The Beautiful CEO’s Dragon Blood Bodyguard
Chapter 1006: The Yuzhou Treaty

Chapter 1006: Chapter 1006: The Yuzhou Treaty

Long Fei sipped his tea and said to Governor Zhang Yannian, "Governor, please speak frankly. Our destination is Chang’an, and if there’s nothing else, we’re likely to depart tomorrow."

Zhang Yannian smiled and replied, "Master is indeed straightforward, so I will be too. You probably already know that the backers of the water bandits who occupy the river are none other than our Yuzhou’s top sect, the Songshan Sect. They dare not openly defy the official residence, but they continue to support new water bandits to do their bidding. We have launched many campaigns to eliminate the bandits and spent a great deal of money to no avail. With Master’s arrival, the chief bandit was killed directly. I was wondering, could you lend a hand and help us eradicate the bandit nuisance completely?"

Long Fei put down the teacup and laughed, having guessed his intention.

Zhang Yannian quickly added, "Master, we would not let your efforts go unrewarded. If you’re willing to help, as the local governor, I am willing to put together a reward of ten thousand taels of gold, hoping you will consider it."

Ten thousand taels, five hundred thousand grams.

According to the conversions of that world, one gram of gold could be sold for three to four hundred units of currency, at least one hundred and fifty million in total.

For that price, intending to hire Long Fei to confront the Songshan Sect—Governor Zhang’s calculations were well-done.

He asked Zhang Yannian, "The water bandits have been plaguing the area for years, why haven’t you reported this to the Imperial Court? There are many capable people in the Imperial Court; I don’t believe there’s no one who can subdue the Songshan Sect?"

Zhang Yannian sighed, furrowing his brow, "Not to conceal the truth from Master, the Songshan Sect’s support actually comes from the Third Prince. His Majesty the Emperor has secluded himself and pays no heed to mundane affairs, leaving the Crown Prince to handle the court’s affairs. But the Crown Prince has not yet ascended the throne, and his experience is far from sufficient to command universal respect. With the Third Prince causing trouble in various places, no one in the court’s major powers dares to challenge him. Were it not for this, these water bandits would not have been rampant for so many years."

"You speak quite frankly indeed!"

Long Fei nodded, having already heard about the situation from Liuu Jiangnan.

Since it was a negotiation, one naturally needed to know the market price.

One couldn’t just go offending the resplendent Third Prince because someone offered a billion.

He said to Zhang Yannian, "Governor, you’ve also said it: the background of the water bandits reaches high. If I assist you, it will mean offending the Third Prince. Isn’t this amount of gold a bit too little?"

Zhang Yannian looked at Long Fei unexpectedly, hearing his tone which did not sound like something a friend of the princess would say.

Since the Crown Prince and the Third Prince were adversaries, Zhang naturally assumed Long Fei also bore a grudge against the Third Prince.

Dealing with the Third Prince’s influence seemed like an opportune task.

It seemed he had thought wrong.

However, from the meaning within Long Fei’s words, Zhang Yannian was still very pleased.

After all, this Nascent Soul Realm master was still willing to make a move; it was just a matter of not offering enough money.

He asked Long Fei, "May I inquire what price Master has in mind?"

Long Fei calmly said, "One million taels."

"Ah?"

Zhang Yannian’s forehead began to sweat, this price, though not exorbitant, was astronomical for him.

Yuzhou was not like the South Yangtze, with consecutive years of floods and droughts, where could he raise such a large amount of gold?

If he asked the merchants to collect it, they wouldn’t pay such an amount to eliminate bandits.

After all, even if these bandits were eliminated, who knew if new ones would emerge?

Of course, Long Fei was aware of his difficulties and said with a laugh, "Governor need not worry, if you cannot afford this money, I have other methods."

Zhang Yannian asked curiously, "Please explain, Master."

Long Fei took out a document he had prepared earlier and handed it over to Zhang Yannian.

The document was a simple one, much like the unequal treaties that Great Qing Country had signed with the foreign powers.

It stated that a deep-water port in Yuzhou was to be leased to Long Fei for a hundred years free of charge, along with a tax exemption for ten years.

Yuzhou was at the heart of the world; whether in the outside world or this one, whoever controlled Yuzhou ruled everything.

All the country’s goods had to go through Yuzhou.

With a port established here, goods coming from outside could quickly flood the country.

Although the gates between the two worlds would close in a year or two, some profit was still profit.

For Long Fei, these one or two years were enough.

After reading the document, Zhang Yannian hadn’t expected Long Fei to make this request.

He had thought that if Long Fei didn’t want money, he would ask for land.

After all this, Long Fei merely wanted a deep-water port and policies for tax exemption and a free market.

This meant no loss to him.

And after ten years, he could immediately start collecting taxes.

He just didn’t understand what kind of business Long Fei wanted to do.

He asked with some concern, "Master, I don’t object to your doing business, just don’t engage in trade that is forbidden by the Imperial Court, alright?"

"Are you referring to the salt monopoly?" Long Fei asked with a smile.

Zhang Yannian nodded.

Long Fei replied, "Let me put it this way, I will not engage in any business that is expressly prohibited by the Great Xia Country. The business I will do will be beneficial to both Yuzhou and the Great Xia Country, harming none. If the Governor agrees, you will soon see the results."

Zhang Yannian fell silent for a moment, looking at the document again, worried that he was being duped by Long Fei.

But then again, having a Nascent Soul Realm expert sitting down to negotiate with him was already a sign of great respect.

Much like the Songshan Sect, they simply became the backers of the water bandits.

What could you do to them?

What could the Imperial Court do to them?

In this world, power is honored.

The strong do what they wish, the weak struggle even to move.

If he, Zhang Yannian, didn’t agree today, tomorrow Long Fei could seek out the Crown Prince and the result would be the same, with no benefit to his own side.

After weighing his options, Zhang Yannian frowned and said, "If I sign this treaty, how much can the remuneration for Master be reduced?"

Long Fei held up his index finger and said, "Ten thousand taels of gold, and not just the water bandits, but I’ll also help you completely eliminate the Songshan Sect."

Zhang Yannian swallowed nervously, thinking to himself this deal was damn worthwhile.

He was on the Crown Prince’s side, and achieving this feat would surely earn the Crown Prince’s favor!

The terms were just to allow Long Fei to conduct some business here, so what reason did he have to refuse?

Zhang Yannian excitedly clenched his fist in salute, agreeing repeatedly, "Agreed, just ten thousand taels. I will affix the official seal right now, and if Master wishes, tomorrow you can select the best official port outside the city."

Long Fei smiled faintly, lifting his teacup and said, "Then I’ll toast with tea instead of wine, to a successful partnership!"

Zhang Yannian immediately raised his teacup and drank together with Long Fei.

Originally, he was just probing; if Long Fei hadn’t accepted, he wouldn’t have pressed the issue, nor would he have dared to.

To think that the deal would actually be struck.

Zhang Yannian called out, instructing a maid to summon the steward, and immediately affixed the Yuzhou official seal to Long Fei’s contract.

This meant that Long Fei’s future business would have unhindered passage within Yuzhou and be tax-exempt for ten years.

And with that, everyone was happy.