Chu Fan looked at the crystal clear jade pendant on the desk, and couldn't help feeling a little uneasy. Liu Xueyu's jade pendant actually appeared in this place.
Chu Fan turned to Eunuch Li beside him and asked, "Eunuch Li, how did this jade pendant get here?"
Eunuch Li replied respectfully, "Your Majesty, I understand that a minister from Shu came to Wei with this jade pendant, hoping that Wei would export refined salt to Shu."
After hearing this, Chu Fan sneered: "This is really interesting."
Not only Chu Fan, but all the ministers in the Wei court began to speculate after hearing the news. They speculated that Liu Xueyu might have met with an accident after returning to Shu.
After all, His Majesty has already taught the method of making salt to Liu Xueyu, but this jade pendant appeared here to seek to buy salt from the State of Wei. It is impossible for Liu Xueyu to do such a unnecessary thing, and this implies that something must have happened in the State of Shu that he and others did not know about.
The officials of the Honglu Temple were responsible for receiving the minister from Shu who had come from afar to Wei. Of course, the officials of the Honglu Temple of Wei were not without precautions. They sternly told the minister that he must strictly abide by the rules of Wei and not go out at will.
At the same time, the guards will always monitor the whereabouts of this Shu minister to ensure that he does not make any suspicious moves.
The morning sun streamed through the windows, illuminating the magnificent Chengtian Hall. A solemn atmosphere reigned within. The envoys from Shu also stood respectfully in the center of the hall, awaiting Wei's decision.
Chu Fan sat on the dragon throne and slowly spoke, "Shu hopes to import a large amount of refined salt from our Wei Kingdom, and the distribution rights of refined salt exported to Shu will be fully authorized by the four princes of Shu. What are your opinions on this, ministers?"
Changsun Dechong was the first to step forward and said firmly, "Shu and Wei have always been friendly neighbors. I believe we should generously export high-quality and low-priced refined salt to them.
Moreover, when Wei was in trouble, Shu generously donated 100,000 dan of grain. This kindness should never be forgotten, nor should it be turned a blind eye.
When Changsun Dechong's words reached the ears of the minister from Shu, he could not help but feel extremely happy and satisfied. As a member of the Wang family, although only a collateral blood relative, he had received a solemn promise from Concubine Wang before coming to Wei to negotiate this time.
Concubine Wang promised him that if he could successfully complete the refined salt trade with the State of Wei, he would not only be highly valued by the Wang family, but also receive a share of the huge profits from the refined salt trade. Such an offer was undoubtedly a huge temptation, filling him with anticipation and motivation for the future.
Wang Defa, the minister of Shu, did not expect that when he set out from Shu, he thought it was a very difficult task. Unexpectedly, it was just as the third princess said. As long as he took out the token of the third princess, Wei would completely believe him.
Moreover, even the Minister of War of Wei State stood up to speak for him. Wang Defa looked at Zhang Sun Dechong with emotion. If this was not the main hall of Wei State, Wang Defa would have wanted to kneel down to Zhang Sun Dechong.
Chang Sun Dechong smiled and nodded to Wang Defa, but in his heart he cursed Wang Defa a thousand times.
In the court of Wei, the ministers all knew that everything Changsun Dechong did was just a carefully planned performance. However, despite everyone's understanding of this, no one was willing to directly expose this window paper.
To lower Wang Defa and the Shu forces' guard, all the Wei officials were doing their best to showcase their acting skills. Some spoke earnestly, some looked serious, and some acted casually, each one like an actor on stage, diligently playing their respective roles.
Everyone present, with the exception of Wang Defa of Shu, knew clearly that Changsun Dechong wasn't completely ignorant of Liu Xueyu's situation when he made those remarks. Quite the contrary, it was precisely because Changsun Dechong had a comprehensive understanding and grasp of all the relevant circumstances that he was able to express his views so clearly.
After all, if Wei directly stated that it would send troops to rescue Shu, people in other countries would think that Wei was actively invading Shu, which would make Wei's actions unjustifiable and bring a disgraceful stain to its own country.
Liu Xueyu was the Third Princess of Shu. Anything that happened within Shu was considered internal. Wei could not easily and forcibly intervene in the internal affairs of another country. Otherwise, other countries would likely unite and accuse Wei of interfering, triggering a series of diplomatic disputes and conflicts.
The ministers of Shu Kingdom embarked on a journey to Wei Kingdom, holding the token of Liu Xueyu's jade pendant. When the sisters Changsun Pinting and Changsun Pinqing heard the news, they were filled with great worry.
In the past few months, they have been living with Liu Xueyu day and night, and have established a deep bond with each other, just like real sisters.
When they learned that Liu Xueyu was in danger in Shu, the two sisters were extremely anxious. They knew that Liu Xueyu's situation might be very critical, so they immediately found their father and begged him to find a way to save Liu Xueyu, who was like a sister to them.
They believed in their father's wisdom and ability, and hoped to use his power to rescue Liu Xueyu from danger.
Mu Yundian took the initiative to step forward and said, "I agree with Minister Changsun's proposal. I am willing to lead 100,000 new troops to escort the refined salt sold to Shu."
At this time, Qin Hui stepped forward and said, "General Mu, please think twice before you act. Although we all hope to repay the favor of Shu, if all 100,000 new troops go to Shu, our Wei border will become extremely unsafe.
These new troops were originally recruited to defend our borders, and if they leave, our border defenses will be left weak."
Qian Dai also stepped forward and said, "It is indeed inappropriate for us to send soldiers to escort the refined salt. After all, other countries do not offer such treatment. Although Shu has done us a favor, we cannot treat them so blatantly differently. Other countries will be dissatisfied with us. Your Majesty, please make a wise decision on this matter."
Chu Fan interjected at the right moment, "General Mu's suggestion seems a bit unrealistic. How can a soldier act out of personal gain? Why not let the victims of the Weicheng disaster outside Kaifeng Prefecture organize themselves and assist Shu in transporting refined salt?"
After all, the food that Shu had provided was used to help them. They should also express their gratitude for Shu's assistance and make corresponding returns."
When Wang Defa first heard what Mu Yunfeng said, he was filled with extreme fear and anxiety. Although Wei was suffering from the invasion of the Xiongnu, its national strength and the combat effectiveness of its soldiers were undoubtedly far superior to those of Shu.
If a hundred thousand Wei troops really did decide to enter Shu territory, Shu would have little chance of resistance and the results would be disastrous.
Fortunately, the majority of people in Wei were kindhearted. The emperor of Wei did not adopt General Mu's suggestion, but instead asked the disaster victims to transport refined salt.
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