The boss of a foreign organization called the police, claiming that he was defrauded by me

"And you genuinely want to exchange iron and copper resources for grain, shouldn't that be exactly what you want? So why are you refusing?"

"You even refused to meet with Yoo Ji-soo when she came to visit. This will only make the relationship between the two countries more tense and will not do any good."

Yang Xia listened carefully to Yu Meiren's words and knew that she was kind-hearted by nature. After hearing Liu Zhixiu's side of the story, she couldn't help but have some thoughts.

He naturally didn't want Yu Meiren to misunderstand him, nor did he want her to be used by Liu Zhixiu again. Yang Xia felt it necessary to clarify the matter.

Having made up his mind, he walked up to Yu Meiren without hesitation, glancing helplessly at the bowl of coarse porridge.

He sighed softly and explained, "You don't know this, but Liu Zhixiu of the Red Cake Kingdom is no pushover. He's scheming to use his abundant iron and copper reserves to..."

"They tried every means to cut off the lifeline of the Great Zhou Dynasty, but unexpectedly they were trapped by the food problem instead. This is truly the cycle of heaven, and retribution is inevitable."

“I don’t know what Yoo Ji-soo said to you, but I can guess. He must have described the Red Cake Kingdom as extremely miserable and kept crying to you about it.”

"Am I right? Although I've only met him a few times, I know him quite well. He's a greedy and greedy man, so don't be fooled by him."

Yang Xia patiently explained everything to Yu Meiren, hoping she would understand that things were not as Liu Zhixiu had described.

It wasn't that he was unwilling to help the people of Red Cake Kingdom; it was simply that Liu Zhixiu had brought this upon himself, and all these consequences were caused by him. Yang Xia had no choice but to do so.

After hearing Yang Xia's detailed explanation, Yu Meiren felt ashamed and realized that she had been too rash.

Without understanding the whole story, she readily believed Liu Zhixiu's one-sided account. She glanced sheepishly at the bowl of coarse porridge on the table.

With a face full of guilt, he said to Yang Xia, "Your Majesty... I am truly sorry. I was ignorant and only believed Liu Zhixiu's one-sided words."

"I thought you really didn't want to help the people of Red Cake Kingdom. They are living in dire straits now, and these people are all innocent."

"I don't think the people of Red Cake Country did anything wrong; the ones who are wrong are the country's decision-makers."

“They are starving and freezing every day. Just thinking about that scene makes me feel really sad.”

Yang Xia understood Yu Meiren's feelings after hearing her words. After all, they had been together for so long, and he knew her thoughts very well.

She cares most about ordinary people and can never bear to see them suffer. Now that she hears they are starving and freezing, she must be extremely anxious.

Yang Xia smiled as he looked at Yu Meiren, unsure how to comfort her.

She looked worried and very down.

Just then, Yu Meiren suddenly returned to Yang Xia's side, looked at him with pleading eyes, and said:
"Your Majesty... please don't blame me for meddling, I really can't bear it. Could you please consider my feelings and stand on the side of humanitarianism?"

“Give the Red Cake Kingdom some aid, at least so that its people will no longer go hungry. I only hope that you can re-establish the grain trade agreement between the Great Zhou Dynasty and the Red Cake Kingdom.”

“I know this request may be difficult for you, but if you don’t agree, I will feel really bad, and those images will keep appearing in my mind.”

Yu Meiren looked at Yang Xia with longing eyes and made her request. Yang Xia, however, was not surprised at all; he calmly gazed at Yu Meiren.

When Yang Xia learned that Liu Zhixiu had contacted Yu Meiren, he had already anticipated this outcome.

He couldn't bear to see Yu Meiren heartbroken, but Yang Xia really needed to carefully consider this request and devise a new exchange agreement.

Seeing that Yu Meiren kept pleading, Yang Xia felt quite helpless because he couldn't refuse her.

After careful consideration, Yang Xia pondered the matter repeatedly.

After a moment, Yang Xia looked at Yu Meiren helplessly and said, "Alright... since you've spoken up for the Red Cake Kingdom, if I still don't agree, can you just let it go?"

"However... I have some conditions. If Liu Zhixiu cannot agree to these conditions, I still will not sign the grain exchange agreement with them."

When Yu Meiren heard that Yang Xia had agreed to her request, a smile immediately bloomed on her face, and she looked very happy.

She was flattered and overwhelmed that Yang Xia would actually grant her request.

But in any case, she managed to secure this opportunity for the people of Red Cake Kingdom, which was truly wonderful news.

Yu Meiren looked at Yang Xia excitedly and asked, "Your Majesty...please tell me, what are your preconditions? I will definitely convey them to you."

"I believe they will definitely agree; food is a lifeline for the Red Cake Country right now."

Looking at the ecstatic Yu Meiren, Yang Xia shook his head helplessly and said, "You'd better listen carefully. I hope you can tell Liu Zhixiu that he absolutely cannot bargain with me."

“I don’t want to waste any more time. I propose an exchange rate, and they have no room for discussion; they must agree, or there’s no point in talking.”

"I'm only giving them this opportunity because of your kindness; otherwise, I still wouldn't give them this chance and would have them find another way out."

Yu Meiren was somewhat surprised when she heard Yang Xia's precondition.

"Pfft..."

Yu Meiren couldn't help but laugh out loud, looking at Yang Xia with her bright, big eyes.

Yang Xia frowned, puzzled as to why Yu Meiren had suddenly started laughing. Had he said something wrong?

Yang Xia looked at Yu Meiren with a puzzled expression and asked, "What's wrong... Did I say something wrong? Or do you think they won't agree to my condition?"

"That's fine. Just tell them directly that I won't give them that chance. Let them find another way out as soon as possible."

Hearing Yang Xia's strange words, Yu Meiren couldn't help but chuckle and said:
"Your Majesty...why don't you speak with Yoo Ji-soo yourself? Sending me back and forth to relay messages is such a waste of time."

"Why don't you just have an open and honest conversation? I really don't understand what kind of tricks you're playing."

Yu Meiren couldn't understand what Yang Xia and Liu Zhixiu were thinking. Didn't they find it awkward that this was being passed around like this?
When Yang Xia heard Yu Meiren's question, he was actually unwilling to do so, but he really didn't want to face Liu Zhixiu.

Just thinking about his face made Yang Xia feel uncomfortable and even disgusted.

After hesitating for a moment, Yang Xia smiled and said to Yu Meiren, "Because I have no intention of negotiating with Liu Zhixiu, I do not want to meet with him."

"I'm saying all this now only because Yoo Ji-soo approached you, otherwise I wouldn't even have this opportunity."

“I’ve already given them a chance, but they don’t appreciate it at all. They’re stubbornly clinging to their iron and copper mines. What can I do?”

"He actually came here to complain, and I haven't even bothered with him about any of this. I've already made concessions, which is already quite generous. He still wants me to talk to him? That's just wishful thinking."

Yang Xia appeared extremely unwilling and made his stance clear to Yu Meiren.

Hearing Yang Xia's words, Yu Meiren had no choice but to nod helplessly and accept the task.

She knew that Liu Zhixiu was anxiously awaiting news. Until noon the next day, Liu Zhixiu eagerly came to find Yu Meiren. Yu Meiren looked at him and said, "Please come in quickly..."

Liu Zhixiu strode in and eagerly asked Yu Meiren:

"Miss Yu Meiren... Do you have any news from your side? I really can't wait any longer."

Upon hearing Liu Zhixiu's question, Yu Meiren looked troubled, but finally spoke:
“I did see His Majesty and discussed these matters with him. However, His Majesty set conditions.”

"He said you can't bargain with him. You have to agree to whatever exchange rate he proposes, or there's no point in talking."

Yu Meiren looked at Liu Zhixiu and said these words. Liu Zhixiu's face immediately turned ugly, but he knew that this might be the last chance for the Red Cake Kingdom.

Thinking of this, Liu Zhixiu sighed helplessly and said, "Fine... I admit defeat this time, I'll agree to his conditions."

Liu Zhixiu gritted her teeth and reluctantly agreed to Yang Xia's conditions in front of Shaoyao...

He knew that if he missed this opportunity, even if he begged Peony again, he would probably never have such a chance again.

When Peony heard that Liu Zhixiu had accepted Yang Xia's conditions, she finally breathed a sigh of relief, at least there was room for negotiation between the two sides.

Peony nodded to Liu Zhixiu and said, "Alright... I will take you to the palace now. I hope you can discuss this in person and finalize the matter as soon as possible."

"The people of Red Cake Country are starving. If this continues, it will only be the common people who suffer."

Peony urged Liu Zhixiu on, and the two returned to the main hall, where Yang Xia had been waiting for a long time.

Upon seeing Yoo Ji-soo appear, he maintained his indifferent expression, without much change in demeanor.

Helpless, Liu Zhixiu walked up to Yang Xia and asked, "Lord... I have agreed to your conditions. I hope we can sign the grain exchange agreement as soon as possible."

"If you have any other requests, please feel free to make them. As long as it is within the capabilities of the Red Cake Nation, we will do our best to cooperate."

Yang Xia was very satisfied with Liu Zhixiu's words.

"Humph……"

Yang Xia snorted softly, thinking to himself, "If only I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have done it in the first place."

Yang Xia slowly walked up to Liu Zhixiu, squinted at him, and after thinking carefully for a moment, made a new request without hesitation.

"Your Majesty... I have just given it careful consideration and believe that the previous increase of 30% was no longer appropriate."

"Based on the current market conditions, if you want to exchange for Yan Kingdom's grain, you need to increase the exchange rate by 50%."

"I wonder if the Red Cake Country can accept this condition? If they can, we will sign a grain exchange agreement; if not, then it is very regrettable."

“I have given the Red Cake Kingdom many chances. If you really cannot seize them, I can only give the opportunity to others. There is no need to waste time here.”

Yang Xia deliberately raised his voice when he said these words, clearly trying to provoke Liu Zhixiu.

Upon hearing Yang Xia's terms, Liu Zhixiu's face turned red with anger. He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, almost ready to fight Yang Xia.

But seeing the two generals Meng Yu and Meng Yin standing beside Yang Xia, anyone could easily subdue Liu Zhixiu.

After realizing the situation, Liu Zhixiu had no choice but to suppress her anger again and dare not make any rash moves in front of Yang Xia.

He could only curse inwardly: "Yang Xia...you madman, you're clearly taking advantage of the chaos, not sincerely signing a food agreement with the Red Cake Country."

"It seems this was all a trap you set. I never thought my Red Cake Kingdom would fall into your trap, which is why you dare to make such outrageous demands."

Liu Zhixiu knew perfectly well what was going on, but dared not say it aloud. She was like a mute eating bitter melon, unable to express her suffering.

He was filled with resentment and dissatisfaction, but he could only bear it alone and dared not show it at all.

If Yang Xia is truly displeased, he might refuse to sign the grain agreement on the spot, and then Red Cake Kingdom would truly be in dire straits.

Meanwhile, Meng Yu and Meng Yin were eyeing Liu Zhixiu intently.

This truly filled Liu Zhixiu with dread. In this oppressive atmosphere, Liu Zhixiu once again thought of the people of Red Cake Kingdom who were suffering from famine.

This left him feeling helpless, and Liu Zhixiu could only nod and say to Yang Xia, "Thank you, Lord... We agree to the exchange rate you proposed."

"I will immediately order my men to return to the Red Cake Kingdom to prepare for the transport of iron and copper ore resources for trade."

As soon as she finished speaking, Liu Zhixiu immediately notified the two officials accompanying her, ordering them to return to the Red Cake Kingdom at all costs to prepare for the iron and copper ore resources to complete the grain transaction.

Yang Xia was quite satisfied with the result, seeing Liu Zhixiu's actions at this moment.

A smile suddenly appeared on Yang Xia's face. He slowly walked up to Liu Zhixiu and said politely:

"Your Excellency, Chief... You are a distinguished guest who has come from afar, and I should host a banquet to entertain you."

"I was indeed delayed by something earlier, please don't take offense. I will give the order to prepare a banquet right away."

Upon hearing Yang Xia's words, Liu Zhixiu lost all interest in attending the banquet and was already disheartened.

Liu Zhixiu quickly waved her hand and said to Yang Xia, "Thank you for your kindness, Lord. I have been working too hard lately and am not feeling well. Let's get together another day."

After saying this, Yoo Ji-soo hurriedly turned and left.

That afternoon, the Red Cake Kingdom hastily dispatched a large delegation to exchange grain with the Yan Kingdom...

Yang Xia couldn't help but smile with satisfaction when he saw the large quantities of iron and copper ore transported from the Red Cake Kingdom.

Meng Yin observed Yang Xia's expression and smiled, "Your Majesty... you are still the better one. No matter how tough the Red Cake Kingdom's attitude was, they could only compromise in the end."

"Now that we have these copper and iron mines, things will be much easier, and our current difficulties will be easily resolved."

Yang Xia nodded slowly, genuinely pleased; after such a long contest, the result was finally in sight.

Yang Xia was already impatient; he needed to make use of these copper and iron mines as soon as possible.

After careful consideration, Yang Xia turned to Meng Yin and instructed, "Alright... Now I'm handing over these iron and copper mines to you. Get them sorted out as soon as possible and start smelting and building the tower defense cannons."

"With sufficient resources, we need to speed up the process and hope to complete the plan as soon as possible to avoid unforeseen circumstances that could catch us off guard."

Meng Yin accepted Yang Xia's instructions and nodded solemnly. (End of Chapter)