Unexpectedly, although Xiao Huaishi was already in his late middle - age, he still looked as shrewd as he did in his youth.
The envoy from the Western Yue State let out a breath and said, "Haha, of course. Good relations between the two countries are a good thing for the people of both countries. It's what everyone hopes for. So we will surely show you enough sincerity."
After saying that, the envoy from the Western Yue State clapped his hands, signaling his men to come in. Xiao Huaishi also nodded, indicating for the guards to let them in.
Then, men carrying boxes came in one after another. There were exactly two large pear - wood boxes, each requiring four men to carry it. One could imagine how valuable the items inside were.
The envoy from the Western Yue State looked at the things he had brought with pride. These were all treasures of the Western Yue State. He pointed at the two boxes and said, "This is the sincerity I've brought. Just look at these boxes; they're not cheap. So I'm sure Your Majesty can imagine what's inside. Why not come down and take a look in person?"
Xiao Huaishi smiled but wasn't very excited. There was little greed in his eyes. He simply said, "Oh?"
After saying this, Xiao Huaishi slowly got up from his seat and walked down. He slowly approached the two boxes. Seeing Xiao Huaishi coming, the envoy from the Western Yue State immediately stepped forward to the boxes and asked with a smile, "Do you want to take a look?"
Xiao Huaishi nodded as if he was very interested, but in fact, he was completely unmoved as he looked at the envoy and the boxes.
Seeing Xiao Huaishi nodding, the envoy from the Western Yue State was overjoyed. He thought that although Xiao Huaishi, as the emperor, had a powerful aura, he seemed to be short - sighted. After all, people all liked gold and jewels. The more he thought about it, the more he believed he was right. He walked to the boxes, opened them, and introduced, "The first box contains jade wares, porcelain, etc., all crafted by the skilled craftsmen of our Western Yue State, as well as polished natural gems."
After saying that, he reached out and picked up a transparent and rather luxurious red agate. He carefully handed it to Xiao Huaishi. Xiao Huaishi took it somewhat indifferently. After all, he could get such things if he wanted. It felt cold in his hand. Looking closely, one could see that inside the faint red and transparent agate, there was a purple crystal. Xiao Huaishi sighed, "Not bad. It's a good thing. There's a hidden wonder inside."
The envoy from the Western Yue State looked at the red agate greedily but managed to restrain his greed. He said excitedly, "This is a precious treasure. It's a natural stone. Without any polishing, there's a beautifully - formed purple crystal inside. I dare say it's the only one in the world. No other country has it."
Xiao Huaishi nodded, agreeing with the envoy's view. He thought that Yan Yiyi might like it. Then he asked, "Are there any more?"
The envoy from the Western Yue State smiled and said, "Your Majesty is joking. This is truly the only one. Even in the Western Yue State, it's hard to find another one."
Xiao Huaishi looked at the envoy from the Western Yue State with some confusion. Why would they send such a valuable gift? Was this the Western Yue State's way of currying favor with him after the private salt incident? But the strength of the two countries wasn't that different. There was no need to do this.
Xiao Huaishi was a bit puzzled. He raised his eyebrows and looked at the envoy, indicating for him to explain.
The envoy from the Western Yue State was a well - traveled man. He quickly understood the meaning and said, "Please don't be suspicious, Your Majesty. The king of the Western Yue State sent me here and gave such a generous gift indeed with the intention of establishing good relations."
After saying that, he picked up a porcelain and sighed, "This porcelain was made by a great porcelain master five hundred years ago. It's quite rare to have been preserved until now."
Then he picked up a jade ware and continued to sigh, "This is white jade from the Han Dynasty. It's really rare. There's a natural purple jade inside, forming a very beautiful pattern. Its shape is also natural. Most importantly, it has the effect of calming the nerves..."
Xiao Huaishi didn't have the time or the mood to listen to his detailed introduction. He asked, "There's no need to introduce them one by one. I'll take a look myself later. I know they're all good things."
The envoy from the Western Yue State immediately nodded and said, "Yes, yes. They're all good things. I hope Your Majesty will appreciate our gesture. Next, I'll show you the second box."
Xiao Huaishi didn't say a word. He tilted his head and stared at the second box for a while, which was his way of giving consent. The envoy from the Western Yue State immediately gently opened the box. As soon as the box was opened, a blinding golden light came into view.
Although the envoy from the Western Yue State knew what was inside, he was still a bit shocked when he saw such a large amount of gold. He quickly realized his gaffe and put away his greedy look. He pointed at the box and said, "As Your Majesty can see, this is a box of gold. Its advantage lies in the large quantity, and the purity is very high. One piece of this gold is equivalent to three, or even four or five ordinary pieces. Your Majesty can imagine its value. If you don't believe it, you can take a look."
After saying that, he handed a piece of gold to Xiao Huaishi, indicating for him to examine it. Xiao Huaishi took the golden piece and observed it carefully. He said, "Indeed. It's real, and the purity is very high."
The envoy from the Western Yue State also took a piece, bit it with his teeth, and then showed it to Xiao Huaishi. He said with a smile, "Look, even when I bite it hard with my teeth, I can't leave a mark. Instead, it almost broke my teeth. So you can be sure that there's no doubt about its purity."
Xiao Huaishi didn't say a word. He just stared at the envoy silently. The envoy from the Western Yue State also looked at Xiao Huaishi's smiling face. At this moment, he felt that Xiao Huaishi didn't seem to be impressed by these gold and jewels. So he cleared his throat and said, "I'm sure Your Majesty knows the importance of gold. With gold, you have wealth. With wealth, you can do whatever you want. You can hire people to do things for you or even train your own army. With all these, it means that the strength of your country will be further enhanced. I don't need to say more about this, right?"
Xiao Huaishi looked at the envoy from the Western Yue State calmly. Indeed, what he said was right. His secret guard camp had been destroyed, and he was in urgent need of money for reconstruction. But there was no such good thing as having a pillow just when you were sleepy.
So he squinted his eyes and continued to look at the envoy from the Western Yue State with a faint smile. As he stepped closer, a sense of threat loomed. He coldly asked, "I've seen the things, and I do need them. Tell me what you really want, or what you're up to. If it's something that will harm my Dongling State, rest assured that no matter how many boxes of gold or jewels you give me, I won't do it. This country is mine. Do you understand?"
Since Xiao Huaishi approached, the envoy from the Western Yue State felt a strong sense of danger, even a killing intent. He couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat. But he still straightened his back and said, "Please rest assured, Your Majesty. How could such a small amount of things make you do such a thing? Besides, the two countries are on good terms. The Western Yue State just wants to see your country thrive. How could we harm you? So there are other matters to discuss with Your Majesty."