Chapter 698: First Volume, Chapter 698: DugTrenches Everywhere

First Volume, Chapter 698: DugTrenches Everywhere

Chen Si frowned deeply, silently annoyed—getting any advantage from Qin Feng was harder than climbing to heaven.

"Speak up, what do you want in return?"

Qin Feng had been waiting for this exact phrase, and without hesitation, he blurted it out.

"I'll give you three conditions: for each one you agree to, I'll waive thirty million taels of silver."

"First, if I recall correctly, your Bei Di Guo king has many offspring."

"Sending over one princess shouldn't be a problem, right?"

"Our Hou Gong has many princes who haven't been betrothed yet; send the princess first, and our Holy One will decide which prince she marries."

Chen Si nodded—this matter was not difficult, and he didn't even need to report it back; he could decide on his own.

After all, wasn't a princess meant for marriage alliances?

Besides, Bei Di Guo had plenty of princesses; sending one or two wouldn't matter.

Moreover, with this marriage alliance in place, future relations between the two nations would be smoother.

After all, with a princess in the middle, it would serve as a bridge for communication.

"I'll accept this for now; once I report it to His Majesty, it's practically settled."

Qin Feng smirked: "One princess is worth thirty million taels of silver—shouldn't you pick her carefully?"

"Don't send us some twisted, rotten fruit."

Hearing this, Chen Si grew displeased: "Brother Qin, watch your tongue."

"How dare you speak so lightly of our Princess of Da Di?"

Qin Feng laughed it off and pressed on with his next demand.

"The second matter is also about people—since your Bei Di Guo king has so many children, sending over a prince wouldn't be too much, would it…"

Before Qin Feng finished, Chen Si cut him off sharply.

"How isn't it a problem!"

"If I asked you to send a prince from Liang to us, would you say it's no big deal?"

"Brother Qin, you're not being fair. A prince and a princess are not the same—you're clever, and I'm not a fool. Setting a trap here is unjust!"

Chen Si's reaction was fierce, but Qin Feng had expected this.

After all, due to the limitations of the age, while princesses were as precious as princes, their political value was worlds apart.

A princess who marries into another house becomes that house's person.

No matter what, she could never easily influence Bei Di Guo's internal politics.

But a prince was different.

Even the least favored, even a cripple or an idiot, was still a legitimate prince.

If war broke out again, Liang could use the prince as a hostage.

Even if Bei Di Guo looked down on this prince, they would still have to rescue him—otherwise, they'd be branded unrighteous and despised by Heaven.

And…

One day, if Bei Di Guo faced internal turmoil, the prince in Liang's hands could become leverage to directly intervene in Bei Di Guo's regime!

They could even place this prince on the Herald throne, turning him into a complete Puppet of Liang.

Qin Feng narrowed his eyes: "Brother Chen, this is thirty million taels of silver—one person is worth this much."

Chen Si didn't hesitate—he flatly refused: "Impossible!"

"Though Bei Di Guo is at a disadvantage, we have not sunk to the point of surrendering sovereignty and humiliation."

"This is non-negotiable—we'd rather pay another thirty million taels of silver."

Qin Feng had anticipated Chen Si's firm stance.

After all, demanding an enemy prince as a hostage was indeed nearly impossible.

Qin Feng swiftly shifted tactics: "If a prince won't do, how about a crown prince?"

Crown prince…

Chen Si was tempted. Though if war broke out, a crown prince as a hostage would still need rescuing, he was far less capable of directly influencing Bei Di Guo's internal politics than a prince.

Trading one crown prince for thirty million taels of silver? This deal was acceptable.

But Chen Si still hesitated: "This… let's discuss it later."

"What's the third condition?"

Qin Feng's eyes gleamed with cunning.

That look sent a chill down Chen Si's spine—he could already sense Qin Feng was brewing some scheme.

And though Chen Si was wary, he still felt himself being drawn in blindfolded.

After all… Chen Si had no choice.

"Thirty million taels—for the right to trade along your Bei Di Guo's internal trade routes. Is that acceptable?"

Trade routes?

Chen Si had expected Qin Feng to pull out his ultimate weapon—but he never imagined Qin Feng was interested in commerce.

"Explain," Chen Si frowned, his mind buzzing with suspicion—he could only ask humbly.

Qin Feng didn't dodge: "Your Bei Di Guo is economically hollow; your commerce has always been no match for our Shedynasty."

"But due to our generations-long enmity, trade has been rare."

"Now, I'm willing to represent Shedynasty and establish trade with your Bei Di Guo."

"Except for military goods, all daily Commodity categories will be unrestricted."

"In this way, Shedynasty can earn money, and your Bei Di Guo can solve its shortage of Materials and Supplies."

"A win-win situation—why not?"

Win-win? Chen Si sneered inwardly. Doing business with others might yield a win-win, but doing business with Qin Feng? The result was always Qin Feng winning twice.

Alarm bells rang loudly in Chen Si's mind—he was certain there was a trap here, but no matter how hard he racked his brains, he couldn't figure out where it was hidden.

Because on the surface, the agreement to open trade between the two nations was entirely beneficial and posed no harm to the Northern Di.

The Northern Di themselves had enormous demand for various materials and supplies, yet to maintain stability among surrounding states, they spent vast quantities of materials each year to aid those states.

But unlike Liang Kingdom, the Northern Di's domestic materials were ultimately limited, while the appetites of surrounding Barbarian States kept growing.

Over time, it became the old adage: a measure of rice brings gratitude, a bushel brings resentment…

Many neighboring states had already grown resentful toward the Northern Di.

Gaoshan Country was a case in point: it ate from the Northern Di, drank from the Northern Di, and when the Northern Di entered a National War and reduced aid, Gaoshan Country immediately turned on them and bit back.

Once trade with Liang Kingdom began, these concerns would vanish.

Simply supplying materials—even without sending troops—could stabilize the surrounding situation.

The most crucial point: once trade commenced, Liang Kingdom would naturally cease any reckless military action against the Northern Di, for attacking the Northern Di meant severing its own lifeline of wealth.

A great power at peace, surrounding states at ease.

Chen Si pondered left and right, and concluded this was an extremely profitable deal.

Chen Si immediately felt tempted: "This is feasible."

"But… Brother Qin, be honest with me—what benefits, besides money, will your Liang Kingdom gain from this?"

Qin Feng shrugged and blurted out: "I only care about money."

Sensing Chen Si's skeptical gaze, Qin Feng deliberately pretended not to notice, thinking: Could I possibly tell you the secret here?

Once trade begins, the Northern Di's weak commercial foundation will be no match for Shedynasty.

Within a few years, the Northern Di will become dependent on Shedynasty.

When that time comes, Shedynasty, having amassed wealth, can strengthen its DefensiveLine—and if the Northern Di grows unruly, simply launch a trade war!