"Good!"
At this moment, the powerful families and the merchants reached a rare consensus and directly chose to accept the terms.
Compared to the absolute profits involved, the Emperor's demands are incredibly low. We are extremely lucky to have been chosen; if we don't seize this opportunity, we will definitely regret it in the future.
It's a market comparable to a country's; the profits here are absolutely astronomical.
Moreover, the support of the Great Liang court minimizes the risk, making it almost a sure-fire deal. Anyone with common sense would agree to it.
Thinking of this, everyone couldn't help but smile broadly; this trip to the palace was definitely a huge win.
Even Zhang Wanhao couldn't help but smile, muttering, "This is less like the Emperor discussing business with us and more like the Emperor bestowing a reward upon us."
Waaaaah, the Emperor has finally seen our contributions! Heaven truly has eyes!
Thinking of this, a tear welled up in his eye, and he felt a sense of relief and triumph after hardship; he had finally made it through.
The Emperor not only bestowed a commendation order, but now he's also given me such a generous reward. This is the result of my quiet perseverance; it's truly touching.
"His Majesty has no shortage of business talents. Giving us such a large share of the pie is definitely a reward. His Majesty is truly wise!" Wang Hui's heart pounded. Did this mean the Emperor had fully approved of them?
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel excited; this was the end of hardship and the beginning of happiness.
Everyone nodded in agreement!
Back in Xiliang, the emperor owned many merchant caravans, and Mi Zhu, the Minister of Ministry of Revenue at the time, was the Grand Administrator of Commerce in Xiliang, controlling nearly 70% of the business Xiliang.
This means that if the Emperor wanted to monopolize the Zhennan market, there would be no problem at all. The Emperor definitely had the ability to do so and would not need to share profits with anyone.
The Emperor's arrangement is, frankly speaking, a great favor bestowed upon them!
A blessing!
Everyone understood immediately; this was definitely a benefit bestowed upon them by the Emperor, a truly generous gift. The Emperor was simply too kind.
Compared to the surprise of the major families, the merchants were overjoyed; it was undoubtedly a windfall for them.
However, there were also some far-sighted individuals among them who directly identified the problem.
This person is Hong Xi!
He looked at the group of excited merchants, couldn't help but shake his head, and solemnly said, "To accept undeserved rewards and to take advantage of the Emperor is absolutely a path to death!"
He rose to prominence in Xiliang by following Lin Yi's policies.
His journey to the Western Regions with Mi Zhu enabled him to establish himself on Western Regions trade routes there, accumulating more and more wealth, and he is now a prominent figure in the north.
He knew more or less about the current emperor's personality. The old man usually seemed harmless, but if you offended him, you would definitely die without a burial place.
Over the past two years, countless people have confirmed this, so he is filled with vigilance.
Hiss!
These words jolted everyone awake from their daze.
That makes sense. Everyone knew that the emperor had skimmed off those aristocratic families several times over, and they were even gloating about it back then.
Now the Emperor hasn't asked us for anything, yet he's giving us such great benefits; this is rather frightening.
As Hong Xi said, taking advantage of the emperor is a death sentence.
Since the Emperor's rise to power, anyone who has taken advantage of him is now dead; I absolutely cannot harbor any illusions.
"That makes sense. We can't take advantage of the Emperor; we must show our sincerity." A shrewd and wealthy merchant frowned and said in a deep voice.
"Got it!"
In the crowd, Huang Sanze suddenly thought of something, his eyes lit up, and he laughed, "Haha, the aristocratic families wanted to fund a All Under Heaven banquet for the entire nation, but the Emperor didn't agree. This is our chance!"
That makes sense!
Everyone's eyes lit up. This was an opportunity delivered right to their doorstep; it would be foolish not to seize it.
Without the slightest hesitation, Hong Xi and the others stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "We are truly grateful for His Majesty's great favor towards us."
However, we feel unworthy of such an honor and must do something for the Great Liang. The Emperor's banquet for the All Under Heaven has been quite expensive, and we are willing to contribute our efforts!
It's just money!
Merchants have no shortage of this; as long as they can please the emperor, any amount of money is worthwhile.
"What?"
"What a joke! Our family has already decided to contribute; how could we let you steal this opportunity?"
"There's an order to things, first come, first served. Do you all think our noble families are all poor wretches?"
Upon hearing this, Wang Hui and the others' expressions changed drastically. They glared angrily at the businessmen. These guys were actually trying to steal their business; they were practically courting death.
The Emperor had finally developed a slight liking for the aristocratic families; how could he allow these unscrupulous merchants to ruin it?
"Hmph, so what if we're from a powerful family? The Emperor of Great Liang is the most powerful. We're all working for the Emperor; do you think you can fight us?"
The two sides were glaring at each other, almost coming to blows.
Seeing this, Lin Yi chuckled inwardly, but said with a gloomy expression, "A three-day banquet for all the people of All Under Heaven All Under Heaven is a promise I made to them. How can I entrust it to someone else?"
Do you think I, the ruler of the All Under Heaven, would be short of money?
These words were undeniably weighty, immediately silencing both sides, who feared they might anger the Emperor.
"Your Majesty, please forgive me!"
"We absolutely did not mean that. It's just that His Majesty has shown us immense kindness, and if we didn't express our gratitude, what would All Under Heaven people think of us?"
The powerful families and merchants abandoned their scramble and simply backed down.
Hearing their words, Lin Yi's expression softened considerably, but he did not nod in agreement.
At this moment, Cao Cao whispered, "Your Majesty, you've given them such a big piece of cake this time. If we don't ask them to make some contributions, they'll probably feel embarrassed."
I believe it would be better to accept the money and consider it as them buying this opportunity; that would be the best of both worlds!
Paying for opportunities?
Everyone was taken aback at first, then their eyes lit up, and they immediately agreed with this statement.
Whatever the reason, handing the money over to the emperor was enough; other explanations were irrelevant.
Lin Yi hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded and sighed, "Since you all have such sincere intentions, it would be rather unreasonable of me not to agree."
That's settled then. You should communicate with Mi Zhu; I have no interest in money.
There are also business dealings in Southern Liang that you need to communicate with Mi Zhu to avoid any problems!
After saying that, he turned and left.