Wang Defa knelt on the ground and shouted excitedly: "Your Majesty the Emperor of Wei is extremely wise!" His heart was filled with admiration and gratitude for Chu Fan.
However, what made Wang Defa even more ecstatic was yet to come.
Chu Fan continued, "In view of the long-standing and profound friendship between Shu and Wei, we have decided to export refined salt to Shu at the same price that the people of Wei pay, which is one hundred copper coins per pound. As for the price Shu sells refined salt at, we, Wei, will not interfere."
Hearing Chu Fan's words, Wang Defa's body couldn't help but tremble.
He calculated that if he could ship refined salt to Shu at a cost of one hundred copper coins per jin (approximately 100 wen) per jin (approximately 100 wen), then even selling it at one liang of silver per jin (approximately 100 wen) would still yield enormous profits. Wang Defa realized that even a small share of the profits would be enough to make him a wealthy businessman. He was filled with longing and anticipation for the future.
In the court of Wei, the ministers looked at Wang Defa, who was kneeling in the center of the hall, with cold eyes as if he were a clown.
They thought to themselves, if Wang Defa knew that Chu Fan had directly handed over the salt-making technology to Liu Xueyu, and Liu Xueyu only needed to produce it by himself in Shu State, without having to pay any additional purchase fees to Wei State, and even the transportation costs could be saved, would he be shocked or even stunned?
Of course, even if someone revealed to him that Chu Fan had already passed on his salt-making technology to Liu Xueyu, Wang Defa would most likely not believe it. After all, who would be willing to hand over the core technology of such a lucrative business to someone else? Driven by profit, people often regard trade secrets as precious as life itself and would never easily disclose them to competitors.
The refugees who had suffered disasters outside Kaifeng City have now become quite strong and almost comparable to soldiers in the army.
More importantly, Chu Fan did not specify the exact number of people who were escorting Shu Minister Wang Defa and the refined salt victims who were sold to Shu. Changsun Dechong immediately went to Yaocheng after the court meeting and personally recruited as many as 200,000 young and strong disaster victims to take on the important task of escorting the refined salt.
Once these 200,000 young warriors took up arms, they could become soldiers. If war were to break out within Shu's borders, this formidable force of 200,000 refugees would be enough to defeat Shu's regular forces.
After the court meeting, Chu Fan's heart was still filled with worry about Liu Xueyu. In his heart, Liu Xueyu was not just an ordinary woman, but the woman who had left a deep mark in his life and took away his first emotional experience.
Chu Fan knew very well that he could not let Liu Xueyu suffer any accident because she occupied an extremely important position in his heart.
Not long ago, Chu Fan received a secret report from Shu, revealing that the current situation there was extremely complex and delicate. However, Chu Fan had not anticipated that the King of Shu had already lost control of the entire kingdom. He was even powerless to protect the safety of his beloved youngest daughter, Liu Xueyu.
Chu Fan turned around and said to Eunuch Li beside him, "Little Li, can you help me find out about Liu Xueyu's current situation?"
Eunuch Li replied without hesitation, "As you command."
After Eunuch Li finished speaking, he retreated and his figure gradually disappeared from Chu Fan's sight.
It wasn't long before Chu Fan came to his senses, and he couldn't help but feel a little regretful. He suddenly realized that he had asked a eunuch to go to a country outside Ningwai to gather information. Was this a bit too rash?
After all, Eunuch Li was just a eunuch in the palace and had limited knowledge of the situation in Shu. Moreover, if he went to inquire about the news, it would easily attract unnecessary attention and suspicion.
At this time, Chu Fan had begun to doubt his decision. He was worried about Eunuch Li's safety, and he was also worried that the complexity of this task might be beyond Eunuch Li's ability.
However, all this was Chu Fan's wishful thinking. After leaving Chu Fan's imperial study, Eunuch Li called over a young eunuch and said in a serious tone, "The safety of His Majesty depends on you from now on."
The young eunuch replied, "Don't worry, General Manager Li. I am no pushover. I will definitely protect your majesty's safety."
After receiving the answer, Eunuch Li did not hesitate at all and immediately used his Qinggong to leave the palace. His figure quickly disappeared in the night, like a cheetah walking at night, silently blending into the darkness.
Chu Fan didn't really know Eunuch Li's true strength. Throughout the Wei Kingdom, Eunuch Li had long been renowned as a top-tier expert. Beyond those lofty Grandmasters, Eunuch Li undoubtedly ranked among the strongest, a leader among the elite.
Chu Fan paced alone in the study, his heart filled with anxiety and uneasiness.
It had been five days since Eunuch Li had left on his orders. Chu Fan's heart had been restless for the past five days, unable to calm down. He was worried not only about Liu Xueyu, but also about Eunuch Li, who had always been by his side, handling all his affairs for him.
Ever since Chu Fan arrived in this world, Eunuch Li had been his right-hand man. Whether it was a major or minor matter, Eunuch Li always managed to handle it properly, allowing Chu Fan to spend each day in peace. Over time, their relationship had transcended master and servant, becoming more like that of friends.
Chu Fan knew that without Eunuch Li's help, he would have a hard time in this strange world at first. But Chu Fan was still more worried about Liu Xueyu, after all, she was his first woman.
Chu Fan's mind once again flashed back to Xueyu. She was not only the apple of the King's eye, but also a part of his heart that he could not let go of. He knew that if the King of Shu really met with an accident, the fate of Xueyu, his most beloved daughter, would also be in jeopardy.
Just as Chu Fan was lost in thought, Eunuch Li hurried back and reported to him with a serious expression, "Your Majesty, I have learned that Princess Liu Xueyu, the King of Shu, and all his family members are currently under house arrest in the palace. The King of Shu has been stripped of his power, and actual control of Shu has been transferred to the Fourth Prince and Consort Wang."
Chu Fan had never expected that Eunuch Li could bring intelligence about Shu Kingdom so quickly, which shocked him greatly.
After Chu Fan received the news about Liu Xueyu and the King of Shu, instead of feeling relieved, he frowned, his anxiety surging like a tide. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself so he could think clearly about his strategy.
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