Chapter 95: Negotiations (2)
Speaking of this time and space, there was an era in history when the warring states were unified into a single kingdom, and in later generations, the kingdom was broken up once again into four major countries: Yu Qi, Yu Heng, Lou Ye and Great Yu.
Among the four countries, Great Yu had the vastest expanse of land.
It was like a massive dragon that extended its reaches from the Yellow River to the Yangtze River, then northwards to the present Erenhot City; it continues to stretch forth its dragon-like head in the northwest towards Lou Ye, and then northeast towards the border of Yu Qi. Thus, this large expanse of land spans throughout the three kingdoms.
The southern portion of Great Yu borders the present Macau; west side faces Tibet; finally the east borders Shanghai. The country is vast, but it does occupy the best position!
North of Great Yu lies the Yu Heng country; out of the four countries, this kingdom had the smallest amount of land; they are also Great Yu's closest neighbor.
Yu Heng stretches northwards in territory, so it is sandwiched between Lou Ye and Da Yu, and is located farthest away from the northeastern Yu Qi country.
There are countless small countries that lie between the four major countries, and Yu Heng is caught in an awkward position between Great Yu and Lou Ye; it was both a blessing and a curse.
Among the countries, Yu Qi's traditions revolve around mainly around the Han Chinese culture. Meanwhile, Yu Heng and Great Yu, which both share the Yellow River and border Lou Ye, is a grassland that belongs to a semi-nomadic culture with traces of Han culture. In contrast, Lou Ye is a fully nomadic country, where many wandering monks can be found.
At this time, a person from Yu Heng country suddenly appears before Gong Yi Mo; if she reports the maiden to the authorities, the beauty will surely suffer a loss.
The princess blinked innocently and said, "Miss, it seems that there's something you'd like to say to this little sister."
Jing Yun looked at her with amusement and looked at her seductively. "Of course, I would like to make a deal with the princess."
"I heard that your kingdom's prince is going to repair the canal; the goal is to connect the capital to the Yangzte River, is that right?"
Gong Yi Mo nodded, "That is correct."
Seeming pleased with her answer, Jing Yun smiled and asked, "Is the princess coming along for the trip?"
"I'll be joining them for the journey."
"That's great," Jing Yun leaned forward and winked at her. "I wonder who could have come up with such an excellent idea. Is that why the princess wants to come along with them?"
Gong Yi Mo shook her head without hesitation and replied, "Who knows who came up with it? It couldn't have been me anyways."
"It doesn't matter." A glimmer of suspicion flickered across the beauty's eyes. "In any case, the princess is the crown prince's closest relative, and he values you very much. Even the emperor of Great Yu** seems to be very concerned about you. It's easy to see that the princess' words still carry considerable weight."
[note] Great Tang is the Dynasty name, much more overarching…whereas Great Yu is the country name that Emperor Gong rules and where Gong Yi Mo lives in [/note]
Gong Yi Mo remained in silence and simply looked back at Jing Yun with a smile.
"But as far as I know, the princess seems to be struggling in Great Yu. The princess' dear brother has left to a far place for his mission, while you are left here without any money for support…No, it can be said that you've lost everything."
Gong Yi Mo scrutinized the maiden. "You've been very thorough in investigating me…"
"Naturally," Jing Yun said with another wink.
The princess replied thoughtfully, "My funds are very scarce at the moment. I wonder what kind of deal you want to make."
For the first time, Jing Yun's amused expression turned grim, and she said with solemnity, "The Grand Canal you're going to excavate will stretch from the south to the north. Using the existing Yulong Inner Canal, you will be renovating this waterway and will extend it towards the capital. Is that right?
Gong Yi Mo nodded, "Not bad."
The maiden gracefully turned her gaze towards the princess; her eyes seemed full of expectation and deep affection.
"Then I would like to ask the princess, how do you think you can profit from this?"
Gong Yi Mo had already considered this question in the past. She snapped her fingers and replied cheekily to Jing Yun, "Search among family properties, exterminate clans, buy more goods, rob the tombs, and…" Her eyes flashed excitedly, "and smuggling."