Baeknyeong Island.
The sky is clear and the sea breeze is blowing.
The two Haizai brothers were standing in front of the harbor.
"Two brothers, the rest of the story depends on you."
"If there's more, I won't say any more."
"If you need anything, you can discuss it with Brother Wan."
"And this letter..."
"Be sure to hand it over to the King of Nanyue personally!"
"Don't worry." Hai Zai smiled and nodded firmly, "Leave this matter to me. I guarantee that I will fulfill the mission. Given our relationship with the King of Nanyue, plus such a good deal, he won't refuse."
"Um."
Ning Que didn't say anything more.
Signaling that they could board the ship.
Everything that needs to be explained has been explained.
Hai Zai and his men were originally the Nanyue state teachers, and the Nanyue king had to give them some face when the two brothers came forward. In addition, the conditions he offered were not bad, so there was no reason for the Nanyue king to refuse.
Even if he really refused, Ning Que could always find someone else to support. No matter who became the King of Nanyue, Ning Que was confident that he could unify the entire Lingnan region.
Lingnan is not suitable for large-scale military operations.
It was called Baiyue because there were so many tribes.
The local area is known to have tens of thousands of mountains.
Spread across mountains, forests and ponds.
With the help of firearms, Ning Que can quickly conquer Lingnan.
"Okay, goodbye!"
"Take care, little brother."
"Goodbye."
Ning Que raised his hand in return.
Watch them board the ship and finally sail out of the harbor.
Hai Zai took away about 3,000 people this time, some of whom were wounded soldiers, and some were loyal and brave men that Bai Yu had selected and arranged in advance. I can't say anything about their other abilities, but they are definitely loyal.
They are equivalent to the vanguard of Lingnan.
They will have to do a lot of things then.
Reclaim wasteland and cultivate land, build workshops, forge firearms, and eliminate unruly barbarians...
Ning Que watched the warship disappear on the horizon before turning around and saying, "Alright, it's time for us to go back. We should also set off in a few days."
"promise!"
Tie Niu and Bai Yu followed behind.
Wang Ergou had already boarded the ship and departed, taking Park Hemi with him. The two of them were actually quite close, so Ning Que naturally wouldn't stop them, but he certainly couldn't let the important matter get delayed. He had sent Wang Ergou because he appreciated his hunting talent, his ability to find prey in the dense jungle. With his help, Yue Zhongmu would have someone he could use.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty!"
"Another merchant ship is coming!"
"Um?"
Ning Que immediately picked up the telescope and looked over. When he saw the flag flying on the merchant ship, he immediately laughed, "What a coincidence. Tell them all to get ready. This is the merchant ship of Babao Trading Company."
He had asked Wan Sanqian to help with the procurement of supplies, and they would depart from the port of Liaodong, cross the Bohai Sea, and head directly south to Lingnan. Later, Ning Que had Wan Sanqian pass by Bailing Island en route, calculating the timing to meet them.
Even if he hadn't met her, Ning Que didn't care.
Mainly want to see what good things there are this time.
At that time, Wan Sanqian mentioned that the envoys he sent to the Western Regions had finally returned. They would pass through the Liao Kingdom, go through Shuofang and Yanmen Pass, and finally arrive in Liaodong on a merchant ship.
The Western Regions...
Ning Que was also quite interested in this place.
Over the years, Dafeng had also sent delegations, but they were always blocked by the Liao Kingdom and Xiliang, and ultimately had to return empty-handed.
Soon, the merchant ship appeared in sight.
The other side's flag bearer waved his banner.
After Ning Que nodded, the flag officer also waved the command flag, indicating that they could dock at the port.
There weren't many merchant ships this time, only about ten in total, and they weren't very large. After all, they had come all the way from the Western Regions to Liaodong, so the cargo they could carry was limited.
After the merchant ship docked, a middle-aged man slowly walked down, followed by several strong men. When he saw Ning Que, he quickly raised his hand and bowed, saying, "Zhang Qian of Babao Trading Company, greetings to His Majesty."
"Haha, no need to be so polite."
Zhang Qian looked up and sized up Ning Que. This was actually his first time meeting Ning Que, but he knew all about him like the back of his hand. He'd once been Wan Sanqian's subordinate, helping with the accounting and the like.
He was originally just a servant, but was chosen by Wan Sanqian and was the first to follow him. Because of his outstanding performance, he quickly became capable of taking charge of things on his own, and was later put in charge of business in the north.
In his view, Wan Sanqian was a rare business genius. His business was based on seasons, climate, local customs, and so on. He believed in taking what others discarded and giving what others took, following the flow and waiting for opportunities.
Under Wan Sanqian's control, Babao Trading Company rose rapidly. In just a few years, it had become the most powerful trading company in Kyushu, even able to influence the life and death of small nations. No matter where they went, they would be treated with courtesy.
Yet, even such a powerful figure claimed that all of this was orchestrated by Ning Que. Wan Sanqian was merely a facilitator, and it was Ning Que who orchestrated it. Even his own ideas came from Ning Que.
Is this possible?
Zhang Qian was a little skeptical at first.
I think this is Wan Sanqian's humble statement.
But since returning to the Western Regions, Zhang Qian has been completely convinced. He set out for the Western Regions three years ago, and it's no exaggeration to say he experienced ninety-nine eighty-one hardships along the way. After all, the Western Regions were not well-known in the Nine Provinces.
Ning Que and no one else had ever been there. Yet, he asserted that the Western Regions contained numerous small states, all of them extremely rich. The Western Regions also had many unique products, the most famous being wine, as well as cumin, coriander, alfalfa, walnuts...
Of course, there might be a crop called potatoes. Ning Que had repeatedly reminded him of this, explaining the potato's growth habits and even its appearance. He also said that the name might be different, but the thing should be the same. As for whether it really existed, Ning Que was not sure.
Zhang Qian didn't venture far into the Western Regions, but he saw everything Ning Que had instructed him to. He followed his instructions and bought all the goods at a high price. Jiuzhou's tea, silk, jade, and other products were all highly praised by the Western Region nobles. Silk, in particular, was considered a rare treasure by the Western Region royal family. They even said that if they could come again, they would buy as much silk as they could get!
The point is, they actually saw these so-called potatoes. It's just that the Westerners treated them as ornamental flowers, not crops. They also said they came from further west, so they just treated them as flowers. Zhang Qian didn't express his opinion, simply saying that his master liked these flowers and plants, so he took away a lot of seeds.
After returning from the Western Regions, he was completely convinced of Ning Que's loyalty. The journey, which took three years, finally reached Jiuzhou. According to Wan Sanqian's plan, he would first visit Bailing Island before heading to Lingnan.
"Your name is Zhang Qian, right?"
"I have heard Senior Brother Wan talk about you."
"It hasn't been an easy journey for you."
"This king will host a banquet today to entertain you well!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Zhang Qian quickly raised his hand to express his gratitude and was also looking forward to it.
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