Chapter 365: Only My Unique Method Chapter 365: The Envoy

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Protagonist:

Chen Yi

The elders of Ma La did not know that their request for negotiations actually invigorated Li Changning, strengthening his resolve to continue the bombardment.

Using tank guns as artillery comes at a cost. First is the price of the HE shells; the ex-factory price isn't high, but Mo Shaoqiu's price is very expensive. Second is the lifespan of the tank gun barrels. Soviet guns have always been of poorer quality; for late-WWII vintage tanks, a good barrel might fire 300 rounds, and high-velocity AP shells perhaps only 200 rounds. If the bombardment continues for another three days, this batch of old tanks will all need new barrels. In the context of the West Continent's environment, these tanks might as well be temporarily scrapped.

Of course, now that there is Muse's clear agreement, a mere four gun barrels are a trivial matter.

Li Changning attended the negotiations attended by Sir Muse. The Elder Council's terms were clear: "All agreements of the Slave Camp are void; everything can be negotiated."

It was the same kind of tactful phrasing, equivalent to agreeing that the Slave Camp could continue selling slaves.

With this guarantee, Liao Fou brought back 2,500 slaves that very day, nearly double the previous quantity, at half the price, without any obstruction.

Seeing this effect, Chen Yi indeed allocated 2 new tanks to the Tank Company, plus 2 training tanks, bringing the Tank Battalion to the equivalent of 6 tanks. Enough to rotate for a week of bombardment.

Li Changning naturally would not give up the bombardment.

He didn't even tell Muse his own demands, simply using the method of bombardment, Native Company ranged killing, bombardment, Native Company ranged killing, to prevent Ma La from repairing that one-third destroyed section of the city wall, and then waiting for them to propose harsher surrender terms on their own.

Bombardment and long-range shooting were, for the West River City Fortress, extremely safe operations — perhaps not so safe for the Native Company, but they at least had the Samson Armored Cars for protection, and no casualties had occurred in the short term.

The Xima Market by the river watched for several days, finally choosing between danger and copper coins; most merchants reopened for business on the very day Muse arrived.

But for the soldiers of Ma La, these were nightmare-like days.

At first, they drove slaves to repair the city wall; later, the slaves preferred to be beaten to death rather than go to the east wall, so the soldiers were driven by the Knights... if they ultimately won, the so-called "West River Artillery Battle" would produce many moving stories.

Unfortunately, the Elder Council sued for peace.

They had to sue for peace. Because the Temple War was about to begin, all units had to deploy at full strength and full complement; the number of missing personnel would determine High Priest Iyal's status. Missing a single authorized unit would cause his dismissal and severely affect the Temple's view of the city-state — any reason appears unsubstantial to the Temple, any city-state would have problems; in fact, whenever it is the Temple War period, rebellions are especially numerous, even the most remote mountain people know that the armies will be transferred to the front...

Therefore, the Temple always demands fully manned, intact units, without exception.

Iyal was unwilling to step down, unwilling to lose his army, so he forbade any Temple forces from counterattacking. Iyal also didn't want to be demoted or reprimanded, so he demanded the Temple forces depart for the battlefield on schedule...

The elders of Ma La had no choice but to sue for peace, and anxiously at that.

Muse once pressed the terms down to mere reparations, yet still received no response from Li Changning.

If not for his reduced bombardment time, the nobles of Ma La would almost have thought they wanted to occupy the city-state. Although they indeed really wanted to.

On the last day before Chen Yi's departure, Sir Damas stood at the main gate of the West River City Fortress. This senior Envoy had also visited the newly built West River Water Fortress, and was thus nominated by the nobles.

If the former Sir Damas still held some interest in West River City, his appearance entering the city gate today was like a rabbit driven to a dead end by wolves, forced to crawl into a skunk's room and endure endless long farts...

Sir Damas wrinkled his nose hard, and before he could even enter the hotel in the two-story small building on the east side of the square, he asked first: "Who is Li Changning?"

In the past few days, the only task Muse had completed was confirming the persons responsible for the bombardment and the negotiations.

"Perhaps you would like to rest for an evening first, the journey was so far." Dai Adi smiled in a creepy way; choosing him as Sir Damas's receptionist was something only Li Changning's underhanded mind could come up with.

"No need, I'm not tired." Sir Damas didn't dare delay any longer. The High Priest was practically sitting in the Elder Council, urging his Temple forces to set off.

Without resolving the West River City issue, who would dare let them depart.

"If possible, please have Mr. Li Changning come."

"Where do you wish to meet?"

"What?"

Dai Adi smiled like a skunk, saying: "We have three reception points: one by the riverbank, one by the square, oh, and a central garden we built, with pavilions, towers, and Taihu rocks — real Taihu rocks, really quite nice. Which do you prefer?"

"When can I see Li Changning?"

"Oh... that." Dai Adi laughed heartily: "Our Foreign Affairs Office requires you to first meet with several officials to preliminarily determine the content and scope of the negotiations, and the extent of the details..."

Most of what he said, Sir Damas couldn't understand, but he understood one thing: the other side wanted to stall for time.

As a political figure, this set his mind racing...

The direct result of stalling for time is delaying Ma La-State's deployment time, which would change many things. The Temple's view of Ma La-State's Temple, the appointment and dismissal of the High Priest, the aid Ma La receives, the distribution of spoils, the borrowing of Temple military force...

"What do you want?" Damas decided to start negotiations immediately, right here, right now, right by the city gate. He didn't have much time to waste.

"I don't have the permission to discuss these." Dai Adi spoke in a strange voice, partly due to the konjac, partly his own nature.

"If you don't want to talk, I can only leave." Damas advanced by retreating, playing his final card.

Dai Adi made a see-off gesture.

Damas didn't move his feet, but said: "It seems you are indeed very eager to negotiate, however, I must see Lord Li Changning before I can begin negotiations."

"Alright, perhaps you can see him tomorrow." Dai Adi insisted on taking Sir Damas to rest, and to the hotel by the square with the most people, so that merchants from distant city-states could see the Ma La Envoy who had come to sue for peace.

The Xima Market returned to normal that very night — it is said this way because shrewd merchants would sign contracts to buy goods that very night from those less well-informed merchants.

This is a spontaneous behavior, requiring no one's instigation; the market's invisible big hand would lead them.

The next day, Chen Yi left the West River City Fortress. He had only two demands for Li Changning: clarify the property rights of the natural rubber forest, at least demolish Ma La's east city wall, and forbid its reconstruction for 10 years.

Li Changning's goals were naturally not limited to this; this was the most important mission he had undertaken since arriving on the West Continent, and he had to perform brilliantly enough to secure his footing in the Rhombus Conference Hall.

So, after Chen Yi left, he did not immediately receive Sir Damas, but had Dai Adi lead them wandering around the city, especially the Xijiang Wharf.

Just like the origin of all commercial cities, the Xijiang Wharf was the most prosperous area of the city fortress.

Merchants from afar would brave a 30% loss rate to reach the Xijiang Wharf, then load ships full of "Jiangning Goods" to return home — equally facing a possible 30% loss...

A large portion of the supplies Chen Yi transported from Jiangning were sold off this way, exchanging for countless goods, manpower, copper coins, and conch shells.

He could obtain about 2 tons of white platinum almost every month, mainly because barter was more common; copper coins were only slightly smaller, far from being called lightweight... merchants bringing goods and taking away goods was the most common situation; currency was merely the price difference.

Such a wharf is too small and too common on Earth, but on the West Continent, even the trainees' not-so-advanced management methods are already astonishing.

The flow of bulk supplies in and out is even more mouth-watering, and at certain times, terrifying.

Like tigers trading wolf meat, scaring away wild dogs.

Those beast sinews used for crossbow cannon bowstrings, those unrefined ores, and slaves from other city-states...

Strolling along such a street, Damas felt a myriad of emotions.

"You seem to have changed again."

Dai Adi withdrew the Red Wolf's momentum, laughing like a normal person: "In our words, it's development."

Damas seized the chance to ask: "Whose words?"

"Jiangning dialect." Dai Adi laughed heartily.

A young boy from Yun Village came running over, waving the grayish-yellow booklet in his hand, shouting: "Intelligence Booklet, Intelligence Booklet, Intelligence Booklet same as the Jiangning People's."

Damas's heart stirred; he took out his money pouch and said: "Give me one."

"One Thin Coin." The young boy passed the booklet to Damas.

"Here." Damas gave him a copper coin.

The young boy thanked him profusely, yet did not salute him.

Damas opened the booklet with an unchanged expression, seeing the numbers and characters inside.

The characters were in two types: General Language and Jiangning Script; the latter he had studied for a period of time, and West River City Fortress vigorously promoted.

"What is this used for?"

"Commercial use." Dai Adi gave a hehe smile, pointing at the ships ahead: "Serving them."

On the wharf ahead, at least 300 ships were docked. Among them were no lack of large ships of two to three hundred tons.

Although Ma La sits by the river, the ships they possess are at most single-masted small fishing sailboats; the Temple has a dedicated naval warfare army, no need for them to build warships.

Damas was slightly dejected, but he quickly recovered and asked: "This booklet, how does it serve them? Is it really produced by you?"

"No, our own booklet is now called Internal Reference. Their booklet is used for transaction guidance, for example prices, demand, most importantly, our tax reduction policies." Dai Adi spoke, pointing at a large ship ahead: "For instance, the beast sinew on that one is being sent to Ma La, 40,000 long beast sinews, 20,000 Di Niu sinews; you seem to want to make many crossbows."

Damas said with a racing heart: "That is preparation for the Temple War, you... you..."

"Don't worry, brother." Dai Adi patted Damas's shoulder like leading a younger brother, laughing: "We just collect more taxes, crossbow cannons are not within the controlled range."

……(Unfinished. If you like this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian. com) to cast Recommendation Tickets, Monthly Tickets; your support is my greatest motivation.)