Qin Mo felt a warmth in his heart. He knew that choosing to trust Wang Yushi was the right thing to do. At least she would consider his own needs instead of resorting to force and robbery like those people in the court.
"You can't hide fire with paper. I've already started the trial production. It'll be exposed sooner or later, so why not be generous and get some benefits in return?"
With insufficient population, Qin Mo needed overwhelming military power to conquer colonies on a large scale, making the widespread use of firearms inevitable.
As Dayuan's industry develops, Daxia will inevitably send spies to infiltrate Dayuan. Rather than being discovered by Daxia's spies, it's better to hand them over voluntarily. As for the backlash, hehe! Qin Mo has the entire history of weapon development in his mind; he'll definitely wear you down.
What benefits are you looking for in exchange?
"Thirty doses of 'cleansing potion' plus the right to expand."
After hearing Qin Mo's request, Wang Yushi asked in surprise, "The right to expand territory? The empire already allows nobles to expand their territory, doesn't it? The Wang family has already expanded hundreds of miles of land in the Western Regions. You... don't know that?"
Qin Mo was well aware of the empire's laissez-faire attitude towards the nobility's territorial expansion, and also understood the imperial family's intentions. No matter how much territory you conquered, it was still the country's; you were merely in charge of managing it. If you committed a crime or died unexpectedly, your entire estate would belong to the imperial family.
"The area I've developed is poor, but... the territory isn't..."
Qin Mo could only vaguely express that she was afraid the imperial family would become envious, since Wang Yushi was also a member of the imperial family, and she was quite greedy for money.
"Related to... spices?" Seeing Qin Mo's interest, Wang Yushi immediately thought of her spice business. Many people knew that Qin Mo was connected to her spice business, but they just couldn't find the origin of the spices.
"Yes, it's related to spices. I must ensure our business is foolproof. Can you get me an imperial edict? Just write 'Prince Heng is permitted to expand overseas' on it."
Looking at Qin Mo's slightly ingratiating smile, Wang Yushi couldn't help but ask, "Qin Mo, you don't mean to declare yourself king, do you?"
Qin Mo was immediately startled, not understanding how he had been seen through, but he would never admit it.
"If I wanted to establish myself as king, would I hand over such a powerful weapon to you? If I were already king, what need would I have for an imperial edict?"
Wang Yushi closed her eyes and remained almost completely still, making Qin Mo wonder if she was using a royal secret method to test his loyalty.
"As long as I live, I will ensure your safety."
Wang Yushi's last words made Qin Mo feel ashamed. It was such a waste that such a kind and righteous woman entered the palace. Isn't the palace the domain of vixens?
Wang Yushi took away two cannons and the black gunpowder formula. A month later, the cleansing medicine and the imperial edict arrived, which put Qin Mo at ease. In fact, the imperial edict was not meant to deal with the imperial family, but to deal with those powerful and treacherous officials.
The most heavily guarded place for high-ranking officials was the shipyard, but the hardest place for spies to infiltrate was not there, but the settlement of the elves. Anyone with a slightly less attractive appearance simply couldn't blend in; they were too conspicuous.
Qin Mo walked into a laboratory deep within the elven settlement and called out to Simon, who was busy at work, "Siman, how's the mercury fulminate research going?"
Seaman held up two fingers without looking up and said, "Two of the latest galleons."
Qin Mo laughed loudly and said, "Hahaha, okay, here are three for you."
I need votes! I need all kinds of votes! ⊙?⊙!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com