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Finest Servant Chapter 619
🕑 Added 2023-11-03 10:02:00 +0000 UTCChapter 619 The Most Beautiful Accident
In such a critical moment, where the fate of nations and countless lives hung in the balance, even if one's heart brimmed with a myriad of emotions, they had to be buried deep within. Taking a long breath to calm his hurried emotions, he gazed at the flower-like delicate beauty across from him and extended his hand in a gesture of peace. "Great Khan, please—"
Yujia's face was pale, and after a long moment of clenching her teeth, she reluctantly reached out her hand in kind: "General Lin, please—"
Each party took their respective sides, filing in one after the other. Today's long tent was slightly different from usual; at the heart of the table, a few pink flowers stood at an angle, their faint fragrance wafting through the air, adding a touch of vitality to the otherwise plain room.
"Please, take a seat!" Lin Wanrong spoke first, slowly taking his place at the main seat designated for Great Hua, with Xu Zhiqing sitting beside him, while Gao Qiu and the others stood behind them, their presence formidable.
Yujia lifted her skirts gracefully and took a seat opposite him, her eyes drifting, not daring to meet his gaze but eventually settling on Xu Zhiqing. After silently observing her for a long while, the Great Khan sighed softly and said in a gentle voice, "Miss Xu, you are very beautiful!"
Xu Zhiqing, who had dressed herself with particular care for this confrontation, felt a mix of joy and bashfulness upon receiving the compliment. Under the table, she sought out Lin Wanrong's hand, only to find his palm damp with sweat.
Casting a glance at him, the Great Khan bit down on her silver teeth and quietly dropped her eyelids. "Let's begin," she said to her advisor.
Lu Dongzan stepped forward from behind the Great Khan, bowing with his fist enclosed in the other hand, "Master Lin, may I inquire how Great Hua has considered the conditions proposed by our Turkic Khanate?"
"Conditions, what conditions?" Lin Wanrong raised an eyebrow, feigning ignorance.
The Turkic Khanate National Tutor knew he was playing dumb but had no choice but to elaborate, "As long as Great Hua immediately releases our Young Khan and the Right Prince, my Turkic Kahanate will cease hostilities for five years. We will not infringe upon Great Hua's borders by even a step. Furthermore, we are willing to offer a thousand heads of cattle and sheep, a hundred beautiful women, and ten precious blood-sweat horses as a token of our sincerity in mending ties."
Lin Wanrong nodded slowly, his smile spreading, "So this is your sincerity? If that's truly the case, then there's no need for further discussion. We might as well return to our respective lands and prepare for battle."
The outright rejection from Great Hua was not unexpected, and Lu Dongzan looked towards Yujia, as if seeking her opinion.
Golden Blade Khan's gaze was sharp as he stared intently, speaking profoundly, "There's no need for roundabout talks with a wise man. General Lin, I am aware that Great Hua's appetite is much larger than this, so please, state your terms. If they're acceptable, we negotiate; if not, we part ways!"
"Great Khan is a straight talker. Admirable indeed!" Lin Wanrong looked at her and smiled, but his eyes were cold, "Since that's the case, I'll speak frankly. As long as the Turkic Khanate satisfies the four demands of Great Hua, all will be well!"
"Four demands?" Yujia's heart sank slightly with a premonition of unease, "Please, elaborate."
Lin Wanrong hummed affirmatively and slowly stood up, "First, the two nations shall sign a truce, for fifty years the Turkic Khanate shall not encroach upon Great Hua's territory. Any breach of this and may the Turkic Empire suffer the eternal wrath of the god of the steppe! I ask the Great Khan to decree this in writing and proclaim it to the world!"
This first demand did not come as a great surprise. Yujia replied slowly, "I do not oppose a truce between our nations. However, to proclaim such a treaty for all to see is unprecedented for us Turks, and thus difficult to accept."
Lin Wanrong chuckled softly, "Whether you accept it or not, you must! In fact, announcing to the world is of little practical use; it's merely a small restraint on you. Should there be regrets in the future, it will be known to all that the people of the Turks are not true to their word. That's all there is to it! If you cannot accept even this, I must be frank, Great Khan, there's no point in discussing further!"
Yujia watched him, brimming with self-assuredness, and nobody knew what demands he would propose next. Her eyes faintly aloof, she said, "This first condition, allow me to consider it. What about the second one?"
"The second one is actually not that complicated," Lin Wanrong said as he paced slowly, smiling. "Simply take the reparations Brother Lu just mentioned and multiply them by five. Deliver them once a year, for twenty years."
"You're dreaming!" Yujia had not yet spoken when Batur, the Left Prince of the Turks, exploded with anger: "It would be more appropriate for your Great Hua to pay us!"
"Am I dreaming?" Lin Wanrong said with a smile. "Prince Batur, to exchange a few horses and cattle to retrieve the pride of your steppes and the Right Prince, isn't that a good deal? Why the reluctance? Could it be that you wish to become the pride of the steppes yourself?"
"Nonsense!" Batur roared, about to pounce, but Gao Qiu swiftly moved in front of him to intercept. Swords were drawn on both sides, and the atmosphere instantly became fraught with tension.
Only now did Yujia realize that compared to the second demand, his first condition was hardly a condition at all. She took a deep breath and glared into his eyes, her teeth clenched tight, silent.
Lin Wanrong silently looked up, his face expressionless as their eyes met, ice-cold, with not a trace of warmth. The tender embrace among the roses felt like clouds on the horizon, vanished without a trace.
At the negotiation table, there were no Wo Lao Gong or Yueya’er, only General Lin and the Great Khan—a fact that no one could change.
After a long silence, the Golden Blade Khan finally lowered her head, not letting him see the faint smoke rising in her eyes, "Great Hua man, speak of your third condition."
Lin Wanrong shook his head and sighed softly, "Great Khan, are you sure you wish to hear this third condition?"
Yujia raised her head, suddenly screaming in a fit of rage, "If you dare speak it in my presence, why shouldn't I dare listen in front of you? Speak, just say it!"
Lin Wanrong clenched his teeth, "Very well! The third condition is that Turks withdraws north of Bayanhot and south of it shall be managed by Great Hua!"
"What? You want to seize Bayanhot and those hundreds of miles of vast and fertile steppes?" Even the normally reserved Turkic National Tutor couldn't hold back, his face red with anger as he bellowed, "General Lin, you are being unreasonable!"
"Unreasonable?" Lin Wanrong turned his head, speaking indifferently, "In negotiations, everything is about mutual agreement. Where does the question of being unreasonable arise?"
Yujia trembled violently, her complexion pale as she stared intently at Lin Wanrong’s back, biting out each word, "General Lin, can you not face me as you speak?!"
General Lin took a deep breath but remained steadfast, "Great Khan, you are very beautiful, and for that reason, I cannot look at you."
Yujia weakly clutched the armrest of the chair, her delicate fingers utterly drained of color, nearly sinking into the wood. Her eyes half-closed, she valiantly fought back the tears that threatened to spill over. Looking at his retreating back, she spoke softly, “Once again, it is you who corners me!”
Lin Wanrong stood motionless, sighing deeply, “I've said it before, I only ever push myself!”
Only the two of them understood the secret meaning behind those words, which left the Great Khan's mind reeling. It faintly brought back the vision of that earth-shattering arrow outside the walls of Kyzil, watching him slowly fall before her. His blood soaked the grasslands. She trembled uncontrollably, “And the fourth condition? Might as well speak it out!”
Lin Wanrong silently shook his head, “Must you really hear it?”
“Absolutely!”
“Very well,” Lin Wanrong slowly turned his head, “If you agree to the above three conditions, I will return Salmu to you—in ten years' time!”
“Shameless—” Yujia could no longer contain herself, she roared in anger, leaped to her feet, and snatched the flower branch from the center of the table, hurling it violently at him.
Lin Wanrong shook his head helplessly, speaking gently, “You're right, I am exactly that kind of shameless person.”
Yueya'er slumped back into her seat, falling silent. Lu Dongzan and Batur maintained stern faces, not uttering a word. The negotiation had reached a deadlock.
Miss Xu had been listening by the side for a long time. Unable to hold back, she walked up to him, took his hand, and sighed softly, “How can you be so heartless? To ask for the moon, you're driving her mad!”
Heartless? He gave a wry smile and shook his head, “If I don't aim high, how can she negotiate effectively? Negotiations are to be hammered out, she knows this well.”
Feeling the slight tremble in his palm, Xu Zhiqing suddenly realized that while he was pressuring Yueya'er, was he not also pressuring himself? Miss Xu shook her head, “Now I understand, you are even harsher on yourself than you are on her.”
Lin Wanrong squeezed her hand in silent response.
After what seemed like an eternity of silence, Yujia suddenly looked up, her gaze fixing coldly on him, “National Tutor, Left Prince, step back. I wish to speak with General Lin alone.”
Lu Dongzan and Batur silently withdrew, and Hu Bugui with a few others discreetly left as well.
Seeing Lin Wanrong holding Miss Xu's hand without moving an inch, Yujia's voice turned icy, “General Lin, I wish to speak with you alone!”
“There's no need,” Lin Wanrong shook his head firmly, “At the negotiation table, I hide nothing from Miss Xu.”
“But I would ask Miss Xu to step away for a moment!” Yueya'er stood up, her voice suddenly rising sharply.
“I said there's no need!” Lin Wanrong's eyes flashed fiercely, gripping Xu Zhiqing's hand even tighter.
Unsure what he feared, the Great Khan’s chest heaved with agitation, her teeth clenched tightly as she glared at him, her eyes filling with a thin layer of mist.
Xu Zhiqing hurriedly pulled away from his grip, smiling, “If the Great Khan has pressing matters to discuss alone, and it concerns the secrets of our nations, my presence indeed imposes. Great Khan, take your time to talk. Zhiqing takes her leave!”
With that, Miss Xu turned and walked away, but Lin Wanrong quickly reached out to grasp her sleeve, only to clutch at air.
The Golden Blade Khan watched him, a silent, cold laugh in her eyes. "What's the matter, are you afraid of me? Just moments ago, General Lin was speaking so boldly, discussing ceasefires, indemnities, territorial cessions, hostages - every cruel strategy you could think of, you tried on me all at once. Weren't you intimidating? And now you're scared?"
The intelligence of Yueya'er was undeniable. The conditions proposed by Lin Wanrong revolved precisely around these four points. Though unspoken, the nomadic lady saw right through them.
"What is there for me to fear?" In the vast, empty tent, only the two of them remained. Lin Wanrong gave a heavy snort, his gaze landing on Yujia's slightly moist eyes, which stirred an irresistible tumult within him. Annoyed, he gestured with his hand, "Don't cry. If you cry, you won't look as good as Xu Zhiqing!"
Yueya'er slapped the table with a crash, her voice breaking into sobs, "I will cry if I want to, even if I am the ugliest woman in the world, it's none of your business!"
Looking at her pale temples, Lin Wanrong shook his head, feeling a sense of defeat, "Please remember, you are the Golden Blade Khan, revered by all on the grasslands. Do not weep at the drop of a hat; it invites ridicule."
"So what if I am the Golden Blade Khan?" Yueya'er retorted angrily, "In this lifetime, she has only ever cried in front of one person! Yet, that person is the one who loves to deceive her, the one who loves to hurt her the most!"
"Have you never deceived me?" Lin Wanrong couldn't contain his irritation, his voice filled with indignation, "Who made the deliberate trip from Xingqing to Bayanhot, to appear before me, aiming to become my prisoner, even attempting to capture me? If I hadn't been sharp-witted, I would have fallen into your trap long ago!"
"You always love to think too highly of yourself! Do you think you are some grand figure?" Yueya'er countered with a cold smile, "My presence in Xingqing was because I like to collect Great Hua's intelligence firsthand. As for you, Lu Dongzan mentioned you a few times, and there were many tales of you in Great Hua that caught my attention. In Xingqing, planning the assassination of Li Tai and you were indeed my design! But my appearance in Bayanhot was an accident on my way back to Kyzil, never an intentional plot to seduce you. Laughable! Had I known you were there, my hundreds of thousands of troops would have slaughtered you already!"
So, that was it - he had embarrassingly misinterpreted the situation! He became furiously embarrassed, "And after you fell into my hands? The various schemes you conjured to deal with me, to subjugate me, were they all a farce?"
A faint pink blush appeared on Yueya'er's face as she softly spoke, "Perhaps there were some schemes. But what better way to free myself after falling into your hands? My only regret is that I underestimated you at that time. I hated that I forgot the old adage: 'Kill three thousand enemies, harm eight hundred of your own.'"
"So, all of this was an accident?"
"Yes, an accident, the most beautiful accident," Yueya'er sighed softly, her smile mingling with tears, a bittersweet sight to behold.
