1627 Rise of the South China Sea

Chapter 3969

The bustling scene at the Sanya branch of Furuifeng is actually closely related to the recent public opinion trend.

Since the Executive Committee of Haihan released the strategic plan for the "Western Development", the official publicity work has also been adjusted accordingly. For example, the "Western Scenery Exhibition" currently being held in the Sanya Stadium has attracted a large number of people to watch.

Some people who were considering joining the Frye Fung fleet to venture overseas were reportedly influenced by this exhibition.

Organized by the Haihan Education Department, this exhibition is completely free to the public and features a variety of specialty products from the region west of the Straits of Malacca, introductions to local customs and traditions, landscape and portrait paintings by professional artists, and dozens of on-site photographs being shown to the public for the first time.

The principles of photography are, of course, only very basic knowledge for time travelers. The difficulty lies in finding suitable raw materials to achieve the exposure of film and the development of photographs based on the current level of technology and craftsmanship.

Eventually, someone used a glass plate coated with photosensitive collodion to make a negative, and then developed it on photographic paper coated with egg white photosensitive material, resulting in a clearer photographic image.

However, this technology was not invented by time travelers; it simply brought forward the technology that originated in the 19s of the original timeline by nearly two hundred years.

Moreover, this technology is still firmly controlled by the government and is limited to special fields such as propaganda and military use. In the eyes of the public, it still belongs to the category of metaphysics that is visible but incomprehensible.

Perhaps it is precisely because of the realistic depiction brought by photographic technology that this exhibition has far surpassed the impact of previous exhibitions on similar themes. In just the first three days of its opening, it attracted tens of thousands of visitors.

Li Yuande and Chen Pingliao, who had just arrived in Sanya, also came to visit the exhibition.

At the entrance of the stadium, a prominent banner with the title "Western Scenery Exhibition" was hung. According to the manager of the accompanying business, this banner has a special background. It was personally inscribed by Zhou Hengxing, the current governor of Sanya, who also attended the opening ceremony as one of the first visitors, which shows the importance the government attaches to this event.

It is said that during the first few days of the event, the crowds were so large that the government had to deploy the Haihan Army to maintain order and prevent stampedes.

However, when Chen Pingliao and Li Yuande came to visit, the peak of the event had already passed, and they entered the venue quickly without even having to queue for long.

The entire exhibition area is arranged along the running track inside the stadium. The exhibition area is oval-shaped, and visitors can complete the visit to hundreds of exhibits by simply walking around the running track.

"My steward told me that many of the exhibits this time were borrowed from Furifeng's warehouse."

At this point, Li Yuande boasted with a smile, "I personally escorted most of them back from overseas, so I should be considered to have indirectly participated in the preparation of the exhibition."

Of course, not all the exhibits here come from Fu Ruifeng's warehouse. For example, a calligraphy work with poetry hanging at the entrance has absolutely nothing to do with Li Yuande.

Masts and banners pierce the fog, obscuring the western sea; golden gongs cleave the waves, subduing whales and salamanders.

Sails blaze, the world seems narrow; iron ships sail horizontally, the sun low in the sky. Nine interpreters arrive with the new moon ceremony; tributes from a thousand continents are offered in the coming-of-age ritual.

The various tribes of the West vied to send out proclamations, vying to surrender their warships to the Han banners.

This seven-character regulated poem, titled "Ode to the Western Expedition," is said to be the work of a renowned scholar surnamed Zhai from Danzhou, and it perfectly fits the theme of this exhibition. Many young literati stood before this work, swaying their heads and reciting it softly, carefully appreciating its meaning.

The term "Taixi" generally refers to Western countries in Europe. It was invented and used by a scholar named Fang Yizhi in his book "Dongxi Jun" a few years ago. Because of its novelty and uniqueness, it quickly spread in the Haihan cultural circle.

Although Li Yuande was a scholar who had participated in the imperial examinations, he actually had little interest in composing poetry and other traditional cultural works, and could not discern the quality of this piece of calligraphy and poetry.

Chen Pingliao then commented, "This poem has an excellent theme, perfectly aligning with the Special Operations Division's ambition to expand its territory in the west, and also fitting the theme of this exhibition. The calligraphy is vigorous and powerful, penetrating the paper, demonstrating considerable skill in brush and ink; it is truly a masterpiece!"

Li Yuande smiled and said, "Brother Chen is right. If General Qian could see this work, he would surely praise it highly."

When Li Yuande said this, he already had his eye on the idea of ​​buying the calligraphy and poetry work from the artist and bringing it back to Fubo Port to present to Qian Tiandun. However, he figured the price would definitely rise after the exhibition, and there might be other people eyeing it. If Li Yuande wanted to secure the deal, he had to act quickly.

Thinking of this, Li Yuande made a gesture, and immediately a follower stepped forward to receive his orders. He whispered a few instructions, and the follower nodded and turned to leave.

Chen Pingliao guessed a bit and asked Li Yuande, "Brother Li, are you planning to collect this exhibit?"

Li Yuande did not deny it, nodding and saying, "Such a good thing that catches your eye is not something you can come across anytime, anywhere. Since we have the chance to encounter it today, we should not let it slip away."

Of course, this wasn't the only piece of poetry and calligraphy on display. There were also many poems, lyrics, and essays by literati from all over the country, totaling fifty or sixty pieces, most of which praised the strength of the nation. However, after looking through them all, the one that the two liked the most and praised the most was still the "Ode to the Western Expedition" at the entrance, which further solidified Li Yuande's determination to acquire it.

After passing through the poetry and calligraphy exhibition area, we entered the merchandise area. The exhibits here were extremely abundant, with at least a hundred items.

Li Yuande wasn't exaggerating when he said that. Although it was his first time at this exhibition, he was extremely familiar with the exhibits. He introduced each item to Chen Pingliao as he toured the exhibition, and he knew each one like the back of his hand.

The fine palm oil from Aceh, ivory products from Siam, jade and emeralds from Myanmar, rubies and sapphires from Ceylon, finely woven canvas and tobacco from the Mughal Empire, wool carpets from Persia, leather products from the Ottoman Empire, and so on, dazzled Chen Pingliao, leaving him overwhelmed with choices.

Li Yuande explained that these local specialties from countries along the Indian Ocean coast can usually fetch a good price after being transported thousands of miles back to China. If the raw materials are transported back to China for further processing, the price of the finished product can increase tenfold or even a hundredfold, resulting in substantial profits.

However, the most eye-catching exhibits were from the Kingdom of Shihu. Unlike the exhibits displayed by other countries, the exhibits from Shihu were live animals—two large Arabian warhorses and a pair of camels that looked very calm and composed.

To this end, the organizers specially designated two areas in the middle of the stadium as temporary venues for raising and displaying these special exhibits.