Suddenly, the voice of the Giraffe King came to his ears: "Our Huayin wine is a famous northern brew, better than the sheep milk wine of Yifan, and even better than the rice wine of Tianjing."
"The Marshal will certainly not be disappointed."
Xie Lanzhi: "......"
Two married women sat at a tea table in the pavilion, chatting happily about beauty.
Queen Azi glanced around from time to time, clearly worried about whether Anyi could entertain guests alone.
Si Xitong comforted her, saying, "Lanzhi is very sensible. You don't need to worry. Anyi will definitely tell Lanzhi that we are friends."
"For your sake, she'll be more patient with Anyi."
Azi sighed, "Sister, Anyi, she..."
Si Xitong secretly shook her head, signaling her not to bring it up again. Azi quickly changed her tune, saying, "An Yi's tendency to stutter when nervous is really unlikable."
“When I took her to see my father, he didn’t even want to look at her.”
"Although it's a pity, it's also a good thing for her status." Si Xitong comforted her again: "It wasn't easy for you two to get together. If it weren't for you, she might not have become the new ruler, bearing the pressure from both the court and the court, to protect you."
"You should be content with this alone."
Si Xitong saw things very clearly. She wanted Lanzhi to personally meet new friends. While Lanzhi wouldn't be lonely in this world, she would miss out on a lot of fun. She had many friends, so she hoped Lanzhi could also connect more with the world and experience more joy in life—this was also what her wife wanted to see.
“But sister, your husband seems quite proactive.” Azi looked at him with envy, which made Si Xitong gradually smile.
"Lanzhi always takes the initiative in those matters."
The premise is that she has to provoke obvious signals before she will move even slightly, like a stone being kicked.
Of course, this is a private matter between the couple. Others don't need to know too much.
Xie Lanzhi never expected that the two of them would drink in the back garden while enjoying the breeze, and that the Giraffe King would even have his maid tell the Queen how many drinks he would have that day.
“The local resident is to drink five catties; go and tell her.”
"yes!"
Five catties? Xie Lanzhi was curious to taste what kind of fine wine Huayin wine was.
When the palace servants placed a jade pot and two black wine bottles on the stone table, one jar was pushed in front of Xie Lanzhi, while the King of Giraffes took the other jar for himself.
Xie Lanzhi then lifted the old lid and smelled a familiar yet faint aroma of wine. She picked it up and took a sip, finally tasting the flavor of this Huayin wine.
"It's beer?"
Even when there's enough grain, an order to ban alcohol is issued. Yet, in Huayin Kingdom, where grain is supposedly controlled, they're still brewing beer. Truly, there are differences between nations.
Xie Lanzhi finished the drink in one go. She found it particularly refreshing, and although she didn't get drunk after drinking it, the feeling of comfort from the full stomach of alcohol gave her a sense of well-being.
Natural wine made from natural wheat is indeed delicious.
"Did the Marshal like it?" The Giraffe King licked his lips after finishing his drink, seemingly wanting more.
Xie Lanzhi was about to give her evaluation.
The giraffe suddenly looked distressed and said, "It's a pity that two jars of Huayin wine are equivalent to the total price of grain in two counties. If it were converted into grain, it would be enough to support five thousand people for a month."
As soon as she finished speaking, Xie Lanzhi let out a timely hiccup.
She suddenly felt that she was drinking the people's hard-earned money.
A note from the author:
Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 18:00:48 on January 4, 2022 and 18:15:15 on January 5, 2022!
Thank you to the little angel who watered the nutrient solution: Xinxin (2 bottles);
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
Chapter 121 Gaining Her Approval
Xie Lanzhi slammed the wine jar down on the stone table with a loud thud, startling Anyi.
"If Lord Anguo is so hospitable, then why invite me here for drinks? Or are you deliberately here to humiliate me?"
An Yi immediately shook his head and explained, "No, I just said it offhand. It's just my usual habit. I hope you misunderstood."
"It seems the king is a man who loves his people like his own children." Xie Lanzhi thought that, considering his wife and Little Phoenix were friends, she would stay a little longer.
An Yi lowered his head, put down the wine jar, and showed no signs of drunkenness on his face.
"If I could be as skilled in martial arts as Marshal Xie and hold military power, perhaps I wouldn't need to hide anymore."
Xie Lanzhi had no interest in getting to know others, and simply nodded.
An Yi said nothing more, but stood up and bowed deeply to Xie Lanzhi. He said, "Sister Si must have already told you about the grain trade. Our country has come with sincerity. Please, Marshal, consider this carefully."
"I know that your country is short of coal. Now our country has complete coal mining technology, which can provide your country with coal to replace charcoal."
Afterwards, An Yi explained his plans and cooperation details to her, but she didn't offer any opinions. She was interested in coal, but most coal mines were in the north, which had absolutely nothing to do with Huayin South. Yet, An Yi was using Huayin South to cooperate with Little Phoenix.
Thus, she also deduced that Huayin North and Anyi had no real say, which is why she wanted to win over the north.
Xie Lanzhi asked, "How many Huns and Xiongnu are there north of Huayin?"
An Yi was taken aback by her sudden question. After thinking for a moment, he gave a number: "Five thousand troops."
It's military force, not ordinary civilians.
The traditions of the Huns differed from those of the Central Plains from a young age. Even though the Central Plains had a system of hereditary military households, it wasn't like the Huns' system of universal conscription. It is said that the Huns' ancestors retained a custom where every Hun child had to hunt chickens and ducks at the age of ten. The Hunnic state even established special hunting grounds for this purpose, with chickens and ducks set up for childhood and wolves and tigers for the coming-of-age ceremony. This differed from the coming-of-age ceremony of the Central Plains, and was a more primitive and violent one.
Therefore, all the Hunnic people, from their youth onwards, possessed imposing physiques and unwavering wills. Those who were trained were formidable warriors.
This is why the Huns and Xiongnu were often referred to as natural-born generals on the battlefield.
As for the five thousand people in Huayin North, it should be true; Anyi would not dare to lie if they needed her help.
Xie Lanzhi's opinion of Anyi's honesty had changed considerably. She said, "Fu Feng has told me about your matter, but I do not intend to get involved."
“My sister told me that you’ve always been cautious and don’t easily trust people, but I think it’s not that you don’t trust people, but that you have other reasons.” An Yi suddenly said to her boldly, he saw through what kind of person she was.
Xie Lanzhi found it quite amusing; who talks so bluntly? Doesn't he care about offending people?
Fortunately, it was her, and she didn't mind.
"Tell me about it."
“It’s simple, because I’m an outsider, and in your eyes I’m a very weak and incompetent person.” An Yi lowered his head, his eyes dim, as if he was recalling something sad.
"Sister, not everyone can be like you, or like you, able to stand alone and ensure the safety and well-being of the people, and safeguard peace in this corner of the world."
"Most people can't do it. Let alone women."
Xie Lanzhi raised an eyebrow: "What do you mean by that?"
An Yi looked up and gestured for the others to leave. Once they had mostly left, he began to loosen his belt, starting with the waistband and then the buttons on his clothes, which made Xie Lanzhi's eyelids twitch.
She immediately stood up: "What are you doing?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Anyi opened his coat and lifted his underwear, looking exactly like an exhibitionist.
Just as Xie Lanzhi was about to attack him, she saw the scene before her and her eyes widened in shock...
An Yi saw that she was stunned. He, no, she silently tidied her clothes and dressed herself neatly.
In the end, An Yi said nothing, but simply bowed to her quietly, then, with her ears turning red, she fled in panic.
Xie Lanzhi watched her leave, then sat back down on the stone bench, rubbing her eyes and sighing, "I wonder if I'll get a sty."
This was the first time she had ever seen a woman's naked body other than Little Phoenix and Ai Min. However, An Yi wasn't naked either; she was wearing a tiger-skin bellyband. It was just that the size of her burly man was too shocking for her.
She'd seen female basketball players before, and their height wasn't surprising, but An Yi, though handsome, had a physique more like that of a Xiongnu. It was like a nine-foot-tall, burly man with a baby face—that was quite astonishing.
Xie Lanzhi roughly understood what the other party meant: she was exchanging her biggest secret for a change of attitude from the other party.
It was indeed very sincere, but she found it strange; it was the first time in her life she had encountered such an exchange of benefits.
Xie Lanzhi rubbed her eyes as she walked out of the back garden. Just then, Si Xitong arrived from the pavilion. As soon as they met, she noticed Xie Lanzhi rubbing her eyes and quickly realized what was happening.
"Lanzhi," Si Xitong looked at her with concern, "What happened to your eyes?"
Xie Lanzhi took her hand and immediately led her away from the main palace of Huayin. As they walked, she couldn't help but say to Anyi, "That queen, she must have something wrong with her head. Why didn't she just tell me with her mouth, but instead lifted her clothes?"
"This is the first time I've ever met an exhibitionist in this world. And she's a woman."
Si Xitong: "......"
Seeing that his beloved wife did not react, Xie Lanzhi was slightly dissatisfied: "Wouldn't you be unhappy if your wife saw another woman's body?"
“If it’s Anyi, I’ll feel very reassured.” Si Xitong winked playfully, indicating her trust in her.
Xie Lanzhi's face froze.
What could be more frustrating than this? An Yi is trusted by women because he looks so reassuring.
Her face immediately hardened: "You're just going to sell me off like this?"
Si Xitong followed her footsteps, shaking her head as she walked: "I didn't know An Yi would use this method directly. I knew she was bad with words, but I didn't expect her to be so careless. I'll talk to her properly next time."
When Xie Lanzhi heard that she would have to see Anyi again, she suddenly felt a headache coming on, but her attention was quickly diverted. Could Anyi and Queen Azi also be a lesbian couple?
"That queen and Anyi..."
Si Xitong answered quickly: "Just like us, we are a loving couple."
“An Yi is timid, but she is capable of doing things that ordinary people would not dare to do for A Zi. The reason she revealed her identity to you today is because I said that you do not agree with her.”
"I just didn't expect that she would use this secret to gain your approval."
Xie Lanzhi found it very novel. It was the first time she had encountered a lesbian couple other than herself and Xiao Fenghuang, especially in this chaotic world. What couldn't happen in such a chaotic world?
This is no longer surprising.
She said, "Now that you mention it, I'm starting to appreciate her. It's rare to find someone who's so socially anxious that she stutters, yet has such great ambitions."
She always had a high opinion of those who worked hard. Letting Xiao Fenghuang handle Anyi for the time being reassured her, and Xie Lanzhi herself felt secure as well.
At least Little Phoenix wouldn't be interested in that kind of person.
An Yi also has someone she loves. Neither of them seems like the type to become each other's unwanted romantic interests.
Xie Lanzhi didn't say anything more, but Si Xitong knew that she was relieved to see Anyi.