Zhu Yunwen, greeted by the King of Champa, entered the banquet hall of the royal city, where many Champa princes and generals were already present to welcome him.
After Zhu Yunwen took his seat, he set up his table, looked at the delicious food on it, and said with a smile:
"It seems that Champa truly lives up to its reputation as a port city in the south. Merchants and travelers passing through here have brought Champa a lot of benefits, and the delicacies traded here have also enriched Champa considerably."
The King of Champa, upon hearing this, said:
"That's true. The port sees a lot of comings and goings. Many good things are sold in small quantities right there at the port, which has indeed enriched the resources of our Zanpakuto."
By the way, His Highness the Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty, your purpose in going on a voyage with the Ming delegation is also to continue to promote trade between the East and the West, isn't it?
If this can stimulate more trade, then my Champa Kingdom might also be able to come into contact with many things we've never seen before.
Upon hearing this, Zhu Yunwen said:
"Speaking of which, Champa's ability to make a fortune because of its coastal location was truly a stroke of luck."
Zhu Yunwen's words were clearly a veiled criticism, implying that Champa was simply enjoying its privileges without contributing anything.
The King of Champa pretended not to understand and said:
"Your Highness the Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty, you happen to be passing through here. I also have something I'd like to discuss with you. Is that alright?"
Zhu Yunwen said expressionlessly:
"Tell me what happened."
As expected, the King of Champa spoke directly:
"His Highness the Crown Prince of the Great Ming Dynasty also knows that our Champa Kingdom, due to its special location in this sea area, stands out at sea. Therefore, merchant caravans along the way like to dock at our Champa Kingdom's ports."
In this way, although it allows Champa to conduct trade with various countries overseas, a bigger problem exists, which is that it puts too much pressure on Champa's ports.
My Champa Kingdom needs to fund the repair and improvement of its ports so they can accommodate so many groups and merchants. We also need to find ways to build entertainment and dining options nearby.
We ensured that these passing merchants could have their basic needs met near the port, and that their supplies were guaranteed. Our Champa Kingdom has paid a heavy price for this.
However, this effort cannot be in vain. After all, for a small country like our Champa, the effort is simply too much to bear.
Therefore, I plan to take a cut from the trade delegations that come and go. I won't take much, just one layer. Your Highness, does Your Highness have any suggestions on this?
If there are no objections, I will proceed directly. What do you think?
Zhu Yunwen almost laughed several times.
But since he was the grandson of the Ming emperor, he held back.
It just seems that the king of Champa wanted to take advantage of the situation, and like a pirate, he wanted to rob others, but he had to come up with such a ridiculous excuse.
It's ridiculous.
Putting aside the construction of the port, just considering what he said about providing food and some daily necessities for merchants, didn't they pay for it?
Was it given away for free?
Absolutely not. On the contrary, these things are actually quite expensive for visiting merchants.
So it's obvious that he gained an advantage, so why does he seem to have suffered a loss?
Was that port actually built?
No, of course not.
Zhu Yunwen had come down from that port before; there weren't many good facilities there.
Therefore, such a ridiculous statement is unnecessary. Moreover, even if he develops the port very well, merchants coming and going will still incur various expenses when they come to the port to rest and recuperate as a transit point.
This is a good thing in itself, and it's something that benefits Zhan Chengguo. There's no need to single it out and think of it as an expense or a sacrifice.
Thinking of this, Zhu Yunwen spoke up:
"The King of Champa means that you want to take 10% of the profits. Do you know how much 10% of the profits is? It's even more than the taxes on both leaving and entering the port."
If you were given that 10% profit, would these fleets still be willing to stay with you?
The King of Champa smiled and said upon hearing this:
"The port of Champa is, after all, a natural and good place to dock. If they don't dock and continue on their way, what will happen?"
This placed a heavy burden and pressure on the fleet, making it impossible for them to get effective repairs and replenishment of supplies.
So I think they're willing to pay this amount, but from what I've heard, His Highness the Crown Prince seems reluctant?
Zhu Yunwen said directly:
"That's right, I'm unwilling. In short, your Zhancheng Kingdom has no right to demand 10% of their profits."
You've already made a fortune from this port; there's no need for you to engage in such thuggish behavior.
Secondly, this is unfair to business travelers and even more unfair to importers and exporters.
If you take 10% of their profit, they'll lose money. If they don't want to lose money, they'll have to raise the price of their goods to ensure they make a profit.
If their goods increase in price, it will not be good news for the people of various countries who ultimately pay for them.
It's unreasonable to sell something that's clearly cheap at a higher price, especially if it's just because there's an extra hurdle in the process.
The king of Champa's expression darkened slightly, and he said:
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