The contest of wits has been decided. The High Priest couldn't answer a single question, while Qin Chuan answered at least one. The Loulan Princess's emerald eyes sparkled, and an indescribable astonishment appeared on her pretty face.
Qin Chuan picked up the jade thumb ring, thought it was quite nice, and looked at it a few more times before returning it to Lou Shishi: "Your Highness, Princess Loulan, you must not break your promise. When will the 5,000 cattle and sheep be delivered?"
Lou Shishi pursed her thin lips into a line, her blue eyes sparkling, as if she was still struggling with her inner turmoil.
Qin Chuan saw through her thoughts and said, "Heh! You, the dignified Princess of Loulan, wouldn't try to renege on a bet, would you? Let me tell you, if you don't send it here, I'll personally lead troops to Loulan to capture you. Be careful, if I catch you, I'll spank you, and you'll have to wash my socks!"
"You..." Lou Shishi glared at him angrily, her green eyes wishing she could glare him to death.
Qin Chuan walked up to her, stared at her graceful and exotic figure, touched his nose and chuckled: "With a figure like yours, I wouldn't mind being your bed warmer."
"Shameless, despicable, filthy, vile beast!!"
Lou Shishi was so angry that she used up every Chinese swear word she knew, then stomped her red boots and yelled, "Let's go! This trip has been the worst luck imaginable!"
Upon hearing this, the High Priest of Loulan slowly rose, his eyes gleaming, and gave Qin Chuan a meaningful look.
Meanwhile, the Loulan merchants, supporting the newly awakened Che Zhao, prepared to leave.
Just then, some high-ranking officials stood up anxiously, whispering among themselves, saying that their country had lost its manners and offended Loulan, which was not good... and so on.
However, the empress did not speak, and the ministers could not do anything on their own.
Just then, Qin Chuan caught up and stopped Princess Loulan.
What are you doing!
Lou Shishi shouted loudly, her anger quite intense.
"Qin Chuan! Don't push your luck with this princess!"
"I will send you 5,000 head of cattle and sheep myself. Are you trying to force me to stay?!"
At this moment, several Loulan merchants couldn't help but stand up and point at Qin Chuan in broken Chinese, cursing, "Beast... beast... how dare you bully our princess? Are you trying to start a war with Loulan?!"
Seeing this, the Empress and her ministers hurriedly came over. Some officials sighed and said, "The Grand Preceptor's rudeness is truly a disgrace to our Great Gan!"
Qin Chuan looked up at them irritably: "Can't you just shut up if you can't speak properly?!"
Then, staring intently at the jade thumb ring on Lou Shishi's hand, he couldn't help but exclaim, "The jade thumb ring on your hand is so lustrous, without a single impurity; it looks like a truly exquisite piece..."
Upon hearing this, Lou Shishi's anger subsided by half, and her emerald eyes sparkled: "You actually know about greenstone? This was made by the palace craftsmen at Father's behest. It's worthless, just pretty."
Qin Chuan had noticed her jade thumb ring long ago, but just now a flash of inspiration struck him, and he suddenly had a way to make money, so he chased after her.
Hearing Lou Shishi's words, he was astonished. She actually said it was worthless.
They actually claimed it was polished from stone?
This is Hetian jade!
My goodness! The people of Loulan didn't even recognize Hetian jade!
Thinking of this, he hurriedly said to Princess Loulan, "Your Highness, please don't leave yet. Is this... Hetian jade?"
"Hetian jade?" Lou Shishi looked blank, as if she didn't understand.
"What do you call this thing?" Qin Chuan asked.
“Five-point stone,” Lou Shishi said.
How many of these five-pointed stones does Loulan have?
Upon hearing this, Lou Shishi was taken aback. After asking the Loulan merchants for their opinions, she replied, "There are green stone mountains everywhere in Wuduan. You can have as many as you want!"
"You call this thing greenstone?"
Qin Chuan squinted in disbelief, rubbing his hands together and saying, "This thing... you really can have as many as you want?"
Lou Shishi turned back and chatted with the Loulan merchants for a few more minutes before speaking to Qin Chuan: "Of course! There are many green stone mountains in Wuduan, all of which are this kind of green stone. You can carve out any stone and find that it may contain this kind of green stone."
The Loulan merchants then whispered something in Loulan language, which Lou Shishi translated into Chinese: "They said they know this green stone is valuable in Daqian, and it seems to be called jade. However, it is extremely difficult to make jade in Loulan. Not only in Loulan, but even in Daqian, it is difficult to make jade from this green stone. It requires careful polishing, which is very time-consuming and not worth the effort. Therefore, no one sells it."
Hearing these words, Qin Chuan was overjoyed, his heart pounded, and he was ecstatic. He thought to himself, "I'm rich! I'm rich!"
Qin Chuan couldn't help but reach out and pat Lou Shishi's shoulder: "Princess, you've struck it rich!"
Lou Shishi, whose anger had just subsided, was suddenly filled with rage again. How could this guy lay a hand on her like that!
Several Loulan merchants who understood Chinese seemed to have sensed a business opportunity and hurriedly asked, "Why does the Grand Preceptor of Gan say this?"
Qin Chuan removed his hand from Princess Loulan's shoulder and said excitedly, "I have the skills to work with jade. Nobody wants your jade, right? I want it! I want it all!!"
"real?"
Princess Bitong of Loulan was surprised, as if she couldn't believe it.
The Loulan merchants were all speechless, some saying in broken Chinese, "He actually wants these worthless green stones? Did I hear that right?"
Each of them had an expression of disbelief on their face.
Qin Chuan smiled slightly and said, "Princess Loulan, don't go back to Loulan yet. Let's talk business properly. I definitely won't let you go back empty-handed this time. I guarantee you'll make a fortune!"
Lou Shishi spoke with the merchants for a while and nodded in agreement.
...
At the Imperial Preceptor's residence, Princess Loulan, accompanied by several wealthy Loulan merchants, ate a dish called "hot pot" with the Empress and Qin Chuan.
It was also the Empress's first time eating hot pot, and several eunuchs and palace maids stood behind her to serve her.
Behind the Loulan princess, there were also two Loulan maids serving her.
He dipped a piece of tripe in the sauce and handed it to the Empress. Seeing her mouth turn bright red as she ate it, and her brows furrowing as she said it was spicy, Qin Chuan's face was full of a mischievous smile.
Then he picked up another piece of tripe, also covered in seasoning, and gave it to Princess Loulan. Princess Loulan was so spicy that she almost cried. Qin Chuan laughed with great satisfaction.
Meanwhile, the wealthy merchants of Loulan sat at another table, enjoying hot pot and singing Loulan songs, as if this were paradise on earth, and they never wanted to go back.
After the palace maid wiped her bright red lips with a silk handkerchief, the Empress, having recovered from the burning sensation, slowly opened her mouth and said, "Princess Loulan, let's talk business..."
Originally, the Empress intended to let Qin Chuan take full charge of this matter, but after hearing Qin Chuan say that this time they could earn at least several million taels or even tens of millions of taels, the Empress couldn't sit still and came with her golden abacus.
In order to finalize the deal, Qin Chuan sent Su Ruyan to the Jingbei Prince's Mansion to meet the Princess Consort, and also sent the young princess back to the Prince's Mansion.
Upon hearing the Empress of Daqian speak, the Loulan princess got straight to the point, gently shaking the jade ring on her finger and asking, "At what price does your country intend to purchase this green stone?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
