Lincheng 17 (7)
Yana led Mi to her office, a room filled with real-life maps of the Star Kingdom and the Flower Kingdom: "Derek I is currently the only king who has been to all the borders. Back then, he was just a child when he slipped out of the palace and somehow managed to get to Border Post 17 in anonymity. He stayed in Border Post 17 for three years."
"Three years?" Mi thought of the harsh environment at the border post. Could this king also be an outsider, or...? Mi swallowed his doubts and continued listening to Yana's explanation.
"Yes, back then the boundary between Lincheng and Weicheng wasn't as clear as it is now. The Shali people would sometimes venture deep into Maicheng. It was King Derek who established the current mechanism of mutual protection and support between Weicheng, Lincheng, and Maicheng. A man named 'Xinjiu' who was by King Derek's side was the first city lord of Lincheng 17. He also built Weicheng 17, including the later border line."
"Wow!" Mi was stunned. The entire border line... Mi thought of those towering walls. What if it weren't for those walls stopping the Sandi people's advance? She said admiringly, "Xinjiu is a hero!"
“It was an era that produced many heroes; anyone you picked out could be a hero.” Yana said, fiddling with the star map and devices in front of her. “The team responsible for protecting Derek I was a twelve-person squad, and these twelve people later became the twelve elders of the Adventurers’ Guild.”
"The Adventurers' Guild protects the king?" According to what Mi Yilu had heard, the relationship between the Adventurers' Guild and the city-state was not very friendly, and they were even in a state of hostility.
"Initially, yes, but then something happened between these twelve people, King Derek I, and Shinju, and the Adventurers' Guild became independent. Now the Adventurers' Guild's headquarters are in Sun City. The Adventurers' Guild is the only place not bound by the laws of the Flower Kingdom. Not only that, the Adventurers' Guild's gold coins are so valuable that one gold coin can buy a life—this is a decree issued by King Derek I, and it is still in effect today. The Adventurers' Guild can also question decrees issued by the royal family. Once a question is raised, the royal family must provide a legal interpretation, and the upper and lower councils must vote together to decide whether the decree is passed."
"Council of the upper and lower classes?" One new term after another almost made Mi dizzy.
"Yes, this was also proposed and established by King Derek I. The Upper Council is composed of nobles, while the Lower Council is composed of the presidents of the free people's guilds and chambers of commerce of each city-state. These people are the real power holders of the Flower Kingdom. Some of them control power and some control money. Qiu is a member of the Lower Council."
What is this? Democracy? Does the Flower Kingdom practice a democratic republic or a constitutional monarchy? Misty pondered, "What power does the King of the Flower Kingdom still have? What is Qiu, a nobleman?"
“The King presides over the Council of Regents. The Upper and Lower Houses only meet to vote on major decisions, usually related to changes in the laws of the Flower Kingdom. Of course, the Upper House may not need to meet for several years. The agenda of the Lower House is submitted directly to the Council of Regents for processing. The lords of each city are directly members of the Upper House. Qiu is the representative of the Chamber of Commerce of the 17th City. The Lower House is composed of representatives from the Chamber of Commerce, Guild, Farmers' Association, and Free Citizens. If Qiu takes over as the lord of the 17th City, she will simultaneously have the status of a member of both the Upper and Lower Houses.” Yana arranged the star map and device, and closed the doors and windows: “Miss Mi, please take a look.”
The room glowed with a soft, dim light, a hazy starry sky. A long, comet-like tail swept across one end, emitting a dazzling white light. Was this the starry sky of the Flower Kingdom? Mi stared for a while, then suddenly remembered the brilliant starlight of that night in the Misty Forest. Mi had always thought she was asleep; it turned out that such a mesmerizing starry sky was already etched deep into Mi's memory. Mi reached out her hand in a daze. Each star was like a jewel adorned with a mysterious black web, emitting a captivating light. Suddenly, a comet shattered the silence of the stars, crashing headlong into this expanse of starlight, heading towards— Mi looked at the comet, the dark night sky split in two by it. Mi looked up at Yana, pointing to the end where the comet had disappeared, and asked, "Where is that?"
“That’s Sun City,” Yana said, holding the star ruler. “If you’re asking about the ground map, that’s the capital of the Flower Kingdom, Sun City. A shooting star will be heading towards Sun City.”
Mi couldn't understand: "This isn't dangerous. This isn't a meteor, it's a meteorite! It'll smash Sun City to pieces!" In Mi's mind, countless meteorites with long, fiery tails fell from the sky. What would they bring? Mi seemed to see cities on fire everywhere, collapsed houses, huge cracks in the ground, and pedestrians with nowhere to escape.
Seeing Mi's panicked expression, Yana quickly interrupted her, saying, "This is a shooting star, not a meteorite. It represents a person. This is the third time a shooting star has appeared in the Flower Kingdom, which is the shooting star chart you are seeing. It is not a meteorite falling from the sky, but an omen, a good omen."
Yana pulled Mi to sit down beside her: "The first time was five hundred years ago, when outsiders came to the Flower Kingdom. Although there are no clear records, the Longevity Clan has a folk song:
The stars were especially bright that night.
A shooting star, resembling the tail of a pheasant, streaked across the entire night sky.
The entire starry sky trembled.
The people on the ground changed accordingly.
Those are stars of wisdom.
"Shooting stars bring new life and glory."
"Is this true?" Mi recalled the history book she had read that morning. These long-lived species had once so sincerely welcomed outsiders, but what happened?
“Really? Five hundred years ago, outsiders came and the Flower Kingdom became lively and bustling with newborn children everywhere,” Yana said wistfully. “Back then, long-lived people and humans lived together on this land. There were no Sand People and no killing.”
"You keep talking about outsiders, but where do outsiders come from?"
“I don’t know either. In the early days, the Flower Kingdom was entirely inhabited by long-lived people, and there are no written records of its history. All we can see are star maps,” Yana explained. “Now, the Flower Kingdom is inhabited by a mixed race, mostly children born to the second generation of outsiders and long-lived people. Outsiders and long-lived people are our common ancestors. As for where the ancestors of the outsiders came from, they themselves are vague about it. Perhaps there are records in the observatory of the Sun City, or maybe in the royal library.”
"Who is the current king?" Mi thought for a moment. Five hundred years had passed, and there were no written records, so it was all just a vague mess.
“The current king is also named Derek. Let me think,” Yana said after thinking for a while, “The current king is Derek III.”
"How long did the peace between the long-lived species and outsiders last?"
“When Lincheng and Weicheng were still forests, the Long-lived Race lived in harmony with outsiders. The Long-lived Race had very demanding living conditions; they needed green trees, red flowers, lakes, and forests.” Yana smiled. “The Long-lived Race is a very special race. Once they have made up their minds, they will never change. Perhaps they have had long lives, and death does not pose a threat to them; rather, it is a completely new experience.”
Are there still long-lived species now?
“Of course, the long-lived species have always lived on this continent.” Yana suddenly realized why Mi asked that question, and she explained, “Each member of the long-lived species has a longevity seed. If you encounter a long-lived species, it’s best not to think about killing it to obtain the longevity seed. The long-lived species automatically gains a new life the moment it is killed, and the location where the new life appears is beyond your reach.”
"The slaughter of the long-lived species?" Mi was now a little doubtful about whether the records in the book that Yana had given her were accurate.
“A hundred years before the Flower Kingdom, this place was still a peaceful paradise,” Yana’s voice was full of nostalgia. “The hunting of the long-lived species began a hundred years later. By then, the outsiders who entered the Flower Kingdom had long since passed away. The ones who wielded the butcher’s knife against the long-lived species were the second-generation immigrants. Those people were the descendants of both the long-lived species and the outsiders. As I just said, there were not many who succeeded.”
"So that means someone succeeded?"
“How should I put it? It’s because long-lived species voluntarily give up their longevity seeds.” Yana didn’t know how to explain. “When you meet a long-lived species, you’ll understand. Once a long-lived species decides to be good to you, it’s the kind of good that would give you their life. That’s why those people are successful.”
"Are all long-lived species like this?"
“I think so. The fact that long-lived species possess longevity seeds was something the long-lived species themselves made about.” Yana rested her head on her hand. “As far as I know, the first generation of non-native long-lived species had one of their fathers or mothers who were long-lived species. They passed on their longevity seeds to their children, and the couple chose to face death together. By the way, when outsiders first set foot on the land of the Flower Kingdom, many children were so sick and weak that they were on the verge of death. It was the long-lived species who saved these children. Long-lived species are very good to children; they are willing to give up their eternal lives to save a child.”
"What is this?" Mi didn't know how to understand this part of history. Was it like the story of Mr. Dongguo and the wolf? But now the people of the Flower Kingdom are descendants of long-lived species. This is a complete mess.
"The hunting of long-lived species is more like luring them to death. Long-lived seeds can only be given out by the long-lived species willingly. This is a truth that ordinary people have only discovered after more than a hundred years." Yana's voice was filled with sadness this time. "But the truth was discovered too late. The Flower Kingdom has become a hunting ground for the Sand People."
How long did this period last?
"Change doesn't happen overnight; it's just that by the time it's discovered, it's too late. The hunting of long-lived species has continued for nearly two hundred years."
"Are all the long-lived species hiding now?"
“Some, I suppose. Many long-lived species live in Sun City,” Yana said, staring intently at Mi. “Perhaps you’ll be able to meet them.”
"Are long-lived species rare?" Mi asked curiously. "What do long-lived species look like? How can you recognize them?"
“As far as I know, long-lived species look pretty much like ordinary people,” Yana smiled. “After all, we can all be considered descendants of long-lived species. But ordinary people have no chance to meet long-lived species. Long-lived species have a special ability; they only see the people they want to see. If you meet a long-lived species, then congratulations, that long-lived species will definitely be willing to give you a longevity seed.”
"Why?"
"This is a characteristic of long-lived species, and it is precisely because of this characteristic that the hunting of long-lived species has been canceled," Yana said with a smile. "Long-lived species will take the initiative to offer their longevity seeds."
“I don’t believe that too many people would risk a second chance at life,” Mi hesitated for a moment.
"Of course, there are also laws. The Flower Kingdom has laws specifically protecting long-lived species."
Who drafted this law?
“Derek I,” Yana paused for a moment before continuing, “two hundred years ago, a meteor reappeared, the one you just saw. That meteor appeared in Lin City 17.” Yana looked around. “The Star Department was also established at that time. Derek I returned to Sun City from the border and issued many decrees, the most severe of which were against hunting long-lived species. Anyone who attacked a long-lived species, whether successful or not, was immediately sent to the border. Half of the border walls and border areas were built by these people.”
“Send them to the border,” Mi nodded, thinking of the desolate environment. “That would certainly be a great deterrent.”
“There are no prisons in the Flower Kingdom; all criminals are sent to the border and the citadel,” Yana said. “Of course, women can stay in the neighboring city if they wish.”
Why can women choose to stay in Lincheng?
"That's because many crimes are collectively punished. The women in the family may not have participated in the crime, but they were still exiled to the border and the citadel along with the entire family."
"Ah, is this considered a form of mercy?"
"This is a joint request from all the city lords of Lincheng," Yana said with a smile. "Now you know why Lincheng has so many female city lords, right?"
Mi nodded: "The women of Lincheng have learned to take control of their own destiny."
“Women have learned to take control of their own destiny,” Yana pondered Mi’s words for a while before looking up at Mi and saying, “Now the meteor has appeared for the third time, and she will be heading to Sun City.”
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