Regarding the Women's Kingdom…
Su Qing naturally had no complaints. Sitting in the carriage, she admired the scenery along the way.
Although the Women's Kingdom wasn't entirely filled with beauties, it could certainly be described as having beauties like clouds… The journey was quite pleasing to the eye.
Su Qing looked at the bustling crowds outside the carriage window and couldn't help but think:
“This Women's Kingdom is truly fortunate… For so many years, it hasn't experienced any major upheavals. I just wonder how long this luck can last.”
If viewed purely from Su Qing's personal perspective, the Women's Kingdom was exceptionally good.
But if the perspective shifted to the nation as a whole, Su Qing couldn't help but feel that while the Women's Kingdom, relying solely on the Mother-Child River for reproduction, was beautiful, its ability to withstand risks was too weak.
In other words…
If one day the Mother-Child River of the Women's Kingdom lost its effect…
The Women's Kingdom would likely face immense trouble.
Especially since…
In another hundred years, or perhaps… a few decades, it would be the time of the Great Heavenly Tribulation.
And after the Great Heavenly Tribulation, myths would fade.
Would the Mother-Child River still be effective? Would the Women's Kingdom still exist?
Su Qing couldn't say…
Nor did she dare to ponder deeply.
She certainly wouldn't dare to make these matters public. Such things would cause panic even in the Heavenly Court, let alone in the Mortal World.
So, it was better not to speak too much.
In any case, Su Qing felt that while the Women's Kingdom as a nation might cease to exist in the future, its people might not necessarily disappear… It was just that they would likely no longer be a nation solely composed of women, as they were now.
Thinking of this, Su Qing couldn't help but sigh softly.
“It's truly a pity… If such a magical country were to truly disappear, it would be a real shame.”
However, as Su Qing thought, she couldn't help but smile helplessly and shake her head to herself.
She inwardly chided herself for starting to overthink again, pondering things that held no great significance.
“Why think so much? This will only spoil my good mood. What the future holds, the people of the future will naturally choose. Why should I, an outsider, think so much?”
With that thought, Su Qing smiled faintly, relaxing her mind.
She continued to gaze at the scenery outside the carriage window, enjoying the beautiful sights along the way to pass the time.
Yudie sat beside Su Qing. Although she didn't know what Su Qing had been troubled by for a moment, she noticed that Su Qing's mood had recovered.
She leaned slightly against her master and also looked at the passing scenery.
The carriage moved slowly forward.
Before long, they arrived outside the palace gates.
Upon reaching this point,
Su Qing and the others could only disembark and walk.
Although this place wasn't the Tang Dynasty, many of the rules were quite similar.
Su Qing and her companions got out of the carriage.
Only then did they realize that someone was waiting for them at the palace entrance.
It was a woman dressed in a smoke gauze skirt. The woman was extremely beautiful, as if she didn't belong to the Mortal World. The female official leading the way immediately bowed upon seeing the woman.
She then introduced the woman's identity to Su Qing and the others.
It turned out that this woman was the Queen's sister, named Bai Changxi…
Su Qing bowed slightly in response, saying, “Greetings, Princess.”
As a princess of a nation, her status was naturally not low. Her waiting here showed the importance placed on them, which was evident.
The princess shook her head and said, “You are guests from afar; there's no need for such formality.”
Hearing this, Su Qing also shook her head slightly, just as she was about to say something more.
The princess, however, spoke first: “Honored guests, please follow me. Her Majesty has been waiting for you for a long time.”
Seeing this, Su Qing could only close her mouth and nod slightly.
The female official, on the other hand, knew that her duties were now finished.
So she bowed slightly and said, “Then this humble official will take her leave.”
Bai Changxi nodded slightly, not saying much.
Chen Chaoyan watched the female official depart, then followed the princess into the palace.
The palace of the Women's Kingdom was different from any palace she had seen before… Its aesthetics and decor were clearly more in line with women's preferences.
Walking along the path, Chen Chaoyan couldn't help but find it very appealing.
However, Chen Chaoyan didn't let her thoughts linger solely on the scenery along the way… She was also wondering about the Queen of the Women's Kingdom's purpose in summoning them.
After all, specially sending a princess to wait for them indicated the level of importance.
Yet, the princess remained exceptionally silent throughout the journey, barely speaking to Su Qing and the others… She merely led the way.
Thus, the somewhat shy Chen Chaoyan found it impossible to ask any questions.
However, she wasn't particularly troubled by this… After all, in a little while, she would meet the peculiar Queen herself.
The group followed the princess for a while.
Soon, they arrived outside a grand hall.
“I will see you no further. Her Majesty is waiting for you inside,” the princess said, giving Su Qing a deep look, then smiling.
Hearing this, Su Qing nodded slightly and said, “Thank you for your trouble, Princess.”
The princess shook her head, then said no more, simply turning and leaving.
Watching the princess's departing back, Su Qing couldn't help but lament that there truly were people even more taciturn than she had been in her youth.
Shaking her head inwardly, Su Qing led the others into the grand hall.
Inside the hall,
There were no other people.
Only a woman sat on a chair, her eyes downcast, focused on a book in her hands, reading intently.
Her brows were like kingfisher feathers, her skin like mutton-fat jade. Her face was set off by peach blossoms, her hair piled with golden phoenix threads. Her autumn eyes sparkled with enchanting charm, her slender spring shoots (fingers) held a seductive grace.
What could be said of Zhaojun, what could be said of Xishi? None could compare to the woman before them.
It was no exaggeration to say that the Queen of the Women's Kingdom before them was one of the most beautiful people Su Qing had ever seen in the mortal realm.
Yet, it was strange to say…
Although Su Qing had never met this woman, upon seeing her, she couldn't help but feel a sense of familiarity.
As if she had met her before.
This made Su Qing recall when she might have seen this woman.
But after recalling for a long time,
Su Qing couldn't remember where she had seen her.
So she could only secretly perform divine calculations.
To calculate when she had met the woman before her.
And just as Su Qing was performing her calculations,
The woman, who had been reading intently, suddenly snapped back to reality.
She put down her book and looked up at Su Qing and the others.
She looked from Chen Chaoyan, then to Jingyue, Yudie…
Finally, her gaze settled on Su Qing.
At this moment, her gaze no longer shifted. A hint of surprise and delight appeared on her face, and she couldn't help but think, “I've finally waited for her… That Bodhisattva truly didn't lie to me.”
Chen Chaoyan and the others saw the woman's gaze and knew that this was the Queen of the Women's Kingdom.
So, they quickly bowed.
Lest they be disrespectful.
“Greetings, Your Majesty.”
The Queen of the Women's Kingdom smiled slightly upon hearing this, “Dispense with the formalities… Everyone, please sit wherever you like. This is not the imperial court, and there are no others present, so there's no need to adhere to official etiquette. Please make yourselves at home, esteemed guests, and sit freely.”
Chen Chaoyan heard this and couldn't help but look at Su Qing.
Whenever she was indecisive, she would habitually turn to Su Qing for guidance.
Su Qing noticed this and smiled faintly, saying:
“Since it is Your Majesty's wish, we shall respectfully obey.”
The Queen of the Women's Kingdom smiled slightly and nodded, saying, “Please be seated.”
As Su Qing and the others sat down, the Queen rested her chin on her hand and said with a beaming smile, “Do you all know why I invited you here?”
Chen Chaoyan shook her head.
She was indeed curious about this! The more they traveled, the more peculiar it seemed.
After all, if it was just curiosity about the Tang Dynasty… there wouldn't be such a need for this level of importance, would there?
“This monk does not know; please enlighten us, Your Majesty,” Chen Chaoyan said directly.
The Queen of the Women's Kingdom, hearing this, no longer beat around the bush with Su Qing and the others, but said with a smile:
“The reason I invited you all… is to confirm whether among the guests from the Tang Dynasty, there is the person I have been searching for.”
“The person Your Majesty wishes to find?” Chen Chaoyan was puzzled and couldn't help but ask, “Why is Your Majesty certain she must be from the Tang Dynasty?”
Hearing this, the Queen of the Women's Kingdom did not hide anything, saying:
“I… was actually born a little special. I don't know why, but I've had some vague memories of a past life since I was young. In those memories, I vaguely remember a very important person, someone I was exceptionally unwilling to forget, someone I cried and searched for for a long time.”
“But… since it's a memory from a past life, why is Your Majesty certain she is still alive? And even if she is alive, she might not necessarily be from the Tang Dynasty, right?”
It wasn't that Chen Chaoyan deliberately wanted to argue; it was simply that she couldn't understand.
These were matters of a past life.
Even if one wanted to search now, it might not be possible to find them, right?
Perhaps that person had already died hundreds of years ago!
Su Qing listened, also growing interested, and turned to look at the Queen.
But as she looked, she happened to notice that the Queen was also staring intently at her,
And not at Chen Chaoyan, who was speaking to her.
The Queen did not say anything to Su Qing, but continued to answer Chen Chaoyan's question. She said:
“Yes… At first, I thought the same way. So, although I wanted to see that person and know their identity, I didn't act, but merely worried silently in my heart.”
“But one day, a nun who called herself Guanyin Bodhisattva suddenly found me. She told me… that person is actually still alive! And even, one day in the future, she will come to my Women's Kingdom of Xiliang!”
Hearing this, Chen Chaoyan couldn't help but fall into deep thought…
The Queen ignored Chen Chaoyan, merely saying with a smile: “I asked the Bodhisattva where that person would come from, so I could narrow down the search. And the Bodhisattva told me that person would come from the Tang Dynasty.”
“That's why I always wanted to meet people from the Tang Dynasty, and why I received you all.”
“Although I can no longer remember what that person looked like… or rather, I never saw that person's appearance in my past life.”
“But I believe that as long as I see her, I will recognize her.”
“After all, feelings can't be wrong.”
After a long silence,
Chen Chaoyan had yet to speak.
It was Su Qing, from the side, who couldn't help but ask, “Then, Your Majesty, have you found her? Is it one of us?”
Su Qing's words made the Queen smile slightly, saying, “Oh? Of course, I've found her… The moment she walked into the hall, the first time I saw her, I recognized her. However, although I recognized her, she didn't recognize me! It's quite a sigh. But I don't blame her, after all, I am no longer the little beggar who was by her side back then.”
Su Qing chuckled upon hearing this, saying, “That's truly a pity… So, who is that person?”
“Who? I won't say for now,” the Queen said with a beaming smile. “I hope she can remember me herself… If she truly can't remember, then I will tell her personally. That way, it will be more meaningful! Don't you agree?”
Su Qing met the Queen's gaze, smiled gracefully, and shook her head, saying, “That's hard to say… What if she remembers but doesn't wish to acknowledge you?”
“That's fine too… I will take the initiative,” the Queen said. “This is the Women's Kingdom! And I am the Queen of the Women's Kingdom.”
These two sentences, though seemingly disjointed, conveyed their meaning clearly once heard.
Hearing this, Su Qing drank a cup of tea and said nothing more.
Seeing Su Qing no longer asking questions, the Queen couldn't help but say:
“Although you are going to the Western Heaven to obtain scriptures, there's no need to rush so much along the way. It is already autumn, and in a few more days, it will be winter! The roads in Xiliang are not easy to travel in winter, so you might as well stay in my Xiliang Imperial Palace for a few days. It won't be too late to leave after spring arrives next year.”
Chen Chaoyan was about to refuse, but Su Qing smiled and said, “That sounds good! We shall stay here for a few days.”
Seeing Su Qing say this, Chen Chaoyan suppressed her doubts and then nodded.
Seeing this, the Queen also smiled and said, “Excellent… Rest assured, my Women's Kingdom of Xiliang may not be as prosperous as the Tang Dynasty, but it is not far behind. You will not be mistreated while staying in my kingdom.”
“I naturally believe that,” Su Qing said calmly.
The Queen nodded, then clapped her hands, summoning several palace maids and instructing them to take Su Qing and the others to their living quarters in the palace.
Not long after,
Su Qing and the others followed the palace maids away.
Meanwhile, the Queen watched their departing figures, silently sighed in her heart, and murmured to herself:
“I suppose, just as she said, she already recognized me, but simply didn't wish to acknowledge me. But why wouldn't she? Could it be that my life in this existence isn't good enough?”
Thinking this, she shook her head slightly. “But never mind, if you're unwilling to take the initiative, then I will!”
In truth, the Queen also understood…
The fact that the other party was willing to stay naturally indicated that she was also hesitant.
Since she was still hesitant,
Then there was naturally still a chance.
On the other side,
Su Qing walked along the path, a little distracted.
Her divine calculations gradually ceased.
She sighed softly, muttering to herself, “No matter how I calculate, it's still her…”
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