Chapter 918: No Middlemen Taking a Cut [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

No matter how sincere Shen Tang's eyes were, if Wu Yuan believed her lies, then something was truly amiss. Otherwise, why ban tea of ​​all things? What difference was there between that and taking the life of Bei Mo? His purpose in coming here was twofold: one was to cultivate grain seeds, and the other was to establish a trade market, with tea and salt being of paramount importance.

I'd rather go without meat during the day than go without tea for a day.

The diet in the northern deserts is mostly meat-based, which can easily cause dryness, heat, and a greasy feeling, making it difficult to digest. Over time, this can lead to constipation, with stools becoming dry, hard, and like stones. The defecation area is also fragile, making rectal bleeding a common occurrence. Drinking more tea can alleviate these symptoms.

Of course, vegetables can also be used instead of tea leaves.

However, vegetables are scarce in the environment of the northern desert.

In contrast, tea is cheap and can be stored for many years.

In comparison, tea is naturally better.

If it were just difficulty urinating, it wouldn't be so bad; it wasn't unbearable. But the people of the Northern Desert soon discovered that prolonged abstinence from tea would cause much bigger problems: muscle weakness and decreased strength! This was a nightmare for the martial-minded people of the Northern Desert. Martial heroes could remain unaffected by tea, but ordinary tribal people could not.

But—

The most prized commodities in the Northern Desert of Shentangka were salt and tea.

Food supplies are actually a minor issue.

Grain differs from salt and tea; the latter are easy to store and won't easily spoil during long-distance transport. Grain purchased in the Northern Desert can be stored for a long time, even for several years. Grain, on the other hand, has obvious disadvantages; it's unsuitable for large-scale purchases in terms of both transportation and storage. For one thing, the cost to the cooks transporting grain alone is equivalent to the profit of a single merchant trip.

Although the population of the Northern Desert is small, there is still a huge food shortage. Compared with the shortage, the amount of food smuggled by these merchants is insignificant and cannot make a big difference.

When the Northwest was in chaos, some greedy merchants did buy grain nearby and smuggle it to the Northern Desert, reselling it at high prices to Northern Desert merchants. However, the quantity was small, and they also risked being robbed of everything by passing forces.

After Shen Tang won, the merchants wisely stopped their pursuit.

Given Shen Tang's personality, he would naturally write everything down and settle scores with them one by one when he remembered. Right now, he was too busy to deal with them for the time being.

Wu Yuan wouldn't be surprised if Shen Tang banned grain trade.

But she deliberately touched the tea leaves and salt!

Despite the bulging veins on his forehead, Wu Yuan forced a friendly smile: "King Kang's actions are inappropriate. As far as I know, tea is not widely consumed in your country, and it is not a favorite among the common people everywhere."

Where does such a large demand for tea come from?

Even if Yanzhou and Ganzhou suffered from floods, and tea production were reduced by another 20%, the local area still couldn't fully absorb the demand. For the past few centuries, tea has been the largest trade item between the northwestern countries and the Northern Desert. Wu Yuan remembers that decades ago, there was a small country bordering the Northern Desert, and for more than a decade, tea trade with the Northern Desert was its biggest source of income.

It is far better than exorbitant taxes and levies!

Even small countries were destroyed because of jealousy from neighboring countries.

Neighboring countries also wanted to trade tea with the Northern Desert, but the trade routes were controlled by smaller states. Several negotiations failed, so they simply went to war. There are many similar examples.

Shen Tang clearly had tea leaves in his hand!

The trade market is now banning tea; it's clearly a joke!

Shen Tang opened her almond-shaped eyes wide and said innocently, "What are you saying, Envoy? Who said that my Kang Kingdom doesn't like drinking tea?"

Wu Yuanqi's chest heaved violently.

He stared intently at Shen Tang, eager to hear what kind of ridiculous reason she could come up with! Heh, and sure enough, Shen Tang actually had one.

She raised her hand and clapped it.

Several soldiers entered the tent carrying a device resembling a pen holder, with several small dishes containing condiments next to it.

Gong Cheng lowered his eyes and looked at the ceramic utensils on the table.

Shen Tang's smiling voice drifted into my ears: "I've heard that the Northern Desert is fond of tea. I wonder if we have this kind of tea in our territory? I personally like it very much. Why don't you try it and give me your opinion?"

The tastes in the northern desert and those in the interior are different.

The tea that Shen Tang served was indeed unique in taste. Based on Wu Yuan's years of experience living in the interior of China, it was certainly more in line with the tastes of the common people there. He just didn't know how much it cost. Wu Yuan only took a small sip, and Gong Cheng also carefully tasted it. After taking a sip, his eyes lit up, and he drank it all in one go.

He wasn't worried that Shen Tang would poison the tea.

The other side trades grain seeds with the Northern Desert using overt methods, so they naturally wouldn't resort to such underhanded tactics as poisoning. Gong Cheng finished his cup and had the soldiers refill it. This time, he didn't gulp it down, but savored the taste, while also watching the spectacle.

Shen Tang counted on her fingers and did some calculations for Wu Yuan.

How many such restaurants are there in Longwu? How many cups are served daily? How much tea is needed for each cup? And her territory is not just Longwu County. Based on the size of Longwu County, and roughly estimating the consumption in other places, and deducting the fixed annual tea consumption, Kangguo's tea harvest this year is indeed tight.

Most importantly, Shen Tang also plans to expand the tea and beverage business after establishing diplomatic relations with neighboring countries, creating franchise stores or establishing a brand. Wu Yuan, of course, doesn't understand these terms; he only needs to know that Shen Tang wants this business to flourish everywhere.

After saying that, she shrugged.

Helpless: "Your Excellency, it's really not that I intentionally made things difficult for the Northern Desert, it's just that the floods this year have had a huge impact."

Wu Yuan was so blocked that he couldn't utter a single word.

Shen Tang's words were reasonable and well-founded. As a ruler, she didn't even need to explain herself so clearly. Yet she did, demonstrating her sincerity. The ban on tea in the border trade was purely coincidental, not a deliberate trap targeting the Northern Desert.

He came up with a roundabout compromise.

"Since there is a shortage of tea supply within Kang Kingdom, why doesn't the King of Kang Kingdom allow merchants from other countries to bring tea for trade?" If Kang Kingdom merchants are not allowed to sell tea to the Northern Desert, surely merchants from other countries can? We can't allow other countries to also experience a sharp decline in tea production!

To everyone's surprise, Shen Tang shook her head with sincere almond-shaped eyes.

“My lord, this will not do either.”

Wu Yuan felt that his composure was about to crumble.

He gritted his teeth inwardly: "Why not?"

Shen Tang replied matter-of-factly, "I know the Northern Desert needs tea. I've also seen many accounts of tea trade from previous years. Why would we give such a lucrative business to another country? Previously, it was only said that private merchants were prohibited, but it wasn't said that official royal merchants of Kang Kingdom were prohibited. Kang Kingdom lacks tea, so naturally they send people to buy tea elsewhere and then sell it to you—"

Wu Yuan: "..."

Shen Tang laughed and said, "Anyway, the price at which the Northern Desert buys tea is the same, so who doesn't make a profit from the price difference?"

Gong Cheng nearly choked on the tea he hadn't yet swallowed.

It was only because of his profound strength that he did not lose his composure.

He knew politicians were shameless, and being brazen was the norm, but he never expected Shen Tang to abandon all pretense and wear her greed on her sleeve. She was clearly telling Bei Mo that in business, you're always going to get ripped off, and it doesn't matter who rips you off.

She! Wants! To! All! To! Swallow! It!

This lucrative business is off-limits to private merchants.

However, Gong Cheng also keenly noticed other unspoken problems—if the tea business could only be handled by the government, then how much tea was available for trade, and what its quality was, wouldn't that all be decided by Shen Tang? This was a huge pitfall.

He glanced at Wu Yuan, whose face was grim and uncertain.

Even he himself could see it, so Wu Yuan, the person involved, would certainly not have made any mistakes. As an envoy, his thinking was even more comprehensive.

From beginning to end, this was an open conspiracy.

An open conspiracy is a scheme that one knows is being plotted against but has no choice but to take the bait.

Shen Tang smiled and asked, "Does the envoy have any doubts?"

Wu Yuan also asked directly, "I understand what King Kang means. Since it's a win-win situation, the winners should naturally be our two families, and we can't let a third party interfere and take advantage. But there's still one thing I'm not sure about—how much tea can King Kang collect from other countries? Can he guarantee that the amount of tea will be the same as in previous years?"

It's not impossible to manipulate the numbers.

If these things aren't clarified, Beimo will suffer in silence.

Shen Tang's reply was full of practical information: "I don't know, we'll have to send someone out to check the market before we know."

There were no polite words at all; he answered every question directly.

Wu Yuan asked again, "What about the delivery time?"

"Whenever we receive it, we'll sell it!" Shen Tang's answers were more and more willful, and she lectured Wu Yuan in the manner of an elder, "Sigh, why is the envoy in such a hurry? Haste makes waste! I know that tea is a daily necessity in the Northern Desert, and I also know that merchants resell more tea to the Northern Desert than they consume in a year. In other words, every household has tea reserves, and we won't run out of tea anytime soon."

Tea is a strategic resource.

Who wouldn't rush to stock up on a batch?

If Bei Mo hadn't secretly stockpiled tea and other necessities during the chaotic years of the Dragon Slaying Bureau, she would have been suicidal! Wu Yuan was now putting on an act of "if the tea supply doesn't stop, we'll run out of tea tomorrow," did he think he was being fooled?

"Your Excellency can rest assured. I, Shen Youli, have lived an upright life and never harmed my allies. I would never do the things you are worried about." Shen Tang knew what Wu Yuan was imagining without needing to read minds, but her words were all about Yin Yang Bei Mo.

Wu Yuan was neither angry nor ashamed when his thoughts were exposed.

Little did they know that Shen Tang had silently added another note—

The Northern Desert is an enemy, not an ally.

Hehehe, so this isn't exactly a lie.

Seeing that there was no hope for the tea issue, Wu Yuan could only suppress his anger and asked Shen Tang why he wanted to ban salt. There were perfectly legitimate reasons for banning tea, but surely salt production couldn't be reduced due to flooding?

Shen Tang blinked and said, "That's naturally because salt is an official business. I've long since banned private production and smuggling. Even in trade between the two places, private merchants are not allowed to sell it."

This policy has been in effect for several years.

Only merchants with operating licenses can sell, and even then, they can only sell within a limited scope and cannot go beyond their operating area.

Wu Yuan: "..."

Shen Tang smiled and said, "If the envoy doesn't believe it, he can inquire in places like Longwu when he passes through. It's been more than three years..."

For businesses dealing in necessities for ordinary people's daily lives, prices must be stable and supply sufficient so that most people can afford them. Leaving it to private merchants? Who knows what kind of trouble they'll cause? Government intervention to set prices and sell is the safest approach.

Most importantly—

No one can take her business away from her!

Stealing her business is stealing her money!

After two disturbances, Wu Yuan's morale suffered a severe blow, and they lost interest in investigating other prohibited goods. Judging from Shen Tang's two responses, the other party had come prepared. Waiting too long would only lead them into a trap.

Overall, the outcome of this discussion was quite encouraging.

Wu Yuan took the contract back to discuss it with his subordinates. After reaching an agreement, he contacted Shen Tang to make adjustments. It consisted of only minor clauses, and Shen Tang did not make things difficult for the Northern Desert delegation. Or rather, these were deliberate loopholes she left unaddressed.

After suffering repeated setbacks, the Northern Desert needed to find a way to retaliate.

If you persist in your demands, it's not good to drive the customer away.

In Gong Cheng's view, the two sides were each harboring their own ulterior motives.

Looking at the signed contract, Wu Yuan felt a surge of inexplicable frustration. He muttered to himself, "Sigh, if Yun Chi were willing to help, and with the power of the Gods' Assembly, perhaps..."

Even if he doesn't gain a significant advantage, he won't be held hostage by Shen Tang. Wu Yuan has been living a more frustrating life these past few days than when he was a hostage.

Gong Cheng said, "That won't do."

Although he inherited the token, the person who gave it to him also warned him not to get too involved with the Gods' Society unless absolutely necessary. Gong Cheng didn't know much about the Gods' Society, but he knew that an organization that had been operating in the shadows for so many years couldn't be some kind of benevolent organization…

The fact that the gods would willingly give the Northern Desert Kingdom's seal shows this.

This freak is always stirring up trouble.

By supporting the Northern Desert, who are they going to counter?

Gong Cheng's gaze fell towards the main tent where Shen Tang was located.

Wu Yuan: "It's just a joke, no need to be so serious."

He looked embarrassed and was wary of Gong Cheng.

Despite his apprehension, he wouldn't be foolish enough to push Gong Cheng away. He knew better than anyone that he was the one who needed Gong Cheng, and he had always tried to maintain a balance between them. Even if Gong Cheng wasn't willing to do more for him, Wu Yuan wouldn't force him.

Gong Cheng closed his eyes and continued to guard outside the camp.

Lin Feng worked overtime and finally developed the special grain seed for the Northern Desert that Shen Tang needed. It was drought-resistant, cold-resistant, frost-resistant, and pest-resistant, and most importantly, it was hardy and easy to raise. Shen Tang squatted on the edge of the secret experimental field, curious: "It looks no different from the previous grain seeds. How do you ensure that it won't be passed on to the next generation?"

Food security is a difficult problem.

The grain varieties used by the people of Longwu County were all optimized.

No matter how strict her investigations, she could only prevent people from entering the Northern Desert, not other countries within the Great Wall—the geography and climate of the Northern Desert differed greatly from those within the Great Wall, and most grain varieties would not adapt well there. The neighboring countries within the Great Wall, however, had similar climates, theoretically allowing them to cultivate high-yield grain varieties that could be stably inherited without being discovered.

By the time Shen Tang realized it, the die was cast.

Lin Feng pointed to the sky.

Shen Tang didn't understand what he meant, so she looked up.

"There's nothing in the sky..."

Lin Feng stood behind Shen Tang, squatted down as well, and looked at the experimental field. He said, "It was Luan Hucao who reminded us that the improvement of grain varieties relies on the spirit of literature, while the polluted spirit of heaven and earth will contaminate them, causing them to degenerate continuously..."

They implemented two safeguards.

One reason is the natural degradation of grain varieties.

One approach is to artificially enhance the instability of traits.

Lin Feng had handled various grain varieties, going through dozens or even hundreds or thousands of iterations. With his rich experience and Luan Xin's ability to see various kinds of heaven and earth energy, he unexpectedly discovered that the stable inheritance of traits in the previous grain varieties was due to the abundance of literary energy remaining in them.

By doing the opposite, you can achieve your goal.

|ω`)

Sigh, we received an obituary in our inbox today. Life is truly unpredictable. My friend, Shiitake, also had a checkup a few days ago and was diagnosed with severe fatty liver and very high blood lipids. No wonder her heart hasn't been feeling well this year… Thankfully, her blood sugar is normal (there's a family history of this).

(End of this chapter)