noffsinger Chapter 1315 Japanese Pirates Taking Advantage of the Disaster
Chapter 1315 Japanese Pirates Taking Advantage of the Disaster
Ōtomo no Maro was unable to answer the emperor's question.
The reason is—"Your Majesty, shortly after the slam, I boarded the ship, but by then the situation was already quite dire."
The Emperor picked up the tribute list again and glanced at it. He then said to Guo Bizheng, "According to the protocol, draft a return gift list as soon as possible. Don't keep the Japanese envoy waiting."
Upon hearing this, Ji Benchang's tense expression eased somewhat.
Fortunately, His Majesty did not soften his heart because of Ōtomo no Maro's words about "suffering disaster" and gave away extra gold, silver and grain for no reason.
The situation in Yanzhou is still unclear. They haven't even taken care of their own people yet. How can they use the limited funds and grain in the national treasury to fill the bottomless greed of the Japanese and become a fool who only has a name but loses more than he gains?
All the officials nodded secretly, except for Guo Bizheng, whose lips were slightly pursed and whose eyes showed embarrassment: "Your subject... obeys the decree."
The emperor looked at Lin Ai.
Lin Ai understood immediately and brought Qi Xiuqi to Ōtomo no Maro's side.
"Please, all envoys, follow me to the side hall for tea and rest."
Ōtomo Maro froze, looking up in astonishment.
Upon hearing the news of the disaster in Japan, shouldn't the Emperor of the Great Zhou have increased the gifts he received in return to express his condolences and demonstrate the grandeur of a great power?
Thinking about the purpose of his trip, he lowered his eyes and ignored Lin Ai's outstretched hand.
"Your Majesty!" Under the watchful eyes of all the officials, he bowed to the emperor once more: "This humble subject has come here on the orders of the sovereign, with one wish, and humbly requests Your Majesty's permission!"
Upon hearing this, the atmosphere in the hall became slightly tense.
The officials exchanged glances, silently criticizing Ōtomo no Maro for his lack of manners. Ji Benchang, enduring the pain in his right leg, gritted his jaw.
The emperor lowered his eyes and asked in a deep voice, "What is the envoy's wish? Tell me."
Ōtomo Maro raised his head, his tone earnest: "I have heard that a certain person in your country has cultivated rice with a yield of over a thousand catties per mu, and this year your country's public fields have also planted quite a bit..."
"Impossible!" Before he could finish speaking, Ji Benchang interrupted him: "Within the Great Zhou territory, ninety percent of the people have not yet planted high-yield rice. How can we give rice seeds to you!"
"I second that!" Chen Shengshen immediately said. "I urge Your Majesty to reconsider!"
The Emperor: "What are you thinking?"
He never thought of giving Japan high-yield rice seeds, so what was there to think about?
"Your Majesty..." Ji Benchang's lips moved.
He wanted to say that the situation of the locust plague in Yanzhou was still unclear, and that it was absolutely unacceptable to promise the high-yield rice seeds, but considering that the Japanese envoy was present, he ultimately swallowed his words.
The emperor stared at him for a moment, then frowned deeply.
Seeing the displeasure in the emperor's eyes, Ji Benchang's heart clenched.
Having served in the court for many years... I have finally managed to annoy His Majesty.
"Ji Qing." He had just lowered his head when he heard the emperor call out to him, and then asked, "Your leg, is it still not healed?"
"Ah...ah?"
Ji Benchang suddenly looked up, and only after his gaze met the Emperor's eyes did he realize that the Emperor's displeased gaze was fixed on his right leg.
"What do you mean, 'ah'?" The emperor's brows remained furrowed. "It's been several days. Have you had a doctor examine your injury?"
Ji Benchang felt that his world had become brighter.
My eyes are no longer dry, my head doesn't hurt anymore, and even my right leg... doesn't seem to hurt as much anymore.
He grinned widely: "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty! This old minister is perfectly fine!"
The emperor's gaze remained fixed on his right leg: "I ask you, have you summoned a doctor to examine him?"
Ji Benchang slowly lowered his head.
Silence speaks louder than words.
The Emperor raised his hand: "Ji Qing has difficulty walking, please take a seat."
Eunuch Hong quickly gestured to the eunuchs below to fetch a stool.
Ji Benchang was flattered and before he could refuse, the emperor summoned the head of the Imperial Medical Bureau: "Lu Fugong, come down and give Ji Qing a good look."
Lü Fugong stepped forward and replied, "Your subject obeys the decree!"
In the blink of an eye, Ji Benchang was already sitting happily on the small wooden stool.
Having been ignored for a long time, Ōtomo no Maro couldn't help but draw the emperor's attention back with a sigh: "Your Majesty is so kind to the Minister..."
Ji Benchang secretly squeezed the edge of the stool.
That's not good.
He's been following His Majesty for over twenty years.
This locust plague in Yanzhou is something he has failed His Majesty and the people of. After court, he will certainly devise a plan to protect the affected people...
The emperor looked at Ōtomo no Maro with a slight smile, but his words were icy: "Japanese envoy, I cannot grant your wish."
This answer was exactly what Ōtomo no Maro expected.
Just when the officials thought he would wisely follow Lin Ai and withdraw, he suddenly knelt before the emperor and said, "Your Majesty, this humble subject is willing to make an exchange with your country."
"Exchange?" The emperor slightly raised his chin, then lowered his eyes and stared coldly. "I was unaware that Japan also has high-yield grain varieties? I wonder what the yield per acre is?"
To a discerning person, this statement is clearly a rejection.
But Ōtomo no Maro was not discouraged: "It's not food, it's... a method to eliminate locusts in your country."
The hall fell into a deathly silence.
The emperor's gaze was sharp as a blade, piercing straight into the misty forest.
Lin Ai was shocked and knelt down: "Your Majesty is wise. Apart from diplomatic etiquette, I and the officials of the Court of State Ceremonial have never discussed any other matters with the envoy in private!"
All the officials' eyes fell on Guo Bizheng again.
Guo Bizheng immediately added, "Your Majesty, the Ministry of Rites also agrees!"
“Your Majesty, it wasn’t the Da people who told me this,” Ōtomo no Maro raised his head. “I overheard it by chance before coming to the capital. Your Majesty, our country is near the sea and has many mountains, so locust plagues are frequent, just like your country… Last year, our country acquired a method to control locusts, and after testing, it proved to be very effective, killing all the locusts! There are also people in the delegation who are proficient in this method. If you are willing to make an exchange, I can immediately tell the Da people of the Hu tribe about the method!”
Hearing his stiff yet clear words, Ji Benchang glared and stood up angrily: "You Japanese! You've probably rehearsed this line a thousand times in your mind!"
Ōtomo Maro's expression remained sincere: "People of the Hubu, I just don't want more of your people to suffer from this disaster."
Ji Benchang clutched his right thigh, pointed a finger and cursed, "You're not doing this for the good of the people of Great Zhou! You're clearly trying to take advantage of their misfortune!"
"Taking advantage of the chaos... to rob?" Ōtomo no Maro looked puzzled. "Hubuda people, I have no intention of robbing your country. I only want to make an exchange with His Majesty the Emperor."
"you......"
Ji Benchang felt as if his anger had collided with cold, damp mud.
Undeniably, the Great Zhou Dynasty at this time truly needed a method to eradicate locusts.
However, if Liuyang Prefecture has already suffered a disaster, then exchanging this year's high-yield rice with Japan would be tantamount to cutting off the Great Zhou's escape route!
What will happen to the people of the Great Zhou next year?
"Your Majesty, we are from the Hu tribe." Ōtomo Maro's words became increasingly earnest: "Our country does not want all of your country's seeds. Your country can keep half, and we can exchange the other half for each other. Is that alright?"
The officials were in uproar.
Lu Botang cursed, "You Japanese bastards! My Great Zhou has a vast territory, and its arable land alone is far more than that of your tiny country! Give you half of the rice seeds? I think you're just asking for trouble!"