Kai Fu Han

Chapter 373
After getting the specific figures, Zhou Xinyuan began to negotiate with the puppet Qi envoys.

According to the strategy explained by Liu Xinqi, in order not to alert the enemy, of course our ultimate goal of "530 men" cannot be put on the table first, but first entangled with the puppet Qi over the ransom.

At first, the puppet Qi envoy did not believe that the Xinghan Alliance would be able to collect the equivalent of 90 taels of grain in Denglai.

Because the taxes levied by the puppet Qi and Zhao states would be withheld at various levels, and each level would increase the amount and reduce expenditures, resulting in a lot of taxes that the people had to pay, but very few went to the central court.

In previous years, the imperial court's summer tax in Denglai was only around 20 dan.

"Our Penglai tax and grain collection alone last year was more than 20 shi." Zhou Xinyuan certainly disagreed with their calculation based on the false records: "If you don't believe it, you can wait until the summer grain collection is completed in August, and we will discuss it with the final results. Redeem Liu Lin’s matter.”

Of course, the puppet envoys of Qi did not dare to wait until then, the longer the time, the greater the variables.

The two sides entered a tug of war again.

"We each take a step back, 50 is the most appropriate number." said the Puppet Qi envoy.

"I'll go back and ask for instructions." Zhou Xinyuan felt that the heat was almost there, so he used an excuse to end the day's negotiations.

After the negotiations started the next day, Liu Xinqi got down to business:
"I heard that there are eight thousand Denglai descendants in Jinan."

Of course, the messenger was not clear about this rare information: "It's not very clear, but there is indeed a group of young people from the Qi Dynasty staying in Jinan Prefecture."

"After consulting the leader last night, the leader agreed. As long as you send these 8000 people back to Denglai, we will agree to a price of 50 taels."

The envoy felt that something was wrong, but before coming, Liu Yu repeatedly confessed that as long as Liu Lin could go back safely, no matter how high the cost, he would not hesitate.

His professionalism still made him decide to give it a try.

"To buy a young laborer on the market now costs more than 30 taels for phone calls. These 8000 people are worth more than 24 taels. This part should be deducted from the ransom."

"We, the Xinghan League, absolutely oppose and prohibit human trafficking, so your statement is wrong. Letting these 8000 people go home is a prerequisite for us to reach a deal, and it should not be calculated into specific money." Zhou Xinyuan objected.

"These people have been in Jinan for more than a year, and it costs us to support them. If you want them to go back, you should also pay for their expenses during this period." The envoy could see that the Xinghan League paid more attention to 8000 people. People, so start talking nonsense.

"You forced the people of Denglai to help you attack Nanzhao to please the Jin Kingdom. How can you say that you supported these people? Most of the people who died have not yet settled the accounts with you." Zhou Xinyuan was angry at these shameless words. I felt a little tight in my chest and really wanted to open the messenger's brain to see if it was all black inside.

The two continued to see each other, and the final redemption price was set at 35 taels of silver. The premise was that the puppet Qi would first return the [-] Denglai young men, but these [-] young men needed to be picked up by the Xinghan League themselves.

After several confrontations, the puppet Qi envoy discovered that the Xinghan League valued these 8000 people, so he knew that he also had bargaining chips in his hands, so he forced himself to lower the ransom by 15 taels.

After the two parties signed the contract, they waited until June [-]th, when the second fleet returned to Penglai from Goryeo and was sent by Liu Xinqi to pick up the people in Jinan. The puppet Qi envoy returned to Jinan on the same ship.

The second fleet, plus the forty hired ships, entered Jishui from the Bohai Sea and went all the way up, arriving in Jinan on June 27.

The puppet Qi envoy also followed the fleet back to Jinan.

Liu Yu, the puppet emperor of Qi, was very supportive of the envoy's negotiation results. In order to show his sincerity, he readily released all the Denglai young men, and the process of picking them up did not go wrong.

These more than 500 people were packed onto 38 ships at once (the Huashan and the state-class Fuzhou waded in deep water), and then followed the Jishui River all the way down to the Bohai Sea in one day.The ships were too full, and the risk of capsizing during navigation was very high. The fleet did not dare to travel further at sea, so they docked directly at Haicang Town and unloaded all the young people.

At this time, Liu Lin was also escorted to Haicang Town.

This will be the final trading location.

Although he was unwilling to return Liu Lin to Puppet Qi at all costs, he had already signed the contract, and Puppet Qi kept his word and readily returned Puppet Qi Dingzhuang. Liu Xinqi did not openly breach the contract, so this redemption transaction will definitely go ahead as promised. Go down.

Three days later, 35 puppet Qi troops escorting [-] taels of silver also arrived on the west bank of Jiaoshui.

Cui Wu took only a dozen people, escorted Liu Lin across the river and entered the camp of the puppet Qi army.

After a dozen people entered the Puppet Qi camp, 35 taels of silver began to be delivered by ship to the First Field Regiment on the east coast.

It took half a day to finish shipping.

"Farewell." Cui Wu put away the long knife on Liu Lin's neck, bowed his hand to him, and then led his men towards the outside of the camp.

Suddenly, a large number of puppet Qi soldiers gathered from all directions and blocked Cui Wu's way.

Seeing this situation, Cui Wu was not surprised or flustered, but turned to look at Liu Lin: "Are you sure you want to do this?"

Liu Lin looked at Cui Wu. There were hundreds of fully armed elite soldiers separated between the two, but they did not give him a sense of safety at all: "My subordinates make their own decisions. I have no intention of stopping you. You can go." .”

After speaking, he waved his hands to the generals on both sides, indicating that Cui Wu and others should be allowed to pass.

The pseudo-Qi general saw that he had flattered the horse's hooves, so he quickly made up for his mistake and asked his soldiers to get out of the way.

"There will be a period later!"

Cui Wu put away the short gun in his hand, turned around and continued walking out, crossing the glue and returning to Haicang Town without any obstruction.

However, although the deal was completed, the [-] puppet Qi soldiers on the west bank of Jiaoshui did not evacuate. Instead, they began to set up camp and set up permanent defenses.

"It seems that this army is not planning to withdraw." Zhou Xinyuan stood on the shore and said to Cui Wu who returned.

"They are just chickens and dogs. I just took a closer look. These 2 people are just too many people. They can't stop our offensive at all." Cui Wu said confidently.

"It is a good thing to have confidence, but you should not be too proud and complacent. Guan Yu would not have thought that after he flooded the Seventh Army, he would lose Jingzhou, and even lose his life in Maicheng. Ji Han has never recovered from the fall." Zhou Xinyuan reminded. road.

"I understand, and I will definitely keep an eye on the Puppet Qi army on the opposite side." Cui Wu responded obediently,

Zhou Xin is far from saying much. Liu Xinqi has made very detailed arrangements. Not only are the three field regiments of the Glue Defense Line competing with each other, but there are also constant patrols by the offshore defense fleet at sea to prevent the first field regiment from being attacked by the enemy from the sea or flanked from both sides.

The transaction was successfully completed, Xinghan League exchanged Liu Lin for a large amount of actual benefits and labor, and formed a temporary peace with the puppet Qi, which made Liu Xinqi very satisfied. What Xinghan League lacked most was time for development.

(End of this chapter)