To be honest, there was nothing special about the negotiation between Ling Yan and Zhang Yuan.
Zhang Yuan was prepared for the possibility of his hero leaving and never returning, but his little tricks were of no concern to Lin Hai. Admittedly, if Lin Hai accepted the letter, it would be morally unacceptable, but the empire's opinion of Lin Hai was well known, and it would not change regardless of whether Lin Hai accepted the letter or not.
So, according to the plan, Ling Yan gave Zhang Yuan a "formal and cold" reception.
Simply put, courtesy was exercised, but regardless of whether Zhang Yuan was willing to negotiate or not, apart from the trade aspect, nothing else was up for discussion.
It is impossible to say that the prince's party has no interest in trade at all. After all, no one can go against money. However, Zhang Yuan proposed that the prince's party's caravans should take full control of the trade with Qinghe, and were unwilling to open the border, only willing to conduct it through smuggling.
"Lord Zhang should take a rest before coming to negotiate." This was Ling Yan's response.
"Oh? Why? Do I look listless?" As a Jinshi, Zhang Yuan was very careful not to be disrespectful in front of Ling Yan. After all, in his mind, Ling Yan's cultural level only reached the standard of "literacy".
"Because this proposal, Lord Zhang, can only be made in a dream," Ling Yan said bluntly, "Dreams can hold anything, so why did you come all the way to Qinghe?"
Just when Zhang Yuan returned empty-handed and was enthusiastically preparing for the second round of negotiations, an announcement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was posted at the door of the Earl of Qinghe's Mansion.
The content was simple: "Qinghe Foreign Affairs Minister Ling Yan and Xia Kingdom Deputy Envoy Zhang Yuan held a rational, constructive, and negotiated discussion. The two sides established a communication channel and laid the foundation for further cooperation in the future. However, unfortunately, due to issues of principle, the talks have not yet achieved any results."
Although Zhang Yuan couldn't understand the twists and turns in this for a while, he understood the meaning and simply said two words: "Send the guests away."
"Let's go. They are trying to drive us away." Wei Mingyuan glanced at Zhang Yuan. Compared with the other people in the delegation who were in despair, Zhang Yuan was still relatively calm.
"Alright, we'll set off tomorrow. Since the Earl of Qinghe doesn't like us, there's no need to say goodbye. Let's just send him a letter, as is proper etiquette." Zhang Yuan said nonchalantly. Yes, Qinghe doesn't like me, but so what? It's Liang that I want revenge on, and it's also Liang that the Crown Prince wants to negotiate with. After all, Qinghe is just...
"If they want to leave, then leave. There's not much point in staying here." Lin Hai, who was in a meeting in the big office, said after hearing this: "Oh, since they're leaving tomorrow, let's send a staff member from the Foreign Affairs Department over this afternoon to take them on a tour of Qinghe County. Well, they can skip the industrial zone and go to the market. Since they're here, how can they not buy something?
Also, package that glass plate that looks like the Xia Kingdom map better, decorate it with some fancy things, and take it to the market. Let Zhang Yuan discover it quietly, and he'll definitely buy it."
"Hahahahaha, good idea. It depends on how Zhang Yuan explains when he goes back. Will he hand it over to King Xia or to the Crown Prince?" Wang Zuo said with a smile.
"People like him have strange thoughts. It's possible that he would stay, but no matter what, he has to sell it for a good price. After all, this kind of glass is not easy to make. It took a whole day to make it." Ling Yang added.
"Well, let's wait until he goes back and see who he gives it to. As long as it's not given to King Xia, we can spread the news and say that a divine object has fallen from the sky, and whoever gets it will rule the Xia Kingdom. Well, you guys can make up a specific jingle. No matter whether it's found on a stone man or in a fish's belly, we can also help Uncle Cube Melon." Lin Hai said with a sly smile.
Hmm...Why must it be found in a stone man or a fish's belly? Wang Zuo was confused.
"Principal, what's the story behind the discovery on the stone man? What kind of stone man is it? Has anyone given me any information on its shape? I'll have someone prepare it right away... As for the fish, we need to determine its species and size..."
"Forget it, it's just a random example. What I mean is that the originator of this rumor cannot be us. It must have been discovered by the Xia people accidentally. We are only responsible for fanning the flames. Understand?"
"I understand now that you put it that way."
"By the way, we should accept the gift sent by Zhang Yuan on behalf of the Xia Kingdom and return it with a gift of similar value." Lin Hai casually instructed, and then as if remembering something, he asked, "Zhang Yuan, his whole family died. Did he get married later?"
"No. He should have no shortage of women around him. Most of them were given to him by various powerful people, but he never married." Wang Zuo replied.
"Well, it's not easy for him to come here, so let's give him a wife." Lin Hai said with a smirk.
"Principal, you said that group..."
"Yes, how is the visit and practice going for that group of palace maids?" Lin Hai asked.
"Most people are fine. At first it's a novelty, then they complain about the hard work and fatigue. But after a while, most of them find something they're interested in and have at least a basic understanding of how Qinghe works. Many people choose to stay in school to teach children or join textile workshops. There are also a few who have found love with locals and want to get married. This has been approved, and as long as it is legal, they can get married."
"Well, how many people can come back here? I don't believe you didn't do anything bad." Lin Hai rolled his eyes and said.
Nonsense, these palace maids were all married later on. If the pretty ones got married early, wouldn’t everyone’s year-long wait be in vain?
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