The letters of credence submitted by Huaxia City in the Golden State, as well as the gifts given to their monarch by their city lord Li Min, were quickly sent to Constantinople on an eight-hundred-mile express.
Well, of course, the name of the 800-mile express here is different from that in Datang.
If they come across urgent information in this corner, they will put a goose feather on top of it.
Any information with goose feathers will be delivered as quickly as possible.
In a few days, this information, together with the gifts from the lord of Huaxia City in the Golden State, were sent to Constantinople, their king, Constans II.
The first thing Constans II looked at was the gift sent by the so-called Lord of China City.
There were not many gifts sent. One was grain, including wheat and rice.
Nowadays, grain growing throughout Europe is relatively backward.
That is to say, it has just evolved from wild rice species, and its yield is extremely low.
It is precisely for this reason that there is a shortage of food throughout the European continent.
The grains Li Min sent were countless times better than their species.
Of course, the grain Li Min sent was just grain, not growing grain.
Seed grains need to be selected individually and require many processes before they can be used as seed grains.
Li Min sent these grains just to show Constans II that the grains in our Huaxia City are many times better than yours.
But it is a pity that all Li Min's thoughts were shown to the blind man.
This Constans II did not understand the quality of food at all.
As a monarch, he naturally eats the best food.
Besides, everything he eats is also finished product.
As for food, he had never seen it with his own eyes.
It is not easy for him to recognize these grains.
The second gift is a well-made ceramic vase.
This vase has fine enamel and excellent workmanship, and the patterns engraved on it are even more beautiful.
Constans II fell in love with it almost at first sight.
He immediately and solemnly ordered this vase to be placed in his study.
Next, is the third gift.
This gift is a long knife.
When he picked up the long sword, Constans II immediately noticed that the weight of the long sword was wrong.
It is one-third lighter than the long swords equipped in their army.
The light weight proves that the steel they use is insufficient and that Huaxia City's smelting level is worse than theirs.
Therefore, almost as soon as he picked up the sword, Constans II showed contempt on his face.
Next, he drew out his long knife.
The edge of the long knife is like a bay of autumn flowers, with brilliance flowing on the edge.
Huh?
This knife edge...
This cutting edge technology is very high.
But, how could this blade be so light?
Come here, get my sword.
"Yes, King."
Soon, a guard brought the sword of Constans II.
The guard knelt on the ground and kissed Constans II's boots, using this action to show his respect for the king.
Constans II ordered his guards to hold the long sword sent from Huaxia City.
Then he drew out his sword and slashed hard.
Clang!
There was a crisp sound.
Constans II looked at the two knives and found that where the blades of the two knives collided, there were gaps the size of rice grains.
This made Constans II very distressed.
However, the gap on his sword is smaller.
This shows that his sword is sharper than the sword sent by the other party.
This discovery made Constans II feel more contemptuous again.
It seems that the casting level of this Chinese city is indeed not as good as ours.
Now, Constans II felt that the defenders on the dock had exaggerated the strength of Huaxia City countless times.
Well, most people at the bottom like to do this.
They said that the people of Huaxia City were simply invincible.
Their giant ship is hundreds of meters long and dozens of meters high.
The whole huge ship is like a castle.
Their warships are like babies in front of other people's giant ships.
Moreover, they also know the name of their country and can speak their language.
And they actually know nothing about Huaxia City.
This matter made Constans II dismissive.
The people in this Huaxia City must have secretly inquired about our news and learned the language of our country.
What's so strange about this?
Judging from their level of smelting weapons, we know that their smelting capabilities are much worse than ours.
From this point of view, it is impossible for Huaxia City to be that strong.
How could they possibly build such a big warship?
A battleship as big as a castle, and all made of steel.
How much does this boat weigh?
How could such a heavy ship not sink if placed in the sea?
This is obviously a matter of common sense!
People down here really like to exaggerate.
It's time to straighten things up.
Next, Constans II opened the credentials submitted by the lord of Huaxia City.
This letter of credence was actually written in the script of their Eastern Roman Empire.
Well, the Byzantine Empire was actually the name given to them by later generations.
They themselves have always regarded themselves as the Eastern Roman Empire.
This letter was not long, but after Constans II read it, the look on his face changed drastically.
It turned out that in the letter, Li Min, the lord of Huaxia City, stated.
They were willing to become the most friendly partners with the Eastern Roman Empire, and were willing to sell food, luxury goods and weapons to them.
The gift sent along with the credentials were samples of the items they would sell.
Seeing this, Constans II was truly surprised.
First, there is the food issue.
Because they have been fighting against the Arab Empire all year round, of course, they mainly take beatings.
Military consumption and expenditures are huge.
Their food is seriously insufficient.
If Huaxia City could sell them a large amount of food, it would be the best thing, which would greatly alleviate their pressure of food shortage.
Of course, what surprised Constans II the most was actually the weapons.
Although this weapon sent with the certificate of credence is lighter in weight, in terms of its sharpness, it is comparable to his sword.
Even if it's slightly worse, it's still pretty much the same.
Originally, Constans II felt that the casting level of Huaxia City was not as good as theirs.
However, after reading the other party's credentials, I discovered that the weapons they sent were only weapons used by their army.
And where is his sword?
But there are specialized craftsmen who make it specially.
It is forged after constant and repeated forging.
This precious sword took three years to cast.
It is impossible to equip the army with such a precious sword.
But their long swords are specially used by the army.
If all the soldiers in their army use such sharp weapons.
So, will you still be so passive when fighting against Arabia?
Originally, he thought that the light weight of the opponent's long sword should be caused by their insufficient casting skills.
But now it seems that this is not the case at all.
For example, his sword was naturally made from rich materials and was forged after thousands of tempers.
But this weight would be too heavy for use in the military.
After all, weapons are for chopping.
How strong is the arm strength of an ordinary soldier?
If the weapon is too heavy, your arms will become sore and weak after just a few chops.
In comparison, the long sword sent by the other party is more suitable for ordinary soldiers in the army.
It has the right weight and is extremely sharp. It is definitely a magic weapon for the army.
The other party was actually able to make such a sharp sword in batches.
This is enough to show that their casting level is higher than theirs, definitely by more than one level.
Thinking of this, Constans II's expression became more and more solemn.
Since the other party's casting level is much higher than theirs.
Does this mean that the opponent's giant wheel is also real?
Thinking of this, Constans II found it difficult to calm down.
He decided to go to the dock to see for himself.
Constans II acted decisively and without any hesitation.
Now that you have decided to take a look with your own eyes, take action immediately.
Taking his guard with him, he set off that afternoon and headed straight for the dock.
You must see the opponent's giant wheel with your own eyes before you can know the depth of the opponent.
The news that the king came to greet him in person was quickly conveyed to the dock.
Seeing that the king was so solemn about this matter, the defenders on the dock became more and more respectful.
They will deliver delicious food to the ship every day.
Li Min did not refuse their delicious food.
But to be honest, even in later generations, they still have some delicious food.
But there are really only a few, and the other food is really lackluster.
I have to say that when it comes to food, the West is worse than the East by more than a little bit.
Li Min and the others waited patiently on the boat.
The ship has a lot of space and all kinds of facilities, so they won't be lonely.
A few days later, the Eastern Roman King Constans II came to the dock in person.
The moment he saw the giant ship coming from Huaxia City in the Golden State with his own eyes, Constans II's breathing paused for a moment.
Along the way, he had imagined many times what the opponent's giant ship looked like.
And every time they imagined it, they were based on their own warships and expanded.
Only when he saw the opponent's giant ship with his own eyes did he realize how wrong he was.
The opponent's giant ship was very different from what I had imagined.
It is really as huge as a castle.
It's funny that when I heard the report from the bottom, I thought that they were lying.
In fact, this is really the case.
When he saw it for the first time, his shock was no less than theirs.
The capabilities of Golden State Huaxia City are really too powerful.
It was so powerful that Constans II felt suffocated.
Next, Constans II ordered someone to shout.
The king's personal presence fully demonstrated his sincerity.
Next, East Rome is preparing to send a small boat to disembark the merchants from Huaxia City.
But what happened next moment completely shocked them.
It turned out that an iron arm automatically stretched out from the giant ship and carried it to the dock.
Then, a group of thousands of troops disembarked first.
Everyone in this army wore a light helmet, a long sword, and bows and crossbows.
The most terrifying thing is that these people actually maintain the same pace and frequency in their actions.
They were horrified to find that even the timing of each of these people's attacks was exactly the same.
The amplitude of each person's arm swing is surprisingly consistent.
Each one of them exudes a cold murderous aura.
The first time everyone sees them, their hearts will be filled with chills.
What kind of army is this?
If it were their army, the outcome would be almost obvious if it encountered this army.
It’s not that they promote other people’s ambitions and destroy their own prestige.
In fact, even they had to admit that the gap between the two sides could almost be seen just from their appearance.
Next, Constans II had a cordial meeting with Li Min, the city lord from Huaxia City in the Golden State.
After the two sides exchanged polite greetings, Constans II took the lead in asking about the situation in Huaxia City in the Golden State.
Constans II knew nothing about Huaxia City.
Although it is impossible for the city lord to tell him all the situations.
But at least, he needs to know some general situation.
Next, Li Min did not hide much, and roughly told Constans II about the current situation of Huaxia City.
After hearing Li Min's story, Constans II couldn't help but feel relieved.
It turns out that the Golden State has fertile land and a large number of plains.
And their farming and other skills are very developed.
But their population is sparse and their food is abundant.
In this case, they can continuously sell the excess food to them.
And they happen to be short of food here.
This is a win-win situation for both parties.
Moreover, Huaxia City has a sparse population, so there is no possibility for them to go overseas in such a short period of time.
Then, in decades, Huaxia City may become their strongest ally.
Constans II decided to capture this ally.
After a friendly meeting, Constans II hosted a banquet in honor of Li Min, the lord of Huaxia City.
Li Min went to the appointment as scheduled.
The banquet of the king of a country is naturally different.
At the banquet, everything was extravagant.
However, most of them are barbecued food.
After three rounds of wine and five delicious dishes, Constans II couldn't help but ask Li Min how much food and weapons they could sell in the Golden State.
Hearing this question, Li Min couldn't help but smile and said: "It's hard to say how much there is. There are still millions of tons of grain."
Before Huaxia City was established, the Golden State was rich in food.
After Li Min left, a lot of wasteland was dug up.
Coupled with the production of grain seeds and modern equipment, grain output is getting higher and higher.
Moreover, even if the Golden State is short of food, it can still be transported here from Datang.
Of course, if you transport from Datang, you don't need to pass through the Golden State.
Just go west from Datang.
This distance can be much closer.
After hearing Li Min's words, both Constans II and the officials in Eastern Rome were all surprised and delighted.
I was surprised that they actually had so much food.
Fortunately, their food shortage problem has finally been solved.
Constans II continued to ask: "Excuse me, how many long knives like the gifts you sent me can you provide?"
Li Min smiled and said: "At present, we can only provide about 30,000 to 50,000 long knives."
Upon hearing this amount, the kings and officials of Eastern Rome looked both happy and dissatisfied.
These seemed to be two very contradictory expressions, but they appeared on their faces at the same time.
In fact, this is a very easy thing to understand.
The human heart is not enough for a snake to swallow an elephant!
Originally, they thought that making a long knife of this quality must be very difficult.
After all, if it is made by them, it must be made by hand.
A knife requires a craftsman to spend at least three years.
Moreover, it requires an extremely skilled craftsman.
This method is destined to be impossible for mass production.
And even if their smelting technology is advanced and the process of not having a knife is reduced to one year, there won't be many swords anywhere.
But now, they have received as many as 30,000 to 50,000 answers.
This was really beyond their expectations, so they were very happy.
However, even if there are 30,000 to 50,000 swords, there is still no way for all their armies to be equipped with such swords.
Therefore, they felt very sorry.
If their entire army can be equipped with such long swords, will the Arab Empire still be their opponent by then?
Seeing the expressions on their faces, Li Min seemed to guess what they were thinking.
Li Min couldn't help but smile and said: "Three to fifty thousand is just our inventory. If you want more, we can manufacture it."
Hearing the words of the city lord of Huaxia City, they couldn't help but be surprised and happy.
Constans II quickly asked: "What if the quantity we need is huge, at least two to three hundred thousand?"
Li Min smiled slightly and said: "This can naturally be made. However, it will take some time. It should be possible to make it within half a year."
hiss!
After hearing Li Min's words, many people secretly took a breath of cold air.
Is it so easy for Huaxia City to make such a weapon?
Can two to three hundred thousand of these precious knives be produced in half a year?
This speed is too terrifying, right?
As everyone knows, just this, Li Min might scare them by saying too much!
These long knives have ready-made molds. All you need to do is melt the molten steel and pour it in.
If the firepower is fully activated, at most three months will be enough. How can we use the first half year?
And even though Li Min extended this time to double the time, he still frightened the monarchs and ministers of Eastern Rome.
They have a completely new understanding of Huaxia City's casting capabilities.
Next, the emperors and ministers of Eastern Rome asked about the issue they were most concerned about, the price issue.
Naturally, Li Min had already thought about the price before coming here.
As for the price of grain, Li Min directly gave three times the price of grain in Huaxia City.
The consumption on the road, coupled with the labor and other expenses required to purchase food, will probably cost twice as much profit.
In this case, they can at least double their profits.
Regarding the price of grain, the emperors and ministers of Eastern Rome expressed that they were completely acceptable.
Because there is a shortage of food in Eastern Rome, the price of food here is much more expensive than that in Huaxia City.
At the most expensive time, it was even twice as expensive as the price given by Li Min.
In their opinion, the price given by Li Min was already a very fair price.
Next, they started asking about the price of the weapons.
The price given by Li Min was 80,000 yuan a piece.
Of course, the 80,000 yuan here is worth Chinese coins.
Naturally, if converted into Eastern Roman gold coins, it would probably be cheaper, but not much cheaper.
And this price was actually within the expectations of the Eastern Roman monarchs.
In fact, it was even cheaper than they expected.
After all, if they made it themselves, a sword would cost at least 300,000 yuan.
But now, their selling price is only 80,000, which is about a quarter of their cost price.
Such a price is definitely a very sincere and conscience price.
Of course, what they don't actually know is that the cost of making such a weapon in Huaxia City will not exceed 2,000.
The selling price was a full 80,000 yuan, which was a huge profit of forty times.
This is of course the difference in craftsmanship between the two parties.
The craftsmanship of Eastern Rome was manual, and it took thousands of forgings to make a sword.
It is necessary to remove a large amount of iron blanks from impurities bit by bit and temper them into steel bit by bit.
A large amount of raw materials are consumed during this process.
The most expensive thing is actually the manual work and time-consuming process.
But here in Huaxia City, they only need to make molten steel and pour it into the mold.
The level of difficulty is very different.
The price of a handful of 80,000 yuan is already extremely cheap for them.
Even they themselves are embarrassed to negotiate the price.
However, years of wars have depleted their finances.
And the weapons they want include as many as 200,000 to 300,000.
They simply cannot afford such a large amount of money to purchase weapons.
Not to mention weapons, even food, they may not be able to spend enough money to purchase it.
This is very embarrassing.
People have traveled thousands of miles to do business with them, they are sincere and the prices they offer are very kind.
Now everything has been negotiated, but in the end, it is they themselves who do not have so much money at all.
The emperors and ministers of the Eastern Roman Empire even thought of robbing them.
Of course, the goods they carry this time will definitely not be too much. Even if they are robbing, they will be of no use at all.