I am the Holy Poisoner, the Empress advised me to calm down

As soon as these words were spoken, the imperial study fell into an eerie silence. Zhou Qing clenched his pen, his heart simmering with rage. This wasn't even aid; it was clearly taking advantage of someone's misfortune!

Xu Feihong's face instantly turned pale: "Envoy from South Vietnam, what do you mean by this?"

"Your Majesty, please don't misunderstand me." Fan Wencheng feigned innocence. "My king simply feels that Daqian is currently struggling to take care of itself, and the defenses of the three border cities are weak. It would be better to temporarily hand them over to Nanyue for management. This would both reduce Daqian's burden and ensure border security."

"How dare you!" Xu Feihong stood up suddenly, "I won't give up an inch of Daqian's land!"

"Your Majesty, please calm down." Fan Wencheng continued to smile. "My king said that if Daqian is unwilling, that's fine. I just heard that Daqian's cotton trade has encountered some difficulties recently. My king is deeply sorry."

This was clearly a threat. Zhou Qing looked at Fan Wencheng's smug face and wanted to punch him.

"What a South Vietnam!" Xu Feihong sneered. "First, they unilaterally tore up the cotton trade contract, and now they're taking advantage of the situation to rob us. Do they really think my Great Qian is a pushover?"

"Your Majesty, you are too kind," Fan Wencheng said hypocritically. "My king only wants to help Daqian. If the Empress feels it's inappropriate, then forget it. I just hope Daqian can face reality and not make a decision that both sides will regret."

Zhou Qing couldn't bear it any longer and stood up: "Envoy from Nanyue, your words are too much!"

Fan Wencheng glanced at Zhou Qing and said disdainfully, "Who are you? Do you think it's your turn to speak here?"

"He is my attendant." Xu Feihong said coldly, "He has the right to speak here."

"I see." Fan Wencheng said sarcastically, "It seems that Daqian is really losing talent now. Even a small attendant has to come out to fill the void."

Zhou Qing was about to retort when Xu Feihong spoke up, "Enough! Envoy from Nanyue, I've heard you clearly. My answer is simple: I won't give you a single inch of Daqian land! As for the cotton trade, since you don't want it, others will."

"In that case, I won't stay any longer." Fan Wencheng stood up. "I hope Her Majesty will not regret your decision today."

After saying that, Fan Wencheng was about to say goodbye and leave.

"Wait a minute." Zhou Qing suddenly stopped him. "Envoy from Nanyue, since you are so confident, how about we make a bet?"

"What are you betting on?" Fan Wencheng stopped and looked at Zhou Qing with interest.

"Let's make a bet: in three months, will Daqian beg Nanyue to resume trade, or will Nanyue come to us on its own initiative?" Zhou Qing's eyes flashed with cunning. "If in three months it's Daqian who begs you, then the matter of the three border cities can be discussed again. But if you come to us on your own initiative, you must apologize to Daqian and double the compensation for the losses."

Fan Wencheng laughed heartily. "Interesting, really interesting! A mere attendant dares to bet with me, Nan Yue. Okay, I promise you!"

"It's a deal!" Zhou Qing stretched out his hand.

Fan Wencheng also extended his hand, and the two of them high-fived as an oath.

After the South Vietnamese delegation left, Xu Feihong looked at Zhou Qing with a mixture of admiration and worry: "Lord Zhou, what do you mean by this? What if we really can't hold on?"

"Your Majesty, rest assured. I have my own plan," Zhou Qing said confidently. "The South Vietnamese thought they had us in their grasp, but they didn't realize that while the mantis stalks the cicada, there's an oriole behind."

"Oh? What's your plan?" Xu Feihong asked curiously.

"Your Majesty, have you ever heard of a kind of rice called 'long-grain rice'?" Zhou Qing smiled mysteriously.

"Long-grain rice?" Xu Feihong looked at Zhou Qing in confusion. "What kind of rice is this? I've never heard of it."

Zhou Qing was secretly delighted; this was the opportunity he'd been waiting for. In the system store, modern long-grain rice seeds cost 38 poisonous fen per jin. While expensive, it was definitely worth the price. This type of rice not only had a high yield but was also highly adaptable, holding the key to solving Daqian's food problem.

"Your Majesty, I came across this rice seed by chance," Zhou Qing made up an excuse. "It's said that its yield is more than three times that of ordinary rice, and it's also extremely resistant to disasters."

"More than three times?" Xu Feihong's eyes lit up. "Is it really that amazing?"

"I'm willing to guarantee it with my life," Zhou Qing said solemnly, "but this rice seed is extremely precious, and I only have a small amount."

Xu Feihong paced back and forth in the imperial study, pondering various possibilities. If this rice seed could significantly increase yields, as Zhou Qing had said, then Daqian's food problem would be fundamentally solved. Then, not only would they no longer have to rely on Nanyue, they could even control them.

"Okay!" Xu Feihong made the final decision. "I've decided to give it a try. Lord Zhou, what support do you need?"

"I need a plot of land for testing and a few reliable farmers," Zhou Qing said. "Also, this matter must be kept strictly confidential and not disclosed to outsiders."

"These are all easy to handle." Xu Feihong nodded. "Song Jiayun, go and make arrangements. Open up a test field behind the Imperial Garden and assign the most reliable personnel to guard it."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Although Song Jiayun was confused, he still responded respectfully.

That night, Zhou Qing returned to his room and couldn't wait to open the system store. He now had 8 Poison Master points, which was still a long way from 38.

"It seems I have to find a way to earn more poison points." Zhou Qing thought to himself.

At this moment, the system's voice sounded again: [Host's involvement in a major historical event detected, triggering a new mission: Slap the South Vietnamese delegation in the face. Requirements: Make South Vietnam sue for peace within three months. Mission success reward: 30 Poison Points. Mission failure penalty: Deduction of all Poison Points.]

"30 for each poison scholar!" Zhou Qing's eyes lit up. With this, plus the existing 8, the total would be 38, just enough to buy a pound of long-grain rice seeds.

The next morning, Zhou Qing followed Xu Feihong to the experimental field behind the Imperial Garden. The field was not large, only about one acre, but it was enough for the experiment.

"My dear Zhou, what do you think of this piece of land?" Xu Feihong asked.

"Very good, this is it." Zhou Qing nodded with satisfaction.

Just as they were checking the experimental fields, the Minister of Revenue Zheng Jiang hurried over.

"Your Majesty, something terrible has happened!" Zheng Jiang said in a panic. "I just received news that the countries in the Western Regions are also refusing to buy our cotton!"

"What?" Xu Feihong's face changed drastically. "What's going on?"

"It's said that South Vietnam is behind this. They've sent people to lobby the Western Regions, saying there's something wrong with the quality of our cotton," Zheng Jiang said with a gloomy face. "Now, not only does South Vietnam not want our cotton, but even the Western Regions are starting to reject our goods."