Whose little lady is so crazy?

Chapter 364 Unable to Refute
“Opium is extracted from poppy fruit. The unripe fruit shell is cut, the juice is extracted, and then boiled and fermented. It is usually brown or golden in color and has a sweet smell.

As far as I know, many nobles in your country like to grind opium and add it to wine and juice for drinking. Also, some scholars and poets in your country also like to take opium, saying that it can greatly increase their inspiration?" Hong Xiaoduo asked with a smile.

The envoy was stunned for a moment, then said angrily: "If you know this, then why do you still say that opium is harmful and don't want it?"

"Well, this is very simple. The envoy should know better than us that people who take opium for a long time will have runny nose, drooling, tears, yawning, dilated pupils, insomnia, anxiety, irritability, fear, tension, etc., once the supply is cut off. In severe cases, they will collapse and go into shock.

Opium is a specialty of your country. As long as you have the money, you can buy as much as you want.

Ordinary subjects who did not have silver could also obtain it in other ways, they could grow it themselves.

But it’s different for my Fengliang country. We don’t produce that thing, and you guys control the purchase price. So, what should we do if our people become addicted?
We can't send troops to plunder your country just for this thing, can we? We are a country of etiquette, we can't do such a thing.

So, it’s better to stop it as early as possible.

Do you think this is a sufficient reason, Your Excellency?" Hong Xiaoduo asked with a smile.

As Kaiyang finished her translation, the adults in the palace gradually calmed down from their original worries about the diplomatic corps causing trouble, and regained their rationality. The more they thought about her words, the more scared they became.

If the interpreter from the Ministry of Rites had not been unable to speak this time, and if she had not been the interpreter, this extremely harmful opium would have definitely continued to be purchased.

Previously, it was because the quantity was extremely small, and it was only in recent years after the establishment of diplomatic relations with the Poppy Kingdom that it was sold in three pharmacies in the capital. It was also expensive and scarce, so only six people became addicted.

If the purchase amount gradually increases and it is sold in pharmacies all over the country, and more people know the benefits of this thing, the consequences will be disastrous if this continues for a long time.

Many people, once they have tasted the sweetness, don't care about the harm.

It’s just like the gamblers in a gambling house, don’t they know that they will lose everything and their families will be destroyed?

They know that they just feel that they are in control of the situation and when they are almost winning, they stop.

However, when you win, you want to take advantage of your good luck and win more!
When I lose, I am unwilling to accept it, thinking that it is just bad luck and it won’t always be bad. I can turn the tables as long as I get lucky once.

At noon, the Left Vice Minister Yue Wenchao told them that the grain merchant Shi Tianfu told him that he also realized that opium was not a good thing, but his son could not quit and could not live without it, and he could afford it, so he had no choice but to let him do it.

However, Ishida Tomomi has already warned his other descendants that they must never touch that thing again, otherwise they will be kicked out of the family.

Now, after hearing what Hong Xiaoduo said, the members of the delegation were speechless.

It can be seen that they also want to refute, but they seem to be unable to find a reason to refute at the moment.

"Your Majesty, is this also your decision?" The envoy stood up, bowed to the emperor and asked.

When Kaiyang saw Xiaoduo looking at him, he immediately translated it for the emperor.

The emperor nodded and said, "That is my decision."

At this point, the envoy knew very well that there was no room for maneuver. Although he was unwilling, he had no choice but to give up.

"Your Majesty, today you have decided not to buy opium. If you change your mind and want it again in the future, I am afraid that the king of the opium country will not agree." The envoy emphasized it unnecessarily. "Thank you for your reminder, the king is serious. Since I have made a decision, I will never regret it." The emperor said solemnly.

The emperor actually wanted to laugh, but he felt that at this moment, in this situation, as the king of a country, he had to be serious.

The delegation was disappointed and left in disgrace. Everyone noticed that in the morning, Hong Xiaoduo asked Shangshu Cao to check the envoy in the delegation who was wearing the costume of Fengliang Kingdom. As he walked out, he turned back and smiled at them.

That smile was a sincere and friendly one.

"Miss Hong, thank you very much for the opium matter. What reward do you want?" the emperor asked with a smile.

If it were someone else, they would respond, as it is their job or something.

"Your Majesty, the opium incident was not caused by me alone. Lord Yue investigated it carefully. The most important thing is that your Majesty is wise. Otherwise, no matter how much I say, it will be in vain.

As for the reward, how can I ask for it myself? If I ask for too much, I will seem greedy, and if I ask for too little, I will feel that I am at a disadvantage. So, Your Majesty, give it to me as you wish.

However, although His Majesty has decided today not to buy opium from foreign countries, we still have to be on guard against someone getting it from other channels. "Hong Xiaoduo kindly reminded him.

"I will issue an edict later, prohibiting the sale of this item in Fengliang State. Anyone who violates the edict will have his entire nine clans exterminated." The emperor immediately slammed the table and said.

"Your Majesty, it looks like I have nothing to do today, so Wei Kaiyang and I will take our leave first. I will inform you of the specific time arrangements for other exchanges with the delegation at the Wei Mansion later.

However, please try to arrange the communication with the delegation as much as possible, and don't drag it out for too long. I have stayed in the capital for a long time this time." Hong Xiaoduo said bluntly.

Listen, she actually starts to dislike this capital city!
Everyone looked at Hong Xiaoduo with indescribable expressions. Mu Rongjing clenched her hands in her sleeves. She really had no attachment to this prosperous capital city at all!
As soon as Hong Xiaoduo and Kaiyang left the Golden Palace, Mu Rongjing told the emperor that he had some unfinished business and came out as well.

Inside the throne room, the emperor looked at the table where Xiao Duo was painting and was no longer able to tease Mu Rongjing. The monk finally had worldly desires: "Just look with your eyes, don't use your hands."

“Is this what opium looks like before it’s refined?”

"This painting is so realistic that it makes me feel like I can smell the fragrance of flowers."

"I don't know which famous artist she learned from."

"I didn't expect that this flower is so gorgeous and beautiful, but the substance extracted from it is so harmful."

It was really unbearable to watch his ministers surrounding the table tightly, each of them looking like they had never seen the world.

The emperor gave Eunuch Fu a look, and Eunuch Fu immediately understood and walked over: "Gentlemen, please make way. This painting is very important. I will have to ask the palace painter to copy it later. It will be recorded in the file." Eunuch Fu squeezed in and said as he carefully put away the painting on the table.

"Okay, my dear ministers, if you have nothing else to do, please leave." The emperor also started to send people away. He did not want to quietly think about how much gold reward he should give to the girl.

Instead, he wanted to ask the girl for four calligraphy paintings of plum, orchid, bamboo and chrysanthemum to hang in the imperial study, but he didn't know how to ask the girl appropriately.

He was the king of a country and had no shortage of ancient paintings by famous artists, but he just liked the kind of paintings that girl had. He fell in love with them at first sight.

As for Mu Rongjing, he was stopped by Lord Ding, the Minister of the Dali Temple, as soon as he left the Jinluan Palace. After dealing with Lord Ding, he hurried outside the palace, only to see Hong Xiaoduo getting on the carriage of Prime Minister Dong's residence, and the steward of the Wei residence standing by, anxious but helpless and stamping his feet...