roccoschili Chapter 177 Negotiation for Compensation
Chapter 177 Negotiation for Compensation
Most people have this common mentality that when faced with low-priced items, they often unconsciously think that they are much worse than those expensive items.
People believe that you get what you pay for, and they think that expensive things have their reasons.
Similarly, if Anguo asked for less, Yuguo would doubt the value of this batch of seeds.
So, don't blame her for making the following requests.
Hu Zhiyi glanced at Zhu Yuanhe who was waiting quietly over there. It was said that this man was a close confidant of the Emperor of Yu State and was highly respected and trusted by him.
She sighed, as if helpless, "Now, this is all I can do. I just hope His Majesty won't blame us when we return."
Hu Zhiyi exchanged glances with several envoys, and the envoys, understanding his meaning, nodded imperceptibly.
One of the envoys even almost laughed out loud when he thought about what he was going to do soon.
Fortunately, the corners of his mouth just raised slightly before he suppressed it and made a sad face.
The delegation of envoys who had just gathered in a circle for discussion dispersed and were led by Hu Zhiyi back to their previous position.
"Master Zhu, we have discussed it and decided to sell this batch of seeds to you."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanhe's face showed a hint of joy. Although he knew that they had to agree, Zhu Yuanhe's eyes and eyebrows still showed joy when he heard this.
With these seeds, rice production will increase, and food and fodder will not be so scarce during marches and battles.
There is not enough food and fodder, and the soldiers and horses are not well fed. How can they fight when they are weak?
"That's great, Lord Hu. I wonder what kind of compensation your country wants?" Zhu Yuanhe's voice was a little anxious.
Hu Zhiyi's expression was calm, and his tone was gentle. "Master Zhu, as for compensation, your country needs to compensate us with ten thousand taels of gold and a thousand pieces of silk."
If it was just these, the Yu Kingdom could still afford it, but Zhu Yuanhe felt that it was far more than that.
Zhu Yuanhe raised his head and looked at her calmly, waiting for her next words.
"Secondly, we will exempt our country from commercial taxes on trade with the State of Yu for two years. Finally, we will send an envoy to the State of An to apologize to His Majesty in person."
As soon as these words were spoken, it was like a huge rock thrown into the lake, causing a thousand waves.
The ministers of the Yu State across from them widened their eyes, expressions of astonishment appeared on their faces, and then they gasped.
They looked at each other, and one of the ministers couldn't help but stand up and say, "Sir Hu, you are really asking for too much."
The Anguo envoy, Lord Liao, was not to be outdone. One of the Anguo envoys looked at the person who had just spoken and said, "Lord Cheng, you should be aware of the value of these seeds. Our request is not excessive. Besides, your country was originally in the wrong in this matter."
"That's not excessive. Ten thousand taels of gold, a thousand rolls of silk, two years of commercial taxes, how dare you ask for these? How much have you sold your own people for just this little bit of seeds? You've multiplied the price by more than ten thousand times."
"And you're asking us to send an envoy to apologize? Didn't Lord Zhu explain to you earlier that our Majesty was unaware of this and that it was all the treacherous officials who acted on their own accord? We've already severely punished those people, yet you're still holding on to this? What are your intentions?"
Lord Cheng from the State of Yu's face flushed crimson, and his voice unconsciously rose eight octaves.
"So Lord Cheng also knows that we are selling these rice seeds to our own people? If we sell them to the Yu Kingdom at the same price, then wouldn't that be..."
Lord Liao suddenly stopped talking in the middle of his words, but the meaning was self-evident. Everyone present was not a fool, so how could they not understand?
When the ministers of Yu State heard this, their faces instantly became extremely ugly.
A mocking smile played at the corner of Lord Liao's mouth, a cold glint flashed in his eyes as he continued, "Furthermore, even if your Majesty was unaware of this, this happened under his rule. Our request to send an envoy to apologize is merely a formal explanation. Isn't that reasonable?"
Lord Cheng was speechless for a moment. When he was about to speak again, Zhu Yuanhe interrupted him.
After meeting Zhu Yuanhe's warning look, Lord Cheng shut his mouth angrily.
Zhu Yuanhe looked at Hu Zhiyi with a gentle smile on his face. "Sir Hu, our country did something wrong in this matter, and your request is reasonable."
"However, a two-year commercial tax reduction would have a significant impact on our country. How about one year? As for sending an envoy to apologize, I will report to Your Majesty as soon as possible and strive to give your country a satisfactory response."
Hu Zhiyi frowned slightly and looked him in the eye. "Master Zhu, this... is making it difficult for me to handle this."
The last few words were spoken very slowly, with a hint of helplessness in his tone.
"Before we left on this mission, His Majesty demanded that we bring back this batch of seeds. Now that you've used some of them, we can't bring them back intact. If we don't bring back enough compensation, how will His Majesty let us report back?"
As he said this, Hu Zhiyi's eyes met his.
Zhu Yuanhe suppressed the anger in his heart, frowned slightly, and tried hard to maintain his last bit of patience.
He looked at Hu Zhiyi and the others who were not prepared to give in. "Master Hu, how about this? We will reduce the commercial tax for a year and a half, and give you an additional 300 fine horses as compensation. That should be enough for you to report back to your country."
Hu Zhiyi thought about it in his mind and felt that this condition was acceptable.
And this should be the maximum compensation they can give. If they keep on biting their tongues, I'm afraid they will eventually reveal their true colors.
But he still pretended to be hesitant, "Master Zhu, this..."
"What do you think, Lord Hu? I am now sincere enough. This compensation condition is the limit of what our dynasty can offer. If Lord Hu is still dissatisfied, I am afraid that the negotiation will be difficult to continue." There was an obvious threat in Zhu Yuanhe's words.
Feeling the threat in Zhu Yuanhe's words, Hu Zhiyi also knew that it was time to quit while he was ahead and not to force him any further.
She coughed lightly, and put on a look that was a little embarrassed but also contained a hint of compromise. "Since Yu State is so sincere, then I, An State, will accept this condition."
Zhu Yuanhe's expression finally softened slightly, and he nodded gently, "Very good, then let's draw up the contract right away."
After a while, the two countries signed a compensation agreement.
Hu Zhiyi put away the written contract and looked at Zhu Yuanhe with a kind face, completely different from his previous appearance.
"Then we will return to the embassy and wait for the compensation you send. After inspection, please help us transport it back to Anguo, Master Zhu."
Hearing her words, the ministers of Yu State suddenly felt a nameless fire in their hearts.
What did she mean by this? Did she think that the Yu Kingdom would still default on its debt?
They all stared at Hu Zhiyi with their eyes wide open.
However, facing the angry gazes of the ministers of Yu State, Hu Zhiyi remained unmoved and still had a smile on his face, as if he was completely unaware of the other party's hostility.
Just stood there quietly, waiting for Zhu Yuanhe's response.
Zhu Yuanhe was on the verge of exploding with rage, but he maintained a calm exterior. "Don't worry, Lord Hu. The compensation will be delivered on time, and I will assist in arranging the transportation. As for sending an envoy to apologize, I will need to consult His Majesty and then notify you separately."
"Then I'll have to trouble you, Master Zhu."
After saying this, Hu Zhiyi led the envoys out of the palace.
Half a month later, the team of a few carriages turned into a huge convoy of dozens of carriages loaded with supplies.
With so many people, the journey slowed down a lot. After more than ten days, the huge team finally entered the capital of Anguo.