The envoys, being so clever, quickly bowed and said, "Your Majesty, rest assured, to ensure everything goes smoothly, we can give the beauty a potion that prevents her from having children."
Xiao Jingzhao felt his blood surging in his chest, and he almost spat out a mouthful of blood.
Jiang Shuyue, not wanting to miss out on trouble, had a gloating look in her eyes and brows.
"No, I say no, and that's final!" Xiao Jingzhao said firmly.
The envoys were greatly disappointed, and it was inevitable that they would feel regret as they watched the most profitable deal slip through their fingers.
The ministers standing nearby breathed a sigh of relief. The Emperor had delayed announcing the date for the imperial concubine selection because one important matter at court was pressing.
Ministers with daughters of marriageable age were already anxiously waiting to send the envoys away so they could submit another memorial urging the emperor to select a consort.
Since the Emperor had clearly refused, Jiang Shuyue naturally couldn't insist any further.
They want both power and beauty; every emperor is the same.
Xiao Jingzhao's performance impressed Jiang Shuyue.
She thought to herself, "Is he still not out of his mind?"
Finally, Xiao Jingzhao called on the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies to write a promissory note, which the other party then signed and pressed his fingerprint on.
The regulations also stipulate that timber can be used to offset debts.
As if afraid that Jiang Shuyue would change her mind, the people from several small countries told Xiao Jingzhao that they would immediately set off from the capital to return home after receiving the seeds.
Xiao Jingzhao was naturally pleased with the outcome and had someone bring him his handwritten letter to the emperor of another country, which the envoys then took back.
Jiang Shuyue also has to negotiate with the Sang people.
She waved to Qiuju, who was standing behind her, and Qiuju quickly stepped forward and bowed.
Jiang Shuyue whispered something in her ear, and Qiuju nodded repeatedly before going out to distribute the seeds to the envoys on behalf of her mistress.
After Qiuju left, Jiang Shuyue calmly looked at the Sang people, who each had their own thoughts.
With no competitors in the main hall, the people of Sang all looked up at us.
The woman opposite him was exceptionally beautiful, with a radiant complexion. She was indeed, as rumored, a rare and stunning beauty.
In particular, her eyes, as clear as a spring, are full of confidence and wisdom, which makes people admire her involuntarily.
With the air of a superior, the leader turned slightly to his companion and said, "Don't change your mind. Let's give it a try. I think her spirit is no less than that of an empress."
The others were apprehensive; the woman opposite them was too outstanding, and Sangguo was extremely fortunate to have her.
Seeing Jiang Shuyue looking over, the leading envoy stepped forward unhurriedly.
He bowed deeply to Xiao Jingzhao, who sat at the head of the table, and said, "Your Majesty, besides the matter of buying seeds, the Sang Kingdom has another request."
Xiao Jing nodded slightly and raised his hand in a gesture of invitation.
The Sang Kingdom envoy glanced at Jiang Shuyue.
Jiang Shuyue's alarm bells went off. Her eyes were like those of someone looking at a commodity being sold for a price.
The envoy withdrew his gaze and said, "Your Majesty, Miss Jiang is beautiful and intelligent, with both talent and looks. The emperor of our Sang Kingdom greatly admires such an extraordinary woman."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Jingzhao frowned slightly, and a chill rose in his eyes.
When the ministers of Wanling heard the first half of the Sang Kingdom's envoy's words, they felt honored and nodded and smiled frequently.
Upon hearing the last sentence, their faces instantly darkened.
Which official in the imperial court isn't shrewd and calculating?
The Sang Kingdom envoy's unspoken message was that he wanted to poach talent from Wanling.
The Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial, who was in charge of receiving the foreign delegation, interjected: "The envoys have business to discuss. Miss Jiang is a rare talent in Wanling. Not only does our Emperor admire her, but all the ministers present also admire her."
Jiang Shuyue remained silent, quietly watching to see what kind of trouble the Sang people would cause after praising her.
The Sang Kingdom envoy dared not look directly at the emperor's face, so he naturally did not see Xiao Jingzhao's cold and stern expression.
With a determined heart, he mustered his courage and said, "Miss Jiang is kind and intelligent. My Sang Kingdom wishes to marry Miss Jiang as a concubine. We hope Your Majesty will grant our request."
Xiao Jingzhao slammed his hand on the armrest of his chair and roared, "How dare you, envoy! How dare you utter such arrogant words! Guards! Expel this rude madman from the country!"
Before everyone could react, the guards outside the hall rushed in upon hearing the shouts and grabbed the envoy's arms on either side, trying to drag him out.
The envoy struggled, saying, "Wait! We will pay the seed silver as promised, and give Wanling ten thousand taels of gold and a thousand bolts of silk."
In their haste, the envoys spoke recklessly, and the silk they brought was only a hundred bolts, let alone ten thousand taels of gold.
"roll!"
Enraged, Xiao Jingzhao grabbed the teacup in front of him and smashed it.
The teacup landed squarely on the envoy's instep; had the guards not dragged him back, the teacup would have smashed on his forehead.
The other Sang Kingdom envoys, seeing that their companion had made a huge blunder, were so frightened that they knelt down and begged for mercy.
"Your Majesty! He was delirious and spoke nonsense, offending Miss Jiang and angering Your Majesty. I beg Your Majesty to calm down."
The ministers looked at the Sang people as if they were thieves, their eyes practically blazing with fury.
Jiang Shuyue's lips curled into a sneer, and she sneered, "You Sang Kingdom are really good at playing the game, trying to get something for nothing, and even trying to scheme against me! You don't deserve it, what shameless and despicable behavior!"
The Minister of State Ceremonies angrily retorted, "You all dare to propose marriage for your emperor? May I ask, which of you is the father of the Sang Kingdom's emperor???"
When Qiuju returned, she overheard the scumbags from the Sang Kingdom and was so angry that she trembled with rage, wishing she could tear the envoy's mouth apart.
Qiuju saw that her young mistress's eyes were as cold as ice, an expression that only appeared when she was extremely angry.
"Miss, let's go back. Don't listen to that scoundrel's nonsense."
When Qiuju reached out to take Jiang Shuyue's hand, she noticed that Jiang Shuyue's hand, which was tucked into her sleeve, was clenched into a fist, and her body was trembling slightly.
The messenger in the hall wailed and howled, and was quickly dragged out of the hall by the guards.
The other envoys did not expect the consequences to be so severe. Emperor Wanling was actually enraged by a mere merchant girl, and they all knelt on the ground, trembling and begging for mercy.
Xiao Jingzhao's phoenix eyes widened as he pointed at the kneeling envoy from the Sang Kingdom below and said:
"I will spare your lives for the sake of the fact that these words were not spoken by your Sang Kingdom's emperor. As for the opening of trade between our two countries, I will pretend that I never said it."
"From this moment forward, the envoy from Sang Kingdom shall leave the capital immediately, and the matter of the seeds shall be set aside!"
Jiang Shuyue and Xiao Jingzhao exchanged a glance; Xiao Jingzhao's words struck a chord with her.
She loves making money, but not just any kind of money. She finds earning money from the people of Sangguo disgusting.
Envoys never need to kneel when meeting the emperor of another country. Looking at the Sang Kingdom delegation kneeling below, Xiao Jingzhao showed no mercy.
Before the Sang people could argue, with a wave of his hand, the guards at the palace gate came in and cleared everyone out.
Only their own people remained in the hall. The ministers belatedly realized that the emperor's anger had gone too far today.
The two countries agreed that unreasonable matters could be argued about or quarreled over, and that people could be directly kicked out—this was the first time in history.
The eunuch was so frightened by the scene that he cowered to the side. He knew where the emperor's sore spot was and dared not utter a single word of comfort.
Jiang Shuyue took a deep breath, composed herself, and bowed to Xiao Jingzhao. "Thank you, Your Majesty, for rescuing me. If there is nothing else, I will take my leave."
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