Volume 5: If you are poor, you should be alone Chapter 161 The Feast Ends
Hongye, 46 years old, single, female.
The reproductive age of female snow werewolves is between 30 and 60 years old. After this age, the estrus rate of snow werewolves will decrease and their desire to have children will also decrease accordingly.
As for forcing the snow werewolves to reproduce... that doesn't exist. I'll bite your heads off.
When Hongye just came of age, the Fire Tribe had lost four elite warriors and was on the decline. Forced to upgrade, they had to migrate all the way to the western grassland. Hongye, who had just become a warrior, was worried about the survival of the tribe and naturally had no time to take care of the issue of a partner.
After ten years of migration, the tribe settled in the southwestern border. If the tribe followed the normal development path, the Fire Flame Tribe would contact other local Snow Wolf tribes after two to three years of settlement, creating opportunities for the females in the tribe to meet the opposite sex and bring their partners to the tribe to expand the population. At this moment... Xiao Yun came.
As Hongye is one of the few people with normal IQ in the Snow Wolf Tribe, Xiao Yun would never let her go. First, she worked like a slave, doing all the hard work and rotating in various types of work. After Hongye had enough understanding of the "Yun-style development concept" and "Yun-style organizational work", she was immediately arranged to be the district chief of the "Hillary Industrial New District" and contribute to the tribe's land reclamation... Hongye was so busy that she couldn't even be a soldier, so naturally she had no time to fall in love and find a partner.
So the question is, during this important period when the tribe is working hard to develop, will Xiao Yun, who even wants to borrow the cat's claws of a caracal cub, allow Hongye to date the infertile Lily?
What a joke!
Xiao Yun picked up the torch... uh... the stick without hesitation, strode forward, patted Hongye's arm to signal her to move her butt to the side, and then, under Elizabeth's stunned gaze, squeezed in between the two of them and almost sat on Elizabeth's thighs.
Without waiting for the elf girl to get angry, Xiao Yun smiled and said, "Elizabeth, the last time I saw General Crest, he seemed to have gained some weight. How is the general now?"
Elizabeth leaned back subconsciously: "Uh..."
"You look exactly like the general!" Xiao Yun added, "I heard that the human race and the elves are both like sons, like mothers, and like daughters, like fathers. You better be careful in the future. I think General Crest is prone to gaining weight."
"Gretel is not fat!" Elizabeth was a little dissatisfied. She stood up and wanted to sit next to Hongye.
Xiao Yun immediately cast his sharp gaze towards Evelin.
Evelyn: “…”
How petty is Teacher Ayun... As a disciple, Evelin still has some sense. She could only give her friend an apologetic look, quickly walked forward and sat down next to Hongye, and she and Xiao Yun sandwiched Hongye on the left and right.
Elizabeth: “…”
Hongye: “???”
"Hongye, you are almost fifty. Have you ever thought about finding a partner?" Xiao Yun pretended not to see the vicious look from Elizabeth and turned to Hongye and said naturally.
Hongye asked in confusion, "Where do I have the time? Wait, Ayun, you don't doubt that I don't work hard, do you? No, I'm focusing on the construction of the new district every day. If you hadn't asked me to attend this party, I wouldn't have had enough sleep."
"How could that be? Don't I know how serious and responsible you are?" Xiao Yun was very satisfied and put his arm on Hongye's shoulder. "A good woman should put career first, herself second, childbearing third, and partner fourth. Don't you think this is the truth? Being in love all day long is too vulgar!"
Elizabeth: “???”
Evelyn: “…”
Hongye was confused: "Ayun, what are you talking about? What about love?"
"What I'm saying is that any relationship that is not for the purpose of having children is just hooliganism! A relationship that interferes with one's career should be thrown into the trash. Isn't that right?" Xiao Yun said forcefully.
"..." Hongye vaguely understood what this guy meant. She stared with dead fish eyes and twitched her mouth. "In your opinion, is there anything more valuable than work..."
"Of course not!" Xiao Yun said firmly.
"So why the hell are you telling me this?!"
Elizabeth turned her head and walked away angrily...
When Hongye saw her friend, who was chatting happily just now, leave in a huff, she realized that Xiao Yun had bad intentions and was puzzled: "Are you deliberately talking to anger her? How did Liz offend you?"
"Look, they've even called each other nicknames. What else can I do if I don't break up this couple?" Xiao Yun pointed confidently, "I've made it clear to you, Hongye. No matter how good Lily is, she can't have children. I won't agree to this marriage no matter what!"
Hongye: "(o言o)?!"
"We can't stay in this place with the forest elves anymore, let's go. Evelyn, don't forget to do your homework when you go back, I'll check it later!"
Evelin had a blank expression on her face, and didn't want to say anything...
The Snow Wolf Tribe was considered the weakest among all the participating tribes. It was not until the second half of the banquet that the Snow Elf officers came to Xiao Yun.
It was probably a special arrangement by the snow elves, and it was Selina who came to contact the Snow Wolf Tribe.
This Water Margin hero in the guise of a beautiful woman winked at Xiao Yun while explaining the Ice and Snow King City's arrangements for the troops of various races. She said all the same things that Xiao Yun had exported and sold domestically, but she added a lot of details, such as the food and lodging arrangements for the soldiers of various races who volunteered to suppress Miriam, the wear and tear of weapons and armor, the division of jurisdiction, how much dry food each soldier had to bring... and so on.
The Elf King is not stupid. Opening up Miriam does not mean that the Snow Elves will unconditionally help other tribes train their soldiers. They will collect all the fees that should be collected. Although they will not interfere with the command of other tribes' warriors, the logistics are very tight. It is impossible to bypass the Snow Elves to use Miriam!
"We have few people and warriors in the Snow Wolf tribe, so we won't send any troops. Besides, we are a magic-forbidden tribe and cannot sense the fluctuations of magic power. We should give the opportunity to others." Xiao Yun was really tired of watching Selina winking at him. It was unnecessary to go through so much trouble to hint to him that the Snow Elf had not exposed him as the one who came up with the idea. "Of course, guarding Miriam is the responsibility of all races in Bloomfield, and we, the Snow Wolf tribe, must also contribute. If the Ice and Snow King City does not mind, we, the Snow Wolf tribe, are willing to provide the Alliance with one million kilograms of dry powder military rations at a low price every quarter, and only charge a processing fee of five copper coins per kilogram..."
"Mr. Ayun is so generous. Please allow me to thank the Snow Wolf Tribe for their support to the Demon Suppression Force on behalf of the Alliance." Selina said seriously, "Regarding the envoys stationed in the Ice and Snow King City, what do you think, Mr. Ayun?"
"There's no need for that. We, the Snow Wolf Clan, will just wait for the guidance of Her Majesty the Queen." Xiao Yun said cautiously.
Selina felt a little disappointed that Ayun was not as close to the snow elves as the forest elves, but the Snow Wolf Tribe was originally recommended by the queen, so it was normal for them not to want to change people. She nodded and said, "I will report the Snow Wolf Tribe's opinions to my king truthfully."
After packing up her things and getting up, Selina couldn't help but whispered a reminder: "Ayun, I heard that your Snow Wolf tribe has opened a shop in the underground city. You must not get involved in the conflict between the mistress and the dwarf king."
"I see, thank you." Xiao Yun nodded. He would be a fool to interfere in the fight between the dark elves and the dwarves, but since Selina specifically reminded him, he had to appreciate it.
As soon as Selina left, the white fox Aloi came over worriedly.
"The Snow Wolf Tribe is a forbidden magic race. Opening up Miriam this time will not do you any good, but if you don't join the alliance, you will most likely be excluded. Ayun, you have to send warriors as well."
This old brother is not very reliable, but he really cares about the Snow Wolf Tribe. Xiao Yun couldn't help but smile and said, "Everyone knows that our Snow Wolf Tribe is a forbidden magic race. If we still send warriors to occupy the place, wouldn't it offend people even more? Don't worry, although we can't send warriors, we can provide low-priced supplies to the alliance, so that others will not think that our Snow Wolf Tribe has no value in joining the alliance."
"That's good. I forgot that you are good at planting now." Aloi felt relieved and sighed, "The Snow Wolf Tribe was not like this before. You have changed a lot in the past two hundred years."
"Everything is constantly evolving. Nothing can remain unchanged. It would be bad if we just insist on chasing the illusions of the past and refuse to keep up with the times." Xiao Yun said casually, his eyes cast towards the Tiger King sitting next to the Beast King.
These words come from my heart. What makes people lost is not only the future in the fog, but also the so-called "past".
As a fellow resident of the grassland, Xiao Yun did not have much hatred or resentment towards the tiger tribe. After all, they were all weaklings trying to survive in the cracks. How could one of them be nobler than the other?
"Ayun?" Aloi didn't understand.
"Nothing." Xiao Yun smiled and turned to ask about the situation of the fox tribe in the Orc Empire.
If we talk about which major forces in Bloomfield have the most complex internal environment, the Orc Empire is undoubtedly the most complex among them... There are many factions and the interests of all parties are deeply involved. If it weren't for the Elf King outside and the Beast King inside, the Far East would have been fought with blood and the war would have spread to other parts of the Northern Continent. The Beast King would tease the Elf King and the Dwarf King from time to time, which actually meant to divert internal conflicts.
Of course, no matter how much he flirts, the Beast King cannot afford an all-out war… Back then, the Elf King and his army bullied him back and forth in his hometown for half a year, but the Beast King just had to endure it.
However, this kind of "teasing" is just disgusting for the big forces, but if a small force is involved, it will either die or be crippled - for example, the tiger tribe that came to the door this time, Xiao Yun was not optimistic about these big cats.
To put it bluntly, when Xiao Yun looked at the "neighbor" he had never dealt with from afar, all he saw was a tombstone...
Listening to the chatter of the white fox Aloi and thinking about the impact of this Frank feast on the structure of the northern continent, Xiao Yun could feel that the fog surrounding the tribe like a substance had faded a little, and a wider space could be seen in front of him.
The establishment of the racial alliance means that the Elf King, the strongest man on the continent, has a greater say, and power is often reflected in the right to allocate resources and the right to make the rules of the game; the former is fine, but the latter is extremely important to the development of the Snow Wolf Tribe. Having rules of the game of power to rely on, even the worst rules, is better than chaos and disorder.
It is better to be a dog in peacetime than a man in troubled times. This is the simplest understanding of "rules" that has been passed down by Chinese people for thousands of years. If you don't have the conditions to make rules, then temporarily living in a certain rule to develop yourself is far more reliable than diving into the disorderly zone and gambling your life for the future. As an absolute pragmatist, Xiao Yun never believes in gambling. He only believes in his own hands and brain. Accumulating strength and then making a breakthrough is his way to win. Gambling on the "family destiny"? Forget it! He is not that stupid.
Xiao Yun didn't need to worry about what kind of rules the Elf King would make... There was no point worrying, as this was not something he could influence. With the Beast King and the Dwarf King holding him back, the Elf King had to ensure "fairness" on the surface, at least not be too .
After thinking it over, Xiao Yun let out a sigh of relief... The purpose of participating in this Frank feast was successfully accomplished. What's next is to watch the big guys perform obediently, and then pack up and go home to continue farming.
"Now that we have more people, the engineering team should see about forming a third or fourth team... The work team should also be expanded. No, we should extract those responsible for agriculture and form production teams. We should try the production team model for two or three years to see how it goes, and then we'll see whether we should establish a farm contracting system." When he thought of work, Xiao Yun became full of energy, and excitedly planned the future development direction.
"..." Sean silently glanced at Xiao Yun who was obviously distracted, and then silently glanced at Aloy who was still chattering about the fox clan's household affairs, and the corners of his mouth twitched uncontrollably.
The Snow Wolf and Fox tribes hid in a corner to keep each other warm. In the hall, as the banquet came to an end, the disputes among the leaders of each tribe began to heat up...
The Dark Elf Mistress made her dissatisfaction with the Elf King clear through her actions. When the three demigods had a dispute over the charter of the racial alliance, she just stood by and watched, not helping anyone.
The Queen of Forest Elf stood firmly on the side of the Elf King, but was quickly defeated after the Dwarf King made a few sarcastic remarks... There was no other way. The Queen was a spectator when the Mistress and the Beast King targeted the Dwarf King, and now she couldn't be tough in front of the Dwarf King.
Fortunately, the Beast King and the Dwarf King were not of one mind at all, and the Elf King still had the most weight. After arguing about some irrelevant details, the three major charters of the racial alliance based on "working together to suppress the gate to the demon world" were finalized with more than half of the supporters:
The demon-suppressing troops of each tribe will not invade each other within the Ice and Snow King City area.
The demon-suppressing troops of each race must not interfere with the military power or internal affairs of other races within the Ice and Snow King City, and must not use the troops of other races as vassal troops.
The demon-suppressing troops from each tribe can only be used to suppress Miriam and cannot be used for other purposes, otherwise the Elf King has the right to prohibit them from entering Miriam.
These three regulations ensured the transcendent status of the Ice and Snow Royal City and the supervision of the snow elves. The Elf King seemed quite satisfied.
The Beast King and the Dwarf King had nothing to say about this, as the charter only restricted the troops sent to the Ice and Snow King City, and the Elf King could not reach into their territory.
Xiao Yun was also very satisfied. It turned out that these big guys would never be willing to coexist peacefully just by forming a racial alliance. They still wanted to continue fighting... This was perfect.
The charter was finalized, the Dark Elf Matriarch provided the spider silk scroll, the Elf King engraved the magic runes on the scroll, and the sages of each race came forward to sign one by one. This is why the treaties and contracts in this world do not make empty promises and the restrictions on each contract are extremely strict and detailed. A signed agreement cannot be torn up at will. The law of language is there, and the stronger the person, the more restricted they are...
Except for a few great human magicians who were there to make up the numbers, everyone left their names on the scroll, and this Frank Banquet ended perfectly.
The dwarf king was in a bad mood and walked out with his men without saying goodbye to the queen.
The Beast King didn't care that the Dwarf King took the lead, and even took a step back.
The Elf King ignored their quarrel, stood up and escorted the Queen out of the hall.
The mistress looked annoyed...
Xiao Yun hid aside and waited for the bosses to leave first, then he saw Elder Meili from the group of forest elves winking at him and making an obscure lip shape.
Xiao Yun nodded slightly.
But at this moment, the Elf King, who was supporting the queen to the exit of the hall, turned his head slightly and looked at Xiao Yun who was hiding behind the crowd.
This guy who was 100% pretentious only glanced at Xiao Yun for maybe a few tenths of a second, then he looked away and naturally helped the queen out.
Just this one glance made Xiao Yun break out in a cold sweat.
"Damn it - is there something I did that was too obvious?!" Xiao Yun, feeling guilty, couldn't help but feel the urge to flee the Ice and Snow King City immediately, "What does this guy mean? Give me a look? A warning?"
Sean looked over curiously: "Ayun?"
"It's okay." Xiao Yun lowered his head to look at his toes, forcing himself to calm down.
Xiao Yun did not have good intentions in proposing the establishment of a demon-suppressing army and a racial alliance... But it was not a conspiracy. Why did the Elf King host this Frank Feast? To put it bluntly, wasn't it just to show off his awesomeness and to cash in on his strength for actual benefits? Xiao Yun was just helping to build a ladder. Even if there was no racial alliance, when the Elf King thought of a good reason, it would definitely happen.
"I can't lose my composure. No matter how you look at it, my performance this time should be that of a qualified elf bootlicker." Xiao Yun secretly wiped his sweat, and when he looked up again, his expression had returned to normal. "Wait... could it be that this guy thinks that I am too embarrassed to only cling to the queen? Damn, it's possible. This kind of pretentious guy can do DPS with just his looks, he has long forgotten what it means to be a pretentious person!"
"We can't come to the Ice and Snow King City again!" Xiao Yun made up his mind with a cold sweat.
It's not that he wants to save face and refuses to be a licker for the Snow Elf. For a person like him, face is worthless - the real reason is that the Elf King is too strong! Being a licker for the Queen can protect yourself, but being a licker for the Elf King may very likely send the entire Snow Wolf tribe to the other party's bowl!
No matter how shameless they are... and no matter how much they don't care about their reputation, Xiao Yun is not willing to let the Snow Wolf Tribe become a vassal race of others!
Walking into the passage, the queen, who always felt depressed in crowded places, breathed a sigh of relief and felt a lot more relaxed in her chest.
Turning her head, the queen asked curiously, "King, who were you looking at just now?"
"He is a somewhat interesting young man." The Elf King nodded slightly, revealing a smile that he was not aware of, but was very lethal. "The Snow Wolf Clan Sage you recommended is very interesting, Otilia."
"Are you talking about Ayun from the Snow Wolf Clan? I really like his travelogues." The queen chuckled, "But I have never come into contact with this Snow Wolf Clan. It was Gwendolyn who suggested this."
The Elf King looked back and glanced at the white-robed wizard who was following behind him with his head lowered, then looked away again.
The Elf King and the Queen started talking about other things. The ladies-in-waiting and court wizards following behind the Queen remained expressionless and just kept their distance from Gwendolyn silently.
At the end of the team, Elder Meili sneered imperceptibly.
After sending the Queen to the square, the Elf King turned and left. Queen Otilia watched the Elf King enter the castle, then waved to the people behind her: "Go back."
Her Majesty the Queen is in poor health and rarely moves around. Today she attended a whole day of banquets. After returning to her hotel, she took off her dress with the help of her lady-in-waiting and lay down to rest.
The two ladies-in-waiting had been taking care of the queen for many years. After the queen fell asleep, one of them stayed in the room, while the other tiptoed downstairs to prepare soup for the queen to drink when she woke up.
"Merry?" The lady-in-waiting was surprised to find that there was another person in the living room on the first floor besides the court wizard who always lingered. If it was the shameless Gwendolyn, it would be fine, but Merry never approached the queen.
Elder Meili had also participated in the defense of the royal city sixteen years ago, and had fought alongside several court mages, but she was only an acquaintance with the female officials. Bowing slightly, Elder Meili of Ananas City, who had never asked anyone for help and was known for her stubborn temper, smiled bitterly and said, "Please forgive me for coming to you in such a presumptuous way, Your Excellency. I heard that Elder Gwendolyn is seeking to be transferred back to the Mage Corps. Can I, as Elder Ananas, ask for a favor for Elder Gwendolyn?"
The lady-in-waiting was instinctively annoyed by this rather presumptuous request, but she soon felt something was wrong. If Merry really came to plead for Gwendolyn, how could the other court wizards allow her in?
Glancing at the several court mages standing nearby with stern faces, the female official patiently said, "We have no right to interfere with the Queen's Mage Corps. Elder Meili, without the order of the Grand Master and the Queen's permission, no one has the right to promise changes to the members of the Mage Corps."
Meili sighed and said, "I understand, Your Excellency. I just hope you can pass on the message for me... Ananas can't hold on any longer. I'm not afraid of making fun of you. Our general is even worried about how to raise funds for the soldiers to replace their equipment. I'm really worried about how Ananas will spare soldiers when responding to the Queen's call-"
"How is that possible?!" the female official said in surprise, "Hasn't Ananas been doing business with the Snow Wolf Tribe for several years? You also accepted the Adventurer's Association to move in. If we talk about the city's financial abundance, Ananas should be the best, right?"
"That's true, but unfortunately it's not that simple." Merry smiled bitterly again, "Elder Gwendolyn is in charge of the trade with the Snow Wolf Tribe. At the beginning, it did greatly ease the financial pressure on Ananas... But as time went on and the trade volume increased, Ananas' finances became increasingly inadequate..."
The lady-in-waiting had assisted the queen in government affairs for many years and had seen all kinds of tricks. Her expression became subtle - no wonder the court wizards were willing to make things convenient for Merry. What Gwendolyn did was really disgraceful!
If Gwendolyn was still a member of the Mage Corps, then the court mages would have to cover up for her for the sake of their colleagues, but she has been expelled from the Mage Corps for more than 40 years. Who would recognize her?
The thought flashed through her mind. The female official smiled slightly and stepped forward to support Meili: "Don't be excited, Meili, sit down and talk slowly. Ananas is the queen's territory. Since we are assisting the queen, we will certainly not sit idly by..."
Gwendolen was summoned by the Queen early the next morning.
Asking the Queen's messenger to sit down and wait, Gwendolen suppressed her excitement, ran back to her room, changed into her dress, and hurried to the Queen's residence.
She has waited for this day for too long!
The Queen seemed to be in good spirits. When Gwendolen arrived, she had changed into her daily clothes and was sitting by the window drinking tea.
After sending away the lady-in-waiting, the Queen asked Gwendolyn to sit down with her and said softly, "I still remember that when we were studying at the academy, my health was even worse than it is now. It was you and Gina who often took the initiative to accompany me, Gwendolyn."
"Your Majesty..." Gwendoline was a little excited. The past was proof that she firmly believed that the Queen needed her. The Queen took the initiative to bring up the past, which was simply the best omen.
"In order to take better care of me, Gina took the initiative to enter the palace and become a lady-in-waiting. Over the years, she has indeed regarded me as more important than herself." The queen raised her head and looked at Gwendolyn quietly, her voice very soft.
"And you, Gwendolyn, you became a spellcaster and joined the Mage Corps. When you said you wanted to have the power to protect me, I was very happy. I always remember your words at that time..." The queen paused and her tone became stiff. "Even forty-seven years ago, you took the initiative to pretend to be my envoy and went to the Ice and Snow King City to deceive our common king of the elves. Although I was angry, I did not expose the matter. I can still protect my people."
Gwendolyn's face changed drastically, her lips moved but she couldn't speak. She slowly stood up from her seat and knelt on one knee: "Your Majesty, I..."
"I can understand, Gwendolyn. You are unwilling to be looked down upon by the Grand Master. You want to show your ability and let everyone know that you are very capable, so you are willing to take risks..." The queen closed her eyes and her breathing became increasingly rapid. "But you... are wrong, you are wrong, Gwendolyn. There are many smart people, not just you - do you think the king didn't realize afterwards that he was deceived?"
Gwendolen's straight back instantly softened and her face looked panicked.
"The king did not pursue the matter. The tiger tribe, which gained peace due to the agreement of the cursed land, turned around and ignored the agreements of various tribes. They really need to be taught a lesson. But your behavior is not worthy of praise— " A painful look appeared on the queen's face. "You think you know me well, Gwendolyn, so guess, do I know you well enough?"
"Your Majesty..." Gwendolen raised her head hastily.
The queen chuckled bitterly, "Ever since we were young, you have always been ruthless to those who are weaker than you... You never care about what those who can't threaten you think, whether it's the Tiger Tribe or Ananas - the former is fine, but when you regarded Ananas as a weakling who could do whatever you wanted to, did you ever think that Ananas is also my city?!"
"Your Majesty, I, I..." Gwendolyn knelt forward and held the queen's hand. "I know I am too impatient, but I just want to be back with you!"
"Gwen-Dorine!" The Queen shook Gwendolyn's hand away and shouted, "Do you think I am so incompetent that I can't do anything without you?! Why do you think I will be happy to squeeze the loyalty of a city to please me?!"
"Your Majesty?! Please calm down, Your Majesty, breathe slowly and don't get excited." The lady-in-waiting Gina realized something was wrong, she broke open the door and rushed in to support the queen, casting a look of disgust at Gwendolyn without disguising it.
"Gina is less talented in magic than you, but you have never respected her." The queen stared at the grief-stricken Gwendolyn, extremely disappointed, "The three of us grew up together, how could I not know about you? I have always hoped that you can change, but you always disappoint me - Gina has never made mistakes in managing government affairs for me, but you just took over a city and showed me such a result... Two years ago, I saw Ananas' financial report and thought you finally figured it out, but what about the result?"
With the help of the lady-in-waiting Gina, Her Majesty the Queen stood up and turned her head away, refusing to look at Gwendolyn again: "Go back to the academy, Gwendolyn, whether you are teaching young elves or organizing royal archives... Don't appear in front of me again."
Gwendolen collapsed to the ground, without even the strength to call out to the queen.
