Saigon Royal City, in the Yue State's Saigon Prefecture, was not the national capital, but its fertile lands, beautiful scenery, and abundant resources had earned it such accolades as the "Pearl of the East" and the "Jade of the Far East." After the Yue State's unification, Saigon Royal City alone accounted for more than thirty percent of the nation's annual tax revenue and other fiscal income. Its importance was plain to see.
In Forging the Sacred Court, Saigon Royal City's military importance fell short of the Yue State's capital... Hanoi Royal City in the Northern Prefecture. In politics, economics, faith, culture, and other spheres, however, it surpassed Hanoi by more than a full tier.
But Saigon Royal City stood beside the South Sea, at a corner of the continent, with uncomplicated terrain and no powerful enemy nations or factions nearby. Thus, militarily, it was inferior to Hanoi Royal City, which "lay farther inland and commanded vast territories."
After King Luolong, the Phoenix Consort, the National Guardian Beast King, and the Yue State's other mighty figures all perished in China, the highest-ranking person left was King Luolong's queen, Chong Shiqie, known as the "Dragon Queen." She was also the lord of Saigon Royal City.
Legend held that Chong Shiqie was a direct descendant of the Dragon King of Dongting Lord, father-in-law to the Yue State's founding ancestor, the Jingyang King. She might even have been a true descendant of the Jingyang King's direct line, giving her an exalted standing and immense prestige.
But King Luolong was not the true King Luolong. He was a fusion of the departed King Luolong's surviving Dragon Soul and a Yue Otherworlder. Thus, although he had sought out Chong Shiqie and made her his queen, the appointment was more symbolic than substantive, a title with little