"Opioids are extracted from the fruit of the poppy. The juice is extracted by cutting open the shell of the unripe fruit and then boiling and fermenting it. It is usually brown or golden in color and has a sweet aroma."
"As far as I know, many nobles in your country like to crush opium and add it to wine and fruit juice, right? And do some scholars and poets in your country also like to take opium, saying that it will greatly enhance their inspiration?" Hong Xiaoduo asked with a smile.
The envoy was taken aback for a moment, then said sullenly, "Since you know this, why do you still say that opium is harmful and don't want it anymore?"
"Well, that's very simple. Your Excellency should know better than us that people who take opium long-term will experience runny nose, drooling, tearing, yawning, dilated pupils, insomnia, anxiety, irritability, fear, tension, and in severe cases, collapse and shock."
Opium is a specialty of your country; as long as you have the money, you can buy as much as you want.
Ordinary citizens who lack silver can obtain it through other means; they can cultivate it themselves.
But my Fengliang Kingdom is different. We don't produce that stuff, and you control the price of whatever we buy. So what if our people get addicted?
We can't possibly send troops to plunder your country for something like this, can we? We are a nation of etiquette, and we would never do such a thing.
So it's best to prevent it from happening as early as possible.
"Does Your Excellency find this reason sufficient?" Hong Xiaoduo asked with a smile.
As Kaiyang finished translating, the adults in the palace, who had initially been worried about the delegation causing trouble, gradually calmed down and regained their rationality. The more they thought about her words, the more frightened they felt.
If the interpreter from the Ministry of Rites hadn't been unable to speak, and if she hadn't been chosen as the interpreter, this extremely dangerous opium would definitely have continued to be purchased.
Previously, it was only sold in three pharmacies in the capital in recent years after the establishment of diplomatic relations with the opium-producing country, and it was expensive, scarce, and rare, which is why only six people became addicted.
If the purchase volume gradually increases and it becomes available in pharmacies across the country, and more people become aware of its benefits, the long-term consequences would be unimaginable.
Many people, once they've tasted the benefits, don't care about the potential harms.
Just like gamblers in a casino, do they not know that they will lose everything and their families?
They knew they were just confident they could control the situation and would stop once they had won enough.
However, when you're winning, you want to win even more while you're on a winning streak!
When you lose, you feel unwilling to accept it, thinking that it's just bad luck and it won't always be bad. You just need to have one good day to turn things around.
At noon, Vice Minister Yue Wenchao told them that grain merchant Shi Tianfu had told him that he also realized that opium was not a good thing, but his son could not quit it and could not live without it, and it was not that he could not afford to buy it, so he had no choice but to let him have his way.
However, Ishida Tomio has already warned his other children that they must never touch that thing again, or they will be expelled from the family.
Now, the members of the delegation were speechless after hearing Hong Xiaoduo's words.
It was clear that they wanted to refute it, but they couldn't find a reason to do so.
"Your Majesty, is this also your decision?" The envoy stood up, bowed to the emperor, and asked.
When Kaiyang saw Xiaoduo looking at him, he immediately translated for the emperor.
The emperor nodded and said, "It is indeed my decision."
Now that things had come to this, the envoy knew very well that there was no turning back. Although he was unwilling, he had no choice but to give up.
"Your Majesty, today Your Majesty has decided to stop purchasing opium. If you change your mind and want more in the future, I'm afraid the King of the Poppy Kingdom will not agree to it," the envoy emphasized unnecessarily.
"Thank you for the reminder, envoy. A ruler's word is law. Once I have made a decision, I will never go back on it," the emperor said solemnly.
The emperor actually wanted to laugh, but he felt that at this moment, in this situation, as the ruler of a country, he had to maintain a serious demeanor.
The delegation, having been turned away unsuccessfully, slunk away. Everyone noticed that the envoy from the delegation, dressed in the attire of the Fengliang Kingdom, whom Hong Xiaoduo had asked Minister Cao to investigate that morning, turned back and smiled at them as he walked out.
That smile was genuine and friendly.
"Young Lady Hong, thank you for the opium matter. What reward would you like?" the Emperor asked with a smile.
If it were someone else, they would have responded by saying that it was their duty or something similar.
"Your Majesty, the matter of opium is not the work of this humble woman alone. Lord Yue investigated it thoroughly, but the most important factor is actually Your Majesty's wisdom. Otherwise, no matter how much I say, it would be in vain."
As for rewards, how could I possibly ask for them? Asking for too much would make me seem greedy, while asking for too little would make me feel cheated. So, Your Majesty, please give me whatever you feel like.
"However, although His Majesty has decided today to no longer purchase opium from foreign countries, we must still be wary of someone bringing it in through other channels," Hong Xiaoduo kindly reminded her.
"I will issue an edict immediately, prohibiting the sale of this item in my Fengliang Kingdom. Anyone who violates this order will have their entire family wiped out," the emperor declared, slamming his hand on the table.
"Your Majesty, it seems that I have nothing more to do today. Wei Kaiyang and I will take our leave now. You can inform me of the specific schedule for the rest of the delegation's exchanges at the Wei residence."
However, we should try to schedule our interactions with the delegation in a concentrated manner, and not let them drag on for too long. I've stayed in the capital for a bit too long this time," Hong Xiaoduo said bluntly.
Listen to this! She's actually starting to complain about the capital city!
Everyone looked at Hong Xiaoduo with mixed feelings. Murong Jing clenched her hand in her sleeve. She really had no attachment to this bustling capital city at all!
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