"This is what my master behind the scenes wants, why doesn't Scholar take a look!"
Since he had extended his neck, Yuan Xingchi would feel like he was letting himself down if he didn't act, so he quickly took out another booklet from his sleeve and handed it over.
"What does this mean?"
As expected, after reading Yuan Xingchi's conditions, Cai Tao was stunned.
"It means exactly what it says, my master behind the scenes does not wish to be an enemy of Prime Minister Cai, but there are unavoidable reasons why he must do this!"
As Yuan Xingchi spoke, he smiled and cupped his hands towards Cai Tao again.
"Please wait here for a moment, Scholar, I will be right back!"
Cai Tao was not a fool. Just by looking at his demeanor, he understood that no matter how much he asked, this old fellow wouldn't tell him the truth.
After all, such a large sum of money was involved, and at this moment, he was truly undecided.
"It's alright, Scholar can consider it for a few days. Even if Scholar doesn't agree in the end, it doesn't matter!"
Compared to Cai Tao, Yuan Xingchi was more confident. After all, even if this fellow defaulted, he had other ways to force him to comply.
It was just that the price he would offer next time would not be so simple.
"Sir, you truly have the demeanor of a gentleman from ancient times. Compared to you, I, Cai, am like a scurrying, groveling wretch. However, this matter is indeed far-reaching. Sir should also know that the Cai family is now a prominent clan, so many things are not decided by me alone..."
Even though he knew Yuan Xingchi was using a tactic of advancing by retreating, Cai Tao did not dare to refuse directly at this moment.
"I understand that, of course. However, I can guarantee that in the short term, this rule will indeed cause the Cai family to suffer losses. But within three years at most, I can guarantee that the Cai family's income will double from its current level!"
After all, it was effortless to say it with empty words, and coupled with the not-so-pleasant past between Yuan Xingchi and Cai Jing, he had no psychological pressure to trick this fellow at all.
"Give me two days, and after two days, I will definitely give you a satisfactory answer, sir!"
After hesitating, Cai Tao spoke again.
"Then I will not disturb Scholar further, I take my leave!"
"Aren't you afraid I'll default?"
Seeing that Yuan Xingchi was about to leave so readily, Cai Tao suddenly spoke again.
"Scholar, you jest. I am merely a broker. I am only responsible for making connections. As for debt collection, that is not my responsibility!"
The more casually he spoke, the more suspicious Cai Tao became, and the more courteous his attitude towards Yuan Xingchi became.
A quarter of an hour later, when Yuan Xingchi got back into the carriage and left the Cai residence, the coachman immediately noticed that there seemed to be a few followers behind them.
"Sir, it seems someone is following us. Should I find a place to deal with them?"
The coachman said in a low voice as he drove the carriage through the crowd.
"Don't mind them, let them follow. We don't have anything else to do anyway, so tonight we'll take them for a night tour of the Bian River."
"It's a shame about this carriage!"
Upon hearing Yuan Xingchi's words, the coachman couldn't help but curl his lips.
"What is a mere carriage?"
As Yuan Xingchi spoke, he couldn't help but stretch his arms lazily.
As the speed of the carriage gradually slowed down, Yuan Xingchi's mood also gradually relaxed.
However, compared to his relaxation and joy, Shao Bowen, who was ten thousand miles away, was feeling a bit overwhelmed.
"Sir, aren't they just a few barbarians? Is it necessary for you to be so worried and weary?"
Seeing Shao Bowen's worried look, Zhe Shijiu asked cautiously.
"It's not as simple as you say. We seem to have gotten into a huge mess this time. If it's not handled properly, Jiaozhi might be turned upside down!"
According to Han Mo's previous plan, they needed to obtain over 500,000 shi of grain within Jiaozhi.
However, their plan had only just begun, and they had already stirred up such a big trouble. If this continued, could they still stay in Jiaozhi?
"Is it that exaggerated? Haven't only a few hundred pirates died? Is their Liu family so fragile?"
Zhe Shijiu mumbled softly while scratching his head.
"A few hundred men are nothing, but for a family in such a small country, those dozens of ships are no different from what we have!"
"Then what should we do? The fighting has already started, and those broken ships have already sunk to the bottom of the sea. We can't fight for them, can we..."
After his analysis, Zhe Shijiu suddenly felt a little embarrassed, but he still mumbled softly.
"What did you just say?"
Hearing him say that, Shao Bowen's eyes suddenly lit up.
"N-nothing..."
When Shao Bowen asked, Zhe Shijiu quickly shrank his neck.
"You said we fight for them?"
"I just said it casually..."
"No, no, no, this sentence is indeed a bit interesting. Since the balance is about to be broken, why don't we be more decisive..."
Under normal circumstances, with the dozens of ships and three thousand guards that Shao Bowen had, they naturally wouldn't have many ways to deal with the Jiaozhi Kingdom.
However, at this delicate moment, it was different.
The balance of power between the Liu family, the Zhang family, and the royal Li family was already very delicate.
No matter who it was, they couldn't do much to the other party. If, at this moment, one party's private power was suddenly damaged,
And if the power of one of the other two families began to advance by leaps and bounds, then the situation would become truly interesting.
If Shao Bowen could seize the opportunity, gain a foothold in this power struggle, and take the chance to plant a nail within Jiaozhi, even if he could only capture one or two coastal cities, it would be of great help to their subsequent plans.
"Be more decisive? How to be more decisive?"
"Take that guy outside and go directly to the City Lord's mansion. I think Zhang Jing wouldn't miss such a good opportunity! Remember to make a big scene and don't be afraid to be a bit tough!"
After considering for a moment, Shao Bowen suddenly said to Zhe Shijiu with a smile.
"Sir, are you sure?"
Even an honest person like Zhe Shijiu could see that once this fellow named Zhang got any real evidence, he would definitely not let Liu Siye off. Moreover, there was a living person being delivered to him right now!
There were quite a few people in Sumao City who knew Liu Yutang. With such a person, as long as his mouth was pried open, it would be a pipe dream for Liu Siye to stay out of it!