Chapter 257 My Prince Isn't Short of Money

The war between Masuri Patnam and the Da Yuan army successfully intimidated all the leaders who had been invited to the local meeting.

After the "Local Trade Treaties" were successfully signed, Lin Yongqian invited the leaders of the various city-states and tribes to dinner with a smile, and then a specialist would discuss the details with them.

“Mingyi, you must remember, your primary task now is to help these city-states that have signed the treaty become wealthy first. Give them goods, encourage them to grow cotton, and develop the textile industry…”

"After I leave, Yongqian, you must return to Singapore to take charge. It is the hub connecting Zhu and his hometown. As our maritime trade develops, Singapore will become more and more important. You must not only guard against the Nanyang people... but also be wary of the Daxia people. They... will come sooner or later."

"Your Highness, don't we have someone above us...?"

Wu Mingyi raised a question in bewilderment. In his view, with the Prince of Yan and Zhou Yuan as Qin Mo's backers, and the current Empress having extensive business dealings with high-ranking officials, who would dare to provoke these three powerful figures?

"Daxia has never expanded into Southeast Asia because they believe it is a barren and impoverished land, and the risks of crossing the ocean are too great to be worthwhile. But once they realize how rich this place is, there are plenty of people who will risk coming here to make money."

"At that time, our advantage will be extremely important, and it's certain that we'll attract jealousy. But we don't need to be timid. We're not afraid of reasoning or fighting, but it would be terrible if we were tripped up in secret. So only a shrewd and cunning person can be in charge of Singapore."

Both the young Wu Mingyi and the old Xiao Jingxian wore smiles, while Lin Yongqian looked embarrassed; his smile was notorious for hiding a knife.

"Your Highness, are you really not taking troops to Xizhou? Back then, the old prince even brought three hundred personal guards!"

After Qin Mo finished speaking, Xiao Jingxian still worriedly tried to persuade Qin Mo. Everyone disapproved of Qin Mo going to the temple with only a few followers, but only Xiao Jingxian, an old retainer of Prince Heng, could offer some words of advice.

"It's not that I'm going alone. On the way to Persia, I'll bring some people to familiarize myself with the route and pave the way for your future expansion of trade routes. After Persia, it will be foreign territory, and it's not as convenient to go alone as to bring troops."

"Your Highness has made up your mind. I can only wish you a safe journey and a speedy return."

The vast majority of the soldiers and merchants of the Da Yuan army remained on the east coast of Zhu. In the coming years, they would follow Qin Mo's plan to gradually penetrate the inland with goods, and then seize the opportunity to develop southward, bypass Cape Comorin, and then expand westward all the way to the Persian Gulf.

This is a slow process, especially since there are many ethnic minorities in southern India and the situation is too chaotic. Before the transportation and supply lines between Southeast Asia and the eastern coast of India are stabilized, the only option is to slowly infiltrate with merchants before seizing the opportunity to forcibly occupy the territory by force.

Qin Mo chose an auspicious day and boarded his battle-tested high-speed sailboat, the "Da Yuan No. 1," accompanied by several escort ships, leaving the local port of Yeli and heading south towards Sinhala.

As for why Sinhala was chosen, it was all at Shia's urging. Shia now has the ability to influence Qin Mo in some matters, an ability commonly known as "pillow talk".

"Qin Mo, have you ever seen a sapphire the size of an egg? You haven't, have you?... Sinhala has some..."

"Qin Mo, have you ever seen a cat's eye stone that changes five or six colors in a short time? You haven't, have you? ...Sinhala has them..."

Even with a favorable wind, it would still take several hours to reach Sinhala on a high-speed sailboat. Qin Mo was fishing on the deck out of boredom, while Shia was jumping around excitedly beside her, chattering away. She hadn't stopped talking since leaving the local area. Her cheerful laughter infected even the most serious crew members, making them much happier.

A slight smile appeared on Qin Mo's lips. How could he not know about Sri Lanka, the land of gems? Sri Lankan cornflower blue sapphires are world-renowned and are among the best sapphires in the world.

Qin Mo once longed to give his girlfriend a sapphire, but that was just a dream. He would rather go out into the world and find a big sapphire to give to his wife, thus fulfilling his wish.

"Qin Mo, did you hear what I said?"

A cool, moist breath brushed against Qin Mo's ear, accompanied by a reproachful question.

"I heard that! You're quite skilled. Since you like sapphires, why didn't you take a few?"

Shia asked in surprise, "I have learned a phrase in the Great Xia language, 'Taking without asking is stealing.' As a prince of Great Xia... have you ever stolen anything?"

"No, absolutely not. What kind of person am I...? What do I lack? Would I need to steal it?"

Qin Mo touched her nose, feeling somewhat ashamed. She had indeed stolen things before, including sweet potatoes from farmers and apples from orchards in her previous life. But she could never admit to it. Shia was incredibly stubborn on this point and would definitely despise her.

Shia traveled all the way from the Indian Ocean to the South Seas, and even when he was extremely hungry, he never stole any food. If he hadn't been skilled enough to hunt, he probably would have starved to death.

At the Tanah Lot Temple in Malacca, Shia ate the food offered by the merchants and was obligated to escort their ships through the strait in exchange for the cost of his meals. After being captured by Qin Mo and taken to the city of Tamsui in Tainan, he received a monthly allowance to buy snacks and never ate for free, much less steal.

Sinhala is a Sanskrit word meaning "lion-training," and in Qin Mo's previous life, he was also referred to as "Lion Kingdom" by the court. His exact location is easy to find; it is located southwest of Cape Comorin.

This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!