"Shift the border defense to an active stance. I want the Scout Battalion's reconnaissance range to penetrate fifty miles into the Empire's territory! I want to know about every troop movement of over a hundred men and the movements of every noble!"
"Additionally..."
A cold arc curled at the corner of Wu Liang's mouth.
"Pick a group of clever ones from the prisoners and release them. Have them spread the word that everyone in the Western Territory has food to eat, and meat with every meal."
"The treatment for joining the army is even better than those bullshit knights of theirs! I want those commoners in the Roland Empire who can't survive to come running here, crying and shouting, to work like dogs for me!"
"Yes!" An excited light burst from Akomann's eyes. "Mission guaranteed to be accomplished!"
Drawing the fire from under the pot, digging at the Empire's roots! This move was ruthless enough; she liked it!
Wu Liang motioned for her to sit down and turned his gaze to Florgloria.
"The second matter is the focus of today."
Wu Liang's tone became solemn.
"Florgloria, tell everyone in detail about what you reported yesterday regarding the southern caravan."
"Yes, My Lord."
Florgloria stood up, her plump figure tracing breathtaking curves under her form-fitting dress.
She cleared her throat and distributed a document to everyone.
"Everyone, just yesterday, a caravan from the Southern Gold Coast Merchant Federation, led by Rena, officially submitted a trade request to us."
"They have shown an extremely strong desire to purchase our perfume, glass mirrors, and... stockings."
"Furthermore, the other party has proposed to buy out our entire production of stockings for the coming year at an extremely high price."
"stockings?"
As soon as Annia heard this word, her green eyes instantly lit up, and she subconsciously touched her calf clad in white stockings.
Sitting beside Wu Liang, a hint of awkwardness flashed across Sylvia's exquisite face.
Once upon a time, she had looked down upon such "mundane things" that clung to the skin.
But now... in her own room's wardrobe, she had secretly collected several pairs in different colors.
That damn smooth sensation was indeed... captivating.
"It's just a caravan; is it necessary to make such a big deal out of it?"
The hot-tempered Military Industry Manager, Suina, asked directly with a frown.
"If they want to buy, can't we just sell them for money? I'm short on funds for developing the new cannons over there!"
Florgloria shook her head, her expression serious:
"It's not that simple. I had some preliminary contact with this Rena, and she felt very unusual."
"She doesn't seem like an ordinary merchant; she's more like someone who holds great power."
"She is insensitive to price, and her first offer was to buy up the entire production. The purchasing power behind this is beyond our imagination."
Wu Liang took over the conversation:
"Florgloria's intuition is correct. This Rena is likely more than just a merchant."
"I know a bit about the Gold Coast Merchant Federation. It is the wealthiest place on the entire continent, controlled jointly by dozens of giant merchant families. Their wealth can even influence the rise and fall of a kingdom."
"This Rena is very likely a core member of one of those giant merchant families."
He stood up and walked to the giant sand table map, pointing his finger at the vast coastal area south of the Western Territory.
"Everyone, although we have unified the Western Territory, look, we are trapped here."
His hand drew a circle on the map.
"To the north is the Roland Empire; though crippled for now, its foundation remains. To the west is the Endless Mountain Range and forest, to the east is the Great Wasteland, and to the south is the sea."
"Through the Merchant Federation, we can sell our goods to every corner of the continent,"
"exchanging them for the gold coins, rare minerals, and even technology and talent we need. More importantly, we can reach the sea through them!"
Wu Liang's voice was full of power, making the hearts of every woman present surge with excitement.
To the sea!
This phrase was too foreign to them, and too enticing.
"Therefore, this Rena is not an ordinary customer; she is a key that has delivered itself to our door."
Wu Liang concluded,
"I have decided to meet her personally."
After the meeting ended, Wu Liang met this 'Goddess of Wealth' from the south in a luxurious reception room in Tiee Fortress.
Rena.
When Wu Liang walked into the room, he was attracted to this woman at first sight.
She was indeed very beautiful.
She wore a well-tailored dark red dress that perfectly outlined her mature and curvaceous figure.
Her wavy, seaweed-like hair draped casually over her shoulders. A faint, lingering smile always hung at the corner of her mouth, and those expressive eyes seemed capable of seeing through people's hearts.
"Hello, I presume you are the ruler of this land, Lord Wu Liang?"
Rena stood up of her own accord and gracefully performed a greeting of the Merchant Federation, neither humble nor arrogant.
"Miss Rena, welcome to Tiee Fortress."
Wu Liang sat down boldly in the main seat and motioned for her to sit as well.
"I heard you want to buy my stockings?"
His opening was so direct it was almost blunt, completely ignoring the hypocritical etiquette of the nobility.
Rena was stunned for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter, her chest heaving like waves.
"Lord Wu Liang is truly a straightforward man. That's right, not just stockings—I am also very interested in your perfume and glass mirrors."
"To be honest, before coming here, I thought the Western Territory was a barren wasteland. I didn't expect it to be an undiscovered treasure trove."
Rena's eyes sparkled with the shrewdness of a merchant.
"A treasure trove?"
Wu Liang smiled.
"Miss Rena, what you've seen is but the tip of the iceberg."
He clapped his hands, and a maid immediately entered from outside carrying a tray.
On the tray were several items.
A cup made of transparent glass, filled with amber fruit wine.
A giant full-length mirror about half a meter tall; its surface was smooth as water, clearly reflecting every detail of a person's image.
And a strangely shaped metal box with hands ticking away inside.
Rena's gaze was instantly drawn to the giant full-length mirror.
"Oh my god..."
She couldn't help but stand up and walk to the mirror, looking at her clear reflection with a face full of shock.
"Such a large, clear mirror... This... this is simply a miracle!"
"In our Federation, a palm-sized high-grade mirror can sell for an astronomical price of a thousand gold coins! This one of yours... is priceless!"
Although the Merchant Federation was wealthy, their mirrors were still made of polished crystal or mercury through secret methods.
Not only were they expensive, but their size was limited, and their clarity was far inferior to the mirrors Wu Liang produced using modern glass techniques.
"Do you like it?"
Wu Liang picked up the glass cup and gently swirled the liquid inside.
"This cup is also made of glass. As for this..."
He pointed at the metal box.
"I call it a Desk Clock, a timekeeping tool much more precise than an hourglass. I have as many of these things as I want."
Rena's breathing became rapid.
She whipped her head around and stared fixedly at Wu Liang, her gaze like a hungry wolf seeing the fattest lamb.
She realized she had still underestimated this man before.
stockings and perfume were just appetizers.
The items before her were the real hard currency that could trigger a market storm!
Any one of them could make her handsomely rich!
"Lord Wu Liang!"
Rena's voice trembled slightly.
"Name a price! I want all of these! No matter the price, our Martinez Family can afford it!"
She directly announced her family background.
The Martinez Family, one of the three major families of the Gold Coast Merchant Federation, controlled nearly one-third of the Federation's luxury goods trade.
"Price?"
Wu Liang put down his glass, stood up, and walked slowly toward Rena.
He was a head taller than Rena, looking down at her from above. A powerful sense of pressure made Rena involuntarily take half a step back.
"Miss Rena, do you think I look like someone who is short on money?"
A playful smile curled at the corner of Wu Liang's mouth.
Rena's heart skipped a beat.
That's right. Could someone who managed Tiee Fortress like this and produced so many epoch-making goods be short on money?
What he lacked was definitely not money!
"Then... My Lord, what is it that you want?"
Rena forced herself to calm down. She knew that the upcoming negotiation would be the real key.