Chapter 410 The Game
Upon returning to Weiyang Palace, Huo Lin waved to dismiss all the palace servants.
He sat by the couch, but instead of immediately pulling her into his arms as usual, he lowered his eyes and unconsciously stroked the back of Jiang Huan's hand with his fingertips, looking somewhat aggrieved.
Jiang Huan found his appearance both novel and amusing, and couldn't help but reach out her other hand to poke his cheek.
"What's wrong? Are you upset by Ayina? Or are you disgusted by that Tana?"
Huo Lin looked up at her, his eyes filled with accusation, but he deliberately lowered his voice: "I have suffered a great injustice today."
[For her sake, I tolerated that impolite accusations from that girl from the northern deserts.]
[And I even witnessed that whole spectacle; it was an eyesore.]
Jiang Huan listened to his inner turmoil and saw his look of seeking comfort, and smiled.
She leaned closer and cupped Huo Lin's face in her hands, deliberately asking, "Oh? What's wronged you? Tell me about it?"
Huo Lin pulled her into his arms, resting his chin on the top of her head, his voice muffled: "That Ayina, criticizing me to your face, and that Tana, daring to play tricks."
[I can't take it anymore, I'm feeling really sad, I need a kiss and a hug to feel better.]
Jiang Huan couldn't help but laugh at his large, dog-like whining; this guy was really into acting.
He was still upset, but he didn't seem to hold back when he ordered the man thrown into prison.
But considering how hard he's putting on his performance, I'll just go along with it.
Jiang Huan reached out and hugged Huo Lin back, gently patting his back: "Alright, alright, Your Majesty is the best. You saw through the villain's scheme at a glance."
She looked up, gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, and winked.
"Give me a reward, you're not feeling so bad anymore, right?"
Huo Lin was overjoyed by her kiss, his eyes brimming with undisguised delight, but he maintained a composed demeanor and coughed lightly, saying, "Hmm, that's more like it."
However, unlike the warm atmosphere at Weiyang Palace, things had already erupted in chaos in the northern desert.
The news of Tana's imprisonment instantly caused an uproar in the delegation. One of the delegation's fierce generals, named Tubar, was so angry that the veins on his forehead bulged. He was about to confront Huo Lin on the spot, but was firmly stopped by his deputy.
"My lord, please calm down. This matter requires careful consideration and should not be acted rashly."
"Take it a long time? What will we tell the Khan if something happens to Tana!" Tubar roared, pacing anxiously. "What about Princess Ayina? Let her go. She's a princess; she's the most suitable person to ask for her release!"
However, when they finally mustered the courage to see Ayina and explained their purpose, the response they received almost made them faint.
Ayina leisurely savored the snow cakes that Jiang Huan had brought her. Upon hearing this, she didn't even lift her eyelids, and scoffed, "Let me, the princess, plead for her? Why should I? She brought this upon herself by bringing such a filthy thing to the emperor. She's lucky she wasn't beheaded on the spot. I, the princess, am not going to embarrass myself."
Tubar said urgently, "Princess, Tana is, after all, a person sent by the Khan, representing the face of the Northern Desert."
"Face?" Ayina slammed down her teacup, her pretty face frosty. "When she did such a despicable thing, didn't she think about the face of Mobei? If you want to save her, go save her yourselves. Don't drag this princess into it. Get out!"
She directly ordered him to leave, her attitude so firm that there was no room for negotiation.
Tubar was rebuffed and turned pale with anger, but he was helpless. In the end, he could only grit his teeth and think of another way.
The next morning at court, the atmosphere in the hall was solemn.
After discussing a few routine government affairs, Tubar, holding his credentials, strode forward, his voice loud but unable to conceal his anxiety.
"Your Majesty, your humble servant has a memorial to present regarding the matter of my maid Tana from the Northern Desert. Although there was some impropriety involved, it should be handled by the Northern Desert itself. Your Majesty imprisoned her in the Imperial Prison without any negotiation, which may damage the harmony between our two nations. I urge Your Majesty to reconsider and release her immediately!"
Several ministers who had old ties with the northern desert or had secretly received benefits also stepped forward to echo the emperor's sentiments, their words either explicitly or implicitly criticizing him for making a mountain out of a molehill and disregarding the overall diplomatic situation.
On the dragon throne, Huo Lin's face was ashen. He waited for them to finish speaking before slowly raising his eyes.
“Tana is by no means impolite. She is carrying drugs and has approached me. I would like to ask, what is the purpose of sending such a person from the Northern Desert to accompany the princess on her marriage alliance?”
He paused, then his tone suddenly turned stern: "Do you think you can plant your own people and do whatever you want in my harem? Or do you think my safety is insignificant?"
"I just wonder how the world will view the Northern Frontier if this matter gets out? Will they think the Khan of the Northern Frontier is lax in managing his subordinates, or will he have ulterior motives and try to plant spies around me using such despicable means?"
This series of rhetorical questions, each one piercing to the heart, directly elevated personal behavior to the level of diplomatic relations.
Tubar was so flustered by the question that he broke out in a cold sweat, his face turning from red to white, and his previous imposing manner vanished completely.
Attempting to influence a monarch with drugs is almost tantamount to a declaration of war. If he persists, it would be tantamount to admitting that the northern desert has such intentions.
He hurriedly bowed, his voice trembling: "Your Majesty, please calm down. This humble subject had no such intention. Mobei has no disloyalty to Your Majesty or to the Great Liang. This woman's actions have absolutely nothing to do with Mobei!"
Huo Lin snorted coldly and said no more.
That evening, in the Imperial Study.
Shen Yi, fanning himself with a folding fan, leaned against the window, his tone tinged with amusement: "Those in the northern deserts are practically jumping up and down in a panic. Tubar has sent three documents in a row, promising to reduce the profits from the border trade by another three percent. Tsk, that's quite a price to offer, they're really going all out."
Huo Lin tapped the dragon table lightly with his fingertips, a hint of sneer flashing in his eyes: "Is a mere maidservant worth all this fuss?"
He looked up at Shen Yi, "What do you think?"
Shen Yi closed his folding fan, his expression becoming slightly serious: "There must be something fishy about this unusual situation. This Tana is probably not as simple as she seems. The fact that Mobei is willing to go to such lengths to rescue people means that there must be something about this woman that we haven't yet discovered."
Huo Lin nodded slightly, a cold smile curving his lips: "Since they want the person so badly, I can't refuse to give them face. Tell Tubar that the person can be released, but the prison is a serious place with many case files. All procedures must be checked clearly to avoid future misunderstandings and complications."
Shen Yi understood, a hint of a smile flashing in his eyes: "Your subject understands. Checking the case files is the most time-consuming part. It will probably take at least seven days to sort them out."
After saying this, he left the Imperial Study and went to arrange the "tedious" procedures himself.
Seven days later, at the bottom of the Heavenly Prison.
At the end of the cold, damp passageway, the iron gate was slowly pushed open, and a faint light shone in, illuminating a huddled figure in the corner.
Two jailers stepped forward and roughly lifted the man up.
Tana was almost unrecognizable; her once-fitting dress hung loosely on her body, and her exposed wrists were so thin they looked as if they would break at the slightest touch.
Her face was ashen, her eyes were vacant, her lips were cracked and bleeding, and she smelled musty.
When she was dragged out of the cell, she didn't even have the strength to struggle; she just instinctively flinched.
Upon seeing the envoy from the northern desert waiting outside, the jailer stopped and pushed the man forward, saying, "Here he is. Take him away."
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