“这……竟如此甘甜？好吃……简直是前所未闻！”熊元和一众楚国大臣们的眼神犹如夜空中突然绽放的烟花，猛然一亮，口中不断发出惊叹与夸赞。
直至此时，熊元终于恍然大悟，为何城内百姓会如潮水般喧闹哄抢，原来竟是这玩意儿犹如珍馐美馔，令人欲罢不能。
不知为何，这甜滋滋的味道犹如春风拂面，让人的心仿佛沐浴在温暖的阳光中，情不自禁地绽放出喜悦的花朵，仿佛有什么天大的喜事降临一般。
"Your Majesty, these are wedding candies. They can be eaten on any day, but on occasions of grand weddings and other joyous events, they can be added to enhance the festive atmosphere," the wicked husband explained softly with a smile.
Xiong Yuan nodded slightly. His hands seemed to be drawn by an invisible force, and once again he involuntarily unwrapped a piece of fructose, put it in his mouth, and his brows were full of blissful enjoyment.
After savoring it for a while, Xiong Yuan slowly raised his eyes to look at the wicked husband. His eyes were like burning flames, intense and bright. "Grand Commandant, I wonder... what is the value of this?"
This time, the wicked husband did bring a lot of wedding candy. However, as the ruler of a country, he had countless beauties and children in his harem, as well as a court full of civil and military officials. He distributed some to this person and some to that person, not only keeping a few pieces for himself, but some people didn't even get any.
Instead of doing that, it would be better to directly inquire about the price and cooperate with the Qin state in purchasing, so that this sweet taste can be spread more widely.
Upon hearing this, the wicked man revealed a satisfied smile, as if his goal had been achieved. "One piece of this item is worth eight half-ounces of Qin liquor!"
"Qin Banliang, eight coins, that's about eight Ant Nose coins?" Xiong Yuan muttered to himself, pondering for a moment, then laughed, "This price is really not expensive."
"What, has Your Majesty decided to make some purchases?" The wicked man pressed his advantage, directly eliciting a question from Xiong Yuan.
Xiong Yuan nodded and smiled, "This tastes wonderful, so sweet it warms the heart and is unforgettable. It would be a great regret in life if we could not eat it again in the future."
The wicked man's lips curled up slightly, his smile appearing somewhat mercenary. "If Your Majesty wishes to purchase, then naturally the price cannot be this high. Qin and Chu have been related by marriage for generations; how can we be priced the same as 'outsiders'?"
These words made Xiong Yuan's eyes light up. His impression of the wicked husband improved considerably, and he also felt much more at ease about the Qin state.
It should be understood that business and trade are always conducted with utmost care. As the saying goes, business is business, and there is no such thing as easily lowering prices, especially between two countries.
It seems that the Qin state is indeed quite sincere!
"Haha, since the Grand Commandant values the alliance between Qin and Chu so much, how could my Chu Kingdom be stingy? We'll give you whatever is due." At this moment, Xiong Yuan displayed the magnanimity of a monarch.
Little did he know that the more he acted this way, the more he seemed like a sucker in his wicked husband's eyes.
"Your Majesty, we're all family, so let's not stand on ceremony. Five and a half taels it is!" The wicked husband waved his hand righteously in refusal, then revealed a slightly apologetic smile, "It's just that this deal... sigh, it's a bit troublesome."
Xiong Yuan frowned slightly, puzzled, and asked, "What's the problem with the transaction?"
The wicked man pretended to ponder for a moment, then slowly said, “Your Majesty, the currencies of our two countries are not interchangeable, and the Banliang coin and the Ant-Nose coin are not interchangeable either. I have no use for the Ant-Nose coin in Qin... It would be better to just send the sugar directly to Your Majesty. Why go through the trouble of purchasing it?”
After listening, Xiong Yuan nodded thoughtfully. He understood the complexity and difficulty hidden behind this, but how could he really take advantage of the situation for free? Otherwise, he would be laughed to death by the world.
"There's no reason to freeload. If we can't make a deal, then let's just forget about it." A hint of reluctance flashed across Xiong Yuan's face, and he subconsciously smacked his lips.
Seeing that the time was ripe, the wicked man continued, "However, since Your Majesty is willing, my Qin state will naturally do its best. I have a plan that may be able to achieve both goals."
Xiong Yuan raised an eyebrow, signaling the wicked husband to continue.
Seeing this, the wicked man immediately voiced his idea, "Your Majesty, our Qin state can establish a trade voucher. You can purchase this voucher at a fair price using ant-nose coins or grains, minerals, and other goods. The voucher will have a number and amount printed on it, and you can use it to buy candy. What do you think?"
After a moment's thought and weighing the pros and cons, Xiong Yuan concluded that if a stable supply of wedding candy could be ensured, these conditions were still within an acceptable range.
But then he felt something was off; wasn't this just a change of name but the same thing?
Previously, the wicked man had said that Qin could not use ant-nose coins, so he concocted a voucher. However, Chu still used ant-nose coins to exchange for vouchers to buy candy, which was equivalent to giving it away.
"What's the difference between this and me buying directly from you with ant-nose money?" Xiong Yuan pondered for a long time without finding a solution, so he simply stopped thinking about it and voiced his doubts.
"Your Majesty, are you truly ignorant, or are you feigning ignorance?" The wicked man's face darkened as he stared at Xiong Yuan.
Seeing the displeasure on his face, Xiong Yuan quickly explained, "Grand Commandant, please don't misunderstand. I really don't understand why you're going to such lengths. In fact, there's no difference at all."
The villainous husband, a master of acting, sighed and said, "With Qin and Chu forming a marriage alliance, how can my Qin state wage war against our in-laws?"
"Last night, Your Majesty sent someone with gifts, which moved me deeply. Moreover, Your Majesty also wishes to purchase sweets..."
"Since this wicked man has come up with a plan, why not... promote trade and economic exchanges between the two countries?"
The wicked man sighed and earnestly said, "Our Qin state is located in the northwest, with barren land and poor people. We venture eastward only to seek wealth and power. If we were as wealthy as the Chu state, who would want to wage war?"
"Now that Qin and Chu have become in-laws, and are carrying out economic and trade cooperation, both countries can get what they need, focus on developing their domestic affairs, and work together to achieve long-term stability and security. Isn't that a good thing?"
"After so many years of fighting, when will it finally end?"
Upon hearing this, Xiong Yuan found it extremely strange. How could a ruthless executioner have such thoughts?
However, judging from his expression, there seemed to be no falsehood in his words. Considering his rural background, it's likely that he had no other choice.
However, overall, this matter is not a bad thing. He then said, "The Grand Commandant has the country and its people on his mind and has such a heart. How could I refuse? The State of Chu is overjoyed and is willing to stand shoulder to shoulder with the State of Qin and share life and death."
These are all mere polite words; he is like that, and so is that wicked man. As the ruler of a nation, having weathered decades of trials and tribulations, how could he be so easily swayed by a few words from that wicked man?
Qin may have wanted to profit and strengthen itself, but Chu also wanted to buy time to regroup and improve its governance.
It should be understood that the Qin army is powerful, like a sword hanging over one's neck, ready to strike at any moment. The only way for the Chu state to avoid this threat is to buy as much time as possible and vigorously develop its domestic affairs and people's livelihood.
Keep your skills hidden until the right time to use them!
When that time comes, if the Qin state wants to overturn the table, the Chu state will have nothing to fear.
This is what he was after!
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