Chapter237

While thinking about the development of Plumera's commerce abroad, Elara didn't delay as she walked along the street, buying all kinds of interesting goods.

She hung delicate little ornaments that matched their personalities on Uno, Emory, and Mr. Gong.

When she saw that the store selling animal hides already had gloves made from bear, tiger, and wolf pelts, Elara bought a pair for herself and Uno and Mr. Gong.

She spent extra time picking out Uno's gloves.

Uno often held swords and daggers, his palms wide and fingers long.

So Elara chose a pair of wolfskin gloves for him that were thin, elastic, durable, and well-made.

She held Uno's hand and personally helped him try them on for quite a while, making sure the gloves fit each curve of his fingers perfectly, didn't interfere with his movements, and could protect his hands. Only then did Elara feel satisfied enough to pay.

Among the three pairs, Uno's gloves were the most expensive because of their fine craftsmanship and top-quality materials.

For Mr. Gong, Elara chose a pair of warm gloves and hung them around his neck.

At the time, he was frowning and seriously taking notes on the various animal skin products in the store. He didn't even notice Elara putting the gloves on him, his eyes focused entirely on the prices and features of the merchandise.

Emory, however, looked at the gloves Elara handed him, hesitated for a moment, and shook his head to refuse.

His purpose for this trip was different from Elara and the others. He wasn't here for fun, but to leave this place and return to his homeland.

Although he and Elara had once shared a complicated connection, that had already ended. He didn't think he should accept gifts from Elara anymore.

The small trinkets from before were fine, something to remember her by, but accepting gloves would be too much.

Elara didn't insist. After putting the gloves back, she thought for a moment, then picked out one pair that was thin and durable, a few that were warm and practical, and some others that were tough and long-lasting, and paid for them all together.

The thin pair was meant for Oswyn, who spent his days working with potions. His hands were always soaked in medicinal liquids, so wearing gloves should help.

The warm ones were for Mathias, Scholar Fu, and Kristof.

The tough and durable ones were for General Qi, Francis, and Damon.

By the time they finally returned to the inn, Elara's hands were full of large and small bags. Behind her, Uno, Emory, and even Mr. Gong were all covered with bags.

Mr. Gong had already filled his third notebook... Only then did Elara realize how many notebooks he had hidden on him. There was even a spare box in one of the caravan's carriages filled with extra notebooks.

The notes in those books didn't only include various merchandise, but also the business model of Zhaiyun Pavilion and key information about major clients from different countries, like family names, locations, supply and demand.

Mr. Gong had carefully written down every detail.

Elara felt more and more pleased the longer she looked at his notebooks.

Having someone skilled in commerce around was incredibly helpful. It saved her a lot of trouble.

But while their commercial gains were plenty, there was barely any new information about Leif and Sargassum's court.

The only thing she could confirm was this: people in that country seemed to have a deep, unspoken hatred toward Leif, the heir of a different surname.

While walking through the northern district today, Elara not only saw Sargassum's royal city, but also Leif's residence.

His residence was in a very remote area, not very large, and its outer walls looked plain, which didn't match his identity as the business leader behind Zhaiyun Pavilion.

Elara stood on the roadside watching for a while. When she saw a cleaning servant walk out the gate, she went up to ask some questions.

The young servant from Leif's household was very calm, showing no disdain or annoyance toward the unfamiliar foreigners.

He patiently answered Elara's questions, saying that Leif hadn't been home recently. He didn't know the exact schedule, and advised her to come back in ten days if she wanted to find him.

Elara didn't expect to find Leif so easily, especially since he was caught between two nations.

After asking a few more questions related to Leif, Elara paused for two seconds in thought. Then she lifted her sleeve and took off the gold and jade wrist arrow she had been wearing, and handed it to the young servant.

"Take this item. When Leif returns, give it to him. I will personally send him the instructions. Just tell him that Bai San has arrived in Sargassum. Let Leif feel at ease and take care of himself."

The young attendant, who had been calm all along, stared at the hidden dart bracelet that looked like an ordinary gold and jade bracelet but faintly gave off a cold, sharp light. He paused for two seconds, then put down the cleaning tools and took it with both hands.

He looked at Elara deeply and bowed to her.

"Yes, please rest assured. I have noted it."

Because time was limited, Elara's first stop on this trip was the capital of Sargassum. She did not stay long there.

After spending a night at a large inn, the next day Elara and Mr. Gong wandered around Sargassum's capital for half a day. They finished recording all the needed product information and completed their purchases. Once they confirmed there was no more information to find, they set off directly toward the more eastern Magnolia Kingdom.

Between Sargassum and Magnolia, there was a third-rate small country similar to Chrysanthemum Kingdom, called Guodun.

Guodun and Chrysanthemum were like two symmetrical countries on either side of Sargassum. Their local specialties were basically similar, and even the terrain features matched. The side near Sargassum had large areas of saline-alkali land, while the side farther from Sargassum was covered with dense forests.

Guodun was also part of the Zhaiyun Pavilion business circle. Elara had already seen Guodun's specialty products in the Zhaiyun Pavilion market of Sargassum's capital.

So after entering Guodun's territory, they saw no new interesting products and did not linger. After resting one night in an eastern county near the Magnolia border, they continued east.

By around ten in the morning the next day, the western checkpoint city of Magnolia finally appeared at the edge of Elara's vision.

It was an obviously very old city. The walls were high, thick, and solid, as if they had stood here for hundreds of years.

Magnolia had sent soldiers to welcome Elara's group, lined up neatly below the city gate.

Seeing the well-ordered troops in the distance, Elara let out a small breath.

Since she left Plumera's eastern border eight days ago, this journey had finally reached its first destination.

Magnolia Kingdom, they had arrived.

The general sent to welcome Elara was Magnolia's National Guard General, a man named Jiu Yin. His rank was equivalent to General Francis of Plumera.

Jiu Yin looked very young, around the same age as General Francis. His features were sharp and deep, with a broad and tall build. His long legs were on either side of a powerful steed. He wore handsome armor, exuding a heroic aura.

"I am Jiu Yin, respectfully welcoming Her Majesty the Empress."

Seeing Elara's group approach, Jiu Yin dismounted and bowed with half a kneel, leading the entire army behind him.

Up close, Elara noticed that this General Jiu Yin was not only young and handsome but also had rare deep red hair.

His long, crimson hair was tied high in a ponytail, secured with a jade crown at the back of his head. Paired with the long spear behind him, he looked even more valiant and majestic.

Elara got off her carriage and approached the welcoming troops led by Jiu Yin, offering a slight hand gesture.

"No need for formalities. Thank you for waiting, General Jiu Yin."

Jiu Yin stood and looked into Elara's eyes. His narrow pupils also had a faint dark red tint.

"We are here by order of the Crown Prince to wait for Your Majesty. It is my duty. You flatter me, Majesty."

Jiu Yin appeared to have some foreign Western bloodline. Elara was unsure if Western religious forces existed in this world, but from Jiu Yin's mixed features, there should be Western people here.

As a National Guard General, Jiu Yin was much more proactive than General Francis.

After receiving Elara, Jiu Yin immediately ordered his elite guards to flank her caravan on both sides for protection as they entered the city.

Along the way, Jiu Yin rode behind Elara's carriage by half a horse length, escorting them toward Magnolia's capital. He actively spoke about many internal and external matters of Magnolia Kingdom. Whenever Elara asked questions, he answered thoroughly.

"The Crown Prince wanted to welcome Your Majesty in person, but some affairs in court happened yesterday. The Crown Prince went to discuss with Duke Yan and then sent me to respectfully welcome Your Majesty."

"However, all matters related to you inside Magnolia's capital have been arranged by the Crown Prince. After arriving at the capital, you may go directly to the Tianqi Hall to rest and recover. Once the Crown Prince finishes the discussion with Duke Yan, he will come to see you immediately."

Except for Plumera, which Elara had transformed, most countries in this world had a similar feudal system, with officials divided into ranks like the Three Dukes and Six Ministers.

The Duke of Yan that Guiyin mentioned held a position similar to that of Lord Gregory from Plumera in the past.

Elara nodded and listened as Guiyin continued to talk more about what was happening inside the country of Dahlia.

The border checkpoint where Guiyin welcomed Elara was called Chixuan Pass.

Chixuan Pass was located at the westernmost border of the large western region in Dahlia, known as the Chiheng Region.

Chiheng Region was huge, its width as long as the Magnolia Kingdom Elara had crossed through.

Heading further east from Chiheng Region would lead to the heart of Dahlia and its capital, located in the city region called Chichi.

Guiyin, after picking up Elara, immediately took the fastest official route, riding strong warhorses, but by the time they arrived in Chichi, it was already evening.

Before entering Chichi, Guiyin stopped to change his clothes, transforming from a powerful and impressive Great General of the Nation into a simple merchant.

Elara raised her eyebrows slightly as she watched his transformation.

The soldiers behind him who had been carrying weapons also all changed into ordinary merchant escorts. Once they stood together with Elara's trading group, they blended in perfectly, impossible to tell apart.

Seeing Elara's slightly raised eyebrow, Guiyin bowed and explained, "Your Highness, I guessed you would enter under the identity of a merchant, and since your visit to Dahlia is secret, we must not reveal your identity, so we naturally had to match your disguise."

Elara believed only half of what he said.

There were many ways to hide her identity. Why go to the trouble of having Guiyin and his men disguise themselves too?

Unless... the fact that Guiyin had come to Chixuan Pass to receive her was something he—or perhaps Dahlia's royal court—also wanted to keep hidden.

Even inside their own country, they were keeping secrets?

Elara could only guess that there might be a faction within Dahlia currently in opposition to Dahlia's ruler behind the scenes.

To hide from this faction, Dahlia's ruler had no choice but to take such measures.

The things Guiyin had just said about the matters tying up the royal court might be related to this very faction.

After Leif, it seemed that the situation inside Dahlia under its ruler was not what Elara had originally expected.

Elara nodded to Guiyin and didn't ask further, but her impression of Dahlia's ruler coming to welcome her in the capital had already begun to shift.

And just as Elara expected.

After entering Chichi, Guiyin did not continue toward the Dahlia capital. Instead, treating her as a merchant guest, he took her to a large inn in the nearest town.

That evening, just after Elara finished the local specialty food that Guiyin had recommended to her, there was a knock on her room door at the inn.

Elara got up to open it and saw Dahlia's ruler, whom she hadn't seen in a long time, standing at the doorway. He was wearing the same green robe from when they first met in Marigold City, his handsome features smiling, holding a folding fan in his hand, looking calm and relaxed.

"It's been a while, Your Majesty. You've become even more beautiful."

Elara: "...."

For a second, Elara almost forgot that the face she had now was altered by Emory to look more plain.

Yet Dahlia's ruler could still say she had become more beautiful the moment he saw her. His personality truly hadn't changed.

Elara stepped aside to let him in.

"Just call me Bai San, Crown Prince."

"All right," Dahlia's ruler said, waving his fan and stepping into the room smoothly. "Then Your Majesty can call me Liu Si."

Elara: "...Okay."

Dahlia's ruler glanced around Elara's room, then sat naturally at the small tea table in the center. He poured two cups of tea and handed one to Elara with a smile:

"Apologies. Some rats have appeared in the royal court lately. In order to draw out the rest from their nest, we had to trouble Bai San to meet here."

With that, he put down his tea and reached into his robe, pulling out an exquisite box carved from golden nanmu wood.

When he opened the box, a finely crafted purple jade bracelet was revealed inside.

The bracelet was flawless, with a brilliant purple shine. It looked elegant and beautiful—clearly made from the highest grade of glass-type purple jade, often called the king of jade.

"As an apology gift, and also to make up for not being able to visit Plumera City to offer congratulations last time, please try this bracelet first, Bai San. If you don't like it, I'll carve another one in a different style."

He pushed the box with the purple bracelet toward Elara.

Elara was a little surprised. It wasn't because Dahlia Yu gave her something so expensive. After all, both of them had high status, and their gifts were never ordinary. Elara had seen many top-tier jewels in her past life.

What surprised her was the craftsmanship of the bracelet. In this era, it was stunningly advanced, almost no different from modern techniques. A vivid phoenix was carved into the bracelet, showing how skilled and meticulous the artisan was.

Elara felt her desire to poach talent starting to stir. She wondered how many such skilled craftsmen worked under Dahlia Yu and if she could manage to win one over.

"Which master crafted this bracelet? The skill is exceptional."

Dahlia Yu suddenly laughed. He opened his folding fan to cover the lower half of his face, his curved eyes looking straight at Elara, clearly seeing through her intentions.

"Does White Three want to steal this extraordinary master away from me?"

Elara picked up the purple jade bracelet and studied it closely, not even trying to hide her interest. "Yes. I haven't come across a craftsman this skilled before."

With this level of craftsmanship, if she could bring the artisan over, Elara could immediately have the Commerce Department build a high-end jade brand around him. Selling to upper-class elites across countries would surely bring in huge profits.

Dahlia Yu laughed again, as if what Elara said made him genuinely happy.

Elara looked at him, confused about his reaction, unsure if he would let her poach the artisan. Then he said,

"The master himself would love to be recruited by you. Unfortunately, he's tied up with official duties all day. Though he's willing, he has no time. It's truly a pity. He can only disappoint White Three's appreciation and kindness."

Elara

She stared at Dahlia Yu's smiling eyes in silence for a second. "You carved this bracelet?"

"Haha, yes, it was me. I'm honored that White Three values my work so much. It makes me very happy."

Dahlia Yu looked at Elara as he laughed, even winking at her. He looked nothing like the ruthless and decisive crown prince of Dahlia that the rumors described.

Elara She truly didn't expect that Dahlia Yu, a genius in governance, was also a jade carving expert.

Too bad, since it was him, Elara couldn't try to steal him away.

With no jade master to recruit, Elara sat down a bit disappointed. She took out the purple jade bracelet and thanked Dahlia Yu, "Thank you. Since this was carved by His Highness personally, I really like it."

"My honor" Dahlia Yu took a sip of tea from the table and asked about Elara's journey.

Elara also lifted her teacup and took a sip, then briefly explained what she'd seen along the way

"I crossed four kingdoms, so I got to experience various customs and cultures. But while I was in Sargassum, I heard things about Leif, things that were very different from what I imagined."

The smile on Dahlia Yu's face faded a little. His pale fingers tapped the edge of his teacup twice, and his voice became softer.

"You mean about Leif's background, right. Well, among the high-ranking nobles in Sargassum, it's actually something of an open secret."

"Leif's father was part of Sargassum's royal bloodline. But when Leif was born, his father was still a slave. Leif himself had a slave mark from birth."