Finest Servant-Chapter 621

Chapter 621 Merciless Heart

Sister An had planted a poison needle within Yujia's body, and her life was fading day by day. Gazing at the desolation in Yujia's eyes as she seemed to wither away, Lin Wanrong felt as though a weight of ten thousand catties was pressing on his chest, making his breaths heavy, and for a long time, he was unable to utter a single word.

"Wo Lao Gong, may I ask you something?" Yujia asked, staring at him with a vacant look.

Lin Wanrong sighed, his hands silently tightening into fists, a hint of red appearing between his fingers, "If you would refrain from calling me by my Turkic name, I could answer ten questions for you!"

"It's my business what I call you! If you don't like it, simply don’t respond!" Yueya'er retorted angrily.

Seeing her eyes wide and teeth clenched, Lin Wanrong resignedly said, "Alright, go ahead and ask."

Yujia glanced at him, her expression suddenly becoming exceedingly gentle, and she murmured with her head lowered, "If one day I were to die, would you miss me?"

Lin Wanrong felt a wrench in his heart and could not help but respond angrily, "What nonsense are you spouting? You won't die!"

"The way you lie is truly ugly," Yujia said with a smile, turning her head away silently, her frail shoulders trembling, "When I'm gone, you must not miss me! Just like during the times you've been gone, I haven't missed you at all!"

With a "slap," Lin Wanrong’s palm struck the table forcefully, a few almost imperceptible bright colors staining the tabletop: "What's all this about missing each other? Now is the time for negotiation! There's also the fourth condition! Choose peace or war, it’s up to you!"

Yujia whirled around, her cheeks still marked with tears, but her gaze suddenly turned icy, "You want to detain Salmu in Great Hua for ten years? Mr. Lin, I would advise you to stop daydreaming! The immense humiliation of imprisoning a Khan – do you think my Turkic people would agree to it? For the dignity of the steppe, they would surely sacrifice their lives and wage a decisive battle to the death with Great Hua!"

"Detain? When did I ever speak of detention?" Lin Wanrong said with a cold laugh, "The Great Khan surely underestimates me! In Great Hua, we have a very romantic term called 'studying abroad.' The Young Khan admires the profound and extensive culture of Great Hua so much that he wishes to personally delve into the heartland, to travel thousands of miles in pursuit of knowledge, visit great rivers, meet esteemed teachers, and after more than a decade of learning, return home to benefit the Turkic people with all his skills. What a beautiful legend that would be!"

Yujia's body shook violently, her voice full of sorrow and anger, "To assimilate my steppe's customs you call 'free trade.' To detain my Turkic Khan, you now adorn it with the name 'studying abroad.' Mr. Lin, you have calculated everything, such good intentions, such skillful manipulation!"

Lin Wanrong shook his head and sighed lightly, "The merging of nations is the trend of the times, why would I need to scheme? Think about it, over these years, despite the constant warfare and rivers of blood between our countries, the trade between our peoples in the shadows has never stopped! Even the Sea of Death holds buried within it a pair of star-crossed lovers from different nations. In all of this trade, marriage, and navigation, what is wrong?"

"And what of your detainment of Salmu?" Golden Blade Khan bellowed angrily, "He is young and unpolished, like raw jade. What if you teach him about music, chess, calligraphy, poetry, textiles, and architecture—"

"Is teaching these things bad?" Lin Wanrong asked indifferently, "There are many who wish to learn yet cannot find the opportunity."

Yujia's eyes widened in fury, her delicate voice rising in a scolding shout, "To learn these things from you, he may return to the plains not even knowing how to ride a horse! Salmu is an eagle destined to soar, the future lord of the steppes—how will he lead the Turkic people if you continue like this?"

"Leading the people is a matter of intellect, not horse riding or archery! You know this better than I do!"

"I don't understand, and I never want to!" Yujia exclaimed, overturning the table in front of her as tears stained her cheeks. "All you think about is weakening the Turks! But have you ever considered, without Salmu, the Great Khan is but a shell. To keep Salmu's position as Khan, how many hardships must she endure alone on the steppes for ten years? Ten years—how many decades does one have in a lifetime? Have you ever thought of that for me?! You heartless man!"

Standing there, she cried out loud, allowing her tears to cascade down, instantly soaking her chest.

"That is for the Great Khan to consider, it has nothing to do with our Great Hua!" Lin Wanrong gritted his teeth, his eyes unwittingly moist, as he looked down, avoiding the gleam of her tears.

"Ah—" Yujia screamed in extreme anger, suddenly raising her hand and delivering a fierce slap to his face!

The strike was as fast as lightning, reaching him in the blink of an eye. Lin Wanrong's eyes turned cold, yet they betrayed an indescribable heartache. He slowly closed his eyes, not dodging, standing firm.

"Slap!" The sound of the slap was crisp and loud, striking his face directly, a vivid red swelling on his cheek with five slender finger marks clearly visible.

He stood silently, like an emotionless ice sculpture.

Yujia gazed at him blankly, her breath halted.

The sound of the slap was so loud that even the people outside, including Old Gao, heard it clearly. In anxious haste, several people could no longer hold back and rushed in. The scene before them made everyone pause in astonishment, too shocked to react. "Slap," Miss Xu moved swiftly like lightning, rushing forward and delivering a fierce slap on Yueya'er's smooth cheek.

These rapid changes occurred in the blink of an eye, and before anyone could fully grasp what had happened, it was over. Seeing the Great Khan bullied, Lu Dongzan and Batur roared with anger, ready to charge, but Old Gao and Hu Bugui coldly blocked their path.

Yujia stood frozen, like a petrified statue, her jade-like cheek bearing the crimson mark of five fingers, yet she showed no reaction. Her lips trembled violently as she slowly extended her hand toward his cheek. Though only inches apart, her trembling hand seemed to lose direction.

The fiery red marks, matching the pattern of her own hand, burned like hot coals. In a haze, she suddenly recalled the story he once told her about the lines in the palm, which now seemed etched upon his cheek.

She gently caressed his face, the warmth so real that it scorched her heart, causing her to shudder uncontrollably.

"Why, why do you treat me this way—" she murmured, as blood slowly trickled from the corner of her mouth. In silence, her gentle caress lingered on his cheek, her eyes brimming with a water-like tenderness.

"I hope the Great Khan will carefully consider the four conditions proposed by our Great Hua," Lin Wanrong stated with an indifferent gaze, not turning back as he walked briskly out of the long tent. "I can wait here for three days, but no longer!"

Three days? Yujia slumped to the ground, her strength drained, gazing at the bright red handprint on the table as tears suddenly fell like rain.

...

The blood-red sun slowly descended towards the horizon. The sky was a wild dance of drifting sands, as if veiling the sky in a layer of dull yellow. Several pristine white tents were scattered across the desert, quickly blanketed by a layer of golden sand.

Gazing into the deep sunset, the solitary figure stood silent. Hu Bugui and the others looked at each other helplessly, eventually letting out a collective sigh and shaking their heads.

Old Hu sighed deeply, "It was just two people negotiating alone. A few sweet nothings, a few moments of tenderness, and all would have been resolved. Now look at this mess. What do we do next? In this world, which woman dares to strike General Lin? Is this really fate working against lovers?"

Du Xiuyuan nodded in agreement, feeling the gravity of the situation, "Mixing state affairs with personal emotions has always been the most difficult challenge through the ages, and it's not something that can be easily resolved."

Old Gao snorted in frustration, "What national grievances? They are all but illusions compared to the reality of romance. If Brother Lin and Yueya'er regret this for life, then that would truly be an injustice by the heavens!"

The three of them, filled with indignation, discussed for a long time but couldn't find a solution. They certainly couldn't just drag Yueya'er over by force! Even if they did, General Lin might not even want that. Matters of the heart were inherently complex, compounded by the identities of the two and the grievances between their nations, the situation was hopelessly tangled.

"Does it hurt?!" Xu Zhiqing sat beside Lin Wanrong, gently massaging his cheek, her heart aching and irritated at the sight of the fresh red marks on his face.

Lin Wanrong shook his head with a playful smile, "It did hurt a bit, but with Miss Xu's massage, it feels much better now. Even the worst injuries seem insignificant!"

Xu Zhiqing jabbed her finger onto his forehead, scolding him, "You can still joke? The negotiation was going well, how did it turn into a fight? Besides, with your skills, how could she have hit you?"

"People trip and horses stumble," he chuckled. "Haven't you avenged me? That slap of yours, she'll probably remember it for a lifetime!"

Xu Zhiqing, irked, twisted his waist sharply, reprimanding, "If you feel sorry for her, just say it! Don’t think I don’t know. You pressured her too much and felt guilty about it, so you intentionally took her hit to ease your conscience! Otherwise, with your temperament, if it were anyone else who hit you, they would have been dead a hundred times over!"

Lin Wanrong helplessly said, "Miss Xu, isn't it better to feign confusion about some things? Why strip me bare? It's not dark yet, and Old Gao and the others are watching!"

Xu Zhiqing, her face flushed, spat out and gently tapped his chest twice, then silently nestled into his arms.

A few hundred yards opposite, right at the border of the Turkic people, stood more than ten pure white tents blooming on the grassland like pristine little flowers. Yueya'er's figure was nowhere to be seen; where she was, what she was doing, remained unknown.

Miss Xu's gaze was distant as she contemplated the sparse tents that dotted the landscape. Breaking the silence, she murmured, "Sometimes, I truly pity this Yueya’er. Such a bright and beautiful person, yet she fell for a despicable scoundrel, who also happens to be her greatest enemy. She has encountered both the greatest joy and the deepest sorrow life has to offer."

Lin Wanrong chuckled, "What despicable scoundrel? Just call me by my name, I won't deny it! But I am curious, with all the jealousy you harbor, how come it all seems to dissipate in front of Yujia? Does she have such charm?"

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"Because I empathize," Xu Zhiqing replied, embracing him. Her voice was soft as she continued, "Think about how I felt while you were deep in the grasslands. I can understand what she must have felt after mistakenly hurting you, and the surprise she experienced upon seeing you alive. You little rogue, if you feel my heart, you'll understand."

Miss Xu's heart throbbed warmly in her chest, and inexplicably, Lin Wanrong's thoughts wandered to Yujia's greying temples, a suffocating feeling overtaking his heart in an instant.

Xu Zhiqing whispered, "When I saw the treaty you drafted, I felt that Yujia slapping you... she was actually showing she cared. She would have been justified even to kill you! I really don't know how you, with such a ruthless heart, could bring yourself to do it!"

Even the female strategist felt indignant for Yujia, clearly showing the pressure put upon her was immense. Lin Wanrong silently shook his head, loosening his grip, revealing two sharp silver needles in his hand, their tips embedded deeply into his fingers, his palm soaked with blood.

"You—" Xu Zhiqing exclaimed in shock, fumbling to stop the bleeding, tears falling uncontrollably. "Why put yourself through this pain?!"

Lin Wanrong sighed deeply, "I've said before, I shouldn't have been at that negotiating table! If I didn't force myself, I really wouldn't know what I might have agreed to with her."

Miss Xu sighed through her tears, pounding on his chest in frustration, "I am jealous now, very jealous! You have to be like this for me in this lifetime!"

Lin Wanrong laughed heartily, pulling her into his embrace, "Don't worry, you are now my wife, a rank higher. I will treat you even better, better and better! Oh, I remember now, when shall we go back to Weishan Lake to fish? Let's try in Ning'er's room again, and this time I promise no mistakes!"

"How indecent!" The strategist spat lightly, turning her head away hurriedly, a smile of bashful joy spreading across her cheeks.

As they conversed, Old Gao came running over, pointing off in the distance, "Brother Lin, Miss Xu, someone is approaching from the Turks!"

Someone coming? Could it be a messenger for Yueya’er? It had only been a few hours; had she already made up her mind? Lin Wanrong hastily looked up, scanning the horizon. There, across the national boundary, a large carriage approached slowly, drawn by four majestic horses side by side, advancing through the wind and sand.

"Who goes there?!" Lin Wanrong leaped forward, calling out in a thunderous voice.

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