Chapter 1659: Joint Cooperation

At this moment, on the other side of Europe.

After receiving orders from Liu Zheng, Li Hongtian disguised himself as a merchant from Longyan.

He headed to the capital of Austria, Vienna, to negotiate with Weikeduo.

In order to gain an audience with Weikeduo.

Under Liu Zheng's instruction, Li Hongtian successfully assumed the identity of a merchant and Envoy from Longyan, representing Longyan in negotiations with Austria.

This was nothing to Li Hongtian; he was already the Minister of Revenue.

Now, having him take on a concurrent role as a diplomatic Envoy was not a difficult matter.

However, Li Hongtian said gloomily: "This is going to rattle my old bones to pieces!"

Yet, after finishing his complaints, Li Hongtian still headed to Austria.

As a diplomatic Envoy and merchant, Li Hongtian represented the dignity of the nation when traveling, and had long since notified Austria of his request to visit.

Austria and Longyan are currently hostile nations on the surface.

The Austrian court still held a grudge over Longyan's occupation of their ports.

At the same time, they cursed the Duke of Lorraine, that bastard who was already dead.

They even dragged the entire Lorraine Family into their curses.

On such matters concerning national territorial integrity, the entire Austrian populace was filled with hostility toward Longyan and the Lorraine Family.

However, Li Hongtian did not take it to heart.

That Longyan was able to take Austria's port cities was entirely due to the capability of the Longyan people themselves, and had nothing to do with anyone else.

Moreover, many of Austria's key supplies now relied entirely on shipments from Longyan, especially since Longyan was currently Austria's largest creditor.

Although Liu Zheng did not say it, it had already been confirmed through various sources that those 500,000 shi of grain had been lent to the Austrians by Liu Zheng.

As for the purpose...

"That bastard, actually using 500,000 shi of grain to chase women!" Li Hongtian cursed while no one was around.

However, despite the cursing, Li Hongtian had no intention of blaming Liu Zheng.

With the development over these past few years, Liu Zheng had led the Liangzhou Laboratory to reform crop cultivation, and both cotton yields and grain yields had been significantly increased.

These 500,000 shi of grain were all grain that had been sitting in Longyan's warehouses for so long it was almost growing mold.

It was not usually needed, so using it to give as a gift could still earn a favor.

Because of Liu Zheng, Longyan was now Austria's largest creditor.

Facing Li Hongtian's request for a visit, Weikeduo did not even have to think about it.

With his knowledge of the situation regarding Teresa, plus the report from Liangduo in Prague.

Weikeduo already knew where that disaster-relief grain had come from, and his heart was incomparably complex and conflicted.

After all, their relationship with Longyan was not good right now.

But thinking of the vast amount of grain Longyan had provided to help them stabilize the public sentiment at the border.

The refugee crisis in Prague had not impacted the whole of Austria.

This made Weikeduo feel grateful.

However, Weikeduo also knew that the arrival of this diplomatic Envoy, Li Hongtian, must be to collect debts from Austria.

The debt for 500,000 shi of grain!

This debt was not so easy to repay.

But Li Hongtian was currently at the Austrian port, and even if he refused, there were countless Longyan Soldiers at the port.

Those Longyan troops were not to be trifled with.

They had already tasted the power of the Longyan troops, and he did not want to taste it a second time.

He also knew that if he really received the Longyan Envoy, the voices in the country opposing Longyan would rise once again.

On the issue of territory, that was a matter of not yielding even an inch!

Damn that Duke of Lorraine, leaving such a huge pit for me even after dying!

Thinking of this, Weikeduo could only bite the bullet and agree to

Li Hongtian's request for a visit.

It did not take long before Li Hongtian, wearing his Longyan official robes, formally visited Weikeduo

the General.

Although Weikeduo did not want to see this Envoy from Longyan at all, he could only bite the bullet and meet him now.

Finally, early this morning, Weikeduo's Horse Carriage arrived in Vienna accompanied by the bright sunshine.

Weikeduo personally led the high-ranking officials of Austria to receive this Envoy from Longyan.

Li Hongtian stepped off the Horse Carriage and watched the Austrian officials receiving him, who were bowing to him.

Li Hongtian returned the gesture slightly.

Austria was now a European power, and to be able to make their ministers so respectful, such credit belonged entirely to the Longyan Chief Minister, Liu Zheng!

Weikeduo saw that the person who stepped off the Horse Carriage was an old man wearing Longyan official robes.

He welcomed him solemnly: "Respected Envoy of Longyan, Mr. Li Hongtian, your visit has made Vienna shine once again."

Li Hongtian looked at this stooped old man and recalled the Austrian officials.

"Thank you for your welcome, General Weikeduo, I am very sorry for my sudden visit."

Weikeduo smiled lightly and said: "You are too kind."

Under Weikeduo's guidance, Li Hongtian arrived at the palace in Vienna.

Li Hongtian saw this magnificent palace architecture, which had a unique style; although it was not as grand and imposing as those in Longyan, it possessed a different kind of beauty.

Seeing the naked sculptures erected in Victoria Square, Li Hongtian, with his pedantic mindset, felt his eyelids twitch.

Looking again at General Weikeduo, whose etiquette just now had been impeccable.

Seeing those sculptures again, it was hard to understand why the people here looked so refined, yet the sculptures were so... unsightly!

Noticing the change in Li Hongtian's expression, General Weikeduo smiled and said, "Mr. Li Hongtian, do you Longyan people not have such works of art?"

Hearing the words "works of art," Li Hongtian raised an eyebrow.

That such things could be called works of art made him deeply suspicious of these Europeans' aesthetic sense.

In his view, things like this were just like the vulgar trinkets that filled the brothels and pleasure quarters of ancient Longyan.

They were just playthings for wastrels who frequented those brothels to listen to music.

This thing, could actually be called a work of art!

"Uh... forgive this old man for his lack of discernment; I cannot quite appreciate it."

Weikeduo took a look at Li Hongtian, who had already averted his gaze, and pondered inwardly that the Longyan people were so advanced.

They were capable of manufacturing so many interesting things.

Even the porcelain they used, with those Longyan patterns painted all over it, was extremely beautiful.

Weikeduo had always believed that Longyan was a country bursting with artistic flair.

After all, there was Liu Zheng before, whose performance of "A Laughter in the Vast Sea" at the Vienna Cafe had astonished everyone present.

To this day, this piece was regarded by other artists in Vienna as an unsurpassable masterpiece, an existence they could only hope to catch a glimpse of in their lifetime.

That a diplomatic Envoy from such a country could not understand sculptural art was truly baffling.

It was indeed hard to fathom.

General Weikeduo patiently explained, "The subject of the sculpture is the Beauty Goddess; she is the Beauty Goddess in our eyes."

"In order to fully reveal her beauty, our artists carved her in this manner." The transcoding is severe recently, let us have more motivation to update faster, please move your little hands to exit reading mode. Thank you.