Elara had learned more about the relationships among the top powers of this world. While listening quietly, she summoned the System and carefully reviewed the information on the Petunia Kingdom, a top-tier nation in the Northern Frontier of the Central Continent.
Thanks to Sylvan's intelligence, the System's information on Petunia Kingdom had become much more detailed.
The royal surname of Petunia was the compound surname Yuwen. The white-robed young man Elara saw in Lianyi Tower, whom Sylvan had respectfully referred to as the Crown Prince of Petunia, was most likely named Yuwen Hongrui.
The young man in blue was his cousin. His mother must have been a princess of Petunia who married Duke Qing, one of the three Dukes of Petunia. That was why the blue-robed young man took the surname Ruan.
Elara kept thinking while studying Petunia Kingdom's data screen closely.
[Petunia]
[National Rank: Top-tier kingdom]
[Gender Structure: Male-dominated]
[System of Governance: Ancient feudal model (similar)]
[Military Strength: Extremely strong (top level among tier-one countries but fragmented)]
[Economic Power: Strong (mid-range among tier-one countries)]
[Population: Upper tier among top countries]
[Territory: Approximately 5.7 million square kilometers (mid-range among tier-one countries)]
[Location: Primarily in the Northern Frontier of the Central Continent, occupying one-third of the central plains and vast stretches of hills and forests]
[National Condition: Internal conflict, foreign interference, and infiltration from other forces. The country is showing signs of fragmentation... [Click for details]]
[Key Leaders and Personnel: Yuwen royal family, Crown Prince Yuwen Hongrui, Duke Qing Ruan family, separatist leader Prince Sheng and his allied Lotus Phoenix Sect, various other separatist warlords [Click for details]...]
[Important Clans and Forces: Lianyi Tower (hidden), Ruan Clan, Sheng Clan, Lotus Phoenix Sect [Click for details]...]
[Subsidiary States: Unknown]
[Other Information: Unknown]
Petunia Kingdom was located near the "Frozen Soil Forbidden Zone" in the Northern Frontier. It had vast snowfields, grasslands, and forests, known for raising cattle and sheep. Their warhorses were excellent in quality and quantity. Their cavalry had extremely strong combat capabilities. Among the three top-tier kingdoms, their military strength was unparalleled.
However, Petunia Kingdom was not a nomadic people but a nation developed from one of the oldest civilizations in the Central Continent, expanding northward into the uninhabited frontier step by step.
Tracing back its origins, Petunia Kingdom and the Freesia Kingdom shared the same ancestral roots.
Even though Petunia had powerful military strength, the country's governance and society were unstable. The System's evaluation of its national condition described it as "internal conflict, foreign interference, and overall fragmentation." In summary, it was troubled by both internal and external crises.
No wonder, even with Lianyi Tower present in the kingdom, the economic power of Petunia was only mid-range among top-tier nations.
If the society was unstable, how could the economy prosper? Especially in such turbulent times, flaunting wealth would only attract attention and risk.
Yuwen Hongrui, as heir to a top-tier nation, was not only facing domestic and foreign troubles but was also being plagued by the threat of Puppet Soldiers...
It seemed his position was not as glorious as his noble birth suggested. The higher one stood, the more dangers they had to face.
Elara focused on the "forces" section, her eyes lingering for a few seconds on the Lotus Phoenix Sect and separatist Prince Sheng.
Was the headquarters of Lotus Phoenix Sect located near the Petunia Kingdom in the northern-central region of the continent? Was that why they were entangled with the separatist rebels within Petunia?
In that case, she and Yuwen Hongrui could barely be said to share a common enemy.
Elara tapped her finger on the table. "So, you want me to go into Petunia Kingdom in the Central Continent to help your Crown Prince deal with the Puppet Soldiers?"
Sylvan nodded and pulled out a contract from under the table.
"Yes, Your Majesty. If you are willing to help us resolve this crisis, all future transactions between Lianyi Tower and Plumera Kingdom will offer you half the profits. This is our sincerity and respect."
Elara looked through the contract. Half the profits from all trades... She had quite a stake in her current dealings with Lianyi Tower. To give up half of that so easily... This showed how heavily Yuwen Hongrui was being afflicted by the Puppet Soldier problem. Still...
"This matter started years ago. You must have already found a way to suppress the Puppet Soldiers. Why come to me now?"
Sylvan picked up the jade pot and refilled Elara's teacup. "When the incident began, both Petunia and Lianyi Tower requested help from the Divine Servants Palace. But the five palace masters have nearly been in seclusion for a century. Even the other hall masters in the palace rarely know their exact whereabouts."
"The Divine Servants Palace is a sacred order that serves the Divine Vein. Their affairs are secretive and demanding. Although we managed to get one of the nine hall masters, Qingling, to assist with the problem, even with her own hands, she could not remove the affliction without harming the victim's body."
Sylvan sighed. "Over the past few years, in order to suppress the recurring outbreaks of the Puppet Soldiers, Petunia has paid a great price. Many highly capable individuals have perished due to this eerie plague. Even a kingdom rich in talent cannot bear such a massive loss."
"If not for the disturbance caused by the Puppet Soldiers, the Crown Prince would have already led those wise and mighty officials to eliminate the traitors and enemies trying to stir chaos. He would have guided Petunia into a new era."
Sylvan finished speaking and stopped mentioning the situation within Petunia Kingdom. He sincerely said to Elara again,
"In short, I ask Your Majesty to make time, no matter what, to go with me to the Northern Frontier and help Petunia Kingdom solve the problem of the Puppet Soldiers."
"Half of the profits on that trade contract are only a token of gratitude from Lian Yi Lou. If Your Majesty can help Petunia Kingdom fully eliminate the Puppet Soldier threat and relieve His Highness the Crown Prince of this deep worry, he will definitely offer even more thanks!"
Sylvan sat up slightly straighter and bowed deeply to Elara, "I ask again with all respect, please grant this request. Petunia Kingdom has suffered from the Puppet Soldiers for too long. If Your Majesty can solve this crisis for us, Petunia Kingdom and Lian Yi Lou will be endlessly grateful to you and Plumera Kingdom. We will remember it forever!"
When Elara first came to this world, Lian Yi Lou had directly or indirectly helped her many times.
Now, she and Plumera Kingdom have many ongoing trade relations with Lian Yi Lou. Even though Luis has already set up the main base of Zhai Yun Pavilion in Plumera Kingdom, Lian Yi Lou still remains the top importer and exporter in the country. It is currently Plumera Kingdom's most important trade partner.
Also, "half the profits from all the trade" is already a very generous offer from Lian Yi Lou...
Right now, all departments and industries within Plumera Kingdom are slowly getting back on track. Even if Elara is away for a short time, the major departments can still function smoothly. The situation at sea must also wait until the next ship sends back news before further action can be taken...
All things considered, no matter how Elara looked at it, there was no reason to refuse. So in the end, she nodded and agreed to Sylvan.