But Xu Shi's words hit the nail on the head; he knew that it was possible to bypass him and go directly to Cheng Gujian.

After all, he was absolutely right. This deficit was not going to be borne by the royal treasury alone. As the person in charge of promoting the Poseidon Stone trade, Cheng Gujian would naturally have to pay some of the price.

Since that's the case, Cheng Gujian probably doesn't care whether he pays more or less—he wouldn't care too much if the difference wasn't too big. If he could do Xu Shi a favor in this way, it would be even more worthwhile for him.

After all, the two of them had become somewhat estranged because of the matter of defeating the sea god, and he could take this opportunity to resolve some of the discord between himself and Xu Shi.

"Then... what do you want?"

The little empress bit her lip and asked in a slightly trembling voice.

It seems that she is only now realizing that her previous thoughts were somewhat naive, but it is undeniable that from the very beginning, Xu Shi had been leading her by the nose in this conversation, both emotionally and practically.

However, as I said before, this might truly be her only chance in this lifetime, and even so, she cannot give up easily.

"I don't want anything in particular, I just want His Majesty to understand a principle."

Seeing her slightly aggrieved yet helpless expression, Xu Shi's smile grew even brighter. "You're not the one who sets the price; I am."

“I know His Majesty is intelligent and quick-witted. Perhaps he saw through the intricacies of the Poseidon Stone transaction from the very beginning.”

He interlaced his fingers and said slowly, "But you didn't stop it, instead letting it develop to this point... I think it's probably to seek an opportunity to cooperate with me?"

"To be honest, I admire your courageous decision to risk the fate of the Hualan Empire... This is something most people wouldn't even dare to think about."

"Of course, it is selfish, after all, you already knew that once the bubble bursts, countless people will be ruined, and even the entire empire will be plunged into turmoil... But I can understand you. It is really hard to bear when the ruler is weak and the ministers are strong. I have experienced such things before."

"So, based on that alone, I'm actually quite willing to help you out."

"However, I do have conditions, it just depends on how much you can accept."

(End of this chapter)