The Marquis and several important officials were present and read it along with the Emperor.
The Emperor frowned slightly and asked, "My esteemed ministers, what do you think? Do these foreign kingdoms pose any threat to our Tianwu?"
One of the high-ranking officials curled his lip in disdain and replied, "Your Majesty, in my humble opinion, the foreign countries are nothing more than barbarians who eat raw meat and drink blood, and are not worth worrying about."
Another senior official, more objective, pondered and echoed, "Yes, Your Majesty, I believe that the barbarians are not yet fully civilized. Although they make some small items well, they are nothing more than strange skills and frivolous crafts."
"Moreover, most of the people are illiterate, unaware of the teachings of sages, and worship some ridiculous gods. Compared to my Tianwu, they are far inferior. In the future, we can send more people to Quanzhou to monitor the various foreign countries, and that will suffice."
The Emperor nodded, but still asked the Marquis, "What does the Marquis think?"
The Marquis, with a calm expression, pointed to a half-person-high clock in the corner of the room.
This clock was a gift from an envoy. Because it kept accurate time and was easy to check, it was brought into the palace and was well-liked by the emperor, eunuchs, and palace maids.
The Marquis said, “Your Majesty, I believe we should remain vigilant towards foreign countries. Firstly, the Hibiscus Ointment originated from a foreign country and nearly caused chaos in Tianwu. Secondly, judging from this clock, the iron smelting and forging techniques of foreign countries are far superior to those of Tianwu. It's hard to guarantee that these techniques won't be used in weaponry!”
"Even though the foreign kingdoms don't pose a significant threat to Tianwu right now, if left unchecked, they may eventually become a major threat."
"I propose that we provide more support to the Hailan Army in the future, strengthen maritime defenses, and establish a branch of the Foreign Affairs Office in Quanzhou City to carefully monitor the development of various foreign countries. If any signs of trouble arise, we can respond in a timely manner."
Everyone followed his gaze to the clock, whose pendulum swung incessantly, its soft ticking sound like the urging of horses' hooves.
Even the two high-ranking officials who were inclined to oppose it suddenly felt a tightness in their chests after listening for a while.
Perhaps the foreign lands are even more powerful than they imagined or anticipated...
Busy spring days always fly by. It seems like the fields have just been planted, and after a few days of spring breeze, tender green seedlings have sprouted.
It doesn't seem like much up close, but from a distance it's already a verdant sight.
The vegetation covering the mountains and fields has grown lush and abundant, and small animals can be seen running around happily from time to time, rejoicing at having survived the winter and excited for the start of the new year.
That morning, not long after the city gates of Xindu opened, a caravan of carriages set off for Suijintan.
Inside the carriage sat Jiayin and Wan'er, along with Aibei and her son, and many maids and servants.
The carriage was escorted by veterans at the front and back, along with luggage and other items, making a grand and imposing procession.
Almost as soon as they turned off the small road, before they even reached the border of the second village, everyone knew that the master of the house had returned.
So everyone dropped what they were doing and ran out to greet them.
Of course, most of the people were there to see what the fourth young mistress of the main family looked like.
You should know that the village chief and his men talked about the envoys going to town for two whole days after they returned.
Everyone was curious about the long-nosed elephant and the long-necked giraffe, but they were even more curious about the queen-like wife that the fourth young master had married.
This is a woman becoming queen and ruling the country!
Everyone had been craning their necks, waiting for this moment.
Aibei had already received instructions from her sister-in-law and sister-in-law, but she was still taken aback by the continuous stream of villagers lining the road to welcome her.
Fortunately, everyone had a smile on their face, a genuine smile from the heart.
She calmed herself down and got out of the car with her family.
Sure enough, everyone's eyes were fixed on him, burning with intense heat.
Even though she was a queen and had experienced many such occasions, Abbey was still inevitably reserved.
Not for any other reason than that Jiaxi had said that the villagers were all relatives who had gone through thick and thin with the Li family.
Today, this ugly daughter-in-law has practically met hundreds of "parents-in-law" in one go.
Jiayin stayed close to Sister Aibei, chatting and laughing with everyone, asking about the workshop's business and farming.
Finally, she smiled and said to everyone, "Alright, uncles, aunts, and grandmas, stop staring at my fourth sister-in-law! We're all family. My fourth sister-in-law isn't going back to the Golden Buddha Kingdom tomorrow. We'll have plenty of time to chat and visit each other in the future!"
"You've scared them away! Wait till my fourth brother comes back, he'll settle the score with you!"
Everyone burst into laughter and responded in unison.
"Princess, rest assured, we are just happy that our family has found another good daughter-in-law!"
"Yes, Princess, this is the Queen! What family in the world can marry the Queen as their daughter-in-law? We are just proud of our family. If we take a second look, we'll look good when we talk about it later."
"Will Fourth Young Master be staying in Golden Buddha Kingdom from now on? Will he have a chance to come back?"
Jiayin waved her hand and replied, "I know everyone is concerned about my fourth brother and sister-in-law, which is why they asked this question."
"They will live on both sides of Jinfo and Quanzhou in the future, which is not far away."
"As for the rest, my grandmother, mother, and uncle are all in Quanzhou. They will make their own decisions. I don't know anything about it and dare not say anything."
"What if I say something wrong? When my grandma comes back, she'll beat me up all over the street with a broom handle!"
Everyone disbelieved it and shouted.
"Princess, you love to joke. The old lady would never bear to hit you."
"That's right, the fourth and fifth young masters certainly got a lot of beatings with a broom when they were little! They were often chased around by the old lady!"
At this moment, the village chief finally arrived, and upon hearing this, he laughed and scolded.
"These are old, trivial matters, why are you still bringing them up? The Fourth Young Master and the Fifth Young Master are now officials, and the Fourth Young Master's wife is here too. Can you spare the young masters some face?"
After saying that, he called to Jiayin and the others, "Come on, let's walk home slowly and take a look at the melon seedlings that our village planted this year."
"I guessed you'd be coming back in the next few days. The hot spring valley has been cleaned up and is empty, so you can go there to play anytime."
"Life is good in Suijintan now, so we won't miss a few more days of income. The happiness of our own people is more important than anything else."
As they talked, the group headed into the village.
The villagers bowed and went back to their busy lives with smiles.
Aibei couldn't hear everything everyone was saying, but seeing how quickly they arrived, how neatly they changed, how obedient they were, and how there was no noise, she couldn't help but nod in agreement.
Looking at the fields by the roadside, the melon vines had spread all over the ground, and the leaves were bigger than the palm of your hand.
Even in the few areas where no melon vines were planted, everything was kept neat and tidy, without a single weed, and the furrows were all straight, showing how much care had been taken in tending to it.
Jiayin walked ahead with the village chief, who beamed with praise and made plans to have dinner together at the old house that evening.
In the evening, all the men in the family, young and old, will come back, making it even more lively.
The village chief went up the mountain with his hands behind his back, feeling quite satisfied. This part of the orchard was in its busiest time, and he kept a close eye on it almost every moment.
Compared to when they first moved here, the old village chief's hair has turned white, and his hands and feet are not as nimble, but he is still full of energy.
This is a blessing for the entire Broken Gold Beach!
Jiayin, thinking of the medicinal herb fields and pharmaceutical workshop, said goodbye to her sisters-in-law at the door and left.
She first delivered a box of pastries and a roast chicken to Doctor Zhang, making sure the old man hadn't worn himself out like a beggar while researching the new medicine, before she could go about her business with peace of mind.
Before we knew it, the sun was setting.
Inside the pharmaceutical workshop, the orange-red sunlight of the setting sun shone in from outside the door, but was mostly blocked by a figure.
Jiayin couldn't help but look up and smile happily.
Today's update is here!
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