The man left with great aplomb. Murong Mingyu found the women here quite interesting, far more amusing than those back home.
Since the lake tour was unsuccessful, they had to return the way they came, planning to bring their husbands along for another outing after the flower appreciation convention concluded.
Upon returning to the manor, Fan Zehao also made his graceful reappearance.
After dinner, he recounted his day at the palace.
“I heard from the Emperor that both Ding Bei Liao and Xuan Yuan Kingdom are interested in forming marital alliances with Yun Kingdom. Huangfu Xi asked for my opinion on the matter!”
Zhao Jiaqi, reclining in the rocking chair, didn't even lift her head, asking indifferently, “What did you say?”
Fan Zehao spread his hands, “I don’t know.”
She looked at him in surprise, “You replied to him like that?”
“Why else?” he chuckled. “Yun Kingdom is managed by Huangfu Xi. He can do as he pleases, as long as his intentions don't stray towards my daughter, then nothing is a problem.”
Zhao Jiaqi shook her head with amusement, thinking that he was the epitome of a doting father.
He paused for a moment and added, “However, I did give him a suggestion. A strong nation doesn’t need to rely on marital alliances for consolidation. But I feel my words are rather useless.”
Zhao Jiaqi asked, “How so?”
“Other nations use marital alliances to tie themselves together, thus rarely engaging in war. I suspect Huangfu Xi shares this sentiment!”
Zhao Jiaqi scoffed, she didn't see it that way.
“While alliances are important, they are worth nothing in the face of self-interest!”
When it came to matters of interest, even sworn brothers and fathers and sons could turn against each other, let alone these unreliable marital alliances.
Often, women were sacrificed in these alliances. If a marital alliance led to war, the princess involved would surely be the first to suffer.
Seeing that her husband had been silent for a while, Zhao Jiaqi asked, “Do you know why Jin Kingdom and the Axi tribe, risking national annihilation, still attacked Yun Kingdom?”
“Isn’t it just to expand their territory?”
She then asked, “Why expand?”
“Are the lands of their own countries not enough for their people to survive on?”
Her two questions stabilized Fan Zehao. He sat on the chair, frowning and shaking his head, pondering for a long time without figuring out the reason.
“It’s because their countries lack resources,” she explained. “Take the Axi tribe for example. They live by raising cattle and sheep year-round. Their land doesn’t produce grain or vegetables. Every year, they sell their livestock to buy grain and vegetables with the silver.”
“They envy us, who have land, stable dwellings, and access to vegetables and grains. So, to improve their lives, they can only resort to plunder.”
After her explanation, Fan Zehao’s mind suddenly cleared, and he understood.
“Then, according to your logic, if a marital alliance doesn’t bring technology and cannot solve their local problems, it has no value?” Fan Zehao's mind raced, arriving at this conclusion.
Zhao Jiaqi nodded, then shook her head. “This matter needs to be viewed differently. Some small countries need alliances because they are weak and fear being bullied. They marry their princesses to powerful nations to seek protection.”
“If you are a powerful nation, you wouldn’t need war. Would you then marry your own daughter to a vassal state?”
Fan Zehao shook his head. “That’s impossible.”
Therefore, it was impossible for a weak nation to send out its technology with its princess. Forget about the princess’s wishes, even the emperor wouldn't allow it.
In this era, technology was highly sought after. Many people, driven by the value of technology, even resorted to working in isolation.
Fan Zehao nodded his heavy head in understanding. She then remarked with emotion, “It’s still the people from your homeland who are intelligent, to understand things so thoroughly.”
Zhao Jiaqi felt quite proud when this point was brought up.
The room fell silent for a moment. Fan Zehao, like a sponge constantly absorbing knowledge, pressed further, “Wife, if you were the emperor, how would you change the current situation?”
Zhao Jiaqi looked at her husband suspiciously, not understanding the meaning behind his words.
Change the current situation? Their inner city, while not perfect, at least had no issues with people’s livelihoods.
Seeing the suspicion in her eyes, he quickly added, “If you were the emperor of those small nations, how would you change things!”
Zhao Jiaqi put down her teacup and replied naturally, “It’s simple. Open the national gates and allow merchants from all countries to trade in our nation. I would offer all incoming merchants favorable policies, allowing them to conduct business and make money!”
Her words seemed so outlandish!
Fan Zehao was somewhat dumbfounded. “If we follow your line of reasoning, then the country would have no sense of security. Wouldn't spies from various countries be able to enter and exit freely, gathering information at will?”
“Even worse, the Emperor could be assassinated by spies. Wouldn’t that lead to chaos?”
Zhao Jiaqi raised her eyebrows. “If it’s already a small country, what mysterious things do you have to hide? If you truly had something significant, would you still be a small country?”
“The ‘small countries’ I speak of are not necessarily small in terms of land area. Don’t misunderstand me!”
Her words were rather biting, but they held a ring of truth.
A small nation facing the threat of annihilation, already precarious, had nothing to lose. A bold move was their only chance for survival.
Without a bold move, they might disappear from this continent.
Fan Zehao crouched beside the rocking chair, humbly asking her to continue.
“When merchants arrive, they will bring various technologies. Merchants can’t bring everything from abroad, so they will hire locals to work for them. Through this process, won’t the locals learn the merchants’ techniques?”
“If they don’t learn in a year, then in two, five, or even ten years, they will eventually succeed in learning through observation. This is only the first point.”
She held up one finger, then extended a second, continuing her explanation. “As merchants develop their businesses, won’t that also stimulate the local economy? Won’t it create opportunities for local people to work?”
Fan Zehao nodded. That was the logic. Not only would they work, but the money would also end up in their own pockets.
So, this was a good thing!
Finally, Zhao Jiaqi delivered a concluding statement. “Once you’ve successfully learned the techniques, you can establish your own factories. If the government provides support in this area, do you think those foreign merchants will be able to stay?”
“No!” Fan Zehao replied sincerely.
No one was foolish. Government support meant official protection. If they remained, wouldn't they be inviting trouble?
They might not make any money and could even get into a mess.
“Therefore, without offending foreign merchants, yet managing to push them out, isn’t this killing three birds with one stone?”
Stealing technology, developing the nation.
Economic development, earning money.
Finally, with the establishment of local factories, it would bring immense benefits to both the nation and its people, leading to a prosperous and strong country.
“You are right. With a slight twist of the mind, the path ahead becomes clear. However, I swear, in this entire world, there isn’t a single person who would dare to operate like you.”
Zhao Jiaqi agreed. No one dared to gamble with their nation, nor would they dare to experiment. If it succeeded, great. But if it failed, the nation would be utterly destroyed.