Thank you so much to @unfilial_rosy_1015 &@Madeline_Green_1777 for your support 🥹🫶
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As expected, when the Empress of Carnation saw this, she finally stopped speaking and turned her gaze to the boxes behind her, filled with all kinds of supplies.
"Aside from the supreme gifts from our royal family, we've also brought various fine goods produced in the Carnation Kingdom. These include spices favored by nobles across the continent, exquisite gemstones and agates, and the finest furs from fierce beasts..."
The Empress of Carnation walked to the large, full crates and introduced over twenty kinds of "specialties" from the Carnation Kingdom to Elara.
When it came to items meant for trade, Elara finally got serious.
She ignored the soft touches at both sides of her legs and listened carefully to the Empress of Carnation's introduction. She realized that the Carnation Kingdom was indeed as the System had described—rich in resources but low in cultural development, with a primitive and fierce way of living. They didn't know how to turn their advantages into profits and lacked skills like farming or weaving.
However, the goods they brought were indeed high-quality. Most of them were rare luxury items in high demand across many countries, though Plumera lacked them.
Elara was very pleased. "Carnation brought so many rare and beautiful resources. Plumera is very satisfied. But in return, I don't know what gift to give back. Why don't you, Empress, tell me more about your kingdom's situation, so I can choose a suitable gift that will please Carnation?"
Her words carried a hint of probing.
But after speaking, she felt slightly worried the Empress of Carnation might ask her to send a few Plumera men over as playthings.
Elara truly couldn't bring herself to do that to her people.
Fortunately, the women of the Carnation Kingdom didn't seem interested in men from patriarchal nations at all.
And this envoy visit from the Empress of Carnation was clearly well planned.
As soon as Elara finished speaking, the Empress immediately responded,
"To be honest, Your Majesty, we have come with a request."
"Oh? Let's hear it."
"Though Carnation has strong military power, our location is too close to the western border and next to the Forbidden Forest. Surrounded by countries like Tigerlie and Redchew, we've had fewer and fewer food imports in recent years."
"Also, during the rainy season, the Papyrus River in our land floods the border areas. The Lotus Swamp covers such a wide area that it can't be cultivated. This time, I've been sent to ask Your Majesty for a solution. Otherwise, our yearly famines are only worsening. Even with grain tributes from Yaxis and Ferran, more and more people are dying!"
While she spoke, the Empress of Carnation knelt halfway before Elara, and the other female envoys also rose and followed her action.
"We beg Your Majesty to grant the Carnation Kingdom a solution!"
Elara looked at the women from the Carnation Kingdom and once again felt the deep influence of the Divine Order in this world.
They had never interacted before, yet because of a divine revelation, they sent a royal envoy to visit with so many precious "gifts."
Did they really believe so firmly in the Divine Order's message? Were they sure she would have a way to solve Carnation's problems?
Or was this a kind of test from Carnation?
If Elara couldn't provide any solution at all, then even with a divine revelation, their attitude toward Plumera would surely turn cold.
They might not turn into enemies outright, but a formal visit like this from high-ranking envoys would likely never happen again.
The trades Elara wanted to discuss would also probably be rejected immediately.
Elara sighed slightly in her heart.
Many things she had encountered since arriving in this world were beyond common logic.
Fortunately, she did have a solution to Carnation's problems.
From her mind, she retrieved a book called Basic Solutions for Ancient Terrain Problems.
After offering a preliminary solution for salt-alkali land in the Edelweiss Kingdom to Leif, Elara soon completed the task and received the book Complete Guide to Ancient Terrain Management.
Whether it was flooding rivers or muddy swamps, the geographical issues of Carnation could all be found in this book.
Looking at the Empress of Carnation waiting quietly below, Elara's hand unintentionally rested on the long hair of the man lying across her lap.
"I do have some ways to solve Carnation's problems. But instead of just telling you the solutions, I have a better proposal."
The Empress of Carnation, whose expression had remained mostly neutral, suddenly looked up, and the other female envoys all turned their eyes toward Elara.
Those two major problems had troubled Carnation for far too long. If they could be solved, the kingdom would definitely rise above its current state.
"Your Majesty, please speak freely. As long as the issues with the Papyrus River and the swamp can be resolved, the Carnation Kingdom can immediately send you three hundred strong and domesticated war elephants. In addition, if there's anything else you want, just say the word. As long as it's within our limits, the Carnation Kingdom is willing to offer even more."
Elara paused before the words in her mouth could come out.
Three hundred war elephants?
Elara had never seen elephants used as tools of war with her own eyes.
But in the ancient twenty-first century, there were examples from India and Egypt, and their combat strength was well recorded in history.
Three hundred trained war elephants, if equipped with the iron armor she designed, would surely match the strength of an elite army. And they could charge in the front lines like a heavy assault shield force that could fight and take hits.
Also, in the eastern region of Plumera, war elephants were rare, so bringing them to the battlefield might create a surprise advantage.
War elephants were extremely powerful, and if trained well, they might even carry large destructive weapons like the repeating crossbows on their backs. That would make them into mobile killing towers on the battlefield.
Just imagining it was exciting.
Elara quickly began to calculate how much combat power these three hundred elephants could bring to Plumera, and how she could obtain them from the Carnation Kingdom.
She would need to plan the process from getting the young elephants, feeding them, breeding, and training them, to make war elephants a native and lasting military force in Plumera.
On the surface, she still maintained a smile. "This isn't a price. It's a deal."
The Empress of Carnation, trying to control her emotions, asked, "Please, go ahead."
"It's simple. I just said it earlier. Plumera is also trying to build diplomatic relations with other nations. If the Carnation Kingdom can't get the supplies it needs from nearby small nations, why not try opening a trade route with Plumera?"
"Trade route?" The Empress of Carnation raised her eyes and looked at Elara.
Although the Carnation Kingdom was in the southwest corner of the continent, perhaps because it was too close to the western border, or maybe because it was one of the few female-led nations there, it was not within the trading range of the Zhaiyun Pavilion and its nearby countries.
This gave Bai Family's Business a brand-new space to grow commercially.
Also, the Carnation Kingdom was rich in goods, full of rare luxury items not often seen in central parts of the continent.
Whether it was their famous spices and gems, or the unique battle beast furs they produced, all of it could bring great profit to Bai Family's Business and Plumera.
"I can send people to help solve the two major issues in the Carnation Kingdom. At the same time, I hope your side will agree to establish a trade route between Plumera and the Carnation Kingdom."
"That way, in the future, any goods our two nations want to buy or exchange can be handled on this trade route. It will strengthen our cooperation and benefit both sides. What do you think?"
The Empress of Carnation raised her eyes and stared closely at Elara. Seeing her serious expression and that she wasn't joking, she believed Elara really did have a way to solve their crisis.
The Empress of Carnation slowly lowered herself and gave a formal bow. "As long as it can help the Carnation Kingdom overcome those two great dangers, Her Majesty the Empress will surely agree with me. I thank Your Majesty on behalf of the people of the Carnation Kingdom."
The smile on Elara's face grew deeper. At last, Bai Family's Business could step out beyond the borders and open its own path in the world of trade.
"Then let's discuss the trade route from Plumera to the Carnation Kingdom in detail, as well as all related matters."
In the end, Elara and the Carnation Kingdom reached an agreement that satisfied both sides.
First was the construction of a trade route. Plumera and the Carnation Kingdom were separated by about seven hundred kilometers in a straight line.
This distance wouldn't be considered too far in modern times, but in ancient times without official roads and with terrain that required climbing mountains and crossing valleys, this straight-line distance would be extended due to all the detours.
Fortunately, more than three hundred kilometers of this seven-hundred-kilometer stretch belonged to Ferran, a vassal state of the Carnation Kingdom.
Ferran happened to be located between Plumera and the Carnation Kingdom, next to the eastern border of the Carnation Kingdom.
Because Ferran had to tribute various supplies to the Carnation Kingdom every year, it already had roads connecting directly to them. The trade route only needed to be built within Ferran's territory.
Subtracting the over three hundred kilometers in Ferran, only about four hundred kilometers remained that required heavy construction efforts.
Don't underestimate these four hundred kilometers, since that number referred to a straight line.
Once construction actually began, the path would be twisted and winding due to various geographical reasons like mountains, rivers, and valleys, so the real distance would increase.
And this four-hundred-kilometer stretch also crossed through two weak third-class nations.
Their situations were even worse than Plumera's initial state. They had no suzerain state, were deeply divided internally, and the legitimate royal families had already been wiped out. What remained were feudal lords and corrupt ministers fighting for power.
Elara had seen these two small countries many times on the System map before, but since they had been busy with civil wars and hadn't provoked nearby countries, and she had been too occupied with seizing power, she hadn't paid them any attention.
But now, to build the trade route directly from the western gate of Plumera into Ferran, she had to pass through their territories.
Since the two nations were already fractured, finding a sovereign authority to negotiate with was almost impossible.
So Elara had to try another method.
However, trying to secure a route through these chaotic lands wasn't a difficult task for Plumera anymore.
Elara assigned this matter to Damon.
Building trade routes fell under the business department, and Damon also held military power. She could just send him with troops to "negotiate" with the fractured forces inside those countries.
In short, whether it was through negotiation, exchange, or force, as long as they could secure a safe and convenient path for the trade route, it didn't matter.
Both dealing with the two small countries and building the route would be fully handled by Plumera.
This wasn't because Elara suddenly became foolish and wasteful with money, but because of all the hidden benefits involved.
First, the ability to rapidly construct extremely long official roads was something only Plumera had. Elara also wasn't planning to trade away that technology for now.
Although she didn't have cement, the System provided her with an adhesive that worked just as well. She planned to use it to quickly build a strong and durable road.
Once the road was complete, everything from the road itself to the surrounding relay stations would naturally belong to Plumera. It would be a way to expand Plumera's control beyond its own borders, increasing its influence over nearby regions. In the future, if Elara wanted to expand westward, the trade route and its stations would become a major asset.
The trade route itself was a tool for profit. Whether Elara planned to use it to extend other projects or directly earn money through relay stations, all the profits would go to Plumera alone.
The Carnation Kingdom didn't understand road building, had a weak economy, and lacked any deep understanding of commerce. They didn't grasp the deeper strategies Elara had in mind. Since they didn't need to contribute much to the construction, they had no reason to refuse.
The construction of the trade route had been finalized. Next came the matter of trade items.
The Carnation Kingdom's most urgent issues were the flooding of the Papyrus River and the vast areas of swamp that were both dangerous and unusable.
Elara could help them solve both of these problems, but the solutions were still in her mind. As the Empress of Plumera, it was impossible for her to leave the country and go to the Carnation Kingdom to handle it personally.
So Elara had the Empress of Carnation stay in Plumera for a month with her envoys. Elara would designate a special area in Plumera City for future foreign envoys to stay, and the Empress of Carnation and her people would move in.
Then, she would assign a group from the Ministry of Works to teach them how to handle flooding rivers and swamps. They would first test these methods in several areas within Plumera, such as Belladonna where there were many swamps.
Just as Plumera's first major civil examination had ended, it provided her with many newly selected talents.
These people would not only fill the vacancies in various departments of the Ministry of Works. A select few would be led by experienced officials to travel to the Carnation Kingdom and complete the mission there.
The Empress of Carnation hadn't expected to bring back the solutions to two of her kingdom's major problems on this visit. After hearing Elara's plan, she agreed on the spot.
As a gesture of gratitude for Elara solving such difficult issues for her kingdom, the Empress of Carnation not only agreed to share their full training methods for raising and taming war elephants, but also asked Elara to send a few trusted military officers.
She would take them back to the Carnation Kingdom and personally have the best war elephant trainers teach them how to breed, raise, and tame war elephants.
At the same time, the Carnation Kingdom would send twenty healthy, breeding-age elephants—males and females—to Plumera. In the future, war elephants could be bred directly in Plumera and become one of the country's own military resources.
Additionally, the luxury goods that Elara wanted from the Carnation Kingdom would be sent in large quantities as a sincere return gift.
This included one thousand jin of various spices, one hundred boxes of gems and agates, and three hundred top-grade pelts from fierce beasts. All of this was offered as a thank-you gift from the Carnation Kingdom to Plumera.
They also promised that once the trade route between Plumera and the Carnation Kingdom was open, Plumera would only need to pay sixty percent of the original price for any goods they purchased.
The Empress of Carnation was a direct and sincere woman. Since Elara had solved her kingdom's two biggest issues, she responded with her greatest sincerity.
All these promised materials were actually a huge cost to the Carnation Kingdom's treasury. But as long as the Papyrus River and the swamps could be dealt with, even greater costs were worth it.
Their grateful response was full of genuine sincerity. Naturally, Elara planned to prioritize the task of finding and training the Ministry of Works' personnel to complete the deal with the Carnation Kingdom as soon as possible.
Once all matters had been discussed with the Carnation Kingdom, the Empress of Carnation immediately sent a team of envoy guards and three female envoys back first to prepare the massive thank-you gifts and follow-up trade items for Plumera.
The Empress of Carnation then stayed with the rest of her group at the guest residence Elara arranged for her. She waited for Elara to finish training the Ministry officials so they could return to the Carnation Kingdom together.
This round of diplomatic reception finally came to an end, and the people in the hall gradually left one by one.
The two Carnation princes who were still lying on Elara's lap, along with the twenty beautiful male servants behind them, were taken by the palace attendants to pick a palace building in the harem to stay in temporarily.