Heaven's Formula

"Father..." Compared with his usual profligate appearance, Wang Renzhi looked much more honest at the moment.

Thinking of how he was clamoring to report to the State Shepherd's Mansion at the very beginning, saying that there was a big conspiracy in Gaoshan County, Wang Yi'an felt his forehead twitching.On weekdays, idleness, extravagance and lust are all up to him. Isn't it courting death for such a thing to be in the limelight!Ren Zhi, Ren Zhi, what he thought was that when he grows up, he can do whatever he wants without being restrained by the family, but he didn't expect that he would take the initiative to stir into this muddy water instead.

Wang Yi'an rubbed his forehead, "Tomorrow morning, I will find someone to take you back to your hometown."

Wang Renzhi was stunned, "Go back to my hometown? I thought you were going to let me go back to the Privy Council. Wait, dad, I'm an alchemist!"

"It's just an eighth-rank official," Wang Yi'an said coldly, "Even if you are a court official, I'm still your father! I've made up my mind on this matter, so you don't have to fight any further."

"Why?" He couldn't accept it, "Princess Guangping hasn't arrived yet, didn't you ask me to get in touch with Her Royal Highness?"

Wang Yian didn't even want to explain.

"Okay, when you get to your hometown, you will know everything." Then he winked at Master Lu.

Master nodded, "Second Young Master, the master has finished explaining, please—"

"I'm not leaving!" Wang Renzhi roared, "Father, what is going on, why did you send people to intercept me on the road? Why did you lock me in the room? Why didn't you let me go back to the Privy Council!? "

Master Lu has already called the servant outside the door to come in.

"Master, offended."

Three or four people worked together to restrain Wang Renzhi and drag him out of the room.

"Father, the matter in Gaoshan County—it won't have anything to do with you, will it?"

The door was closed, and the sound was cut off.

"Master, the Second Young Master seems to have noticed something."

"If he still doesn't know anything about it until today, then he is really hopeless." Wang Yi'an sighed.

"But is it necessary to send him back to his hometown?"

"Ren Zhi is an alchemist after all, what if he escapes over the wall. At this time, he must be safe." At the beginning, he had no intention of sending his second son back to his hometown. try.However, the news that Xia Fan took over the command department made him aware of a great warning sign - at least according to the information he had, the reason for the other party's meritorious service was simply untenable.But Princess Guangping not only did not deny it, but also vigorously promoted this statement, which is worth thinking about.

No matter what, Wang Renzhi couldn't have any further contact with that person named Xia Fan.

Especially after he received the secret letter from Yuan Zheng.

The other party promised in the letter that as long as Xia Fan can be eliminated, the Jinxia Privy Council will support the second son of the Wang family to replace him.

Before, no matter what he asked for from the Privy Council, or what the Privy Council asked him to do, there was no clear written evidence, it was more of a hidden rule.The Privy Council will always be on top, and will not regard people like him as real partners.

But now, things are a little different.

It is impossible for Yuan Zong to be transferred back. What he wants is undoubtedly revenge, while the other three departments of the Privy Council hope that everything can get back on track. Judging from the rewards alone, this is not a wild bet, and the content of the transaction is completely within the reasonable range .

The biggest risk is that Xia Fan is already the fifth-rank official of the Privy Council.

And he wants to use that kind of power that he can't understand.

After a moment of silence, Wang Yi'an said in a deep voice, "Let Qingzhi inform the East China Sea Gang that I have a task for them."

He has done countless transactions, some of which have won and lost.

But in the end it was the majority that won.

What's more, the Wang family still holds the solid foundation of the salt industry.

He trusted his own judgment, as he had done in the past.

Chapter 92 Forms of Affiliation

The next day, Xia Fan received a notice from Ning Wanjun asking him to come to the villa.

It is said that the princess of Yamaguchi has woken up, and the cold illness has subsided, and the two sides plan to hold a formal meeting.

Wu Yueyao can understand that he probably wants to cut off the private salt channel of the Wang family as soon as possible.

The princess probably thinks that she is idle, so it is better to learn more about the situation on the other side of the sea. Before the identity of the other party is determined, the more details the better to determine the authenticity of everything the other party said.

When he came to the main hall of the villa, the maid Qiuyue first led him to another side room.

There, Xia Fan found that besides the princess herself, there were three other men.

"I have seen Your Highness." He simply saluted.

"You are here." Ning Wanjun nodded to him, "You have been recovering from your injuries before, so I haven't formally introduced you to you. These are the retainers who went south with me, and they are also colleagues who will work with you in the future."

"Hello, I'm Xu Sanchong. I used to be a frontier guerrilla, and now I'm serving as the commander of His Highness's bodyguard." The tallest man was the first to stand up and clasped his fists.

Xia Fan cupped his hands in return.

"The old man is called Li Duojin, and he is in charge of Your Highness's living expenses and other trivial matters. You can call me Li Gong." The second person who spoke was an old man about 50 years old. His voice was a little shrill, which is the biggest characteristic of this age." The beard was nowhere to be seen on his face, "Hehe, young man, you don't have to guess, the old man did serve in the palace and served the empress for a period of time...Your Highness, I can be regarded as the one I grew up watching."

The last person's attire is much more particular, not only wearing a brocade robe, but also wearing a jade pendant and a sachet around his waist, and holding a goose feather fan in his hand. "My humble servant, He Guicai, was originally a staff officer in the army, and he also knows a little bit about official affairs. I will ask Mr. Xia to give me some advice in the future."

So... this is the whole team of the princess?

Xia Fan couldn't help feeling a little emotional.

A general responsible for security, a father-in-law who manages money, and a military adviser to handle internal and external affairs, no wonder he is so valued by the princess.Emotionally, she really has no one under her command.

Of course, to be precise, this should be all the team she can bring.

For example, the big boss of the Privy Council who can intervene in the scholar's examination, keeping him in his current position is far more effective than bringing him to Jinxia City.

But even so, it would be too bold to rely on these few people to seize power from the State Shepherd's Mansion. Without the support of the Privy Council, it might take ten years to succeed.

"I don't need to introduce this one, after all, it has been mentioned before." The princess said, "Xia Fan is in charge of the Privy Council, and I promise him that he can intervene in any affairs he thinks necessary. For example, this time the evil The messenger horse was led out by him, so I hope he can participate to the end."

"I understand." He Guicai stroked his fan and bowed his head.

"Now that the introduction is over, let's start the formal meeting."

"Everyone, please follow me." Qiuyue bowed.

Xia Fan followed the crowd into the reception hall, where Wu Yueyao was already waiting.

Compared with the appearance when we first met, she is much tidier at this moment, not only her hair and face are clean, but also her clothes have been carefully wiped.The bright red and white color scheme, as well as the wide lace cuffs, are undoubtedly the Miko look he is familiar with.

Theoretically, both parties are princesses, and the covenant documents are still being confirmed, so all the etiquette is kept simple.

After a brief greeting, Ning Wanjun asked the question she most wanted to know.

"I heard that the news from the Yama Kingdom was cut off because of the endless evil spirits emerging from the sea, but according to what you said, Dongsheng Kingdom was able to transport private salt back to the island. I wonder if you know the inside story of this?"

Wu Yue nodded and said, "In the past hundred years, our country has indeed been trying to move westward and even open up new waterways, but they all ended in failure. The only experience I have gained is that the power of evil spirits is weakening, especially in the past five years. It is already possible to reach here directly with the coastal current. However, when the queen discovered this, Dongsheng Kingdom had already taken a step ahead and controlled the sea passage."

"How did you do it?"

"Using evil spirits." Wu Yueyao replied, "It is said that a hundred years ago, or even earlier, a family with the surname An migrated from the mainland to our country. There were many alchemists among them, and they were familiar with the law of life and death. Teacher. The person Dongsheng Kingdom now regards as the national teacher is a person who has settled down and practiced the Dharma."

Xia Fan was startled, so this is how Onmyoji came here?

But when he thought of his original world, where Yin-Yang and Five Elements also came from inland, he immediately felt relieved.

Probably the only difference is that the evils of this world are not fictional.

"Is there such a thing?" Ning Wanjun frowned and pondered for a while, "Aren't they the descendants of Yongguo?"

"It may also be to avoid the war." Xia Fan interjected, "If the ruins in Gaoshan County were built in the Yong Dynasty, then it would make sense for them to have made achievements in this regard."

"But Xie Chong has no sanity at all. How can they ensure that they will not be backlashed?"

"I don't know about this." Princess May shook her head slowly, "Dongsheng Kingdom spreads demons into the water, especially on the side close to your country, and they will actively attack passing ships, and the latter have no resistance."

This may sound like a big project, but Xia Fan used his bad geography to know that there are only two states in Qiguo that are close to the sea, of which Fuzhou in the north is separated by mountains, and there is only one county near the sea, and the route will be much farther away. Jin Xia can effectively block the connection between the two parties.

As mentioned earlier, the evil spirits on land are easy to deal with, but those on the sea are much more difficult. After all, once the ship sinks, no matter how powerful the alchemist is, it will be useless.

Therefore, if you want to eradicate the evil spirits and restart the route, you have to start from the source.

Ning Wanjun probably realized this too, so she changed the topic to a lighter one, "Sooner or later they will be completely eradicated, I can guarantee this. By the way, I was curious from the beginning. The side is so similar, is it also influenced by Yongguo?"

"It can be said that." Wu Yueyao nodded and said, "Many scriptures, knowledge, and technology in our country come from that dynasty, which is also proof of the covenant. In our country, there are three languages, two of which are ancient languages ​​that were originally used , and aristocratic families and elites usually learn the third language, which is the language you speak now."

"But very few people on our side know the special characters of Yongguo." Ning Wanjun said regretfully, "Since you have read the documents, can you tell me what is written on them? It will take a while to identify them. , it’s better to understand it beforehand.”

"Of course." The other party nodded, "According to the documents, our country pays 1000 million taels of silver to Yongchao every year in exchange for Yongchao's care and business rights. There are also several additional agreements, such as..." She After a short pause, "marriage and so on."

Xia Fan suddenly lifted his spirits.

Of course, it's not because of the marriage, but because of the word "tribute".

"Pay tribute?" Ning Wanjun showed a embarrassed look, but quickly recovered, "Ahem, well... I think the two sides can change to a more common covenant..."

"No, Your Highness, this is very good!" Xia Fan interrupted quickly, "Tribute is the highest form of alliance."

Chapter 93 The Law of the Sun

The other three looked at Xia Fan in surprise, probably not expecting him to refute Her Royal Highness's decision at such a time.

Ning Wanjun stood up suddenly, winked at Xia Fan, and then walked out of the hall.

There was a moment of silence at the scene.

Xia Fan didn't seem to notice it, and followed the other party out of the living room.

Once outside the door, the princess immediately said in a bad mood, "Do you know what tribute means? It's not a one-sided handing in of tribute. You have to give an equal or higher standard in return! First of all, let me say yes, I don't want to pay tribute. The covenant will be handed over to Six Departments, this matter must be led by Jinxia City."

"I think so too."

"Then why do you still insist on maintaining the relationship you had a hundred years ago?" The princess was puzzled, "With our current ability, how can we give an equivalent gift in return?"

"Yama Kingdom, which is besieged by princes, may not be able to come up with the 1000 million taels. The details can be discussed later, but once the tribute relationship is interrupted, it will be difficult to continue." Xia Fan said earnestly, "If You want to sit on a bigger territory in the future—"

"Huh?" Ning Wanjun raised her eyebrows.

"I mean if." He emphasized that he was assuming, "The benefits and prestige brought by a tributary country are not what ordinary diplomatic relations can give? Now people don't care about it because they want us. Wait until the civil strife Ping Ding, do you think they will be so impatient?"

"I didn't expect you to know nothing about diplomacy." Ning Wanjun gave him a meaningful look.

"I just understand a little bit." Xia Fan didn't take the other party's eyes seriously, "Besides, we can't afford to give any gift in return. At least there is one thing they need urgently."

"What is it?"

"Salt," he replied.

"So that's how it is." Ning Wanjun thought, "Since the Dongsheng Kingdom mentioned by the witch can use salt to win over other princes, then the Yama Kingdom should also be able to do so. Moreover, the salt is expensive, and it can be worth part of the silver. The premise is that you It can really be produced, and in addition to meeting the monthly quota, there is still a small part left over. Speaking of which, can your so-called salt production method be twice that of the Wang family with the same manpower?"

"hundred times."

"That's okay—wait a minute, what are you talking about!?" The princess suddenly widened her eyes.

"Hundred times, a conservative estimate." Xia Fan repeated, "Of course, the early stage may need to be explored due to process issues, and the efficiency will not be too high, but even so, as long as the scale increases, a hundred times is a conservative statement."

"Are you sure?" Even though she thought the other party was the listener, Ning Wanjun still couldn't believe it.A hundred times is equivalent to investing the same amount of manpower, the salt production of Jinxia alone can meet the needs of the entire Qi country, and there is still a surplus.The reason why the imperial court wants to take out the salt as a monopoly is nothing more than that the tax and profit in it are huge. If there is a way to double it a hundred times on this basis, it is not an exaggeration to say that it is worthless!

No... priceless wasn't accurate, and she found she couldn't think of any words to describe the value of the matter.

"Sure, but there will always be many problems in turning ideas into facts. I need to conduct experiments to estimate a more accurate number." Xia Fan thought about it repeatedly, and felt that his statement should not be exaggerated—after all, Jinxia City Yields are severely limited by firewood, and his method relies on the sun.The gap between chemical energy and atomic energy, a hundred times, should be an extremely conservative statement.

"This method... can I understand?"

"Of course, it's actually using—"

"Stop!" Ning Wanjun suddenly covered his mouth with his hand.

"Your Highness?" Xia Fan asked vaguely.

"When the meeting is over, you can tell me alone. Remember, no one but me can reveal it-or you may invite murder."

……

Back in the living room, Ning Wanjun seemed to have changed his demeanor. He didn't see the previous resistance at all. He smiled from the corner of his eyes, "The covenant you mentioned may not be suitable for the situation in a hundred years. We can talk about it after we confirm it." Talk about specifics, but in principle, we are willing to inherit this relationship."

The other three retainers were dumbfounded.

They had never seen a princess so easily persuaded.

The atmosphere of the following talks was quite harmonious, probably because he finally got the promise from the upper echelon of Qiguo, Wu Yueyao's expression became much more relaxed.

Xia Fan took this opportunity to directly bring up the topic of "monsters make life", which surprised everyone again.

He Guicai said in a low voice that it was impossible.

"If this is the case, how could the Privy Council not know? Is it necessary for them to deceive the world on this point?"

Ning Wanjun pondered for a long time, "If monsters are born from humans, will there be similar alien species among the descendants of beasts?"

Unexpectedly, Wu Yueyao gave the answer directly, "As far as I know, there are. And there are many."

"Then what do they look like?"

"The so-called essence belongs to this kind of heterogeneity. At least a hundred years ago, that's what practitioners called it."