Ming Dynasty: I, Yan Maoqing, am truly radiating auspicious energy!

Chapter 65

Looking at everyone's expressions, Yan Maoqing knew that her words had achieved the desired effect.

He then bowed slightly to Guo Xun in apology.
"Father, please don't be offended. You've been too talkative."

"Humph!"

Guo Xun snapped out of his daze and reacted quickly, immediately giving Yan Maoqing a cold snort of reproach before turning to Long Dayou and Zhou Shangwen, and saying...
"What I just said was just a child's slip of the tongue. Please don't take it seriously, and you must not spread this matter."

"Gentlemen, please excuse me for the time being... I am under imperial orders and have a few words to say to the Tartar envoy. May I ask that you leave for the time being?"

"Of course, of course, I'll take my leave now."

Long Dayou and Zhou Shangwen dared not disobey, and immediately bowed and left with their own thoughts on their minds.

This continued until the two of them left.

Guo Xuncai looked at Yan Maoqing with some confusion, asking him with his eyes what he was doing.

Gao Gong was also full of confusion, staring blankly at Yan Maoqing.

Only Shen Lian clenched his fists, seemingly agitated by Yan Maoqing's words.

Before this, he had been wondering why he had come here, but now he finally understood.

The current emperor has such lofty ambitions, and he even chose him to do this job. This is his chance to serve the country. Whether he can make great achievements depends on this day!

However... let's leave Gao Gong aside for now.

Yan Maoqing, that scoundrel who collapses to the ground and weeps bitterly when trouble comes and even bribes him with silver in the street, what virtue or ability does he have to be allowed to come along with him?
Oh right, he recognized Guo Xun as his godfather, what a damn nepotism...

Just as Shen Lian was thinking this...

But then they heard Yan Maoqing approach the Tartar envoy, Kenche, and say with a smile:

"But you don't need to be afraid. Our purpose in coming here is not to kill you, but to rescue you. Our purpose is actually the same."

"What do you mean by that?"

Although Kenchet's backbone had been broken in half, he still maintained a cold and aloof demeanor.

"You speak Chinese so well, you must know that we in the Ming Dynasty have a saying, 'Harmony brings wealth,' right?"

Yan Maoqing smiled and said,
"Previously, with the trade between the two countries and peace between them, border generals could make money from horse trade without having to fight."

"Later, the horse market closed down. Although the two countries became hostile, it was only a minor skirmish. Border generals could also flirt with you and smuggle money from the grain, military supplies, and smuggling allocated by the court."

"But now the Emperor is determined to wage war with the full strength of the country. Without the previous harmony, many things will be difficult to continue, and many things will be exposed... Some things are not worth four ounces when they are not weighed, but they are worth a thousand pounds when they are weighed. You should understand this principle."

"So rescuing you is also a way for us to save ourselves."

"???"

Upon hearing this, Shen Lian felt as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over him from head to toe, and his blood rushed to his head.

So that's how harmony brings wealth?!
These are wicked and vile words; such a vile creature deserves to be punished!
Guo Xun and Gao Gong also looked on with surprise and doubt.

Guo Xun, in particular, felt a chill run down his spine at this moment. He vaguely sensed a huge phantom standing behind Yan Maoqing, a massive interest group that he absolutely did not want to provoke.

"Your Excellency means..."

Kenchet sat up straight instantly, and the look in his eyes as he looked at Yan Maoqing changed.

"Your leader hopes to establish a tribute relationship to alleviate the shortage of supplies; we do not want the emperor to send troops to retake the Tao, we only want to make money peacefully."

Yan Maoqing then lowered his voice slightly and said seriously,

"I now have a plan that can address the concerns of both of us at the same time."

“However, this plan would benefit your leader more, and you would not only survive but also gain great merit, rising rapidly in rank. Therefore, I need you to show some sincerity.” “What kind of sincerity do you want?”

Ken subconsciously pressed for an answer.

"One hundred thousand taels of silver."

Yan Maoqing clenched his fist.

"How many?!"

Kenchet's voice cracked instantly.

"???!!!"

Guo Xun, Gao Gong, and Shen Lian also widened their eyes instantly, their hearts trembling violently.

This kid can open his mouth wide! What kind of appetite does he have? He could probably swallow an elephant whole in an instant!

Is it too much? No, it is not.

Yan Maoqing even started calculating the accounts for Kenche with great seriousness, counting on his fingers.
"First of all, there are the expenses of going up and down the ranks. Now that the emperor's attitude is firm, no one in the court dares to risk their life to remonstrate. Officials from all departments are silent in court discussions."

"To stop this, we need to bribe officials at all levels, from the Grand Secretariat and the Directorate of Ceremonial to the ministers and secretaries of various ministries, as well as a host of censors and supervising secretaries. Everyone needs to cooperate to stop this in court. The cost of this is already astronomical."

"Secondly, there are the border generals. Some of them are upright and incorruptible, and regard the Tatars as their lifelong enemies. Just like this time, you were detained. The only way to accomplish this is to transfer them away, which will also cost a lot of money."

"Next is my plan. This plan will not only facilitate the exchange of tribute, but also enable your leader to quickly gain billions, surpass the Little Prince and Ji Nang's forces in one fell swoop, and no longer be hindered by others."

"Compared to this last point, my asking for 100,000 taels of silver is just a drop in the ocean. Your leader has no reason to refuse."

"..."

Guo Xun unconsciously swallowed.

Although he had already grasped the general idea, Yan Maoqing was still pushing forward with that ingenious plan.

However, compared to Yan Maoqing's current exorbitant demands, the five hundred taels of silver that this kid had previously "extorted" from him was actually a heavily discounted "family price."

only……

There's no question of a double-layered set. The Emperor's attitude is firm, and the court is currently holding a meeting to discuss it.

Does this kid really think there are no traitors in the imperial court, that Anda can't find out the information and expose this lie? ...Wait a minute!
Guo Xun suddenly remembered what Yan Maoqing had said in front of Long Dayou and Zhou Shangwen when he came in earlier...

Could it be that he deliberately used these two people to spread the news that "the Emperor is determined to restore the Tao" back to the capital, thus causing a great uproar among the officials?

This would put the emperor on a pedestal, forcing him to reluctantly order a court meeting to discuss the matter in order to quell the unrest.

This would involve coordination both within and outside the Ming Dynasty, so that even if Anda sent people to verify it, they would not be able to expose the lie.

What kind of card-making is this, where the left foot steps on the right foot?

But in doing so, the emperor might realize that he has been used and played by this kid.

Given the Emperor's temper, this kid is simply playing with fire. Even if this ingenious plan succeeds, how could he be spared afterwards?
at the same time.

Shen Lian was already furious, his clenched fists trembling uncontrollably.

"Traitor! Villain! Scoundrel!"

"To sell out one's country for personal gain in such a methodical, meticulous, and blatant manner, with no omissions, a clear price tag, and an open and brazen approach, how many treacherous officials throughout history can rival him!"

"It's on record! It's on record! It's on record!"

"This matter must be reported to Commander Lu immediately, and Commander Lu shall inform His Majesty's decision!"

(End of this chapter)