xiao Lin nodded but didn’t respond to her remark.
“Huang Jiu, find a sedan chair,” he ordered.
Huang Jiu inwardly groaned but maintained a respectful expression, “Yes.”
Soon, a sedan chair was brought before Liu Chan.
Liu Chan somewhat sheepishly thanked Xiao Lin before being helped into the chair by Xiao Cui, though the Big Orange Cat still clung desperately to her arm, refusing to let go.
“Please take me back to Weiyang Palace,” Liu Chan said softly.
But Xiao Lin interrupted her, “Go to Taiji Hall first.”
Hearing this, everyone was stunned, especially Liu Chan, who instinctively stared at him blankly, her small face covered in astonishment.
Huang Jiu quickly chimed in beside his master, “The Imperial Garden isn’t a suitable place for a physician’s examination. If you return to Weiyang Palace, Miss Liu, wouldn’t it only worry Her Ladyship? Perhaps it’s better to go to Taiji Hall first…”
He felt somewhat embarrassed by his own words.
If the lady of Weiyang Palace would worry, then other places would be acceptable too. Why insist on Taiji Hall specifically?
Xiao Lin nodded.
He simply found this young girl rather interesting. Before coming to the Imperial Garden, he had been reviewing memorials and meeting with ministers, feeling quite irritable. Unexpectedly, Liu Chan had dispelled his annoyance with just a few words.
That was why he instinctively wanted Liu Chan to stay at Taiji Hall for a while.
As for having any improper thoughts about Liu Chan—that was certainly not the case. After all, she was betrothed to another.
He had no penchant for stealing another man’s wife.
Huang Jiu’s gaze swiftly swept over his master’s face before he turned to instruct the palanquin bearers, “Lift the palanquin!”
At this moment, no one paid any attention to the neglected Talent Sun.
A moment later, Talent Sun, dazed, was helped up by her palace maid. She stared at the departing palanquin, her small face pale.
“Tal… Talent, what should we do?” the maid asked uneasily.
Talent Sun gritted her teeth. “She’s seducing the Emperor so brazenly—doesn’t she fear Jing Guifei finding out? Let’s go seek Jing Guifei!”
**
Liu Chan rode the palanquin all the way to Taiji Hall.
From time to time, she glanced nervously at Xiao Lin, who was strolling leisurely behind them, feeling extremely uneasy.
When the palanquin finally landed, Liu Chan mustered her courage to speak, her voice as faint as a mosquito’s hum, “Your Majesty, this subject should return to Weiyang Palace. It’s… it’s truly improper for me to come to Taiji Hall so casually.”
Xiao Lin couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow.
Just moments ago in the Imperial Garden, this girl had been all claws and defiance—was she finally showing fear now?
Or was she avoiding him to such an extent?
“What are you afraid of?” Xiao Lin deliberately asked with a stern expression.
“But…” Liu Chan still wore a troubled look.
Before she could say more, Huang Jiu stepped forward, took the Big Orange Cat from her arms, and whispered reassuringly.
“Miss Liu, His Majesty’s concern for you reflects his care for Her Ladyship. After all, you are the younger sister of Her Ladyship.”
The implication was clear: they were all family, and further refusal would only create distance.
Hearing this, Liu Chan seemed to secretly breathe a sigh of relief, showing a hint of embarrassment. “Then thank you, Your Majesty… no, thank you for your concern, Brother-in-law!”
When she uttered “Brother-in-law,” she looked at Xiao Lin, her eyes curving like a sly little fox’s, playful and cunning.
Xiao Lin was momentarily dazzled by her smile.
In their previous encounters, he had been somewhat suspicious of this young girl, overlooking her beauty in the process.
The girl’s skin was translucent fair, her face free of makeup. Beneath her delicate nose, her lips were as red as cinnabar, occasionally bitten in pain as she slightly furrowed her brows—a sight that evoked pity. Yet when she smiled, it brought an inexplicable sense of stunning beauty.
Even though he had grown up in the palace surrounded by all kinds of beauties, he couldn’t deny that Liu Chan’s appearance was exceptionally pleasing and lovely to him.
However, he wasn’t a man who cared much about a woman’s outward appearance. No matter how striking the exterior, it couldn’t compare to possessing a sincere heart.
Xiao Lin shot her an amused glance and strode directly into the bedchamber.
Liu Chan limped closely behind him.