Allure of a Country Maiden-Chapter 1237 - 1234_1

There was no denying Gong Qinghua’s rise to the throne. With the Imperial Court facing foreign invasions, there was no room for internal disputes. Thus, Gong Qinghua made Gong Zixuan the King Ding.

Shangguan Wanru felt uneasy, thinking the two had put their past grievances behind them a bit too easily. However, Gong Zixuan impatiently retorted, "What should we do then? Have us brothers fight to death and let Minze Country reap the benefits?"

Upon hearing this, Shangguan Wanru dared not utter another word. She couldn’t help but feel a bit guilty about Minze Country’s invasion of Nangong Country - it was her homeland after all.

So that’s why Li Guzi now addressed them as King Ding and Princess Ding.

"Why, I wouldn’t dare to neglect my duty towards you as an elder, Master. But your failure to come out of the compound to greet us is something I simply cannot overlook," Gong Zixuan replied indifferently, trying to hide his displeasure. In need of a favor, he could only repress his indignation.

As long as he knew Gong Zixuan was not pleased, that was enough!

Li Guzi laughed and invited them to sit down before asking, "To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit, King Ding and Princess Ding?"

At this point, Shangguan Wanru spoke up, "A child was born with a congenital deficiency and abandoned by his parents. I could not bear to see this and brought him home for adoption. The Divine Doctor said that his life could be saved by the use of Immortal Grass Jelly as a medicinal guide. We are aware that Mr. Li possesses a plant of Immortal Grass Jelly, and we have come specifically to request it."

"Ah, the Immortal Grass Jelly... it is said to prolong life. I only have one plant in this world, and I am reluctant to part with it!" Li Guzi stroked his beard thoughtfully.

"Master Li, name your price. I will spare no effort to obtain the Immortal Grass Jelly from you," answered Gong Zixuan immediately.

"I should tell you, I am a simple man with simple tastes. I like gold and silver. King Ding, you have come personally, so I should show respect. This Immortal Grass Jelly is one-of-a-kind and invaluable. What do you propose to exchange for it?"

While silver might not be the answer to everything, without it one could do nothing. Li Guzi knew that he could ask for something that money couldn’t buy, but he doubted Gong Zixuan had such a thing. So, he chose to ask for silver, which would be much more practical.

Gong Zixuan was relieved when he heard that Li Guzi liked gold and silver. But how much should he offer for the Immortal Grass Jelly? He had no clue how much to offer. Too little would make him seem stingy, while too much would hurt his wallet. With the ongoing war, a large amount of silver was needed for army salaries and food purchases.

After thinking for a moment, Gong Zixuan decided to throw the ball back into Li Guzi’s court. "The Immortal Grass Jelly belongs to Master Li. Its price should be whatever Master deems appropriate!"

Without any hesitation, Li Guzi stated his price: "A unique treasure is priceless indeed, but since it’s you, King Ding, I won’t be greedy. I will be satisfied with just 100,000 taels of gold." freeweɓnøvel.com

One hundred thousand taels of gold?

Upon hearing this, Gong Zixuan spurted out a mouthful of tea!

A hundred thousand taels of silver... that equated to one million taels of silver!

Was this supposed to save him face? He was clueless as to how valuable his reputation was!

No, his reputation was worth more than 100,000 taels of gold - it was priceless!

"King Ding, no need to get worked up. I know the price is low. If it was anyone else, I would have demanded 500,000 taels of gold," Li Guzi spoke while stroking his beard, trying to placate him.

Five hundred thousand taels of gold? Who in this world can afford such a price?

To those unfamiliar with magic, the seven-star grass was just an ordinary plant. And here was Li Guzi, audaciously asking for a king’s ransom!

Since Li Guzi had the audacity to be so blunt, Gong Zixuan decided he could be assertive too.

"With our two countries at war, the Imperial Treasury is low on silver. I’ve spent all my silver on supporting the military and supplying them. I can’t afford to pay 100,000 taels of gold at once. Would it be acceptable to pay 10,000 taels of silver first and owe the rest?"

Of course, he had no intention of repaying the rest. He did not believe Li Guzi would dare to demand a promissory note from him!

"You’re such a greedy old man, always worrying about the country and its people. This is my duty as well as your duty. Given that I have been living in Nangong Country for such a long time, it’s only right that I show my gratitude!"

Gong Zixuan felt a surge of joy upon hearing this. He thought to himself, "Maybe the remaining 990,000 taels of silver won’t need to be given! Li Guzi knows what he’s doing!"

"It’s good that Master Li understands the principle of shared honor and shared disgrace since he lives within Nangong Country."

"To show my gratitude, I will donate 10,000 taels to the soldiers as military pay. As for the remaining 980,000 taels, would you be so kind as to issue a promissory note, King Ding?" It was only right that he paid some rent for having lived in Nangong Country for so long.

"Cough, cough..." This time, it wasn’t Gong Zixuan who choked on his tea, but Shangguan Wanru!

"Master Li, do you doubt King Ding’s credibility? Is a promissory note necessary?"

"How dare I doubt King Ding? I just need a voucher. So when I come to collect the silver later, they won’t drive me away from your residence. Who would ever believe that I, Li Guzi, could owe someone silver, right? If I display your handwritten IOU, the gatekeepers wouldn’t dare turn me away, right?"

Li Guzi sure had the nerve! Gong Zixuan could hardly hold back his rage.

"No need, I don’t have that much silver on hand. I only have banknotes worth 10,000 taels. I will pay that amount first, and I will have my men deliver the further 990,000 taels," Gong Zixuan said as he pulled out the preprepared silver banknotes from his pocket and placed them on the table.

He must get the Immortal Grass Jelly first. The matter of delivering the silver could be dealt with later.

Was he out of his mind to pay one million taels of silver for a worthless plant to save the life of a dying person?

However, if he managed to save her and received Princess Rui’s treasure in return, what was a million taels of silver?

These thoughts cheered up Gong Zixuan again.

Seeing that things were going well, Li Guzi decided not to push his luck. Provoking Gong Qinghua was not a wise move. He simply wanted Gong Zixuan to understand that he, Li Guzi, was not to be trifled with.

"King Ding is indeed honorable! I’ll wait here in the valley for your men to bring the silver banknotes! You don’t need to bring 990,000 taels, just 980,000 taels. I will donate the remaining 10,000 taels to the Imperial Court as military pay!"

A donation of 10,000 taels to the Imperial Court? Was he treating him like a beggar? Gong Zixuan scoffed at this.

"And what of the Immortal Grass Jelly? I need it urgently. Hand it over quickly!"

"Very well, please wait a moment, King Ding." After saying this, Li Guzi personally went inside and brought out an exquisitely decorated box, which he handed to Gong Zixuan.

Gong Zixuan opened the box to find that the Immortal Grass Jelly inside was exactly as Master Gu Xuan had described:

Immortal Grass Jelly had seven leaves, each leaf bearing a unique red star-shaped flower.