Chapter 99 – A Man Who Loved Her (2)

Gong Yi Mo pulled away from her reminiscing and suddenly laughed. Although she was smiling, Jing Yun could sense a tinge of sadness underneath.

“I think the terms of our cooperation should be changed.”

Her words suddenly caused Jing Yun to be vigilant. Did they have to start all over again?

“…What kind of change?”

Gong Yi Mo looked at him deeply, but he couldn’t understand the meaning of such a gaze.

“I don’t need you to provide any funding for the river’s excavation.”

“Why?!” he asked hurriedly. Was she disagreeing with his proposal?

“Our cooperation can continue, but I don’t need your funding. As you know, I’m much richer than you…and…In order to relieve the floodings at the Yangzte River, I plan to dig more tributaries that extend inland. The emperor will be paying for the project, so you don’t have to worry about it.”

Instead, you should spend more money to protect yourself.”

Jing Yun frowned causing his delicately trimmed brows to furrow. He looked just like a forlorn beauty that enticed one’s compassion and causing the onlooker to want to reach out and comfort him tenderly.

There was no such thing as a free meal that falls from the sky. Jing Yun wondered what the princess meant by her words.

“Why not? My funding could still be beneficial.”

“I’m afraid you won’t have enough money. After all, if you fund the excavation for the rivers going towards Yu Heng, it will cost you an enormous sum and a long period of time. I don’t want to take advantage of you since we will be cooperating for a long time.”

“So you trust me?” He said with a frowned as he looked at her suspiciously, “You know, after digging up those rivers, it will be much easier for our countrymen to sneak in to your territory. Aren’t you afraid?”

“I’m not afraid,” Gong Yi Mo said with a smile. “If you’re able to come and go through that path, can’t I also sneak past that river? In time, it will all depend on your ability. Moreover…”

Her eyes narrowed as she said calmly, “Moreover, once the canal is completed, I will naturally station soldiers and cavalry to guard the entrance. You can’t pass through. And with so many tributaries, I don’t have to just do business with only you.”

Her gaze seemed distant, as if the mountains and rivers that extended in all directions have emerged in her view.

Such magnificent landscapes and waterways, close trading, and all kinds of supplies…all of these will allow people to yearn for a new kind of life.

She smiled lightly, but the domineering weight of her words could not be denied.

“I believe that smuggling will only be a temporary kind of business. One day, I will allow all four countries to open their doors, giving freedom for all parties to trade as they wish!”

This isn’t just a dream, she can actually accomplish it!

Her words utterly stunned Jing Yun; such incomparable ambition and determination caused his heart to tremble!

He suddenly felt as if his vision was too narrow. He only wanted to carry the weight a single country, but this girl, she not only wanted to build her own nation, but also the neighboring countries around her! This kind of dauntless spirit of supremacy was far beyond what he could achieve now.

No…no one can ever reach such a pinnacle. This Chaoyang Princess, how was she raised to be able to harbor such ambition…and think of such a terrifying idea?

At this time, Gong Yi Mo looked at him with a smile and stretched out her hand to him. Her eyes were filled with both nostalgia and great expectations.

“I know who you are. I know your talents, your vision, your situation, and everything else, but none of that matters. I just want to ask you, are you willing to cooperate with me?”

The fact that she dropped honorifics and said ‘I’ was tantamount to telling him that she was truly showing her sincerity.

Before he could fully recover from the impact of her previous words, Jing Yun saw her small hand held out before him. He still had some doubts, but when he remembered his suffering mother within the cold palace, he gritted his teeth! He’ll never fear again.

“I’ll cooperate!”

Gong Yi Mo’s tense expression softened.