Seeing that the Xuanhua aristocratic family possessed such grand scale, Qing Xia couldn’t help but begin to anticipate the so-called Three Treasures of Haicheng. At this moment, she suddenly heard someone beside her let out a cold snort, the sound quite frigid, carrying faint anger and disdain. Qing Xia raised her head and saw Chu Li in a lake-colored long robe, his black hair gathered behind him, sword-like brows and starry eyes, tall and straight figure, his face showing no joy or anger, but his eyes were pitch black, slightly half-closed as he gazed toward the scene, with faint traces of sharp brilliance flickering.
Qing Xia sighed softly. Setting aside the fact that Dongnan had just fallen as a nation, the Dongqi royal family reduced to ashes, and the Qi army suffering great defeat to Chu. Just speaking of the recent typhoon attacks on multiple coastal counties, with flooded crops and countless displaced and dead civilians. Yet these aristocratic families still indulged in luxury and revelry, using wealth where it shouldn’t be used. The Dongqi royal family had allowed these people to run wild before their eyes for so many years—no wonder they fell so easily. They had uselessly occupied good territory without knowing how to utilize it, ultimately playing games and amusing themselves. How could they not be defeated? Now that these people had become Chu Li’s subjects, their days wouldn’t be easy either. Thinking of this, she couldn’t help but shake her head lightly.
“The night lights are dim, Lord Xia Qing offers three hundred candles to serve as kindling.”
A sudden shout came from the high platform. All the commoners couldn’t help but sneer slightly. Using wax as fuel had been used by Dongqi’s wealthy merchants for many generations—it was neither novel nor particularly costly. Lord Xia Qing was one of Dongnan’s three major financial magnates, yet his gesture this time was rather stingy.
Just then, a chorus of gasps suddenly came from behind them. Qing Xia and Chu Li, squeezed among the crowd, immediately turned around. They saw eight enormous sea turtles slowly crawling forward with great momentum across the vast marketplace. Each turtle carried a man on its back—some old, some young—all wearing identical blue short jackets, apparently beast tamers. The turtle backs carried towering candles, each one as tall as a two-story building, fully seven to eight meters high, with flickering flames and dancing light, creating an impressive sight.
Tonight’s surprises were truly numerous. Looking at those eight giant tortoises, Qing Xia had to admire the extravagance of Dongnan’s coastal aristocratic families. These turtles were already near extinction in modern times. She had once been fortunate enough to see one in a primitive African jungle tribe. This turtle was also called an elephant turtle, and while it shared the same ancestry as elephant turtles from India and other places, it wasn’t the same species. These turtles could indeed live for a thousand years, and the largest ones could be as big as modern trucks. Moreover, they could enter prolonged sleep lasting several years, neither eating nor moving, with intermittent breathing, hearts that could beat or stop, all bodily functions temporarily ceasing, including the spread of disease and aging.
Colonel Huang Minyue of Military Intelligence Division 11 had been her close friend. The two had been classmates in the same class at military academy. Later, Qing Xia was transferred to Action Division 9, and Huang Minyue was recruited by Division 11. Their career paths diverged, but their friendship remained strong. Since both belonged to national secret organizations, Huang Minyue had revealed some things to her.
The news of the African tribe possessing elephant turtles had caused quite a stir among nations back then. On the surface, countries remained quiet, but secretly they sent elite spies and agents, hoping to claim that mysterious giant turtle for themselves. Qing Xia and eight comrades had fought desperately for over three months, ultimately only managing to obtain some hair and excrement from the giant turtle. Though their spoils were so meager, it was enough to make other nations’ agents take notice. To escort this most precious excrement in the world back to their country had truly taken considerable effort. As for how far Division 11’s research into immortality had progressed, she had no way of knowing.
She never expected to see these precious giant turtles again here today—eight of them at once—which truly made Qing Xia, who had once treasured a pile of excrement, feel dizzy. Then, before this excitement had passed, Lord Xia Qing’s three hundred candles were arranged along both sides of the long street. Qing Xia looked over and saw that all three hundred candles were actually wax figures, molded in human form. There were graceful women, handsome and elegant scholars, white-bearded and crane-haired masters, and mischievous laughing children, all dressed in silk and satin, some holding scrolls, some lifting pots to drink, some covering faces with fans, each one lifelike as if real.
The commoners all stared in amazement. Suddenly, with a command from a Xia family servant, servants on both sides of the long street simultaneously set fire to the wax figures. In an instant, sounds of heartache and regret filled the air. The three hundred wax figures all burst into flames with a whoosh, and with eight giant tortoises guarding the center of the square, the long street became even brighter with lights, drawing continuous cheers.
The middle-aged man on the high platform laughed: “Master Zhu has given Lord Xia’s performance a name—’Ten Thousand People Gathering Firewood.'”
Upon hearing this, Qing Xia smiled and curled her lips, looking up at Chu Li: “Ten thousand people gathering firewood makes flames high—they’re selling the court’s reputation.”
Chu Li smiled mysteriously without speaking. At this moment, several men beside them suddenly shouted and pushed against Qing Xia, squeezing forward. Qing Xia was caught off guard and stumbled from their push. Chu Li immediately frowned, quickly catching Qing Xia in his arms and turning to glare angrily. Le Song, Song Yang, and others saw their master being jostled and couldn’t stand it, rushing forward to stand in front of Qing Xia and Chu Li, eyes red with fury, looking ready to fight.
“Young master, I’m terribly sorry. My servants don’t know proper etiquette and have offended you.” A clear, refined voice suddenly rang out. Qing Xia turned to look and saw a man in purple silk robes, quite handsome, but though his mouth spoke apologies, his expression and tone showed no hint of remorse. Chu Li became even angrier upon seeing this, eyes narrowing and brows arching as he moved forward.
Qing Xia grabbed him and turned to say: “No matter, please proceed as you wish, young master.”
The man looked mockingly at Chu Li, then turned and swaggered away with his servants.
Chu Li’s eyes were gloomy, nearly shooting fire, but Qing Xia couldn’t help but find it amusing. She stood on tiptoe and whispered in his ear: “Your Imperial Majesty, you wouldn’t actually fight with these common folk here, would you? I’d be delighted to see it happen. If you get arrested and taken to the Five Cities Military Commission after a fight and your whereabouts are exposed, I wouldn’t have to follow you thousands of miles to suffer in the northern grasslands.”
Chu Li turned his head upon hearing this, arched an eyebrow, and snorted lightly: “Dream on.”
Qing Xia chuckled and snapped open her fan. There happened to be a large tree nearby. The woman in men’s robes leaned against the trunk, fanning herself while smiling: “The merchant’s daughter knows not the sorrow of a fallen nation, still singing songs of flowers across the river. These people have no concept of nation or family, and not one mourns the previous dynasty. You should be happy to see this.”
Chu Li knew she was trying to cheer him up in her own way, and truly felt his anger was rather pointless. He couldn’t help but chuckle softly, turning away without looking at her smirking face.
At this moment, shouts suddenly arose from Taichang Pool. Everyone turned to look and saw hundreds of boatmen on shore shouting in unison, forcibly pulling a sea vessel over twenty zhang long through the small Taichang Pool. At the bow stood a woman in red martial attire, head held high with fierce bearing and frosty eyes, truly beautiful and charming yet containing sharp edges. The nearby commoners immediately shouted: “It’s Red Lady Liu Meishuang, Silver Treasure has arrived!”
Taichang Pool was separated from the nearest seaport by only Canglang Mountain. The water was shallow and scarce—fine for mooring pleasure boats, but suddenly bringing in such a large ship was extremely difficult. If not for those men desperately pulling, this large vessel would surely sink. However, at this moment, all the boat pullers suddenly released their ropes simultaneously. With a thunderous crash, all the lake water surged up, roaring like ten thousand galloping horses, raising enormous white waves. People on both shores cried out in alarm, fearing the lake water would overflow and flood the houses on both banks. Qing Xia’s sharp eyes caught sight of rocks flying through the air from Canglang Mountain’s direction, with thunderous rumbling as if something had exploded. The overflowing lake water suddenly seemed to find direction and rushed away en masse.
Qing Xia was greatly startled but delighted in her heart. While the surrounding commoners who didn’t understand the situation were all on edge and confused, she smiled and said to Chu Li: “This Red Lady knows how to conduct business. She’s opened a passage through the bottom of Canglang Mountain. From now on, Taichang Pool will be another ship harbor, and with Canglang Mountain’s water gate, they’ll never fear the violent typhoons outside.”
Upon hearing this, Chu Li frowned slightly. Opening Canglang Mountain was such a massive undertaking, yet the Black Guards hadn’t received the slightest intelligence. This showed that Southern Chu’s soldiers still hadn’t established firm roots in the southeastern coast and had insufficient control over these powerful families.
Two of the Three Treasures of Haicheng had appeared; the next to appear would be that imperial steward Jin Shaohuang, Young Master Jin. Qing Xia looked around but heard no movement at all, frowning deeply, wondering what other tricks were in store.
At this moment, a familiar hearty laugh suddenly rang out. Qing Xia raised her head and saw Dongfang Li in official robes standing on the high platform, with white beard and hair and dignified bearing, saying with a smile: “Young Master Jin presents his treasure here this year, but what exactly this performance will be, even this official doesn’t know. We must ask Young Master Jin himself to solve the mystery.”
As soon as he finished speaking, ethereal and clear flute music immediately began, flowing like early spring March willow threads brushing across green lake water. Though only sound, it had a refreshing quality that moistened the heart and lungs. Qing Xia turned to look and saw a blue painted boat slowly approaching across distant Taichang Lake. On the boat stood two young attendants, one playing flute, one strumming qin, their robes fluttering as they stood against the wind, appearing as ethereal as banished immortals. At the boat’s stern were four boatwomen in blue, all only sixteen or seventeen years old, with arched brows and bright eyes, pink faces like peach blossoms, feet white as snow, pale hands holding poles as they gradually approached the shore.