One day, Queen Zeeniya was discussing matters of state with her Prime Minister when a soldier came in and said, "Some foreign-looking people wish to meet you."
Zeeniya said, "Let them come in."
A few moments later, a group of four men entered. They were of medium height, their skin was very pale, and their eyes were small and sunken. Zeeniya gestured for them to sit. Once they were seated, she asked, "Who are you, and where have you come from?"
One of the men replied, "We come from a country far away called China. Our land is vast and very advanced. We are from China's city of Changan, which is also the capital. In fact, we have come here on behalf of the Emperor of China regarding a matter that needs your help."
Zeeniya said, "Alright, tell me what the issue is. If it's within my power, I will surely help you."
The Chinese man looked at his companions and then said, "Princess, the people of China worship Jade idols."
Zeeniya was surprised and asked, "What is jade? Tell me about it."
The Chinese man replied, "Jade is a very precious green stone that we Chinese people call the Stone of Heaven. We believe that this stone purifies our soul and protects us from evil forces. That's why the people of China consider jade idols sacred and worship them. In China, jade statues can be seen everywhere. In the middle of the city of Changan, there is a huge jade idol that has stood for many years. People visit it with great devotion.
But recently, the citizens have faced a strange problem. The eyes of the jade idol suddenly began to glow brightly. Among the people gathered there, those who looked directly into the idol's eyes were turned to stone within seconds. It was a shocking and mysterious event—no one could understand what was happening."
A few days later, the same incident happened again. Whoever was near the idol and looked into its glowing eyes turned to stone. People became terrified and stopped going near the idol. The Emperor then issued an order forbidding anyone from approaching it until a solution was found.
The Emperor tried many ways to bring the people who had turned to stone back to life, but every attempt failed. Meanwhile, the families of those who had become stone came to the royal court weeping and pleading for help. The Emperor invited great astrologers and magicians from all over the world to solve the problem, but everyone failed.
One day, a merchant visiting China learned about the situation. He came to the royal court and told the Emperor about Princess Zeeniya of the Zargoon tribe — a princess who possessed great powers and might be able to solve the problem.
The Chinese man said, "Your Majesty, by your command, we have come here to request Princess Zeeniya to accompany us to our land and help us in this great difficulty."
After hearing everything, Zeeniya remained silent for a while and looked toward her Prime Minister. The Prime Minister said, "Your Highness, you should go and help these Chinese people. They are truly in serious trouble. Moreover, this could also establish diplomatic and trade relations between our nations. I have also heard that China is a very advanced country."
After listening to her Prime Minister's advice, Zeeniya decided that she would go with the Chinese men to their country and help them.
What mysterious force is turning people into stone?
We will find out in the next part.
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