HCB Chapter 1440 Lin Zhen, are you even human?
Chapter 1440 Lin Zhen, are you even human?
In the royal dining room.
Lin Zhen put on an apron and, like an ordinary stay-at-home man, busied himself with his tasks in a professional manner.
Kneading dough, rolling out flour, preparing filling...
Every step was done meticulously.
Murong Yan followed him around like a curious child, occasionally reaching out to steal a little flour or osmanthus honey.
The two chased each other, playfully bickering, just like an ordinary couple.
There was no indication that one of them was the Empress of the Great Qian Dynasty, who controlled the lives and deaths of billions.
The other was the Prince Protector of the Nation, who held immense power and was known for his infallible strategies.
Soon, a plate of steaming hot, fragrant osmanthus cake was freshly made.
Murong Yan picked up a piece and couldn't wait to put it in her mouth.
The soft, sweet, and savory texture instantly blossomed on her taste buds.
"Delicious!" Her beautiful phoenix eyes instantly curved into two pretty crescent moons.
"If it's delicious, eat more." Lin Zhen looked at her adorable, satisfied expression and a happy smile appeared on his face.
He picked up a piece of pastry, covered in osmanthus honey, and held it to her lips.
"what--"
Murong Yan obediently opened her cherry-like mouth.
The two of them shared the plate of sweet osmanthus cake, taking turns eating it.
The candlelight flickered gently behind them.
Their shadows stretched very long.
Time passes peacefully.
……
Just then, the emperor and empress were enjoying their warm and cozy daily life.
The northern grasslands, thousands of miles away.
An even bigger storm is brewing.
Inside the golden tent of the Northern Desert Royal Court.
The atmosphere was oppressive, making it hard to breathe.
The King of the Northern Desert sat high on a throne covered with wolf skins.
His face, usually so dignified and imposing, was now filled with gloom.
Kneeling below him were the chiefs of all the tribes under his command.
They kept their heads down, not daring to even breathe.
"Are they all mute?" The King of Mobei looked down at the tribal chiefs below, who were usually full of energy, but now they had all turned into cowards. An unnamed rage suddenly erupted in his heart!
"Did I raise you all to be cowards?!"
His roar echoed throughout the entire golden tent.
"Khan, please calm your anger!" A respected chieftain said, forcing himself to speak. "It's not that we don't want to fight. It's just that the Empress of the Great Qian Dynasty and her prince are too strange!"
"Yes, Khan," another leader echoed, "We've lost nearly 100,000 warriors, yet we haven't even scratched a hair on their heads!"
"How can we fight this war?"
"Even if we can't fight, we have to!" The King of Mobei slammed his fist on the table in front of him. The table, made of a single piece of golden nanmu wood, was cracked like a spider web by his angry punch!
"We must avenge this!"
His eyes flashed with a crazed killing intent.
"But, Khan..." the old chieftain wanted to say something more.
at this time.
Suddenly, a hurried announcement came from outside the tent.
"Report——!"
"Your Majesty! An envoy from the Western Regions requests an audience!"
"An envoy from the Western Regions?"
Upon hearing this report, a hint of doubt flashed in the bloodshot eyes of the Northern Desert King.
The thirty-six kingdoms of the Western Regions have always kept to themselves and their northern grasslands, so why would they suddenly send envoys here?
"Let him in." Although he was confused, he still said in a deep voice.
Soon, a middle-aged man dressed in exotic clothing, with a high nose and deep-set eyes, who looked to be in his early forties, entered the golden tent, led by two guards.
He faced the Northern King on the throne and performed a gesture of respect, a unique Western Region gesture of touching his chest.
"Huyantu, envoy of the Wusun Kingdom of the Western Regions, pays his respects to the Khan of the Northern Desert."
His voice, though slightly accented, was very clear.
"The Wusun Kingdom?" The King of the Northern Desert looked at him, his brows furrowing slightly. "What brings you here, Wusun Kingdom?"
"Replying to the Khan." Huyantu straightened up, his sharp, hawk-like eyes sweeping over the tribal chiefs present, each with a different expression, a meaningful smile appearing on his face.
"Our king has heard that the Khan is currently at war with the Southern Qian Dynasty and has suffered considerable losses."
"Therefore, I was specially sent here to discuss a cooperation with the Khan."
"Cooperation?" Upon hearing this, the King of the Northern Desert sneered. "You people of the Western Regions never get up early without a reason. Tell me, what do you want from me?"
"Khan is a man of few words, so I won't beat around the bush either." Huyantu smiled. "Our king means that our Wusun Kingdom can send 100,000 troops to help Khan break through the Jade Gate Pass of the Great Qian in one fell swoop."
"In return, we only want all the land west of Yumen Pass that Daqian ceded."
"Furthermore..." Huyantu paused, his sharp eyes fixed on the King of Mobei, "Our King wishes to form a marriage alliance with the Khan."
"He is willing to marry his most beloved youngest daughter, the most beautiful pearl of our Wusun Kingdom, the Yuezhi princess, to the Khan."
"In this way, we can strengthen the alliance between our two countries."
boom--!
Huyan Tu's words were like a bombshell, exploding throughout the golden tent!
The faces of all the tribal chiefs were filled with ecstasy!
Send 100,000 troops?
And another option, a marriage alliance?
This is like a windfall!
It should be noted that the Wusun Kingdom was one of the most powerful countries among the thirty-six kingdoms of the Western Regions.
Their cavalry, though fewer in number than those of the northern deserts.
However, in terms of equipment and combat power, they are even better.
If we could get the help of their 100,000 troops, breaking through Yumen Pass would be a piece of cake!
"Khan! Agree to his request!"
"Yes, Khan! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"
"As long as we can join forces with the Wusun Kingdom, the Great Qian Dynasty will surely perish!"
In an instant, the entire golden tent was filled with excited shouts of people wanting to fight.
However, the King of the Northern Desert, sitting on his throne, remained silent.
His majestic and domineering eyes were fixed on the composed Western Regions envoy below.
They weren't overwhelmed by this sudden "good news."
He knew very well that there was no such thing as a free lunch.
At this time, the Wusun Kingdom suddenly came to show goodwill, but their purpose was definitely not as simple as it seemed on the surface.
"Why are you helping me?" After a long silence, the King of the Northern Desert spoke slowly, his voice hoarse and full of vigilance.
“It’s very simple,” Huyan Tu smiled. “Because we have a common enemy.”
"Common enemy?"
“That’s right.” Huyan Tu nodded. “That Empress of the Great Qian and that damned prince are not only your enemies, but also the enemies of our entire Western Regions.”
"Just half a month ago, Lin Zhen dispatched a mysterious army under his command to plunder all the caravans that were trading with our Wusun Kingdom on the Silk Road, the largest trade route in the Western Regions!"
"He not only stole our goods worth millions of taels of gold, but also killed all our guards!"
"He is openly declaring war on us and the entire Western Regions!"