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Chapter 424 - 265 Early Departure and Return_2
Chapter 424 - 265 Early Departure and Return_2
They even understand the eating habits of Yan County thoroughly.
Since Lu Chen had Rain-listening Pavilion procure large amounts of wheat in the Great Jue Dynasty, he promoted the making of steamed buns and mantous. Although the traditional staple food in North Country remained rice, the shops in Yan County were already selling buns and mantous, and the common people had grown accustomed to eating them.
To avoid alerting the Great Jue Dynasty to the fact that Rain-listening Pavilion was an intelligence agency of the North Prince Mansion, the Pavilion adopted very complicated procedures when purchasing wheat from the Great Jue Dynasty. Moreover, when transporting the wheat out of the Great Jue Dynasty, the country levied a significant amount of tariff.
If a trade agreement could be signed with the Great Jue Dynasty, North Country would be able to procure wheat directly under the name of the North Prince Mansion and possibly reduce tariffs significantly, even to zero. This would greatly alleviate the food scarcity issue in North Country.
It must be said, Murong Xue'er's point of entry was excellent, and indeed, Lu Chen was tempted.
Coarse grains like corn, potatoes, and sweet potatoes were already being promoted continuously in North Country, but it would take years of cultivation before they could fully spread and thoroughly alleviate the food issues.
The food issue would still be a major problem that North Country had to face in the coming years.
Lu Chen thought to himself that this Murong Xue'er, being called the "Inner Palace Prime Minister," had indeed grasped the lifeline of North Country.
At this time, Lu Chen smiled and said, "Miss Murong, I do place great importance on the commercial trade of North Country. Your proposal is indeed good, but I'm not sure whether your delegation can represent the Yue Emperor."
At this point, Wang Maoxue spoke up, "Prince, please be assured. Miss Murong is here representing the Empress. The Empress said that once in North Country, every word Miss Murong speaks is her will."
Lu Chen smiled and said, "It seems that the Yue Emperor values Miss Murong very highly."
"A trade agreement can certainly be drafted, but its clauses need further discussion. Today's luncheon is to entertain our guests; it is not suitable for discussing this matter. Let's discuss the specific terms of the trade agreement tomorrow."
Upon Lu Chen's agreement, the members of the delegation also sighed with relief. Although no diplomatic relations were established, if both sides could sign a trade agreement, it would be no different from establishing diplomatic relations.
Their mission to North Country was not in vain.
Afterward, everyone continued to enjoy the delicacies and appreciate the music and dance performances. In the meantime, Lu Chen inquired about some matters regarding the Great Jue Dynasty from the members of the delegation, albeit casually, as small talk.
After the luncheon ended, the people from the delegation returned to their inn, while the officials of North Country stayed in the Hall of Political Affairs to discuss the trade agreement with the Great Jue Dynasty.
Lu Chen, who valued commerce highly, would certainly be pleased if he could open up the Great Jue market and sell North Country-made goods there while reducing a significant amount of tariffs.
Most officials of North Country also agreed with signing a trade agreement with Great Jue.
They faced many problems purchasing food from Great Xia, and although they had previously signed some agreements with the Aristocratic Families within Great Xia allowing them to buy food from feudal states at a low price during the refugee acceptance, as time passed, some feudal states began to regret their decision.
This included Qi Country, the closest to North Country. The Qi Prince once sent envoys to North Country, lamenting that he could no longer control the Aristocratic Families within his borders. Regretting their decision to sell food at low prices, they simply broke the agreement, and the price of food that used to be a few coins soared to several tens of coins.
And this was when North Country had not yet fallen out with the Great Xia imperial court. Once the day comes when the conflict between Great Xia and North Country becomes public, North Country would definitely be unable to purchase food from within Great Xia's borders.
Apart from the Great Xia Dynasty, North Country only bordered the Great Jue Dynasty. Even if it would buy food from other dynasties, it would mostly have to go through the Great Jue Dynasty. Now, improving relations with Great Jue would only benefit North Country without any downside.
Lu Chen spent the afternoon in the Hall of Political Affairs, discussing the clauses of the trade agreement with the officials of North Country, and they did not adjourn until evening.
As the sun set, Lu Chen returned to his private quarters and had a simple meal in the main hall before heading straight to Yunrong Courtyard.
Chen Wanrong would soon leave the North Prince Mansion to return to Mysterious Moon Palace, and Lu Chen intended to enjoy her company a few more times before her departure.
Upon arriving at Yunrong Courtyard, Lu Chen saw the ethereal Fairy Chen sitting in the pavilion, gently strumming the zither strings and playing a touching piece, while the beautiful Lin Wanyun also sat beside Chen Wanrong.
When Lu Chen entered Yunrong Courtyard, Chen Wanrong's fingers paused, and the music stopped.
Lu Chen said with a smile, "Why have you stopped? Continue playing, I love listening."
At Lu Chen's words, Chen Wanrong's delicate fingers once again struck the zither strings, and the sound echoed through the courtyard anew.
Lu Chen then sat slowly behind Chen Wanrong and wrapped his arms around her slender waist.
Seeing this, Lin Wanyun blushed slightly. What is this mischievous fellow doing? Can't he see Rongrong is playing the zither? How could she continue with him sitting behind her, reaching out and touching her?