Chapter 281: The Xie Family's Grain

"Xie Yu pays his respects to Your Highness."

In the Hui Ke Tang of the Prince's Mansion, a middle-aged merchant dressed in a green robe saw Zhao Xu and bowed to him.

"No need for formalities," Zhao Xu said.

Not long after Feng'er left, the people from the Xie Family arrived.

The purpose of the influential clans went without saying; it was naturally for the Artillery.

However, Zhao Xu had a different plan for the Xie Family.

This concerned whether he could divide and disintegrate the influential clans.

"This Prince was just about to send someone to Jingshi to deliver a generous gift to the Empress and the Crown Prince. I didn't expect someone from your Xie Family to arrive, but it works out perfectly; you can just take it back with you this time," Zhao Xu said.

Upon hearing this, Xie Yu was slightly startled.

Although he did not hold an official post in the imperial court, he was a person of great importance within the Xie Family and had long known that the Xie Family intended to win over Yan Wang.

It was just that Yan Wang had always appeared very cold, as if it were only the Xie Family showing one-sided enthusiasm.

Now that Yan Wang had suddenly mentioned sending a generous gift to Xie Huanghou and the Crown Prince, he was naturally surprised.

Especially since Yan Wang referred to the Deposed Crown Prince as the Crown Prince.

In his view, Yan Wang was not a reckless person.

Such a way of addressing the Crown Prince must have a deep meaning, and this deep meaning was what he was telling him.

He acknowledged the Deposed Crown Prince as the Crown Prince.

This was equivalent to him standing on the side of the Xie Family.

Thinking of this, he felt slightly excited in his heart.

The struggle for the throne concerned the status of the Eight Great Influential Clans in the era of the new monarch.

Whether it was their Xie Family or other families, they all attached great importance to it.

Now, if they had the support of Yan Wang, the Deposed Crown Prince would have a better chance of inheriting the throne.

Thinking of this, a smile suddenly appeared on his face.

Looking at Yan Wang, he suddenly felt a sense of closeness.

Since Yan Wang supported the Crown Prince,

then they were on the same side.

At least until the Crown Prince ascended the throne, they were still on the same side.

"Your Highness's trust is this one's honor," Xie Yu said, cupping his hands.

Zhao Xu nodded and said, "This Prince has heard that the grain of the world comes from the Xie Family. I wonder if this saying is true or false?"

Xie Yu had been in business for many years and was naturally not a foolish person.

For Yan Wang to change the subject and mention this, he was certainly not just asking about the Xie Family's grain.

After all, this was known to everyone among the Song People.

Rolling his eyes, he realized the implication.

Yan Wang was asking for benefits; after all, joining the war for the succession carried great risks.

Once the Crown Prince was defeated and another Imperial Prince took the throne, Yan Wang would inevitably be suppressed in the future.

So he said, "Your Highness, it is not that this one is boasting, but the Xie Family can bear this claim. 'When the two lakes are ripe, the world is fed,' and these two lakes are under the control of the Xie Family."

"That is truly enviable," Zhao Xu said.

Then he revealed a look of distress, "Unlike this Prince, who has to worry about grain all day long."

"Oh?" Xie Yu pondered for a moment and asked, "I wonder what difficulties Your Highness has encountered? Perhaps the Xie Family can lend a helping hand."

"It is all because of the recent Yanzhou rebellion. Now, the people of Yanzhou are displaced, there are many disaster victims, and the grain in Yanzhou is insufficient to sustain them. If this continues, I fear people will starve to death," Yan Wang sighed.

Xie Yu understood.

He had arrived in Yancheng yesterday.

Because Yan Wang had not returned, he had gone around to look, and at the North Gate, he had seen many disaster victims.

He guessed that this was what Yan Wang was talking about.

Thinking of this, he felt a surge of joy in his heart.

It would be best if Yan Wang had a request for the Xie Family.

Moreover, he knew that the grain in Yanzhou had always been insufficient.

Even when Yuan Li was the Prefect, he often bought grain from the south to supply the army.

Now that Yan Wang was also facing this problem, he believed he had grasped Yan Wang's weakness.

If utilized well, Yan Wang would be firmly trapped on the Xie Family's warship.

How could he not be happy?

"So that is the matter; it is a small thing," Xie Yu said. "To tell Your Highness the truth, this visit to Yancheng is indeed to do business with Your Highness, and this business, I believe Your Highness is also aware, is the Artillery."

Pausing for a moment, he said, "Since Your Highness lacks grain, why not trade the Artillery for it?"

Zhao Xu's eyes narrowed slightly.

He thought to himself that these influential clans were indeed not easy to deal with.

He had only revealed a slight weakness, and this Xie Yu was already trying to raise the price on the spot.

He actually wanted him to trade Artillery for grain, completely failing to mention that his support for the Crown Prince was worth a million shi of grain.

"That is indeed a method. The Han Family also said the same, and Qizhou is only a few steps away from Yanzhou, so transporting grain over would save effort," Zhao Xu said, looking up slightly and murmuring.

Upon hearing this, the smile on Xie Yu's face suddenly stiffened.

At this moment, he was so scared that his heart almost stopped beating.

He admitted that he had had some crooked thoughts, deliberately failing to mention the matter of supporting the Crown Prince, and even wanting to use the grain to suppress the price of the Artillery so he could claim credit upon returning.

But his intentions had certainly been seen through by Yan Wang.

If, because of him, the Crown Prince lost the support of Yan Wang, the artillery business would also be impossible to conduct.

If he went back, he would surely be beaten to death.

"Your Highness, how could the Han Family's grain be as high-quality and inexpensive as the Xie Family's?" Xie Yu said hurriedly, "How about this: allow me to make a trip to Jingshi to discuss it with the Head of the Family."

"That will do. By the way, I'll tell you: the artillery is eight thousand taels each. Prepare how much Silver and how much grain you want; weigh it and handle it yourselves," Zhao Xu threw out another sentence.

This sentence was already very impolite.

"Yes, Your Highness." Xie Yu secretly lamented, wishing he could slap himself.

My good atmosphere was ruined just like that by myself.

Bidding a hasty farewell, Xie Yu turned and left.

Once Xie Yu's figure disappeared from sight, Zhao Xu let out a cold laugh.

This Xie Yu had completely failed to grasp one issue.

Every one of the Eight Great Influential Clans had grain, but only he had the artillery; there was no other shop like it.

Trying to manipulate him was not that easy.

On this side, after Xie Yu left the Prince's Mansion, he set off to return.

Seven days later, he returned to Jingshi and relayed Zhao Xu's words truthfully to Empress Xie.

"You idiot, you almost ruined a major matter."

At this time, Empress Xie, Xie Duan, and Zhao Gang were all enjoying themselves in the Xie Family's garden outside Jinling City.

Hearing this, Empress Xie raised her hand, intending to slap Xie Yu.

Seeing this, Xie Yu trembled in fear.

Xie Duan also had a slight look of anger; he said, "Get out at once."

Xie Yu replied "Yes" and hurriedly retreated.

"Mother Empress, Uncle, with the Ninth Brother's support, I no longer have to fear the Third Prince or the Second Prince." Once Xie Yu left, Zhao Gang danced with joy.

Smiles also appeared on the faces of Empress Xie and Xie Duan.

Their efforts to show favor to Imperial Concubine Mi during this period had not been in vain after all.

In these days, the Third Prince had gained the support of the Ma Family as well.

The Ma Family officials who were originally neutral in the imperial court had all begun to speak for the Third Prince.

And the Second Prince, whom they had thought had fallen out of favor, suddenly had the support of officials from the Wang Family and the Liang Family; the situation in the imperial court had changed drastically.

Therefore, Dou Wei, who had thought victory was within his grasp, was so angry that he feigned illness and did not attend court for several days.

The Xie Family was even more anxious; clearly, the Imperial Heir was going to be chosen from between those two families.

Therefore, Yan Wang's current support for the Crown Prince was simply a timely rain.

Their Xie Family absolutely had to seize it.

"Imperial Uncle, Yan Wang's demands are not excessive. Since he supports the Crown Prince, what does it matter if we send him hundreds of thousands of taels worth of grain? As for the artillery, we shall just treat it as business," Empress Xie was also somewhat excited.

Her long-oppressed chest loosened, and her breathing became much smoother.

Xie Duan nodded, "As long as Yan Wang supports the Crown Prince, naturally everything is negotiable. I will send someone else to Yancheng to have a proper talk with Yan Wang."

Empress Xie smiled and nodded.