The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure-Chapter 1702 - 1696: Queen Ah Lan

Watching that man walk into the distance, Song Chongjin lowered his head and looked at his palm. A small gold medallion, with script from the grasslands on it, twisted and turning like earthworms.

Since arriving in Chicheng County, Song Chongjin had been planning for it and had been learning the script of the grasslands.

He was naturally smart, so learning this wasn’t too difficult, and he easily recognized the words on the gold medallion, Queen Ah Lan.

Song Chongjin knew the customs of the grasslands, where the King of the Grasslands could marry several queens, but the most prestigious was Queen Ah Lan, equivalent to the Empress of the Great Chu, the King’s lawful wife.

Other queens, though queens as well, did not have the title of Ah Lan and were akin to the noble concubines in the Great Chu, named the Second Queen, Third Queen, etc., based on favor or noble bloodline.

If what that man said was true, Qi Le was indeed a formidable woman, with a bloodline from the Great Chu, yet she became the lawful wife of the King of the Grasslands.

It seemed as Wang Yongzhu and he had predicted, Qi Le should have long realized his identity, knowing that he was responsible for this negotiation, and couldn’t resist sending someone for contact.

But what exactly gave Qi Le the courage to think that just sending someone with a token would ensure he would deliver himself?

Song Chongjin sneered and put away the token, continuing to gaze at the rocks as if nothing had happened.

The sun climbed higher, with no one around for a hundred miles, and no shelter either; the sun made faces and bodies glisten with oil.

Even the hardest man couldn’t withstand the scorching sun; after exchanging glances, feeling that no meaningful discussion would happen today, they simply bid farewell to each other.

Grasslands encampment.

The man named Batu returned to his tent and, without changing his clothes, wrote a letter, then slipped to the back of the tent, walked far away, and let out a whistle, bringing forth a Haidong Qing that landed on his shoulder from the sky.

Batu fed the Haidong Qing a piece of meat, patted its head, tied the letter to its ankle, and then swung his arm. The Haidong Qing took flight, soaring straight into the sky and soon disappearing.

After Batu returned, he met Wu En and Bayin.

Both their attitudes switched from drunken debauchery in front of the Great Chu officials to respectfully saluting Batu, gingerly asking, "Lord Batu, how did we perform today? Should we continue like this tomorrow?"

Batu looked at them arrogantly. "You performed well enough! I will report to Queen Ah Lan! As long as you serve our queen wholeheartedly, don’t worry, wealth is guaranteed for you! Tomorrow, follow the original plan, await the queen’s instructions!"

Wu En and Bayin nodded quickly, "Rest assured, my lord! We will dedicate ourselves to serving the queen! We ask my lord to speak favorably of us before the queen!"

Batu snorted coldly, nodded, and left.

Once Batu had gone far, Wu En and Bayin exchanged a glance.

Bayin spat disdainfully, "Just a dog by the queen’s side, acting all high and mighty in front of us?"

Wu En, being more cautious, looked around before speaking, "There’s no choice, he’s a close aide to the queen. We have no option but to comply. Don’t worry, once we complete the duty assigned by the queen, we won’t have to play the servant to this dog anymore!"

He spoke, with a look of longing and eagerness appearing on his face.

Bayin came to his senses, sighed deeply, "Ah, we were born too late, didn’t catch the right time! Had we been born ten or twenty years earlier, we could have served by the queen’s side continuously! Those old fools benefited, being by the queen’s side for so many years, occupying positions without doing anything, do they think they can still protect the queen being so old?"

Wu En, similarly feeling resentful, said, "Fortunately, now the queen desires to promote young people like us, giving us opportunities! Otherwise, we could only watch the queen from afar before. No chance to serve her up close! So this time, we mustn’t mess up, knowing many are waiting for us to err so they can step over us!"

Bayin couldn’t help but ask, "Why does the queen suddenly want negotiations to open trade routes with the Great Chu? Those bastards from Great Chu once persecuted the queen’s family till ruin, they are mortal enemies!"

Wu En was also clueless, scratching his head, "Who knows! But I’m sure the queen always has her reasons! Besides, opening trade routes benefits us too, the queen has always been broad-minded and farsighted, letting go of deep-seated hatred for the sake of the grasslands is entirely possible!"

The two whispered some more, ultimately concluding that regardless of Queen Ah Lan’s intentions, they would devote their hearts and lives to her. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

Grasslands Royal Capital.

The very center of the capital is a stretch of splendid palaces, perhaps not as grand as the Imperial Palace of the Great Chu.

Yet still quite remarkable.

Massive green stones form high outer walls, red tiles, silently towering at the heart of the royal capital. The further you go, the more magnificent it becomes.

Palaces built with stones, tall and spacious, paved with marble.

At the core of this palatial complex, there’s a distinct palace.

This palace, entirely built of massive white stones, features an arched roof, with its outer walls coated in various vivid colors.

Upon entering the palace, a crystal-clear pool appears, steaming all year round—a hot spring.

The palace is filled with various exotic flowers and grasses, along with towering trees.

From the steps, soft carpets are laid out, extending into the palace.

Before the throne at the innermost part of the palace, the floor is covered with tiger and bear skins, animal hides hang on the walls, alongside jewel-encrusted bows and treasured sabers.

The furnishings within the room are lavish, even the drinking cups are crafted from gold, adorned with various gemstones.

From the sky comes a Haidong Qing’s long call, prompting a slender, elegantly clad woman, with her hair adorned with jewels, gems, and ribbons, to step out, skillfully whistling.

The Haidong Qing, at last, descends, landing on the woman’s arm.

The woman removes the letter from the Haidong Qing’s ankle, retrieves jerky from her pouch to feed it, then instructs, "Take Qingnu down and see to its care—"

A guard swiftly emerges from the shadows, humbly catching the Haidong Qing and withdrawing.

The woman holding the letter quickly returns inside, respectfully addressing a woman on the high seat, "Mistress, news from Batu has arrived—"

The woman was originally bent over doing something. Upon hearing the report, she raised her head, revealing an exquisitely beautiful face.