Chapter 330: The Abacus Beads Are Too Loud

Prince Ming... this identity meant that the nature of the cooperation had completely changed. It was no longer simple commercial mutual benefit, but carried strong political color and huge risks.

Fu Ruyan forced herself to calm down and think. After thinking through the key issues, she spoke slowly: "Father, uncles! His Highness Prince Ming has great ambitions. In cooperating with our Fu Family, what he values may be the channels and resources of Jiangnan."

"As for the cooperation, daughter will do her best to maintain it. But remember, His Highness does not like to be high-profile, and even less likes people to use his name to act. We only need to do our part and trade with integrity; that is the greatest support for His Highness and the safest guarantee for our Fu Family."

Her words were both a reminder to her ecstatic family to stay calm and not get carried away, inviting disaster.

At the same time, it was also to strive for greater autonomy for herself. After all, the cooperation with Prince Ming was initiated by her, so it should naturally be led by her.

Now with the halo of "Prince Ming's business partner," her status in the family would be unshakable.

Third Master Fu and the clan elders heard this and immediately sobered up a lot. The other party was a prince, a regional hegemon with heavy troops in his hands. Being low-key, pragmatic, and doing one's duty was the way to longevity.

"Yan'er is right! Right!" Third Master Fu said hurriedly: "Everything will be arranged by you! Family resources are at your disposal! Whatever you need, just ask!"

He now looked at this daughter as if he were looking at a shining mountain of gold.

Fu Ruyan nodded slightly, but there was not much joy in her heart, only deep worry.

This matter was not that simple, and she didn't know if Jiang Jinshi could handle it?!

The next day, in the Commander's Mansion of Guangwu City in the Northern Frontier, everyone gathered together for a rare occasion. They were all summoned by Jiang Jinshi to discuss matters.

Tang Xiao Yu's news only arrived this morning; after all, the two places were still quite far apart. Jiang Jinshi got the secret report and immediately asked everyone to come.

"Everyone, take a look!" Jiang Jinshi said expressionlessly, handing the secret report to everyone to check.

Everyone stood up and gathered around Feng Chunsheng, all full of curiosity. After all, if there was no major event, Big Brother would not call everyone over.

"Prince Ming... Governor-General of Northern Frontier military and political affairs... coordinate the attack on Western Liang..." Luo Feng read these words in a low voice, his tone getting colder.

After reading it, everyone understood the matter and also knew Jiang Jinshi's intention in calling everyone over.

Xiao Chunqiu frowned: "What a Si Gui, this is a scheme to kill three birds with one stone."

Jiang Jinshi snorted coldly: "He wants to use a hollow princedom to make my Northern Frontier sons fight the Western Liang King to the death, while he sits back and reaps the benefits. The abacus beads have even hit my face."

Han Xiao said in a deep voice: "Commander, this is an open scheme by the Imperial Court. If we accept the decree, we have to send troops to Western Liang, clash head-on with the Western Liang King, and exhaust our strength. If we don't accept the decree, it is resisting the decree, giving the Imperial Court an excuse to launch a punitive expedition."

"Moreover, once this princedom is accepted, our relationship with the Imperial Court will change, from a separatist force in the dark to a vassal prince in the light. Every move we make will be watched by the world."

The current Han Xiao was no longer a soldier loyal to Da Qian; everything he thought about was from the perspective of the Ming Army and the Northern Frontier.

Yan Wu also said: "What's more troublesome is that once the news spreads, all parties will stare at us. We used to develop quietly, but now we are pushed into the light. Those who didn't pay attention to us before will all crowd around."

After Zhang Honghong understood what was going on, she suddenly spoke: "Commander! I have a plan!"

Jiang Jinshi frowned: "You have a plan too?"

"Of course!" Zhang Honghong stood up: "We naturally need to eat when we fight. So we help them fight, and it's not too much to ask them for things, right?"

"What does Thousand-Household Zhang mean..." Nie Fengyun hesitated, feeling that what Zhang Honghong said was the same as what he thought.

Zhang Honghong clapped her hands: "We have always done business without capital. Once we get the things, we naturally run away. Who is going to help them fight Western Liang?!"

These words made everyone stunned, and then they thought about it carefully. It seemed... it really worked!

Luo Feng's eyes lit up: "Grain, military pay, official enfeoffment, and... trade concessions, salt and iron trading rights—whatever should be asked for, not a single thing can be missing."

Bai Ting took over the conversation: "Sending troops is fine, but how to send them, when to send them, how many troops to send, and where to fight—that's all up to us."

"The Imperial Court wants to sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight? What a coincidence, we want to too!" Han Xiao laughed.

Feng Chunsheng stroked his goat beard: "As for those eyes staring at us... the Cui Family wants to offer charcoal in snowy weather, we welcome it, but the price needs to be negotiated. For those who want to fish in troubled waters, we guard against them, but we can also use them."

"Other Scholar-Gentry... those who want to bet, feel free to come, but the threshold of our Northern Frontier is not low."

Huang Yan watched everyone participating and couldn't help but interject: "So... this is a good thing?"

Xiao Chunqiu explained: "Not necessarily! This means accepting the Imperial Court's enfeoffment, to some extent acknowledging the Imperial Court's authority."

Wei Xikang listened to everyone's discussion, but he found it difficult to speak, after all, this matter involved the Da Qian Imperial Court.

When he was in the Zhenbei Army camp, he had already made up his mind to hand over this country to Jiang Jinshi. Since it was already like this, he just wanted to be a teacher with peace of mind.

Jiang Jinshi didn't expect that Zhang Honghong's idea really had some feasibility, but there were still many ways to say it.

"That's right! But this matter is not as simple as we imagined. The Imperial Court couldn't have failed to think that we would comply in public but oppose in private!"

Jiang Ze said calmly: "Yes! So they will inevitably have means of restraint."

Hearing this, Wei Xikang couldn't help but explain: "The reason why my Uncle never married in his life was because if he did, his family would have to move to Jingcheng to be monitored. This is a means of restraint used by the Imperial Court to prevent military generals with military power from rebelling."

Han Xiao was puzzled: "Since this is the case, the Imperial Court has no means to restrain the Zhenbei King, why would they enfeoff him as a different-surname prince?"

Yan Wu looked at everyone and said: "That was facilitated by the late Emperor despite all opposition, and the Zhenbei King was indeed loyal, and those Scholar-Gentry who wanted to court him were all turned away."

In other words, the current situation in the Northern Frontier is different from that of the Zhenbei King, and there will likely be means of restraint.

This is not a new thing. Since ancient times, the Imperial Court has always had ways to restrain generals or vassal princes who hold heavy troops and guard the frontier, especially different-surname princes.

The most common one is to take their family members and relatives as hostages, move them to Jingcheng, and place them under the feet of the Son of Heaven, calling it graceful nurture, but in reality, it is surveillance.

This is a dignified open scheme. If you accept the princedom and show loyalty, you send your closest relatives to Jingcheng as hostages. If you refuse, you have a guilty conscience and are resisting the imperial decree.

Everyone discussed endlessly, and for a while, they couldn't make up their minds. ===== CHAPTER 331 =====