Chapter 1364: The Bait Thrown Out by Yao Country

The Lure Thrown by the State of Yao

"Besides the obvious troubles, I'm worried someone might be secretly targeting me," He Lingchuan said with a wry smile. "Tell me, do you think I still dare to go?"

"I will report this to His Majesty, and this matter will be thoroughly investigated!" Fan Shuang patted his chest. "Brother He, don't worry, you will get an explanation."

He wouldn't dare say this at other times, but the King of Yao now valued He Lingchuan; if not granting every wish, at least showing high regard. "If someone truly committed arson or secretly targeted Yangshan, the State of Yao will not stand idly by!"

He Lingchuan sighed deeply, "Your words have greatly put my mind at ease."

Fan Shuang quickly brought the conversation back. "Brother He, please don't worry. My King will assign an additional personal guard detachment to you, providing full escort from entry to exit."

What He Lingchuan feared most was Regent Qingyang.

He was the investigator of the Elixir of Immortality case, which was the reason Qingyang fell from power after the incident in Beijia.

Out of hatred for the cause, how could Qingyang possibly have a good impression of him?

As for the culprits who set fire to the String City branch of the Yangshan Chamber of Commerce, he was less concerned.

A biting dog doesn't bark. The other party's actions, being both a demonstration and a deterrent, actually posed little threat to He Lingchuan himself.

"How capable is this guard detachment in combat?"

"Uh, this is my King's personal guard, so they should be..."

He Lingchuan interrupted, "I was just joking. Brother Fan, please allow me two days to think it over."

"Very well, then I will await your reply in Jucheng," Fan Shuang said with a smile. "Just two days; the Situ family shouldn't kick me out."

"The Situ family certainly possesses that much courtesy." But they wouldn't offer a warm welcome.

Why did He Lingchuan choose Zhu Yin Ju to host the guests from the State of Yao instead of his usual haunt, Yuanxiang Club? Everyone knew the reason.

The two walked back to the private room. Fine wine and delicious dishes were already on the table, and He Lingchuan, skilled at setting the mood, quickly joined in the drinking with both new and old friends.

Zhu Yin Jiuju was already an asset of the Yangshan Chamber of Commerce, and the dishes served there made extensive use of specialty products from the Yangshan Archipelago.

The distance from the islands to the mainland was too great for live fresh seafood, so everything was dried.

The first soup was abalone and dried scallop chicken broth. As soon as it was served, a captivating aroma filled the air, whetting everyone's appetite. After a sip of soup and a bite of abalone, everyone couldn't help but exclaim, as if their eyebrows would fall off from the exquisite flavor!

The dried abalones from Yangshan, once rehydrated, were repeatedly simmered in exquisite supreme broth. Each one was as large as a fist. A single bite offered rich umami flavor and tender, sweet meat.

Even though everyone was accustomed to eating delicacies from land and sea in the State of Yao, they found it hard to resist the rich and savory satisfaction of this dish.

Just one soup had whetted their appetites, and as subsequent dishes arrived, the table was filled with laughter and lively conversation.

Amidst the clinking of glasses and flushed faces, He Lingchuan successfully negotiated several major deals with the guests from the State of Yao, one of which was even the right to purchase Wei Silver Agent.

Wei Silver is a mineral unique to the Glimmering Gold Plain, from which Wei Silver Agent can be refined using special techniques. Adding a small amount of this agent during the forging of weapons or armor significantly reduces their weight, making the finished products lighter and stronger.

Wei Silver ore is inherently rare, and most mining rights are controlled by the State of Yao. The state has also developed various formulas, allowing Wei Silver Agent to produce different effects.

Needless to say, this was a hard currency in the outside world, and one of the State of Yao's flagship products. For soldiers clad in heavy armor and wielding weapons, a full set of equipment was considerably weighty. Even a mere ten percent reduction in self-weight was equivalent to boosting a warrior's stamina and strength.

Over prolonged combat, this advantage became quite significant.

He Lingchuan had heard before that the Wei Silver Agent used by Beijia was exclusively supplied by the State of Yao.

This nation had dominated the Glimmering Gold Plain for nearly two hundred years, and its foundation was indeed robust.

The Yangshan Archipelago had been applying for the right to purchase Wei Silver Agent for a long time, but while the State of Yao had even sold Red Valley horses to them, it had consistently refused to budge on the Wei Silver Agent.

Gu Xuan, who was negotiating with He Lingchuan this time, was around thirty years old. The Gu family behind him specialized in Wei Silver Agent, holding the rights to three different dosage formulas.

This was, of course, officially sanctioned; no one else could conduct such business.

The Gu family's asking price was not low, and He Lingchuan agreed readily. Wei Silver Agent had limited production, and it could fetch high prices as long as it was transported outside the Glimmering Gold Plain.

No matter how the Yangshan Chamber of Commerce calculated it, this deal could not result in a loss.

The other deals also progressed very smoothly; within a few rounds at the banquet table, He Lingchuan secured several major orders.

Even the Soul-Sucking Mirror in his arms noticed, clucking a few times, "Oh my, the State of Yao is suddenly so generous. Is this what they call 'you can't catch a wolf without sacrificing a child'?"

The "wolf" smiled.

These were, of course, overt baits offered by the King of Yao to Yangshan, a fact well understood by both sides. If He Lingchuan wanted to reap these benefits, he had to accept the State of Yao's invitation to enter the country and attend the King of Yao's fifty-ninth birthday celebration.

The immense profits were hard for He Lingchuan, a merchant, to refuse. He also understood the King of Yao's implicit message:

If He Lingchuan did not attend this grand birthday celebration, not only would he miss out on all deals, including Wei Silver Agent, but future trade relations between Yangshan and the State of Yao would also be severely impacted.

Those who could offer benefits could also impose sanctions. If the King of Yao became displeased, he might well forbid the Yangshan Chamber of Commerce from entering the country.

It was offering a sweet date openly while hiding a threat.

He Lingchuan complained, seemingly casually, "It's not that I'm complaining, but your country's tariffs have recently soared, and we foreign merchants who profit from shipping fees simply can't bear it."

The phrase "profit from shipping fees" was aptly put, and everyone laughed.

Gu Xuan only spoke after he finished laughing, "Brother He, you might not know this, but because there are ongoing wars around the State of Yao recently, the Regent has demanded strict control over the export of strategic materials. Wei Silver Agent and Red Valley horses cannot be easily sold anymore."

He Lingchuan was greatly surprised. "The Regent also manages this?"

"Of course, they do," another noble from the State of Yao, Yuwen Xu, interjected. "A regent, by definition, must oversee every aspect of our State of Yao, right? Not only do they interfere with all matters, big and small, in court, but they also control what we sell abroad and what we buy internally!"

Gu Xuan whispered, "Brother Yuwen!"

"What's there to be afraid of?" Yuwen Xu, his face slightly flushed from drinking, let out a strange laugh. "We're not in the State of Yao, so what's wrong with a little gossip? Brother He isn't going to report us, is he?"

He Lingchuan waved his hand, "Certainly not, certainly not."

Gu Xuan had merely given a casual reminder, and seeing that no one was bothered, he said no more.

The others chimed in, "Exactly, exactly. How else can money be made without strict control?"

"The stricter the control, the more money is made."

Everyone present ran monopolies. Who could engage in these lucrative businesses, who couldn't, and to what extent—wasn't all of that prearranged?

"The most infuriating thing is when you're doing something, she acts like she doesn't see it, but just as you're about to finish, she says you can't do it. How does that saying go again—"

Someone else supplied, "It harms the nation's foundation and dignity!"

"Yes, exactly, it harms the nation's foundation, and therefore must be prohibited, penalized, and dealt with," Yuwen Xu tapped the table. "The standards are all in their hands. If you want a lighter penalty, don't you have to present silver to beg them?"