Siheyuan: tomb robbing? I am serious about hunting.

Chapter 1175 Jade Pendant

Upon hearing this, the three women all showed surprise on their faces. They looked at each other, their eyes full of disbelief. The woman in the green dress in the middle stepped forward. Her steps were light and her posture was elegant. She said softly, "Young Master, you are a foreigner? No man has come to this Mirror Flower Domain for three hundred years. My name is Qinghe. I am a herbal farmer in the city. I usually come to this shore to pick some herbs and fruits. If you don't mind, you can come with us into the city to rest for a while, so that we can report this to the Queen. According to the rules, the Queen must be informed of the arrival of outsiders." "No man has come for three hundred years?" Lin Yanzhi was shocked and almost dropped the oar in his hand. He had read about the legend of the "Daughter Kingdom" in ancient books. It said that it was a country with only women, and women could reproduce without relying on men. But he always thought it was just the imagination of the ancients. He didn't expect to encounter it today. He was about to ask "Why haven't men come for three hundred years?" but he saw Qinghe already carrying a bamboo basket and stepping onto the deck. Her movements were so light that the boat only swayed slightly. Qinghe placed the bamboo basket in the middle of the boat and said with a smile, "Young Master, your boat seems to have hit a reef. Would you like to check it out first? If the boat is damaged, it will be difficult to enter the city." The other two women also got on the boat. The woman on the left was named Qingdai, and the one on the right was named Qingrui. They were both farmers in the city. They skillfully helped Lin Yanzhi untie the boat ropes. Qingdai was quite strong and pulled the boat to the shore by herself. Qingrui squatted down and checked the damage to the bottom of the boat. "Fortunately, it's just a small damage. It won't affect navigation." Qingrui stood up and said to Lin Yanzhi, "Don't worry, young master. After entering the city, you can find a carpenter in the city to repair it. The carpentry skills of our Jinghua Domain are very good." Lin Yanzhi watched their skillful movements and felt a warm feeling in his heart. He thought this unfamiliar place would be full of dangers, but he didn't expect the first person he met to be so friendly. After the boat docked, Lin Yanzhi followed Qinghe into the city. The road leading to the city gate is paved with bluestone slabs. The slabs are very flat, and it is obvious that someone takes care of them regularly. There are some unknown trees planted on the roadside. The leaves of the trees are dark green, and the trunks are covered with pink vines. The "twined lotus" on the vines is in full bloom, emitting a faint fragrance. When he arrived at the city gate, Lin Yanzhi discovered that the city gate of the Mirror Flower Domain was even more magnificent than he had imagined. The city gate is about three meters high and two meters wide. It is made entirely of green jade. The color of the jade is light green, and there seem to be tiny spots of light hidden inside, glowing in the sun. There are strange patterns engraved on the city gate. The patterns are golden, like some kind of ancient totem. The patterns are embedded with glowing crystals. The color of the crystals is light purple, the same color as the fog on the Liusha River, and it can emit a soft light even during the day. Four guards stood on either side of the city gate. They were women clad in silver armor, made of some kind of metal, gleaming coldly, its edges engraved with phoenix patterns. They wore long swords at their waists, their hilts inlaid with red gems. Their eyes were as sharp as eagles, yet they possessed a more heroic air than that of ordinary men. Upon seeing Qinghe, they didn't immediately let her in. Instead, they saluted, their voices in unison: "Miss Qinghe, do you have a permit to enter the city?" Qinghe pulled out a pale green jade pendant from her waist, engraved with the words "Mirror Flower Domain." "This is my identity pendant. This is Mr. Lin, a foreigner. He was lost here in a storm. I'm taking him to see the Queen." The guard took the pendant, carefully examined it, and after confirming it was correct, returned it to Qinghe and stepped aside. "Please enter, young lady. The Queen has ordered that any foreigners arriving must be brought to the palace immediately." Lin Yanzhi followed Qinghe through the city gate, his heart filled with curiosity. The scene in the city was even more bizarre than he had imagined. The streets were paved with bluestone slabs, which were very clean and without a speck of dust. The houses on both sides had white walls and black tiles, and the roofs were paved with black tiles, which were arranged neatly. Colorful lanterns were hung under the eaves. The lanterns were pink, purple, and blue, and shaped like lotus flowers. The light in the lanterns was not candlelight, but points of light like fireflies. These points of light danced gently in the lanterns, emitting a soft light that illuminated the entire street. Women were walking on the street, and they were dressed differently. There were farmers wearing light green dresses. "Sir, this is specially made for you by the imperial chef. The imperial chef said that you are from the south of the Yangtze River and have a light taste, so he specially made these light dishes. Try it and see if it suits your appetite." Lu'e said as she took out a bowl and chopsticks from the food box and placed them in front of Lin Yanzhi. Lin Yanzhi was indeed hungry. He had only eaten a few pieces of dry food from yesterday noon until now, and he was already starving. He picked up the chopsticks and took a bite of the greens. The greens were crisp and lightly sweet. Although there were no excessive seasonings, the original flavor of the greens was retained to the greatest extent. It was even more delicious than the greens he had eaten in Jiangnan. He took another bite of the fish. The fish was tender and boneless, melted in the mouth, and had a light fragrance that made people linger in the aftertaste. "Thank you, Miss Lu'e. This dish is delicious. The royal chef's skills are really great." Lin Yanzhi praised sincerely. Seeing that he liked it, Lu'e smiled happily and said, "As long as you like it, young master, if you think it suits your taste, I will ask the royal chef to make it according to this taste every day in the future. By the way, the queen also specifically instructed that you go to Jinghua Spring tomorrow to have a look. She said that Jinghua Spring is the sacred spring of our Jinghua Domain. Perhaps you can find something from the spring water, and maybe even find clues to leave." "Jinghua Spring?" Lin Yanzhi's eyes lit up and the chopsticks in his hand paused. He recalled the record he had just read in "Jinghua Domain Records". Jinghua Spring was a holy spring pointed out by the immortals. It not only allowed women to reproduce, but also might have other secrets. If he could find clues to leave from the spring, then he would have hope of returning to his hometown soon. "Okay, I will definitely go and see it tomorrow." Lin Yanzhi nodded quickly, his heart full of anticipation. Seeing that he agreed, Lu'e smiled and said, "Then tomorrow morning, I will ask Miss Qinghe to pick you up. Miss Qinghe often goes to the vicinity of Jinghua Spring to collect herbs and is very familiar with the road there. My lord, take your time to eat. I will go down first. If you need anything, just tell the maid outside." Lin Yanzhi nodded, watched Lu'e leave, and then continued to enjoy the food on the table. He ate this meal with extra relish, not only because the food was delicious, but also because he had new hope in his heart. The next morning, Lin Yanzhi woke up at dawn. He had just finished washing up and changed his clothes when Qinghe's voice came from outside the door: "Mr. Lin, are you awake? It's time for us to go to Jinghuaquan." Lin Yanzhi opened the door and saw Qinghe standing at the door, wearing a light green dress.