Chapter 173: Gu Changxiao and Yan Jiu’s Vow
Jinsui kept a straight face, glaring at Gu Changxiao without answering. He talked to himself for a while, put away the things he brought down from the carriage, and then suddenly sat in front of Jinsui, lowering his head to say:
“I’m sorry, Suisui, I was wrong.”
Jinsui instinctively asked loudly, “Wrong about what?”
After asking, she felt it was wrong. As expected, Gu Changxiao’s answer was, “Everything is wrong! It’s all my fault anyway, Suisui, don’t be angry.”
Jinsui instantly felt both angry and embarrassed, her heart racing, her cheeks flushing. You, an ancient prince, where did you learn this ‘apology style to coax a girlfriend’?
Besides, I’m not your girlfriend!
“You don’t think you did anything wrong at all! I beg you, Gu Changxiao, we are going to the Northern Frontier alone, and we need to unite all usable resources, especially Yan Jiu.
Why are you so tolerant of everyone else, but so childish with Yan Jiu?”
Gu Changxiao suddenly looked up and stared at her, “If Suisui promises me that you won’t let him get close, I will form an alliance with him.”
Jinsui was surprised, “When did I get close to him?”
And she was truly angry, “Besides, what I do, and who I get close to, what business is it of yours? Who are you to me? A sworn brother?
Don’t forget, I’ve already been driven out of the border city by you! I’m not here for you, but for the brothers of the Black Feather Army!”
Gu Changxiao looked like a child who had done something wrong, his eyes full of regret and sadness. After a long while, he said:
“I know Suisui is still angry with me for my presumption in making you leave the border city…”
Jinsui interrupted him, “You are still presumptuous even now.
Liu Yun must not have had time to tell you that I have already signed a contract with Yan Jiu. After returning from the Northern Frontier, I will join the Yan Clan and go to sea to find safe shipping routes.
Lord Li, I, Ji Sui, am not your possession, nor am I even a soldier under your command!
You asked me to leave, and I left with my grandfather and youngest brother without a word. They were in danger because of me, and I didn’t blame you.
But now, it’s not a simple apology or a plea that will make me go back.
I am no longer a person of the border city!”
Jinsui spoke very calmly, but to Gu Changxiao, every word was like a knife twisting in his heart.
One wrong step, and all steps are wrong? No, with Suisui here, there is still room for recovery.
Gu Changxiao knew that Jinsui always responded to soft tactics rather than hard ones, and she never let personal matters affect the grand plan.
He didn’t try to defend himself but said sincerely:
“Suisui, we’ll talk about what we’ll do after returning to Great Xia later. For now, I promise you that during our time in the Northern Frontier, I will be an ally with Yan Jiu and get along with him peacefully.
I heard from Liu Yun that you’ve thought of many strategies against the Northern Frontier along the way. Why don’t we take advantage of the current time to discuss their feasibility in detail?”
His attitude was truly hard to refuse, and he even went to the trouble of lighting the stove to make milk tea. Arguing with him further would make her seem petty.
Jinsui felt that Gu Changxiao had changed so much. They had never argued when they were in the border city. Even when they disagreed, she treated him as the boss, and he treated her as a capable subordinate, and they both made concessions.
But now the situation seemed completely different. When did it start? Jinsui reached out and touched her lips, her heart racing again.
She quickly calmed her emotions and warned herself, at a time of life and death, she must not overthink…
Outside the felt tent, Miss Yan quietly left to find Yan Jiu, “Suisui and the vixen are arguing.”
Yan Jiu glanced at her, “He is Lord Li, don’t call him a vixen anymore.”
Miss Yan pouted. He was indeed! But she didn’t argue with her eldest brother. Instead, she lowered her voice and asked, “Brother, do you like Suisui?”
Yan Jiu glanced at her again but didn’t answer.
But this reaction made Miss Yan overjoyed, and she became enthusiastic, “It would be great if Suisui became my eldest sister-in-law! Brother, do you want me to help you talk to Suisui?”
If Yan Shiyi were here, she would definitely say, “Sister, are your eyes faulty? What’s so great about that fierce woman as an eldest sister-in-law?”
Yan Jiu’s gaze suddenly became sharp, “Don’t be reckless! Miss Ji is not an ordinary woman, don’t be rude to her.
Moreover, the most important thing now is that we can return to Yandi safely.”
Miss Yan suddenly thought of Gu Changxiao kissing Jinsui, and immediately became anxious,
“How is expressing your feelings to the girl you like considered rude? If you don’t act, Suisui will be snatched away by the vixen!”
Yan Jiu said calmly, “Miss Ji has already agreed to join the Yan Clan after returning to Yandi. She is a trustworthy person, and I believe her.”
Miss Yan was first amazed by her eldest brother’s ability to actually win Suisui over to the Yan Clan. However:
“But joining your command is a different matter from becoming a sister-in-law!”
Yan Jiu said calmly, “There’s plenty of time. We are in danger now, and talking about this will only trouble her.”
Seeing that she couldn’t persuade her eldest brother, Miss Yan had to give up. Her eldest brother was just too calm, even when interacting with girls.
When she learned that her eldest brother and Suisui had traveled together and shared a carriage, she was even more surprised. Eldest brother, you are too, too slow!
Suisui wasn’t moved by this, and the vixen even kissed Suisui… Miss Yan helplessly covered her forehead. Of her two brothers, the eldest was too calm, and the second was impulsive.
I still have to play matchmaker for my brothers, otherwise neither of them will be able to marry their desired sister-in-law! Of course, the second brother currently has no woman he fancies, only polo and fish balls…
At this moment, Hei Hu’s voice came from outside the felt tent, “Lord Yan, the Prince and Leader Ji are asking you to come discuss something.”
Yan Jiu put on his cloak and walked out leisurely. Miss Yan naturally followed. Her heart was burning with a fierce flame, determined to snatch Suisui from the vixen and bring her home as her eldest sister-in-law.
Hei Hu was particularly polite to Miss Yan, after all, she was the young lady his wife served.
Miss Yan quietly asked him, “What does Miss Ji want to talk to my brother about?”
She automatically ignored Gu Changxiao, but Hei Hu didn’t: “Leader Ji and the Prince are discussing important matters, and Lord Yan is also invited to discuss.”
Hei Hu didn’t go in but stood outside the door to watch Princess Tuoya and the Crown Prince. If they came, he would have to inform Leader Ji immediately.
Yan Jiu was led into Gu Changxiao’s felt tent, which was larger and more spacious. There were no tables, only a few floor cushions for sitting.
In the middle, a tea stove was burning, brewing milk tea. Jinsui brought out some dim sum and fruit from her space and arranged them on a few plates. Princess Tuoya had sent dried beef and mutton, which she sliced thinly with a small knife and placed on plates.
Yan Jiu thought they were going to discuss attacking the Left Wise King. Seeing Jinsui’s attentive demeanor, his instinctive reaction was that this wasn’t about the Left Wise King. What could make Miss Ji so concerned if not business?
It wasn’t that Miss Ji was greedy for money. Yan Jiu had long discovered that Jinsui loved to accumulate wealth but not hoard it; she simply enjoyed the process of making money.
She was very willing to use money for important matters. For example, the silver she earned from doing business in the border city was almost all used for the construction of the border city.
After Jinsui invited Yan Jiu and Miss Yan to eat and drink, she finally got to the main topic, “Lord Yan, the Northern Frontier promised you trade matters. Do you have any thoughts on this?”
Yan Jiu chuckled. It was indeed about business.
“To be honest, Yan Jiu hasn’t thought about this for now. After all, the Left Wise King still occupies the Royal Court.”
Jinsui smiled, “We need to prepare in advance, otherwise, it will be too slow to take over and we’ll miss opportunities.”
She glanced at Gu Changxiao. Gu Changxiao suppressed his displeasure and even smiled at Yan Jiu, saying, “The Black Feather Army can escort the Yan Clan’s merchant fleet.”
Yan Jiu’s eyebrows subtly twitched. An indescribable emotion filled his heart. He didn’t like this feeling.
It felt as if Miss Ji and Lord Li were a team, trying to persuade him together.
Clearly, Miss Ji had left the border city and joined my command.
But he quickly concealed this emotion. They were currently in the Northern Frontier, and only they could form an alliance; they couldn’t let minor issues derail major plans.
Yan Jiu put down his tea cup and asked softly, “What plans does Miss Ji have?”
Jinsui’s posture instantly straightened, her spirit soaring, her eyes shining, like a student waiting to recite her great work to the teacher.
“Lord Yan, please take a look at this first.”
As Jinsui spoke, she pushed a small box in front of him. Miss Yan quickly opened it and saw a set of twelve glass figurines of common fierce beasts on the prairie.
Wolf, eagle, leopard, bear…
Compared to that Glazed Glass Wolf, these twelve were only palm-sized but equally lifelike and exquisite.
Miss Yan couldn’t help but exclaim, “This is too beautiful! It’s much more exquisite than the glazed glass artifacts from the Western Regions!”
The glazed glass artifacts from the Western Regions were not as transparent. After all, they were made in modern laboratories. If they couldn’t compare to ancient kilns, Jinsui herself would be ashamed.
She pushed another box over. Miss Yan was even more amazed because this box was full of jewelry, hairpins, crowns, jade pendants, thumb rings, and so on.
Jinsui looked at Yan Jiu and said, “I’ve inquired a little. There aren’t many glazed glass artifacts in the Northern Frontier. They are imported in small quantities from the Western Regions and are worth more than gold.
These high-end glazed glass vessels will definitely become the favorite of the tribal leaders, and there will be no shortage of buyers at high prices.
We can seize the Northern Frontier market from four aspects, such as exquisite but useless glazed glass ornaments, perfume, and brightly colored silk, and other high-end goods, specifically for the powerful people and tribal leaders of the Northern Frontier.
Glazed glass jewelry, Rouge Shop, and brightly colored fabrics are for the women of the Northern Frontier. As for daily necessities for the common people, salt, sugar, and tea are in high demand.
These goods can not only make a lot of money but also drive the economy of Yandi. More importantly, we can use these to exchange for heavy metals, gold, cattle, and sheep from the Northern Frontier.”
Yan Jiu and Gu Changxiao both fell into thought. In other words, what we sell is merely flashy or very ordinary things in Great Xia, but what we get in return are strategic materials.
“The reason I’m in a hurry is that the Northern Frontier people are not stupid. Our trade strategy will last at most two or three years before they react. Glazed glass artifacts won’t sell at high prices, and they will also control the outflow of pig iron and gold.
So, we need to act fast. We must take advantage of these few years when the Northern Frontier’s political situation is in turmoil to earn more valuable resources from the Northern Frontier.”
She said something that Yan Jiu couldn’t refuse:
“Lord Yan, do you remember what we talked about on the road? Are you willing to let the people of Yandi live forever with their heads bowed?
During the Autumn Hunt in the Northern Frontier, can Yanzhou City only close its city gates and let them plunder?”
Yan Jiu looked up, but at Gu Changxiao, “Can Lord Li protect Yandi?”
His tone was filled with disdain, “The border city can barely defend itself.”
Gu Changxiao’s attitude was completely different from when he was in front of Jinsui. His gaze was steady, and his attitude was firm:
“This King will definitely drive the Northern Frontier away from the Great Xia border forever! I will never let the Northern Frontier people take even a single cent from the people of Great Xia!”
He drew the short knife at his waist and slashed it across his left palm, blood flowing.
He stood up and raised his bleeding left palm to Yan Jiu, “Jun Yanqing swears in the name of the Jun family, those who violate the Yandi border will be punished, no matter how far away!”
“Yan Jiulang, are you willing to join me in protecting the Sixteen Prefectures of Yandi?”
At this moment, Gu Changxiao made Miss Yan never call him a vixen again.
Jinsui stared blankly at Gu Changxiao. She had advised Gu Changxiao and Yan Jiu to make peace, but she hadn’t expected him to go this far.
Yan Jiu finished the last sip of tea in his cup, put down the cup, slowly stood up, and clapped Gu Changxiao three times.
“Yan Jiu is willing.”
The subsequent negotiations went much smoother. The profit sharing was three parts, and Jinsui also took one part.
Moreover, Gu Changxiao and Yan Jiu were very tacit in this regard. They reached a consensus that Miss Ji must participate in the trade war against the Northern Frontier.
After discussing the formal trade war, they then discussed long-term actions to disrupt the Northern Frontier’s class structure, making Miss Yan look at Jinsui with changed eyes.
Suisui has become so terrifying!
“According to my estimates, rabbit fur can be collected for two or three years. The Northern Frontier court will definitely react and ban herdsmen from raising rabbits. But during these three years, the damage caused by the proliferation of rabbits to the grasslands will take ten years to recover.
And by collecting rabbit fur and rabbit wool at high prices for three years, we will also gain the trust of the lower-level herdsmen in the Northern Frontier. Next, we will collect wool and have the lower-level herdsmen raise a large number of sheep.
Continue to worsen the Northern Frontier’s horse pastures, forcing the authorities to move the horse farms northward, otherwise it will be competing with the people for profit and inciting peasant revolts.
In addition to plans targeting herdsmen, there are also plans targeting their farmers.” That’s right, the Northern Frontier has been established for decades, and various ethnic groups have long been mixed. Semi-agricultural and semi-pastoral life is already the norm for lower-level tribes.
“We can buy cash crops like cotton, sunflower seeds, and grapes from the Northern Frontier farmers at high prices, making their people willing to grow cash crops and buy grain from us instead.
In this way, the lifeline of grain in the Northern Frontier will be in our hands. In times of war, I’m sure you can understand how important this is.”
Miss Yan suddenly felt that Suisui was even more terrifying than her eldest brother! How did she think of this? Even when opening a branch of the Rouge Shop, she felt her brain wasn’t enough, and things were too troublesome.
Suisui had even thought of such a comprehensive plan for a nation’s grand strategy!
Gu Changxiao looked at Jinsui with pride, as expected of my strongest military strategist from the border city!
Yan Jiu was equally impressed, but he raised a core issue:
“The plans proposed by Miss Ji require a large amount of capital for implementation in the early stages. Although the Yan Clan has some assets, it is not enough to implement such a grand plan.”
Yan Jiu understood that this business was to weaken the Northern Frontier’s national strength, which was beneficial politically but not commercially profitable.
Jinsui was confident, “Lord Yan, you misunderstand. This plan is not without returns.”
She took out a piece of clothing and showed it to Yan Jiu. It was a women’s sweater, which she had of course taken from her space.
Yan Jiu touched the sweater, his brow slightly furrowed. Miss Yan also couldn’t distinguish the material. The Yan Clan was in the fabric business, and even tribute goods, Miss Yan could tell where they came from by touch.
Jinsui smiled and gave the answer, “This is a wool sweater, woven from wool yarn.
As far as I know, only the Western Regions currently have wool spinning and weaving technology. Great Xia has never been able to master it and can only weave rough carpets, not ready-made clothes.
This is the technology I want to give to Lord Yan. Whether it’s wool or rabbit wool, it can be spun and woven into such clothing.
Do you still think that acquiring a large number of sheep and rabbits is a losing business?”
