Chapter 47: Lavish Gifts and Grand Courtesies

Eunuch Liu glanced at Qian Ye’s expression and smiled, “Lord Qian Ye, don’t be in such a hurry to refuse. Let us first catch up on old times.”

“Catch up?” Qian Ye’s eyes faintly turned blue as he looked at Eunuch Liu. Under the Dominance Eye, all of Eunuch Liu’s origin power characteristics were revealed, and he didn’t intend to hide anything. However, when his own figure appeared in Qian Ye’s pupils, Eunuch Liu couldn’t help but shiver.

At a glance, Qian Ye felt a sense of familiarity; it seemed like he had seen this kind of origin power before. He recalled for a moment and said in surprise, “Could it be that the Chief Steward is…”

“It’s indeed my elder brother,” Eunuch Liu smiled.

“Ah, I see.” Qian Ye’s expression softened. Back then, during the great battle in Tide Listening City against Luo Bingfeng, if it weren’t for the timely intervention of the Chief Steward, the outcome of the battle might have been different. Qian Ye could say that the Chief Steward had saved his life. Now, meeting his younger brother, he naturally felt a sense of intimacy.

Eunuch Liu said, “My name is Liu Yuanwei, and I am ashamed to say that my strength is only mediocre. To avoid disgracing my elder brother, I usually don’t mention this, and only a few close people know about it. Now, Her Majesty places great importance on Lord Qian Ye. She heard that Lord Qian Ye is expanding his territory in Yongyang, and she is very pleased, so she bestowed many rewards.”

“Ah… thank you, Your Majesty, for your kindness.” Qian Ye’s response was hesitant.

He was not a citizen of the Empire anymore, and the expansion was done under his own name. Even if he eventually established a country in the Emerald Sea or the Great Corridor, it would be an independent kingdom, at most similar to the Zheng Kingdom, nominally recognizing the Great Qin as its sovereign. Moreover, the stronger he became and the more resources he acquired, the more this nominal relationship would remain superficial, with no real obligations to the Empire.

Under such circumstances, Li Hou’s happiness seemed questionable. Surely, it couldn’t be because Qian Ye was going to establish an independent kingdom.

However, Qian Ye thought deeper. What if it really was for that reason? What would that imply?

Liu Yuanwei smiled warmly, holding Qian Ye’s hand, and said, “Her Majesty certainly treats you differently. This time, the rewards are quite generous. Would Lord Qian Ye like to come and see them?”

“Alright, please lead the way, Eunuch.”

Eunuch Liu led Qian Ye to the airship landing field. The young couple, Li Wanqing and Li Panyu, followed behind. They were quite well-behaved, remaining silent throughout, though Li Panyu’s sneaky glances at Qian Ye carried some hostility.

Qian Ye naturally noticed these little actions, but he didn’t mind, pretending to be oblivious. Deep down, he hoped Li Panyu would cause some trouble, giving him a proper reason to send the young couple back. Otherwise, such high-born children, though capable, were also troublesome. If something happened to them in battle, it would be difficult to explain.

Qian Ye had no intention of keeping these two, but outright rejection wasn’t wise. He hadn’t yet decided what kind of relationship he should maintain with the Great Qin, and the establishment of his nation was just beginning. Offending Li Hou over a trivial matter was pointless, especially since Song Zining was still in the Empire.

The city wasn’t large, and the group soon arrived at the airship landing field. Three high-speed airships were docked there, one of which looked like a high-speed transport ship. Eunuch Liu led Qian Ye directly onto the transport ship. Inside the cargo hold, several large containers were arranged and fixed carefully, with special shock-absorbing measures for valuable items.

Liu Yuanwei pointed to the first few containers and said, “These three containers contain the latest models of small mining machines from the Empire. They can adapt to almost any terrain and are specifically designed to mine scattered and valuable minerals. Though they are small, their efficiency is no less than that of large combined mining machines. The only downside is that a war general is required to operate them. But I heard that Lord Qian Ye has a strong army, with at least twenty to thirty war generals, so this should not be a problem for you.”

Qian Ye’s heart stirred, and he asked, “Do they have specific requirements for the origin power attributes used to drive them?”

Eunuch Liu smiled mysteriously, “Of course not. Both humans and dark races can use them. So, Lord Qian Ye must be cautious. If the Evernight side gets their hands on these, it wouldn’t be good.”

“As long as they don’t leave Yongyang, they will always be mine.”

Eunuch Liu praised, “Lord Qian Ye, you are truly awe-inspiring!”

Li Panyu snorted and muttered, “There are dukes here. It’s not a good idea to speak too arrogantly.”

His voice was low, as if speaking to himself, but everyone present, with their extraordinary strength and keen senses, heard every word.

Eunuch Liu’s smile immediately became awkward.

Qian Ye, seemingly oblivious, walked towards the containers at the back. Eunuch Liu secretly breathed a sigh of relief and quickly followed.

Li Panyu, however, still seemed unconvinced and raised his voice, saying to Li Wanqing, “Wanqing, do you think a duke is easy to kill?”

Li Wanqing glared at him and said angrily, “I don’t know! But slapping you down isn’t a problem.”

“I am, of course, no match for a duke. But I fear some people think dukes are cabbages that can be trampled on anytime!”

As Li Panyu’s voice grew louder, Eunuch Liu’s laughter became increasingly stiff. One of the mercenaries following Qian Ye, known for his temper, could no longer hold back and said, “Who is this ignorant brat? Didn’t your elders teach you better? Haven’t seen much of the world, and yet you dare speak so recklessly? Watch your tongue, or you’ll bite it off!”

This was extremely rude, and the last sentence was thrown right back at Li Panyu. Li Panyu blushed and, pointing at the mercenary, said angrily, “You… You dare say I haven’t seen much of the world?”

The mercenary gave him a thumbs-down, mocking, “You little punk, what kind of big world have you seen? Talking about dukes, let me tell you, our lord recently killed a duke! Someone like you, our lord can slap five of you dead with one hand. That’s being modest, using a finger to squish you is a waste.”

Clearly, Li Panyu was spoiled and had never heard such talk. His face turned red, and he, pointing at the mercenary, was too angry to speak. Finally, he just kept repeating, “You wait, the Li family won’t let you off!”

The mercenary wasn’t afraid, coldly saying, “I don’t care if you’re Li or Wang. If you have the guts, come to the Neutral Zone and get me!”

Li Panyu’s face alternated between green and red, biting his lip, almost drawing blood. The Neutral Zone was notoriously lawless. While the two factions might send agents there, direct entry by major nobles was a different matter. Besides, the forces in the Neutral Zone weren’t weak. If the Li family sent a detachment to the Neutral Zone to find trouble with Dark Flame, they would likely never return.

And if he really made such a request to his family, the punishment would be severe.

He was, after all, young, and couldn’t bring himself to say insincere words. At this point, the best solution seemed to be to fight the mercenary, but he saw that the opponent was far stronger, and fighting would only result in humiliation.

Seeing this, the mercenary seized the opportunity to mock him further. But Qian Ye finally turned around and said, “Enough talking.”

The mercenary immediately responded, “Yes, Lord Qian Ye!”

The mercenary’s respectful attitude and quick change of demeanor left Li Panyu speechless. Li Wanqing gave Qian Ye a deep look.

Qian Ye said to Eunuch Liu, “Let’s continue.”

“Alright, Lord Qian Ye. These two are compound smelting furnaces, capable of melting most metal ores, but their primary use is to refine rare metals. The four boxes behind them contain the supporting equipment.”

Eunuch Liu led Qian Ye to the last few boxes and said, “These boxes contain the core components of power towers. Each box can be assembled into a power tower. Of course, the basic materials still need to be sourced locally.”

Qian Ye was impressed and said, “Her Majesty’s gifts are truly generous.”

The things Li Hou sent were enough to establish a complete line of rare mineral extraction and refining. A few power towers could support several small cities or a large city with tens of thousands of people.

This equipment, even with money, couldn’t be obtained immediately, making it exactly what Qian Ye needed the most right now.

Seeing Qian Ye’s satisfaction, Eunuch Liu relaxed and said, “Her Majesty, of course, holds Lord Qian Ye in high regard.”

“Please convey my thanks to Her Majesty when you return.”

“Of course, Lord Qian Ye.”

Qian Ye added, “But I have one small request.”

“Feel free to ask, Lord Qian Ye!”

“When you return, take him back with you.” Qian Ye pointed at Li Panyu.

Li Panyu was shocked, jumping up and shouting, “You dare!”

Qian Ye only looked at Eunuch Liu, ignoring Li Panyu.

Li Panyu, in a panic, shouted, “If you send me back, the Li family will not let you off!”

Eunuch Liu, finally unable to bear it, said, “Young Master Panyu, if you keep talking nonsense, I will take you back!”

Li Panyu’s face changed several times, and he finally shut up.

Eunuch Liu said to Qian Ye, “Lord Qian Ye, the young man doesn’t understand. Please be lenient.”

“No, he absolutely cannot stay,” Qian Ye firmly stated.

“Lord Qian Ye, why so?” Eunuch Liu asked, troubled.

“This place is too dangerous. If something happens to him, I won’t be able to explain it to Her Majesty.”

Li Panyu shouted, “I’m not afraid of death!”

Qian Ye finally glanced at him and said calmly, “I don’t think the enemy will kill you, but you might die by military law.”

“You…”

Before Li Panyu could say more, Qian Ye, impatient, said, “This is not a place for you to speak!”

Though Qian Ye’s voice was soft, Li Panyu felt as if hit by a heavy hammer, dizzy and speechless.

When it quieted down, Eunuch Liu said to Qian Ye, “Her Majesty has another message.”

“Please tell me.”

“Her Majesty hopes that, when convenient, Lord Qian Ye will return to the capital. She wishes to see you.”

“When?”

“The sooner, the better.”

After a moment’s thought, Qian Ye said, “We will depart in three days.”