Chapter 570
Chapter 570
“Brother, how could you do this?”
Inside the secret chamber, Shen Lang was furious.
“Do you have any idea how much trouble I’m in because you spread the secret that I possess Golden Dragon Blood? Countless people come to see me every day, and now you’ve brought someone else. Isn’t this too much? Yun Mengze, if you keep this up, I’ll sever all ties with you!”
The Imperial Envoy, Yun Mengze, apologized profusely, then pointed at Wang Bi.
“Brother Lang, this is Wang Bi, the heir to the Viscounty of Xirong. He’s in a truly pitiful situation. Besides, we’re kindred spirits, so how could I just ignore him? You have plenty of Golden Dragon Blood, so just share a little with him.”
Shen Lang said angrily, “How can you expect me to just hand out something that’s as precious as my own life? This is dragon blood from ancient times, a treasure that money can’t buy!”
“Can’t you just share a little, just a tiny bit?”
Shen Lang looked extremely troubled.
“You’re Wang Bi?”
“Yes, I am Wang Bi.”
Shen Lang said to him, “Once you take the Golden Dragon Blood, you are certain to pass the military examination and rise meteorically through the ranks. When that time comes, can you stand on Prince Ying Zheng’s side?”
Wang Bi thumped his chest and said, “I will. I definitely will!”
But inwardly, he was sneering at Shen Lang.
*Once I’m powerful, why should I care if you people live or die? You want me to pledge myself to that good-for-nothing Prince Ying Zheng? In your dreams.*
Shen Lang gritted his teeth and, as if carving off a piece of his own flesh, took out a test tube filled with Golden Dragon Blood. It was indeed a dazzling, shimmering golden liquid.
“An hour ago, someone offered me five thousand gold coins for this dragon blood, but I refused. If my brother hadn't brought you here, I would never have given this to you under any circumstances.”
Shen Lang sighed and said.
*Five thousand gold coins? It’s that expensive?*
Upon hearing the amount, Wang Bi was so shocked he nearly wet himself. The Wang family didn't earn that much in a year; there was no way he could afford it. Shen Lang had initially priced the Golden Dragon Blood at three thousand gold coins, but feeling that was too cheap, he had raised the price. The moment Wang Bi heard it, he sensed something was off and thought this was a scheme to extort money from his family.
*You couldn't get five thousand gold coins even if you sold me.*
“You can’t pay? Then leave.”
Shen Lang immediately waved his hand, his expression changing in an instant. Wang Bi quickly said, “I… I can’t put up such a large sum of money until I’m sure it works. What if it’s useless? Besides, I can’t raise that much money, I’d have to… my father…”
Shen Lang poured about a third of the ‘Golden Dragon Blood’ into a new test tube.
“I’ll let you have this for free. If you feel it’s effective, tell your father and raise the money. Then I’ll give you the remaining two-thirds of the Golden Dragon Blood.”
Wang Bi took the test tube containing a third of the Golden Dragon Blood and hesitated for a moment.
*I hope this isn't poisoned.*
In recent years, he had dallied with so many women that his manhood had long since lost its vigor, and he had taken more medicines than he could count. Wang Bi squeezed his eyes shut and drank it all in one gulp. A moment later…
*My god! This is incredible. Absolutely incredible.*
He instantly felt his entire body burn with heat, overflowing with strength. Most importantly, a certain part of his body had become more magnificent than he had ever seen it before, and the tendons and muscles throughout his body were practically vibrating. He noticed a stone weight nearby, marked with the words ‘two hundred jin.’ Normally, he could never lift it with one hand, but now, feeling a power exploding from within, he rushed over and grabbed the stone weight.
“Hah!”
With a loud shout, he lifted it in one go. He had actually lifted the stone weight.
*This is too amazing, too powerful. This must be real Golden Dragon Blood! It’s incredible! Master Shen is truly a god-like man!*
***
The State of Qiang had never had a proper capital city. Aside from the royal palace, there were only a few houses. All the people lived in tents, moving with the water and grass. Now, something that could be called a royal capital had finally emerged, and it was named A’lu City. The city's circumference reached twenty li, and though the walls were not yet fully connected, they looked to be nearing completion. This would likely be the first time in the history of the State of Qiang that it possessed a city wall.
The wall was eight meters high and three meters thick, made of earth on the inside and brick on the outside. Although it couldn't compare to the sturdy fortresses of the eastern dynasties, it was an unprecedented first for the State of Qiang. To build a twenty-li wall, the State of Yue’s Ministry of Works had sent hundreds of technicians, and King A’luna had mobilized fifty thousand people, taking over half a year to complete it.
The city was quite small, only about six square kilometers. The population within the city fluctuated; at its peak, it didn't exceed fifty thousand, and at its lowest, it was less than thirty thousand. It was tradition for the pastoralists of the State of Qiang to live by herding, but the people from Chu and Yue who had been brought to Qiang as slaves were not skilled in herding but in farming. However, the grasslands of Qiang were only suitable for a few types of crops, so the harvests were not substantial, but it was better than nothing.
When the city’s population surpassed thirty thousand, the people began to cultivate the fields around A’lu City. Farming here actually had advantages over farming in Yue or Chu. First, the fields were extremely flat and vast, and one could have as much land as they wanted. In Chu and Yue, arable land was scarce, and dozens of families often shared a single plowing ox. In contrast, in the State of Qiang, one could have as many plowing oxen as they wished.
Eventually, a few thousand people became permanent residents of the royal capital of Qiang. Most of them were engaged in commerce, primarily handicrafts. They would buy wine, tea leaves, porcelain, and lacquerware from the State of Yue to sell in Qiang, and in turn, sell Qiang’s cowhides, dried meat, and cheese in the State of Yue. Like in the present case, for instance. The State of Yue purchased an astronomical amount of dried meat and cheese from Qiang to stockpile as military provisions. Furthermore, Shen Lang established a leather workshop in the Qiang capital dedicated to making shoes. This was not for profit but to equip his army. Of course, most of Yue’s military did not supply shoes as part of their equipment; only Shen Lang’s lavishly supplied troops were issued them.
Though still in its nascent stages, the prosperity of the Qiang royal capital had begun. After a brief period of trial and error, the various nations of the Western Regions continued to trade in the Qiang capital. Previously, the center of trade with the Western Regions had been Zhenyuan City, but now that Zhenyuan City was unusable, the State of Qiang was gradually taking its place. Thanks to the help of the State of Yue, Qiang was able to conduct its first national census. The total population was greater than Shen Lang had expected, at 590,000. Yet, the total area of the State of Qiang was over 200,000 square kilometers; it was truly a land vast in size but sparse in population.
Of the 590,000 people, over 200,000 were young men. In the past, the harsh living conditions in Qiang meant that its people had short lifespans. Excluding women and children, most of the men were young adults. With the help of Shen Lang and the State of Yue, A’luna established the State of Qiang’s first professional army, conscripting 20,000 professional soldiers from across the nation.
These 20,000 soldiers did nothing else and belonged solely to the Queen. Half of this army guarded the fortress at the Snow Mountain Divine Temple, while the other half guarded the Qiang royal capital. In addition, there was a militia of 50,000. The militia engaged in herding and production during normal times but had to participate in military training and received a small, fixed salary each year. When the Queen needed them, the 50,000 militiamen would ride their warhorses to the battlefield at her command.
A’luna initially thought she couldn't afford to support a professional army of 20,000, but it turned out she had more than enough. This was because of the taxes generated from trade. In the State of Qiang, all trade was taxed and paid to the Queen. For example, taxes were levied on transactions involving tea leaves, cheese, cowhides, sheepskins, porcelain, silk, and so on. After several upheavals and internal purges, the Qiang royal family, including palace eunuchs, maids, and officials, numbered no more than a few hundred. While she had to pay salaries to numerous officials like in the State of Yue, she did not need to support a large number of giants. The money that came into her hands was all used to maintain her 20,000-strong army.
Queen A’luna was currently flush with cash, so much so that she didn't even need to use the gold she had scraped from the palace before. Thus, she spent lavishly, purchasing a large quantity of top-grade armor and sabers from Shen Lang to re-equip her 20,000 troops. She also bought a large number of small crossbows for her cavalry to use in close-quarters combat on the battlefield. So, although the King of Qiang’s personal army was smaller than before, its combat effectiveness was far greater.
Recently, Queen A’luna of Qiang had received countless gifts, and the Qiang royal capital had welcomed hundreds of envoys from various nations. The nation that sent the most envoys was, of course, the State of Yue. Hundreds of officials were stationed in the Qiang capital year-round, making it the first country to establish a diplomatic compound in Qiang. In modern terms, it was akin to the State of Yue’s embassy in Qiang. Officials were always present, with a high-ranking fourth-rank official serving as the ambassador.
The State of Chu had repeatedly requested that the Queen grant them a district in the capital to build Chu’s diplomatic compound, but Queen A’luna refused. Currently, delegations from the various nations of the Western Regions, as well as a delegation from the State of Jin, were staying long-term in the Qiang capital. They sensed that a turbulent era was approaching. This feeling might not be as palpable in other countries, but upon entering the Qiang capital, one thing became clear: a great war was imminent. The states of Chu, Yue, Jin, and the various nations of the Western Regions were all vying for the Queen of Qiang’s favor. But why were the nations of the Western Regions also involved?
The Great Calamity Temple had entered the Western Regions, building a massive power base and becoming the faith of those nations. Despite this, they were always looking for a time to return to the eastern world. If the Great Calamity Temple had once tried to return with Su Nan’s help, this time they were relying on the power of the State of Jin. At the Great Calamity Temple’s call, the nations of the Western Regions could assemble a coalition army at any time. However, to attack the State of Yue from the west, they had to pass through the State of Qiang. For this reason, the Great Calamity Temple and the nations of the Western Regions had a single demand for the Queen of Qiang: to grant them military passage rights. In truth, the State of Qiang only needed to let their coalition army pass through its territory. For this, they were willing to pay an astronomical price.
In contrast, the demands of Chu and Jin were simpler. They hoped that the State of Qiang would maintain strict neutrality in the event of a large-scale war in the future. Both the State of Jin and Chu were willing to pay a huge price for this neutrality. Unfortunately, the Qiang capital had very few ministers to begin with, so their opinions had little influence on Queen A’luna.
The envoys from these various nations couldn't even get an audience with the Queen, let alone persuade her. If they couldn't persuade her, they would have to risk assassinating Queen A’luna. But A’luna lived within a sturdy royal palace, surrounded only by her most trusted people. The Qiang warriors guarding the palace numbered in the thousands, and under her command were many masters from the Western Regions and the Shaman Tribe. A’luna herself was a peak martial artist. To assassinate her, a single Great Grandmaster would not be enough. Moreover, Big Dummy would soon arrive with the Sword King Li Qianqiu, making an assassination attempt on A’luna even more impossible.