The Moon is Full in the Traveling House

Chapter 132 Alliance between 2 countries

Concubine Shu came out of the steaming small kitchen, still wearing an apron and with a happy smile on her face. However, when she heard the maid report that the emperor had arrived, her expression suddenly became serious. She immediately ordered the maid to help her change into decent clothes, quickly tidied her hair, and then hurried to the palace gate to greet the emperor.

As soon as Concubine Shu walked to the front hall, she saw the emperor standing there. She hurried forward and respectfully greeted the emperor: "Your Majesty, long live the emperor!" Yuan Weijing, who was standing beside her, also knelt down. The Emperor of Chu waved his hand, signaling them to stand up. "Everyone, stand up." He said gently.

Concubine Shu stood up, bowed slightly, and said to the emperor gently: "Your Majesty, I am sorry for not welcoming you from afar. I hope Your Majesty will forgive me." The Emperor of Chu smiled and shook his head gently, indicating that he didn't care. "My beloved concubine, what are you talking about? How can I blame you? Master Yuan is here too. Please sit down. We are all family. There is no need to be so restrained." He said amiably, and motioned Concubine Shu and Yuan Weijing to sit down.

After paying his respects, Yuan Weijing sat down on the chair carefully, not daring to slack off in the slightest.

The King of Chu picked up the teacup, took a sip of the scented tea, and asked casually, "Master Yuan, I heard that you and Lord Yang, the envoy of Shun State, are close friends. Is this true?"

Yuan Weijing's heart tightened, but he remained calm and answered truthfully: "Your Majesty, it is true. Master Chenxuan once saved my life, but we haven't seen each other since he returned to Shun Kingdom more than a year ago."

Emperor Chu nodded slightly, and then asked: "So in your eyes, what kind of person is Master Chen Xuan?"

Yuan Weijing answered without hesitation: "Master Chenxuan is extremely intelligent and has made every possible effort. He is truly the best master in the world!"

A barely perceptible light flashed in the eyes of the King of Chu, and he continued to ask, "Did you know that Master Chen Xuan came to our Great Chu on behalf of Shun State to discuss the alliance?"

Yuan Weijing hurriedly bowed and replied: "Your Majesty, I have heard a little about this matter."

Emperor Chu stared at Yuan Weijing closely, his tone becoming serious: "So what do you think about this matter?"

Yuan Weijing secretly complained in his heart. How could he easily express his opinion on such a national event? So he answered cautiously: "Your Majesty, I am just an ordinary person. How dare I discuss the important affairs of the court?"

The King of Chu was silent for a moment, then he said, "I forgot that since Elder Yuan passed away, the Yuan family moved back to Lizhou."

He narrowed his eyes slightly, as if recalling something, and continued: "Back then, Mr. Yuan was a loyal minister of mine, and made great contributions to the court. But now he has passed away for many years..."

After saying this, the King of Chu sighed again seemingly unintentionally: "Shun Kingdom has enjoyed good weather and good harvests in the past few years, and has accumulated a lot of grain. Now they are willing to sell grain to Great Chu, but the price... I don't know how Ziyuan and the others negotiated it."

Hearing this, Yuan Weijing's heart tightened. He keenly captured the key information in the words of the King of Chu - Shunguo, food, and negotiations.

Thinking of this, Yuan Weijing immediately realized that his opportunity had come.

So, he stood up without hesitation, bowed to the King of Chu and said, "Your Majesty, when the country is in trouble, every citizen has a duty. This year, Great Chu has suffered a drought that has not been seen in a hundred years. The Yuan family of Lizhou is willing to donate 200,000 taels of silver to buy food to help the victims."

Upon hearing this, the Emperor of Chu was moved. He did not expect Yuan Weijing to stand up so decisively and express his willingness to donate money for disaster relief.

The King of Chu nodded in appreciation, looked at Yuan Weijing and said, "You are so kind-hearted, it is a blessing for the people of Great Chu. I thank you on behalf of the victims."

Then, the King of Chu smiled slightly and continued, "It just so happens that there is a vacancy in the Dali Temple. In two days, you can go to the Dali Temple to take up the post as the Dali Temple Secretary."

After hearing this, Yuan Weijing felt a surge of joy in his heart.

Although it was only a fifth-rank position, it meant that the Yuan family of Lizhou would return to the capital, which was undoubtedly an important opportunity for the Yuan family.

Moreover, being able to work in a key department like the Dali Temple is an honor and responsibility.

Yuan Weijing quickly knelt down to express his gratitude: "Thank you, Your Majesty."

He knew that this opportunity was hard-won, so he cherished it very much.

He secretly vowed to seize this opportunity to bring honor to his family and serve the Great Chu.

Although one hundred thousand taels of silver was a considerable sum of money for the Yuan family, it was well worth the money in order to return to the capital and regain the attention of the court!

The King of Chu laughed: "Get up. This is what you deserve."

His eyes flashed with shrewdness. Although the Great Chu Kingdom now stands on equal footing with the Tianqi and Shun Kingdoms, the country's treasury silver is actually not abundant. However, these century-old families have deep heritage and wealth. When what happened today spreads, it will inevitably cause other families to follow suit. In this way, the financial pressure on the court will be greatly alleviated. Thinking of this, the King of Chu felt much happier and smiled.

When the Second Prince and his companions were engaged in fierce negotiations with Young Master Chen Xuan over the price of grain, at the suggestion of the King of Chu, the news that the Yuan family of Lizhou generously donated 200,000 taels of silver to the court and that the eldest son of the Yuan family was about to join the Dali Temple became widely known.

After hearing about this, many people could no longer remain calm and took action to show their presence. For a time, major families, court officials and wealthy businessmen followed the example of the Yuan family and actively donated money and materials to the court. In just two days, the court actually received a huge donation of nearly 500,000 taels of silver.

Although the Second Prince failed to successfully lower the grain price too much at the negotiation table, the King of Chu had anticipated this and was not overly disappointed.

Finally, the two sides reached an agreement: Chu would purchase 2 million dan of rice and 3 million dan of wheat from Shun at a high price of 3.6 million taels of silver. This price was undoubtedly very expensive, but it could solve the serious food shortage problem that Chu was currently facing and avoid a war between the two countries. Both sides got what they wanted, and everyone was happy.

After negotiating the grain price, the two sides signed a series of friendly exchanges agreements, including opening two more trading ports on the border between the two countries to strengthen trade between the two countries. In addition, the two countries also became friendly neighbors and promised not to take the initiative to go to war within three years. Although the last one is not substantively binding, it shows the peace intention between the two countries.

However, unexpectedly, the King of Chu proposed a marriage, and the designated candidate was his favorite Princess Qianying. The marriage partner was naturally Master Chenxuan. When hearing this proposal, Master Chenxuan did not immediately refuse, but said that since it was a marriage between the two countries, it should be formally confirmed by submitting a letter of credence. The King of Chu was very satisfied with Master Chenxuan's response. He immediately issued an order, ordering the second prince to escort Princess Qianying and the envoys of Shun to the capital of Shun. In this way, the relationship between the two countries will be further consolidated and developed.