lcionline Chapter 146 Qi State Agrees to Cooperation
Chapter 146 Qi State Agrees to Cooperation
As the lid of the box was opened, a dazzling light instantly illuminated the entire room. Various gold and silver jewels shimmered like twinkling stars, radiating a brilliant glow. The jadeite was a vibrant, lustrous green, like the clear water of a lake; the gold gleamed, as if the sun's rays had fallen upon the world. Hou Sheng's eyes widened instantly, a look of extreme satisfaction spreading across his face. His smile was as radiant as a blooming flower, seemingly capable of illuminating the entire room.
He couldn't help but stand up, circle the box several times, and kept praising it: "What a treasure! What a treasure! Lord Li is too kind. How can I possibly accept such a generous gift?"
Li Si smiled and said, "Your Excellency is too kind. These are just my humble wishes, and I hope they can win Your Excellency's favor."
Hou Sheng nodded repeatedly, his face beaming with smiles, and said, "Haha, Lord Li, rest assured, I will take good care of these treasures and will not let you down." As he spoke, he reached out and gently stroked the precious items, as if they had become a part of his body.
Li Si said, "Then I shall take my leave now, for I must pay my respects to the King of Qi tomorrow."
Hou Sheng smiled and said, "I'll see Lord Li off. Don't worry, Lord Li, establishing an economic zone is a good thing. I think His Majesty will definitely agree."
Having received the answer he wanted, Li Si exchanged a few more polite words with Hou Sheng, and then, with Hou Sheng watching him go, boarded his carriage and left the Prime Minister's residence.
Watching Li Si's departing figure, Hou Sheng was secretly delighted. He began to plan how to persuade the King of Qi.
The next day, Li Si got up early. When he appeared in the Qi court, the originally peaceful atmosphere instantly became noisy, and there were exclamations of surprise throughout the Qi court.
In the Qi court, Li Si slowly stepped forward, respectfully presenting the economic zone plan with both hands. His eyes revealed determination and expectation as he loudly proclaimed, "I have come from afar on the orders of the King of Qin to discuss this important matter of establishing an economic zone with your esteemed country. This plan has been carefully considered and will bring immeasurable benefits to all nations. I hope Your Majesty will carefully consider and weigh the pros and cons."
The King of Qi took the heavy plan, but instead of reading it, he set it aside. He then asked, "What does the Prime Minister think?"
Hou Sheng approached the King of Qi and respectfully said, “Your Majesty, the Qin state intends to establish an economic zone on the Qin-Qi border, which is a great thing. Qin is powerful, and cooperating with Qin will ensure the peace of Qi. Moreover, after the economic zone is established, trade will flourish, and Qi’s wealth will surely increase greatly. I have carefully reviewed the plan, and it will be entirely beneficial to Qi.”
However, there was opposition in the Qi court. One minister stood up and said, "Your Majesty, Qin is ambitious and this move may have a conspiracy. We should not easily cooperate with Qin."
But Hou Sheng countered, "The benefits brought by the economic zone are real. If we miss this opportunity, the State of Qi will regret it too late."
At this moment, another loud voice rang out from the crowd to refute: "It is common knowledge that the Qin state has always harbored ambitions to unify the six states. Surely you, Prime Minister, cannot be unaware of this? Look at the Zhao state, which has already been destroyed; look at the Yan state, which is also in dire straits; and then there is the Han state, which was destroyed by Qin long ago. Faced with these facts, how dare you, Prime Minister, still say that the Qin state is a benevolent state?"
Upon hearing this, Hou Sheng snorted coldly and then said loudly, "Qin has always maintained a close and friendly relationship with my Great Qi. How could they do anything detrimental to Qi? Besides, establishing an economic zone would only benefit Qi!"
However, the man was not intimidated by Hou Sheng's words. He insisted on his point of view and continued to refute: "Qin and Chu once maintained good relations, but what was the result? Didn't Chu still suffer constant suppression from Qin and its territory shrink significantly? Admittedly, the economic zone proposed by Qin may bring some benefits to Qi, but Qin itself will undoubtedly benefit the most!"
Upon hearing this, Hou Sheng was immediately enraged. He glared at Qin and roared, "Utterly foolish! Do you really want to watch Qi miss this rare opportunity for development? If we resolutely reject Qin's proposal and anger the King of Qin, leading to Qin's army besieging the city, will you take responsibility for that?"
The minister blushed deeply after being severely reprimanded by Hou Sheng. He was filled with indignation but couldn't find the right words to refute her, so he could only stand there anxiously.
Li Si had been watching the drama unfold for quite some time, and he knew it was normal for some people to object. Li Si stepped forward and said, “The construction of the economic zone will bring many benefits. First, it will promote trade, allowing goods from both countries to circulate more easily and increasing the wealth of both sides. Second, it will provide more employment opportunities for Qi and improve the living standards of its people. Furthermore, the development of the economic zone will attract talent and technology from other countries, promoting the industrial upgrading of Qi.”
Upon hearing this, the people of Qi fell into deep thought. Li Si then said, "Qin is willing to jointly manage the economic zone with Qi, ensuring fairness and impartiality. We will provide advanced technology and management experience to help Qi enhance its economic strength. At the same time, we also hope that Qi can provide support and cooperation to jointly promote the construction of the economic zone. Furthermore, to show our sincerity, Qin is willing to build a road from Qi to the economic zone."
Upon hearing this, King Qi immediately became interested. He leaned forward and eagerly asked, "Oh? There's such a wonderful thing? Is it free road repair?"
With a smile on his face, Li Si replied calmly, "King of Qi, this time Qin will provide manpower, resources, and advanced technology; your country only needs to bear part of the cost."
At this moment, Hou Sheng, who was standing to the side, interjected, "Actually, Qi can also provide manpower. I wonder if the required amount of money can be reduced appropriately?"
Li Si turned to look at Hou Sheng, his face still bearing that enigmatic smile, and replied, "Of course, but we can discuss the specific amount of money later."
Before Hou Sheng could speak, a minister with snow-white hair and a weathered yet dignified face slowly stepped forward. After bowing slightly, he asked, "Lord Li Si, what are Qin's plans regarding the economic zone's taxation and currency?" Although the old minister's voice was not loud, everyone present heard it clearly. For a moment, the entire court was silent, and all eyes were focused on Li Si.
Li Si calmly stepped forward, clasped his hands in a respectful bow to the minister who had raised the question, and then slowly replied, “The matter of currency and taxation involves a wide range of issues, and is closely related to both Wei and Chu. Therefore, at this moment, I cannot give a definitive answer. However, please rest assured, King Qi, that our Qin state has always valued its friendly relations with Qi and will certainly treat this matter with utmost care. After I return to the palace and present my report to the King of Qin, I believe the King will consider it carefully and give Qi a satisfactory reply as soon as possible.” Having said this, Li Si bowed to the minister again before returning to his original position.
Although Hou Sheng was interrupted, he still remembered Li Si's hint. He understood and said to King Qi with a smile, "Your Majesty, you see, Qin is showing great sincerity this time. If we don't agree, it will make our Great Qi seem like we lack the demeanor of a great power."
King Qi nodded slightly in agreement, and then said, "Yes, the Prime Minister is absolutely right. Qin envoy, in that case, Qi is willing to cooperate with Qin to jointly build an economic zone in order to achieve a win-win situation."