Chapter 375: May I ask you, sir, how to break the impasse?
Chapter 375: May I ask you, sir, how to break the impasse? (ask for guaranteed monthly ticket)
So direct? So direct!
In his previous life, Zhao Duan followed a leader and learned from him, so naturally he mastered some conversation skills.
Right now, he was in a disadvantageous situation at home. He was alone, and it was a one-on-two situation. Many gentle methods were difficult to use, so he simply chose a simple and rough approach.
Following his rather straightforward words, the King of Huai'an and his daughter fell silent.
"Misunderstand?"
The chubby eater seemed to smile and said calmly:
"This is the Huai River. I am the King of Huai'an. Why should I care what others think when I eat with others on my own land?"
Just brag... Should I believe what you said, or should I believe that you are Qin Shi Huang?
Zhao Duan was secretly complaining in his heart.
As expected, King Huai'an changed the subject and said:
"Besides, how can everything in this world be different just because of a meal?"
Zhao Duan didn't say anything. He was evaluating the reasons behind the father and daughter meeting him.
The act of booking the entire Dafeng Tower with great fanfare itself means that Prince Huai'an is deliberately sending a signal to everyone.
What is the signal?
To show that he is close to the court? No... Of course not.
Prince Huai'an did not choose to deliver the invitation in person, but instead asked the princess who was familiar with him to "trick" him here, and characterized the meeting as "elder" and "junior" in his conversation.
This is meant to be a private meeting.
And he only came up with the idea after Prince Jing met him.
Then think of the Prince of Huai'an's notoriously wavering stance as a "fence-sitter" and the current three-way situation in Hu Ting revealed to him by Feng Ju.
Zhao Duan's heart gradually settled down, and he probably understood.
Prince Huai'an met with him today, and it was done to show to Prince Jing.
Expressing a state of being close yet distant to the court.
It is conceivable that after Prince Jing learned that he had met with him, he would definitely worry that Prince Huai'an would lean towards the empress and affect the success or failure of the "opening of the market".
This will lead to further enticement and promises.
Internally, Prince Huai'an also wanted to use this conversation to get a feel for the court. He came to Huting on behalf of the empress this time, and his attitude would reflect the empress's attitude to a certain extent...
As a huge fence-sitter, Prince Huai'an used his influence on the opening of the market as a bargaining chip to test the court's thoughts and sincerity.
His words "This is the Huai River" imply that as the local tyrant, the attitude of the Huai'an Palace will greatly affect the attitude of the neutral faction, and thus affect the success or failure of the court's opening of the market.
To put it simply, this was a meeting regarding the "opening of the Hu Ting market".
In a broader sense, this may be related to which side the King of Huai'an will side with in the negotiations.
Of course, the sentence "How can everything in the world be different because of a meal?" is also a double entendre.
This means that the negotiations with Zhao Duan will not determine his final position.
It can only be said that none of the Eight Kings is easy to deal with, and the foodie in front of him is a riddler whose every word contains many deep meanings.
Whether Zhao Duan can understand the other party's implied meaning is a test of his importance as the "Inspector".
……
"My Lord, the fish is ready."
Suddenly, a maid's voice was heard from the stairs, and then a servant from the palace came up with the big black carp that had just been taken out of the pot.
The hot fresh fish once again interrupted the rhythm of the conversation between the two parties.
The three of them paused their conversation and waited for the herring, which was doused in golden broth and sprinkled with crispy chopped green onions and bamboo shoots, to be placed in the center of the eight-immortals table.
All the servants retreated downstairs, leaving only three people on the entire floor.
"Haha, you're just talking. Take your chopsticks and try it."
Prince Huai'an rolled up his sleeves with a smile, picked up the wooden chopsticks, and urged:
"This river fish is eaten fresh. It must be alive before being killed on the chopping board, and it must not be stewed for too long after being put into the pot, otherwise it will become overcooked."
Zhao Duan also picked up the chopsticks, took a bite of the fish and ate it. It was indeed very delicious.
His eyes lit up, and his view of the food of the Great Yu Dynasty changed dramatically. Although the seasonings in this world were far inferior to those in his previous life, they were still top-notch ingredients with their original flavors. He didn't know how the fish was raised, but it didn't smell fishy at all, and the meat was exceptionally delicious.
The table fell silent for a moment, with only three people left concentrating on tasting the food.
After a while, Zhao Duan took a mouthful of fish soup, took the spoon, wiped his sweaty forehead, and took the initiative to raise a glass of wine.
Then he exclaimed:
"I've heard that the freshwater fish from the Huai River are the most delicious, and today I finally got to see it. Although the imperial chefs in the capital are strong, the ingredients are already inferior after being transported there."
Xu Junling smiled:
"Your Excellency, would you like to try some other side dishes? The side dishes on this table are very particular."
"Oh? I'd like to hear the details."
Prince Huai'an put down his wine cup, pointed to the eight plates of fresh fish on the table, and said:
"Each of these eight dishes is different, but they are all representative of river seafood, and are known as the 'Eight Ways to Eat River Fresh'. Although they are delicious when eaten alone, they are always inferior. They are best when paired with freshly stewed fish."
Zhao Duan glanced at the eight plates of river seafood on the table, forming a circle.
He glanced at the center of the "Eight Fresh Fishes", at the delicious big black carp with several bites of meat torn off, and his expression became strange.
At once……
It's like eight kings surrounding and killing a female emperor.
With this in mind, I looked at the side dishes on the eight-immortals table and it really looked like the territory of a continent.
"It's really delicious and mouth-watering," Zhao Duan sighed, "It's a pity that one fish is not enough for several people, so we have to rely on these eight delicacies to fill our stomachs."
Prince Huai'an said nothing.
The table fell silent for a moment. Seeing this, Xu Junling, who was standing next to him, smiled and took the initiative to liven up the atmosphere:
"Come to think of it, I made a bet with my brother before that it would be Envoy Zhao who would open the market this time. After all, it is said that the idea of opening the market with a new policy was proposed by the Envoy."
Zhao Duan smiled modestly and said:
"It's just a rumor. I just proposed a few ideas, which were fortunately considered by Grand Tutor Dong and many scholars from Xiuwen Academy. I don't know the specific details. I didn't expect that Han Banshan and others insisted on supporting me at the Dharma Assembly, and exaggerated it as if it was my own achievement."
Well, he just developed the overall framework and had no involvement in the details.
Just a little bit of work.
He wasn't lying.
The father and daughter looked at each other, and King Huai'an smiled faintly and said:
"Having said that, it is extraordinary that you have such insight at such a young age. His Majesty has appointed you to come to Huting for supervision this time, and I don't know how many people in the city are watching you.
As a close minister of the emperor, my every move is bound to be speculated. I have some understanding of the current situation in Hu Ting, and since I am a little older than you, I have something to say."
Zhao Duan said seriously: "I'm all ears."
King Huai'an paused, his eyes seemed to see through him, and he said calmly:
“You entered the city today, whether suppressing Xu Jinglong or humiliating Prince Jing in the Humble Administrator’s Garden. It seemed rude, but there was a method. I know you did it deliberately to show the majesty of the court and make the wavering merchants in the city believe that the court is stronger.
This move may be effective, but in my opinion, it is of little significance.
You seem to have won on the surface, but Prince Jing is secretly contacting all parties and attacking them one by one. After all, the capital is too far away. To ordinary people, the power of the emperor is far less than that of the county magistrate in front of them.
Now in the city, the agents of the Mu Wang, Heng Wang and other families are all here, and the intimidation they secretly exert on many merchants is far beyond the reach of you, the Supervisor."
The foodie prince stared at him and said seriously:
"In this situation, have you thought about how to break it?"
These words were extremely straightforward, almost laying everything out in the open.
He was clearly one of the eight kings, but he spoke in the tone of an earnest elder, as if he was considering Zhao Duan.
Zhao Duan's eyes looked a little strange, but he did not answer immediately. Instead, he folded his hands on his abdomen and leaned back.
There was silence for a while, until the father and daughter frowned slightly and wanted to ask.
The corners of his mouth curled up slightly, revealing a bright smile:
"As long as Your Majesty expresses your support for the new policy, the situation will be solved, right?"
……
ps: I found that the negotiation content cannot be finished in two chapters... It's October, during the double period, I'm quietly begging for a guaranteed monthly ticket
(End of this chapter)