"They're even selling guns?"
Gongyang was startled when he heard Tang Huan say that there was a lot of information in what she said.
She looked at Tang Huan and saw him smile with narrowed eyes: "However, I think Wu Lanxi will not agree to do this kind of business with the Northern Region for the time being. The Northern Region is a thorn in her side right now, and she is not comfortable letting her enemy become stronger."
Tang Huan looked relaxed, as if he were talking about a trivial matter.
Gongyang Tingbai followed behind, passing one of the factories.
"Are you saying there are a lot of guns in Qihuai County right now?"
Tang Huan revealed a mysterious smile and put a finger to her lips, "You can't say that. I'm only telling you this because I consider you Northern Region friends. You mustn't let outsiders know."
"I'm not stupid. Let alone mass-producing weapons in private, you're not even allowed to make things like ironware."
“Yes, ironware and salt mines are all prohibited by the government. These are major sources of revenue,” Tang Huan remarked.
Whether in modern times or at this time, the types of essential supplies are similar.
Gongyang Tingbai glanced at Tang Huan sideways, "But you still did it secretly, didn't you?"
Tang Huan spread her hands, her steps unwavering.
"Am I supposed to do nothing? I'm just a minor county magistrate. I finally managed to lead everyone out of poverty and give them enough to eat. People always have to look forward."
"But that's not the reason you're hiding it from the court."
Tang Huan truthfully replied, "It's not that I want to hide it from the court, but you must have heard what the court was like a few years ago. Cui Renshi's power was even greater than it is now. The Empress had just ascended the throne and her position was not secure at all. If I report these things, who knows what I will get in return?"
"Because I don't trust them, I'd rather do it secretly."
Seeing Tang Huan's composed smile, Gongyang Tingbai remained silent.
The Northern Region had certainly heard about Daqing's situation a few years ago. Even though Daqing had defeated Daqin in the competition, it was still plagued by internal and external troubles.
Unfortunately, the Northern Region also faced various problems at the time and failed to seize this opportunity.
When the situation in the northern region improved and developed, Daqing also recovered considerably.
This was arguably the best opportunity for the Northern Region. They finally managed to suppress Daqing once, but unfortunately, they encountered Tang Huan.
The image of the man before her eyes filled Gongyang Tingbai's heart with mixed feelings.
This man had been living peacefully in Qihuai County for four or five years, but just when the Northern Region was about to attack Daqing, he came to the capital and ultimately stopped it all.
I don't know whether to say that the Northern Region was too unfortunate or that Tang Huan was too lucky.
Gongyang Tingbai didn't ask any more questions after that, but followed Tang Huan to visit several different types of factories.
In this way, several hours passed.
"Tonight I'll have Li Daikui bring you the information on all the factories. Then, in the next few days, confirm the goods and quantities that the Northern Region needs, and also make a list of common supplies in the Northern Region for me. After that, we can discuss in detail how to cooperate in trade."
After leaving the factory area, Tang Huan expressed her thoughts to Gongyang Tingbai.
Gongyang nodded in agreement, but said aloud, "Have someone else deliver the documents to me, either Xue'e or Qin Yuyang will do."
Li Daikui was immediately filled with questions, wondering if he was being rejected.
"Okay, you're the guest, so everything will be done according to your request."
They hadn't walked far when Gongyang Tingbai suddenly spoke up: "You're developing Qihuai County, surely it's not just for making money?"
"You've been thinking about this for so long?" No wonder she seemed a bit distracted the whole way and was rather quiet during the factory tour.
"Why not? Since I'm going to trade with you, of course I should try my best to understand you."
"The enemy is the one we need to understand. Aren't we all friends now?" Tang Huan retorted.
“As long as you are still a Daqing citizen, or as long as the Northern Region has not submitted to Daqing, we may become your enemy at any time.”
Tang Huan couldn't help but laugh and said, "Then you can relax. Once the Northern Region sees the benefits brought by this trade, they definitely won't make a move in the short term. As for Wu Lanxi, the same goes for her."
"Then I should thank you? For giving everyone a brief period of peace."
"If you really want to thank me, then why not give me a small share of the profits in the trade, and let more money flow into my pocket?"
Gongyang rolled his eyes at Tang Huan. "And then you're going to the capital to build more relief housing? You still haven't answered my question."
Tang Huan became serious, took a few steps forward, and then slowed down.
Without even trying to hide it from the people around him, he said directly, "If it were you, would you have done the same thing back then? Not knowing what the situation would be like in China, not knowing how the internal and external troubles would ultimately turn out, would you have tried to ensure the peace of your region, even if it was just to ensure that your family and friends could live safely?"
"meeting!"
Tang Huan snapped his fingers. "That was my initial goal. I'm not afraid to admit it, but the factories I built at the beginning were indeed for making money, but that was only one of my purposes. The biggest goal was to maintain the operation of the arsenal."
"arsenal?"
Tang Huan revealed a sly smile, "That's not something you can see. All the guns are produced there, as well as all kinds of armor, ironware, and even many weapons you can't even imagine."
Gongyang Tingbai sighed, "You've made more preparations than I expected."
"Of course, to survive, one must make sufficient preparations. It was only after I had enough confidence that I dared to build such a majestic city wall. Otherwise, if anyone went to the capital to file a complaint against me, wouldn't I be finished?"
"So now you feel confident?"
Tang Huan did not answer Gongyang Tingbai's question personally, but instead threw the topic to Li Daikui.
Li Daikui immediately said excitedly, "Now, whether it's the Northern Region or Daqing, as long as they don't send hundreds of thousands of troops to attack Qihuai County, we are confident that we can keep people outside the city. It will be very difficult for them to enter Qihuai County."
After saying that, Li Daikui became even more smug.
It seemed that this method could alleviate the embarrassment of being disliked by Gongyang Tingbai.
Tang Huan nodded in agreement, saying, "He's right. The simplest way to enter Qihuai County is to pay a certain amount of entry tax at the city gate."
These were the safeguards Tang Huan left for himself.
People like him will eventually be noticed and seen as either a madman or a genius.
For Tang Huan, since he couldn't live a quiet life in anonymity, he might as well make a big splash.
"I have no interest in being an emperor, and I am even less willing to see war. As long as the Northern Region does not go too far, I will absolutely not participate in the war between the two countries. This is the only guarantee I can give you."
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