As she spoke, Mrs. Sun sighed wearily, as she had been disturbed terribly during this time.

If it were a poor relative from the village, one could say a few words of complaint, but this person is a nobleman from another country, so it's really hard to say anything.

He Jiuniang smiled and comforted him, "I've already arranged with Prince Nantai to sign a contract tomorrow. Xiteng might sign one too. Things will be fine once this busy period is over."

"What kind of contract are we signing? It's not going to be anything bad for us, is it?"

Mrs. Sun stared wide-eyed, fearing that her daughter-in-law would agree to their unreasonable demands in order to get rid of those two troublesome people.

"No, they want to do business with us, to buy my seasoning packets and potatoes. I'll send someone back to Jingzhou to ask Second Brother how many potatoes he has left, and at least half of them will be sold to Nantai and Xiteng."

Upon hearing that it was about doing business, Sun's eyes lit up instantly.

"You mean to say that our family business is going to expand overseas?"

He Jiuniang nodded: "Yes, this is just the beginning, and there will be much more in the future."

"That's great! I'll go tell the old man right away, and then send someone to deliver a message to the second son. Leave this to me. You've been busy these past few days, so go and get some rest!"

With that, he ran outside, beaming with joy.

The thought of them buying my things suddenly made me stop finding them so annoying.

When Lu Baichuan returned that evening, He Jiuniang spoke to him about it. Lu Baichuan said, "Strengthening trade between countries has both advantages and disadvantages. We should discuss it further in court. I will go to the morning court tomorrow to discuss it."

He Jiuniang agreed, nodding and saying, "Yes, yes, you can arrange it as you see fit."

She lay on the chaise lounge, looking somewhat languid, her exquisite figure on full display. Lu Baichuan's heart stirred, and he walked over and picked her up in his arms.

"It's getting late, you should get some rest."

He Jiuniang wrapped her arms around his neck and said coquettishly, "I'm so tired, I don't want to move."

"Okay, you don't need to do anything."

The next morning, when Lu Baichuan brought up the matter in court, he did encounter a lot of opposition. It wasn't that they thought it was bad, but they were worried about safety.

Opening up trade can indeed promote economic development, but the main concern is that some people will take the opportunity to enter the country and use their identities as businessmen to act as spies.

Even when things weren't as open, Dongting was able to get so many people in; how much more so now that they've opened up?

The country is not yet stable, and opening up trade at this time will bring a lot of unnecessary trouble.

The emperor was undecided for a moment, so he decided to think it over carefully before making a decision.

After the court session, the emperor kept Lu Baichuan and several other trusted ministers behind to discuss the matter.

The emperor asked, "Why did you suddenly think of this?"

“It was the Crown Prince of Nantai who approached my wife, wanting to cooperate with her in business. Princess Xiteng also had the same idea. My wife thought that opening up trade would be a good idea, so she asked me to ask His Majesty for his opinion.”

The meaning is clear: it depends on whether the emperor wants cooperation between nations or allows them to run private businesses.

The emperor paused, then looked at the other ministers, wanting to hear their thoughts.

One of them said, “Your Majesty, I think Madam Lu’s idea is good. As for the border defense, we should strengthen management. Simply blocking it is useless and will not stop those with ulterior motives from causing trouble.”

"Yes, this is a great opportunity. By increasing trade, the country will surely become more prosperous and powerful."

"But border defense isn't something that can be strengthened just like that. If it were that easy, there wouldn't have been so many problems over the years. This isn't something that can be solved overnight."

...

The group began to discuss that if trade were liberalized, there would be too much work to do, and it would definitely not be handled in just a few days.

However, the emperor actually wanted to open up trade, as the national treasury was empty and making more money would naturally be good.

Kaya also told Denton about this. Denton was pleasantly surprised to learn that during her time at the Lu family, she had managed to get the Lu family to agree to do business with them.

Ever since Kaya was kidnapped on the day the new emperor ascended the throne, Denton has felt guilty, so he doesn't stop her from doing anything.

Although I felt it wasn't right for her to shamelessly go to the Lu family every day, I figured as long as she was happy, it was fine, since we'd be going back to China soon anyway.

But he never expected that Kaya's trip wasn't in vain; instead, it secured this cooperation opportunity for the country.

In Denton's view, this was not just a simple matter of doing business, but also a guarantee for maintaining peace. The fact that the Lu family was willing to cooperate with them meant that they would not easily deal with Xiteng, which reassured him.

"Princess, why did you suddenly decide to do these things?"

He was somewhat surprised, feeling that something about the little princess in front of him seemed to have changed.

Kaya thought for a moment and said to him, "I want to do something for the people and also prove to my father that I can bring benefits to the people not only through marriage alliances."

Denton paused for a moment. Although he didn't agree with what she said, she had indeed secured benefits for the country.

"I understand. I will report this to the Emperor when I return to Xiteng."

Kaya was very happy; many things were quietly changing within her.

When the contract was signed, Denton and Kaya went together to express their gratitude to He Jiuniang and their hope that the cooperation would continue to go smoothly.

He Jiuniang naturally wouldn't refuse, and to celebrate, she invited them to dinner at her home, making the whole experience very pleasant.

After everyone left, He Jiuniang went to find Lu Xiaoyang.

"Third Aunt, is something the matter?"

He Jiuniang rarely comes to see him alone. She came to see him right after signing a contract with someone today, which is most likely related to business.

"Yes, there are some things I'd like to ask for your opinion on."

He Jiuniang sat down in the chair and gestured for Lu Xiaoyang to sit down as well.

"Third Aunt, you say it."

Lu Xiaoyang was very cautious, with a serious expression.

“You know, we’re currently cooperating with Nantai and Xiteng. They buy things from us to resell, and I also want to buy some good stuff from them to resell. I’m busy and can’t go there myself, so I’d like you to go.”

Lu Xiaoyang's eyes widened, and for a moment she didn't know what to say. He Jiuniang continued, "Don't say anything yet. After I've told you everything, think about it and tell me your answer tomorrow."

“You have always been an excellent child. You are serious about your work, intelligent, know what you want, and know how to make choices. I have watched you grow up, and I believe in your abilities, so naturally I have high hopes for you.”

"The journey is long, and it will take at least half a year to get back. So what I'm thinking is to wait until you and Yuexiang are engaged before you set off together. Of course, I will have your third uncle send someone to protect you and ensure your safety so that you can focus on your work."

"I've said all I have to say. Think it over carefully and let me know your decision tomorrow. You can go or not; I respect your choice."