novelraw Chapter 687 Presenting a Treasure
Chapter 687 Presenting a Treasure
Chapter 687 Presenting a Treasure
Chang Yu sat to the side, his face also looking very unpleasant.
This was the first time in over a decade that he had left the mountain stronghold and returned to the capital, only to find himself in such a scene.
He had never had the chance to see the outside world before, but he had heard Lin Kun and the others talk about it. He could roughly guess that the strange fragrance, the soldier's strange reaction, the antidote pills that Zhu Yu had given them before entering the city, and the sachets they wore all pointed to the same thing—poison.
Due to its climate and environment, Lan Kingdom is rich in various dyes and spices, and is quite skilled in perfumery and dyeing. However, it is not particularly adept at using poisons and medicines.
Therefore, the strange, mind-controlling fragrance that permeates the capital city is clearly related to the neighboring Vatican, a region known for its skillful use of voodoo.
At that moment, Chang Yu also realized why Lu Qing had said, as a condition of the exchange, that Lin Kun and the others must guard the border pass between Lan Di and Fan Di no matter what.
After a short rest, and once they confirmed that the soldier had returned to normal, they immediately continued their journey towards the Prince of Lan's residence.
The Lanwang Mansion is much more impressive than the Shuowang Mansion of Zhucheng.
Zhu Yu had never been to the Jie Kingdom, so she didn't know what the Jie King's residence looked like. However, she was familiar with the Shuo Kingdom, and she and Lu Qing had also been to the royal palace of the Fan Kingdom, but none of them looked as magnificent and grand as the Lan King's palace in front of her.
Not only her, but Chang Yu and Lin Kun, who were standing next to her, also looked quite surprised.
Chang Yu was still young when she left here, so she doesn't remember it very clearly. She was just amazed by the luxurious facade in front of her.
Lin Kun was completely dumbfounded.
“When we left back then… it wasn’t like this!” He tried to lower his voice, but you could still hear the underlying anger in his voice.
Zhu Yu could understand his anger.
Over the years, King Lan has probably never done anything reliable, turning the once prosperous Lan Kingdom into a severely weakened and barely alive state.
Ironically, during this period, he also renovated the palace, making it so magnificent and obviously luxurious.
Isn't this clearly an attempt to incite anger and resentment towards this Prince Lan?
As the group approached the gate of the Prince's mansion, the guards outside stepped forward and blocked their way with their spears.
"What are you doing?! Get out of here, don't loiter in front of the Prince's mansion!" The guard looked very young, only in his early twenties, and obviously had only started working at the Prince's mansion after Lin Kun and his group left.
Nevertheless, out of caution, Lin Kun and Chang Yu remained standing at the back, silent and observing coldly.
"Young man, we are spice merchants from afar, and we wish to request an audience with Prince Lan." Lu Qing stepped forward and politely cupped his hands to the guard.
The guard glanced at Lu Qing from head to toe out of the corner of his eye, then looked at the others behind him and sneered.
In his opinion, these people were unremarkable in appearance and dressed in a shabby manner, and did not look like people of any status.
"Go away! Don't cause trouble here! What do you think the Prince's mansion is?! Do you think you can just ask to see the Prince like any other person?!" The guard waved his hand impatiently. "Get out of here! Don't force us to kick you out. If this spear accidentally pokes someone, don't blame us!" "Young man, don't be impatient." Zhu Yu stepped out from beside Lu Qing, his face full of smiles, holding two small brocade pouches in his hands. He first stuffed one into the guard's hand. "We've come from afar, sincerely seeking an audience with the Prince."
We have a very rare spice that we would like to offer to the prince, to see if it will catch his eye.
Please, sir, consider that we've traveled a long way and could make an exception for us. Could you please pass on a message to them?
"If the prince has seen our spices and still refuses to see us, then you can throw us out with sticks, and we will not say a word."
As she spoke, she handed over another brocade pouch, but just as the guard reached out to grab it, she pulled it back: "These spices are extremely rare. We only brought a little bit this time, so please be careful, young man, otherwise His Highness will be heartbroken!"
The guard was not pleased with Zhu Yu's reminder, but he rubbed the brocade pouch in his other hand, felt out the shape of the silver ingot inside, and then suppressed his displeasure and nodded.
Zhu Yu then handed him the other brocade pouch.
The guard weighed the light brocade pouch in his hand, then waved it at them with a stern face, signaling them to step back and wait. He then gave a wink to the person next to him and turned to enter through the gate.
Chang Yu didn't know what kind of spices Zhu Yu had given the guard, or how they were able to impress the imposter in the Lan Prince's mansion and allow them to enter. He was filled with curiosity, but he couldn't ask around. He could only suppress his curiosity, lower his eyes and stay behind, anxiously waiting for the guard's return.
About fifteen minutes later, the guard who had been strolling in earlier rushed out, hurriedly opened the gate, and stepped aside.
Behind him was a steward-like man who stood inside the door, sized up Lu Qing and the others, concealed the curiosity in his eyes, and politely bowed to them, saying, "His Highness is currently entertaining guests in his residence. Hearing that guests have come from afar, he invites you to join the banquet."
"Please come inside, guests."
Lu Qing smiled and nodded, returned the greeting with a cupped hand, and thanked them. He and Zhu Yu took the lead and walked in single file into the Lanwang Mansion.
The Lanwang Mansion is not only magnificent on the outside, but also extremely luxurious inside.
Lu Qing and Zhu Yu were both people who had seen a lot, so they glanced at them casually and then looked away.
Lin Kun walked behind them, subtly observing their surroundings and silently comparing the changes in the current Lanwang Mansion compared to the past.
After a series of twists and turns, they were finally led by the steward to the inner courtyard of the Prince's mansion.
A banquet was set up in the spacious courtyard, creating a lively scene. Even though it wasn't noon yet, it looked as if they had been drinking and making merry for quite some time.
A group of guests of different ages were toasting and enjoying their meal at the table, while a musician played music nearby.
In front of the main hall facing the courtyard, there was a seat for the head of the household, where a thin, frail old man in fine clothes sat, his gaze fixed on them.