Chapter 265: Thoughts
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A cold wind blew through the air, and the young man in white shivered.
Xiao Ming noticed it. Judging from the man’s soft skin and gentle appearance, he likely lived in the warm southern regions where people were more scholarly and less used to the cold.
Xiao Ming realized that his earlier words might have been too harsh. If Prince Wei had heard them, he probably would’ve jumped up in anger and yelled at him.
But as the old saying goes, “ally with the far, attack the near.” Xiao Ming understood the value of strategy. Even if he knew Prince Wei had selfish motives, it was still smart to cooperate for now.
After all, many unrelated princes were eyeing the throne. Xiao Ming and Prince Wei were at least from the same family.
So Xiao Ming said calmly, “Don’t take it personally. I was just rambling. Since my third uncle sent you, I know this visit is about cannons. Let’s get to the point. How many cannons does he need, and how much is he offering for each?”
The young man in white breathed a quiet sigh of relief. He had already noticed something, Prince Qi was very different from the other royal sons. He gave off a feeling of danger and strength, and his words carried authority.
That earlier outburst had stunned him for a moment. But now that he had recovered, he replied, “Prince Wei said he needs 300 cannons. You gave Prince Zhao a price of 20,000 silver taels per cannon. Prince Wei hopes that, since you’re family, you might offer a small discount. But if not, he’s also willing to pay the same price.”
“Hah, my third uncle is generous,” Xiao Ming replied. “Since he’s so generous, it would be rude of me not to give a little discount. Fine, I’ll reduce it by 500 taels—19,500 silver taels per cannon.”
The young envoy smiled bitterly in his heart. Prince Wei had guessed right, Prince Qi was stingy and not someone who gave large discounts.
He said, “Understood. Your Highness, I brought silver with me. We only ask that the cannons be delivered to Prince Wei as soon as the Imperial Guards receive their first shipment. That way, we can deal with the pirates.”