Deposed Crown Prince: After three years of service on the frontier, the entire court knelt and begge

"Welcome, distinguished guests!"

Xiao Ce stepped forward to personally receive him.

As the saying goes, courtesy should be reciprocated; they gave us face.

Rhys and Eva smiled and were about to bow: "Greetings, Your Majesty..."

Xiao Ce quickly helped Rhys up, saying, "Your Highness Rhys, Princess Eva... please don't... I'm not His Majesty... You are a prince, and so am I..."

Both Rhys and Eva were surprised by Xiao Ce's words.

Because they all believed that, given the current situation, Xiao Ce had definitely ascended the throne...

"What? Aren't you the emperor of Xiao Kingdom?"

Xiao Ce waved his hand: "This is a huge misunderstanding. I have always been the King of Mobei, and I have never ascended the throne... It's just that Xiao Kingdom is currently in dire need of reconstruction and doesn't have the time to find an emperor... At everyone's insistence, I have temporarily assumed this position..."

"Therefore, given the current situation, we are of equal age, so there's no need for further formalities!"

When Xiao Ce said this, Rhys and Eva nodded in agreement.

Since that's what they said, there's no need for them to bow.

Although they didn't know what Xiao Ce was up to, given the current situation in Xiao Kingdom.

Unless he dies, there is absolutely no way to find a second person to be emperor.

Actually, this principle is something that not only they know.

That's what everyone in the entire Xiao Kingdom thinks.

In everyone's eyes, Xiao Ce was already an uncrowned king...

The power is in his hands.

Reese nodded and smiled politely, "You're too kind... to make such a grand welcome for us."

Xiao Ce put his arm around Rhys's shoulder: "Your Highness Rhys, you are my good brother. You provided weapons and ammunition to help us drive away those Japanese invaders."

"Now, in our dire situation, you have generously offered your help. You didn't even talk to us before bringing enough food to support us! For this kindness, it wouldn't be too much for the entire nation to kneel and welcome you on their knees!"

"You saved us!"

Xiao Ce held Rhys's hand and spoke with great excitement and emotion.

They genuinely offered help; don't worry about their motives.

Xiao Ce will definitely give this emotional value the most!

Rhys looked at Xiao Ce's enthusiastic manner and his tone of voice.

Although Xiao Ce appeared very sincere, Rhys felt that Xiao Ce was setting a trap for them.

He subconsciously added, "Your Highness, King of the Northern Desert, please don't flatter us so much. Although we are providing support, it's not unpaid support."

Rhys decided to shut up for now.

After all, he knew Xiao Ce was incredibly cunning, extremely cunning...

Seeing Ries's anxious expression, Xiao Ce smiled and said, "Of course... It's an immense favor that you're even willing to sell to us... To be honest, even if you offered it to us for free, we wouldn't dare accept it..."

"We're not just going to buy, we're going to buy at a high price!"

When Lis heard Xiao Ce say this, he became even more confused.

Eva, who was standing to the side, spoke up: "Your Highness, as far as I know, those people from Fusang not only stole your grain... but also a lot of your gold and silver! You're probably struggling to make ends meet now."

Xiao Ce smiled and said, "Your Highness, it seems you really do know quite a lot... That's right! They have indeed taken a lot from us. But, as I told Prince Rhys before, I'm the kind of person who likes to repay even the smallest kindness with the greatest gratitude."

"In this way, all the friends I make will lend me a hand when I'm in trouble. Since you've gone to such lengths to help us this time, we certainly won't let our friends suffer any losses!"

“I have already issued national bonds nationwide. When the money is collected, it will certainly be substantial. We have all agreed that we can purchase them from you at three times the market price! Of course, if you think three times is too little, we can discuss it.”

"After all, you've put in a lot of effort to support us. Whatever amount you deem appropriate..."

Xiao Ce spoke a series of words.

This left Rhys and Eva completely bewildered and at a loss...

They originally intended to negotiate at three times the price, and if that didn't work out, they would lower the price further, with their expectation being twice the price.

After all, they also need to give an explanation to the Slavic countries.

However, Xiao Ce actually revealed their target price...

They had never seen negotiations like this before.

Seeing that Rhys and Eva were a little stunned, Xiao Ce smiled and said, "Of course, four times is not out of the question... As long as you ask, I, Xiao Ce, guarantee that I will never haggle over the price!"

When Eva saw Xiao Ce say that, she immediately felt that Xiao Ce might be exaggerating.

"Ten times is fine too?" Eva asked tentatively.

Xiao Cezhen nodded: "If you ask for ten times, then it's ten times!"

Seeing this, the ministers nearby all wanted to step forward and offer their advice.

Xiao Ce waved his hand and said, "What? If it weren't for the support of our Slavic allies, we estimate that over a hundred million civilians would have died. Do you think our people aren't worth that price? Money has a price, but the lives of ordinary people are priceless..."

Xiao Ce raised his voice several octaves, and many people nearby were moved to tears as they listened.

Rhys finally understood...

Xiao Ce is creating a persona for himself.

Ries quickly said to Xiao Ce, "Your Highness Xiao Ce, my sister was just joking. We said it was to support you, how could we buy it at ten times the market price?"

"Let's go with three times the price. Of course, we really won't make a single penny. We could also provide the grain at the original price. But, as you know, this grain is controlled by oligarchs in our Slavic country... and so are we..."

Before Rhys could explain, Xiao Ce nodded, "We understand...we understand, Your Highness! Isn't three times the price too low? We can't let you come all this way for nothing...how about four times the price, so you can make some money too?"

Ries declined, saying, "No, no, no... We're just friends... If our royal family could afford the subsidies, we wouldn't make you pay three times. We simply have too much food... Three times it is..."

The two of them politely declined.

This left both sides dumbfounded.

They'd never seen a negotiation like this before.

After the two sides exchanged pleasantries, Yin Weiyong, seeing that the conversation was almost over, decided to wait and see.

He came out and reminded them, "Your Highnesses, let's go inside first and talk."

Xiao Ce then pretended to come to his senses: "Oh, look, let's go inside first... We can talk about the money later... The friendship between our two countries cannot be measured by money, don't you think!"

Rhys smiled and nodded, and the two of them went inside, each with their own thoughts.

They were directly greeted in the main hall for receiving guests.

After inviting them to sit down, Xiao Ce said, "Your Highness Rhys, we've already exchanged letters... we've actually reached an agreement. Let's sign a contract based on three times the price you proposed."

"We will raise the money within three months and then hand it over to you. Is that acceptable? If so, let's sign the contract like this first!"

Ries smiled and said, "Alright, whatever Your Highness the Northern King says. But before that, I'm a little curious, what are these national bonds you mentioned earlier?"

Xiao Ce was delighted to see Rhys ask such a question. He had deliberately brought up the national debt earlier to lure Rhys into a trap.

Xiao Ce knew Ries very well; he was a smart man and would never let go of anything Ries didn't understand.

The fish have taken the bait.

Xiao Ce then said to Rhys, "Your Highness Rhys, to put it simply, it means borrowing money from the people in the name of our Xiao Kingdom. We agree on a time and a relatively high interest rate. When the time comes, the people can exchange the bonds for cash, which can be considered a way to make money."

Ries nodded in agreement, then said, "Your Highness, King of the Northern Desert, I have a question, nothing more... Could you please help me answer it?"

Before Rhys could speak, Xiao Ce said with a smile, "You mean to ask why the people have our surname, right? After all, our country doesn't even have an emperor, and the nation is in dire need of rebuilding..."

"There's no need for everyone to end up losing everything just for a certain interest rate, is there?"

Ries nodded: "That's right. According to you, this national debt is actually using your country's credit as collateral... Forgive my rudeness, but given your current situation, I'm afraid your credibility in the eyes of the people isn't very high."

Then, Rhys apologized to Xiao Ce, saying, "Your Highness, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to belittle you. I just find this policy very novel... I'd like to learn more about it."

Xiao Ce waved his hand magnanimously and said, "Your Highness Rhys, it's natural for you to have doubts... You are indeed a smart person, you see things very clearly, and you can see the root of the problem at a glance."

"For the people of Xiao Kingdom, this national debt does indeed carry certain risks. However, most of the people who bought my national debt are not from here. To be honest, Yunqing Urgen from the Turkic Kingdom, their Turkic Kingdom bought half of the national debt from us in the name of the state. For them, it's not that they trust our country, but that they trust me..."

"As for the other half, I'm sure the people of the Northern Desert Prince's Mansion will scramble to buy it once they find out. After all, they can make a considerable amount of money with interest just by leaving it out for a while... The people trust me."

"The truth is, many merchants from the Xiao Kingdom are very knowledgeable about the situation in our northern desert region and highly regard me. Therefore, they will actively purchase from us. So, given the current situation, it won't be easy for ordinary people to buy from us."

Rhys nodded in agreement: "So, you could say it's a national debt, or you could say it's your personal debt?"

Xiao Ce said with a smile, "That's different! National debt is national debt. People just trust me. Actually, it's more about people's trust in the future development of our country."

Seeing this, Rhys nodded: "Your Highness, then tell me, is it possible for us to treat a portion of our grain and money as national debt?"

Xiao Ce thought to himself, "I've said all this just to hear you say that..."

The officials standing by were dumbfounded.

Because when Xiao Ce mentioned this to them before, they all felt that the Slavic people could clearly obtain money, so why did they choose to use their national debt...

Xiao Ce didn't explain to them, but confidently told them that Rhys would definitely fall for the trap.

Actually, this can't be called a trap; it's more accurately described as something deeply intertwined with the interests of both countries.

Although Xiao Ce thought that way, he showed a surprised expression on his face.

"What? This isn't appropriate... We only sold government bonds out of necessity..."

Ries smiled and said, "I'm optimistic about your development. If you agree, Your Highness Xiao Ce, we can settle the market price of a portion of the grain with us in cash. The other double price will be in the form of national bonds, which will be considered as our Slavic nation purchasing your national bonds. What do you think?"

Xiao Ce said, "Your Highness Rhys, isn't this taking advantage of you? Besides, aren't you afraid that we won't be able to pay you back?"

Rhys laughed and said, "Even if we can't get our money back, we'll still get our principal. The other two are an investment... and with the interest you promised, it's a considerable sum."

Ries said to Xiao Ce, "And you settled the payment in gold, right?"

Xiao Ce nodded: "Of course!"

Ries continued, "So the value you're talking about is based on the market price in our Slavic country, and then converted into the price of your gold?"

Xiao Ce smiled and nodded when he heard what Rhys said.

Thinking to himself, Rhys is indeed a smart man.

"Not bad!"

Reese smiled and said impatiently, "Alright, then you guys draft the contract as soon as possible. We'll sign it now."

"And incidentally, purchase government bonds, and the agreement for their redemption..."

Ries seemed to have gotten a great deal and was afraid that Xiao Ce would change his mind.

Yin Weiyong and the other ministers were dumbfounded. They were clearly the ones who were suffering a loss, but Ries seemed to be the one who had gained a great advantage.

Yin Weiyong continued, "Your Highness, since our policy is in place here, it won't be changed overnight. Don't you think we should discuss it with Your Majesty the Tsar...?"

Rhys said, "My father has entrusted me with this matter entirely! I have the highest authority in this matter, and my decision is my father's decision!"

Yin Weiyong listened with some surprise.

"That's good. Someone, come and draft the contract..."

Everything went very smoothly after that, except for the treaty, so we were busy until the afternoon before it was finally signed...