boom!
As soon as these words were spoken, the hall exploded in an instant, especially the court officials of Da Chu, who were whispering to each other with disbelief on their faces.
They never imagined that the King of the Western Regions was such an infatuated man that he would be willing to give up half of the Western Regions just to welcome his old friend.
Logically speaking, they should have refused outright. After all, Concubine Jiang was already His Majesty's concubine, so there was no reason for her to leave the palace and remarry.
But the gift presented by the King of the Western Regions is so precious.
Especially that one-third of grassland area, isn’t it equivalent to picking up half of the Western Regions for free?
It would be a lie to say I'm not moved.
The concubines covered their mouths in shock, and some people subconsciously avoided the seat where Concubine Jiang was sitting.
Chu Qingluan's hand holding the teacup also stopped suddenly, and her eyes were cold.
The King of the Western Regions seems to be very sincere, but in fact he is putting the Great Chu on the fire.
Looking at Concubine Jiang herself, she looked as if she had been cast under a spell, her face was pale without a trace of blood.
She looked up and met Amur's gaze.
There was no trace of joking in his eyes, only a stubbornness that hadn't changed in twenty years.
The lingering sound of the chimes still echoed in the hall, but it could no longer cover up the uproar in the hall; even the sounds of ritual music became chaotic.
At this time, Emperor Chu slowly put down the Moonlight Pearl in his hand. As he raised his hand slightly, the noise in the hall gradually quieted down.
He looked straight at Amur, the smile on his face remained unchanged, but it gave people a sense of fear and coldness.
"Is the King of the Western Regions bargaining with me?"
Amur straightened his back and replied neither servilely nor arrogantly, "My king dares not. However, Alia was once the jewel of my tribe in the Western Regions. She left her homeland twenty years ago, and now her people are eagerly awaiting her return. My king is willing to exchange a generous gift for her, fulfilling both your majesty's generosity at the birthday banquet and the wishes of the people of the Western Regions."
Just as he finished speaking, a gust of wind suddenly blew in from outside the hall, making the tassels of the palace lanterns crackle.
Concubine Jiang looked at Amur's persistent profile and suddenly remembered that he had said the same thing when they were by the Moon Lake.
"Alia, when I become the king of the Western Regions, I will marry you back to the royal court with ten thousand war horses."
The wind that night was just like today, carrying the scent of the grassland.
But for some reason, the wind blowing on my face was colder than the ice in winter.
At this time, the Emperor of Chu's gaze left Amur and slowly fell on Concubine Jiang. His eyes were calm, but like an invisible net.
"My beloved, the King of the Western Regions said so. Do you think so too?"
His voice was not loud, but it was clearly heard by everyone in the hall.
"You also want to go back to the Western Regions?"
The hall fell into dead silence again, and everyone's eyes were focused on Concubine Jiang.
She could feel Amur's expectant gaze, Chu Hong's worried look, and even more so, the seemingly gentle but actually sharp gaze of the Emperor Chu.
She took a deep breath, slowly stood up, and bent her knees slightly.
"Step aside." Her voice was gentle but firm.
"The Western Regions is my hometown. My relatives are there, and there are also memories of my youth. Naturally, I miss it."
When Amur heard this, a hint of joy flashed in his amber eyes.
He knew that Alia was still on his side. Moreover, they had a child.
However, the next second, Amur's smile froze on his face——
Because she heard Concubine Jiang say again: "But I am now a concubine of the Great Chu, the biological mother of Prince Rui. For the past twenty years, it was Your Majesty who gave me a place to stay, and it was the land and water of the Great Chu that nurtured me. There are people here that I cannot let go of, and there are responsibilities that I must uphold."
"So..." She looked at Amur calmly and slowly lowered her eyes: "I'm sorry..."
The joy on Amur's face completely disappeared, replaced by a deep sense of loss.
He looked at Concubine Jiang in disbelief, as if he didn't believe what he heard.
"No! Alia!" Amur stepped forward, his expression agitated. "You must be lying to me, right? Did someone threaten you?"
"I've confirmed it. Prince Rui..."
"Your Majesty!"
Before he finished speaking, Concubine Jiang suddenly interrupted him, "I am speaking from the heart. Please take these gifts and go back."
"Prince Rui and I will both thank you!"
Jiangpin spoke the last few words very harshly, but Amur could hear that Jiangpin was begging him not to reveal Chu Hong's identity at this time.
Otherwise, the mother and son will be ashamed in the Great Chu.
Amur's whole body was tense and his fists were clenched so tightly that they made crackling sounds.
"……good!"
Finally, he squeezed out a word from between his teeth, his voice hoarse as if it had been ground by gravel.
"This king... respects your choice."
At this time, Emperor Chu looked up at Concubine Jiang. The smile on his face faded a little, but he still had majesty.
"I'm glad you think so."
After a pause, he turned to Amur and said, "The King of the Western Regions has come all the way here to congratulate me on my birthday. I am very pleased.
I will treat today's incident as a drunken slip of the tongue and will not pursue it."
His eyes were slightly cold, yet they held the tolerance unique to an emperor. "However, regarding the alliance between the Western Regions and Great Chu, I hope Your Majesty will not sacrifice public interests for personal gain."
Amur took a deep breath, put one hand on his chest and saluted. His posture seemed respectful, but in fact, at the moment he lowered his head, a barely perceptible dark light flashed in his eyes.
And this scene happened to be captured by Chu Qingluan.
A bad premonition suddenly surged in her heart.
Amur is not someone who gives up easily.
As expected, just when the atmosphere in the hall relaxed a little——
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