Luo Zhiheng seemed to be taken aback for a moment, tilting her head slightly to look him over. The smile in her eyes gradually faded, turning into a cold glint: "Why do you think I came?"
Mu Yunhe suddenly felt like he had been caught doing something wrong. Shame, sadness, and panic washed over him in quick succession. He quickly turned his head away, not even daring to look at Luo Zhiheng, who was so much shorter than him. His cheeks turned pale.
"Take your hand out." With those commanding words, Luo Zhiheng grabbed his hand and yanked it away. Sure enough, she didn't see her ring on his beautiful hands. She shuddered, then screamed in disbelief, "Why aren't you wearing it? You didn't choose me!"
Mu Yunhe's thin lips were pressed tightly together, and he didn't say a word. His deep eyes were filled with panic. He didn't know what she would say or do next, but he remembered her words, "I don't want you anymore."
"Mu Yunhe, you have guts!" Luo Zhiheng growled through gritted teeth, glaring fiercely at Mu Yunhe, then suddenly stretched out her hand and shouted angrily, "Give it back to me!"
Mu Yunhe was dumbfounded and trembling with panic as he asked, "Wh-what?"
"My ring! Since you didn't choose me, give it back to me! Let's cut ties from now on." She roared, aggrieved and angry, her eyes wet and blurry, her voice trembling with tears. That would be a fatal blow to any man, especially one who loved her so deeply.
Mu Yunhe's heart felt like it was being soaked in aged vinegar, a bittersweet mix of sourness, pain, and anxiety. He had actually made her cry! He wanted to comfort her, but she was relentless, insisting that he return the ring. Mu Yunhe panicked; they couldn't be together anymore, and that ring was their last memento. He absolutely couldn't give it back to her.
He was sweating profusely and stammered a lie: "No, it's gone! I threw it away!"
Second update! This chapter is to make up for yesterday's extra chapter, which finished yesterday's 10,000-word update. The next update will be today's, another 10,000 words today. Hua Sha will keep working hard! Love you all! Still asking for recommendation votes, comments, and monthly tickets! Group kisses, my darlings!
481 A desolate hell on earth, not an inch yielding, please report!
Updated: 2013-12-06 18:04:20 Word Count: 7872
"Throw it away?" Luo Zhiheng narrowed her eyes and repeated through gritted teeth.
Mu Yunhe instantly became alert. Why did he feel that her gaze was dangerous? He nodded hurriedly, determined not to let her know he was lying: "I threw it away, I really threw it away."
"Why did you throw my things!" Luo Zhiheng suddenly lost her temper, roaring angrily. She pushed Mu Yunhe's chest hard, but couldn't move it. She pushed again, and finally slammed her fist into Mu Yunhe's chest.
Mu Yunhe wasn't actually in any pain, but he was quite worried about her; her hand was red. Mu Yunhe was so anxious her eyes were almost red, and she grabbed her hand, unable to contain her anger, and said, "Stop hitting me!"
Luo Zhiheng was startled by his sudden angry shout, and she trembled. After a long while, she still looked at him in disbelief: "You dare to yell at me? Mu Yunhe, you actually dare to curse at me! Are you going to hit me?"
Her unreasonable and argumentative attitude was really driving Mu Yunhe crazy, and he felt quite aggrieved: "When did I curse you? Why did I hit you!"
"You were yelling at me with your eyes wide open just now, that was insulting me. Now you're grabbing my hand and trying to hit me. Mu Yunhe, you threw my things and you still think you're right? How dare you treat me like this? Do you really think that just because I, Ruilin, have taken a liking to you, you can do whatever you want to me? Do you think I'll tolerate you yelling at me like that?" Luo Zhiheng's eyes widened, trying her best to look both angry and heartbroken, desperately provoking Mu Yunhe. Seeing Mu Yunhe's face turn pale, and his expression become flustered and confused, Luo Zhiheng felt happy.
Yunhe, can you understand the sadness in my heart when you can't recognize me? No, at least not now. But I'm really heartbroken. Every time I interact with you, my heart aches more. The saddest thing in this world is that I'm standing in front of you, and you don't know who I am.
Mu Yunhe's eyes turned red from Luo Zhiheng's rapid-fire words. What he couldn't stand was that this woman was not only unreasonable but also hateful. She didn't even give him a chance to explain and pushed him away.
Mu Yunhe felt truly wronged, but he couldn't argue with this woman who looked like a cat with its fur standing on end. Arguing with her would be pointless. He was angry, but mostly aggrieved, and because he was facing her, his words carried a hint of resentment and childishness: "Didn't you tell me to throw it away? You said if I didn't choose you, I'd throw the ring away." Now she's throwing a tantrum at me again!
Luo Zhiheng nearly stumbled and fell flat on her face. Her lips twitched slightly. After composing herself, she turned around and gritted her teeth, angrily saying, "So obedient, huh? Why didn't you listen to me when I told you to choose me? I don't care, you better find my things and return them to me quickly, or I won't let this go. You didn't choose me and lost my things, you owe me! Find them and return them to me right now, or I won't leave the Mu Dynasty easily, hmph!"
Mu Yunhe was initially extremely anxious, but upon hearing her words, he instantly felt a sense of relief, as if he had survived a calamity, turned misfortune into good fortune, and turned adversity into blessing.
"Will you not leave until the ring is found?" Mu Yunhe asked, a little anxiously and cautiously.
Although he knew his thoughts were despicable and sordid, Mu Yunhe couldn't help but feel overjoyed. If Ruilin really wouldn't leave because she couldn't find the ring, wouldn't he no longer have to worry about not seeing her again? But then Mu Yunhe was troubled by what had happened to his personality? How had he become so dark and terrifying? Since he wasn't going to choose her, he should let her leave without any regrets. Why make things so complicated, like they were still entangled?
Luo Zhiheng proudly raised her chin, her tone melodious yet gradually turning cold: "What do you think? That ring is the token of my barbarian chieftainship. Even if they recognize me as the barbarian chieftain, without that ring, I would have a hard time explaining myself. Mu Yunhe, you lost my token and hurt my heart. I will not forgive you."
Seeing Mu Yunhe's face turn horribly ugly because of her refusal to forgive, Luo Zhiheng was satisfied. After turning away arrogantly, she could no longer hide the smug smile on her lips.
Did she sense that same innocence and beauty in Mu Yunhe today? How deceptive. Or was it that he willingly fell for her deception because she was the one deceiving him today? Hmm, quite possibly.
Her left eyebrow arched high, a sign of her cheerful mood. As she turned the corner at the door, Luo Zhiheng caught a glimpse of Mu Yunhe, who was still standing foolishly in the courtyard, and a mischievous smile crept across her face. "Silly little Hehe, how will you know how deep her love for you is if I don't give you a little challenge? How can you continue to 'shamelessly' miss her and think about her if I don't give you a way out? How can you still come to her with such a righteous indignation if I don't give you a reason?"
From the very beginning, Mu Yunhe fell into the love trap meticulously prepared for him by Luo Zhiheng. She pressed him relentlessly, and beneath the seemingly calm surface lay a turbulent web of calculation. Every step she took was calculated based on Mu Yunhe's choices and moods, taking his character into account step by step. She went to great lengths for him, determined not to believe that Mu Yunhe could escape her grasp in the end!
Little Hehe, let's begin our exchange. She's waiting for your 'harassment' when you've missed her so much you can't stand it anymore.
——
Luo Zhiheng waited patiently for Mu Yunhe to come, but three more days passed and Luo Zhiwu still hadn't woken up. After Luo Ningshuang woke up, she continued to cry and roar hysterically. Mu Yunhe was said to be in a terrible state because Xia Beisong would go crazy every time Luo Ningshuang roared wildly.
Luo Zhiheng orchestrated a series of events, but in the end, she remained calm and collected, observing the various situations around her with amusement.
However, her arrival in the Mu Dynasty wasn't solely for her own sake; she had the fate of millions of people at stake, and the issue of food supplies had finally been brought to the forefront. Today, she appeared in the court, dressed in a solemn and magnificent seven-colored robe, wearing a pearl and gold crown of exceptional quality, and a golden mask.
Her appearance caused a low pressure and a cold air to permeate the solemn hall, and even more so, suppressed low gasps of amazement.
Even though this woman concealed her face, she still possessed an aura that surpassed all others. Just seeing her demeanor alone was enough to amaze people.
Mu Yunhe stood in front of her, holding a cane that didn't look particularly impressive. Luo Zhiheng didn't look to the side, but she still noticed the cane. She found it strange; she remembered that when they first met after returning that day, Mu Yunhe was holding this very thing. Why was he carrying a cane all of a sudden?
However, she did not let Mu Yunhe notice that her gaze had lingered on him. Instead, she coldly and elegantly passed over him and stopped a little in front of him. Her voice, as melodious as a nightingale's song and as clear as jade, rang out: "Rui Lin, the chieftain of the barbarians, greets His Majesty the Emperor."
"You're too kind, Chief. Please rise." The young emperor's deep gaze swept over Luo Zhiheng, past her mask, and then towards the stunningly beautiful face of the demoness behind her. He said with a hint of interest, "Since arriving in the Mu Dynasty, Chief has truly been of great help to me. First, you helped the Lady Protector regain her memories, and then you saw through Luo Zhiwu's illness, which led to the recovery of these two very important people to our country. Chief has been a great benefactor to our nation."
As soon as the emperor spoke, Luo Zhiheng immediately became alert. She glanced at the emperor, who was high above her, but could not see his expression. However, Luo Zhiheng was sensitive enough to sense that what the emperor was saying was definitely not a good thing.
This cunning and stingy emperor would never allow the barbarians to have done anything good for the Mu Dynasty. The fact that he is now so generous in saying that the barbarians have done something good for the Mu Dynasty shows that he is up to some wicked scheme.
Not only Luo Zhiheng thought of this, but everyone else was also puzzled. What was the emperor thinking? Why was he actively awarding credit to the barbarians? Didn't this just give the barbarians even more reason and right to ask them for food?
Mu Yunhe's gaze turned coldly towards the emperor. He believed he understood the emperor; for the emperor to speak so voluntarily, he must have ulterior motives. He couldn't guess what the emperor wanted, but his intuition told him it was related to Ruilin. Mu Yunhe felt uneasy, but more than that, he was wary. He was afraid Ruilin would say the wrong thing. If she went along with the emperor's words, she might reveal his next plans, which would be very troublesome, and Ruilin would be in a difficult position.
Therefore, what Ruilin says at this moment is very important! Hopefully, this woman won't act impulsively and take advantage of the situation.
While everyone else seemed a bit tense, Luo Zhiheng appeared the most relaxed, as if she were an outsider. She spoke with composure and neither servility nor arrogance: "Your Majesty is too kind. However, this matter has nothing to do with your country. If I didn't know, I wouldn't have cared, but now that I know, I can't just sit idly by. Besides, I have always admired Your Highness the High Priest, and these two people are both related to Your Highness. My purpose is to help these two people so that I can get to know Your Highness. Although I am no longer friends with Your Highness the High Priest, the past experiences have made all the hard work I have put in during this time worthwhile."
Luo Zhiheng's words instantly left the group of shrewd people speechless. The ministers' lips twitched, and the emperor's expression changed slightly. Only Mu Yunhe remained outwardly cold, but inwardly he was both amused and panicked.
Translating Luo Zhiheng's words, it's actually quite easy to understand. First, this woman implied that the Emperor was being too polite, while also making no attempt to hide her true intentions—that the Emperor was being presumptuous. Her help for Luo Ningshuang and Luo Zhiwu was entirely for Mu Yunhe's sake. Luo Zhiheng openly expressed her admiration for Mu Yunhe and casually stated that her actions were solely to curry favor with him. In short, she wanted to seduce Mu Yunhe.
When she looked at the emperor with her innocent little eyes, it was as if she was clearly asking, "What does our desire to seduce your high priest have to do with your country? Why are you thanking us, Your Majesty?" This made the emperor's face turn from white to red, then red to purple, a kaleidoscope of colors.
However, she later said, "It's a pity that we're not even friends with Mu Yunhe anymore. Our attempt to seduce him failed, but we're willing to accept it."
These words were pure torture for Mu Yunhe. Didn't you see how she had pierced Mu Yunhe's heart, leaving him bruised and battered, standing stiffly at the very front, forced to pretend everything was fine, while inside he was a pitiful little thing, heartbroken to death? Luo Zhiheng had this ability; often, with just a few words, she could torment someone to the point of wishing they were dead, unable to sit still or sit still.
The ministers were incredibly embarrassed. Did this woman even have a brain? How dare she speak to the emperor like that, and so rudely at that! She should have chosen the right time to be arrogant. The emperor was clearly trying to curry favor with her, and her words were like a blow to his handsome face, leaving him bruised and battered. Did she still expect to get things done? Did she still want grain? Dream on! The ministers were utterly baffled. How could the barbarians have chosen such an idiot as their leader? They should just go back, dig a pit, and lead their entire tribe to commit mass suicide.
Mu Yunhe was delighted. Although Luo Zhiheng's words had implicated him, he couldn't help but applaud her inwardly. What a clever woman! By involving him, the emperor, unsure of his intentions, would be unable to voice any plots or schemes. If the emperor still wanted to pursue his schemes, he would have to consult with him first. Then, he would surely know what the emperor was planning, and if it was anything detrimental to Ruilin, he could easily stop it.
On one hand, he thought Ruilin was really clever, defusing a potentially dangerous crisis without leaving a trace. On the other hand, he was happy that Ruilin trusted him; otherwise, how could he have told him off? Although Mu Yunhe was very uncomfortable with Luo Zhiheng's words, the thought of Ruilin's trust made his chest swell instantly, and his gaze softened and became affectionate as he looked at her.
Unfortunately, Luo Zhiheng's arrogant gaze made it seem as if she didn't even look at Mu Yunhe, not even glancing at him. Mu Yunhe's eyes dimmed instantly, and he even felt a little flustered.
The emperor on the high throne was so infuriated by Luo Zhiheng's bluntness and foolish behavior that he almost rolled his eyes. He held back and decided not to reveal his intentions. He said with a forced smile, "The leader is very witty. Who doesn't know that our High Priest and the Lady Protector have a famously good relationship? I'm afraid that not just anyone can interfere."
"Yes, I've seen it all, but I still think I'm better than that woman who's been bedridden for three years. I'm perfect, but that woman... well, that's another story." Luo Zhiheng spoke even more bluntly, her spoiled and arrogant demeanor exuding an air of domineering arrogance.
I've never seen such a narcissistic woman before!
The emperor suddenly thought that if his daughter were as headless as this Ruilin, he would definitely unscrew her head and reinstall it, otherwise he would be so angry that he would die.
Thinking about it this way, the emperor hesitated again. Although this woman looked beautiful, he had never seen her face before, and she was too arrogant. She held a high position and was also very clueless. Was it really appropriate to bring her to his side? He was a little hesitant.
Because of his hesitation, the emperor put aside his plans for the time being, and his voice returned to its usual high and mighty tone: "The leader is too kind. The leader must have come here for something important. Please speak frankly."
Luo Zhiheng smiled, her attitude showing no change in obsequiousness, yet no longer as indifferent as before. Instead, her aura shifted, gaining a sharp, authoritative, and compassionate air: "I have come here to request Your Majesty's permission to exempt the barbarian lands from grain taxes. For years, the barbarian lands have been planting crops without yielding anything. While it may be an exaggeration to say that not a single grain is harvested, it's not far off. The people of the barbarian lands are already living in misery, with starvation deaths occurring daily. The barbarian lands are like a battlefield, where blood can be shed without visible bloodshed, as the people slowly succumb to hunger and cold. The barbarian lands can still be called the barbarian lands now, but perhaps in a year, or two, it will become a dead city!"
Her words, resounding and powerful, echoed through the palace's golden bricks and silver tiles, their emptiness seemingly a passageway transcending time and distance, revealing the gradually decaying and desolate wilderness before everyone's eyes. A scene of bleakness, a landscape filled with sorrow.
The court officials had been eagerly waiting to ridicule and mock Luo Zhiheng, hoping to expel her from the Mu Dynasty. However, Luo Zhiheng's words were so persuasive and inflammatory that even these ministers, who were oblivious to the hardships of ordinary people, fell silent.
Luo Zhiheng was filled with sorrow and despair, her voice heavy with hunger and cold. Her delicate voice rang out again in the hall, the weight of her words seemingly containing the power to crush this tender woman's voice: "Your Majesty, you sit in the high halls of the palace, witnessing not only the suffering of the people, but also the plight of your subjects, who are suffering from hunger and cold, enduring the fear and devouring that awaits them."
"I should have shared the joys and sorrows with my people, and not left them when they were most vulnerable and helpless. But now I have no choice. I am a tribal chief, but I am not a shaman. I cannot conjure up enough food for them to eat when they are most helpless. I have seen with my own eyes the old, compassionate people digging at the cracked earth with their withered hands. Their fingers are drier and more fragile than dry wood. Their fingers are cut and bleeding, and some have even been worn away, revealing the white bones. But they still persevere, just because by moving a little more, they may find a grain of rice or a sweet potato in the cracked soil, and then they can feed their little grandchildren."
"The old folks in the wilderness all thought that if they could eat one less bite, the food they saved could be given to their children, and perhaps their little ones could survive. But after years of no harvest, and having to haggle over grain taxes with the imperial court, it really came to the point where even a single grain of rice could break their backs."
"This is still good; not everyone in the wilderness is loyal and righteous. In some parts of the wilderness, because they can no longer endure hunger, several groups have started kidnapping people and stealing children!"
Finally, someone couldn't help but ask, "Are you going to kidnap people and steal children? Or are you going to abduct them and sell them for food?"
Luo Zhiheng suddenly let out a cold laugh, a laugh filled with sorrow, helplessness, and profound loneliness. She turned to face the civil and military officials, and in that instant, a dark and desolate road seemed to wind its way behind her, with densely packed, cracked earth, an old man with a wooden cane, walking unsteadily, dressed in tattered clothes and emaciated as a rake, thin, short, sickly children, and scenes of war and chaos, dust flying everywhere, adults screaming hysterically, children crying in fear, and old people pleading hoarsely and helplessly...
That scene was too heavy!
Everywhere was gray, making people feel so oppressed they could hardly breathe.
Luo Zhiheng stood in that scene, she was the only color, just like the only light in that sky, she was hope!
At that moment, people seemed unable to find any air to breathe; everyone felt as if misfortune had choked them, experiencing an unprecedented, death-like despair.
Then, Luo Zhiheng's voice seemed to come from that desolate, decaying, and lifeless scene, suppressed, low, and carrying the smell of rotting corpses: "In the wilderness, money can no longer solve problems, and money can't buy food either. All those bandits and robbers want is food. As long as they can eat, they will eat anything!"
Everyone tensed up, as if they had thought of something, and their expressions gradually changed.
Luo Zhiheng, however, gave them no chance to prepare themselves, and said with a sorrowful yet eerie tone, "The people they robbed and the children they stole were all thrown into a pot, boiled, and eaten!"
hiss!!
In an instant, the entire hall was filled with gasps and exclamations, accompanied by faint sounds of retching.
Those who dared to look at Luo Zhiheng seemed to see a scene from behind her, a scene resembling purgatory: in the plains beneath the desolate mountains, the cracked ground was covered in blood, with white bones scattered about; water was bubbling in a large, black iron pot, and in the instant the bubbles burst, one could vaguely see a child's small hand and a woman's long hair...
vomit!
The sounds of vomiting in the main hall were even louder. Some ministers, palace maids, and eunuchs were so frightened that they collapsed to the ground, their faces pale, their eyes glazed, and their faces filled with deep terror.
Luo Zhiheng's voice continued, as if she had stepped into that horrific human tragedy, wandering there like a ghost, her eyes filled with sorrow and helplessness. She saw a thin, frail child staring longingly at the contents of the pot, completely forgetting that his little sister was being cooked inside. His eyes were filled only with the desire for food; he didn't even know that he might be the next to be cooked and eaten.
Luo Zhiheng went to another place and found a newborn baby, only a few days old, weakly chewing on its mother's breast, but unable to eat anything. The child eventually died in its mother's arms; it had only been a few days since birth and had already starved to death.
This is the wilderness, a true reflection of the lives of the lowest strata of the people! Even the nobles of the wilderness barely manage to get one meal a day. The nobles of the wilderness are worse off than even the ordinary people of the Celestial Empire!
"They are at their wits' end, with nowhere else to turn. If there were any other way, they wouldn't have resorted to cannibalism. They truly have no more food to spare. This matter has actually been going on for several years, but the previous barbarian chieftain has been using the barbarian granaries' reserves to pay tribute to the Celestial Empire and has to regularly provide relief to the barbarian people. Sooner or later, they too will run out of food. Now that the barbarians have truly reached this point, I have taken over as their chieftain, and it is my responsibility to prevent my people from living with such a heavy burden."
The scene behind Luo Zhiheng vanished suddenly without a trace, as if it had never existed. It was as if her words were so vivid and captivating that people were hallucinating.
Facing the Emperor, Luo Zhiheng solemnly said, "I will live and die with my people, but I have a responsibility to give them the chance to survive. I will never give up until I fight for them. I implore Your Majesty to also have compassion on them, for they are also your subjects, and to exempt them from taxes."
The Emperor's gaze met Luo Zhiheng's. The Emperor, who was already feeling suffocated by the oppressive atmosphere, felt as if he were being immersed in a pool of blood when he met her scarlet eyes. He was surrounded by the stench of blood, dead people, and an inescapable disaster.
How much darkness and human tragedy have those eyes witnessed?
He was the ruler of a nation, and no emperor would ever be swayed by the words of a subject from a vassal state. The truth of the matter in the wilderness couldn't be confirmed, but Luo Zhiheng's account was utterly terrifying. He had seen that bizarre scene just now, and he had thought he was hallucinating.
But because the scene was so realistic and vivid, and an oppressive atmosphere of despair emanated from it, it was hard for him to ignore or disbelieve it!
The Wilderness was a vast and once prosperous land, but how did it become what it is today? Although the loss of tribute from the Nu'ang would reduce the income of the Mu Dynasty, which was suffering from continuous disasters, continuing to force a barren country that had begun to resort to cannibalism to hand over grain would be tantamount to forcing them to rebel and start a war.