There was no seal, but she recognized Yun’s handwriting.

The letter explained everything clearly: the aristocratic Zhang clan had fled with their troops in rebellion, sending out three groups of family members beforehand, but half of them had been intercepted by the Wei army. The Wei people had honored their agreement not to support rebellious factions within New Xia, so they arrested these people and were ready to hand them over to New Xia. This was considered a welcoming gift for the Queen because Yun would be coming over soon.

After reading this letter, Fu Lingchuan’s face darkened like water.

With this move, Yun was not only showing goodwill to Changle but also making a show of force on him:

What New Xia couldn’t handle, he could.

“The Zhang clan is no longer a concern. So, there are three families left,” Feng Miaojun said softly. “Only when we reclaim the military power from their hands can we rest easy.”

Fu Lingchuan nodded: “I’ve already gone to mobilize troops. This action will not be kept secret.”

The royal court was preparing to deploy the army to teach the unruly noble families a profound lesson. Fu Lingchuan not only made no effort to conceal this operation but intended to announce it to the world, hoping to intimidate them all at once and save a lot of trouble.

Two days later, dragon and lion dances erupted on the busiest Yuquan Street in Wuser City, with firecrackers sounding for a full hour—Xianmanlou was opening.

This was a restaurant established under Xu Linghai’s name, which had been in preparation for nearly half a year. Most importantly, the Queen of New Xia had invested in it, and Xu Linghai had used this as a selling point, creating quite a stir. Therefore, on opening day, celebrities and dignitaries from New Xia came to offer their support, and Xu Linghai’s face beamed with delight.

Feng Miaojun also left the palace for some fresh air but without much fanfare. She came in casual dress with a veil over her face.

Xu Linghai could recognize her just by looking at those eyes and personally escorted her to the second floor by the window. The best spot had been reserved for her here, with a view overlooking the entire main hall. Looking outside, one could see the snowy landscape above the river, incorporating misty waves and whiteness into one scene—quite artistic.

Fine pearl curtains were lowered outside the elegant seating area, preventing outsiders from seeing the distinguished guest’s appearance.

Xu Linghai respectfully poured her a cup of wine, and then Feng Miaojun sent him away. Today he was the host, and staying by her side would only draw unnecessary attention.

Waves of guests kept arriving, mostly wealthy individuals.

With New Xia establishing its capital in Wuser City, transforming it into a new political and economic center, nobles across the country had to follow the Queen’s footsteps and move east to settle down. In just one short year, Wuser City had gathered numerous celebrities and dignitaries. They engaged in major construction and acquired properties here, with prime real estate in the city tripling in value at a minimum!

The prosperity of the capital was a microcosm of New Xia’s impending revival. At least so far, Feng Miaojun was quite satisfied.

As she listened to the guests in the restaurant engaged in lively discussions, the attendants brought up her dishes. Only the rich and noble could sit in Xianmanlou, and the cuisine here was refined to perfection, though portions were small, just like royal banquets. Each person had their serving, rather than dishes placed in the center for everyone to share. Following custom, each guest was served eight dishes in sequence, plus appetizers at the beginning and desserts at the end, totaling twelve courses. Though each course only had one or two bites, twelve portions were enough to fill one up.

Depending on the price, the content of the dishes could naturally be substituted.

Wuser City no longer lacked good restaurants, but what Xianmanlou aimed to create was a sense of luxury.

When Feng Miaojun came on this visit, Xu Linghai treated it as the owner coming for a tasting and naturally instructed the chef to prepare everything with utmost care. Halfway through her meal, the Queen gave an evaluation of “passable.”

That was already high praise.

Just then, several more people entered Xianmanlou.

They were all dashing young men, with appearances either valiant or elegant, naturally commanding an aura that captured the attention of many guests, especially the female ones. By now Xianmanlou had few empty seats left, and since these people arrived late, they could only make do with a table in the main hall.

As soon as they sat down, they exchanged greetings and jokes with surrounding guests, clearly all sons of prominent families who had encountered more than one acquaintance here.

The reason Feng Miaojun paid attention to them was because she spotted a familiar face among them:

Yu Linlang, who had painted for her, was clearly among them.

Calculating the date, he should submit the painting tomorrow, yet instead of secluding himself to work diligently, he came here to eat, drink, and be merry. Feng Miaojun shook her head: how could such a person deserve the reputation of a talented young gentleman?

While contemplating this, the young men downstairs had already begun chatting.

Over the past year, New Xia has been making many moves both large and small, providing too many topics for discussion. Not just them, but all the distinguished guests in Xianmanlou were discussing politics. With her powerful spiritual perception, Feng Miaojun could hear almost every word without missing anything. At first, she found it interesting, but after listening for more than half an hour, she grew tired. It turned out that celebrities and nobles were no different from peddlers—they also liked to embellish things they hadn’t witnessed personally, each retelling adding more fabrications, moving further and further from the truth.

How many people could truly have profound insights?

At this moment, one of the young men raised an interesting question: “The line from Wuser to Mido City, with seven cities and forty-three counties, has certainly been revitalized, but which region will next become prosperous? My family wants to establish a business there first.”

The trade route he mentioned started from Wuser, passed through New Xia and ended in the Jin Kingdom, spanning the Chikan Plain. This was the route for which Feng Miaojun had issued various tax benefits last year, now known as the “Golden Trade Route” in New Xia. Not only did it involve three countries, but also five or six small nations and powers along the way, with frequent trade and a flourishing atmosphere.

The accumulation of wealth tends to permeate surrounding areas, so this young man’s question was actually about which places would next prosper and develop.

This question had some interest. Feng Miaojun perked up her ears, and found the answer from below even more intriguing:

“I’m optimistic about Lingxiu City.”

“How could it be Lingxiu? It’s quite far from the Golden Trade Route, isn’t it?”

Feng Miaojun, like the other young men, was surprised. Looking down, she saw that the one answering was General Pingye’s son, Zhu Lihe. This young man with handsome features spoke confidently: “At first glance, Lingxiu City’s position seems isolated in the southwest, quite distant from the Golden Trade Route. However, it connects to Lubo City in the north, reaches Puling Kingdom to the southwest, and to the east is the starting point of the Golden Trade Route. Moreover, the terrain is favorable without high mountains or valleys obstructing passage, making it a hub accessible from all directions—its geographical position is excellent.”

The other young men disagreed: “If so, wouldn’t it be better to choose a city adjacent to the Golden Trade Route?”

“That’s certainly good, but the long-term potential is not as great as Lingxiu City.” Zhu Lihe dipped his finger in some wine and began drawing a simplified map on the table. “This is Lubo City, promising in the future.”

Yu Linlang, who had been silent all along, suddenly said: “Lubo City was just the capital of An Xia. Its former glory is no more.” He expressed what most people were thinking.

Whether it was an illusion or not, Feng Miaojun felt as if he had glanced in her direction.

A casual glance, as if just sweeping past with his peripheral vision.