Chapter 571
Chapter 571
Queen Aronana of the Qiang Kingdom sat on her throne, holding her greatly swollen belly, her brows furrowed. From her own perspective, she would have unhesitatingly led her troops to support the State of Yue, wanting the Qiang and Yue kingdoms to march into war side by side. But she could no longer act as an individual. As the queen, she had to lead the Qiang Kingdom, which meant she had to consider the interests of her people first. Of course, the most crucial reason was that she was about to give birth. After having the child, she would need a period of recovery, making it impossible for her to lead troops into battle.
However, over the past year, the State of Yue had given so much to the Qiang Kingdom that Queen Aronana felt indebted. It felt deeply unjust for the Qiang Kingdom not to step up and help the State of Yue when a great war broke out. Yet, until now, the State of Yue had made no demands. They hadn't asked the Qiang Kingdom for troops or warhorses. Instead, they placed orders with the Qiang Kingdom to purchase large quantities of military provisions, paying immediately rather than taking them on credit.
Amidst this, a letter arrived from Shen Lang. He straightforwardly urged Aronana not to dispatch her troops.
"While the State of Yue is at war with the Chum army, please have the Qiang Kingdom maintain strict neutrality. The Qiang Kingdom simply not becoming an enemy of the State of Yue, given its position, is the greatest help you can provide. The southern part of Tianxi Province is inherently Yue's most vulnerable region. If not for the Qiang Kingdom, Yue would have had to station at least eighty thousand troops in Baiye Commandery to fend off the enemy, and even eighty thousand might not have been enough. Therefore, even if the Qiang Kingdom maintains strict neutrality on the surface, you will in fact be blocking the various Western Regions nations and the Great Calamity Temple for Yue, preventing the State of Chu and the Chum army from attacking Yue from that direction. That alone is a great help.
Furthermore, if the Qiang Kingdom does not dispatch troops now, you can keep at least a hundred thousand enemy soldiers in check. But if the Qiang Kingdom dispatches troops now, the State of Chu, the Sand Trolls, and the Great Calamity Temple will unite and besiege you with their full strength. In that case, the western region of Yue would also be endangered. So, for now at least, it is more advantageous for the overall war effort for the Qiang Kingdom not to dispatch troops.
Does this mean the Qiang Kingdom should never dispatch troops? No. When the war enters its later stages, a sudden cavalry strike from the Qiang Kingdom could have a major impact on the entire conflict. Until then, Your Majesty Queen Aronana of the Qiang Kingdom, you must ensure your own safety and preserve your army well. If necessary, you can summon the armies of the various tribes to conduct military exercises around the capital in rotation. This will prevent the individual Qiang tribes from being defeated one by one by the enemy."
Shen Lang had written this after a detailed analysis of the situation with Ning Yuanxian. The King of Yue, Ning Yuanxian, also agreed with Shen Lang's assessment, which was why the State of Yue had still not made any demands of the Qiang Kingdom. As soon as she read Shen Lang's secret letter, Queen Aronana's thoughts became crystal clear, and her anxiety vanished. Only after ascending the throne did Aronana realize what a truly remarkable person Shen Lang was. Because he had already considered everything she was thinking about, and even foresaw things she hadn't. He never made unreasonable demands of his sworn allies.
"Bring in the envoys from the State of Chu and the Chum army."
Queen Aronana of the Qiang Kingdom began to speak, then quickly frowned slightly and said.
"No, never mind! Let's talk tomorrow. I think the baby is coming!"
Her stomach had started to hurt a moment ago, but she hadn't paid it any mind. But now her pants were completely soaked; childbirth was clearly imminent. Hearing this, Big Dummy shot to his feet and moved to carry his bride.
"Move..."
Aronana pushed him away with her hand and stood up. Indeed, her water had broken, and it flowed down her legs, soaking the floor where she stood. Spreading her legs slightly, Aronana walked toward the delivery room.
"Get ready. I think I'm giving birth."
Big Dummy tried to follow, but she pushed him back, preventing him from entering. A dozen female physicians and a dozen midwives rushed into the room. It was as if an army had finally received its orders to assemble. Because they had come to the Qiang Kingdom and waited a very long time for this very day.
"Your Majesty, please lie down."
"No. We Qiang women all give birth standing up."
"Your Majesty, would you like to scream a few times?"
When women in the State of Yue gave birth, they screamed desperately because the pain was unbearable. But Aronana didn't even cry out, which seemed strange to the female physicians and midwives from Yue.
"How embarrassing would it be to scream from this much pain?"
"Your Majesty, please don't take off all your clothes. It's very cold."
"Isn't it easier to give birth naked? And my royal robes won't get dirty."
Soon, Queen Aronana of the Qiang Kingdom was pacing back and forth in the delivery room, not screaming, not calling for anyone. Then, suddenly, she bent her waist slightly and squatted down.
"Hah!"
The Qiang queen shouted loudly, then suddenly stomped her foot once, and the baby was born.
"Waaah!"
Hearing the baby's cry, all the midwives and female physicians were utterly astonished.
'Her Majesty is truly incredible. A true heroine, the greatest in the world. To give birth for the first time with such vigor!'
"Congratulations, Your Majesty. It's a prince."
"My! Twelve and a half catties (6.25 kg)! I've never seen such a robust baby in my life. He is truly a prince worthy of being born to Your Majesty."
"Wow! Our future King of Qiang is so handsome!"
Aronana let the female physicians clean her body, and after the baby was cleaned as well, she immediately held him to her breast. She had thought the midwives' words were mere pleasantries, but looking at the baby, he was indeed very handsome and resembled his mother more. Moreover, he opened his eyes wide right after birth and flailed his arms and legs, showing incredible strength. He was completely different from other babies.
"The princess who becomes this prince's partner in the future will be very fortunate. I've delivered many babies, but I've never seen one so big and strong."
Several wet nurses came forward and said.
"Your Majesty, your milk hasn't come in yet. How about we feed him first? It will take a few days of the prince suckling for your milk to come."
Aronana nodded, immediately got dressed, and walked out.
"Your Majesty, what are you doing now?"
"Attending to official business and receiving the envoys?"
Aronana answered the female physician's question nonchalantly, but her reply left the physicians and midwives completely dumbfounded.
'Most women can barely stand after giving birth, yet you're not only walking vigorously but are even going to receive envoys.'
The female physician said to her.
"Your Majesty, you need to rest and recover after childbirth."
"Women from Yue may need to recover, but we Qiang women don't. Our women go out to pasture their herds three days after giving birth."
"Then at least wait until tomorrow. How about resting for just one day?"
Then, the midwives, female physicians, and wet nurses gasped in astonishment once again. Because the baby ate so voraciously that he drained the breasts of three wet nurses completely. Only after eating that much was the baby finally full. He burped, closed his eyes, and fell asleep.
"Your Majesty, I believe you should give the prince a name."
At the female physician's words, Aronana thought for a moment and said.
"His father is called Dazhuang, so this child shall be named A'luzhuang!"
Huh? Ugh! Such a carelessly chosen name? This baby was the future King of Qiang, yet his name sounded like a peasant's.
"This name sounds quite good. We'll go with that."
Hmph! Well, at least she didn't call him A'lusha. Considering his father was Big Dummy, that name would have been far too fitting. At that moment, Big Dummy was outside, staring blankly, his face and ears beet red, completely flustered and at a loss.
'I... I'm a father? It all happened so suddenly. I thought I'd never get a wife in my entire life, but somehow I got one, and now I even have a child?'
***
The Capital, inside the Marquis of Changping's estate.
No words could describe the shock Wang Bi was feeling. The heir to the Viscount of Xirong's estate had originally not dared to hold any hope. Especially after meeting Shen Lang, he instinctively thought he had met a swindler. He believed that even if Shen Lang was talented enough to truly possess dragon's blood, he would never give it to him. But unexpectedly, the potion he drank actually worked, and the effects were immediate.
Just a few years ago, he could lift a two-hundred-catty stone lock. But in recent years, his body had been completely ruined by a debauched life of wine and women, to the point where he could no longer lift even a hundred catties. As a result, he had been eliminated in the very first round of the recent imperial military examination.
'I've only had a third of the dragon's blood and it's already this effective. What will happen if I drink the whole thing? Won't I, Wang Bi, become incredibly powerful and pass the next military exam with ease?'
As soon as the thought crossed his mind, Wang Bi bowed to Shen Lang and said.
"Young Master Shen, you are truly a divine being, a true man of miracles!"
"I must make this clear. This dragon's blood works differently for different people. Some will see an effect, while others won't. If it has no effect, don't waste your money. I won't charge you for the one-third portion of dragon's blood I gave you. You may go now."
Wang Bi exclaimed in a trembling voice.
"It works! It works! The effect is miraculous! I feel like my strength has doubled."
In reality, that wasn't quite the case. While the potion was certainly effective, its effects weren't as dramatic as Wang Bi claimed. Wang Bi had once been quite skilled in martial arts, but his body had deteriorated in recent years due to his debauchery. However, the foundation of his bloodline still existed, so the effects of this "Golden Dragon's Blood" were particularly pronounced.
"Very well, then. I will wait four hours for you. If you don't want it, I'll give it to someone else."
Wang Bi knelt and said.
"Please, don't! Benefactor Shen, I must buy this dragon's blood. Please, don't sell it to anyone else. This is my life. My entire future of wealth and glory depends on this. I'll go home right now and ask for the money. If my father refuses, I'll kill myself. I'll die right in front of him!"
And with that, Wang Bi ran off like an arrow.
'Running like this is one thing, but there's something even more amazing, isn't there?'
Wang Bi felt his running speed had increased dramatically, as if wind was sprouting from the tips of his toes. Not only that, but whereas before he would be panting after running just a short distance, this time he ran two *li* in one breath without his breathing becoming ragged or unstable. It was so incredible, so miraculous. And so, Wang Bi ran all the way back to his home in the capital.