Sok's words, "It is said that Srivijaya, with the help of a group of mysterious figures, created a new fire-breathing ship. This ship can make thunderous noises and spray out devil's flames and scorching iron currents." Yun
Zheng suddenly became suspicious
This fire-breathing ship looks like the artillery ship of the Turret Guard, but its power should not be as exaggerated as Sok said. According to Sok, it is not a fire-breathing ship, it is a battleship...
But according to Jiang Fan, shipborne artillery is a new technology even in the Jiang Jiawei - or Jiang Jia Nanhai Navy - and is rarely used. Even in the hands of the extremely innovative Jiang Fan,
It is still an experimental product. How come Sriwijaya has such technology? To say that the regimes in Nanyang can surpass the Wei Dynasty in science and technology in this era is simply crazy talk. The only possibility is... the Jiang family
Do it!
Think about it, the Jiang family is naturally very clear about the importance of Srivijaya's position. Its sphere of influence includes most of the Malay Peninsula and the Sunda Islands. The most critical point is that they control the famous Strait of Malacca in later generations.
Now that Srivijaya is at war with the Zhunan country, the Jiang family naturally does not want the strength of the Zhunan country to control the Strait of Malacca, but they are also worried that directly helping Srivijaya will affect its overseas trade, so it is not surprising to use some small tricks secretly (
Note: Zhu Nian Kingdom (also known as Chola) was an ancient country on the Indian Peninsula from the 1st century to the 13th century. Its land is in today's Tamil Nadu.
(urayur) is the capital of the country. Before Yun Zheng could answer Sok, Yu Qinggao became nervous: "Young Marshal Yun, is Srivijaya at war with anyone? Where is the country of Zhunian? Can Srivijaya start a war with it?
Is there any chance of winning? Will the current war between the two parties affect our sea trade in the Wei Dynasty? "
Yun Zheng turned his head slightly: "That Zhunian country was originally located in the western sky and southern India. It is the most powerful country in Tianzhu at present. It is said that the Zhunian country has a thousand warships and fifty thousand war elephants. It was the hegemon for a while. This country was in great food and
During the Wei Dynasty, we plundered small countries and destroyed countless countries. For all the trade on the road of fragrant porcelain, Zhunian Kingdom must get a share of the pie and control the sea routes for decades... As for Srivijaya, its strength is not too bad.
There are seven or eight vassal states, and of course they are all small countries. However, compared with the Zhunan Kingdom, Srivijaya is probably still slightly weaker. Now that Srivijaya suddenly has a fire-breathing ship, it is possible to compete with the Zhunan Kingdom...
"
Yun Zheng was originally replying to Yu Qinggao's words, but suddenly his eyes lit up: Could it be that Jiang's intention was to strengthen Srivijaya and bring it close to the strength of Zunian, and then the two sides would fall into a bitter battle, and then two tigers would fight? In this way
, regardless of whether Zhu Nianguo and Srivijaya "must have one injured" or "both lose", it will be beneficial to the Jiang family - and of course the same is true for the Wei Dynasty.
If this is the case, hey, the Jiang family is really quite capable of controlling the situation in Nanyang and stabilizing the Wei sea territory just by relying on the power of Guangdong and Guangxi.
He calmed down and continued: "As for the Great Wei trade route, this...if the two sides fight hard, it will be affected to some extent, but...it shouldn't be too big."
"Why is this?" Yu Qinggao didn't understand: "It would be fine if the two countries decide the outcome soon. If it becomes a tug-of-war, it will cost a lot. At that time, in order to supplement the finances, they will most likely have to attack our merchant ships.
, levying heavy taxes, how can we say that it 'will not have a big impact'?"
Yun Zheng said: "Master Yu only knows one but not the other. The two countries of Sanfoqi and Zhunian are between the maritime trade routes of our country, the Wei Dynasty and the country of Dashi, and they are both places that must be passed through. Of course,
This makes their status important. Normally, we, the merchants of Wei Dynasty and the merchants of Dashi, are concerned about the attitudes of these two countries. But precisely because of their important positions, every move they make will inevitably attract the attention of Wei and Dashi.
At present, according to my uncle Yun Shilang, 30% of the finance and taxation of our great Wei Dynasty comes from agriculture, and 70% comes from industry. If any country of Srivijaya and Zhuxiang suddenly adjusts the tax rate, it will be harmful to us.
If Dawei and Dashi merchants impose heavy taxes, the two countries will definitely be dissatisfied... If Dawei and Dashi intervene, the outcome of the war between them will be too obvious, and they should not do such stupid things. "
Yu Qinggao understood now. He was a smart person. The reason why he didn't react just now was mainly because he was not familiar with many strange countries outside. After hearing Yun Zheng's words, he immediately knew what was going on.
The key point is that the Nian Kingdom and Srivijaya are fighting vigorously. At this time, it is very likely that a straw can change the course of the war. If one of them is stupid enough to raise tariffs or even harm the merchants of Wei and Dashi, both the East and the West will
If any of the powerful countries joins the war, even if it is not with all their strength, it is not something they can bear. So this time Yu Qinggao just nodded suddenly and did not ask any more questions.
Yunzheng then answered Sok's question: "Mr. Skoll, I think you have roughly understood what we just said. Yes, this war will not have a great impact on our transactions. As for you... I can give
Give you a discount, and I will give you one of the best porcelains in the entire Wei Dynasty. These porcelains are all from the four famous kilns. They are official porcelains used by the royal family and the highest-ranking nobles. You should be able to think about it.
High-end porcelain can be sold for astonishing prices in the West. But the next time you come to Wei, I hope you can bring back a group of higher-quality black slaves, preferably female slaves. I will still use porcelain -
—Or fine silk and tea as payment... This will be a long-term trade contract, what do you think?"
Suoke was very happy, high-end porcelain, the high-end porcelain used by the royal family and high-ranking nobles of the Wei Dynasty. You must know that the porcelain sold by China to the West in the past, even a mid-range product, could sometimes be replaced by a castle (not a city), and this
This time, he, Sok, will get the highest-grade porcelain used by the highest-ranking nobles - he will become a heroic businessman! And all he has to pay is the black slaves who are not very valuable. It is such a bargain. This deal is too
What a bargain, Suoke had even seen the day when he would become a "lord"... He quickly agreed and praised Yunzheng exaggeratedly, as if this young "lord duke" was already infinitely close to Jehovah or Jesus.
Yunzheng thought for a while, and suddenly said: "By the way, one more thing, Mr. Skoll, next time you come to our place, I think you need to bring some ostriches, ostriches, you know? That thing
I’ll collect them, and I’ll collect them in large quantities and at high prices.”
Suoke quickly replied to Yunzheng: "Besides the ostrich, what else do you want? Do you need some wax? I'll bring it to you too."
Yu Qinggao was confused again. Nangong Wuyu had never heard of these two things. He couldn't help but wonder: "What kind of thing is an ostrich? What does Marshal Yun want with this thing? What is this wax? It's also a bee."
Things produced?”
"傂 wax" is the pronunciation of y in the Daqin language (Latin). Yunzheng replied: "The "Extended Natural History" written by Li Shi of the Jin Dynasty records the exotic beasts produced in the ancient country of Bobali along the coast of Zhongli Kingdom (Somalia).
It is more than one foot tall but has a neck nine feet long. It looks like a camel and is as big as a cow. It is yellow in color. Its front feet are five feet high and its back three feet lower. Its head is high. Well, actually this is a kind of deer. Because its neck is too long, it is
It's called a giraffe... But the strange thing is, how does Li Shi know so much detail? Could it be that he has also been to Africa? If he heard the legend, then who told him?"
Yun Zheng's last sentence was close to talking to himself. Nangong Wuyu was satisfied and asked with a smile: "What about the ostrich? Is it the same bird as a camel?"
"No, it's a big bird. It's as big as a peacock. No, it's bigger than a peacock. Ostrich skin can be used to make soft and delicate leather. The meat is as delicious and nutritious as the best beef. One of its eggs
The eggs weigh several kilograms and are easy to raise. They just eat grass and are very cold-resistant, drought-resistant and hunger-resistant." Yun Zheng answered lightly.
Because outsiders such as Suoke and Yu Qinggao were present, he deliberately forgot to mention that in fact, ostrich oil is a truly valuable commodity. It is a cell and muscle tissue repair agent. When modern football players are injured in a fall, the team doctor will
Apply or spray something on the player's injured area, and then the player can stand up and play normally again in about one to three minutes. This is the famous ostrich oil effect.
In addition, there are ostrich feathers, which are not only a fashionable decoration for women, but also the main component of quill pens. They are so important that the ostrich trade did not gradually shrink until the birth of new pens.
Suoke did not hear the commercial value of this, nor did Nangong Wuyu, but Nangong Wuyu knew that since Yunzheng knew so much about the ostrich, he must not have acquired the ostrich just for fun. There must be some reason.
, but it was not convenient to ask now, so Sok agreed without saying a word, and then asked: "If there is anything else you need, Your Excellency, please feel free to tell me, and I will try my best to meet your request."
Yun Zheng rolled his eyes and raised his eyebrows: "There is one more thing, Arabian horses... I need good Arabian horses, stallions among Arabian horses, you know."
Sok smiled. Nobles love horses. This is the same hobby in the East and the West. In Sok's view, this young Duke is obviously also such a famous horse lover. Although he wants a stallion, Sok
I still think that the young Duke Yun Zheng does not know how to choose real Arabian horses. Arabian horses are much taller than Chinese horses. If you pick some at random, they all look very majestic. In this way, you can sell a lot of money.
Good price, ah, praise the Lord, another great deal
However, Yunzheng could see the meaning behind Sok's smile at a glance. He also smiled, with a smile like a warm spring breeze: "The Arabian horse I want should have a beautiful, delicate head, with a slightly shorter and wider forehead.
The profile of a wedge-shaped face is best, with concave eyes that are particularly large and protruding, deep and expressive of emotion. The ears are far apart on both sides, and they often move back and forth. The best thing is that the nose can fit a pint in.
The large nostrils of the water tank, the nostrils are clean and flexible, allowing a large amount of ventilation to exhale hot air to cool the body. The back is short and straight, the nails are long and protruding, the shoulders are strong, and the angle is good; the nails are appropriately protruding. The fur is soft and thin, and the hair is very short in summer.
, the fur is slightly longer and denser in winter, and the mane and tail are as slender as silk. The tail is very flexible and likes to stand high, sometimes at the same height as the back or slightly higher. When excited, the height will exceed the back... That's it, okay?"
Sock was stunned. Yunzheng's requirements for the horse were very clear, and...very correct. Such a horse is a good horse among Arabian horses. His request was so clear that Sock could no longer bully Dongfang with deception.
People don't understand Arabian horses, but he doesn't dare to offend Yun Zheng, or in other words, he doesn't dare to offend a big customer like Yun Zheng. He can only nod aggrievedly, saying that he already knows how harsh Yun Zheng's requirements are...
Yunzheng has long wanted to introduce Arabian horses. The Wei Dynasty is short of horses. Even the Yun family, the only one with a pasture, does not have enough horses - at least not enough compared to the Liao Kingdom. Moreover, Yunzheng has always felt that simple Mongolian horses (the Yun family
and those from the Liao Kingdom, which are basically Mongolian horses) are not really good horses. Although they are hardy, not afraid of the cold, can adapt to extremely extensive feeding and management, have strong vitality, and can survive in harsh and harsh conditions, their average body height is
Only 120 to 135 centimeters, while the normal height of an Arabian horse is around 141 to 153 centimeters. This is a truly tall horse. Moreover, the Arabian horse has a beautiful body, a medium build, a well-proportioned structure, a flexible walking step, a sharp and docile temperament, and is easy to
**, the requirements for feeding and management conditions are not very high, and it is considered to be the best war horse in the world in later generations.
Horses are an important strategic resource for warfare in the Cold Weapon Age. The Yun Family Army relied on the strength of Yan Yunqi to become the number one military family in the Wei Dynasty. The importance of improving horse breeds is self-evident and later generations have proven that,
Using Arabian horses to improve Mongolian horse breeds is very successful.
Although Yunzheng really wants to let China gradually enter the era of hot weapons from now on, he has no idea how fast this process can be. Besides, even if it enters the era of hot weapons, the cavalry will not be able to fight for a while.
will be eliminated. The mission of the cavalry will not end until technology develops to the point where land mechanically powered combat vehicles such as tanks appear. Before that, the cavalry is still a weapon in combat.
Yun Zheng nodded with satisfaction and said: "In that case, you can discuss the follow-up matters with us in the trading company and say goodbye."
Nangong Wuyu accompanied Yun Zheng to go out. Only then did Yun Zheng ask why Yu Qinggao appeared here. Nangong Wuyu told Yun Zheng that as the prefect of Huai'an, more than half of the tax revenue under Yu Qinggao was commercial tax, and because of the
The relationship between Feng Trading Company and Princess Mansion has enabled it to develop extremely rapidly in Huai'an, and because of this relationship, sometimes Yu Qinggao has to come to Chengfeng Trading Company to discuss matters related to business in person.
Yunzheng nodded and said thoughtfully: "To make money, it is nothing more than increasing revenue and reducing expenditure. We are not in a hurry to reduce expenditure. In addition to opening up business routes, it seems that it is also necessary to develop products. We can't just sell ironware, porcelain, and silk.
Among the four things like tea, we have to sell something else...otherwise, if we buy so much and sell too little, even if we make huge profits, sooner or later we will not have enough money."
----------I have something to do today. I missed a thousand words. I will make up for it tomorrow.
