After a few pleasantries, Zhang Shaoyou got up to take his leave and departed the Han Residence.
"Did you do this?"
As soon as Zhang Shaoyou left, Han Jiayan pushed the door open and walked in.
"Of course not! The one who acted is someone else!"
Han Mo replied without hesitation.
"No matter who asks, this is the answer and everything will be fine!"
After looking at Han Mo for a long time, Han Jiayan nodded with satisfaction.
"Uncle-Ancestor, you are right!"
Han Mo also bowed with a smile.
"Tell the person who acted to clean up the mess thoroughly. Be absolutely sure not to leave any traces, and do not underestimate the Imperial City Department!"
As he was about to reach the door, Han Jiayan suddenly turned around and spoke again.
"Thank you, Uncle-Ancestor, for your guidance!"
"Today, after the snow, the weather is clear, which is a good time to go out and look for plum blossoms. I heard that the plum blossoms in the Divine Heavens Palace are blooming nicely. If you have nothing to do, perhaps you could help me pick a branch of plum blossom."
"Yes!"
Seeing that Han Mo understood his meaning, Han Jiayan nodded with satisfaction.
"Someone!"
"Sir, what are your orders?"
"Tell Jiang Yan to prepare the carriage, I need to go out!"
"Yes!"
After stretching his body, Han Mo put on a bearskin cloak and, accompanied by Jiang Yan, left the Grand Princess's mansion and headed towards the Divine Heavens Palace.
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"What is he saying?"
Shao Bowen couldn't help but frown as he looked at the Javanese man standing in front of him, babbling incoherently.
Even within the Great Song Dynasty, there were differences in customs and dialects.
However, looking at this strangely-shaped native in front of him, dressed in tattered clothes, with a feather in his hair, and emitting a foul odor, Shao Bowen found it difficult to associate him with the word "human."
"Replying to sir, he says that when our fleet passed, we capsized their dugout canoe and that we should compensate them!"
A guide following behind Shao Bowen immediately stepped forward and whispered into his ear.
"Is that so? How come I don't know about this?"
Shao Bowen spoke while looking at Zhe Shijiu.
"Sir, this fellow is talking nonsense. With the size of our ships, if we had truly hit their dugout canoe, he wouldn't be alive to spout such nonsense, he would have been crushed and sunk to the bottom of the sea!"
"So, this fellow is here to extort us?"
After listening to Zhe Shijiu's words, even Shao Bowen was taken aback.
He hadn't gone to find them, and they should be grateful. To think that these people would come looking for them, it was truly a situation that made him want to laugh and cry.
"Sir, why waste words with him? It would be better to just finish him off with a single stroke!"
"According to the nautical chart, we are not far from our destination. There is only this island within a thousand-mile radius. Look at that bay ahead, isn't that a natural harbor? If we acquire this island, it would be a good choice for both material transfer and resupply."
Shao Bowen pointed to their location below and said slowly.
As soon as Shao Bowen finished speaking, the dirty native began to jabber again.
"He says this is their territory, and if we don't compensate them, their people will kill us all!"
Seeing Shao Bowen's inquiring gaze, the guide quickly whispered the translation into his ear.
"What do you usually do when you encounter such situations?"
Shao Bowen did not expect that this seemingly insignificant native would be so aggressive, and his arrogant attitude, even with the language barrier, made Shao Bowen feel uncomfortable.
"These natives are extremely united. When previous merchant teams encountered them, to avoid trouble, they would usually give them some food or cloth."
The Pu family's merchant fleet traveled far and wide, and these guides who could understand the language of the locals were naturally treasures. No matter what the merchant fleet intended to do, they always needed their help to communicate.
"It seems this is not a good method!"
Shao Bowen said with a cold smile, looking at the wooden stick the native was waving.
"Indeed, these fellows' appetites are growing. I remember when I first came here with my father more than ten years ago, a bolt of linen could appease them. Now, they demand a hundred bolts."
Upon hearing Shao Bowen's words, even the honest guide couldn't help but sigh.
"Ask him how much compensation he wants!"
Shao Bowen said with a cold smile, speaking unhurriedly.
As soon as the guide spoke a few words in Javanese, the native suddenly became agitated again. Although Shao Bowen couldn't understand what he was saying, he couldn't help but frown.
"He says he wants thirty percent of our ship's cargo! Otherwise, we will never be able to land on this island again!"
After the fellow finished speaking, the guide, with a strange expression, translated for Shao Bowen.
"Tell him, thirty percent is too much, it's impossible. I can at most agree to let them take whatever they can carry from our ship, and only once."
Shao Bowen said with a light laugh.
"Sir!"
Hearing Shao Bowen's words, Zhe Shijiu immediately stepped forward.
The goods on their ship, apart from food and water, included precious medicines, carefully selected gemstones, jade, and the remaining high-quality silk.
How could Zhe Shijiu accept giving these to these dirty natives?
"I have my own plans, you don't need to say any more!"
Shao Bowen gave him a cold glare and spoke again.
"What did he say?"
Looking at the native beating his chest and stomping his feet, Shao Bowen looked at the guide again.
"He says at least two trips are needed, otherwise, he will lead his tribesmen to kill us all!"
"Alright, two trips it is!"
Looking at the greed in the native's eyes, Shao Bowen's lips curled into a cold smile.
Although the guide didn't know what Shao Bowen was planning, he truthfully translated his words.
After hearing the translation, the dirty native excitedly ran back into the dense forest.
"Sir, for just this one fellow, anyone in this crew could cleave him in two with a single strike. Why did you agree to such terms?"