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墨書 Inktalez
"Wait for me outside. If anything happens, I will send someone to get you," Bai Song said, knowing that bringing her into the palace recklessly was inappropriate. He would keep it low-key for now and call on her when it was truly necessary.
"Okay!" Qing Luan felt grateful for Bai Song's trust. Some people, who were afraid of death, would not act this way even if they knew their country was in ruins; after all, if discovered, they would be the first to die.
As Qing Luan had anticipated, after the morning court session, the Barbarians presented themselves with arrogance and disdain. Their tone was brash, threatening to destroy if their demands for territory were not met. They posed several questions to the high-ranking officials in attendance, demanding answers or else they would escalate their demands. The ministers were anxious under the Emperor's furious gaze, unable to retort, except for two individuals who remained calm.
One was Bai Song, who sensed something was amiss. The other was Prime Minister Huang, who had orchestrated this entire situation. He appeared guilty on the surface but his eyes sparkled with delight.
"Your Majesty," seeing that everyone else was at a loss, Bai Song stepped forward. He glanced at the smug Barbarians and revealed a mocking smile before turning to the person seated on the dragon throne. "These petty schemes are mere child's play in our great nation. There is no need for the esteemed ministers to intervene; a mere servant of mine can solve these problems."
The ministers, who had been racking their brains, sighed in relief at the prospect of someone stepping up instead of facing certain doom themselves.
"A servant?" Noticing Bai Song's calm confidence, the Emperor quickly commanded, "Summon Lord Bai's servant into the hall." Lord Bai, it's up to you to save us now; if even these questions cannot be answered, our great nation will truly be humiliated.
As the eunuch's sharp voice echoed through the hall, Qing Luan couldn't help but shiver slightly. That voice was unbearable and filled with tension.
At fifteen years old, Qing Luan was considered short in everyone's eyes. She walked in slowly and knelt before the Emperor, performing all the necessary courtesies gracefully and appropriately without a hint of servility. A trace of pride shone in her expression, sparking curiosity among those present about this young servant. They wondered if Lord Bai had raised his son to win the Emperor's favor… but Bai Feiyang should be taller than this.
"Hmph!" The Barbarians sneered at the delicate Qing Luan with contempt, their tone growing even more arrogant as they belittled her presence in such a grand nation. The translator dared not convey these insults and merely lowered his head as if he hadn’t heard anything.
"This question was posed by the envoy; we must solve this Jade Ring puzzle or we will have to cede a city," Bai Song said softly as he weighed the Jade Ring in his hand.
Seeing the Jade Ring in Lord Bai's hand, Qing Luan's eyes flickered with surprise. There was an identical Jade Ring in the Jade Pavilion; however, its quality differed—this one was made from inferior jade while that one used the finest Lantian Jade. Yet their functions were quite similar.
The puzzle associated with the Jade Ring in the Jade Pavilion allowed whoever could solve it to choose any item from there, including those of immense value—yet no one had been able to solve it. And now… was this merely a coincidence? For some reason, as she looked at that Jade Ring, she suddenly thought of the missing Li Yunluo—what role did she play in all of this?
The Barbarian known as Yiluo was a prince, and seeing the short figure before him staring intently at the Jade Ring, he laughed arrogantly, saying, "Hmph, this vast nation is nothing but this!"
Qing Luan heard the voice and turned to look at the fellow, pursing her lips tightly as she glared at him. It was he who had caused Xuanyuan Rui to suffer defeat and injury.
"A mere servant dares to be so brazen in front of the court? Guards, take him away and execute him!" Prime Minister Huang noticed the strange atmosphere and, fearing complications, issued his command.
"Prime Minister Huang, this little fellow is not simple. If you want to execute him, you might want to wait a moment. Besides, when did this Golden Throne Hall become your place to dictate?" Though Bai Song was rather stern, his words carried a lethal weight that left everyone breathless.
"Your Majesty, I am at fault," Prime Minister Huang immediately knelt down upon hearing the implications in those words, hurriedly explaining, "I just thought that little fellow was too audacious. He not only failed to solve the problem but also brought shame upon our dynasty. That is why I urged for his removal; we cannot afford to lose face!"
The Emperor merely smiled lightly at Prime Minister Huang, saying, "Rise, my loyal minister. I understand your loyalty!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Upon hearing this, Prime Minister Huang felt a bit relieved and quickly stood up.
"Prime Minister Huang," Qing Luan took the Jade Ring from Bai Song's hand and asked with a smile, "If failing to solve it is shameful enough to warrant execution, I wonder if you, as the Prime Minister of the nation, can solve this problem? If you cannot, should you also be executed?" Her question was extremely innocent and naive but instantly changed Prime Minister Huang's complexion.
"You are being outrageous!" Prime Minister Huang turned pale at her question, anger boiling within him.
"Allow me to be outrageous for a moment; otherwise, if I cannot solve it, we might as well prepare to cede our cities. Is that something Prime Minister Huang would be pleased to see?" Everyone furrowed their brows in concern about losing face for the court while he continued to act all high and mighty. It was rather amusing.
"What nonsense are you spouting?" Prime Minister Huang was genuinely agitated now. Her every word was like a thorn piercing his heart, making him fear that something had been leaked. He desperately wanted this person before him to leave and turned back to face the Emperor, saying, "He is not here to resolve issues; he is here to cause trouble! Your Majesty, I suspect he is in cahoots with them."
As soon as Prime Minister Huang spoke those words, the crowd erupted in an uproar.
"What's going on with Lord Bai? Why did he bring this person here? Are they really in cahoots?" Some whispered among themselves, while others chimed in.
Men can be so gossipy! This was the conclusion Qing Luan had drawn. Surrounded by so many men, she realized she had underestimated their penchant for chatter.
"Prime Minister Huang, the matter isn't over yet. Why are you in such a hurry?" Bai Song said calmly, without showing any signs of agitation or anger. "If I really am in league with them, wouldn't it be better to have solid evidence now?"
"Hmph," Qing Luan chuckled lightly as she observed Prime Minister Huang's face shifting from green to white in a rather entertaining manner. She played with the jade ring in her hand and then turned to the translator with a smile. "Ask them if they can solve this little puzzle."
"Uh!" The translator, Luo Bing, who was made up and under Prime Minister Huang's influence, didn't think much of it at first. When faced with such a question, he froze for a moment and awkwardly replied, "This... this is their riddle; how could they not solve it?" Where did this guy even come from?
Seeing that he wasn't helping her translate, Qing Luan looked at the few proud individuals with their heads held high and lightly laughed as she flipped the jade ring in her hand. Then she spoke words that shocked everyone; her fluency surpassed even that of Luo Bing.
"You... how do you know our language?" Yiluo stammered, feeling an inexplicable sense of unease.
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