Chapter 290

"The second thing you mentioned, that the timber business is some kind of murderous knife." Wang Yang took a slight breath, his expression extremely puzzled, "I don't know if you are intentionally misinterpreting or unintentionally misunderstanding. I made it very clear before that what we want is high-quality, top-tier good timber, which is all supplied to wealthy households and powerful families, so it can be sold for a good price, and my Wanshan Warehouse and your Wenyang tribe can both make a profit! What is good timber? There is good timber in the forest, just as there are good generals in the army! A thousand soldiers are easy to get, but one general is hard to find. Do you think I'm just chopping firewood all over the mountains!"

Wang Yang suddenly stopped speaking at this point, as if he had remembered something, and suddenly turned to Guo Shao, his expression suspicious:

"That's not right! If you were like the several chieftains (the term for tribal leaders at the time, similar to 'ruler') who are unfamiliar with the timber trade, then your misunderstanding would be normal. But you previously said 'actively invite the Han people to enter the barbarian lands to identify timber,' and also said 'the Han people use the name of visiting timber to tour the mountains and rivers.' You can even say words like 'identify timber' and 'visit timber,' which shows that you are very knowledgeable about the timber business! Then you yourself knew that I was asking you to pick good timber to sell rather than chopping down the whole forest! Knowing this, you still said things like 'the fierce tiger loses its forest' and 'the mountain shape is exposed.' Aren't you intentionally trying to sow discord?!"

A perfectly timed look of anger appeared on Wang Yang's brow!

The eyes of the barbarians all turned toward Guo Shao, their gazes either scrutinizing or vigilant.

Guo Shao panicked a little and immediately said:

"Don't talk nonsense! What 'very knowledgeable about the timber business'? Identifying timber and visiting timber are just two terms! What's so strange about that—"

"So you don't understand?" Wang Yang stared at Guo Shao and asked.

"I—"

Guo Shao had just wanted to say "I don't understand," but immediately realized something was wrong. He stopped as soon as the word "I" left his mouth.

Da Da Damu said in a deep voice: "Do you understand or not?"

Guo Shao had already been made to sweat by Wang Yang's words, and now a chill rose in his body.

Identifying timber and visiting timber were nothing more than his own experiential words. Given his former status, what was so strange about knowing these two terms? Now that this brat has said it, it's as if he has a deep understanding of the timber business!

If he had been refuted on the matter of whether Lema could be a proper wife, that would at most be being looked down upon by others, who would think he had little knowledge and a narrow perspective. But now that this has happened, it has turned into having ulterior motives! What made him even more horrified was that Wang Yang's previous questions about his background, as well as the soul-piercing words about his unwillingness to submit, had now all become evidence of his sinister intentions!

So those two foreshadowing points were meant for this... interlocking, what deep scheming...

Especially pinning the label of "understanding the timber trade" on him; if he admitted he didn't understand, it would further corroborate Wang Yang's previous words about him having little knowledge. If he didn't understand and still gave random advice, his words would naturally be as light as a feather, and who would take them seriously? If he admitted he understood, then it would just confirm the charge of knowing the truth but still fear-mongering and intentionally sowing discord!

The most insidious thing was labeling him with ulterior motives in advance, so whether he understood or not became a soul-piercing statement, impossible to verify! Because as long as he said he didn't understand, it could completely be a deliberate act!

This person's words are like clouds and rain, his tongue is like a hook and thorn, his heart is like nine curves; he can reverse the situation and set a death trap in just a few words. It is simply terrifying...

While Guo Shao was sorting out the traps in Wang Yang's words, he was also urgently thinking of comprehensive words of rebuttal. The barbarians saw that Guo Shao could not answer, and their suspicions grew even more. Guo Shao also knew that time waits for no one, but the traps in Wang Yang's words were too dense, set in layers and echoing each other. It was already very difficult for him to sort out a few clues in such a short time! It was truly impossible for him to immediately find Wang Yang's loopholes and counterattack. Moreover, having the lesson of the Lema matter just now, Guo Shao did not dare to blurt out a defense like before, fearing that he would fall into Wang Yang's trap again unknowingly...

Don't be chaotic.

The more it is at such a time, the more one must be calm.

Just as Guo Shao steadied his mind, trying to find a breakthrough from Wang Yang's linguistic siege, a flat, indifferent sentence from Wang Yang directly broke his defense:

"Edit well, edit it comprehensively, and then speak once you've edited it thoroughly."

Damn!

This brat is truly insidious! If I keep thinking, whatever I say will become "edited"!

"Despicable! This is framing! Planting evidence! Because I pointed out his 'extinction plan,' he is intentionally—"

Slap!

Wang Yang swept his folding fan, and the teacup fell to the ground and overturned!

"'Extinction plan'? You understand the timber trade so well, knowing clearly that one only needs to chop top-tier good timber, so you need to identify timber and visit timber! And you actually call it an 'extinction plan'? Who is framing whom? Who is planting evidence?! I am a dignified imperial envoy, of the Langya Wang clan, carrying a sincere heart and bringing generous gifts! Previously, out of respect for the chieftains, and considering that you have lived in the deep mountains for a long time with shallow knowledge, I explained it to you in detail. Now that the joints have been clarified and the facts are all there, you still dare to call a deer a horse and slander a phoenix as an owl! Who instructed you?! Do you really think I must open this barbarian route of Wenyang?!"

This barbarian route of Wenyang...

The barbarians weighed it in their hearts.

Wu Wu Erke saw Wang Yang acting up and immediately said:

"Han envoy, calm your anger! The Wenyang tribe's intention to communicate is very sincere, otherwise there wouldn't be today's meeting. It is inevitable that there will be disagreements in discussion for a moment. The Han envoy has elegant manners and high aspirations, seeing ten thousand miles away—"

Wang Yang immediately bowed upward and said in a stern voice: "Zhaolao, be careful with your words! 'Seeing ten thousand miles away' is a phrase to praise the Holy Son of Heaven; how could I, Wang, dare to accept it?"

Wu Wu Erke's plan failed, and he secretly thought it was a pity. He kept saying he was ashamed and apologized with a smile:

"People of the mountains and wilderness are crude and uncultured. I learned a few Han words and used them indiscriminately, which made the Han envoy laugh."

Guo Shao guessed that this was an attempt to seize Wang Yang's leverage. He thought to himself that this Wu Wu Erke had always boasted of knowing Han studies, but in fact, he had only learned some superficial knowledge. This brat is from the Langya Wang clan and has such talent; how dare you show off your little tricks?

Da Da Damu didn't know these twists and turns. Seeing Wang Yang's cold face, he smoothed things over and said:

"We don't speak Han language very well; the best speakers are Zhaolao and the military advisor. Zhaolao used the wrong words, and the military advisor has lived in the barbarian lands for a long time, so he is not much better. Don't argue with them. Let's drink together in a while, and let the military advisor apologize by drinking more!"

Then he looked at Guo Shao:

"Do you understand the timber business or not? If you understand, admit it! If you don't, speak directly! You are not a noble, so even if you have little knowledge, we won't laugh at you."

Laugh at your mother!!!

Guo Shao said solemnly: "I am not worried about people laughing at me, but I am worried about the future of the Wenyang tribe. This is for the public good, absolutely no private intention—"

Da Da Damu was a little impatient and interrupted: "So do you understand or not?"

Guo Shao weighed the two evils and chose the lesser, feeling that admitting he didn't understand was better than forcing himself to say he did. He extremely suspected that if he said he understood, there would be more insidious pits waiting for him below. It was safer to say he didn't understand; although he would be weak for a while, at least he would have more room for maneuver.

"I really don't understand the timber business very well, but..."

"Since you don't understand, why talk nonsense?" Da Da Damu was speechless. He didn't understand and still talked as if he knew a lot. A water snake pretending to be a water dragon, with no substance in his belly, but spraying foam like a pro! He was almost bluffed by him!

Guo Shao wanted to vomit blood.

Tuoshan spoke at this time: "The military advisor's words were indeed inappropriate. Even if you have doubts, you can speak properly. How can you be disrespectful to the Han envoy? Hurry up and apologize to the Han envoy!"

Guo Shao's heart stirred. The current situation was not suitable for a hard confrontation, so it was better to temporarily avoid the sharp edge and advance by retreating. He immediately performed a barbarian salute to Wang Yang:

"I have shallow knowledge. It was only because I couldn't bear to see my tribe's mountains and forests damaged that I lost my composure. I hope the Han envoy will forgive me, considering my concern for the tribe's safety."

Tuoshan and the others also spoke to mediate. Wang Yang pondered for a moment and said: "Alright, for the sake of the chieftains, I won't argue with you this time."

Tuoshan said: "Military advisor, you must be careful with your words in the future. If you have questions, ask them; if you have matters, discuss them. If there is any more disrespect, you will be dealt with according to tribal rules."

Tuoshan's words seemed to favor Wang Yang, but in fact, he was still encouraging Guo Shao to continue questioning, which showed he still had doubts about Wang Yang's strategy. Using the time just now, Guo Shao had successfully found the weak point in Wang Yang's argument and sorted out his counterattack strategy! Seeing Tuoshan's attitude now, he felt he had support, his courage increased, and he "staged a comeback":

"The Han envoy just said he only selects good and top-tier timber, but even if—"

"Good and top-tier timber is just one item of the barbarian route business. I am running the Wanshan Warehouse, not the Wanshan Timber Warehouse! Everyone can recall, and also Young Chieftain, you can also think about what I said at the time. I have always been talking about collecting barbarian goods! Importing goods, collecting goods! When did I say I only collect timber?! Timber is just one kind of barbarian good. Because the profit is high, I used it as an example. After the example was finished, whenever I talked about business, I never spoke about timber alone. Because what I collect is not just timber; everything that is rare in the Han lands but available in the barbarian lands, I collect! Like medicinal herbs, animal skins, honey, wild game, ores, etc., as long as it is a specialty of the mountains, it can turn into money here..."

Leluoluo and the others thought about it, and it really was the case! Wang Yang had indeed always been talking about "goods" and not "timber"! In this way, wouldn't they earn even more! They only heard Wang Yang continue:

"... As for identifying and visiting timber, you don't need to worry either. If you don't want Han people to enter the barbarian lands, you can send people to the Han lands to learn! Just pay a fee per person; it won't be expensive, just covering tuition and living expenses. After you learn it, you can identify and visit the timber yourselves. As for the matter of the forest being chopped down because of timber, you don't need to worry even more! Because first, I only want good timber; second, the goods I collect are diverse, and I'm not just staring at timber; third, Mencius said: 'If axes and bills enter the mountains and forests only at the proper times, the timber will be more than can be used.' You can completely set some rules, logging at times and in an orderly manner."

"For example, only allow axes to be used on pine and fir trees with a diameter exceeding a certain number of feet, and only allow harvesting of nanmu and camphor trees over a certain age. Also, set up fixed roads; all timber harvesting must follow these roads, and private forest paths are not allowed. Divide the forest into five zones, logging only one zone each year, and sealing off the remaining four. While logging, you can also plant new trees, so that by the time you log the same zone again, it will be four years later! When logging one zone, the other four are resting. This is the principle of logging one and nurturing four, growing and multiplying endlessly..."

Wang Yang deliberately suppressed the "surprise" until now to point it out, just to use it to settle the matter once and for all. First, let Guo Shao stir up some doubts, making them feel that there is a shadow over the great profit and that the matter has twists and turns. Then Wang Yang explains it, making their suspicions gradually fade, but they still cannot completely let go of their concerns. Finally, Wang Yang personally pokes through this last layer of concern, just like letting them fall from the mountainside to the valley floor, then guiding them to climb up step by step from the valley floor. When they are exhausted and confused, a cable car suddenly descends from the sky to send them directly to the summit! This kind of suppression followed by elevation is the only way to make them truly feel the benefits of Wang Yang's conditions, which is much more powerful than laying out all the benefits from the beginning!

The barbarians were all overjoyed! Da Da Damu could hardly sit still! Even Tuoshan couldn't hide his beaming face! Only Guo Shao, who had racked his brains to think of a "counterattack," couldn't use a single word. He vaguely felt that there was still a great hidden danger in Wang Yang's proposal. Regardless of whether it was just about collecting timber, once the trade was opened, it would be equivalent to putting a bridle on the barbarian tribe, and perhaps from then on, they would be controlled by others...

But in the current situation, if he were to obstruct it again, he would truly become the target of public criticism. The series of insidious moves Wang Yang had buried earlier would likely turn into killers, directly putting him to death! If it were someone else, he might still have a chance to come back to life and turn defeat into victory, perhaps he could try to fight, but in front of this brat, not only is there no chance of survival, but I'm afraid that after dying, I would still be whipped in the corpse...