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As for others, it was best to maintain a poor relationship with them, or those who had a grudge against them could only be said to have brought it upon themselves.
Especially since they remembered that the Prince had stated last year that even if the high-yield grain seeds of Xuan Empire were left to rot for ten years, not a single seed would be given to the Ling Empire.
Just like the Qi and Ling Empires, both were ambitious. If they were to provide the high-yield grain seeds to them, it would undoubtedly be fattening them up for a war. The Prince and Princess could not possibly be unaware of such matters.
The officials’ thoughts were in line with what Su Yu and Wang Jinhe were thinking. They had originally been considering how to refuse Qiming, but now it seemed they didn’t need to think about it at all.
Qiming had handed them the perfect opportunity on a silver platter.
Qiming looked at Wang Jinhe with an unpleasant expression. “I didn’t expect the Princess of Xuan to be so petty. Why take a casual remark so seriously?”
Wang Jinhe smiled, and seeing this, Su Yu knew she was up to no good.
“Is that so?”
“Of course.”
Wang Jinhe considered it seriously and then spoke, “In that case, I, as the Princess, congratulate the Prince of Qi on having a house full of children and grandchildren despite being infertile.”
Come on, let’s hurt each other.
Whoever is afraid is the loser.
“Ha!” The sound of wine being sprayed out echoed around them.
The Princess’s blessing was truly a masterpiece, and it was so malicious. Wishing someone infertility was bad enough, but to also wish them a house full of children and grandchildren was like saying they had turned into a living tortoise.
“Wang Jinhe, you’re out of line.”
“Oh, why is the Prince of Qi so angry? I just said it casually. You wouldn’t be so petty as to take it seriously, would you?” Wang Jinhe looked at Qiming with a surprised expression.
“Just now, the Prince of Qi advised me not to be so calculative. Why are you being so petty now? You can’t be so hypocritical. It’s really inappropriate, especially at your age. Don’t get angry. If you get too worked up and something happens, who will Xuan Empire turn to for help?” Wang Jinhe said, exasperatingly.
Xuan Feiran suppressed a smile. He used to think that Xiao He had a mild temperament and was a very easy-going girl, but now it seemed that she was not someone to be trifled with. Otherwise, she could poison someone with just her words.
The officials and Xuan Feiran had similar thoughts. Fortunately, they didn’t have many opportunities to see Wang Jinhe in person, and they didn’t dare to offend her due to Su Yu’s doting nature. Now, seeing the prince of Qi being teased like this, they suddenly felt quite pleased.
“You…”
“Don’t ‘you’ me. What am I doing? This is called tit for tat. The Prince of Qi doesn’t need to be so polite. If you’re too polite, I’ll feel embarrassed,” Wang Jinhe said, pretending to be shy after her retort.
The officials of Xuan Kingdom struggled to contain their laughter, their faces turning red and their necks thick with suppressed amusement. However, the envoys from Qi Empire were not as pleased.
The nearby officials looked at Qiming, their brows slightly furrowed. Qiming was not usually like this. He wasn’t so impulsive. What was going on with him today?
“Please calm down, Your Highness.”
Qiming took a deep breath to suppress his anger and sneered, “The Princess of Xuan is indeed eloquent.”
“You flatter me.”
After this episode, Xuan Feiran engaged with them, while Wang Jinhe’s task was to eat.
Su Yu watched Wang Jinhe eat like a little hamster and shook his head with a smile. “Am I starving you?”
Wang Jinhe swallowed her food before replying, “No, I’m eating for three now. Eating for three makes me hungry quickly.”
Although it sounded like a twisted logic, it wasn’t entirely unreasonable.
After eating her fill, Wang Jinhe felt drowsy. Just as she was about to fall asleep, Ling Xiaoye spoke up, “Your Majesty of Xuan, the purpose of our visit this time is to seek cooperation with Xuan Empire.”
Upon hearing Ling Xiaoye’s words, Wang Jinhe suddenly became alert and looked at him, eager to know what he was going to say next.
“Oh? I wonder what kind of cooperation the Second Prince is referring to,” Xuan Feiran asked indifferently, seemingly unconcerned about the cooperation mentioned.
“Ling Empire wishes to purchase 200,000 catties of high-yield grain seeds from Xuan Empire,” Ling Xiaoye replied.
Upon hearing this, Wang Jinhe couldn’t help but chuckle. What a bold request.
“We won’t sell,” she declared.
Ling Xiaoye looked at Wang Jinhe with a frown, somewhat displeased. “What do you mean, Princess of Xuan?”
“I have the final say over my possessions,” Wang Jinhe asserted confidently.
Ignoring Wang Jinhe, Ling Xiaoye turned to Xuan Feiran. “Your Majesty of Xuan, what do you think?”
Wang Jinhe immediately became angry and pointed at herself. “Is he ignoring me?”
“Yes,” Su Yu nodded.
Indeed.
Ling Xiaoye probably thought that as long as the Emperor agreed, even if Wang Jinhe didn’t consent, it wouldn’t matter. It would be a done deal. She would have to agree even if she didn’t want to.
But was it really that simple?
As expected, Xuan Feiran, seeing Ling Xiaoye directing his request at him, spoke with a resigned expression, “Second Prince, it’s not that I don’t want to help you, but I truly can’t be of assistance.”
“What?” Ling Xiaoye frowned. Was Xuan Feiran rejecting him?
“These seeds were cultivated by Xiao He. If the people of Xuan Empire need seeds, they have to wait until Xiao He has set aside the seeds from her fief and those of her friends. Even I can only purchase 300,000 catties of seeds. Could you help me persuade Xiao He to sell me a bit more?” Xuan Feiran blatantly lied through his teeth.
He had shamelessly claimed that 700,000 catties seeds less than the actual amount. It seemed their deception was a two-way street.
Wang Jinhe looked at Xuan Feiran in silence, silently conveying that she wouldn’t bear the blame without compensation.
Xuan Feiran nodded frantically. After all, they could discuss compensation behind closed doors once they were alone. It was time to present a united front to the outside world.
The Prime Minister coughed lightly and chimed in, “Second Prince, we don’t have that many seeds either. Our seeds are not enough for the people of Xuan Empire. If you can persuade the Princess to sell us some more, the people of Xuan Empire will be eternally offer prayers for you.”
Wang Jinhe almost lost her composure at the thought of the people of Xuan Empire offering prayers to them every day. Those prayers were usually reserved for the deceased. The Prime Minister’s ability to make such a statement was quite amusing.
“Aren’t you all from the same country?”
“We have no choice. The Prince has many grain shops under his control, and we need the grain,” the Prime Minister began to lament, dragging Su Yu into the conversation.
Su Yu looked on with a twitching mouth as the Prime Minister, in a state of desperation, implicated him. He had a feeling that once they dealt with Ling Xiaoye and his group, the first person he need to settle scores with would be the Prime Minister.
Su Yu looked at the Prime Minister with a cold gaze. This guy had really grown bold, hadn’t he?
The Prime Minister, seeing Su Yu’s inscrutable expression, coughed softly and muttered, “The greater good.”
Su Yu silently turned his head, considering what suitable task to assign the Prime Minister after this matter was settled.
The nearby officials, upon hearing this, understood the situation perfectly. They all began to lament about the shortage of seeds.
Wang Jinhe’s mouth twitched as she looked at them. If she didn’t know how much she had given, she might have believed them herself.