Chapter 95.1
At this time, General Zhao of the Great Yue Kingdom was in the territory of the An Kingdom, plundering wealth and tallying his spoils.
As a result, after searching around, he was dumbfounded.
Gold, silver, and jewels, none!
Mineral resources, none!
Rice and grains, none!
As for other things, they were all absent too!
He couldnt help but become angry: How come this place is just like the Shang Kingdom, with nothing at all?
The reason he sent troops to attack was that he had gained nothing from his previous assault on the Shang Kingdom, and he could not explain this failure to his emperor. Thus, he volunteered to take advantage of the An Kingdoms lack of provisions and conquer it to recoup his losses and save face.
However, although he managed to conquer the country, he still didnt obtain what he desired; there was nothing at all.
All that was left was this piece of land, which couldnt even produce any crops.
After all the effort and days of fighting, it was all for naught!
With no gains, how could he report back to the emperor?
This outcome was too much for him to bear, and in anger, he demanded, Check again, are you sure theres absolutely nothing?
General, there really is nothing. Weve checked three times!
The reporting officer said with a wry smile, It is said that because Great Xia had attacked before, they had already moved everything away!
Bang!
General Zhao slammed the table furiously, his anger boiling over: Damn it, its Great Xia again!
Why do you keep crossing me? What have I ever done to provoke you?
It was hard enough to conquer the Shang Kingdom only to have all the good stuff carted away by you!
Now, having taken the An Kingdom, youve beaten me to it again!
Could it be that you are my nemesis?
At this moment, he truly wished to lead his army to Great Xia and avenge the hatred in his heart.
Report! Urgent news! A soldier rushed in, in a flurry.
General Zhao bellowed angrily, What is it?
Reporting to the general, we have just received news from Great Xia. The Emperor of An Kingdom, who fled to Great Xia, has been bestowed the title of Duke of An Kingdom and is to enjoy all the privileges of a duke!
This is preposterous, Great Xia has gained an advantage again! General Zhao was furious, his rage reaching the heavens.
The title of duke was not granted lightly, nor were the privileges that came with it given without significant reason. The Emperor of An Kingdom must have paid a staggering price to receive such favorable treatment from Great Xia.
Consider the previous two Emperors, one contributed 5 million taels and the other 6 million taels, which is why they obtained such status and treatment.
Whatever the Emperor of An Kingdom gave, although it has not been made public, one can surmise it was substantial.
General Zhao was both furious and regretful.
He had let another Emperor slip through his fingers, incurring a huge loss, with all the benefits falling into the hands of Great Xia!
Blinded by rage, he smashed everything he could see in the room, venting his anger.
At that moment, another soldier entered to report.
What now? bellowed General Zhao in a rage.
Reporting to the General
The soldier stammered, trembling with fear: An envoy from the Peng Kingdom has been sent to meet with you, and is currently waiting outside!
General Zhao felt a stir in his heart. What was the purpose of Peng Kingdom sending someone at this time?
Alright, have him wait for a moment. After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, I will go over! said the general.
Yes, General!
After the time it took to drink a cup of tea, General Zhao had composed himself, erasing the anger from his face, and walked out expressionless.
Upon seeing General Zhao, the envoy from Peng Kingdom immediately put on a smile, bowed with his hands clasped together, and said obsequiously, Congratulations, General Zhao, on expanding the territory once again and establishing an everlasting legacy!
Thank you! May I know the purpose of your visit this time? General Zhaos eyes flickered.
Actually, its nothing significant. I am mainly here to convey His Majestys congratulations!
The envoy from Peng Kingdom pointed to a large chest on the ground and said with a smile, This is a congratulatory gift from His Majesty. Please accept it with pleasure!
General Zhao opened the box and was immediately dazzled by the golden light inside.
For inside, there was nothing but gold.
The gold shone brilliantly, without even a hint of silver mixed in.
By a conservative estimate, there had to be at least ten thousand taels of gold.
Your Majesty, what is the meaning of this? Are you trying to bribe me with money? General Zhao said, his face expressionless.
The envoy from the Peng Kingdom hurriedly explained, General Zhao, you misunderstand. There really is no other intention; it is simply to congratulate you and, at the same time, to celebrate the everlasting friendship between our two nations!
Very well! Then this gold
General Zhao closed the chest. This old man will accept it, and send my regards to your emperor! Tell him that this old man is very fond of this gift!
Rest assured, General Zhao, I will definitely convey your message! the envoy from Peng Kingdom said.
After that, the two sat down for a brief exchange of pleasantries and had another cup of tea before the envoy from Peng Kingdom took his leave.
General Zhao opened the chest once more, his eyes gradually lighting up as he gazed upon the gleaming gold: To give away ten thousand taels of gold just like that it seems that Peng Kingdom is quite wealthy!
Two days later, the envoy from Peng Kingdom hurried back to Peng Kingdom.
The Peng Kingdom Emperor asked eagerly, How did it go, what did General Zhao say?
Reporting to Your Majesty, General Zhao was very warm and friendly. He not only accepted the gold but also had this humble servant convey his regards to you, saying that he greatly appreciates the gift! the envoy from Peng Kingdom reported loudly.
This is excellent! The Emperor of the Peng Kingdom burst into laughter.
As the saying goes, he who takes anothers hand is short, he who eats anothers food is soft; General Zhao, having accepted my gift, would you still have the nerve to attack us?
Only those with integrity would never do such a thing!
Minister, youve done well, and you will be handsomely rewarded!
The envoy of the Peng Kingdom was overjoyed: Thank you, Your Majesty!
Just then, a soldier rushed in hurriedly.
Urgent news! Urgent news!
The Emperor of Peng Kingdom ceased his smiling, his face turning to displeasure as he spoke, What matter is so alarming?
The soldier knelt down, speaking loudly and anxiously, Report to Your Majesty, General Zhao of the Great Yue Kingdom is leading an army of 400,000 troops, having breached our borders from the side of An Kingdom. The front lines are in critical danger!
The Emperor of Peng Kingdom paled in shock, What? The Great Yue army is attacking?
Yes! The soldier nodded vigorously.
Is there any mistake in this matter? the Emperor of Peng Kingdom asked again.
Your Majesty, this information is absolutely true! If there is even a half-truth, I am willing to be dealt with by military law!
The Emperor of the Peng Kingdom was staggered by the sudden news.
A fury surged to the skies as he glared with wide eyes, bellowing, Outrageous! That Zhao is worthless, accepting my money and then daring to attack! Shamelessly unprincipled, lacking all decency, worse than a beast!
Your Majesty, what should we do now? The envoy of the Peng Kingdom was in a panic.
The Emperor of the Peng Kingdom roared in anger, What else can we do? Immediately dispatch General Mo to lead our forces to the front lines for support. We must hold our ground; we cannot let them break through!
Yes, Your Majesty!
The troops of the Peng Kingdom were also set into motion.
The war between the two nations erupted so suddenly!
At this time, Lin Beifan was leisurely inspecting the newly established textile workshop.
The textile room was filled mostly with women, bustling and busy, coming and going.
Despite the large number of people, everyone had their own tasks and the order was well-maintained. Lin Beifan was very satisfied, Minister He, you have done well! Upon our return, I shall reward you handsomely!
Thank you, Your Majesty! Heshen bowed in gratitude.
At that moment, they unknowingly arrived at a series of rooms.
Lin Beifan inquired, What is this place?
Your Majesty, this is the warehouse where the cloth is stored! Heshen explained.
Lin Beifan walked in and found that the shelves were filled with fabrics, and all the rooms were packed full. He said in surprise, Theres already so much?
Yes, Your Majesty!
Heshen said with a wry smile: The number of female workers who have joined our textile workshop has reached as many as one million, and naturally, the amount of cloth they produce each day is substantial! Moreover, with your promise of rewarding hard work, everyone has been working their hardest, so the amount of cloth keeps increasing. Were running out of space to store it all!
If were running out of space, then lets dispose of some of it!
Your Majesty, do you mean
Lin Beifan said with a smile, Sell these fabrics at a cheap price and gather some funds!
Heshen was shocked: Your Majesty, this must not be done! We offer high wages, and the costs are clear. Selling at a low price will lead to losses!
Lin Beifan continued with a smile: So what if we lose some money? Consider it a benefit for the common people! Besides, winter is approaching, and the people are in dire need of clothing and blankets. Whats wrong with selling to them? I have plenty of money; am I not able to support this?
Heshen was speechless. Sure, you have money, but thats no reason to waste it like this!
Which countrys Emperor does business like this?
Spending money to operate at a loss?
Could it be that His Majesty is confused again?
Hmm, its very likely!
Lin Beifan waved his hand dismissively, Minister, theres no need for persuasion. Proceed as I have instructed!
Yes, Your Majesty, Heshen replied with a wry smile, accepting the decree.
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This content is taken from (f)reewe(b)novel.𝗰𝗼𝐦