Harem Daily Life

Ning Yuanhou knew from their looks that they hadn't done their homework before coming, so he coughed lightly and said, "As you know, Yan State has challenged the Great Zhou several times before and was defeated by the Great Zhou. We, the Great Zhou, have taken over a city from Yan State. Yan State is a land rich in minerals, and the ore mining here is not a small amount."

Lord Ji and the others glanced at each other. "This... ore mining is indeed very profitable, but what does this have to do with Queen Tao?"

Ning Yuanhou smiled and said, "Of course there is a connection. Your Majesty dotes on the Queen. Isn't all the money Your Majesty earns ultimately given to the Queen?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the faces of the Xia envoys turned colorful.

"All... all are under the control of Her Majesty the Queen?" This is so generous!

Ningyuan Hou nodded and smiled, "More than that. The State of Yan was destroyed and became a vassal state of our Great Zhou. The annual tribute is countless, and our Queen has made a lot of money."

Lord Ji and others didn't dare to speak anymore.

If they thought ninety thousand taels was enough before, now it seems that they were very stingy.

Before they could comfort themselves, Ning Yuanhou dropped another bombshell.

"The imperial property under the name of our Majesty is all managed by the Empress. I don't know the exact amount, but it's at least several hundred thousand taels every year. Our Empress is smart and has many ideas. The imperial property generates a huge income every year, so there is no loss. So when you proposed to give her 90,000 taels and to pay it over ten years, she was really tempted a little bit." Ning Yuanhou stretched out his finger and made a small gesture.

The subordinate tugged at Lord Ji's clothes and winked at him frantically. Lord Ji sighed and said, "So, it's us... who haven't been generous enough. But... to be honest with you, my Lord, our Xia Kingdom is a small country, and the resources we can contribute are limited! Please, Lord, show us a clear path. If we can do it, we will definitely do it!"

Things have come to this point, and Ning Yuanhou knows it's time to ask for the harvest of leeks.

He acted embarrassed and said, "I've inquired. The Empress is particularly fond of the fruits produced in your Xia Kingdom. She said that if you can provide saplings for trade, she would reluctantly go to His Majesty to plead for a favor."

The largest trade volume between Xia and Da Zhou was fruit. Fruit was difficult to preserve during transportation, so Xia purchased ice-making technology from Da Zhou. Over the years, this technology has enabled Xia to transport large quantities of fruit long distances for sale to Da Zhou.

But if the fruit trees are sold directly to Da Zhou, will Da Zhou still buy fruits from Xia State in a few years?

Lord Ji was a little hesitant and didn't dare to promise easily.

Ningyuan Hou said, "Master Ji, if trade between our two countries is not open, no matter how good your fruit is, it will rot on the tree, don't you think?"

Lord Ji shuddered, and several of his subordinates also looked serious.

"Okay, we all agree, but whether it can be confirmed or not requires us to write a letter to ask our king." Lord Ji did not say anything final, but nodded.

Ning Yuanhou was very satisfied and said with a smile: "Three thousand saplings a year is not too much. Don't worry, it will not affect your fruit trade."

Master Ji's mouth twitched. Three thousand trees a year isn't much, but ten trees a year. In just a few years, Da Zhou will be covered in fruit trees everywhere. Ten years from now, will Xia Kingdom and Da Zhou still be able to do business? Da Zhou is cutting off the source of the trouble!

Several Xia Kingdom envoys left the Ningyuan Marquis's mansion in disgrace. Ningyuan Marquis was calm and waited for their reply in a few days. He knew that Xia Kingdom would not dare to delay, because the Great Zhou was not in a hurry at all, but Xia Kingdom was.

The closure of trade for more than a year has caused heavy losses to the Xia Kingdom. If trade is not reopened, the domestic situation will be in chaos.

As expected by Ningyuan Hou, Lord Ji arrived at his residence six days later before the Great Zhou court closed for the holiday and informed him that the King of Xia had agreed to increase the trade with Great Zhou by 3,000 fruit tree seedlings each year. Although the amount was not large, it was a long-term good thing for Great Zhou.

Tao Yanyan received the news from Ningyuan Hou and smiled: "Xianglan, go prepare some snacks and follow me to the imperial study."

When He Linzhang came back from the morning court, he saw Tao Yanyan waiting for him, so he asked someone to serve lunch quickly so as not to let the queen go hungry.

The two of them ate together, and Tao Yanyan didn't leave, but took a nap with him.

"Why is the Queen so well-behaved today? Is there something you want to tell me?" He Linzhang also knew that his Queen was lazy. If she had nothing to do on weekdays, she would never come to the Qinzheng Hall to wait for him. She also accompanied him to eat and take a nap together. It was obvious that she had some plan.

Tao Yanyan nestled in his arms and couldn't help but look up at him, saying angrily, "So, Your Majesty, you've always thought I was not well-behaved!"

He Linzhang: “…”

He quickly tried to make amends: "What I meant is that you are well-behaved on normal days, and you are even more well-behaved and adorable today." After saying that, he placed a kiss on her head.

Tao Yanyan drew circles on his chest with her fingers and said softly, "But Your Majesty really understands me. I really have something to ask you today."

She supported her head with one hand, and her hair fell down and landed on He Linzhang's shoulders.

"I have reached a private agreement with the Xia Kingdom without consulting His Majesty. I will import 3,000 fruit tree seedlings from them every year for ten years."

He Linzhang frowned: "When did it happen?"

Tao Yanyan then reported in detail how Xia Guo wanted to bribe her and how she asked Ning Yuanhou to come forward to negotiate the matter.

He Linzhang was silent for a moment. "Never mind. I had always intended to reopen trade between the two countries. It was just a matter of time. Since the Queen has agreed, I will issue the decree tomorrow."

Tao Yanyan kissed him. "I want to buy saplings because the quality of Xiaguo's fruits is indeed good. Our Great Zhou doesn't have as many varieties as they do, but if we buy fruits from them every year, it will cost a lot of money over the years. I think it's better to teach a man to fish than to give him fish, so I just buy saplings and plant them directly. After a few years, Great Zhou will also be able to grow good fruits, and we won't have to buy from them anymore. These fruits can be dried and made into candied fruits, squeezed and made into juice, and eaten fresh, they provide the human body with essential vitamins."

"Vitamin?" He Linzhang thought the word was very new. It was the first time he heard it.

Tao Yanyan choked and hurriedly explained, "It's... it's a nutrient element that's essential for human survival. Hehe..."

She lowered her head, nestled back into He Linzhang's arms, and stopped talking.

He Linzhang's eyes darkened. After so many years of living together day and night, he had doubts about some things. He always felt that the person in his arms seemed to know everything and often had some strange ideas that he could not find from the knowledgeable teachers or history books.

"Yan Yan, you..." He Linzhang lowered his head slightly and looked at the person in his arms: "Who are you?"