Chapter 2084

"What comes next? My good luck is what comes next." He Lingchuan laughed, "This nobleman somehow went mad, actually leaving Jiaoguo to come to our grasslands to steal horses, and I caught him red-handed, man and goods both seized! He confessed freely to the horse theft, gave his statement and even pressed his fingerprint. Now both the man and his statement have been handed over to the authorities for disposition."

Sun Fuling stared at him for a long while, then laughed and scolded: "What trick did you use?"

He Lingchuan blinked: "He went mad, what's that got to do with me?"

Sun Fuling wouldn't be misled by him: "Just tell me, how did you make him go mad?"

Having known each other for years, she had long known this guy was no upright person, too well-versed in what "taking advantage of circumstances" means.

"You're a teacher, you surely know there's a method for luring children called 'flower-patting technique'?" He Lingchuan took a spoonful of fish soup, "I just used this petty trick to pat him away."

"General He's studies are indeed extensive." Even such lowly tricks? Sun Fuling knew the process must be interesting, but he spoke lightly, "Give me a demonstration right here."

"Need a demonstration?" He Lingchuan wondered, "I just reached out and grabbed him, and the teacher just followed me?"

Sun Fuling flew into a rage, snatched the osmanthus cake beside her, and smashed it directly onto his face: "What did you say?"

She wouldn't have been this direct before.

But He Lingchuan had already grown used to it, raising his hand with a "pap" to catch it squarely, and even took a bite of the cake in passing.

"Calm down, calm down, I was just giving an example?" He Lingchuan hurried to defuse the tension, "Let's talk about the trade route, let's talk about the trade route, that's a great matter of securing the state and benefiting the people! Why the rush to open a second trade route?"

The seaport south of Panlongcheng is in Bai Sha Bay; distant caravans must first land at Bai Sha Bay, then cross the Mao River Plains, before they can reach the Panlong Wasteland. He Lingchuan, in reality, had formerly set out from Bai Sha Bay when going from Yingguo to the Yangshan Islands.

From ancient times to now, this has always been a very important free port.

Sun Fuling sighed: "Just Bai Sha Bay isn't enough, it's easy for someone to strangle our throat."

He Lingchuan nodded. When Between Between Between Beijia and Panlongcheng were at swords' drawn, Between Between Between Beijia had once pressured Bai Sha Bay to cut off Panlongcheng's trade route, forbidding foreign merchants from doing business with Panlongcheng.

Bai Sha Bay refused.

First, it is a port with highly free and flexible policies;

Second, it has little economic interaction with Between Between Between Beijia, rather a competitive relationship, after all Between Between Between Beijia also has several geographically advantageous, high-throughput seaports.

Third, Bai Sha Bay's relations with Panlongcheng are excellent, the profits earned yearly from the Panlong-Mao River trade route are incalculable.

Fourth, He Lingchuan also knows that Bai Sha Bay is actually a seaport under Lingshan's control! During Panlongcheng's confrontation with Between Between Between Beijia, Bai Sha Bay naturally leaned more toward Panlongcheng.

But no matter how many reasons there are above, Panlongcheng's overseas trade remains heavily dependent on Bai Sha Bay, which is always a hidden danger.

"Has someone come to strangle our throat now?"

Has the hidden danger been exposed so quickly?

"Yes." Sun Fuling is now the Deputy Mountain Chief of the Shuomin Academy. The Shuomin Academy bears heavy political responsibilities, no longer a mere academy, so she always gets to hear much inside information.

"It's just that, less than two days after you set off for the southern wasteland, the old magistrate of Bai Sha Bay retired due to illness, his younger son took office, and immediately said our agreement had expired, needs to be renewed, otherwise our goods cannot enter Bai Sha Bay."

Not being able to enter Bai Sha Bay means not being able to go to sea, not being able to do business with distant countries and merchant guilds.

He Lingchuan frowned: "But when I returned to the city in the evening, I was blocked all along the way by merchants, unable to move."

"That's because, the suspension of Panlongcheng's trade goods won't take effect until next month." Sun Fuling gave a wry smile, "These merchants all want to rush their goods through before the deadline. Once the suspension takes effect, the special products of Panlong Wasteland and Mao River Plains can't get out, their goods in hand can then rise in price."

So, at this time the merchant caravans being piled up isn't a good thing, everyone just wants to squeeze in the last few deals.

"What are Bai Sha Bay's demands?"

"Panlongcheng's trade goods used to go through Bai Sha Bay with very low levies. The new magistrate said, back then the Mao River trade route wasn't prosperous, so they gave this preference; now Panlongcheng has grown big and strong, its trade volume approaches forty percent of Bai Sha Bay's throughput, keeping the levy this low is no longer appropriate." Sun Fuling shook her head, gave a number, "The new levy Bai Sha Bay has proposed, we find it hard to accept, it's been raised by more than double all at once."

"And the levy is only the main item, there are four or five other fees, for example Bai Sha Bay says our trade route's volume is too large, causing severe wear and tear on port facilities and the outbound official road, maintenance costs a lot, so each year they also want to collect a port-road fee." She continued, "With such back-and-forth negotiation, it's impossible to reach an agreement in less than two or three months."

"The negotiation time can be long or short." Bai Sha Bay didn't say they'd forever refuse Panlongcheng's goods entry, only that the current agreement has expired and needs to be renewed, as for when it can be signed, when trade can continue, that's "to be discussed."

"But the trade route can't wait that long. Not to mention two or three months, even just one month without goods passage, the business will all run away." He Lingchuan, from his prior experience operating the Yangshan Islands, knows the rhythm here inside out. A trade route is no different from a small businessman's stall, it also needs to open daily, move goods daily, but if there's ever a day of closure, of shutting down, others will think you've gone out of business, quit.

If the Mao River trade route has no one using it, that would be a fatal blow to Panlongcheng's foreign trade.

"This is just looking for trouble." He Lingchuan wasn't angry but laughed, "Bai Sha Bay refusing Panlongcheng such a major client is equivalent to sweeping the God of Wealth out the door; besides, Panlongcheng not long ago crushed Xianyou and repelled Between Between Between Beijia, fame spread in all directions, Bai Sha Bay has no reason to provoke Panlongcheng's misfortune at this time."

Now, which neighboring force doesn't know Panlongcheng's martial prowess is off the charts?

Panlongcheng's foreign envoys gather in crowds, isn't it just all factions coming to curry favor, establish relations, maintain ties?

Bai Sha Bay choosing this moment to offend Panlongcheng, could it be the new magistrate has a screw loose?

Of course He Lingchuan also knows that, even if Panlongcheng is famed for martial force, now it's also not good to bare fists and teach Bai Sha Bay a lesson. People not long ago withstood Between Between Between Beijia's pressure head-on, continued to support your goods transport, conveyed your provisions, now just because a contract can't be agreed upon, you'd turn face and turn against them?

The surrounding forces are all staring wide-eyed, waiting to see if Panlongcheng, just because it's powerful, will bully people.

Moreover, Bai Sha Bay is also in the Lingshan camp, it's not good for comrades in the same camp to undermine each other so directly.

Sun Fuling picked up a slice of raw fish, ate it elegantly again: "What do you think?"

(End of Chapter)