I Built a Territory in Ancient Times Chapter 129

Chapter 129

After reading the details in the brochure, the people below began whispering among themselves.

Ma Jinyu was excited, and he leaned toward his father, speaking in a low voice, “Father, just as we thought!”

Ma Siyong also smiled confidently, nodding. “It looks like our preparations were useful.”

Based on the few hints Duan Wang had shared, they had made a good guess. Now, seeing everything laid out, it was exactly as they had anticipated.

“Exactly.” Ma Jinyu wiped the sweat from his palms, too excited to stay still. Although they had previously thought about how the profits would be divided after investing, the actual details were still a surprise. The plan in Duan Wang’s brochure was much more generous than they had expected.

The investment was categorized into different levels, with the largest investors getting the greatest share of the profits. It was fair and transparent, allowing merchants to decide how much they could afford to invest and what their returns would be.

Ma Jinyu focused especially on the Western Qi Corridor’s development plan and the profit-sharing structure after three years.

The Ma family, naturally, aimed for the highest level. Though the costs were significant, their focus was on the preferential tax exemption policies for the Western Qi Corridor over the next ten years.

The Ma family’s wealth primarily came from trade, which was essential to their success. In the past, they hadn’t dared venture west. But now, with the Western Qi Corridor, the Ma family’s trade caravans were headed west, and taxes were unavoidable. However, with Duan Wang’s promise, the money saved already exceeded their expectations.

Additionally, there was the profit-sharing arrangement for the Western Qi Corridor for the next three years. Such a rare opportunity was hard to come by in a hundred years, and the Ma family couldn’t afford to miss it.

Master Zhu glanced at the Ma family leader’s direction and realized why the Ma family had already started preparing early—they had already gotten wind of the news. With such conditions, who could resist?

“The terms are laid out. Does Zhu family head have any plans?” Master Wang leaned over and asked in a low voice.

“What plans could we have? Judging from what’s written here, it truly is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It’s obvious what the Ma family’s plan is, no wonder they’ve been so prepared.” Master Zhu said gruffly.

Master Wang nodded, “So should we compete with the Ma family?”

Master Zhu sneered, “Compete? Why not? There’s profit to be made; we can’t let the Ma family take all the advantage.”

Master Wang frowned, “But we haven’t prepared as thoroughly, is there still time for us to get ready?”

Master Zhu nodded, “That’s something you don’t need to worry about. Duan Wang’s goal is money; I don’t think he’ll turn us away. We should be able to ask for more time.”

Master Wang nodded, agreeing with this. Now he felt a bit more at ease.

Then, he heard Master Zhu continue, “Perhaps we can unite our people to maximize the benefits, talk about the price with Duan Wang, and get the highest profit for the least cost. We can’t let him dictate the rules; we don’t have to follow him just because he asks. He’s the one seeking us, not the other way around.”

“Brilliant!” Master Wang exclaimed, giving a thumbs-up in praise.

After a brief thought, he quickly understood the point. Master Zhu was indeed a sharp figure, able to pinpoint the critical issues instantly. It was well known that Duan Wang was short on money and that the court couldn’t provide any. That was why he came up with this method, attempting to get money from merchants, even offering generous returns.

It was a shame, though. If they had gotten the news sooner, they might have been able to rally other merchants to pressure Duan Wang, pushing him to lower the investment standards or raise the profit shares. That way, they could have gotten an even greater benefit. Now, it was likely too late; it was probably too late to gather other merchants in time.

“The news came too late. It’s already too late to coordinate with others. With just the two of us, it’s hard to get anything done.” The merchants present today, besides those from the capital, included many from other places. With just the two families, they couldn’t unite everyone’s opinion.

Master Zhu had also realized this, and his face turned slightly dark. If they could secure the Ma family and the Zhou family, with their four families united, the matter would surely succeed.

“We can try to win over the Ma family. Once they’re on our side, the Zhou family will be no problem. With our four families joining forces, we still have the power to make Duan Wang submit.”

“That’s one way of looking at it, but the Ma family probably won’t be so easy to persuade. Otherwise, why would they start preparing so thoroughly when they got the news, not revealing a word about it? It’s clear they’ve already fully sided with Duan Wang.”

“Let’s not assume we know his thoughts. After all, this benefits everyone. We’ll split up into two groups. You send word to the merchants who follow us, and tell them to act accordingly. I’ll go try and persuade the Ma family head.” Master Zhu said decisively. They didn’t have much time left.

Master Wang had no choice but to agree, immediately sending someone to spread the word. Meanwhile, Master Zhu stood up and walked directly over to sit beside Ma Siyong.

Ming Yu watched this scene with a smile on his lips, his eyes moving back and forth, as though deep in thought.

“Little brother Ma, it looks like you’ve already made up your mind. Is it settled then?” Master Zhu asked with a smile.

“Pretty much. You know how it is with our Ma family—if we don’t seize this opportunity, we’ll fall behind and be left in the dust.” Ma Siyong said with a casual tone. He didn’t know why Master Zhu was coming over at this moment, so he just went along with his words.

Master Zhu seemed to have anticipated this and smiled, “You’re being too modest. Duan Wang’s plan is indeed good, but there’s one issue. I wonder if you’ve thought about it, little brother.”

Ma Siyong glanced at him, “What issue?”

“Duan Wang wants our merchants to provide the funds, which is fair enough. But the terms… I wonder if you have any thoughts on that? We merchants are all about profit. Perhaps we can discuss the terms with Duan Wang, see if there’s room for negotiation?”

The moment these words were spoken, Ma Siyong understood what Master Zhu was implying. However, it seemed Old Master Zhu’s plan might not work out.

“Well…” Ma Siyong’s eyes shifted, and he smiled, “To be honest, our Ma family just wants to secure the top-tier qualification. We haven’t thought much about anything else. But if the Zhu and Wang families are interested in negotiating, and it works out, our Ma family wouldn’t mind benefiting from it.”

This old fox, Master Zhu thought, mentally scoffing. Ma Siyong’s words amounted to nothing. It was clear that what he meant was that the Zhu and Wang families could take the lead, and his Ma family would just follow the winning side.

However, Master Zhu wasn’t easily fooled. He sneered and said, “This requires unity. If we join forces, Duan Wang may not have a way out. This is for the benefit of everyone. Little brother, you should contribute as well, don’t you think? Otherwise, why would I be here?”

Ma Siyong shook his head, genuinely saying, “Master Zhu, to be honest, I don’t think it’s worth negotiating. Duan Wang has made it clear—there’s visible profit to be gained. If we try to renegotiate the terms, I’m afraid—”

“So, are you saying you don’t want to participate anymore?” Master Zhu was frustrated. A man as sharp as Ma Siyong was clearly already fully on Duan Wang’s side. How could he say something like that?

Here’s the complete translation with the essence captured and past tense maintained:

“I just want to avoid causing unnecessary trouble,” said Ma Siyong.


Master Zhu waved his sleeve and stood up. “Since that’s the case, let’s consider this conversation over. Farewell!” Since the Ma family wasn’t willing to participate, there was no need to force them. It would be better to go ahead and find others who shared similar goals.


Ma Siyong looked at the retreating figure of Master Zhu and smiled, shaking his head. It was something that was never going to work out, so why go through the trouble?


They had actually considered such matters before. When they discussed this with the Ma family, some had suggested they should have a firm grip on Duan Wang. He himself had no objections to this idea. After all, such negotiations weren’t unfamiliar; everyone wanted to use the smallest cost to secure the greatest benefit.


Now, it was Duan Wang who sought wealth, and that meant he had to beg them. They had the upper hand now. At the very least, they should strive to get more benefits.


With this thought, he instructed Ma Jinyu to probe Duan Wang’s intentions and see how he would react. However, the situation turned out to be completely unexpected. Once they received the news, they dared not entertain any other ideas. They were simply relieved that they might still manage to cooperate with Duan Wang.


Ma Jinyu smirked, clearly amused. If Duan Wang were so easily manipulated, he wouldn’t be Duan Wang. When he had jokingly mentioned such things earlier, Duan Wang had paid it no mind.


Couldn’t come up with the required amount of wealth? Displeased with the distribution of benefits? Ha! Well, he could just step aside and let someone more prepared take the opportunity. That wasn’t a bad option. The attitude wasn’t one of begging them for money. Instead, it seemed as if they were the ones offering money, expecting Duan Wang to accept it.


He had been frustrated at the time and mentioned, “Your Highness, aren’t you short on money? If you don’t compromise, what would happen if the merchants united and refused to contribute?”


Ming Yu had smiled faintly. “It’s not just you merchants who have money.”


He was puzzled. Who, other than merchants, could possibly have so much money?


Ming Yu smiled knowingly, as if seeing through his thoughts. “I have many ways of making money. It’s just a matter of time. Consider how many people live in the Great Yan. If I were to take from them, it would be an easy task. Not much is needed—just five or ten coins per person. When pooled together, what would that sum up to?”


He had been stunned upon hearing that. “Your Highness, you can really get the common people to willingly give money?” Although five or ten coins wasn’t much, when accumulated, it could easily fund the entire Western Qi Corridor, let alone just one region.


”The merchants chase profit, but the common folk also enjoy taking advantage. If there were a money shop, a silver bank, where the people could deposit their money, with fixed interest rates that grow every month or year, over two or three years, the money would multiply. Do you think no one would deposit their money there?”


“…” Ma Jinyu had never heard of such a thing. Usually, the common people hid any spare cash they had, only using it when necessary. The idea of depositing money somewhere else and earning more in return was unheard of.


If it were him, with such an opportunity, he might just try it himself with any extra funds.

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