After the Alluring Beauty Was Forced into a Political Marriage - Chapter 24

After waking up, Shen Lianzhi was truly astonished.

There were two reasons for his surprise. First, Shiqin Bari had somehow undergone a change in temperament. He began to linger around Lianzhi from time to time, incessantly chattering about nonsense. Since it was all talk Lianzhi had no desire to hear, he simply ignored it, treating the words as wind passing his ears.

The second reason concerned the Great Xia Princess, Su Rina. This princess had also changed her ways, unexpectedly visiting the Royal Tent to offer a few words of comfort by his bedside.

Although she spoke with a dark face and seemed extremely reluctant, it was enough to amaze Shen Lianzhi. She said things such as, “Regarding what happened last time, Big Sister was biased. Do not hold a grudge,” and “Once your injuries are healed, go out for a walk. Do not always stay cooped up in the Royal Tent.”

Lianzhi’s jaw nearly dropped. Once she left, he turned his head to whisper to Xiao Anzi, who had recovered from his injuries and could now run and jump. “She must be possessed!”

Xiao Anzi, however, did not buy it and remained somewhat indignant. “Humph, looking at her reluctant expression, there is likely very little sincerity in it.”

Lianzhi did not care much about that. The fact that Su Rina, who usually walked with her eyes on the ceiling, would personally come to admit her mistake was an unheard-of event!

Her past cold words still seemed to ring in his ears. Compared to those words of reconciliation, the difference was truly as vast as heaven and earth. Lianzhi felt deeply moved; if receiving a whipping meant witnessing such a miracle, then the whipping had been worth it.

His mind felt clear and comfortable. Lianzhi said to Xiao Anzi, “I see it clearly now. With these Xia people, you have to be tough. I will not provoke others if they do not provoke me, but if someone provokes me, I will let them know how formidable I am!”

“The Yanzhi is wise! The Yanzhi is wise!” Xiao Anzi flattered him repeatedly.

Lianzhi spoke happily and added with conviction, “A person must have backbone. Relying on heaven or earth is not as good as relying on oneself!”

Xiao Anzi followed like a parrot, “The Yanzhi is absolutely right!”

While the master and servant were enjoying their conversation, someone arrived to spoil the mood. Shiqin Bari walked into the Royal Tent carrying a bowl of herbal medicine. From a distance, Lianzhi smelled a strange odor and wrinkled his nose in disgust. “What is this?”

Shiqin Bari sat beside him with practiced ease, bringing the bowl to Lianzhi’s lips. “It is for your illness. Drink it.”

Lianzhi leaned in to sniff it, his elegant nostrils twitching. He frowned. “It smells abominable. What is in here?”

Shiqin Bari had watched the witch doctor grind the medicine the entire time, but he did not actually know what had been put inside to make the scent so strange. He decided to talk nonsense, “It seems to be cow dung. Drink it quickly!”

Shiqin Bari lacked a bit of sense and had mistaken bezoar for cow dung. He said it casually, but Lianzhi took it to heart. His narrow, willow-leaf eyes widened. “What did you say?”

“Why is there so much nonsense?” Shiqin Bari gave an impatient click of his tongue. “Drink it quickly!”

Lianzhi’s chest ached with anger. These barbarians used cow dung soup to treat illness? It was utterly beastly! Shen Lianzhi refused to comply and pushed the medicine bowl away. “Take it away.”

Shiqin Bari grew anxious. The Yanzhi lay on the couch listlessly every day, looking as though he were terminally ill. In reality, Lianzhi’s health was fine, but he was not like Shiqin Bari, who was made of iron and could bounce back a few days after an injury.

As the saying goes, illness comes like a landslide and leaves like reeling silk. Lianzhi was no longer in serious danger but often felt fatigued. Shiqin Bari knew nothing of this; when the Yanzhi ignored him, he turned to ask the witch doctor.

The witch doctor was terrified of him and did not dare say that the Yanzhi simply did not want to speak to him. Instead, he used vague terms like “heart sickness” or “mental blocks” to stall him.

At first, Shiqin Bari was just feigning ignorance, but as time went on, he began to take the witch doctor’s words seriously. He was very worried and exerted great effort to force his sister to come and speak kindly to the Yanzhi.

He thought that if Big Sister lowered her head, the Yanzhi would be happy. Yet why was he still lying on the couch like a sickly bird? How could he not drink his medicine?

His voice lowered slightly as he brought the medicine close again, “Drink!”

Lianzhi opened his mouth and bit hard on the wrist holding the medicine bowl. He was no longer so afraid of Shiqin Bari. He had even dared to lash out at the crazy Princess Su Rina, so what was there to fear from this young barbarian?

Lianzhi said imperiously, “Go out and pour it away!”

Shen Lianzhi was incredibly bold now. That whipping seemed to have cleared his meridians. Having suffered such a great ordeal, a little intimidation meant nothing to him.

It was not that Shiqin Bari had no way to make Shen Lianzhi obedient again, but such “harsh measures” always damaged their relationship. It was just a bowl of medicine, and he was not at the peak of his anger; Shiqin Bari did not want to push the Yanzhi that far.

Lianzhi was still making a scene, frowning whenever he saw the medicine. He had always worn this expression, showing disgust toward their Great Xia food and clothing while thinking he had hidden it well.

Previously, Shiqin Bari found it pretentious, but now it seemed somewhat pitiful and cute. His anger dissipated slightly, and his gaze fell upon Shen Lianzhi’s rose-red lips, making his heart itch.

Subsequently, Lianzhi watched helplessly as Shiqin Bari drained the bowl of medicine in one gulp. Then, taking him by surprise, Shiqin Bari leaned down, pinched Lianzhi’s cheeks, and transferred the medicine from mouth to mouth.

The bitterness of the medicine made Lianzhi shudder. When he remembered what was supposed to be in it, he felt a wave of nausea. He pushed and struck at Shiqin Bari, and when he finally managed to push him away to vomit, his mouth was forcefully covered.

A broad, calloused palm pressed firmly against Lianzhi’s face. Shiqin Bari looked down at him, showing an unquestionable dominance.

“Swallow,” he said succinctly.

Lianzhi had no choice but to endure the nausea and swallow the bowl of medicine in one go. To him, this was a form of torture. He wished he could whip Shiqin Bari just as he had whipped Su Rina. This barbarian, this lowly person, actually dared to force him to drink cow dung soup.

This was revenge! This was a show of authority! Lianzhi had figured out why Shiqin Bari was retaliating; it must have been a plot between the siblings! Su Rina must have regretted bowing to him and wanted her brother to reclaim some dignity from him!

Thinking this, grievance and resentment welled up in his heart. Lianzhi glared at him with tearful eyes, wishing his gaze could be a knife to cut this little beast into a thousand pieces.

Shiqin Bari’s lips twitched, and an awkward expression appeared on his handsome, sharp face. “Why so delicate? It is just a bowl of medicine.”

“Fine, do not be angry.” Shiqin Bari raised his hand to his neck and removed the wolf-tooth necklace he had worn for many years. He tossed it onto Lianzhi as if it were an afterthought. “This is for you. Are you still angry now?”

Lianzhi looked down at the wolf-tooth necklace. To him, the tooth looked terrifying and was worn out. Lianzhi found it unbelievable. Shiqin Bari treated him this way and then tried to dismiss him with such an object?

He recalled the fox fur from before. Yes, was it not the kind of thing Shiqin Bari gave him? Perhaps in the eyes of the Xia people, Shen Lianzhi was only worthy of such things!

A fire rose within Lianzhi. He would no longer swallow his grievances; he would vent his anger directly. He grabbed the wolf tooth and threw it onto the ground without hesitation.

“I do not want it!” Lianzhi said hatefully.

Shiqin Bari stared blankly at the wolf-tooth necklace that had never left his side since he was twelve. It was as if he saw his own heart being trampled into pieces. He turned to Shen Lianzhi in a fit of rage. “Pick it up for this King!”

He looked terrifying, his deep eyes staring unmovingly at Lianzhi, his body leaning forward like a wolf wanting to bite Lianzhi to death.

Although Lianzhi had grown bolder, he still could not help but tremble under such a gaze. He gritted his teeth and held his ground. “I will not!”

Shiqin Bari’s chest heaved violently, and his eyes grew deeper. He raised his hand, and Lianzhi, thinking he was going to strike, closed his eyes and turned his head. To his surprise, Shiqin Bari did not touch a single finger of his.

The young barbarian simply rubbed Lianzhi’s lips forcefully and spitefully a few times, turning them bright red, before turning away and leaving.

Shiqin Bari stayed away for two or three days. Without him around to say aggravating things, Lianzhi actually felt a bit unaccustomed.

However, during these two days, his health had improved significantly, and he no longer spent all his time on the couch. Lianzhi had planned to go out for some fresh air, but he did not expect a rare guest to visit the Royal Tent: Princess Saren.

Saren was perhaps the only Xia person Lianzhi liked on this grassland. He always remembered how she had pleaded for him in front of Su Rina. His gratitude at the time was genuine.

When Saren saw him, a blush crept onto her cheeks, and she greeted him properly, “Saren pays respects to the Yanzhi.”

They sat on opposite sides of a wooden table. After some initial stiffness, they both relaxed and chatted freely. Saren was cheerful and lovely, and Lianzhi treated her like a younger sister. Mentioning a sister made Lianzhi think of his own biological sister, Huining, who had fled her marriage.

Initially, when he came here to marry in her stead, he had hated Huining. But after arriving on the grassland, he felt fortunate that she had escaped early. Huining was mischievous, but compared to Lianzhi’s brothers, that mischief was nothing.

He wondered how Huining was doing now. Lianzhi had accepted his fate; he still wanted to go home and wanted his cousin to love him, but he knew there was no turning back. After all that had happened, he no longer dreamed of returning home.

It was just a pity that the Xia man was dead and no one could deliver letters for him anymore. Ultimately, even that bit of solace had been stripped away.

Thinking of this, he felt a bit lonely. He suddenly realized he had been silent for a long time. Saren had also stopped talking at some point, her gaze drifting toward the wolf-tooth necklace that Lianzhi had carelessly tossed aside on the table.

“Oh!” Saren said in surprise. “It is the King’s wolf-tooth necklace!”

“The King actually gave this wolf tooth to the Yanzhi. This is his most precious possession; it has not left his side for years.”

She then explained the origin of the tooth to Lianzhi in detail and added solemnly, “We have a custom on the grassland. If a man finds someone he loves, he gives them the first wolf tooth he ever obtained. Only then can the two stay together for a long time.”

Lianzhi had not known there were so many stories behind that ugly tooth, and for a moment, his heart was a whirlwind of emotions. But it was not over; Saren spoke again.

She remarked with deep feeling, “The King is truly devoted to the Yanzhi. He did something major just to get the Princess to yield to you!”

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