Chapter 798: First Volume, Chapter 798: Controlling the Economic Lifeline

First Volume, Chapter 798: Controlling the Economic Lifeline

Jing Ci was resolute, leaving Qin Feng no room for negotiation; as Princess of Da Di, she had to consider her reputation.

If she entered the city with Qin Feng, those who knew would think she had no choice, while those who didn't would assume she had colluded with him.

Moreover…

That scoundrel Qin Feng first disrupted Sangzhou, then promoted and installed the late emperor's lost daughter, Jing Qianying; publicly and privately, morally and rationally, Jing Ci ought to be sworn enemies with Qin Feng.

But…

Since encountering Qin Feng in Yucheng and witnessing his tactics, and seeing how he constantly coerced her under the guise of "foreign diplomatic envoy," Jing Ci was furious yet helpless.

As the walls of Wang Du came into view, Jing Ci refused outright to enter the city with Qin Feng.

Qin Feng's lips curled slightly as he watched the furious Jing Ci with keen interest.

"Princess, if you didn't want to enter the city with me, why didn't you say so earlier?"

"My apologies—I've already sent someone ahead to notify the city guards."

At these words, Jing Ci trembled with rage, glaring at Qin Feng as if she wanted to devour him alive.

"What?! You've already sent someone ahead? How could your mouth move so fast?!"

"If my reputation is ruined, I won't let you off!"

Jing Ci, who had been disguised all along, no longer bothered to conceal herself and reverted fully to her identity as Princess of Da Di, issuing orders to Qin Feng with haughty disdain.

Beside her, Qi Ya tried several times to defend her mistress, but recalling Qin Feng's ferocity in Yucheng, she swallowed her words back down.

Qin Feng cast Qi Ya a look that said, "Good girl."

Then he smiled warmly at Jing Ci: "Ruining your reputation? Where did you get such an idea?"

"If you enter the city with me, you'll be adored by the citizens."

Hearing this, Jing Ci snorted: "I believe you? Not in a million years!"

"Every single soul in Da Di wants to eat your flesh and drink your blood; anyone who associates with you is our nation's mortal enemy. And yet I, as Princess of Da Di, am walking beside you—this alone will make the whole world point fingers at my back!"

Jing Ci spoke fiercely, but inside she groaned in despair.

She had truly drawn the worst luck in eight lifetimes to meet Qin Feng, this calamity, on the road.

This man had just ravaged Liang Kingdom, now came to stir chaos in Da Di—he was a curse. Not even a person could survive being touched by him, let alone a nation; it would be ruined.

Unaware that her furious demeanor looked utterly entertaining to Qin Feng.

Qin Feng spread his hands and explained casually: "I came to Da Di solely regarding war reparations. As princess, you, despite your noble status, personally dealt with me to reduce the reparations—what great righteousness is this?"

"If I were a citizen of Da Di, I'd kneel and bang my head on the ground for you right now."

"How fortunate Da Di is to have Princess Jing Ci!"

Facing Qin Feng's honeyed rhetoric, Jing Ci bit her lips, silently cursing: How could such a shameless man exist in this world?

She spat on the ground: "Hmph! I know exactly what kind of scoundrel you are!"

"You're Liang's number one miser—once you set your eyes on someone, they're stripped bare."

"Even Lü Zhu Guo and Chen the Grand General together couldn't make you reduce the reparations—do you really think one word from me could do it? Hahaha, I don't believe I'm that powerful."

Qin Feng's eyes gleamed with cunning—his merchant nature laid bare.

"Princess, have you ever heard the term 'kickback'?"

Jing Ci frowned: "What's a 'kickback'? You always speak nonsense no one understands."

Qin Feng spread his hands, solemnly explaining: "War reparations are a matter of state—how could I decide them alone? Even reducing them requires joint deliberation by Liang's ministers."

"But if you show sincerity, I can indirectly reduce the reparations."

Seeing Qin Feng wasn't mocking her, Jing Ci's eyes lit up: "Go on!"

Qin Feng cut straight to the point: "The war reparations remain unchanged, but privately, I'll gift your nation one million taels of silver."

"That's effectively a reduction of one million taels—this is what I call a kickback."

"Though… I have a small condition."

Jing Ci snorted, her face full of contempt: "I knew you weren't this generous!"

Qin Feng shrugged: "I'm a merchant. Merchants seek profit—it's only natural."

Jing Ci's disdain deepened: "A merchant? Aren't you Tianlu Marquis of Liang? When did you become a merchant? How many identities do you have? Or do you speak differently to every person you meet? You're utterly deceitful!"

Among Qin Feng's many identities, Jing Ci already knew many.

Including but not limited to: Marquis of Liang, Lord of the Northern Border, Lord of Beixi County, Military Commander, craftsman, scholar…

Now he was a merchant too—was he planning to insert himself into all three hundred and sixty trades?

Such ambition was too great.

Qin Feng had no interest in quarreling with Jing Ci—he simply stated his plan; whether she accepted it was her concern.

"Trade and commerce were part of the original negotiation terms."

"But I'm not delusional—I know my reputation is so bad that renting or buying a shopfront in Bei Di Wang Du is pure fantasy."

"The people of the royal capital would rather burn down a shopfront than sell it to me."

"If Princess Jing Ci can help me find a shopfront and handle the land deeds and paperwork, I will deliver the one million taels of silver without fail."

One million taels of silver was a substantial sum even for Qin Feng.

But to open up this vast market in Da Di, the money was worth it.

Otherwise, when trade between the two nations begins, all Liang merchants will enter Da Di—except Qin Family—leaving us humiliated.

Moreover…

Opening a wine estate is merely Qin Feng's first step toward controlling Da Di's economy.

Once he becomes a powerful merchant in Da Di and gradually seizes control of every industry's lifeline, money itself will become the least important thing.

If Da Di dares to be uncooperative, Qin Feng won't need to raise a single soldier—he need only strangle the economic lifeline to force Da Di into submission.

This immense ambition, even one could call it a conspiracy, was unknown to even those close to him, such as Jing Qianying and Ning Hu.

When the mountains bloom in full splendor, I'll lie atop my piles of silver and laugh!

Jing Ci was no fool; she knew Qin Feng was cunning as a fox, and that this scheme must harbor deceit — yet exchanging just one Shopfront for a hundred thousand taels of Silver was still an extraordinarily profitable deal.