Chapter 422 Archery
Tubar knelt on the ground, trembling like a leaf, cold sweat soaking through his heavy ceremonial robe. He didn't dare lift his head, his forehead pressed tightly against the cold ground.
The members of the delegation behind him were also pale-faced, like lambs to the slaughter.
"Guards!" Huo Lin's voice was icy cold, devoid of any emotion. "Place the entire delegation from the Northern Desert under strict guard. Without my order, no one is to move about freely, and they are forbidden from passing on any messages!"
"Yes." The shadow guards and bodyguards responded in unison, their voices chilling, and immediately stepped forward to "invite" the limp Tubar and the others away from the scene.
Wang Chang and Tana were also roughly dragged away, and they will face severe punishment.
Huo Lin was too lazy to watch those people's ugly behavior anymore. He put his arm around Jiang Huan and said in a low voice, "It's alright now. All the filth has been cleaned up."
Jiang Huan nodded sullenly in his arms, but the little voice inside her was ranting and raving.
The cleanup was done, but Huo Lin moved with lightning speed. She only saw a few figures flash by and didn't get a clear look at any of the exciting scenes.
I've lost money.
In the following days, the entire Northern Desert delegation was like a caged beast, with its activities strictly limited to the designated camp area, guarded by elite guards all around, restricting its movements.
Tubar racked his brains and tried to deliver a letter of apology to Horlin through the guards. His words were extremely humble, shifting all the blame onto Tana, trying his best to distance himself from the mission, and expressing his willingness to pay any price for forgiveness.
However, Huo Lin ignored it all, even considering it a waste of time to glance at it.
He directly ordered that all the items and documents presented by the northern delegations be handed over to the Court of State Ceremonial for processing, while he himself was happy to have some peace and quiet.
Finally, I've gotten rid of those buzzing flies, and my ears can finally have some peace and quiet.
Huo Lin thought to himself in a rather pleasant mood.
[This is a good opportunity to take her to the hunting grounds for a good walk and enjoy the scenery, so that those unpleasant things won't spoil her mood.]
However, he soon realized that he had planned his life as a couple too early and too beautifully.
Since that farce, Ayina has been visiting Jiang Huan more and more frequently, and the two have become inseparable.
Today they'll bring some milk cakes, a specialty of northern Mongolia, and tomorrow they'll chat about the customs and traditions of the grasslands, talking about everything under the sun and sharing snacks. They're as close as sisters, making Huo Lin seem like an outsider who can only occasionally chime in.
That morning, after Huo Lin finished dealing with several urgent reports, he thought of taking Jiang Huan to try the fruits and pastries that had just been delivered to the hunting grounds. However, as soon as he arrived outside the tent where Jiang Huan was staying, he heard Ayina's voice coming from inside.
"Oh dear, your Liang's mounted archery emphasizes elegant postures, which may look beautiful, but when you're actually on the grasslands and encounter a pack of wolves, you don't have time for all that fancy footwork. Our Northern Desert archery emphasizes speed, accuracy, and ruthlessness! Look at me, like this... use your waist and abdomen to generate power, keep your arms steady, and keep your eyes fixed on the target..."
Huo Lin frowned instantly, displeased.
[It's her again? She's like a persistent ghost; it seems she's completely attached to this place!]
He lifted the curtain and went inside without expression, but the scene inside made his eyes darken.
Ayina stood behind Jiang Huan, the two very close together, almost half-embracing Jiang Huan.
She gently supported Jiang Huan's waist with one hand, while placing the other hand on Jiang Huan's hand, carefully correcting her bow-drawing posture.
Jiang Huan had her back to the door, clearly engrossed in learning, muttering to herself, "Is this how it is? Should I lower my arm a little more? Hmm... I feel like the way I'm applying force is indeed a bit different from before."
Ayina proudly raised her chin, beaming with pride: "Of course! This is a skill that we children of the Northern Desert have practiced since childhood. I, the princess, will personally teach you, and I guarantee that within three days you will be quite proficient, and you might even be able to shoot a running rabbit."
Huo Lin's face instantly darkened, as if covered with a layer of frost.
[What's wrong with this princess from the northern desert? Doesn't she have any sense of propriety? Who gave her permission to get so close?!]
[Teaching her hand-in-hand? Their skin was practically touching! I... I've never even taught her archery this intimately before! This is outrageous!]
He coughed loudly, and Jiang Huan and Ayina turned their heads at the same time.
When Jiang Huan saw him, her eyes lit up immediately. She held up the small practice bow in her hand and said, "You're here! Look, Ayina is teaching me the archery techniques of the Northern Desert. It's so interesting!"
When Ayina saw Huo Lin, she gave a perfunctory curtsy and said in a flat tone, "Your Majesty."
Immediately, as if completely oblivious to Huo Lin's expression, she turned to Jiang Huan and continued her teaching, even lifting Jiang Huan's wrist slightly.
"Yes, hold on, just like that. Keep your wrist steady, imagine you're a stone, don't wobble..."
Huo Lin's brows furrowed completely. He suppressed his displeasure and walked to Jiang Huan's side, cleverly separating Ayina from Jiang Huan.
He took the small bow from Jiang Huan's hand, weighed it in his hand, and said in a calm tone, "Hunting is dangerous. You are currently pregnant and should not overexert yourself. If you want to learn archery, I will personally teach you after the child is born."
Jiang Huan blinked, sensing the concern in his words, and comforted him, "It's okay, I was just playing around with it, not using much force, just stretching my muscles. Besides, Ayina's teaching is really good, it's easy to understand."
Upon hearing this, Ayina raised her chin even higher, a hint of provocative smugness on her face.
She continued, "Yes, Your Majesty is very busy with state affairs. There's no need for you to trouble yourself with such trivial matters as teaching archery and horsemanship. I've been quite free lately, so I can spend more time with Your Highness. It's a win-win situation, both to relieve boredom and to keep you healthy."
Looking at Ayina's posture and then at Jiang Huan's excited face, Huo Lin felt an inexplicable fire rising in his chest, making his heart feel blocked.
He glanced at Ayina, a mocking smile playing on his lips. "Princess, you seem quite carefree. What, is there no one in the Northern Desert delegation who needs your attention now? Or do you think that playing and having fun with my Imperial Concubine is more important than dealing with the mess your delegation made?"
Ayina curled her lip indifferently, even somewhat impatiently: "The delegation brought this upon themselves, what does it have to do with me? I'd better behave myself and keep the Empress company."
As she spoke, she deftly bypassed the distance Huo Lin had deliberately created and moved closer to Jiang Huan.
"Come on, let's try this angle again..."
Huo Lin watched as Ayina's hand landed on Jiang Huan's arm again, and Jiang Huan followed suit without realizing it. His fist clenched involuntarily in his sleeve.
[This is outrageous! Ayina, you should at least consider the occasion before displaying your feathers!]
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