Chapter 125 Falling into the Trap "She can never be a pawn, you won't..."
Qiqige snorted and asked Arslan, "Who is this young man? Such superb lightness skill is rare in the world."
Before Arslan could speak, Aodeng interrupted him, saying, "This is a friend the Third Prince made in Huachao; he's a capable man."
The eldest and second princes' plans were completely destroyed by Feng Tan. Arslan didn't lose face at all, but the two princes were utterly humiliated and resentful but couldn't show it.
The eldest prince chuckled dryly and said, "There are few people in the world who are excellent at lightness skills, and even fewer who can combine horsemanship and lightness skills to a superb degree. May I ask which prestigious family you come from, young brother?"
They were determined to get to the bottom of Feng Tan's background. Feng Tan was no match for them in the argument, so she smiled slightly and said, "I dare not claim to be from a prestigious family. It's just that I have been exceptionally talented since childhood and am skilled at taming birds and beasts."
The eldest and second princes were clearly embarrassed by their smiles. The veins on the second prince's forehead were throbbing. This "beast" was obviously a veiled insult!
Seeing that the two of them were at a loss, Qiqige slowly smiled and added fuel to the fire, saying, "I knew it! The way you were riding your horse and playing polo just now, you really used the tricks of taming beasts to the fullest."
"Hahaha!"
"Hahaha!"
Laughter erupted from the crowd, and amidst the chaotic atmosphere, the burly man's loud shout stood out: "Qiqige!"
Qiqige turned her head and saw her father glaring at her with intense anger. Qiqige pouted and muttered under her breath, "If someone dares to do it, why can't we say anything..."
Ultimately, out of fear of her father's authority, Qiqige snorted coldly and turned her head away, no longer daring to utter a word.
"Khan!"
Boriged had already rested in the royal tent, but he was worried about Arslan, fearing that his two brothers would use a trap to entice him again, so he came to check on him. Unexpectedly, his two brothers showed no brotherly affection whatsoever and made things difficult for Arslan in public. Fortunately, Arslan was a capable man, and even though he had no true energy left, he had a group of friends who stood up for him.
Boriged felt a little relieved. His amber eyes, which were seven-tenths similar to Arslan's, swept over everyone present before settling on Feng Tan. Presumably, this was the close friend whom his son was willing to give up his true energy to save, and also the young man whom the Hua Dynasty emperor was willing to cede territory to Sotaha to bring back to the palace.
The boy was slender, like a piece of duckweed adrift in a chaotic world. He looked plain and unremarkable, except for his exceptional lightness of foot. What was it about him that attracted them?
He was slightly suspicious, but after gathering his thoughts, he said, "Guests have come from afar, and I, Sotaha, have not been hospitable enough. My three sons have been spoiled since childhood, so please forgive them, young brother! This cup of mare's milk wine is my apology!"
After saying this, the attendant Temur handed over a red table. The wine cup on the table was made of fine porcelain, its surface as smooth and lustrous as snow. The wine was fragrant and mellow, its color like newly formed amber, clear yet with a hint of hazy warmth.
Boriged picked up one of the cups and drank it all in one gulp, then made a "please" gesture.
Arslan, unsure if Fengtan could handle the liquor of the grasslands, said, "Father Khan, she can't drink much. Let me drink in her place..."
The eldest prince interjected, "Third brother, how can we refuse a toast from Father?"
Boriged did not speak, but his meaning was already clear.
Arslan didn't want to put Feng Tan in a difficult position, and Feng Tan didn't want to put Arslan in a difficult position either. They picked up their wine cups and drank them in one gulp, saying, "I have heard that mare's milk wine is the elixir of the grasslands, with a perfectly balanced sweet and sour taste, and a mellow and smooth flavor. Today, thanks to the Khan, I have the good fortune to taste it, and it is indeed so."
Boriged's eyes flickered slightly. He didn't look directly into the boy's clear eyes and said in a low voice, "If you like it... The bonfire banquet is your domain, young people. Have fun."
He patted Arslan on the shoulder, poured him a cup of mare's milk wine, and said, "It's still chilly, have a cup of wine to warm yourself up."
Arslan laughed heartily, his eyes like the brightest stars in the world, and drank the mare's milk wine in one gulp.
Boriged felt a tightness in his chest.
***
His vision was blurry, the spider webs on the roof beams swayed as if about to fall, the air he breathed was filled with the smell of rotting wood, the damp ground was cold and chilling, and as his senses gradually returned, Feng Tan realized that he was tightly bound by a hemp rope and lay helplessly on the ground.
What happened last night...?
During a bonfire dinner filled with singing and dancing, she spontaneously started dancing with several elderly women on the grassland. Suddenly, the world spun around her, and she fell heavily backward onto the grass, losing consciousness.
...It was that glass of wine.
The mare's milk wine that Boriged handed over was problematic.
Why did Boriged do this?
...Is it Xiao Yinshi?
The prolonged coma left Feng Tan with a dull ache in her head as she tried to think things through. She struggled to free her hands, which were bound behind her back, but a wave of weakness washed over her, and she collapsed back onto the ground in despair.
Light leaked through the wooden hut, and judging from the sunlight filtering through the cracks in the door, it was early morning; she must have been unconscious all night. Why did Boriged do this? What was his purpose?
The answer was revealed by the sudden commotion outside the door, and Feng Tan peered out through a crack in the door.
"Stop him!"
With a loud shout, Boriged swiftly moved forward and grabbed Arslan, pulling him backward and pinning him to the ground. The young man's face was pressed against the cold, hard bricks. He raised his head and demanded, "Father, how could you do this!"
Boriged stretched out his calloused fingers and helplessly patted Arslan on the body. "Arslan, this is all I can do."
Arslan's eyes were bloodshot, veins bulging from his forehead. He struggled violently as he was pinned to the ground. "Whether Sotaha has land to spend the winter is Sotaha's business. Why should we use it to exchange for it! We will find other ways, Father!"
Boriged felt a pang of sorrow as he looked at his youngest son's resentful expression. Last night, Arslan had fainted after drinking that cup of mare's milk wine. Because of his large size, the effects of the medicine were not as strong as those of his companions. When he woke up, he stumbled and went to interrogate Oden about where that person was. Oden and Arslan were sworn brothers, and unable to bear seeing his miserable state, he told him.
Boriged didn't want to use such despicable means to earn his son's contempt, but he had no choice. He lowered his head and asked, "The lives of hundreds of thousands of people in Sotaha, what do you want me to do? What do you want me to do?!"
The eldest and second princes rushed over upon receiving the message. Seeing Arslan's bloodshot eyes, they felt a secret satisfaction on the surface but outwardly showed concern.
The eldest prince "comforted" him, saying, "Third brother, personal feelings are nothing in the eyes of a nation."
The second prince said, "Don't put your father in a difficult position."
After saying that, the two picked up the leftover mare's milk wine from the previous night and walked towards the wooden door one after the other.
From childhood, Arslan had been able to endure the humiliation inflicted by his mother and her husband, but today, with Feng Tan involved, all the resentment within him finally burst forth, despite the humiliation of being restrained on the ground: "Bastard, don't touch her!"
His shouts were not in vain. As soon as the true energy flowing from his dantian gathered, Arslan broke free from the two soldiers who were holding him down. He tried his best to run forward, but was once again wrapped up by the chains that came from behind. He fell back to the ground with a thud. The forced exertion of his energy caused blood to spurt from his throat. Tears and blood flowed involuntarily, smearing his face. He was extremely disheveled.
The wooden door opened, and Feng Tan's pupils contracted sharply when she saw Arslan's appearance. Then, the shadows of the eldest and second princes loomed over her. The second prince placed mare's milk wine in front of Feng Tan, gesturing for her to drink it herself.
These two people's behavior is despicable. Feng Tan turned his head to the side and said in a low, hoarse voice, "Get lost."
The eldest prince chuckled, then kicked Feng Tan in the stomach, saying, "You're asking for death."
The second prince stopped him from kicking again, saying, "This man is not to be trifled with."
The eldest prince's kick made Feng Tan curl up tightly, cold sweat suddenly appearing on her forehead. Before the pain had subsided, the second prince poured the drugged mare's milk into her mouth.
As the effects of the medicine gradually took hold, through the slowly closing wooden door, Feng Tan saw that Arslan looked as if his entire body had shattered.
“Arslan, exchange her for the peace and tranquility of Sotaha next winter, and for a secure throne,” Boriged walked to his side, channeled some of his inner energy into him, and whispered in his ear, “After I die, the throne will be yours.”
Arslan looked at Boriged, his bloodied fingers gripping his collar tightly. "Father, she was never meant to be a pawn. You will not get what you want."
......
As the evening clouds dispersed, the sky, like a deep, dark blue silk, slowly spread across the grassland. The last blush of the setting sun quietly disappeared below the distant horizon, and the grassland was draped in the dark robes of night, shedding the hustle and bustle of the day and returning to a tranquil and timeless serenity.
Qiqige changed into a night outfit that blended perfectly with the darkness, tightly fastening the cuffs and hiding several silver needles in her hair and sleeves.
She had been to the palace many times since she was a child, so she was very familiar with its layout. She was quite skilled in martial arts, and after avoiding the guards, she quietly jumped from the roof into the wooden house. When she saw the person lying on the ground, she frowned, took out the antidote from her clothes, and fed it to Feng Tan.
"Hey, wake up." Qiqige whispered to Feng Tan, and seeing that the medicine was taking effect slowly, he patted Feng Tan's face. When Feng Tan still didn't wake up, he punched her chest twice with his fist.
So soft.
soft?
A woman?!
Qiqige pulled open Feng Tan's clothes and saw a thick bra strap. She touched it with her fingers and squeezed it in disbelief. Feng Tan gently grabbed her wrist and said weakly, "Qiqige, you're molesting me."
"I...molested...you?" Qiqige was angered by her shocking words. After a pause, he said, "I knew it. Why would Arslan be so desperate for a man? Turns out she's a woman. I'm warning you, you're not allowed to take my Arslan."
Feng Tan slowly propped herself up and laughed, "You wouldn't let me take him, so why did you come to save me?"
Qiqige carried Feng Tan on her back and retorted, "Who said I came to save you? I didn't!"
The girl had a faint floral scent that smelled wonderful. Feng Tan said "Oh," and asked slowly, "So what brings you here?"
Qiqige said, "Sotah cannot tolerate uninvited guests like you; you should be thrown away."
If it weren't for Arslan's earnest pleading, she would be lying on her couch right now reading various stories from the Central Plains, munching on a mutton skewer, and slowly sipping milk wine, instead of desperately trying to escape from her rival.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
