Chapter 1881: 1869: The Deal
Chapter 1881: Chapter 1869: The Deal
At first glance, it doesn’t differ much from Qi Le’s palace in Wang City.
Qi Le sits in the prominent position, with Bi Zhu as a guest companion, and the remaining two seats naturally reserved for Song Chongjin and Wang Yongzhu.
The dishes on the table were already set, waiting for the two to arrive, and then the feast could begin.
Wang Yongzhu glanced at Qi Le, and she seemed to be in good spirits, without any sign of depression or unhappiness, appearing even more relaxed than in the palace at Wang City.
Bi Zhu, on the other hand, carried worry in her brow, looking as if she had quarreled with the King of the Grasslands and lost his favor, in contrast to Qi Le.
After exchanging pleasantries, the feast commenced.
This was probably the handiwork from Qi Le’s small kitchen, and perhaps because Qi Le wanted to show goodwill, there were even a few dishes from Great Chu.
Considering the journey, although they brought some ingredients from Great Chu, after entering the grasslands, these ingredients had nearly depleted, and they mostly ate lamb and beef daily, rarely seeing green vegetables.
Now, catching sight of a few vegetables was a rare opportunity, and Wang Yongzhu’s eyes lit up, and he couldn’t help but eat a bit more.
Qi Le’s face was adorned with a slight smile, and Bi Zhu tactfully spoke on Qi Le’s behalf to curry favor: “Queen Ah Lan thought of your journey, leaving your homeland, and today specially prepared several Great Chu dishes for the banquet, hoping they suit your taste.”
Wang Yongzhu and Song Chongjin stood to express their gratitude, not saying much else.
After the meal, fine tea was served yet again, it was top-quality tea.
Bi Zhu keenly sensed it was no longer appropriate for her to remain here and quickly made up an excuse to leave, while the other maids followed suit and departed.
Only the three of them remained in the tent, sitting silently.
Song Chongjin kept his gaze lowered, studying the teacup in his hand, determined not to raise his head or speak first.
After a while, Qi Le spoke: “Is there truly nothing you wish to ask me? The reason Qi Family was raided? Your mother’s death? Do you truly not want to know these things? You agreed to meet me to uncover the truth, didn’t you?”
It seems Qi Le already received the information or perhaps recognized Song Chongjin’s true intention and hostility toward her.
She no longer bothered to feign the role of a good aunt.
Rather, she had grown impatient with the charade, eager to directly achieve her goal.
At this point in the conversation, Song Chongjin finally raised his head and replied, “If I ask, will you answer?”
Qi Le slightly raised her eyebrows: “Let’s make a deal! If your answer satisfies me, then today, I will truthfully answer all your questions that I am aware of. How does that sound?”
Wang Yongzhu and Song Chongjin knew Qi Le’s seemingly generous attitude only had one implicit goal.
That was to confirm whether the Golden Seal was indeed in Song Chongjin’s possession.
If confirmed, even if Wang Yongzhu and Song Chongjin discovered the truth of that era, they were in the grasslands, under her control, unable to escape.
Thus, she was so confident.
Song Chongjin glanced at Wang Yongzhu, and Wang Yongzhu nodded to him.
Only then did Song Chongjin speak: “What do you want to know?”
Qi Le took a deep breath: “Did Qi Huan leave you a Golden Seal?” She proceeded to describe what the seal looked like.
Song Chongjin nodded: “Yes, the Golden Seal is in my possession.”
Qi Le’s expression relaxed, and she leaned back, assuming a loftier stance: “Ask your questions!”
Song Chongjin realized that, regardless of Qi Le’s schemes, this was the sole opportunity to uncover past events.
He unhesitantly inquired about the Qi Family’s situation, her dealings with the late Emperor, and the real cause of Qi Le’s death.
Qi Le narrated in an indifferent tone, as if retelling someone else’s story, devoid of any emotion.
In Qi Le’s recounting, the Qi Family, originally a Family of Literari, somehow obtained the Golden Seal, which became the root cause for the family’s ruination.
Supposedly, there was a rumor within the royal lineage that in the far north lay a dragon vein, discovered nearly a millennium ago by the martial dynasty, using national resources to gather all the sorcerers to locate the dragon vein.
Legend has it the dragon vein, formed nearly ten thousand years ago, absorbed the dragon spirits of each dynasty, eventually accumulating enough dragon energy to transform into a dragon and ascend to the heavens.
However, its fate was unfortunate, for a State Preceptor named Wu discovered it nearly a thousand years ago, who then reported to the monarch, marshaling national resources to gather strange men and sorcerers to locate the dragon vein’s position.
They devised numerous strategies and laid an extraordinary formation, suppressing the dragon vein.
The dragon vein’s position became the site for a vast underground palace, rumored to contain countless treasures offered to the dragon vein, or some believed the palace’s center was the dragon cave, where ancestors buried within would guarantee imperial destiny for their descendants.
This legend, only passed down through the royal family, persisted for nearly a millennium. Initially dismissed by each dynasty’s emperor, eventually becoming accepted for reasons unknown.
Every dynasty sent people to search for the dragon vein’s location.
Regrettably, the State Preceptor and others, though they suppressed the dragon vein, became trapped within the formation, never to be reborn.
However, some claimed the State Preceptor escaped, and occasionally he was seen thereafter, though such claims lack evidence.
The texts documenting these events and all related materials were almost entirely destroyed, and those involved died abruptly.
The traceability is scarce.
Throughout the years, each dynasty’s royal family diligently sought clues.
The formation had long vanished within the annals of history, the dragon’s energy dissipated, preventing ascension to the heavens.
Nonetheless, the underground palace and dragon cave remain.
Which dynasty would not desire everlasting rule? Each emperor naturally wished for imperial destinies for his descendants.
Thus, their fascination grew, investing considerable resources to search for the underground palace and dragon cave.
Under the previous dynasty, significant progress occurred, discovering a Golden Seal, rumored to be left by the State Preceptor.
The State Preceptor’s surname was Wu, though his name is untraceable, yet his family’s emblem reportedly resembled an eagle.
Later, rumors emerged that this Golden Seal was the key to the underground palace and dragon cave.
Subsequently, amidst fierce contention, the key vanished.
And until the previous dynasty’s fall, the Golden Seal never resurfaced.
Once again, Qi Le was summoned by the late Emperor, who claimed to have discovered clues pointing the Golden Seal residing within the Qi Family, presenting her a choice to side with the royal family or the Qi Family.
At that time, the late Emperor already hinted at Qi Le as the chosen Crown Princess Consort, whoever she married would become the Crown Prince, the future ruler.
Qi Le essentially became half a royal family member.