Qiqi's beautiful eyes lit up as she immediately grasped the reason behind it. Old Madam Xu feared that openly providing the Imperial Court with a fleet and a trade route would bring disaster upon the Xu Family, so she had publicly refused the emperor while quietly extending goodwill to the Imperial Court through the Hu Family. She was offering a trade route in exchange for the Imperial Court's forgiveness of the Xu Family. This also meant that the Xu Family would not openly involve itself in imperial affairs.
"Is this route reliable?" Qiqi asked. "Even if we reach Luosong safely, will they sell us grain?"
"If Your Highness doubts it, you may simply pretend I never said anything," Hu Xiaotian replied.
"If we organize a fleet now, it should return before autumn," Qiqi said. "As long as we establish this trade route before winter, grain can flow into Great Kang without interruption, and we can survive this bitter winter. But... whom should we send?"
"I am willing to travel to Luosong myself," Hu Xiaotian said.
Qiqi's gaze was full of suspicion. Luosong lay thousands of miles away, and Hu Xiaotian's volunteering for the task surely concealed another purpose. Did he intend to use this voyage to escape and shake off the imperial family's control for good?
From Qiqi's hesitation, Hu Xiaotian had already guessed that she suspected his intentions. He had anticipated this before coming, and he meant to use her suspicious nature to achieve his own ends. "This trade route can only be established if I make the journey myself," he said quietly.
"What is your hurry?" Qiqi asked coolly. Her gaze settled on the nautical chart, and only after studying it for a long while did she say, "Let me think it over carefully."
Hu Xiaotian lowered his