Chapter 173 Gu Changxiao and Yan Jiu's Oath
Jin Sui stared at Gu Changxiao with a sullen face the whole time without answering. He talked to himself for a while, put away the things he had taken from the carriage, and suddenly sat in front of Jin Sui and bowed his head and said:
"I'm sorry Sui Sui, I was wrong."
Jin Sui instinctively asked loudly: "What's wrong?"
After asking, I felt something was wrong. Sure enough, Gu Changxiao's answer was: "All wrong! It's all my fault anyway, don't be angry, Sui Sui."
Jin Sui instantly felt angry and embarrassed, his heartbeat quickened, his cheeks heated up, "How did you, an ancient prince, learn this kind of 'admitting mistakes to coax your girlfriend'? Besides, I'm not your girlfriend!"
"You don't even think you did anything wrong! I beg you, Gu Changxiao, we are going to the Northern Frontier alone, and we must unite all available resources, especially Yan Jiu.
Why are you so tolerant to everyone but so childish to Yan Jiu?"
Gu Changxiao raised his head abruptly and looked directly at her: "If Sui Sui promises me not to let him get close to me, I will form an alliance with him."
Jin Sui was surprised: "How am I close to him?"
And she was really angry: "Also, what's it to you about me and who I'm close to? Who are you to me? Are you my sworn brother?
Don't forget, you have already driven me out of the border town! I am not here for you, but for the brothers of the Black Feather Army!"
Gu Changxiao was like a child who had done something wrong, his eyes were full of regret and sadness, and after a while he said:
"I know Sui Sui is still angry at me for being so self-righteous and asking you to leave Border Town..."
Jin Sui interrupted him: “You are still self-righteous.
I guess Liuyun hasn't had the chance to tell you that I have signed a contract with Yan Jiu. After returning from Northern Frontier, I will work for the Yan family and go out to sea to find a safe passage.
Your Highness Prince Li, I, Ji Sui, am not your property, not even a soldier under your command!
You let me go, and I left without saying a word, taking my grandfather and younger brother with me. They were in danger because of me, and I don't blame you.
But now, I won’t go back just because you apologize or plead with me.
I am no longer a person from Border Town!"
Jin Sui spoke very calmly, but to Gu Changxiao, every word was like a knife piercing his heart.
If you make a mistake, will all your steps be wrong? No, as time goes by, there is still room for recovery.
Gu Changxiao knew that Jinsui was a soft-hearted person and would never let personal matters affect big plans.
He did not defend himself, but said sincerely:
“Sui Sui, let’s not talk about what we are going to do after we return to Da Xia. I promise you that during this time in the Northern Frontier, I will be an ally of Yan Jiu and I will live in peace with him.
I heard from Liuyun that you have been thinking of many strategies for Northern Xinjiang. Why don't we discuss the feasibility in detail while we have time?"
His attitude was really irresistible, and this guy even started to light the stove to make milk tea. If I continued to argue with him, I would seem petty.
Jin Sui felt that Gu Changxiao had changed a lot. When they were in the border town, they had never quarreled. Even when they had disagreements, she treated him as the boss and he treated herself as his right-hand man, and they would give in to each other.
But now the situation seems to be completely different. When did it start? Jin Sui reached out and touched his lips, and his heartbeat accelerated again.
Quickly calm down and warn yourself that you should not let your mind wander when your life is at stake...
Outside the yurt, Shi Er Niang tiptoed away to find Yan Jiu: "Sui Sui and the vixen are arguing."
Yan Jiu glanced at her and said, "He is His Royal Highness the Prince of Li. Stop calling him a vixen."
Twelve Niang curled her lips. He was like that! But she didn't argue with her eldest brother. Instead, she lowered her voice and asked, "Brother, do you like Sui Sui?"
Yan Jiu glanced at her again but didn't answer.
But this reaction made Twelve Niang very happy, and she became motivated: "It would be great if Sui Sui became my sister-in-law! Brother, do you want me to talk to Sui Sui for you?"
If Yan Shiyi were here, he would definitely ask, "Sister, is there something wrong with your eyes?" What's so good about that fierce woman being the eldest sister-in-law? Yan Jiu's eyes suddenly became sharp: "Don't do anything reckless! Miss Ji is an unusual woman, don't offend her.
And, the most important thing now is that we can return to Yanzhou safely."
Twelve Niang suddenly thought of the scene where Gu Changxiao hugged Jin Suiqin, and she became anxious:
"How can it be considered abrupt to express your feelings to a girl you like? Brother, if you don't take action, Sui Sui will be snatched away by a vixen!"
Yan Jiu said calmly: "Miss Ji has already agreed to join the Yan family after returning to Yanzhou. She is a person of her word, and I believe her."
Twelve Niang was amazed at her eldest brother's ability at first, and he actually managed to bring Sui Sui to the Yan family. But: "Being your subordinate is different from being your sister-in-law!"
Yan Jiu remained calm: "There is a long way to go. We are in danger now. Talking about this will only make her worried."
Seeing that she couldn't persuade her eldest brother, Twelve Niang had to give up. Her eldest brother was just too calm, even when dealing with girls.
When she knew that her elder brother and Sui Sui were traveling together and living in the same carriage, she was even more surprised. "Brother, you are too, too slow!" This didn't make Sui Sui fall in love, and the vixen kissed Sui Sui... Twelve Niang couldn't hold her forehead. Her two brothers, the elder brother was too calm, and the second brother was jumpy.
I, the younger sister, have to help bring them together, otherwise neither of the two brothers will be able to marry the sister-in-law they like! Of course, the second brother currently has no favorite woman, only polo and fish balls...
At this time, Hei Hu's voice came from outside the yurt: "Master Yan, the prince and Boss Ji want you to come over to discuss something."
Yan Jiu put on a cloak and walked out leisurely. Twelve Niang naturally followed him. She was now burning with anger in her heart and vowed to snatch Sui Sui from the vixen and bring her home to be her eldest sister-in-law.
Hei Hu was particularly polite to Twelve Niang. After all, she was the eldest lady served by his wife.
Twelve Lady asked him quietly, "What does Miss Ji want from my brother?"
She automatically ignored Gu Changxiao, but Hei Hu did not: "Boss Ji and the prince are discussing important matters, please also ask Master Yan to discuss it together."
Hei Hu did not follow them in, but stood outside the door watching Princess Toya and the Crown Prince. If they were to come over, he would immediately inform Boss Ji.
Yan Jiu was led into the felt tent where Gu Changxiao lived. It was bigger and more empty. There was no table, only a few cushions for sitting on the ground.
There was a tea stove in the middle cooking milk tea. Jin Sui had brought out a few plates of snacks and fruits from the space. She also had someone send some dried beef and mutton, which Princess Toya had cut into thin slices with a knife and placed on the plates.
Yan Jiu thought that they were going to discuss the matter of beating Zuo Xian Wang, but when he saw Jin Sui's attentive look, his instinctive reaction was that it was not about Zuo Xian Wang. The thing that made Miss Ji so concerned must be about business.
It’s not that Miss Ji is greedy for money. Yan Jiu has long discovered that Jin Sui loves to make money, but she doesn’t keep it. She just enjoys the process of making money.
She was very willing to spend money on big things. For example, when she was in the border town, almost all the money she earned from doing business was used to build the border town.
After Jin Sui treated Yan Jiu and Shi Er Niang to a meal, he started talking about business: "Master Yan, Beijiang promised you a business deal. Do you have any thoughts?"
Yan Jiu laughed, it was indeed a business matter.
"To be honest, Yan Jiu hasn't thought about this yet. After all, Prince Zuo Xian still occupies the royal court."
Jin Sui smiled and said, "We have to prepare in advance, otherwise we will be too slow to take over and miss the opportunity."
She glanced at Gu Changxiao, who suppressed his displeasure and even smiled at Yan Jiu, saying, "The Black Feather Camp can escort the Yan family caravan."
Yan Jiu raised his eyebrows calmly, an indescribable emotion filling his heart. He didn't like this feeling.
It seemed as if Miss Ji and King Li were a team, working together to persuade him.
Mingming, Miss Ji left the border town and joined my army.
But he quickly concealed this emotion. Currently, they were in the northern border, and they were the only ones who could form an alliance. They couldn't make big mistakes because of small ones.
Yan Jiu put down the teacup and asked softly, "What are Miss Ji's plans?"
Jin Sui instantly sat up straight, his spirits high and his eyes lit up, as if he was a student waiting to read his masterpiece to the teacher.
"Master Yan, take a look at this first."
Jin Sui pushed a small box in front of him as he spoke. Shi Er Niang quickly opened it and saw a set of twelve glass statues of ferocious beasts commonly seen on the grassland.
Wolves, eagles, leopards, bears...
Compared to the glazed Tan Lang, these twelve are only the size of a palm, but they are equally lifelike, exquisite and delicate.
Twelve Lady couldn't help but exclaim: "This is too beautiful! It's much more exquisite than the glassware from the Western Regions!"
The glassware from the Western Regions is not so transparent. After all, it is made in modern laboratories. If it cannot compare with ancient kilns, Jinsui himself would be ashamed.
She pushed another box over, and Twelve Niang was even more amazed, because the box was full of jewelry, including hairpins, hair crowns, jade pendants, rings, etc.
Jin Sui looked at Yan Jiu and said, "I asked around a bit and found out that there aren't many glasswares in the Northern Frontier. A small amount came from the Western Regions and they are more valuable than gold.
This kind of high-end glassware will definitely become the favorite of the tribal leader and will be sold at a high price.
We can seize the Northern Xinjiang market from four aspects, such as exquisite but useless glass ornaments, perfumes, brightly colored silks and other high-end products, which are exclusively sold to the Northern Xinjiang dignitaries and tribal leaders.
The customers of colored glaze jewelry, rouge shop, and colorful clothes are women in northern Xinjiang. The daily necessities of the lower class, such as salt, sugar, and tea, are in short supply.
These goods can not only make a lot of money, but also boost the economy of Yandi. More importantly, we can use them to exchange for heavy metals, gold, cattle and sheep from the northern border."
Yan Jiu and Gu Changxiao both fell into deep thought, that is to say, what we sold were just flashy things, or things that were very common in Da Xia, but what we got in return were strategic materials.
"The reason I'm anxious is that the people in Northern Xinjiang are not stupid. They will react to our trade strategy in two or three years at most. If the colored glaze cannot be sold at a high price, they will also control the outflow of pig iron and gold.
Therefore, we must act quickly and take advantage of the turbulent political situation in Northern Xinjiang in recent years to earn more valuable materials from Northern Xinjiang."
She said something that Yan Jiu couldn't refuse:
"Master Yan, do you remember what we talked about on the road? Are you willing to let the people of Yan never be able to live with their backs held high?
When the Northern Frontier launched the Autumn Encirclement, could Yanzhou City only close its gates and allow them to plunder?"
Yan Jiu raised his head and looked at Gu Changxiao: "Your Highness Prince Li, can you protect Yandi?"
There was disdain in his tone: "The border town can hardly be defended."
Gu Changxiao's attitude was completely different from the one he showed in front of Jin Sui. His eyes were calm and his attitude was firm:
"This king will definitely drive the Northern Frontier to the border of Daxia forever! I will never let the people of the Northern Frontier get even a penny from the people of Daxia!"
He quickly drew out the short knife from his waist, slashed his left palm, and blood gushed out.
He stood up and raised his bleeding left palm to Yan Jiu: "Jun Yanqing swears in the name of your family that anyone who invades the border of Yan will be punished no matter how far away they are!"
"Yan Jiulang, are you willing to join me in protecting the sixteen states of Yan?"
At this moment, Gu Changxiao made Shi Er Niang never call him a vixen again.
Jin Sui looked at Gu Changxiao in a daze. She was trying to persuade Gu Changxiao to make peace with Yan Jiu, but she didn't expect him to go to this extent.
Yan Jiu drank the last sip of tea in the cup, put the cup down, slowly stood up, raised his hand and clinked hands with Gu Changxiao three times.
"Yan Jiu, I am willing."
The subsequent negotiations went much more smoothly. The interests were three points each. Yes, Jinsui also got one point.
Moreover, Gu Changxiao and Yan Jiu have a special understanding in this regard. They reached a consensus that Miss Ji must participate in the trade war with Northern Xinjiang.
After talking about the formal trade war, they moved on to talk about the long-term actions aimed at destroying the class structure in the Northern Frontier. When Twelve Niang heard this, the way she looked at Jin Sui changed.
It's getting so scary every year!
"According to my estimation, rabbit skins can be harvested for two to three years, and the Northern Xinjiang government will certainly react and ban herders from raising rabbits. But during this three-year period, the damage to the grasslands caused by the infestation of rabbits will take ten years to recover.
By purchasing rabbit skins and rabbit hair at high prices for three years, we have gained more trust from the lower-level herdsmen in northern Xinjiang. The next step is to collect wool and allow the lower-level herdsmen to raise large numbers of sheep.
The continued deterioration of the horse ranches in northern Xinjiang will force the government to move the ranches northward. Otherwise, it will be competing with the people for profits and inciting civil unrest.
In addition to plans for herders, there are also plans for their farmers. "Yes, the northern border has been established for decades, and various ethnic groups have long been mixed, and half-agriculture and half-pastoralism has become the norm for the lower-level tribes.
"We can purchase cash crops such as cotton, sunflower seeds, and grapes from farmers in northern Xinjiang at high prices, so that their people will be willing to grow cash crops and buy food from us instead.
In this way, the food lifeline of the northern border is in our hands. When war comes, I'm sure you will understand how important this is without me having to say it."
Shi Er Niang suddenly felt that Sui Sui was more terrifying than her eldest brother! How did she come up with this idea? She even felt that her brain was not enough to open a branch of Yan Zhi Zhai, and there were too many things to deal with.
Sui Sui actually thought of such a comprehensive plan for a country! Gu Changxiao looked at Jin Sui with pride, he is worthy of being the strongest military advisor in my border town! Yan Jiu also admired him, but he raised the core issue: "The plan proposed by Miss Ji requires a lot of funds to implement in the early stage. Although the Yan family has some assets, it is not enough to implement such a plan."
Yan Jiu understood that this business would weaken the national strength of Northern Frontier, which would be beneficial from a political perspective, but would bring no benefits to business.
Jin Sui was confident: "Master Yan has misunderstood. This plan is not all investment without return."
She took out a piece of clothing and showed it to Yan Jiu. It was a women's sweater, which of course was taken out from the space.
Yan Jiu touched the sweater, his eyebrows moved slightly. Twelve Niang also couldn't tell the material. You know, the Yan family is in the cloth business. Even if it is a tribute, Twelve Niang can tell where it comes from by just touching it.
Jin Sui smiled and gave the answer: "This is a wool sweater, woven from wool.
As far as I know, currently only the Western Regions have wool weaving technology. Daxia has never been able to master it and can only weave rough carpets, not make clothes.
This is the technology I want to give to Master Yan. Whether it is wool or rabbit hair, it can be woven into such clothes.
Do you still think that buying up sheep and rabbits in large quantities will be a loss-making business?"
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