The world of film and television begins with Ning'an as a dream

The seventh place on the rich list is the Wu Yue Trading Company headed by Mr. Qian, which mainly deals in soaps and perfumes.

Because the Wu Yue Trading Company was developed a few years earlier, its scale was much larger than that of the Yan Shi Trading Company, and it was also the main source of military expenditure for the Yue State.

The reason why Wu Yue Trading Company, a trading company of Yue State, was not cracked down by other countries was because they were only selling on behalf of others.

There is actually no point in destroying them. Instead, it will affect the local people's use of fragrant perfumes and other items, causing unnecessary trouble.

Of course, there is also a very important reason, that is, many emperors think like Emperor Liang. Emperor Liang doesn't even take the martial arts sects seriously, let alone an alliance of businessmen.

With the support of the two trading companies, the State of Yue developed rapidly, the people lived a well-fed and well-clothed life, and there were signs of a prosperous era.

……

The twenty-eighth year of Zhenping, spring.

A piece of news suddenly came from the Yue State government that the King of Yue, who had been single for a long time, was finally going to get married.

It had been five years since the establishment of the State of Yue, but the King of Yue had never married, let alone had children. This had made the whole nation of Yue anxious, even the common people were worried.

Finally, on this day, the governors of fourteen prefectures submitted a joint memorial, unanimously requesting the King of Yue to choose a beautiful woman for the wedding as soon as possible for the sake of the overall situation.

After all, only when the King of Yue had a child could the country have a successor and would not fall into turmoil again.

In fact, the ministers of the State of Yue had proposed this several times before, but were all rejected by Wang Yue on the grounds that the country was unstable.

This time he had no excuse to refuse, so he could only agree reluctantly. He felt that it was time to ease the relationship between the Kingdom of Yue and the aristocratic families and royal families of various countries.

However, he also released the news that his candidate for a principal wife, regardless of her status, must satisfy him, and the person could be recommended by the prefects in various places.

After discussion, the small cabinet of Yue State gave three nomination quotas to each of the fourteen prefects, and eligible women in Kuaiji could also register on their own initiative.

At that time, the government will arrange a large banquet in Kuaiji to select the ten most suitable candidates, and then let the King of Yue see them in person.

After Wang Yue finishes his selection, some unmarried civil and military officials will also be selected and granted marriage by the King of Yue.

Once this news was released, not only the Kingdom of Yue, but other countries were shocked. Many girls temporarily forgot about Mei Changsu and their hearts went to the Kingdom of Yue.

The people, the underworld, and even the imperial courts of various countries have taken action and are willing to send candidates.

You know, although the action of equalizing land tax in Yue State caused them to cut themselves off from the aristocratic families, it almost made the King of Yue lose the opportunity to compete for the world.

However, the State of Yue suddenly held a beauty pageant this time, and the aristocratic families also intended to send their side branches to test the State of Yue, not to mention the royal families of various countries.

It is also true that they are strong in both military and cavalry. If they can form an alliance through marriage, they can be used as a helper. Especially the countries of Nanchu, Beiyan and Dayu have always been threatened by the powerful Daliang.

In the past few years, Dayu and Yeqin took advantage of the destruction of the Red Flame Army and the heavy losses of the Western Border Army to capture some cities in Daliang. However, in the past two years, Daliang has recovered some of its vitality, and it is difficult for the two countries to take advantage of it anymore.

Both countries knew very well that as time went by, they would have fewer opportunities to gain an advantage, and they also had to guard against attacks from Daliang.

If we have the opportunity of marriage, we can help each other with the State of Yue and ensure our own safety.

On the other hand, although Daliang has advantages when fighting against other countries alone or even two at the same time, it is also afraid of group attacks.

Daliang Palace, Wuying Hall

After reading the secret report from Yangzhou, Emperor Liang passed it on. After everyone had read it, he frowned and asked,

"My dear ministers, what do you think about this matter?"

After Yan Que resigned from his post to practice Taoism, although the officials had taken sides on the side of the prince, they were still led by Prime Minister Liu.

Liu knew he had to speak, so he stepped out and answered the question irrelevantly.

"Your Majesty, although there have been no major wars between Daliang and Yue in recent years, small-scale wars and frictions have never stopped. We have hundreds of thousands of troops deployed along the Yangtze River all year round, plus hundreds of thousands of troops along the Yellow River and in the northwest and southwest. The consumption is too huge."

The Minister of Finance Lou Zhijing immediately understood what Liu Shoufu wanted to say. He quickly stepped out and said, "Your Majesty, the treasury is now out of money. I think since there is no way to increase revenue, it is time to cut expenditure."

Minister of War Li Lin also knew that this was an opportunity, so he stepped out and said, "Your Majesty, the Northern Yan, Dayu, Xili, Yeqin, and Southern Chu countries have always been trying to take advantage of the situation when they see that Daliang and Wang Yue are constantly fighting. It's time to put an end to all this."

Emperor Liang immediately understood what the ministers meant, but he did not answer immediately. Instead, he looked at Xia Jiang.

Xia Jiang immediately became the focus of the entire Wuying Palace. He quickly bowed and saluted, then said with great fear and trepidation, "Your Majesty, I am incompetent. I just received news that Wang Yue's traitors are urging Wang Yue to get married. I don't know the specific details."

The Xuan Jing Division had personnel in all the countries except Yue, where he had no way to defend himself.

He actually really wanted to reconcile with the State of Yue. He could also take the opportunity to let the Xuan Jing Division infiltrate the court of the State of Yue, which was also a good choice.

In fact, the reason why Daliang's Xuan Jing Si was so difficult to infiltrate the Yue State court was that after the establishment of the Yue State, except for a few officials selected from local aristocratic families, most of the others were promoted from poor families, and the generals and officers in the army were also selected from the grassroots.

Most of these people had gained benefits from the State of Yue and had nothing to do with Daliang, so they were difficult to bribe and use. They were often exposed, causing heavy losses to the Xuan Jing Division.

Emperor Liang had already heard Xia Jiang's report and knew his difficulties, so he did not embarrass Xia Jiang. Instead, he looked at the court officials below and said, "I know what you all mean. So, in your opinion, what should we do this time?"

Qingguo Palace Bai Ye is Prince Yu's man. He knows Bai Ye's difficulties. He has also discussed it with his advisers, so he immediately stepped out and said, "Father, I think it would be better to issue an order to grant Wang Yue a marriage and at the same time make Wang Yue the King of Yue. Wang Yue has never been crowned emperor, so I'm afraid he doesn't have the ambition to dominate the world."

If it was five years ago, or even two years ago, if anyone dared to tell Emperor Liang that they wanted to make peace with the Kingdom of Yue, he would definitely drag that person out and behead him, no matter who he was.

But after fighting for such a long time, Daliang was somewhat tired and even overwhelmed, but the State of Yue became stronger and stronger.

He now thinks that Prince Yu's idea is a good one. If he can use this method to take back the land of Wu and Yue, it seems like a good idea.

At worst, we can use other means later to deal with Wang Yue like we did with King Mu. This is better than wasting national strength.

He was silent for a long time, then frowned and said, "Huang'er is right. Since Wang Yue doesn't have such big ambitions, we can give him a try. But who is the most suitable person to send?"

When the prince heard this, he thought of how his mother often told her that Concubine Hui was the only one in the harem who could compete with her for favor, and that this had made her suffer more than one setback.

He felt that it was time to vent his anger for his mother, and she immediately stepped out and said, "Father, Jingyao has reached the right age to get married. I think it would be better to let Jingyao go."

Prime Minister Liu certainly understood what the two princes wanted to do, but he did not refute it. He even thought it was a good idea. The only thing he was worried about was that Wang Yue might not accept the order.

So, he immediately stepped out again and said, "Your Majesty, I am worried that Nanchu will have the same idea as us. If Wang Yue does not want to go to war with Nanchu, he will probably have to accept the imperial edict from there."

Chapter 85: Fighting to Win Over

What Prime Minister Liu said was not without reason. Southern Chu had only two enemies, one was Daliang and the other was the Kingdom of Yue.

If we can reconcile with the State of Yue in this way, we will only need to deploy defenses against Daliang, which is a win-win situation.

Prime Minister Liu's words immediately quieted the hall. After all, there had not been any large-scale conflicts between Yue and Southern Chu, but they had fought many tough battles with Daliang. In terms of closeness, Southern Chu might have a better chance.

Emperor Liang also knew this truth. He had actually forgotten this point just now. When he was reminded later, he frowned and asked, "Then in your opinion, what should we do?"

Prime Minister Liu knew that the emperor was determined to sacrifice a child for a marriage, so he calmed down a little and said in a serious tone, "Your Majesty, I think it's okay. We can issue an edict to confer the title of king as His Royal Highness Prince Yu said, and we can also issue an edict to grant the marriage, but don't mention the position of principal wife."

His words made Emperor Liang furious. He picked up the memorial on the shore and threw it at Prime Minister Liu. He snorted coldly and said, "What do you mean? My daughter, how can you blame him, a rebellious wife?"

Prime Minister Liu knew that His Majesty would be angry, so he immediately knelt on the ground and said very respectfully, "Your Majesty, I guess Nanchu will definitely issue an edict to grant marriage and confer the title of king, so I think we can use this method to let Wang Yue choose whether to fight or make peace!"

Minister of War Li Lin thought about it for a moment and said seriously, "Your Majesty, the Prime Minister is right. The reason why Yue is so difficult to attack is because the King of Yue has won the hearts of the people. Their army and the people are united, which makes it very troublesome for us to attack.

If, Your Majesty issues an order granting the marriage, and the King of Yue dares to refuse, it means that he insists on fighting, and the people's hearts will gradually fade away."

Of course, he didn't think so. He felt that Wang Yue had another choice, which was to please both sides.

However, he was afraid that Emperor Liang would continue to fight, so he had to say this.

Emperor Liang thought this idea was useful. Wang Yue originally wanted to use land to win people's hearts, but the land would not be stable until the war was over.

If Wang Yue insists on fighting, then Xuan Jingsi will have more opportunities to send Mi Die in.

If Wang Yue does not insist on fighting, he must accept this arranged marriage.

Emperor Liang didn't care much about children at that time, so he immediately agreed to this suggestion.

……

Nanchu Imperial Palace, Chongwen Hall

The Emperor of Southern Chu was also discussing this matter with his ministers, and the situation was pretty good as was that of Daliang.

Prince Yuwen Hao glanced at Yuwen Lin, and immediately stepped out and said, "Father, I feel that Daliang and Yue have been fighting for many years, and Fengdu is exhausted. The King of Yue wants to use the marriage to calm the people.

But my Nanchu is gathering strength and can take advantage of the opportunity when the King of Yue is busy selecting the best candidates to send out troops and swallow up the land of Wu and Yue in one fell swoop."

Yuwen Lin didn't know that this was what the prince said himself, so he immediately retorted, "Father, I heard that Daliang intends to marry the princess to the King of Yue and make Wang Yue a king. If we attack Yue at this time, it would be like helping Daliang persuade Wang Yue to agree to be a king and become a vassal.

I think that Nanchu should also choose to marry the king. Although it may not necessarily win over Yue, at least it can prevent him from choosing to surrender to Daliang. "

Yuwen Hao was waiting for Yuwen Lin to say this. He sneered and said, "The Emperor of Daliang has never been kind to children. Prince Qi killed them as he wished. It is also a simple matter to give away a princess.

But where are the unmarried princesses in Nanchu? Could it be that Prince Sheng wants to send Princess Nian Nian away?"

Yuwen Lin realized that he had been fooled, but it was too late for him to regret it. He could only bite the bullet and say, "The one who is granted marriage does not necessarily have to be a princess. The important thing is to be crowned king."

When the Emperor of Southern Chu saw that other ministers had no reaction, he understood that everyone also supported the marriage and the enthronement of the king. He didn't think much of Yuwen Lin in the first place, otherwise he would not have sent him as a hostage.

Now that Daliang was about to send the princess away, Nanchu couldn't afford to be too far behind, so he made the final decision, "In that case, promote Princess Xiandai to Princess Xiandai and grant her marriage to Wang Yue. At the same time, promote Wang Yue to King of Yue!"

Yuwenlin wanted to stop him, but the emperor didn't give him a chance and turned around and left the hall.

The prince said with a fake smile, "Congratulations, second brother! You will soon have a prince son-in-law."

Yuwenlin really wanted to beat the prince up, but he didn't dare to do so. He could only go back depressed, thinking about how to explain to his daughter.

But before he returned, the news from the palace had already reached the prince's mansion, and Yuwen Nian, the newly canonized princess, also knew about it.

She knew her father's dilemma, so she cooked some food and wine herself.

When Yuwenlin returned to the palace, he saw a table full of dishes, all of which were his favorite.

He looked at Yuwen Nian with some guilt and said, "If you don't want to, then follow your master back to the mountain. As long as your master doesn't agree, His Majesty can't do anything to you."

Yuwen Nian shook his head and said admiringly, "Father, I traveled with my master in Yue State last year and saw the King of Yue inspecting the farmland. He is a husband that my daughter is satisfied with.

However, after my daughter leaves, it may be difficult for her to see her father again."

When Yuwen Lin heard this, his eyes filled with tears. When he was a hostage, he had thought that when he returned to Nanchu, he would never do anything against his heart again.

So, although he and Princess Li Yang of Daliang liked each other, he still escaped from the difficult situation with the help of Princess Li Yang. However, he also became a heartless man, which made him feel guilty for so many years and he often spent every night drinking.

Because of this, he had only one daughter, Yuwen Nian, but he never expected that this daughter would also be sent away to marry.

He looked at Yuwen Nian and said seriously, "Nian'er, after you leave, I will apply to guard the border and try to be closer to Yue State. When you miss your father, you still have a chance."

After hearing what Yuwen Lin said, Yuwen Nian lost her previous strength and shed tears along with her father.

……

The two big countries adjacent to the State of Yue both chose to form an alliance through marriage, and other countries were certainly not to be outdone. The ancient city of Kuaiji once again became the focus of the continent because of the marriage of the King of Yue, and even many gangsters who loved to join in the fun came over.

Of course, the most famous among them is Mei Changsu, the talented scholar from Jiangzuo League.

Mei Changsu certainly did not come this time because he wanted to recommend the girl from the Lin family to Wang Yue, but because he had other things to do.

The power of the aristocratic families in this era was very strong. Even King Liang could only wipe out the Lin family of Lin Shu and his lineage. He did not dare to touch the aristocratic family to which Lin Xie belonged.

If you don’t come to ancient times, it’s impossible to know.

The aristocratic families that Wang Yue originally thought of were like Ning An Rumeng's Yan family and Xue family, but in fact they were quite different.

The aristocratic families of this era not only had their own private armies, but also had countless in-laws and old friends. Even the emperor did not dare to offend them completely.

Therefore, although Lin Shu was the only one left in Lin Xie's lineage, Lin Shu still had some distant relatives, and he could have recommended some women for marriage, but he did not do so.

He knew very well that after several years of development, Wang Yue, the King of Yue, was no longer the Wang Yue who relied on the Lin family. Trying to build closer relations between the two families would only damage the relationship.

In the past few years, although Wang Yue used various means to split and win over most of the Chiyan Army under Wei Zheng, and the rest had already surrendered to Wang Yue, he did provide considerable help to the Jiangzuo League.

For example, when the Jiangzuo League was fighting with others, they could hide in the Wu Yue area, and the government there would definitely favor the Jiangzuo League.

What's more, many of the businesses done by the Jiangzuo League are related to the State of Yue, including glass mirrors, silk and grain businesses.

Speaking of the silk and grain business, we have to mention that Wang Yue had seen some old-fashioned silk-spinning and weaving machines in the world of Life of Pi.

These machines were developed by him and his craftsmen, which greatly improved the level of textile manufacturing. This also led to the silk in Wu and Yue being of high quality and low price, and also allowed Yue silk to almost monopolize the silk market.

But there is a disadvantage to doing this. Many places where mulberry trees can be grown have already been planted, which has resulted in a reduction in arable land and a drop in grain production.

The standing army of the State of Yue had 150,000 soldiers, not including the garrisons of various states and the army that was sent to attack Yizhou. Maintaining such a large army required a huge amount of money and food.

In order to solve the food problem, Wang Yue not only relied on the Wu Yue Trading Company, but also asked the Jiangzuo League to help purchase food and gave it a large share of the silk business.

This was a huge business, with profits no less than the income from mirror glass. It provided the Jiangzuo League with a steady stream of funds and also allowed the Jiangzuo League to have enough money to recruit more people.

Even though Lin Shu lost so many Red Flame Army soldiers, the Jiangzuo League's sphere of influence has long since expanded beyond Jiangzuo, and they have branches in countries across the continent.

According to the estimate given by Wang Yue's Jinyiwei, if all the manpower of the Jiangzuo League was added together and only the young and strong were selected to wear armor and pick up swords, an army of 100,000 could be formed.

In just a few years, Mei Changsu turned the 10,000 Red Flame Army into 100,000 Jiangzuo League heroes spread all over the place. This is indeed a force that cannot be underestimated.

Because the relationship between the two families was growing stronger, after Mei Changsu arrived, Wang Yue had to come out to meet him, just like when he first visited him.

Although the two had met quite often in the past two years, they had always met outside using trumpets. It was very rare for Lin Shu to use a trumpet to see him now.