Chapter 673
"A Great Hua emissary?" Yujia furrowed her brows. "Just a few days ago, Hu Bugui, the stationed general in Bayanhot, had already sent someone to visit me. Now where has another Great Hua emissary popped up from? Did you inquire thoroughly?"
Nalan nodded hurriedly, "I did ask. That person carries the imperial seal of the Great Hua Emperor. Please have a look, Great Khan."
A young palace maid presented an item with both hands. Yujia took it and her beautiful eyes briefly scanned it. It was a glittering gold plaque, one side carved with a fierce golden dragon, and on the other, the imposing words "As if the Emperor Himself Were Present!"
Yujia's brows creased, puzzled. "What is the name of this envoy, and what business brings him here?"
Nalan covered her mouth, giggling coquettishly. "The envoy only sent this gold plaque, not even mentioning his name to me. As for his purpose, I'm even more clueless!"
"Where is he now?"
"Waiting just outside our camp!"
"Hmph," Yujia tossed the gold plaque onto a table beside her, her face cold. "This envoy really lacks manners, seeking an audience with me, the Great Khan, without revealing his name or lineage. What does he take the Turk for? The imperial token of the Great Hua Emperor holds no sway in our steppes. Let him wait outside then!"
"Great Khan," Xiangxue whispered, "since he's from Great Hua and unwilling to reveal his identity, perhaps he was sent by the Khan Consort himself! You should meet him!"
Sent by him? Yujia's face brightened with surprise. She pulled aside the curtain, ready to dash out, but then stopped, annoyed. "That heartless man. Two months and not a single word to me! Sending someone doesn't count. I don't want to see him!"
"Oh," Nalan sighed in disappointment. "Then I shall send him back!"
As the young palace maid turned to deliver the message, Yujia, in a sudden rush, said, "Wait!"
Nalan turned back, bewildered. The Golden Blade Khan's face flushed as she whispered, "After all, he has come from faraway Great Hua. It wouldn't be right not to meet him. Tell this envoy to wait outside. Once I'm done with the official documents and if I find the time, I'll see him."
"Yes!" the young palace maid giggled. "Understood. I'll tell the envoy to wait outside. The Great Khan will see him if she's free; if not, then so be it."
Yujia's cheeks burned hotly, smiling without a word, her gaze tender and soft.
Xiangxue, following close by, saw her fatigue and hurriedly said, "Great Khan, you mustn't strain yourself, especially in your condition. Leave these documents for tomorrow."
The Turk had faced great upheaval, with state affairs piling up like a mountain along the way. The Golden Blade Khan shook her head silently, "Today's matters must be finished today. If I slack off, I'd be letting down both my father and Salmu."
"But what about the little prince inside you—won't the Khan Consort be heartbroken if he knew?"
Yujia blushed, her ears red, whispering softly, "It's just been over a month. It's fine! Hmph, if he truly cared, he wouldn't have gone this long without sending even a letter!"
Xiangxue stuck out her tongue in amusement. The Khan Consort had been away for less than two months, and with the vast distance between Great Hua and Turk, even if he had written, it was impossible for the letters to have arrived so soon!
Gazing upon the stacks of official documents, Yujia felt a slight warmth on her cheeks. She silently caressed her smooth belly, her eyes brimming with an unusual tenderness. "Well then, let's handle half of these today. It's all that scoundrel's doing."
Xiangxue chuckled, quickly moving away most of the documents.
Yujia slowly seated herself on the golden throne. Her gaze turned silently profound as the charming and youthful matron transformed back into the peerless pride of the grasslands. The documents from various tribes of the steppe unfolded before her eyes.
It had been only two months since the peace treaty was signed. The Turk, shifting from years of warfare to peaceful coexistence with former enemies, naturally faced many conflicts and struggles. Fortunately, the newly established free trade zone was beginning to take shape, gradually improving the lives of the Turkic people. The voices of internal opposition were slowly diminishing.
The tribal documents mainly pertained to these new circumstances, reflecting the true feelings of the Turkic people. Yujia's reactions varied between pleased nods and thoughtful frowns, her pen never ceasing its movement.
Her diligent appearance worried Xiangxue, who reminded her, "Great Khan, it's been almost two hours. You should rest."
Yujia nodded, yet her pen did not stop.
The Turkic maid blinked and said, "Great Khan, that Great Hua envoy has been waiting for a while. Would you like to see him?"
"Let him in," Yujia commanded.
Xiangxue sneaked a smile and quietly withdrew.
Soon, the tent was filled with the sound of light, swift footsteps, both quick and weighty.
Engrossed in her work, Yujia didn't lift her head upon hearing someone enter. She asked indifferently, "Are you the envoy from Great Hua?"
Silence fell in the tent, punctuated by hurried breathing and racing heartbeats, yet no one spoke.
In the brief stillness, Yujia's fluttering wrist suddenly paused, her body tensing as the golden pen silently dropped to the ground.
"Who are you?" Her voice trembled, tears glistening on her long lashes, her face a mix of joy and sorrow, her body shaking uncontrollably, too afraid to lift her head.
"Guess who!" A voice, haunting her dreams, gently echoed in her ears.
The world seemed to spin. The Golden Blade Khan trembled violently. With a sharp cry, she frantically swept the documents off the table, hurling them at him. "What are you doing here, you heartless villain? I don't want to think about you!"
The soft silk papers fluttered like endless rain, gently landing on his face and head, their touch unspeakably tender. Lin Wanrong chuckled softly, calling out, "Little sister—"
Yujia, struck as if by lightning, stood frozen, hands gripping the documents, as if turned to stone. Tears fell silently like rain in March.
Her beautiful yet haggard face, bathed in endless tears, was like a dew-laden begonia, breathtakingly beautiful. Lin Wanrong gazed at her, both infatuated and dumbfounded, choking out, "My little sister—"
Yueya'er trembled as she lifted her head. Seeing that familiar dark face, the mischievous smile, the figure she longed for in countless nights and days, truly standing before her, she felt an unreal sensation.
Her tearful eyes blurred, a torrent of sorrow and joy overwhelming her heart.
"Wo Lao Gong—" She embraced him tightly, smiling sweetly, her tear-stained cheeks pressed against his chest. Her beautiful face outshone the mundane world.
Only 'Little Sister' could utter these three words! Lin Wanrong stood as if struck by acupressure, speechless, unable to utter another word.
Time seemed to freeze at that moment. The two embraced in silence, their hearts trembling in unison.
Both among the most intelligent in the world, yet neither could find the words to describe their feelings at that moment. Even the vastness of the heavens and the earth couldn't compare to what they felt in their hearts.
From noon to dusk, they quietly nestled together, not uttering a single word. Yet, the entire world seemed to be in their hands.
"Great Khan, Great Khan!" As darkness fell, two young palace maids called from outside the tent, their voices light but anxious. Inside the Golden Tent, the entire afternoon had passed in silent tranquility, leaving them wondering what had become of the Great Khan and the Khan Consort.
The Golden Blade Khan quickly wiped away her tears, her cheeks flushing as she muttered, "Those two little maids, how dare they conspire to deceive me!"
"Don't blame them," Lin Wanrong hastily grasped her hand. "It was I who told them not to say anything."
"So, you came to deceive me too?" Yujia looked at him, her voice tinged with a hint of grievance.
Lin Wanrong chuckled. "Deceive? I, this clueless envoy, just wanted to give the Golden Blade Khan a pleasant surprise."
Remembering what she had said earlier, Yujia's cheeks warmed. She spoke softly, "Mysterious and deceptive. If I had known it was a fake envoy, I would have had them drive you away, so I wouldn't be bullied by you!"
Seeing her stubbornly adorable demeanor, Lin Wanrong felt a warmth in his heart, but his expression suddenly became stern. "Little Sister, to be honest, seeing you now, I am more shocked than delighted."
"Why?" Yujia's eyes widened, her teeth clenched as she glared at him, reminiscent of their past squabbles in the Sea of Death.
This girl, she hadn't changed at all! Lin Wanrong found it amusing but kept a straight face. "Because you don't take care of yourself! I waited outside your tent for nearly two hours. You were processing documents without even taking a sip of tea. If I hadn't come in, who knows how long you would've continued? How can I be happy seeing you mistreat yourself like this?"
Yueya'er shot him a shy, reproachful glance. "I'm not mistreating myself! There's only one person in this world who can torment me! Do you know who he is?!"
Lin Wanrong touched his nose and laughed heartily, speaking earnestly, "Little Sister, things are different now. You're eating for two; you must rest more. You're a doctor; you know this better than I do! If you keep this up, aren't you just going to worry me to death?"
Yujia's cheeks flushed, she pressed tightly against his chest, smiling shyly. "I just want to make you worry about me, so you'll think of me, remember me! What if I'm a doctor? These truths only stick when you tell them to me!"
Yueya'er was just like that, Lin Wanrong knew all too well, and could only smile helplessly.
The Golden Blade Khan suddenly turned serious, her voice stern. "Wo Lao Gong, I warn you! If you dare not write to me for more than two months again—hmph, if you torment me, I'll torment him!"
She gently caressed her belly, her face a mix of shyness and pride.
Lin Wanrong's face turned pale. Knowing Little Sister's nature, he was certain she would do as she said, and the thought of failing to write in time was too dreadful to contemplate!
"Yes, yes!" he hastily agreed, inwardly planning to write hundreds of letters in advance, sending one every fortnight. He couldn't help but shake his head, pleased with his clever plan.
Yujia, as if anticipating this move, blinked and said, "You are prone to cheating. To prevent you from pre-writing, I will ask a question in each of my replies, and you must answer in your next letter. This way, no cheating, hehe!"
She fondled a copper coin at her chest, giggling continuously.
Lin Wanrong sighed deeply, lamenting that a wife too clever was hardly a man's blessing.
Their reunion after a long separation was indescribably joyful. To others, Yujia was the Khan leading many, but to him, she was the tender and adorable Little Sister. Despite bearing a child, her girlish mischief and petulance only added to her charm.
After some conversation and noticing the documents scattered all over the tent, Yueya'er's face flushed with embarrassment. "Wait outside for me, I need to tidy up this place."
She could have ordered her maids, Nalan and Xiangxue, but the mess was a testament to their joyous reunion, and she preferred to handle it herself.
Lin Wanrong quickly interjected, "You can't do this in your condition! Let me help."
Yujia looked at him with bashful delight. "These documents are Turk's secrets. Are you trying to spy? That's not allowed!"
Lin Wanrong laughed heartily. "I've already uncovered the greatest secret of the Turk. What's there to fear in these?"
"Shameless!" Yueya'er blushed deeply, glaring at him.
After a bout of laughter, Lin Wanrong, serious, said, "Blindfold me, then I'll help you clean up!"
Yueya'er hummed softly, pulling out a soft black cloth with a faint fragrance from her bosom. The cloth reminded Lin Wanrong of their heartbreaking separation, stirring deep emotions within him.
With the black cloth over his eyes, darkness enveloped his vision. Instinctively, he reached for Yujia's arm, feeling an unexpected surge of nervousness.
'This must have been how Yueya'er felt that day,' he thought, his nose tingling and fingers trembling slightly.
"Wo Lao Gong," seeing his apprehensive state, Little Sister silently grasped his hands, softly saying, "I am your eyes."
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