I Built a Territory in Ancient Times Chapter 109

Chapter 109

The crowd’s gazes toward Ming Yu grew increasingly heated. Every single one of them came from wealthy and powerful families. Previously, they had lacked access to such opportunities, so they had no choice but to watch from the sidelines. But now, the very source of the opportunity was right before them—this was a chance they couldn’t afford to miss.

Ming Yu found their expressions amusing. How could he not know what they were thinking? He had planned from the start to offer them an enormous opportunity; it was just a matter of whether they had the ability to seize it.

Feigning a sigh, Ming Yu said, “I have no choice in the matter. But in the end, this business is not a long-term solution. My aspirations are far beyond mere trade. In the long run, I may have to reluctantly let it go.”

The crowd was stunned. What?! Did they hear that correctly? Wang Ye’s trade had limitless potential, yet he was talking about giving it up? Was there some mistake?

Everyone exchanged glances, unable to grasp his meaning. In the end, Ma Jinyu took the lead and cautiously asked, “Wang Ye must be joking. Everyone here knows that what Wang Ye has is true large-scale trade, bringing immense profits. We could never hope to compare!”

Ming Yu shook his head. “I am not joking. I know very well the advantages of this business. But in the end, one man’s power is limited. No matter how hard I work, I can only grasp so much. There are countless treasures in the Western Regions, yet with my strength alone, gathering them is like trying to scoop sand from the ocean with bare hands. It’s truly a shame. If more people were involved, the benefits would be far greater.”

Ma Jinyu’s heart skipped a beat. He looked at Ming Yu, who was casually seated on the ground. Every word made sense on its own, but somehow, when put together, they were difficult to fully comprehend.

Someone nudged Ma Jinyu in the ribs. When he turned around, a person whispered in his ear, “What does Wang Ye mean by this?”

He was just as confused. How would he know?

One bold individual speculated, “Could it be that Wang Ye is offering a chance for all of us to share in this exclusive business?”

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone’s hearts stirred. These young heirs had been groomed as elite successors of their respective families, and their sharp instincts for business were ingrained in their very bones. At the mere hint of opportunity, they would swarm toward it like bees to honey. They all knew that in business, speed was everything. The first to act gained the advantage, while the slow ones lost out. Missing an opportunity meant falling behind, and in the world of aristocratic families, once you fell behind, you could never regain your footing. This was the most fatal weakness for any prestigious household.

“Are you serious? If it were you, would you willingly share such a lucrative business?”

The person fell silent. Of course not. They weren’t fools. But then again, hadn’t they heard that Duan Wang had been a fool since childhood? What if he was having one of his episodes right now? Naturally, they didn’t dare say this out loud, but the thought lingered in their minds.

No one could quite figure out what was going on. The best course of action was to ask Wang Ye directly. So, Ma Jinyu was once again pushed forward. The entire crowd craned their necks, eagerly waiting to hear every word of their conversation.

Ma Jinyu rubbed his hands together and cautiously asked, “Wang Ye, you know that we are all rough merchants. I wonder, what exactly did you mean just now?”

Ming Yu did not keep them guessing. The plan he was working on required these people to invest both money and effort. Dropping a few hints now would allow them to prepare early, which would also be to his advantage.

“It’s very simple. In the near future, merchants who are interested will also be able to trade in the Western Regions. At that time, we will export goods from the Great Yan to the Western Regions, and in return, bring their goods back to the Great Yan. To be frank with you all, our goods in the Great Yan are highly valued in the Western Regions—silk, for instance, is considered as precious as soft gold. And as for the demand for Western goods in the Great Yan, you have all seen it for yourselves, haven’t you?” Ming Yu explained.

Everyone felt an itch in their hearts. As merchants, they naturally understood the principle that rarity increases value. They had no doubts about Ming Yu’s words, but what they could not believe was that Duan Wang would allow them to get involved so easily.

They silently began making their own calculations. What was the real reason behind Duan Wang’s decision? They were businessmen, raised with an innate sense of caution, and would never jump into anything without thinking it through. None of them believed in windfall profits that fell from the sky—if something seemed too good to be true, there was always a price to pay. If what Duan Wang said was true, then what kind of cost would they have to bear?

For a while, no one spoke. Ming Yu, of course, understood their concerns, but he did not rush them. Instead, he leisurely began talking about the scenery of the Western Regions. “You are all from merchant families, so you know that traveling far and wide is common for traders. But do you have any idea just how vast the Western Regions are? It’s beyond imagination. To the far west, there are countless tiny kingdoms, as well as empires as powerful as the Great Yan. Their people have deep-set eyes and high noses, golden hair, and emerald-green eyes. And, of course, their gold and jewels are endless. Think about it—earning their money, how could that possibly compare to ordinary business deals?”

Everyone was captivated. If they could travel to the Western Regions even once in their lifetime, it would be worth it.

“Unfortunately, only Wang Ye has the ability to conduct trade in the Western Regions. Although we admire it, we simply don’t have the means,” someone said enviously.

Ming Yu glanced at them and asked, “Why not? As long as you are willing, what’s stopping you?”

That person smiled bitterly. “For one, we’ve never been there, so we know nothing about their customs. But more importantly, just the situation at the borders is terrifying enough. My father once went to the frontier for business, but the region was full of bandits, and there was constant war with the Suixi Kingdom. He barely made it back alive. After that, he warned us never to go again—after all, our lives are more important.”

These words were like a bucket of cold water, instantly sobering everyone up. That was true—what good was wealth if they lost their lives? Duan Wang’s caravans could travel safely because of his own strength.

They had already investigated thoroughly when Ming Yu’s merchant convoy returned for the first time. The convoy’s escort team had several hundred men, and half of them were from the Red Robe Army. To travel to the Western Regions, they had to pass through the enemy nation of Suixi Kingdom. How could the barbarians be easily provoked? They were just ordinary civilians, not capable of such a strong force to protect the convoy. Even if the merchant group were formed, it would surely be like a lamb entering the tiger’s den.

Ming Yu smiled and confidently said, “That was over ten or twenty years ago. Don’t you know that I, now, am the Prince of Liangzhou? The bandits and troubles in the borderlands were already cleared out by me long ago. Those people are hiding now, trying to avoid trouble. They wouldn’t dare cause any chaos anymore. Wouldn’t you agree, General Xie?”

Xie Yixiu, who had been silent up until this point, was finally mentioned by Ming Yu. He nodded with a soft “Hmm.”

Ming Yu then dropped a bombshell, “And now, we’ve found a safe route. We won’t need to pass through Suixi Kingdom. We can safely enter the Western Regions, saving a lot of time and effort.”

Everyone nearly exploded in excitement. Could there really be such good news? This meant the risk of trading in the Western Regions had greatly decreased. As long as they could make a profit, taking some risk would be worth it.

“Your Highness, if we were to send a merchant convoy to the Western Regions, what are the conditions?” Ma Jinyu finally couldn’t hold back and asked.

“Conditions? What conditions? Just prepare your money and goods, that’s all. I guarantee that everyone will make money and get a share of the profits,” Ming Yu said generously. “But you all know, high investment, high returns. If you are really interested, you can wait for further news. I believe the court will have a specific plan soon.”

If the court would support it, this was definitely not a joke. Now, no one could stay still. Some people fidgeted restlessly, but due to the presence of the Eldest Princess, they didn’t leave immediately. However, several people said they would go back to discuss this with their family heads. Not caring about anything else, they hurriedly bid farewell to Ming Yu and the Eldest Princess before rushing off.

Ma Jinyu, as the host, of course couldn’t just leave without doing anything. He waited until the garden party ended before hurriedly going back to discuss this important matter.

Li Tonghe had originally planned to involve Ming Yu and his group, hoping to see them make a fool of themselves. If it was their turn and they couldn’t produce poetry or literature, would the young ladies still admire a useless prince or general?

As expected, when it was finally Ming Yu’s turn, he scratched his head and said, “Poetry and literature? I don’t know a thing about them. I’d rather take the penalty.”

With that, he took the wine cup, ready to drink three cups as punishment, but Xie Yixiu stopped him. “I’ll take the penalty on Wang Ye’s behalf.”

Ming Yu grinned and nodded quickly. He had never been a big drinker. The last time he went to the borderlands, he had gotten completely drunk at the welcoming banquet and suffered greatly for it. Since then, he had barely touched alcohol. He knew Xie Yixiu’s drinking capacity—this was nothing for him—so he readily agreed.

No one dared to say that taking the penalty for someone else was against the rules, so they turned a blind eye and let it pass. Only Shangguan Ling and a few others had eyes gleaming with interest, quietly exchanging thoughts among themselves. They giggled and occasionally stole glances at Ming Yu and Xie Yixiu.

Li Tonghe, upon witnessing this scene, was furious. Duan Wang was ignorant and unlearned—he simply couldn’t understand why this group of girls wouldn’t spare even a glance for someone as talented as himself. They were utterly shallow!

After a few more rounds of drinking, Ming Yu started to find it dull. There was no need for him to stay any longer—he had already done what he came to do. Although the main objective had turned out quite different from what he had originally planned, he had still made quite a few new connections, which was a good thing.

He was certain that once word of today’s events spread, any merchant with real power wouldn’t just sit idly by. Whether they were interested or not, they would at least try to gather information—some might observe for now, while others might decide to act immediately. Regardless, this matter would undoubtedly create a significant impact across the entire Great Yan.

In a grand mansion in the capital, lights shone brightly. Ma Jinyu stood in the center of the main hall with his head slightly lowered, his expression filled with utmost respect.

Seated in the middle of the hall was the head of the Ma family, Ma Siyong. On either side of him sat the elders from the various branches of the Ma family. They were the contributors to the family’s success—without their efforts and dedication, the Ma family wouldn’t have achieved its current wealth and status.

These men had already reached an age where they should be enjoying a peaceful retirement. It had been a long time since they had concerned themselves with the family’s affairs. Yet today, the family head had summoned them all, saying that there was an important matter to discuss.

Ma Jinyu, trembling with anxiety, recounted Ming Yu’s words exactly as they had been spoken. The hall fell into silence, with only his voice echoing in the air, making him feel an overwhelming pressure.

As a rising talent of the Ma family’s younger generation, Ma Jinyu was the most likely candidate to take over the family in the future—unless something unexpected happened. He had never seen such a scene before, with all the most esteemed elders of the family gathered together. It was a clear sign that the family was on the verge of making a major decision.

His palms were slick with sweat. For someone from the younger generation, being involved in such a crucial decision-making process was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. For him, it was not just a chance—it was a defining moment in his growth.

Once Ma Jinyu finished speaking, the hall remained utterly silent.

“What does everyone think?” Ma Siyong finally broke the silence, looking around the room.

The elder seated to his right stroked his silver-white beard before speaking to Ma Jinyu. “Is Duan Wang truly willing to share this business venture with everyone? How is that possible?”

Even after hearing Duan Wang’s intentions in full, some people still found it hard to believe. As merchants, they understood all too well how profitable a monopoly could be—especially when it came to cross-border trade.

They had already heard how rare and valuable goods from the Western Regions were—practically unseen in the world. If this trade route continued to be developed, it wouldn’t be long before Duan Wang accumulated wealth on par with an entire nation.

And now, Duan Wang was willing to give up part of that fortune and let others share in the profits? Just hearing it sounded like a trap! It wasn’t that he was overly suspicious—it was simply too hard to believe. Any rational person would have kept such a lucrative deal to themselves.

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