The most basic goals of both parties have been achieved. The subsequent negotiations, such as how much minerals should be exchanged for how much ironware, are all minutiae.
The minutiae issues can be dealt with slowly, a little more or a little less, but it will not affect the overall situation.
After the negotiation was over, Zhu Hongyu spoke to Sanchez.
"Your Excellency, Chief, I want you to recommend to me the leaders of the major tribes nearby!"
"We Chinese have an old saying, distant relatives are not as good as close neighbors!"
"We are all close neighbors, so it is natural for neighbors to have good relations with each other!"
Sanchez did not refuse and nodded in agreement.
The expression on Zhu Hongyu's face became more relaxed.
Now the Liberation Army has a lot of gold and silver, and a lot of money has been seized in several battles.
However, due to the Spanish blockade, the Liberation Army could not spend any money they had, and had no other use except paying military salaries to the soldiers.
However, precisely because of the Spanish blockade, all kinds of materials needed by the Liberation Army were in scarcity.
Zhu Hongyu's solution to this dilemma was to obtain supplies from the indigenous people.
…
Negotiations between the two parties ended and the China-Iraq Trade Agreement was reached.
The tribe negotiating with the Liberation Army this time belongs to the Igorot people, and the Igorot people are one of the indigenous groups on Luzon Island.
The number of ethnic groups is no less than that of the Pampanga people who surrendered to the Spaniards!
This tribe calls itself a crocodile, because in their eyes, the crocodile is the strongest creature on land, so they use the crocodile as the totem of their tribe.
Unlike the Pampanga people who live in the central plains of Luzon and have a high degree of collusion with the Spaniards, the Igorots live in the mountains and have a bad relationship with the Spaniards.
The reason why we agreed to use this name is because Zhu Hongyu did not intend to do business with just this Igorot people. He wanted to win over all the Igorot people in the entire mountainous area.
Since the Spaniards could use the Pampanga people to stabilize their colonial order in Luzon.
Then Zhu Hongyu can use the Igorot people to overthrow Spanish colonial rule.
The next day, the people of the Crocodile Tribe mined a lot of iron ore and coal and transported them to the camp of the Liberation Army to exchange iron tools with the Liberation Army.
Pricing based on trade agreement.
One hundred pounds of iron ore or one hundred pounds of coal can be exchanged for one pound of pig iron.
If you want directly formed agricultural tools and weapons, you will need to spend more money.
For example, an iron knife weighing three kilograms is priced at five hundred kilograms of iron ore or five hundred kilograms of coal.
A breastplate weighing ten kilograms costs two thousand kilograms of iron ore or coal.
A musket that uses ten kilograms of material costs two thousand kilograms of iron ore or coal.
A cannon with a material cost of 500 kilograms is priced at 100,000 kilograms of iron ore or coal.
One hundred thousand kilograms sounds like a lot, but when converted into tons, it’s actually only fifty tons!
There are quite a lot of people in the crocodile tribe. If you add the old, weak, women and children together, there are always thousands of people.
On average, each person digging 100 kilograms of ore can buy a cannon for the tribe. People in the crocodile tribe do not think this price is excessive.
Because in the entire Luzon Island, only the Liberation Army was willing to sell artillery to them!
Not to mention artillery, the Spanish in Manila wouldn't even sell them shovels!
Just two days after the Liberation Army reached a trade agreement with the Crocodile Tribe, Sanchez introduced Zhu Hongyu to the leaders of several other major tribes around the valley.
After negotiating in the Liberation Army camp, several parties also signed the trade agreement.
But unlike the Crocodile Tribe, which exchanges iron ore and coal for iron tools, these other tribes do not have minerals in their territories.
For these tribes, Zhu Hongyu proposed a trade method of exchanging materials for iron tools.
Ten pounds of sulfur is exchanged for one pound of iron, five pounds of saltpeter is exchanged for one pound of iron, and twenty pounds of charcoal is exchanged for one pound of iron.
This third item is the most important raw material for making gunpowder!
It is not that Zhu Hongyu cannot make new types of gunpowder, such as yellow gunpowder and smokeless gunpowder. He is a man who has learned how to rub C4 with his bare hands.
It's just that even if he can make it now, it's only in small quantities and cannot be mass-produced, let alone put into use by the army.
In this case, why bother with this thing? Just play with granulated black powder.
In addition to these three items, there are also wood, grain, stone, etc.
Needless to say about food, I can tolerate the shortage of other things, but not food.
Timber and stone were used to continue building the camp of the Liberation Army!
And volcanic ash!
Volcanic ash has many uses, such as making natural fertilizers and making cement.
It is also commonly known as pozzolanic cement. Adding some volcanic ash to soil cement can greatly improve the quality of soil cement.
For example, solidification speed, strength after solidification, etc.
In addition, there are also various bits and pieces of supplies such as sugar, salt, medicinal materials, copper materials, etc.
In fact, Luzon seems to be unsuitable for human survival despite its hot climate and rampant miasma.
But to be honest, the local area is rich in various natural resources, including minerals, timber, and fertile land, plus the local lighting conditions and temperature conditions.
If you farm, three crops a year will not be a problem.
To be honest, there is basically no shortage of various materials needed by the Liberation Army. As long as these indigenous tribes are willing to search hard, they will definitely collect enough materials.
The muskets, artillery, and various iron tools that the Liberation Army promised to trade to them were the carrots dangled in front of them.
After all, the Spaniards could blockade the Liberation Army, but they could not blockade the natives.
The trade methods finalized with these tribes are still within the general framework of the previous trade agreement!
After all, iron ore and coal can also be counted as materials, right?
In order to prevent these indigenous tribes from having inappropriate thoughts, such as thinking that instead of doing business honestly with the Liberation Army, it would be better to just grab it.
While the two sides were negotiating, Zhu Hongyu ordered the Liberation Army to perform martial arts on the playground.
Two hundred soldiers of the Liberation Army sent out three rows and advanced forward. Following the chants, their footsteps lifted and fell together, and smoke and dust rose from the ground they trampled on.
The orderly and solemn feeling of the army formation spread across the scene.
Three rows of musketeers advanced forward, constantly reloading and firing in turns. The sound of muskets exploded and the smoke filled the air.
The breastplates on their bodies reflected the dazzling sunlight, and the three-edged bayonets had sharp blades.
Moreover, even the four light cannons in the fort and the light cannon used for research in the weapons workshop were pulled out and brought to the large playground.
Zhu Hongyu didn't care whether he wasted gunpowder or not, in the sound of his order.
Five light cannons fired continuously!
The gunfire roared, and the smoke covered the entire playground. Iron bullets the size of fists flew out, beating the powerful target into sawdust flying in the sky.
The shouts of killing, musketeers, and artillery fire kept ringing!
Looking at the tribal leaders who were very talkative during the negotiations, Zhu Hongyu knew that his purpose of intimidation had been achieved.
In a short period of time, these indigenous tribes no longer dare to have any thoughts that they shouldn't have, and will do business with the Liberation Army obediently.
With the trade agreement reached with the surrounding indigenous tribes, the development of the Liberation Army began to embark on a fast track.
Many strong laborers who were previously used in heavy physical labor such as mining and logging were liberated and organized into armies.
And start training!
…………
Finally finished coding, here are two updates! The author will definitely not forget the updates I owe, so I will pay them back slowly.
Regarding the military system issues that readers have reported, the author would like to see how to change them in a more reasonable way.
If you have suggestions, you can post them in the book review area and the author will read them.