The prince is more stable

Chapter 139 Coercion and inducement

Strength is divided into hard power and soft power.

Soft power means that others dare not turn the table in front of you because they are afraid of the consequences.

Hard power means that others cannot lift the table in front of you because you are putting too much pressure on the table.

Zhao Xiaoqian chose hard power, I bet you don’t have the strength to overturn it.

Xiao Guangjing was so angry that his lungs were about to explode. The conditions proposed by Zhao Xiaoqian were basically to develop the Xiao family into spies of the Song Dynasty and force his family to collaborate with the enemy and sell out the country.

"The Marquis, please seek someone else. I can't do this." Xiao Guangjing said coldly, "At worst, I can apologize to Your Majesty after returning to Liao and admit my fault. Your Majesty won't kill me."

"But if I collude with the enemy and betray the Liao Dynasty, the lives of my entire Xiao family will be at stake."

Zhao Xiaoqian seemed to have known that Xiao Guangjing would refuse, but he calmly changed the subject.

"Your Excellency, what do you think of the Liao Kingdom's current state?"

Xiao Guangjing was stunned: "It will become more and more powerful, and will unify the world sooner or later."

"Really? Do you really think so?" Zhao Xiaoqian blinked. "Children who lie will be punished with a slap on the chin."

Xiao Guangjing crossed his legs and said coldly, "What do you want to say?"

"I'm sure you've seen the muskets of our Great Song. If these weapons were deployed in our Great Song Imperial Army, and if the Song and Liao were to go to war again, would you, the Liao, gain the upper hand?"

"Let me reveal one more thing. That firearm is only a semi-finished product. The Song Dynasty's firearms supervisors and craftsmen are still working day and night to continuously refine and improve the firearms. Our weapons will only become more and more powerful."

"Coincidentally, for some unknown reason, the Emperor of the Song Dynasty also has the ambition to unify the country. It can be said that in the future, Song and Liao will inevitably go to war. Do you think that the Song Dynasty will lose to the Liao Kingdom?"

"Even if there's no war, the Liao Kingdom is already slowly declining. Don't be so stubborn. You should know this clearly. It can be said that the Liao Kingdom is already a leaky ship. In less than ten years, this broken ship will sink to the bottom of the river."

"And now, our Great Song has been eyeing your Liao Kingdom covetously. Once a war breaks out, our elite Song army will be unstoppable, which will only accelerate the sinking of this broken ship."

"Xiao Guangjing, do you and the Xiao family really have the guts to perish along with this wrecked ship? Your father should be smarter than you. Why don't you go back and ask him?"

Xiao Guangjing stared at him intently, his mind restless at the moment, with countless thoughts churning in his mind.

Finally, Xiao Guangjing sighed and said, "Why does the county marquis have to embarrass me and frame my Xiao family as disloyal and unjust?"

Zhao Xiaoqian laughed and said, "This is called 'current affairs'. When a ship is about to sink, if you decisively jump overboard to save your life, no one will blame you for being disloyal or unrighteous, because it is instinctive."

"If the Xiao family is unwilling to do it, then I can only find a way to have the Xiao family expelled from the Liao Kingdom and never be reused again. As for the Liao Kingdom's internal support, if you don't want to do it, I believe there are many people who are willing to do it. It doesn't matter, I can find another one."

"This matter doesn't have to be decided by you, Your Excellency. Think it over carefully." Zhao Xiaoqian smiled evilly.

Xiao Guangjing couldn't help but say angrily, "If the Liao Kingdom wants you to be an insider and force you to betray the Song Kingdom, will you do it?"

"Of course not. I don't have any evidence against me that anyone else has." Zhao Xiaoqian said without hesitation.

Xiao Guangjing sat back down solemnly.

I'm so angry! I still want to flip the table, what should I do...

He was once a dandy bully in the capital of Liao. If a dog looked at him for even a second, he would be kicked away. But today, he was suppressed by Zhao Xiaoqian.

It is said that this man was once a playboy in the State of Song. They are all playboys, so why?
Zhao Xiaoqian said so much just to analyze the situation between Song and Liao and make him face the reality.

Although his words seemed sincere, Xiao Guangjing knew very well that he had no choice at all.

If they agree to Zhao Xiaoqian, the Xiao family can still be prosperous and prominent, and even with the intentional or unintentional cooperation of the Song Dynasty, the power of the Xiao family will be further enhanced.

If he refused Zhao Xiaoqian, he would not be able to explain the huge gambling debt he owed in the Song Dynasty last night. Zhao Xiaoqian had a way to hype the matter up in the Liao Kingdom. Then it would not be a matter of whether the money was owed or not, and the entire Xiao family would be implicated.

Xiao Guangjing lowered his head. Whether the entire family would continue to prosper or decline overnight all depended on his decision.

Zhao Xiaoqian was not in a hurry. He crossed his legs and continued to eat Zhouqiao delicacies leisurely.

After a long moment, Xiao Guangjing finally sighed and said, "I'm in the capital... My influence is insignificant and I'm too far away from the imperial court to give you much useful information."

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled and said, "That's all right. Take your time. I'll be visiting the Song-Liao border sometime in the future. I'd like to meet your father then. Your Excellency, please introduce me." "Also, your second condition for coming to the Song Dynasty to negotiate is to open up trade, trading salt, iron, medicinal herbs, furs, and so on. I can assure you that the Song Dynasty doesn't sell salt or iron."

"But the Song Dynasty is willing to trade privately with your Xiao family. Do you understand? Every year, we can trade a small amount of salt and iron with the Xiao family, and then the Xiao family will resell it to various places in Liao."

Xiao Guangjing's eyes lit up. He finally heard some news that was beneficial to him.

Zhao Xiaoqian intended to support the Xiao family financially and allow the Xiao family to form a monopoly in certain areas of business.

This is definitely good news for the Xiao family.

Xiao Guangjing agreed to become the Song Dynasty's insider, so he had to bring back some benefits. Otherwise, how could he speak in front of his father?
Being held responsible is tantamount to humiliating the Xiao family, but if it is another form of exchange of interests, the Xiao family will be more able to accept it.

Seeing the joy in Xiao Guangjing's eyes, Zhao Xiaoqian also smiled.

Silly child, are you happy now?
Then Zhao Xiaoqian took out a small cloth bag from his arms and threw it to Xiao Guangjing: "Try it."

Xiao Guangjing opened the cloth bag without knowing why, and inside was a bag of snow-white salt. He stretched out his little finger like a drug lord inspecting the goods, rubbed a small piece and put it in his mouth. Xiao Guangjing's face suddenly twisted.

"salty!"

Then Xiao Guangjing's eyes brightened: "Could this be the snow salt from Song Dynasty?"

"You have some knowledge."

"I've been living and eating in Bianjing these days, so I've heard about it. It's said to be very expensive, but it sells very well. Only the powerful and wealthy in the Song Dynasty can afford it, and almost every household uses it."

Zhao Xiaoqian stared at him and said, "I can also hand over the snow salt business to the Xiao family. We'll split the profits 30% to 70%, you get 30% and I get 70%. I promise that you're the only one who can sell it in Liao territory. How do you think?"

Xiao Guangjing nodded excitedly: "Okay!"

Agree decisively, anyone who doesn't agree is a fool.

For some reason, Xiao Guangjing had completely forgotten the humiliation he had just suffered at the hands of Zhao Xiaoqian. All he had in his eyes was profit.

The most profitable business is monopoly. Xiao Guangjing is not uneducated. In fact, he has received elite education since childhood. He knows better than anyone how huge the profits will be from monopolizing snow salt.

With this item, Xiao Guangjing would have more confidence in persuading his father to be the internal supporter of the Song Dynasty.

His father is smarter than him and knows how to judge the situation better.

"So, let's make a deal then?" Zhao Xiaoqian looked at him. "Xiao Guangjing, wake up. You only care about money, right? Do you know what you should do?"

"Don't worry, Lord County. I will persuade my father to abandon his evil ways and join the good ones when I get back."

Zhao Xiaoqian nodded and said, "I have given you everything I can. When you return to Liao, please submit a letter of surrender."

Xiao Guangjing was stunned: "What?"

"It lists the military deployment map of the Liao border, along with the generals and troops, in great detail. It shouldn't be difficult for you, right?"

Xiao Guangjing hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said, "Okay!"

After leaving the gambling house, Xiao Guangjing got on the carriage in a secretive manner and headed straight for the inn.

When Xiao Guangjing went out and was blown by the cold wind, his confused mind finally came to its senses.

Looking back at the gambling house's building without a plaque, Xiao Guangjing felt as if he was in another world.

This night changed his fate, the fate of the Xiao family, and even the fate of the Liao Kingdom.

Then, Xiao Guangjing slowly came to his senses.

In the early morning in the gambling house, Zhao Xiaoqian first threatened with an IOU, then tempted with the profits from the salt and iron monopoly, first slapping him in the face and then giving him sweet dates.

Without realizing it, all the threats and inducements were used, and Xiao Guangjing only came to his senses after he left the gambling house.

"He's a powerful character..." Xiao Guangjing muttered to himself while sitting in the carriage. He felt complicated and a bit of awe involuntarily appeared in his eyes.

(End of this chapter)