Ministers Begging Me to Ascend the Throne

Chapter 968: Chapter 71: Cooperating with Prince Han

Uncle Gao hurried back to Prince Han’s mansion, only to find Zhao Yao and He Lianfang barbecuing in the courtyard. Zhao Yao, seeing him return, quickly waved him over, "Uncle Gao, coming early isn’t as good as coming at the right time. The lamb skewers are just done; come over and eat."

Although he wasn’t originally hungry, Uncle Gao’s stomach growled immediately upon smelling the aroma of grilled meat, and he hurriedly walked over to Zhao Yao.

Uncle Gao grabbed a handful of lamb skewers and started eating them voraciously.

Tong Xi handed Uncle Gao a jug of wine, which he took and drank heartily from directly.

"Refreshing!" Eating barbecue and drinking strong wine felt truly exhilarating.

"How was the patrol? Was there any trouble?" Zhao Yao asked.

"No one dared to cause trouble, but there were several inlanders who thought they were superior, forcing the stall owners to sell cheaply to them. And a few foreigners got into a scuffle with the inlanders..." Uncle Gao relayed some minor incidents he encountered during his patrol to Zhao Yao.

Zhao Yao listened and nodded, saying, "It’s good that there’s no trouble."

Uncle Gao remembered that before he left, Zhao Yao was still discussing matters with the people sent by Prince Han, and he inquired with concern, "Your Highness, how did the discussions with Prince Han’s people go? Were you bullied?"

"The people sent by Prince Han were very sincere, and the discussions went well."

"What kind of business were you discussing?"

"A lot. Glass, soap, dried fruit, medicinal materials, wine, medicinal wine, fabric, embroidery..."

Uncle Gao listened, his face showing surprise, "That much?"

"And that’s not all." Since Uncle Gao and He Lianfang were his own people, Zhao Yao had nothing to hide, "Prince Han will open a shop in Swamp Prefecture, specializing in selling northern specialties like fur and jerky. He will also open a restaurant there."

"Selling fur and jerky?" Uncle Gao questioned with a puzzled expression, "I remember fur and jerky from the Western Regions are sold in Swamp Prefecture. Can Prince Han’s shop make money?"

"Whether he makes money or not is none of our concern." Zhao Yao continued, "He will source goods from me, like glass and soap, dried fruit, and wine to sell in the north."

"Your Highness, couldn’t you sell directly in the north? Is there really a need to collaborate with Prince Han?" Uncle Gao asked, puzzled, "You could make more money selling on your own compared to collaborating with Prince Han. Why agree to Prince Han’s terms?"

Tong Xi, who was in charge of grilling meat, chimed in, "Uncle Gao, did you forget that Youzhou is Prince Han’s fiefdom? Without Prince Han’s permission, Your Highness cannot do business in Youzhou."

Zhao Yao continued from Tong Xi’s words, "I haven’t done business in the north."

"Does Prince Han control all the northern trade?" Uncle Gao asked, shocked, "Without Prince Han’s permission, can no one do business in the north? Is he really so domineering?"

"Youzhou is his fiefdom; it’s normal for him not to allow outsiders to do business there."

"Prince Han doesn’t allow you to do business in Youzhou, but he wants to purchase goods from you to sell there?"

Zhao Yao lightly nodded, "That’s right."

Uncle Gao, feeling indignant, said, "Prince Han is really cunning." Prince Han truly calculated well.

"How can one do business without cunningness?"

"Your Highness, don’t you feel this is a major loss?" Uncle Gao expressed his concern for Zhao Yao, "Isn’t Prince Han just bullying you by doing this?"

"He’s not bullying me. He’s purchasing goods from me, and it’s not like he’s not paying," Zhao Yao smiled, "Besides, I wouldn’t sell to him at a loss."

"Your Highness, he’s buying at a cheap price from you and will sell at a high price once in Youzhou. Isn’t this a loss?"

"Not a loss. I’m only responsible for selling the goods to him; I don’t have to worry about anything else, saving me quite a hassle." Zhao Yao calculated with Uncle Gao, "Look, if I were to sell in Youzhou myself, I could get a higher price, but the cost would be bigger. First, I’d need to rent a storefront in Youzhou, which would cost a hefty sum. Secondly, I’d have to pay taxes to Prince Han, which would also be quite a sum. Lastly, I’d have to establish a porcelain factory in Youzhou, and whether renting or buying land, would cost a large sum. Additionally, hiring craftsmen isn’t cheap either."

Uncle Gao nodded continuously.

"All these expenses together aren’t a small amount, but Prince Han purchasing directly from me saves me all costs. Which method do you think is more economical?"

After hearing Zhao Yao’s calculations, Uncle Gao suddenly understood, "Of course, Prince Han purchasing directly from you is more economical."

"Exactly, and more importantly, the method of making glass remains secure," Zhao Yao narrowed his eyes slightly, saying meaningfully, "If it were in Youzhou, we might not be able to safeguard the porcelain factory, and the formula for making glass might be leaked. After all, Youzhou isn’t my domain; everything in Youzhou is at Prince Han’s discretion."