"Which reminded me, to commemorate our first meeting, I bought gifts," Liu Tián Qǔ said as she rose from where she was sitting at the low table and hurried over to retrieve the large bag she brought with her.

Returning with the bag, Liu Tián Qǔ once again took her seat. Opening her bag, she took out a beautiful small rectangular bronze storage box. An intricate drawing of a dragon and phoenix was crafted onto the box. Inside of the golden silk layered box resting gently on a mini golden silk pillow was a blue sea stone.

When the peddler came to Liu Tián Qǔ residence to deliver the goods that Liu Tián Qǔ bought, Liu Tián Qǔ had detained him to inquire on if he had any wine from Nadeline. She wanted to see what was being called the best wine in the world in the Northern Lands. Unfortunately, he didn't have any. However, the peddler was a walking encyclopedia of Nadelineian wine. He had no wine to sell because he drank it all. If there was one thing he was passionate about, it was Nadelineian wine.

Liu Tián Qǔ treated him to lunch and spent an afternoon picking the peddler's brains. Liu Tián Qǔ also bought many things from him that Nadelineian's used during their wine creation process. Out of gratitude Liu Tián Qǔ also began purchasing a few extra things from him. However, as Liu Tián Qǔ started to buy several items. Liu Tián Qǔ began to realize that nothing the peddler sold was cheap or ordinary. After realizing that the peddler sold only the most exquisite, unique, and rarest merchandise. Liu Tián Qǔ got serious and began doing some serious shopping.

When the peddler informed Liu Tián Qǔ that he wouldn't be back to the Tolling Lands for several years, Liu Tián Qǔ also bought several more blue sea stones from the peddler. Just in case she misplaced or lost the one she had. She had more to fall back on.

Liu Tián Qǔ imparted to the peddler that she would be trying her hand in grape winemaking. Liu Tián Qǔ also told the peddler that she would reserve some wine for him if it turned out good. Liu Tián Qǔ sincerely invited the Peddler to stay at Liu Residence if ever he needed a place to stay in the Imperial City. Liu Tián Qǔ informed the peddler that her door would always remain open to him.

Since Liu Tián Qǔ found out that the First Lady of the Wang Royal Manor often campaigned with her husband, and often was on the road carrying out orders of the Emperor. Liu Tián Qǔ decided to gift her with a blue sea stone.

Liu Tián Qǔ passed the bronze box that held the blue sea stone to t Lady Wǔ Gāng Huā. Liu Tián Qǔ looked at Lady Wǔ Gāng Huā, and said, "While you were working hard for the Emperor and the country in retrieving the wagons of melded ore. I thought of you."

Accepting the box from Liu Tián Qǔ, the Lady of the Manor gaze rose from the box and locked onto Liu Tián Qǔ's gaze. "I bought something for you that can be of great assistance to you. Have you ever heard of a blue sea stone?"

Liu Tián Qǔ witnessed Wǔ Gāng Huā gaze widen in shock, "The blue sea stone of Asledan?" the Lady of the Manor quickly asked.

"Yes, this kind of stone can only be found in the heart of the Asledan sea. It is called a blue sea stone. It is hollowed out by the holy monks of the Asledan East Mountain Temple. A Shaman and an Oracle then bless it. Afterward, it is then sent to a Priest of the Rolling Seas Temple who finishes the crafting of it and administers the final blessings on it. Each female warrior in Asledan is given one." Liu Tián Qǔ said parroting what the peddler told her about the blue sea stone.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

In shock, the First Lady of the Wang Royal Manor quickly opened the bronze. Nesting in the silk-lined box was an odd thick oval palm-sized plain carved container that looked like a stone but not quite like a stone. In shock, Wǔ Gāng Huā looked up at Liu Tián Qǔ and asked, "The blue sea stone is impossible to get outside of Asledan. If you're not a female warrior even for people that live in Asledan, it is extraordinarily difficult to get your hands on one. Where did you get this?"

A slightly puzzled Liu Tián Qǔ looked at the First Lady of Wang Royal Manor. Even though the peddler had told Liu Tián Qǔ the device was not common. From the Lady of the Manor expression and reaction, the device seemed to be rarer than she thought, "I bought it from a peddler. I found out about the device while looking for gifts for Little Dumpling and Wang Fèn Yǒng. When the peddler came to deliver the gifts I purchased. I decided to get gifts for my friends' parents as well. I heard that often times you go on campaigns, so I thought this gift would be the perfect gift to get for you."

The Grand Prince looked on in interest until Liu Tián Qǔ mentioned the peddler. When Liu Tián Qǔ mentioned the peddler, she saw a change in the expression of the eyes of the Grand Prince and Wǔ Gāng Huā. "A peddler? Where did you meet him?" The Grand Prince asked. The Grand Prince's eyes locked onto Liu Tián Qǔ. There was a sharp indescribable look in his eye as he listened to Liu Tián Qǔ describe her interactions with the peddler.

Liu Tián Qǔ recounted how she met the peddler outside of the bookstore for the first time. She explained her interaction with peddler when he came to deliver the merchandise she purchased from him. Finally, Liu Tián Qǔ informed them of how she and the peddler spent the afternoon together discussing Nadelineian wine.

"Nadelineian wine?" the First Lady of Wang Royal Manor asked.

"Yes, when the peddler came to deliver the gifts I purchased from him. I had detained him to ask him if he had any Nadelineian wine. He didn't have any for sale, but he was very knowledgeable about the wine. So I invited him to stay for lunch and picked his brains on the methods the Nadelineians use to make wine. I even bought a few things from him the Nadelineians use in their winemaking process." Liu Tián Qǔ informed the Grand Prince and the First Lady of Wang Royal Manor

"You're going to make grape wine?" Wang Fèn Yǒng asked with an unfathomable looking in his eyes. That was the first time he spoke.

Liu Tián Qǔ met Wang Fèn Yǒng gaze with a warm smile and said, "I'm going to give it a try."

The ever intelligent Lady of the manor said with a scrutinizing look in her eyes, "It seemed as if you were able to recover Big Madam Chen's vineyard.

"We will know for sure if we were successful when the fruits ripen." Liu Tián Qǔ said as she smiled faintly at the Lady of the Manor.

The side look Lady Wǔ Gāng Huā gave Liu Tián Qǔ made Liu Tián Qǔ's faint smile turn into a grin. That look conveyed the thoughts in the Lady of the Manors' mind without her having to speak a word. 'What we will know when the fruits ripen? You're already buying stuff to make wine, and you're trying to tell me you don't know whether or not you will have grapes? Don't insult my intelligence.'

Getting serious once again, Liu Tián Qǔ asked, "About the peddler, is there something wrong with him? I only talked with him for an afternoon. However, he seemed like a decent person to me. I even welcomed him to stay in my home the next time he comes to the Tolling Land and to try out my wine if I am successful in making it."

The Grand Prince said, "No, there is nothing wrong with him. I am just a bit interested in him is all."

'A bit interested my foot. There was something bigger going on here. Wang Fèn Yǒng also had a weird reaction when I mentioned the peddler.' Liu Tián Qǔ thought inwardly.

However, outwardly, she just said, "I understand."