roccoschili Chapter 181 Let’s talk about cooperation again! The lion opens his mouth
Chapter 181 Let’s talk about cooperation again! The lion opens his mouth
Chu Qingmo, who came out of the Queen's bedroom, heard from the palace people that Jiang Yuwan and Nan Xi had left the palace long ago, but he didn't take it too seriously.
They were old friends, and they had come to Anguo several times in the past few years, so they were quite familiar with the place. Naturally, they didn't need her to entertain them any further.
However, the fourth princess of Qi State came to An State for the first time, so she had to be entertained.
Of course the most important thing is... she heard that the potatoes grown by the fourth princess's husband had a considerable yield.
She also asked Lin Xuan, and Lin Xuan also knew about crops like potatoes, but he was just troubled by the lack of seeds.
Now that Qi has cooperated with them, there is no need to hide these things.
Chu Qingmo, who had a plan in mind, came to the door with great interest after asking where the two were now.
The side hall of Ziguang Pavilion...
Ever since Chu Qingmo took the person away at the door, Mu Lingshuang waited for a long time, but still did not see Chu Qingmo come back. She immediately knew that the Regent must be busy with "important business" with the Queen, and he might not be able to get away for a while.
After spending a few more moments of tenderness with his wife, Mu Lingshuang unceremoniously ordered the palace maid at the door to prepare his wife's favorite meals, and then the two of them had lunch intimately as if they were at home.
The palace maids all knew that these two were distinguished guests from Qi State, so they naturally did not dare to neglect them...
After the two of them had eaten and drunk their fill, they were led by a young eunuch to admire the slightly bleak autumn scenery in the Anguo Imperial Garden. Then, with nowhere to go and no one to entertain them, they had to return to the side hall of the Ziguang Pavilion again.
Seeing that it was getting late, there was still no movement from the Queen and the Regent. Mu Lingshuang secretly complained about the Regent's unreliability in her heart, while ordering people to prepare dinner.
However, before dinner was ready, the unreliable regent appeared.
"I'm sorry for the poor hospitality." Chu Qingmo said sorry, but there was no embarrassment on his face.
Looking at the Regent, who looked very cheerful and obviously had eaten his fill, Mu Lingshuang wanted to nod and agree with her poor hospitality.
He only cared about having fun, not caring whether they would feel uncomfortable in the unfamiliar place...
However, thinking that he might need help from the Regent later, Mu Lingshuang immediately put his thoughts aside and said with a smile:
"The Regent is very busy with official duties, and I am sorry to bother you and your husband."
Chu Qingmo, who had time to come for a stroll because his wife had fallen asleep from exhaustion, laughed out loud:
"Don't bother me, don't bother me. We have time now. Let's continue talking about cooperation."
"Of course, I'd be happy to!" Mu Lingshuang said, pulling his wife to sit aside.
Chu Qingmo glanced at the two of them and said with a smile:
"Our Anguo is rich in porcelain and has sufficient grain. I wonder if Qiguo has any special features."
Chu Qingmo emphasized the word "characteristics" very much, and Mu Lingshuang knew as soon as she heard it that the other party was after potatoes.
As for cotton, since it has not yet been harvested, An Guo’s spies should not have provided any useful information yet.
Thinking this in her heart, Mu Lingshuang's expression remained unchanged and she was still smiling.
"It seems the Prince Regent has set his sights on our country's potatoes."
Chu Qingmo smiled but said nothing.
Thinking of the war that would soon begin with Liang Country, Mu Lingshuang pondered for a moment and said:
"My Qi State can provide An State with enough potato seeds. Firstly, we want to thank the Regent for his help, and secondly, we want to temporarily borrow some grain from An State."
Because Qi State had always had a poor harvest, most of the time, whether it was launching a war or conquering those small countries that were ready to make trouble, Qi State chose to do so after the autumn harvest.
Several countries are aware of this.
If we can borrow enough food from Tong'an State this time, the war may be brought forward.
This way, we can catch Liang Kingdom off guard...
When it comes to war, Mu Lingshuang's mind always works very quickly.
When Chu Qingmo heard her ask to borrow some food, a playful smile appeared on his face:
"I wonder how much Princess Rong'an is talking about?"
Mu Lingshuang quickly thought about the daily food and rations for hundreds of thousands of soldiers and horses, and stretched out two fingers without hesitation.
Across from Chu Qingmo, his beautiful peach blossom eyes narrowed slightly, and even his sharp brows unconsciously knitted together. How much is this? Two thousand shi or twenty thousand shi?
It should be 20,000 dan, right? Even if Qi was poor, it wouldn't have to borrow even 2,000 dan of grain, right?
Just as I was thinking about it, I saw the person opposite me slightly opened his red lips and said lightly:
"Two hundred thousand shi."
Chu Qingmo was stunned and looked at Mu Lingshuang opposite him in disbelief, his head buzzing.
Is Princess Rong'an crazy? Two hundred thousand dan of grain is enough to feed an army of one hundred thousand for four months. She's not borrowing grain, she's clearly trying to rob.
Do they, An Guo, look like soft persimmons?
Chu Qingmo was so angry that he laughed. "Princess Rong'an is really asking for too much! She wants to take away the harvest of the five counties of Anguo right away."
Mu Lingshuang naturally heard the dissatisfaction in the other party's tone, but she didn't take it to heart because she had a way to make the regent lend her the food willingly.
Just as he was about to say something, he saw Chu Qingmo move slightly, playing with the teacup in his hand, and said nonchalantly:
"However, if Qi is willing to exchange two cities, I would consider it."
Mu Lingshuang's eyes suddenly turned cold when she heard this. "Your Highness, you must be joking. Two cities in exchange for 200,000 dan of grain, this deal is not worth it."
"Then according to your opinion, what is the best deal?" Chu Qingmo looked at her with a smile.
Mu Lingshuang took a deep breath and said, "Qi can use three small cities on the border of Liang State and 20 dan of cotton in exchange for 200,000 dan of grain from An State."
Chu Qingmo fell silent upon hearing this. Who said that the Fourth Princess of Qi was a reckless person and not to be feared?
She thought that the four princesses were very smart, and were even smarter than monkeys when they were given fur.
She really had the nerve to ask for the city of Liang in exchange.
What if she fails to conquer it? Wouldn't her 200,000 dan of grain be wasted?
But what is this cotton? Could it be something rare? It seems I should check with Lin Xuan later.
Needless to say, these rare things were all made by the fourth princess's husband.
But you are a newcomer from outside and you need to bring your own seeds. Are you afraid that you won’t have enough food to eat in that desolate place like Qi State?
Thinking of this, Chu Qingmo felt a little amused, but still raised his own question:
"I wonder what the cotton Princess Rong'an just mentioned is, and what is its use?"
Mu Lingshuang thought about it and felt that there was nothing to hide, so he simply repeated what his wife had told him before.
Chu Qingmo nodded slightly, and unexpectedly thought of the news brought by the spies before, saying that the fourth princess ordered people to plant some unknown things, which must be the cotton she mentioned.
Thinking of what Mu Lingshuang had just said about the uses of cotton, Chu Qingmo was also a little tempted, but she was not a rookie who had just entered the court, so she naturally would not show her emotions on her face.
He just pretended to be embarrassed and said:
"These two hundred thousand dan of grain are not a small amount. I'm afraid I still need to discuss this with His Majesty."
Hearing Chu Qingmo say this, Mu Lingshuang felt relieved, knowing that this matter was probably done.
The regent said that he had discussed it with the empress, but everyone knew that the empress of Anguo was very worry-free. Since she ascended the throne, the state affairs had always been handled by the regent.
Especially after the two got married, Queen Anguo openly showed that she would let go.
We're supposed to go back and discuss it, but how? On the Queen's couch?
Mu Lingshuang complained in her heart, but she didn't show it on her face. Seeing that the discussion was almost over, she stood up and bowed goodbye:
"In that case, I'll trouble you, Regent. I just hope that Your Highness can give Qi a response as soon as possible. After all, the war situation is changing rapidly, and Qi can't wait too long."
"Princess Rong'an, please rest assured..."
The two exchanged pleasantries for a while before Chu Qingmo ordered someone to take Princess Rong'an and her husband to the State Guesthouse.
After Mu Lingshuang left, Chu Qingmo's expression became serious again.
She knew that this deal had both advantages and disadvantages for An Guo, but in the long run, the advantages would definitely outweigh the disadvantages.
This is why she did not refuse, and as more and more things that are not inferior to this era appear, the economy of Qi will surely usher in a considerable development.
No matter how you look at it, cooperating with Qi seems to be a sure win...
Just as I was thinking about it, a palace maid came to report that His Majesty had woken up...
Chu Qingmo couldn't think of anything else anymore. He brushed off the non-existent dust on his robe. He looked calm, but in fact, he was very happy inside. If he hadn't been concerned about his image, he would have run away long ago...