"Prince Chu, is there no room for negotiation in this matter? Why can't we discuss it!" a clan elder hurried to speak.
"That was not the work of this king; it was your insatiable greed. You have brought this upon yourselves!" Ye Feng sneered and gently stubbed out the incense. "There are still two sticks of incense left!"
The others' faces darkened. Although they knew they had fallen into Ye Feng's trap, they were powerless. They wanted to fight, to see Lu Bu under Ye Feng and the Third Legion he led.
Are you kidding me? To die before you even start the campaign!
"Prince Chu, you can't possibly swallow all that land by yourself!" This was a naked threat.
Ye Feng's eyes narrowed. "You don't need to worry about it. This king has his own ways to handle it perfectly. As for the clan elders, just hand over the land!"
"Nowadays, where will you find people to farm it? You will still rely on us!" a clan elder said, picking up his teacup and taking a slow sip. "Or does Prince Chu intend to scheme against us again?"
Ye Feng sneered and waved his hand. "Scheme against you? You're not even worthy of it. As for the common people, there are plenty. At least there are many people outside waiting for land to farm, people who hate you to the bone and would consider eating your flesh raw a light punishment."
What he said was true. One family head suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood. To him, his last resort was useless before Ye Feng. He instantly collapsed!
"Ye Feng, let me remind you, if you truly want to pass this smoothly, you should save him first. Otherwise, who knows what the future holds!" a clan elder said playfully, staring intently at Ye Feng.
How could Ye Feng not understand the clan elder's meaning? It was just that the land hadn't been distributed yet, and someone had already died. Spreading this news would surely cause widespread panic.
But major events like redistributing land could not happen without bloodshed and sacrifice. Moreover, he was already prepared.
Ye Feng gently clapped his hands. The doctor who had gone out earlier returned with his medicine chest. After carefully checking the pulse, he slowly inserted acupuncture needles into the man's body. Instantly, the clan elder seemed to understand and rose. The effect was immediate.
"I've troubled you this time, sir. Please wait, perhaps there's still something else?" Ye Feng asked politely.
Seeing the person they had invited show such respect to Ye Feng, the various clan elders were enraged and wished they could curse him out.
However, they were all from prominent families, so they restrained themselves and cleared their throats lightly. "Are you a subordinate of Prince Chu?"
"I wouldn't say I'm a subordinate of Prince Chu, but I'm contributing my part for the sake of all the people under heaven!" the doctor smiled gently, wiped the blood from the needles with a handkerchief, and carefully put them back!
Those clan elders had already notified their people and were at a disadvantage. How could they suffer losses now? They took a deep breath. "What benefits did Prince Chu give you? We'll offer double!"
The doctor shook his head lightly, maintaining his signature smile. "The price Prince Chu offered is something you cannot afford, at least not this price!"
"Speak, there is nothing in Liangzhou that we cannot afford!" the doctor said forcefully, causing the faces of the aristocratic families to change.
"Ye Feng, did you promise the Emperor that you absolutely would not do such things!" the aristocratic families urgently shouted.
"This king has no other intentions; it's merely offering a new perspective," Ye Feng said lightly.
The doctor chuckled, trembling. "And you all played a part in this!"
"Who, exactly, are you?" the clan elder of the aristocratic family hurriedly asked.
"I am Hua Tuo. Greetings, sirs!" Hua Tuo cupped his hands in a bow and placed the neatly folded handkerchief into his medicine chest.
Hua Tuo, in the Three Kingdoms period, was a divine figure, almost curing Cao Cao's headaches.
Upon hearing this, the clan elders were naturally taken aback. Ye Feng had found Hua Tuo precisely to have him research penicillin in advance.
Although the system could produce things from a thousand years in the future, penicillin had appeared too late. It still required human effort.
Ye Feng alone could not possibly oversee everything, so he still needed people like Ma Jun to research all the items in advance!
"If we can offer something of equivalent value, would you be willing to return?" a clan elder, knowing Hua Tuo's importance, asked urgently.
"What I want, you cannot give me. Please don't waste your effort!" Hua Tuo said slowly.
While everyone was talking, someone had already delivered the land deeds. As the incense burned out, the clan elders looked troubled, clutching the land deeds and reluctant to let go.
Ye Feng could see the clan elders' thoughts. He stretched lazily and said slowly, "Since you are unwilling to give them, then so be it. After all, you don't put this king in your heart. However, the Emperor is not so easily fooled. If I..."
A clan elder subtly nudged the leading clan elder. With Ye Feng's influence in Liangzhou, Emperor Ling would surely agree, especially with such solid evidence. They could only be fish at the mercy of the slaughter.
"Prince Chu, is there no room for negotiation in this matter!" the leading clan elder hinted meaningfully. "I heard that Prince Chu was once targeted for assassination. Don't you want to know who was behind it?"
Although Ye Feng wanted to know, if he spoke, he would be at a disadvantage and lose his bargaining power. After thinking this through, he remained expressionless and said slowly.
"This king is still alive and well. Currently, the assassination attempt appears to be a joke to this king."
"Furthermore, this king already has clues. You don't need to trouble yourselves!" Ye Feng's tone softened. "If you wish to add to my success, this king would certainly welcome it!"
They were all shrewd individuals, and there was no need to be overly explicit at this point. The leading clan elder spoke slowly, "Of course, of course. However, I am only concerned for Prince Chu. If it were elsewhere, it would be fine, but this is Liangzhou!"
"Why don't you be direct about it!" Ye Feng sighed, casually picked up a piece of paper, rolled it into a tube, and instinctively put it in his mouth. "This matter is not without room for negotiation, but you must give me what I want!"
"Good, Prince Chu has spoken. We are not unreasonable. Please state your terms, and we will consider them!" the leading clan elder said with neither subservience nor arrogance. "Perhaps Prince Chu needs some time to persuade the remaining people!"
"Since we are being open, this king will not hide anything. First, this king wants a piece of land at the intersection of the inner and outer cities. No one, not even the Emperor, can interfere with this land!"
"Second, this king wants all the land in your possession, but a portion of the rights will remain with you."
"Third, help Hua Tuo achieve his and this king's vision to the best of your ability. You can also communicate with Hua Tuo for specifics."
"Fourth, no one, including this king, must reveal today's events to outsiders!"
Ye Feng laid out four conditions in one breath. The clan elders of the aristocratic families were stunned on the spot. Apart from the second condition, the others were not impossible to agree to.
After hearing Ye Feng gently tap the table, the leading clan elder snapped back to attention. "May I ask Prince Chu what exactly the second condition means, and how should we proceed?"
"It's simple. Hand over all the land to this king. As for you, you will retain half of the rights to the land and receive half of the annual income, which will be paid in actual currency," Ye Feng said, shaking his head. "However, you will not have contact with the common people. All matters will be decided by Prince Chu's manor!"
"What happens if we encounter a year of great famine? We can't be left to starve!" the leading clan elder, being experienced, would not agree to Ye Feng's casual words. He urgently asked.
Ye Feng understood that the leading clan elder feared his people would pocket the profits. Naturally, he didn't expect these shrewd individuals to agree with just a few words. He patiently explained.
"That's simple. It will be calculated based on the lowest income from crops over the past ten years. If it's not enough, Prince Chu's manor will make up the difference. Of course, this king will not use your land for free. This is called shares!" Ye Feng didn't expect to explain everything clearly; they would only gradually realize the benefits.
Hearing this, the aristocratic families' eyes turned red as if they had been injected with chicken blood. This was not exploitation; Ye Feng was practically giving them benefits!
Ye Feng's actions were not without reason. He had long intended to go south, but as the saying goes, one must first pacify the interior before confronting the exterior. How could he pacify the interior more reliably than by bringing everyone onto his side?
Thinking this through, any sacrifice seemed insignificant. As for the land in the middle, it was entirely his, Ye Feng's. Any further sacrifices would be recouped from food, drink, and entertainment, and thus, the world could be gradually reformed!
As for the aristocratic families, they were overjoyed. After all, they now had a safety net, so what was there to fear? It was just a piece of land, and there was no need to argue over it.
Having figured this out, the few of them hastily agreed. With a chorus of agreements, Ye Feng gradually broke into a smile and said, "Since that is the case, please hand over all the land deeds to this king!"
After a moment of hesitation, Ye Feng added, "Please remember clearly, do not reveal this matter to anyone else, or there will be endless trouble!"
"We understand, Prince Chu wishes to do exclusive business. We usually do the same, but we are not as cautious as Prince Chu!" the leading clan elder said with a smile. "In that case, we will return the gold and silver to Prince Chu, and we will persuade His Majesty to agree to that piece of land at the next court session. Please await good news, Prince Chu!"
"Thank you all! Since half the land is given to this king, then half the gold and jewels will be given to you!"
Giving a slap and then a sweet date was a normal operation. As Ye Feng cupped his hands to send them off, Li Ru hurried over and berated them, "What do you want? I won't allow you to bully my lady!"
Turning to see Ye Feng, his expression was no different from Lu Bu's. With a runny nose, he rushed towards him!
"My Lord!"
"Prince Chu's subordinates are truly loyal..." Before he finished speaking, Ye Feng's expression changed, and the leading clan elder hurriedly said angrily, "This is too much! Let's go!"