Jiang Chen's proposal was extraordinarily generous.
In truth, the conditions he offered, in a certain sense, even exceeded the value of those Ling Shi.
As a result, after hearing them, Prince Huo wondered if he had misheard. He exchanged a glance with Commander Ding, and only after both confirmed they had heard correctly did they begin to consider the matter in earnest.
There was no denying it — this sort of temptation was simply not something they could refuse.
Ling Shi were dead things. Once spent, they were gone. They were consumables, and could hardly be called a legacy, much less a foundation.
Put bluntly, Ling Shi could make the Huichun Island Domain into nouveau riche overnight — and they could just as easily make the Huichun Island Domain vanish from these seas in an instant.
They were a double-edged sword.
But the benefits that Young Master Jiang Chen promised could grant the Huichun Island Domain far more enduring advantages. Of these three conditions, not a single one was something the Huichun Island Domain could possibly refuse.
"Take your time to think it over. Give me your answer within one month," Jiang Chen said, waving a hand as he walked out.
Prince Huo glanced at Commander Ding and asked, "Old Ding, what do you think?"
Commander Ding let out a sigh. "If we were to refuse conditions like these, we'd have to be the most short-sighted people in the Huichun Island Domain. Whether the Ling Shi are a blessing or a curse for us, it's hard to say. But these conditions are unquestionably a tremendous benefit."
"That is exactly my thinking as well. I'm simply worried that others will be too shortsighted to see it. They'll think we handed over the Ling Shi just to curry favor with Young Master Jiang Chen."
"Any endeavor will attract criticism. How is it possible to satisfy everyone?" Commander Ding chuckled. "Besides, this matter ultimately falls to His Majesty to decide, doesn't it? As long as we persuade His Majesty, what can anyone else say? Grand achievements demand that one not fuss over minor details. This concerns the future of the Huichun Island Domain — why should Your Highness waver and hesitate?"
Commanding Ding was a man of perception. He understood perfectly well the stakes involved.
"Old Ding, stay here. I will return to the Huichun Island Domain to lay out the pros and cons before my royal brother and ask him to render a verdict. This is an opportunity. We must seize it."
Commander Ding nodded without a moment's hesitation. "Very well."
Prince Huo worked with remarkable efficiency. The round trip took only seven or eight days before he returned once more to Dongyan Island.
He sought out Jiang Chen again.
Jiang Chen, perfectly at ease, asked, "Prince Huo, have you reached a decision?"
Prince Huo replied earnestly, "Matters concerning the Huichun Island Domain ultimately require my royal brother's decision. I am wholeheartedly in favor of this arrangement. After returning, I laid out the pros and cons before him. His Majesty, in his wisdom, concurred with my judgment. However, my royal brother did venture to make a few minor requests."
"What requests? Let's hear them." Minor requests — Jiang Chen could accommodate those.
"My royal brother says that handing all the Ling Shi over to Young Master Jiang Chen is perfectly acceptable. However, it must be publicly announced. That is the first request."
Jiang Chen smiled. "That is a reasonable request, and it should have been done this way in the first place. Only by doing so can you distance the Huichun Island Domain from the matter. Otherwise, with the whereabouts of these Ling Shi remaining unknown, they would forever be a hidden danger for your domain."
"Precisely so." Prince Huo nodded and continued, "The second request is to ask Young Master Jiang Chen to publicly announce that from this day forward, the Huichun Island Domain falls under your protection. To offend the Huichun Island Domain would be tantamount to provoking your authority, Young Master."
This request was not unreasonable at all.