My wife is an immortal black snake.

Page 255

Mr. Yang Hao was filled with envy, but his expression remained calm as he looked at the next gift.

Chapter 189

The second major gift that the Yan people wanted to give to Duke Yang Hao was luxury goods.

To be honest, since Yang Hao arrived in Ursus, he has been living an extremely luxurious life.

It's fair to say he's experienced all the most upscale consumer goods and luxury items in Ursus—not to mention, he's even thoroughly enjoyed the finest Gaulish desserts. He originally thought that no luxury item in the world could stir his heart.

But as expected... he was still too young.

It's similar to that young man who thinks he's tasted all the delicacies in the Central Plains just because he's eaten Cantonese food.

When he saw the list clearly marked with various spices and high-end seasonings produced only in Yan, as well as all kinds of porcelain and even some expensive medicinal herbs... he still shamefully felt jealous.

(Damn it! Those spices, those seasonings... If we could produce them domestically, our lives would be so much better!)

Spices are a unique product that occupies an extremely important place in human history. Needless to say, what a pathetic species humanity would be without spices! Would it be acceptable to be reduced to eating only salted, dried, or rancid meat at such a stage of development?

Not to mention that spices themselves can be used to produce some industrial products: such as industrial fragrance deodorants, non-lethal pepper spray used to suppress riots, and so on—spices have played many roles in human history!

However, Ursus is not a major producer of spices. In fact, apart from Yan, other countries basically only use a few types of spices in their daily lives:

Black and white pepper, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.

There are only a few types.

There was no cinnamon, no star anise. No galangal, and even garlic was scarce.

Not to mention unique spices like Sichuan peppercorns, which are only found in the Great Yan Dynasty.

(Damn it...it reminds me of the hot pot I used to eat all the time before I came into this world...)

No matter what, the gifts from these Yan people are just so to my liking! It's as if they meticulously investigated my unknown preferences, as if they remembered everything I said to people around me during my early years living in Colombia—that life without spicy hot pot was absolutely terrible—before compiling this list...

To be honest, Yang Hao really couldn't refuse...

Not to mention those essential "seasonings" that are crucial for improving people's happiness.

As we all know, food is the most important thing for people.

The existence of seasonings profoundly affects the quality of people's food. Currently, Ursus only offers strong flavors such as salty, oily, sweet, or sour – expecting Ursus cuisine to compete with the cuisine flowing in from Yan Kingdom is simply a pipe dream.

Yang Hao meant that if two guys who knew absolutely nothing about Ursus food and Yan food were to evaluate each other, they would definitely rate Yan food as "delicious" more often. After all, Ursus food... well, those who know, know... it's food only people living in cold regions can stomach. Originally, Yang Hao wasn't a big fan of fatty meat, but since coming to the cold land of Ursus, his need for calories has forced him to develop a liking for it...

but--

That can't be changed. The taste of Ursus is characterized by four things: it's incredibly salty, has too much sugar, is so sour it makes you want to vomit, and is shiny with oil.

(If I hadn't told Kosiché I didn't like sour foods... I'd probably still be eating sour bread, thick soup, and yogurt by now...) Yang Hao swallowed hard, looking at the many delicacies from Yan Country listed in the [Condiments] section:

He missed soy sauce and aged vinegar terribly.

Seaweed used to enhance flavor.

The bittersweet taste of dried tangerine peel.

There's also the special braising sauce for stinky tofu that smells bad but tastes delicious...

Damn it! How can the people of Yan be so clever!

Although Yang Hao was very unwilling... he also had to admit one thing...

People eat for food.

Food is the culprit that awakens a person's homesickness.

He thought he had completely let go of everything back in his hometown... but as expected...

Looking at the various seasonings on the menu, he felt his mouth watering. He missed the flavors of home, especially the numbing and spicy taste of Mapo Tofu, the freshness of steamed fish lightly drizzled with vinegar and soy sauce, the sweet but not greasy char siu, the savory aroma of salt-baked chicken, the crisp and tender skin of poached chicken, and the sweet and sour taste of sweet and sour pork...

hateful!

Yang Hao gritted his teeth and admitted that his homesickness had been completely stirred up by the Yan people... and he was even more certain that the Yan ambassador had noticed his completely uncontrollable emotions.

Yan people, you fucking smart...

He stumbled here. But it's okay, it's okay! Yang Hao, you still have a gift to see, right? You can still hold on for now. Just go home and cry in Sonia's arms, won't that be enough? For now, you can still hold on!

There's one last gift. You can't let yourself be tempted by the Yan people like this!

...

Under the intense gaze of the Yan Kingdom ambassador and the uneasy watchful eyes of the head maid, Yang Hao tremblingly turned to the next page and began to look at the data on the mobile towns that the Yan Kingdom had "gifted" him.

Originally... he thought it was just ordinary city data. It simply recorded the town's size, movement speed, population, and industries. That was all—nothing special, nothing special.

...

But when Yang Hao saw that this was a mobile town by the sea, he had a vague sense of unease. Especially when he saw that the town's main industry was salt production, but due to development reasons, it was gradually shifting its focus to tourism, which focuses on food and culture... his ominous premonition grew even stronger.

He looked up at the Yan ambassador, who in turn gave Mr. Yang Hao a mysterious smile:

"No chicken, no aroma; no duck, no fragrance; no meat, no freshness; no pork hock, no richness... Lord Yang Hao, how long has it been since you last ate Ai Ci (a type of glutinous rice cake)?"

"..."

Ai Ci is a Hakka delicacy made by mixing tender mugwort leaves with steamed glutinous rice, pounding it into a paste, filling it with peanut and sesame filling, shaping it into a green ball, and then steaming it.

Yang Hao prefers the more traditional brown sugar mugwort cake. He likes that flavor.

It's precisely because the taste of his hometown is still so vividly etched in his mind...

That's why he's looking at the Yan ambassador with such a complex expression.

Chapter 190

......

Finally, Mr. Yang Hao did not accept the gifts from the Yan people. To be precise, he stated that he would prepare a gift of equal courtesy to send back to the Emperor of Yan, and then said that he was not feeling well that day and left first.

Having achieved his goal, the Yan ambassador simply watched his departing figure with deep eyes... then smiled and got up to leave, returning as quickly as possible to their temporary residence in Kazdel.

"—The Grand Preceptor's prediction was indeed true! Lord Yang Hao outwardly denies his origins, but he is actually from the Yan Kingdom's cultural sphere, specifically from a coastal town. Ah! It would be even better if we could have dinner there. If we personally cook Yan Kingdom cuisine and offer him a pair of chopsticks, his unfamiliarity with chopsticks alone would be enough to tell whether he is a true Yan Kingdom citizen..."

After returning to a relatively safe place, one of the ambassador's servants began to chatter incessantly with his superior. He appeared to be a chef; a closer look revealed calluses on his hands and various small bottles filled with different kinds of Yan-style sauces that he carried with him.

Faced with his servant's lament, the Yan Kingdom's ambassador simply shook his head:

"That being said, Lord Yang Hao has not acknowledged any particular ancestral origin. We cannot rule out the possibility that he was born in a coastal region similar to the Great Yan Dynasty. Furthermore, he may have eaten hot pot with Sichuan peppercorns or similar spices in that similar country, and it's even possible that his family was once a tribe living deep in the mountains..."

"But my lord! Aren't we the only ones in the world that meet these conditions? Where would other countries get Sichuan peppercorns and numbing peppercorns? Not to mention seaweed for enhancing flavor, and mugwort dumplings!"

"...You shouldn't be so sure of yourself."

"But that's just how it is, my lord! Oh well, I'll go prepare today's meal. Please go and report to His Majesty first."

After saying this, the cook took his leave and prepared to go to his temporary kitchen to prepare hometown food for everyone.

Meanwhile, after lingering for a while, the ambassador shook his head and led the remaining people back to their safest room.

This airtight room, sealed off by powerful Originium Arts barriers from the Great Yan Kingdom, could evade all detection methods. The ambassador could discuss the next course of action with his master, the Emperor of Yan. However, more important than the "next" strategy was... reporting the situation to the Imperial Advisor of Yan.

"Grand Preceptor, as you predicted, Lord Yang Hao is indeed likely a citizen of the Great Yan. Perhaps he migrated abroad, or perhaps he fled due to war in his early years. In any case, he certainly exudes the charm of the Great Yan in every way—it's just that we didn't get to dinner time to observe his use of chopsticks."

Inside the room, the ambassador knelt respectfully on the floor, bowing his head as he spoke into the communicator before him.

After listening carefully to his muttering, the Grand Preceptor on the other end of the communicator remained silent for a while before issuing a simple and clear question:

Do you know his exact background?

"He showed obvious emotional fluctuations regarding the [Yan Kingdom Spices and Seasonings] we mentioned. He had eaten Sichuan peppercorn hot pot before, and under my probing, he also revealed his fondness for mugwort cakes. His ancestral home may be in the mountains, and he may have come from the coastal city of Yuecheng—after all, only that city is both by the sea and offers the opportunity to savor the cuisine of almost the entire Great Yan. Most importantly, when he was reading the list, he showed obvious homesickness when he read that the [Bonus City] was a coastal town."

"Mountain dwellers from the coast? I understand. Besides that?"

"Our spies sent to the United City reported that when he was working hard in the city in his early years, he was known in the nearby catering industry for 'not liking sour but liking vinegar,' 'preferring fresh flavors to dried goods,' and frequently expressing his love for 'spicy hot pot with butter,' 'sesame paste,' and 'barbecued pork.' There is no doubt that he comes from at least an upper-class family, but there has been no record of upper-class gentry leaving the Great Yan in the past few decades."

"The censors from the Dali Temple did indeed bring me such reports. Did he reveal when he left his hometown? Or his impressions of his parents?"

"not at all."

"That seems a bit too strange... No, never mind. You may leave now. I will discuss the next steps with His Majesty. That's all."

"Yes!"

The ambassador respectfully hung up the communication. Ever since Princess Wei Qing caused trouble, the Great Yan Dynasty had begun investigating Mr. Yang Hao's past. They had indeed uncovered a considerable amount of valuable intelligence... but to the Great Yan, Mr. Yang Hao remained far too mysterious.

...

Whether it's his sudden rise to prominence in Colombia, his unique personal charm, his strange past, or his inexplicable craving for the extremely special food of Yan Country that only its own people can understand...

This is so strange.

Therefore, almost all the secret departments throughout the Great Yan were mobilized, and even the Grand Preceptor of Great Yan was alarmed, which led to the implementation of today's "gift-giving" plan.

As things stand, the Great Yan has already gotten what they wanted.

Meanwhile, exhausted, he returned to his room to rest.

Mr. Yang Hao lay on Monica's mother's lap, muttering wearily about things like, "I really want to eat rice noodle rolls," "I really want to eat sweet and sour fish," and "I really want to eat bamboo-pressed noodles too."

He had seriously underestimated the impact of food on people. Just seeing the condiments on the gift list made his mouth water, and the thought of those hometown foods stirred up his almost hidden homesickness.

The psychological warfare tactics of the Yan people are indeed powerful... Sigh!

He sighed heavily. Fortunately, he wasn't truly alone here...

"...Monica, it's so good to have you here..." He rubbed against the head maid's leg. In this moment of intense homesickness, having family by his side felt truly wonderful. "Damn it... I want to go home..."

“Yes, yes. My lord, if you wish to go home, we can return to the duchy anytime.” Monica looked at him with concern and gently stroked his cheek.

"But you know... I want to go back to my hometown... Sigh. Those wretched Yan people..."

He sighed heavily again. He decided to take a short break and then numb himself with work.

Chapter 191

.......

That evening, after confirming that Mr. Yang Hao was exhausted and asleep, Monica covered him with a blanket and then returned to the Dukedom of Koschche in Ursus.

When she returned, none of the ladies of the house had rested yet. So Monica used the excuse of "something important happening" to have Lord Koschche gather everyone in the conference room to discuss Lord Yang Hao's matter with them.

"So, Monica? What happened?"

Wearing pajamas and clutching a Grimm doll, Duke Kosiché sat on the sofa, yawning as he used his nimble scaly tail to hold a cup for his unused hands. He looked at his head maid and then at the women around him.

Even though Her Majesty Catherine was fast asleep during her pregnancy, she jumped out of bed immediately upon hearing that it was about Yang Hao, and rushed over in her pajamas.

Ms. Sonia was in a similar situation. However, she was sleeping with Hela at the time, so she arrived a little later... after all, one shouldn't disturb a sleeping child, right?

Even Theresa was the same—but Theresa was far away in Kazimierz, so Monica calmly went to deliver the message to the little pony who was lying in bed looking at her master's photo and generating her own energy. Then, amidst Theresa's screams, she returned here and moved a screen that was already connected to Theresa's room camera over and placed it on another sofa.

...I don't know if it was intentional or if she genuinely didn't have time to act quickly enough. In any case, although Theresa's face was flushed on screen, she looked quite normal wrapped in the blanket. But then again...

"...Miss Theresa? That strangely shaped vibrating X on the pillow behind you...could you please move it a little more securely?"

"...ah!!"

The little pony panicked and hid the sex toys from his pillow, then blushed and chuckled dryly, curling himself up into a ball under the covers.

...After a brief commotion, everyone finally calmed down and was able to listen attentively to Head Maid Monica's explanation of what had happened.

Soon, Monica, the head maid, explained the situation to them, making them realize the seriousness of the problem.

"To put it simply... the Great Yan's spies thoroughly investigated my dear's past... then determined his origins, and finally attempted to use psychological manipulation to bring him back to Great Yan?" Duke Koschie, the first to realize the gravity of the situation, frowned, the eyes of the Green doll in her arms glowing faintly red for some reason. "...An astonishing psychological manipulation. And they seem to have succeeded? But more than whether they succeeded or not... how is my dear?"

"...Lord Yang Hao is currently struggling to shake off his homesickness. He seems to be trying hard to escape the lingering memories of his hometown, but..." Head Maid Monica paused for a moment, then looked at Lady Sonia, whose face was filled with empathy and sorrow: "After all, our hometown is something we, as living beings, cannot forget... My lord, I need your support. If those envoys from the Great Yan Dynasty insist on continuing to frustrate Mr. Yang Hao..."

"...We can't stop them from doing this. Unless we're prepared to wage a new war." Empress Catherine, standing beside Monica, shook her head before she could finish. "Even the most feudal, most autocratic empire...can't restrict another country's [communication] with its important personnel. At most, we can [condemn], but until they truly extend an invitation of [persuasion], all we can do is condemn—but if we stop them, it would be an open act of hostility towards Yan."

"But! If this continues, Lord Yang Hao will..."

“I understand your concerns, Head Maid. But we simply cannot stop the Yan people from taking further action. Whether it's Princess Wei Qing or the current [Nostalgia]... every move they make hits our weak spot. I believe Yang Hao can find a way out of this situation that only he can get out of, and I'm willing to help him—but the most important question we face right now is... who exactly orchestrated this operation?”

Her Majesty Catherine was contemplating the bigger picture. Monica, speechless, could only lower her head and wait with Sonia for the other officials to continue their discussion. Of course, Theresa couldn't participate either, so in reality, only Her Majesty Catherine and Koschche were discussing the matter.

The two women, their expressions serious, presented their brief introductions in the most concise tone. They quickly reached a consensus: there was definitely a crucial figure in Yan Country planning events related to Yang Hao, and barring any unforeseen circumstances... possessing such planning efficiency, bold ideas, and even the courage to put those ideas into practice.