"Your Majesty, if you are satisfied, shall we install this system on every carriage you use for your travels?
And for ordinary carriages, we can add a simple shock-absorbing system. Although not as good as yours, it can still greatly reduce wear and tear."
Sophia opened her eyes, stood up slowly, and looked down at Irene, whose face was covered in dust but beaming with a brilliant smile.
"Irene."
Sophia's voice remained flat, yet it carried a trace of warmth.
"From today on, I do not wish to hear any more news of material losses caused by uneven roads within the lands of the Kingdom of Mason.
You have done well with this system."
In her heart, Sophia silently gave a five-star review.
"Yes! Your Majesty!
I will definitely make all the wheels in the Kingdom of Mason feel like they are stepping on clouds!"
Irene performed a clumsy curtsy excitedly and spoke cheerfully.
The success of the carriage shock-absorbing system added a lingering trace of joy to the originally lifeless Palace courtyard.
However, this tranquility did not last long. A Royal Guard soldier carrying a messenger flag hurriedly crossed the garden, shattering the silence of the afternoon.
"Your Majesty! The caravan from the Kingdom of Leighton has arrived outside the city gates!
They bring a handwritten letter from the Queen of Leighton, along with a large batch of gifts!"
Sophia sat in the carriage that had just been fitted with the shock-absorbing cushion, currently basking in the long-lost happiness of her buttocks being treated gently. Upon hearing this, her eyelids twitched slightly.
They came knocking so soon?
It seems the Queen of Leighton's obsession with shampoo is even crazier than I imagined.
But... gifts?
Her mind wandered to those two cows that had made great contributions.
Sophia restrained the anticipation in her heart. With an expressionless face, she allowed Willow to support her as she stepped down from the carriage. Her pale golden pupils revealed a cold sharpness under the setting sun, an aura of one who controlled the entire situation.
"Victor, open the side city gate. Let the caravan enter the Royal City square directly."
Half an hour later, a considerably sized Leighton caravan slowly drove into the Royal City.
The leader was a seasoned minister of the Kingdom of Leighton. As soon as he entered the city, he was awed by those Black Rose guards carrying muskets and possessing sharp gazes.
Especially when he saw the fresh severed heads of rogue bandits hanging on the city wall, the slight sense of superiority he originally held due to Mason's poverty vanished instantly.
He was not originally the leader of this caravan. However, seeing that the Kingdom of Mason had sent a powerful minister to their caravan previously, the Kingdom of Leighton decided to let him come to gain some experience.
"Respected Your Majesty the Queen of Mason."
The old minister met Sophia in the side hall of the Main Palace. He didn't even dare to look directly at the young girl sitting on the high seat, radiating an oppressive aura.
He knelt on the ground, his tone humble:
"The King and Queen of Leighton were astounded by the effects of 'Mason's Dew'.
Her Majesty the Queen called it a pearl in the ruins and specifically instructed us to present these gifts to express our respect."
With a wave of the old minister's hand, several iron cages covered with black cloth were carried up.
Quack, quack, quack—!
Cluck, cluck, cluck—!
A burst of noisy, vitality-filled bird calls exploded within the solemn side hall.
The black cloth was lifted, revealing over a dozen plump chickens, ducks, and geese.
And in the last two exquisite wooden baskets, there lay two pink and tender piglets, currently snorting and wagging their tails.
Sophia's fingertips gripping the armrest tightened abruptly.
Meat!
It was live meat!
And pigs!
Sophia's breathing became somewhat rapid for a split second.
These livestock were rare in the Kingdom of Mason. After all, the Kingdom of Mason couldn't even feed its people, let alone livestock.
According to Sophia's understanding and the current situation she learned from Delilah, although the Kingdom of Leighton was better off in animal husbandry than the Kingdom of Mason, it wasn't by much.
These two piglets were likely precious treasures in Leighton as well.
Braised pork, twice-cooked pork, sweet and sour ribs...
Oh no, they are still too small right now. They must be fattened up, and they must give birth to more piglets!
"Your Majesty."
Valery watched Sophia's deep, intense gaze fixed dead on the piglets, and was already secretly wondering if Her Majesty wanted to conquer the Kingdom of Leighton.
Sophia took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the joy in her heart, and spoke in the coldest voice possible:
"Victor, take these gifts to the open ground behind the West Tower and designate a specialized livestock area.
Guard them strictly. If one dies..."
Sophia lowered her eyes slightly, killing intent instantly flooding the entire venue, "...come see me with your head."
The members of the Leighton caravan shivered in unison.
Heavens, no wonder everyone calls Queen Sophia a Tyrant.
Although she looks like just a young girl, she is so domineering and imposing.
With such high-level alchemy strength and a King—or rather Queen—so forceful, perhaps the Kingdom of Mason really can develop in the future.
"I thank your country for its generosity."
Sophia looked at the old minister again, her tone remaining calm and unwavering.
"As a return gift, I allow you to open a trade point on the most prosperous street of the Royal City to sell Leighton's specialities.
As long as you abide by Mason's laws, I guarantee the safety of your trade."
For the Leighton caravan, this was undoubtedly the grace they wanted most.
Although Mason was poor, it was now the only place in the region producing high technology.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
The old minister kowtowed excitedly.
Sophia stood up, the hem of her black dress sketching an arc:
"Go and handle it.
In addition, we need more raw iron and cotton.
If you can bring these, Mason's Divine Miracles will not close their doors to Leighton."
The caravan brought not only poultry and livestock but also orders for soap and shampoo that bordered on frantic demand.
When Irene heard that the Royal House of Leighton wanted to place long-term orders and had already started using supplies to exchange for them on a large scale, the production soul of this engineering girl completely ignited.
Late at night, West Tower.
The lights were brightly lit. Several female workers, newly recruited from the Royal City, were stirring huge barrels of grease under Irene's command, moving their hands and feet nimbly yet with trepidation.
Starting a few days ago, shops selling soap and shampoo had suddenly appeared in the Royal City; these were shops arranged by Her Majesty.
Most people had not tried them, and only a very few discovered the wonders of this soap and shampoo after trying them.
Consequently, more residents of the Royal City began to purchase them.
However, the Kingdom of Mason was ultimately not as wealthy as the residents of the Kingdom of Leighton, so the number of people who could afford to buy them was still small.
Just then, news was released from the Palace.
They were hiring female workers to be assistants to the great inventor Miss Irene. They would be paid monthly wages according to standard worker rates, and soap and shampoo would also be distributed every month.
Thus, the women of the Royal City began to frantically demonstrate their capability, completely forgetting that they were working right under the Tyrant's eyelids.
"Hurry up! The heat cannot be interrupted!"
Irene held a silver stirring rod in her hand. The tip of her nose was still smudged with ash, but those azure eyes were full of drive.
"This is not just soap, this is Her Majesty's dominion!
It is our capital to exchange for pork and milk!"
While directing the work, she frantically calculated the costs on a piece of scratch paper nearby.
________________________________________
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