Hai Ling's seemingly nonchalant smile and dismissive attitude, however, provoked Xi Hanzhi.
"Your Majesty, please tell us how we can cooperate."
"readily."
Hailin nodded, took out the blueprints, and waved them around.
"You all know that the grain supplies in Dengzhou have been burned. I can entrust the entire construction of this commercial street to your Xi family and approve it as a project for imperial merchants. You need to provide us with 200,000 dan of grain within three days. In addition, after the commercial street is completed, the profits will be split 50/50."
"What?! Two hundred thousand dan of grain, split fifty-fifty?" Xi Hanzhi felt a pang of heartache. The Emperor and Empress weren't here to do business with him; they were clearly here to extort money from him.
Xi Hanzhi shook his head repeatedly: "No, no, I'm definitely going to lose everything."
"Compensation? If you're unwilling to cooperate, there's nothing I can do. But don't forget, if I cooperate with another family, it will be the Xi family's business that gets suppressed. Are you sure this is the result you want?"
Xi Hanzhi was speechless. The people in the private room looked at him with sympathy. It seemed that the Empress was going to take a hard line, and he would have no choice but to agree.
"A 50/50 split won't do, I'll take 80% and you take 20%."
Because he needs to raise 200,000 dan of grain first. It's painful to think that someone would have to give up 200,000 dan of grain before even starting a cooperation.
Hailin shook her head, rolled up the blueprints, and tucked them into her sleeve: "No, at most 60-40 split, no less."
"How about a 70/30 split? I get 70% and you get 30%."
This was Xi Hanzhi's biggest concession yet, because he had to provide 200,000 dan of grain and fodder upfront, plus a 30% share. The royal family hadn't contributed a single penny; he had raised the money and done everything himself. Yet, he was being asked to take 30% of the profits. He simply couldn't afford to do any more.
In fact, a 70/30 split was what Hailin had in mind. At first, it was just the nature of a businessman negotiating, starting high and letting him pressure her down.
Hai Ling agreed in her heart, but still hesitated a bit on her face. Finally, she took out the blueprints and said, "Okay."
She looked reluctant, but inside she was overjoyed. She was simply using modern real estate construction techniques; the land was still the same land, just being renovated.
"As for the original residents who were relocated, if they still wish to live in the same place, they will be given a shop as before; if they do not wish to, they will be given money."
Hai Ling gave Xi Hanzhi some instructions. Xi Hanzhi was looking at the blueprints and carefully calculating whether he would lose money. In fact, it was obvious that the Empress had come to him about this matter today, and it was impossible for him to disagree. However, after looking through it, Xi Hanzhi realized that the profit was still very large, and the Xi family's affairs were now linked to the royal family, which would make things smoother in the future.
"I'll handle it."
Seeing that things were almost done, Ye Lingfeng and Hai Ling stood up, but they didn't forget to give Xi Hanzhi some advice.
"The sugar, grain, and fodder must be prepared within three days."
The people in the private room all stood up and respectfully saw them out. Before Hai Ling could leave, Xi Hanzhi remembered something.
"Your Majesty, please wait a moment?"
Hai Ling stopped and looked back at Xi Hanzhi, thinking he had something to ask her, so she waited.
Xi Hanzhi respectfully asked, "Hanzhi's younger sister, Liang'er, wishes to see Your Majesty. I wonder if Your Majesty would grant her a meeting?"
Xi Hanzhi thought of his younger sister, Xi Liang. This sister was someone they had finally found and was loved by the whole family. However, a couple of days ago, she went to the Ningnan Marquis's residence and had a visit with the heir's wife. When she came back, she was full of excitement and said she wanted to see the Empress. She kept pestering him. He hadn't agreed at first because he had never seen the Empress before. But today, he actually did see her.
Upon hearing Xi Hanzhi's words, Hai Ling smiled and nodded: "So it's the young princess who wants to see me. Alright, I'll send someone to the Prince Cang's residence to pick her up tomorrow."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Ye Lingfeng and Hai Ling walked out, escorted by several subordinates, and headed back to the palace.
Inside the private room, Wenbin and Xi Hanzhi finally calmed down, their minds cleared, and they looked at each other in bewilderment. Finally, they realized what was happening and pointed at each other, speechless.
It turns out that from the beginning, the Emperor wanted Wenbin to enter the court as an official, and the Empress wanted to find Xi Hanzhi to raise 200,000 dan of grain. However, they had not discovered it yet. It seems that this Emperor and Empress are both shrewd and capable.
However, this made Wenbin and Xi Hanzhi somewhat hopeful about the future of Beilu.
Xi Hanzhi stood up to take his leave: "I need to start preparing provisions immediately. Three days is a life-threatening time."
After saying that, he ignored the guys behind him and ran straight out.
Wenbin also thought of his own affairs. He decided to enter the court as an official. He had been compiling laws for a long time, so he should go back and organize them so that he could report them to the emperor.
As soon as the two left, the two people behind them couldn't help but look at each other speechlessly: "What are we doing?"
"They'll have something to do now, so let's find something to do too. Since the Emperor and Empress are so shrewd, why don't we do our part for the country?"
"Yes, let's go."
The idle young men, who used to do nothing, finally found a goal and went out together.
In the palace carriage, Ye Lingfeng held Hai Ling in his arms, one hand tightly gripping her soft hand: "Ling'er, you really can surprise me every moment."
Hai Ling chuckled and reached out to hug Ye Lingfeng's neck: "You too."
She was initially only attracted to Ye Lingfeng, but after marrying him, her heart was deeply drawn to him because this man truly loved her to the core. How could she not help him and stay by his side?
The carriage went all the way into the palace. After returning to the palace, Ye Lingfeng escorted Hai Ling back to Qingqian Palace to rest, while he naturally went to deal with the affairs of the court.
For now, he shouldn't worry too much about money, because with the 200,000 dan of rice from the Xi family, plus the confiscated items from the Zhou and Zhao families, and soon others as well, he should focus on how to crack down on these corrupt officials and make them have nowhere to hide. Also, Zhou Nian and Zhao Zhu are still imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice, so he should have them interrogated and find out as much as possible.
"Xiao Luzi, go and summon General Ji to the palace."
In the Imperial Study, Ye Lingfeng ordered Xiao Luzi to deliver an imperial decree to the Ji residence. Ji Cong was supposed to be leading troops in Dengzhou, but he rushed back because of Ling'er's wedding. Now that something had happened in Dengzhou, he should naturally go there. The Xi family's provisions would be ready in three days, and he could escort them to Dengzhou.
"yes."
Xiao Luzi went to the Ji residence to deliver the imperial decree, and Ye Lingfeng then summoned the two ministers of the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of War to immediately begin the trial of Zhou Nian and Zhao Zhu's cases.
After the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of War officials left, Ji Cong also entered the palace. Ye Lingfeng then told Ji Cong about escorting grain to Dengzhou in three days. Ji Cong naturally accepted the order and went. Originally, it was already a favor from the emperor that he was able to return to the capital, so now he should naturally return to Dengzhou to take charge and command.