Chapter 529

"Prince Kronos, how much of an improvement in farming efficiency can a few tools really provide?

Let's set aside the matter of farm tools for now; let us all discuss how our four nations should conduct trade with the Great Qin."

Although Li Er was in a bad spot, he was, after all, a man of the Central Plains and was very familiar with the strategies commonly used there.

With these two sentences, he deliberately downplayed the high-quality ironware, wanting to gloss over the matter and remind Kronos to focus on greater interests.

Kronos thought that made sense too.

He couldn't just be satisfied with getting some high-quality ironware; there were more profitable businesses to be done.

"Very well, whatever business you discuss, you can include us, Byzantium.

Our geographical location is superior, with access in all directions; we can do any kind of business!"

These words infuriated the other three allied nations.

So, all the benefits of this meeting were to be taken by you, Byzantium?

Whatever the benefit, your Byzantium has to have a share?

Qin Mu, however, knew that if one spoke of commercial prosperity, Byzantium was likely the greatest after the Great Qin.

Byzantium was also the nation most interested in doing business.

What Qin Mu was interested in was how this four-nation alliance actually wanted to negotiate business with the Great Qin.

"How do you want to do business with the Great Qin? You might as well propose a framework first."

Li Er had not forgotten his mission.

The Great Tang was truly a bit afraid of the Great Qin now.

Previously, at Qin Mu's request, the Great Tang had consistently kept its borders open to the Great Qin.

The consequence of opening the borders was that the Great Qin's cheap goods had surged in Wu Li Ke a tide, more and more of them.

This caused the Great Tang's domestic industries to suffer a comprehensive blow, leaving them unable to recover.

However, the things the Great Tang truly wanted—the most advanced, the best things—the Great Qin prohibited from being imported into the Great Tang.

Trying to block the Great Qin and stop them from making money was impossible.

The only feasible way was to strive for the Great Qin to allow some of the good things through.

"Your Majesty of the Great Qin, I hope we can establish a high-end commodity market in the border regions.

At the same time, I also hope that the Great Qin side can purchase more of the goods produced within our countries."

The envoys of the other three nations also knew that the Great Qin had many novel and good things.

They echoed Li Er's suggestion in unison.

Qin Mu did not express opposition, but merely smiled slightly, his smile appearing very mysterious.

"Of course, that is possible!"

Li Er could hardly believe his ears.

He actually agreed?

He had originally prepared himself mentally, intending to haggle thoroughly with the Great Qin, and would have been satisfied if he could eventually secure a slightly favorable result.

But he hadn't expected Qin Mu to agree right away.

This instead left Li Er at a loss for a moment, feeling a bit flustered.

The envoys of the other three nations were also very excited; this was a huge diplomatic victory!

"However..."

Qin Mu did not let them be happy for too long, speaking again.

"Since it is a mutual market, there must be free trade, and no tariffs are allowed to be added!"

The reaction of each of the four envoys upon hearing this was different.

The envoy from Kievan Rus didn't even know what a tariff was and even whispered to others to ask.

Byzantium was well-versed in this.

However, in Byzantium's foreign trade, it was usually Byzantium that demanded no tariffs be added.

Now that it had suddenly become the Great Qin making the demand, Kronos was a bit unaccustomed to it.

Although the Prophet Moke Mo of the Arab Empire knew what a tariff was, he did not realize what use it actually had.

Only Li Er had suffered countless losses at Qin Mu's hands.

As soon as he heard this demand, his face immediately twisted into a bitter expression.

Not collecting tariffs meant that the price of Great Qin's goods sold to the Great Tang would be even lower.

At first glance, it was a good thing.

But their domestic industries of the same kind would be completely crushed, with no room for a comeback.

Who could compete with the Great Qin on costs?

But conversely, the goods their four nations imported into the Great Qin would also sell more.

By comparison, they hadn't gained any advantage and had instead suffered a small loss.

Kronos's habitual thinking led him to believe this was favorable to Byzantium, and he was the first to raise his hand in agreement.

"It's a deal, no tariffs for anyone!

We in Byzantium love this kind of cooperation the most!"

When Moke Mo saw that such a shrewd merchant as Byzantium had agreed to this condition, he followed suit.

The Kievan Rus envoy had nothing to say and just went with the flow.

Li Er and Fang Fang Xuanling exchanged a look and sighed softly.

They both understood what the other was thinking.

They hadn't dealt with the Great Qin enough and hadn't suffered a major loss yet.

They would know the Great Qin's power later!

For the Great Tang, if they could obtain the Great Qin's high-end goods, they could endure a small loss. In the end, they also agreed to the conditions proposed by Qin Mu.

Qin Mu saw that all four nations had agreed.

He laughed out loud.

"After cooperating more with the Great Qin in the future, you will know that following the Great Qin means having meat to eat!"

The envoys of the four nations all accompanied him with smiles, celebrating the conclusion of such a mode of cooperation.

Qin Mu's true purpose was even more than what Li Er had imagined.

With different national strengths, the purchasing power of currency is different.

Simply put, all four nations were poorer than the Great Qin, and their currency's purchasing power was lower than the Great Qin's.

Without the protection of tariffs, it was actually an unequal exchange of goods; the more the Great Qin sold in the exchange, the more it would bleed the four nations dry.

Moreover, they could import grain and some strategic materials from the four nations in large quantities at low prices.

Once the four nations' industries were destroyed, they would only be able to rely on farming and mining to trade with the Great Qin in the future.

Ultimately, they would be reduced to vassals of the Great Qin!

Taking full advantage.