amaotonovel Chapter 1292 The King's Woman
Chapter 1292 The King's Woman
Scarface said earnestly and with conviction, "Let's go embrace our new life..."
Wang Shui nodded excitedly...
Meanwhile, Xiao Ce and Yin Pan'er, along with Little Mudskipper, left directly from the Dragon Guard Ghost City.
The little mudfish said to Xiao Ce, "Your Highness, when we go back again, will it be a brand new Dragon Guardian Ghost City?"
Xiao Ce smiled at the little mudskipper, then shook his head and said, "It's not that bad... but appearances will change..."
After the three left, Xiao Ce drove directly to a train station outside Kyoto.
The little loaches were very curious after seeing the car...
"This is the legendary car... I've heard about it before... Can I really get in and sit in it?"
Xiao Ce smiled when he saw the little mudfish's innocent face.
"Then what if you don't go?"
Little Mudskipper looked at Xiao Ce earnestly and said, "Your Highness, generally speaking, servants just follow the cars..."
When Xiao Ce heard what the little mudskipper said, and looked at its expression, it didn't seem like it was joking...
He seemed very serious...
"Follow along?"
Little Mudskipper nodded, then said that he had seen wealthy people in Dragon City riding in carriages, with their servants running alongside them...
Yin Pan'er said, "Didn't Your Highness say that everyone should be equal? How can something like this still happen?"
After hearing Yin Pan'er's words, Xiao Ce smiled and then said, "There's really no way around it... equality for all is relative..."
After hearing Xiao Ce's words, Yin Pan'er seemed to understand something, then nodded heavily...
Just then, Xiao Ce said to the little mudskipper, "So, do you want to run with me? Or sit in the carriage...?"
The little mudskipper's eyes darted around, then it said to Xiao Ce, "Your Highness, I still want to sit in the carriage..."
Xiao Ce smiled and said to the little mudskipper, "Then what are you waiting for? Get in the car..."
This car is already a marvel by today's standards.
However, for Xiao Ce...
This thing is really hard to open...
However, for the little loach, this thing is already quite amazing.
A short while later, we arrived at the steam train station.
The enormous steam locomotive, like a steel behemoth, lay silently on the tracks, its chimney occasionally emitting wisps of grayish-white steam and a deep, powerful whine...
The platform was bustling with people, and porters carrying large and small packages moved back and forth. The sounds of steam valves venting and metal objects clanging together created a symphony of the industrial age.
The air was filled with a mixture of smells of coal smoke, engine oil, and sweat.
"Waaah...!"
A long and resonant whistle tore through the noise, announcing the imminent departure of the "Xiaoxi Railway" express train.
The little loach clutched his deflated little bundle tightly, his eyes wide open and his mouth slightly agape, almost big enough to fit an egg.
He had never seen such a massive and awe-inspiring steel structure!
The enormous wheels, the towering chimneys, and the gleaming copper pipes all challenged his young understanding.
He instinctively shrank behind Xiao Ce, his small hands unconsciously clutching the hem of Xiao Ce's clothes, his voice trembling with excitement: "Your Highness! This...this is the Iron Dragon? It...it can really run? Faster than a horse?"
Looking at the little mudskipper's surprised, frightened, and curious expression, Yin Pan'er couldn't help but smile and said softly, "Don't be afraid, little mudskipper. This is called a steam train. It was made by the clever master craftsmen of the Tianji Academy. It's many times faster than the fastest horse. It can carry us steadily for several days and nights, all the way to the Western Regions."
The little loach's eyes were filled with an incredible longing, a feeling even more shocking than when Prince Xiao said he would take him away.
The vastness of the Dragon Guardian Ghost City seemed so insignificant at this moment.
"A few days and nights? We can reach the Western Regions in that time?"
Because in their memories, the Western Regions were a very, very far away place...
Xiao Ce smiled faintly and patted the little mudskipper's head: "Let's go, I'll show you around."
He held Yin Pan'er's hand, with the little mudfish by his side.
The little loach followed very obediently behind.
As they walked, Xiao Ce asked Little Mudskipper, "Little Mudskipper, what's wrong? Didn't you hear about this railway when you were in Dragon Guard Ghost City?"
The little mudskipper thought for a moment, then nodded, then shook its head and said, "I have heard of it... but this railway actually has nothing to do with ordinary people; it's all managed by the imperial court... so even if someone knows... they don't really know..."
Xiao Ce nodded after hearing this.
Just keep walking...
After presenting the special envoy token given to him by Yin Weiyong, he did not go to the crowded ordinary carriage, but instead boarded the only special class carriage at the rear of the train through a special passage.
This carriage was clearly prepared for important people.
The carriage was covered with thick wool carpets, and dark velvet curtains hung on the windows, isolating it from the noise of the outside world.
The seats are large and comfortable, upholstered in soft leather, and a small table holds an elegant tea set and several recent newspapers. The carriage has only four seats, offering both spaciousness and privacy.
As soon as Little Mudskipper entered, his feet touched the soft carpet, feeling as if he were walking on clouds. He dared not move, only greedily gazing at this heavenly place. He carefully followed Yin Pan'er to sit down, his bottom barely touching the edge.
“Woo...!!!” Another, even louder, long whistle blared.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
With a rhythmic clanging of metal and a slight swaying of the locomotive, the massive steam engine slowly began to move. Little Mudskipper gasped, almost jumping out of his chair, but Yin Pan'er chuckled and held him back down.
"It's starting, little mudskipper, look out the window."
Xiao Ce's voice carried a peculiar soothing power.
The little loach quickly clung to the car window, its face almost pressed against the cold glass.
The scenery outside the window began to move slowly backward, its speed increasing. The towering city walls of Hulong City, the newly built factory chimneys, the vast fields, the winding rivers... all unfolded rapidly before his eyes like a flowing scroll painting.
"My God! They're really running! So fast! So fast!"
The little loach exclaimed excitedly, its eyes fixed on the ground, as if afraid of missing any detail.
This was a perspective and speed experience he had never had before. The oppressive, dark world of the Dragon Guardian Ghost City was completely left behind, and before him lay a vast expanse of sky and endless possibilities.
Looking at the scenery outside the window, Yin Pan'er exclaimed, "Your Highness, this railway is truly a great project that benefits the country and its people. In the past, caravans traveling to and from the Western Regions would travel for months, sometimes more than a month, sometimes several months. Now, after boarding this train, the journey can be completed in just a few days."
“My father told me that jade, spices, and fine horses from the Western Regions are being transported back in a steady stream, while our silk, porcelain, tea, and even the coal and steel needed for this train are being sent to the Western Regions. The exchange of goods and the mutual exchange of goods between the two places have indeed revitalized the economy. The ingenuity of the master craftsmen at the Tianji Academy has played an indispensable role.”
As she spoke, Yin Pan'er took Xiao Ce's hand and said, "Of course, the greatest contributor is you..."
Xiao Ce nodded slightly, his gaze fixed intently on the fields and villages rushing past the window.
"Yes, once the blood is connected, life force naturally emerges. Wherever this railway track is laid, there is a bit more vitality."
After hearing Xiao Ce's words, Yin Pan'er nodded...
"I'm really full of curiosity... By the way, has Da Lei already arrived in the Western Regions...?"
Xiao Ce nodded to Yin Pan'er, then said, "He should have arrived a long time ago... He's probably enjoying a warm bed and family time now..."
Yin Pan'er nodded, then said to Xiao Ce, "Your Highness, is the one in the Western Regions an empress...?"
After hearing Yin Pan'er's words, Xiao Ce smiled and then said, "Not bad..."
Yin Pan'er then looked at Xiao Ce with a malicious smile.
Xiao Ce naturally noticed the meaning in Yin Pan'er's eyes, and quickly smiled and said to her, "Pan'er, Nan Xi and I have nothing to do with each other... we're just political partners..."
Upon hearing Xiao Ce's words, Yin Pan'er smiled and then said, "Your Highness...of course I know...you know I wasn't talking about Nan Xi...but...Gulimiza..."
Upon hearing Yin Pan'er's words, Xiao Ce looked surprised and then said, "Gulmiza?...
Xiao Ce naturally remembered this name...
However, for Xiao Ce, it was indeed quite a long time ago...
He never expected that Yin Pan'er would still remember this name.
Seeing Xiao Ce lost in his memories, Yin Pan'er said, "Your Highness, I must remember this for you... I believe that once these women have followed you, they will never have any other men... So, no matter what, you must not forget them..."
Xiao Ce listened and nodded. This Gulimiza had gone to Xiao Kingdom with him before, but later Xiao Kingdom was in turmoil.
Gulimiza was sent back to the Western Regions again, and after that, there was no further contact...
At this moment, Xiao Ce saw Yin Pan'er mention this person, and he was reminded of that exotic, fiery woman...
Seeing this, Xiao Ce said to Yin Pan'er, "Pan'er, you really are generous..."
Yin Pan'er smiled and said to Xiao Ce, "Of course... I'm the king's woman... and those are my sisters..."
Xiao Ce smiled helplessly upon hearing Yin Pan'er's words. This Yin Pan'er truly was born to be a king's woman...
Over the next few days, the steam train traversed thousands of miles of fertile land, and the little mudfish, perched at the window, witnessed the vitality brought about by the new policies of the Xiao Kingdom.
They waited until the camel bells and steam whistles mingled outside Yumen Pass, the new soldiers guarding the border wore crisp uniforms, and caravans were laden with exotic goods from the East and West.
As the circular railway hub of the Three Passes Road appears on the horizon, the seven-story Protectorate of the Western Regions stands like a snow-capped mountain.
The steel behemoth spewed thick white smoke as it raced across the boundless land of Xiao Kingdom.
Outside the window, a flowing, unprecedented panorama unfolded, continuously pouring into the little mudfish's wide-open eyes through the square car window.
"Your Highness! Madam! Look! That windmill... such a huge windmill! It's spinning! Spinning so fast!"
The little loach's face was almost pressed against the cold glass as it pointed to a huge cluster of windmills standing on the distant plain.
The cast-iron frame, with its rotating blades reflecting the cold gleam of metal in the sunlight, tirelessly transforms the winds of the plains into the power to drive the gears.
Further away, you can see a huge waterwheel connected to the river, lifting the water to a higher place to irrigate fields that are neatly arranged like a chessboard.
In the fields, farmers in coarse cloth jackets were bending over tending their crops, occasionally glancing up at the roaring overhead crane. The initial fear in their eyes had faded, replaced by a habitual busyness.
"Is that the wind-powered irrigation machine improved by the Tianji Academy? Is it from the blueprints that the Prince gave them before?"
Xiao Ce nodded, then said, "It's the same, yet different; they still adapted it to local conditions..."
Yin Pan'er's voice carried a hint of pride as she turned to the side and pointed out the window!
"And those waterwheels all use new bearings, which are labor-saving and durable. In the past, people relied on the weather for their livelihood, but now they are guaranteed a stable harvest regardless of drought or flood."
Xiao Ce's gaze swept over the neat fields, over the children running and playing on the ridges, over the wisps of smoke rising from the distant village, and finally landed on a group of houses under construction.
The red brick walls stand out prominently in the sunlight, a far cry from the dilapidated mud-brick and thatched walls of my memories.
"The new policies have been implemented, with reduced taxes and levies, encouragement of agriculture and sericulture, and a boost to industry and commerce."
His voice was not loud, but his eyes showed no sign of satisfaction: "When people have surplus grain and money, they will naturally build new houses and buy new things. This vitality comes from people's peace of mind and hope for the future."
The little loach seemed to understand, but the words "stability" and "hope for the future" were like seeds falling into his young heart.
He gazed greedily at the massive factory complexes billowing thick smoke, like monsters crawling on the earth, spitting out ore, gleaming steel, and intricate parts.
Looking at the wide, smooth official road, no longer a dusty dirt track, but a national highway paved with cement, horse-drawn carriages, oxcarts, and even the occasional car shuttle back and forth in an orderly fashion; looking at the new towns rising up along the railway line...
Yin Pan'er gently grasped Xiao Ce's hand, her fingertips slightly cool, a smile spreading across her face: "Your Highness, everything really is just as you said... Wherever these railway tracks are laid, life comes alive. Just as you said, once the blood flows, vitality naturally appears. A few years ago, traveling from the capital to the Western Regions took months, enduring wind and rain, every step fraught with danger. Now..."
She gazed at the scenery rushing past the window, "It's only been a few days, yet it feels like a dream. This is the benefit of reform..."