"But I have a small request." Chai Lingwu suddenly said.
Meton nodded, "Please say it. The Village of Mo will always try our best to fulfill your request."
"There are thirty-six kingdoms in the Western Region. I want thirty-six courses of True Azure Dragon Medicine!" Chai Lingwu said solemnly.
"True Azure Dragon Medicine!" Modun suddenly understood why the Chai Family had the confidence to go against the Five Families and Seven Desires. It was because of the huge benefits. The True Azure Dragon Medicine was not only worth five hundred copper coins per vial in the Western Regions, but also represented a life. If the Chai Family handled it well, these thirty-six courses of True Azure Dragon Medicine would be enough to protect the Chai Family from running amok in the Western Regions, bringing endless benefits to the Chai Family.
"Deal. To show my sincerity, I will allow brother Chai to return the goods within a month." Merton said.
Chai Lingwu laughed loudly, "Return the goods? Brother Mo, you overestimate the Five Families and Seven Hopes. Although they are powerful, they are still too far away in the Western Region. In the country, I will at most be beaten a few times. They can't do anything to my Chai Family."
The Chai Family was a relative of the Emperor. The Five Families and Seven Hopes naturally did not dare to do anything to them openly. As for the Western Region, the Five Families and Seven Hopes did not have any power. The Chai Family was not willing to compromise when they were about to receive several times more benefits.
After Chai Lingwu left in satisfaction, Meton could not help but be excited. Chai Lingwu's order of nine thousand strings of coins was nothing to the Village of Mo before, but now it was the first time the Village of Mo had broken out of the encirclement of the Five Families and Seven Hopes.
"Too far away!" Meton repeatedly muttered this sentence. He vaguely understood the key to breaking out of the encirclement, but it was like a layer of fog.
"Men, bring the map!" Meton roared.
Meton's voice was very loud. Half of the Mo Estate could hear it. Very soon, Uncle Fu hurried over. Before long, Wu Meiniang came out of the study with a huge map. In the end, even the pregnant Princess Changle slowly came over.
"Shua!" The huge map unfolded. Meton looked at it. Although it was slightly rougher than the maps of the future, it was much better than the maps of this era.
The massive map even included the regions that the Tang dynasty had explored, as well as the kingdoms in the Western Regions. As for the westernmost region, even though Meton knew about the map from the future, he did not rush things and only wrote Great Qin's name in the empty space on the western side.
"Longxi, Zhao County, Boling, Qinghe, Fanyang, Xingyang, and Taiyuan." Meton marked out the locations and areas of influence of each of the Five Surnames and Seven Hopes.
"Husband, what are you doing?" Princess Changle asked curiously.
Meton said seriously, "I'm looking for places that are beyond the reach of the Five Surnames and Seven Hopes."
Princess Changle shook her head and said, "Husband, you're wrong to search like this. The reason why the Five Surnames and Seven Hopes are so prosperous is not because they directly control large areas, but also because they indirectly control areas. After thousands of years of inheritance, the Five Surnames and Seven Hopes have already infiltrated everywhere. This includes the descendants of the Five Surnames and Seven Hopes who are officials outside, the officials who are married to the Five Surnames and Seven Hopes, the officials who have secretly joined the Five Surnames and Seven Hopes."
Princess Changle was a descendant of the imperial family, so she knew more secrets. As Princess Changle kept drawing circles on the map, the map was actually densely covered by the Five Surnames and Seven Hopes.
"Hiss!" Meton could not help gasping and looked at the dense circles on the map in surprise. He originally thought that the influence of the Five Surnames and Seven Hopes was at most a county, and the radiation was at most to the north of the Yellow River. But who knew that even the two banks of the Yellow River were under their influence? Although these officials would not obey the Five Surnames and Seven Hopes, they would not refuse some requests of the Five Surnames and Seven Hopes. This time, the Mo Family's failure was not unjustified!
"What about the south of the Yellow River? Does the Jiangnan Aristocratic Family also obey the Five Surnames and Seven Hopes? " Meton raised his eyebrows and said. On the map, the influence of the Five Surnames and Seven Hopes was spread all over the north of the Yellow River, but there was a large blank area south of the Yellow River. He could not help but think that the Jiangnan area was beyond the reach of the Five Surnames and Seven Hopes.
Changle shook her head and said, "The Jiangnan Aristocratic Family has its own branch. Although there are not many marriages with the Five Surnames and Seven Hopes, the Jiangnan area is extremely barren and there is not much market."
Meton looked at Changle in surprise. In his memory, the Jiangnan area was an extremely rich place. How could it become a barren place in Changle's words?
With Changle's description, Meton realized that the two banks of the Yellow River had always been the economic center of Huaxia. At this time, although the economy of the Jiangnan area had improved, compared with the Central Plains and the north of the Yellow River, it was still far behind. The economic center of the Tang Dynasty was the north of the Yellow River, but now the south of the Yellow River was just like the west of the future, which was barren.
Meton sneered and said, "The Five Surnames and Seven Hopes have miscalculated. The climate of the Jiangnan area is warm all year round, full of sunshine, evergreen trees, abundant rainfall and numerous rivers. It is an excellent land of fish and rice. The Johor rice that has just been introduced by the Tang Dynasty can be ripe three times a year, and the yield per mu is several loads. In less than a hundred years, the south of the Yellow River will certainly surpass the north of the Yellow River and become the rich land of the Tang Dynasty."
"Do you mean that the Mo Family's Village will focus on the Jiangnan area in the future?" Changle frowned and said.
Meton nodded and said, "Yes!"
"But distant water can't quench the present thirst! Even if the Jiangnan area is vast, it will be a hundred years later. What should the Mo Family's Village do now? "Changle shook her head and said.
Meton sneered and said, "If there is no market, then create one. Now the Jiangnan area is financially backward, but its geographical location is superior, which means its market prospects are vast. Under normal circumstances, it may take a hundred years for the Jiangnan area to catch up with the Central Plains. However, with the help of the Mo Family, the process will be greatly shortened. Within ten years, as long as the Mo Family fully supports the Jiangnan area, the Jiangnan area will certainly catch up with the Central Plains."
"You want to develop the Jiangnan area, but will the Jiangnan aristocratic families be willing to support the Mo Family at the risk of offending the Five Surnames and Seven Hopes?" Princess Changle hesitated and said.
"The aristocratic families value interests the most. The reason why the aristocratic families in the Central Plains respond to the Five Surnames and Seven Hopes and are not willing to help the Mo Family is that there is no benefit for them to help the Mo Family. For the aristocratic families in the Jiangnan area who are eager for political and economic status, the Mo Family going south will not do them any harm. Naturally, they will take the initiative to cooperate with the Mo Family's Village for their own interests. I don't believe that the aristocratic families in the Jiangnan area will give up such an opportunity to develop and strengthen themselves for the sake of the Five Surnames and Seven Hopes." Meton said confidently.
"This plan is indeed worth a try." Changle's eyes lit up and said. The Five Surnames and Seven Hopes were based in the Central Plains, so their influence on the Jiangnan area was relatively weak. The Jiangnan area might be the Mo Family's only chance.
"The Mo Family needs the Jiangnan area's market, and the Jiangnan area needs the Mo Family's technology. This is a win-win situation. This time, the key to the Mo Family's success lies in the Jiangnan area." Meton suddenly stood up and sighed to the sky, spitting out the depression in his heart.
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