Chapter 73: Zhang Yunqing’s Vision

Chapter 73: Zhang Yunqing’s Vision

Zhang Yunqing finally got to the important point.

Xiao Ce laughed out loud.

Zhang Yunqing lay awkwardly on the ground. He slowly looked up at Xiao Ce, not knowing what he was laughing about.

Seeing that Zhang Yunqing was completely confused,

Xiao Ce said with a smile, “Alright, you should have just said the important part earlier! Get up!”

Zhang Yunqing lay on the ground and did not dare to move.

He could not tell if Xiao Ce’s words were good or if he was just teasing him.

His first impression of Xiao Ce was that he was violent and ruthless.

As for the rumors before about Xiao Ce being useless, he had never believed them.

Xiao Jiu, being very quick-witted, walked over to Zhang Yunqing’s side.

“Shopkeeper Zhang, the Prince is telling you to get up, so get up quickly!”

As he spoke, he helped Zhang Yunqing up.

After looking around, Zhang Yunqing saw that Xiao Ce’s gloomy expression was gone, replaced by a smiling face.

His worried heart finally settled down. “Prince, please forgive me! This humble person’s legs are a bit weak.”

“As long as you serve me faithfully, you need not be afraid. This Prince’s likes and dislikes are clear.”

Zhang Yunqing nodded repeatedly, agreeing. He then pointed at the pile of papers on the table.

“Prince, these are my sincerity…”

Xiao Ce did not even look at them.

He put the papers into a brazier at the side and set them on fire.

“This Prince has always believed in not using those he doubts, and not doubting those he uses… As you said, This Prince is using you not because of what you wrote here.”

“But because This Prince heard about your loyalty to your former employer, and how you repaid kindness! Also, as you said, This Prince wants to wage war against the Turks. Looking across the entire Great Xiao Kingdom, indeed no one understands them better than you.”

“However, it’s still the same old saying. Even if you are useful, you are only useful to me if you are willing to be used by me! Otherwise…”

Before Xiao Ce could finish, Zhang Yunqing fell to his knees with a thud.

“Prince, this humble person swears to the heavens! I will serve you with all my heart and soul! If I dare to disobey even a little, may lightning strike me five times.”

Xiao Ce watched and listened as Zhang Yunqing made this vow. “Zhang Yunqing, aren’t you afraid that This Prince is like the Provincial Governor who came before, who starts strong with three fires but soon burns out? If you help me, you will completely offend the Northern Desert Noble Clans and the Turks. That would cut off all your retreats!”

Zhang Yunqing’s eyes were firm. “Prince, forgive my immodesty. I have never regretted a single decision I have made in my life! The facts prove that every choice I made was right! Including being the first to pledge my loyalty to you! The facts prove that I have once again made the correct choice.”

Xiao Ce was actually curious. Because without knowing Xiao Ce’s strength or the outside situation, Zhang Yunqing’s first letter showed his full sincerity.

He asked curiously, “Speaking of this! Zhang Yunqing, you haven’t even left this place, and you don’t know the situation outside, right? How dare you tell This Prince everything so openly?”

Zhang Yunqing cupped his hands respectfully. “To tell you the truth, Prince, actually before you even arrived, I was investigating you! Before you even set foot in the Four Northern Desert Prefectures, I already wanted to join you!”

Xiao Ce asked with some confusion, “Oh?”

“Prince, you must have heard some things about me! Although I am in the Northern Desert, I have always been like a rootless duckweed. I have been searching for a patron to serve. Although I have achieved my current success, I snuck my way to it. Only I know the bitterness involved.”

Xiao Ce said, “Nie Yao before was a decent official. Why didn’t you join him?”

Zhang Yunqing shook his head. “Provincial Governor Nie was indeed a good official, but he was too rigid, unwilling to bend. Most importantly, he had no patron behind him. It’s shameful to say, but I am not as selfless as Provincial Governor Nie. I just want to live a good life myself! I dare not gamble with everything I have, and with the lives of those who depend on me. Provincial Governor Nie was definitely not someone worth clinging to.”

Hearing Zhang Yunqing’s words, Xiao Ce appreciated him even more. What he said was practical, and what he wanted was practical too!

“You don’t need to feel guilty. You did nothing wrong. I have heard a bit about Provincial Governor Nie’s affairs. Even if you had helped him, you couldn’t have changed his outcome! Provincial Governor Nie was too rigid, and he was wrong from the start! He thought of uniting with those Noble Clan people to face the outside enemy together! But he never realized that the biggest problem in the Four Northern Desert Prefectures was never the Turks, but those Noble Clans and Nobility!”

Zhang Yunqing’s face lit up with excitement. “Prince, you are wise! This humble person thinks so too!!! In fact, when you resigned from the position of Crown Prince and requested to guard the Northern Desert border yourself, I noticed you. Everyone else was saying you were exiled, but I also found out some things.”

“From the news I gathered from various sources, I guessed that all of this was your strategy! You were surrounded by enemies in the Capital, and the Prince of Zhenguo’s hands and feet were tied. Rather than that, it was better to break out and come to the Northern Desert Region to establish achievements.”

Xiao Ce listened, somewhat surprised. This Zhang Yunqing’s vision was remarkable.

No wonder he had risen from a Bonded People to a wealthy, successful merchant.

“So you thought This Prince was your patron back then? You decided to join This Prince?”

Zhang Yunqing said awkwardly, “No! Before I continue, Prince, I must first ask you to pardon my offense!”

Xiao Ce said with a smile, “Of course! Speak freely. As long as they are your true thoughts, This Prince pardons you!”

Only then did Zhang Yunqing continue. “Prince, at that time, this humble person thought you were still too naive. Because the Prince of Zhenguo’s old troops were all at Yumen Pass. But you came to the Four Northern Desert Prefectures, where you had no advantage.”

“Moreover, His Majesty and the Second Prince had set many obstacles for you. They only gave you three thousand Death Row Prisoners, and did not even give you money or food! I didn’t even think you could make it here alive. When you first left the Capital, I thought the same as the people here… I thought you were simply a joke.”

“Only when you reached Anhua City, and I heard of your great deeds in helping the Disaster Victims in the Central Plains Region, did I realize that the entire Great Xiao Kingdom had misjudged you! While everyone else saw those Disaster Victims as a huge danger, you, Prince, rightly took in such a group of people!”

“I also found out that the Tianshan Snow Salt and Tianshan Snow Frost Sugar came from you! Later, I heard you were expanding your army along the way! Then I knew, the enlightened lord I was looking for had appeared!”

“My thinking was simple. As long as you could occupy even one city here, I would come and join you! For this, I also stockpiled a large amount of military provisions. I told others I would sell them to you at a high price.”

“Only, I had everything planned perfectly. I never expected, Prince, that you would surpass everyone’s expectations. Before the entire Four Northern Desert Prefectures were ready, you achieved such great results with lightning speed!”

“So when you first revealed your identity, I could not believe that you, a noble Prince, would dare to be at the front lines. After confirming your identity, I became even more sure that I wanted to serve you! I knew the chance for my fortune to change had come! So I wanted to grasp it firmly!”

“Prince, please believe me! I am willing to cut off a finger to show my determination!”

Xiao Ce looked at Zhang Yunqing’s face, pleading for his trust, and nodded with a smile. “That’s not necessary! I believe you! So, you probably don’t just want to tell This Prince these things. You must have a welcome gift for This Prince too.”

Zhang Yunqing misunderstood. “Prince, I have secretly stockpiled five hundred thousand dan of grain. Even if all the Disaster Victims and your army come, we can last for months! I am willing to offer it all to you!”

Xiao Ce smiled. “You have really solved my urgent problem. Five hundred thousand dan of provisions, at Northern Desert grain prices, they must have cost you about three million taels of Silver. That should be almost all your wealth.”

Zhang Yunqing did not deny it.

Xiao Ce continued, “This Prince will accept your provisions. Tell me how much they cost you, and I will pay you back with an extra twenty percent profit!”

Just as Zhang Yunqing was about to refuse,

Xiao Ce interrupted, “Don’t refuse. This Prince never shortchanges his own people! You are a merchant. A merchant should make money! If you don’t make money, what kind of merchant are you? Besides, This Prince is not short of money. I control the Four Prefectures and Thirty-Nine Cities of the Northern Desert. Do you think This Prince lacks money?”

Zhang Yunqing immediately understood. “Prince, the welcome gift you want from me should be… a strategy to deal with the Four Great Clans?”