Chapter 1342: Ambassador to Foreign Lands

"In that case, there is of course no problem. Even without our Xuanyuan Tribe, you would certainly have found a way to trade with the Jiuli. Since you are now willing to give our Xuanyuan Tribe this benefit, why would I refuse?"

Xuanyuan smiled and agreed to this condition, though he did not mention writing it into a treaty; after all, this could hardly be considered a major matter. If Baifeng were unwilling to follow the rules, Xuanyuan could simply stop helping Baifeng with this task.

Afterward, Baifeng and the others discussed some unimportant minor matters, including the Xuanyuan Tribe stationing an envoy in Huaxia to facilitate daily communication between Huaxia and the Xuanyuan Tribe. The people from the Xuanyuan Tribe who were in Huaxia would also have a place to seek help. Now that the Xuanyuan Tribe Embassy had been built, the people of the Xuanyuan Tribe could move in.

Xuanyuan directly sent Xuanxiao over, because the stationed envoy had to have a certain degree of authority to be effective. Huaxia did not yet have a fixed Minister of Foreign Affairs; previously, Changle had held this role. Now that Changle no longer came to the Xuanyuan Tribe, the position was vacant.

Fortunately, there were always people in the Huaxia Embassy. Baifeng also planned to send someone over later, but it did not need to be someone of great status. He wanted to send the Shaman's son, Shaohe, over. He needed to give Shaohe a promotion; currently, Shaohe was still a mid-level manager.

If he were promoted directly, his ability and achievements would not be enough, and it would be impossible to give him significant real power. A position like an ambassador is high in rank, the work is relatively leisurely, and it does not require great ability; after all, the current ambassador does not need to do anything major.

Many matters were handled by the boats going back and forth carrying messages, which then allowed Baifeng to make decisions. Urgent messages could also be quickly transmitted by carrier pigeon. The only things he could decide were minor matters.

Not stationing someone would certainly not work. Shaohe inherited the Shaman's Nobility, so he was now a Marquis. In terms of status, it was high enough and showed enough importance. Furthermore, because of the Shaman's original status, having also served as Minister of Rites, there was no major problem with having his son be responsible for diplomatic affairs.

All the main officials of the Xuanyuan Tribe basically knew the Shaman. As long as it was said that Shaohe was the Shaman's son, they would accept it. After all, in this era, everyone tacitly assumed that ability could be inherited through bloodlines, and positions could also be inherited. Although Baifeng did not believe it, it was enough that the people of the Xuanyuan Tribe accepted it.

Killing several birds with one stone, Baifeng planned to take the Artisans who had been staying at the Xuanyuan Tribe back with him this time, along with Xuanxiao, who was going to Huaxia. Shaohe could come later.

But because it was Xuanxiao going to Huaxia, Baifeng had to take precautions. Xuanxiao was not going there to learn, so there was no fear of him stealing any technology or taking anything from Huaxia. The main thing was that secrets had to be kept, especially the secrets regarding the Suiren Clan.

There were no people from the Suiren Clan in Huaxia City, but if even one person let something slip, there would be trouble. Xuanxiao's movements in Huaxia had to be restricted.

The places he could go had to be limited. After leaving the embassy, it was not as if Huaxia people had to follow him, but they would certainly have to monitor him in secret. As for whether Shaohe would receive the same treatment in the Xuanyuan Tribe, Baifeng did not consider that; if you work, you have to suffer a little, otherwise how could you be given such a high status all at once?

It was likely that Xuanyuan also held the intention of letting Xuanxiao go to Huaxia to learn; after all, Baifeng had kept Changle at the Xuanyuan Tribe for so long, and had gained some things from the Xuanyuan Tribe as well.

In the final conversation, Baifeng asked for several types of seeds from the Xuanyuan Tribe that he wanted to cultivate. This was stipulated in everyone's initial treaty, and Baifeng could not hide the uses of those new seeds.

Regarding the Wild Grape, Xuanyuan did not think it was important; it was just one more type of fruit. Baifeng also stated very clearly that he just wanted everyone to eat better and have a richer diet.

The roots of the Gujiao had rotted. Although Baifeng had buried them in the ground, he did not know if the fungi could survive and successfully infect the Gu. So, he laid his cards on the table with Xuanyuan.

However, for Xuanyuan, Gujiao was also a trouble, because if you want to eat this vegetable, you have to give up this grain. You can only choose one between Gujiao and wild rice.

Originally, Baifeng thought Xuanyuan might demand a higher price on this issue, but he did not expect that Xuanyuan would only ask Baifeng to give them some to taste after the Gujiao matured. As for the roots of the Gujiao and the mud from the pond that Baifeng wanted, he could give them for free.

After a little thought, Baifeng understood clearly: Xuanyuan probably thought a type of wild vegetable was not important. If Huaxia could give up one of its grains for a wild vegetable, it could be considered a disguised weakening of Huaxia's strength, so he did not care about this thing.

At the meeting, Xuanyuan also abruptly asked Baifeng a question: "Do you still need our Xuanyuan Tribe's Laborers this year? If you do, how many do you want?"

"We don't need them this year. When those Laborers returned, they should have told you everything. Our road has been completed ahead of schedule; several years' worth of work was done in one year, and we have no work left to do, so we don't need Laborers."

"You know what our road roller is like, right? Try making one yourself. We have no way to transport that thing to you from the boat; it cannot be traded. If you can make one too, it would save a lot of trouble."

Baifeng spoke in a light and indifferent manner, but Xuanyuan felt that Baifeng must have some unavoidable reason. The words of those Laborers, when pieced together bit by bit, were all intelligence—Huaxia had created something that could quickly press out a road, even though it was just a stone, and Huaxia was building a very, very long road, building it to a very distant place.

And at that end was a tribe that looked a bit dilapidated and very small, without even a city wall.

From this intelligence, Xuanyuan could infer that Huaxia was likely preparing a New City in another place, a city very far away. But because they wanted to build it quickly, they had to bring out something like a road roller and not hide it from the people of the Xuanyuan Tribe.

And that New City might be the future center of Huaxia, because in Xuanyuan's view, the location of Huaxia City was really not very good; it was too close to other tribes, with almost no buffer, which was very dangerous.

If the most important city were placed in the very center, that would be appropriate. Baifeng wanting his own territory should also be for the same purpose: to leave enough of a buffer zone. Even if Huaxia built another city in front of Huaxia City, Xuanyuan would not find it strange; on the contrary, he would think that was Baifeng's normal way of doing things.

Xuanyuan did not think there was anything wrong with this behavior; after all, there are no eternal allies in the world, and anyone could become an enemy. He himself had blood ties with the Shennong Clan, and were they not starting to attack each other now? Not to mention Huaxia and himself.

He was guarding against Huaxia, probing Huaxia's trump cards, and trying to consume Huaxia's strength. Huaxia guarding against him was indeed no problem; he could not find any fault in it.