Neon Clothes and Iron Clothes

Chapter 925 The Secret of Thunder

"You don't have to say such harsh words!" Suta said with a wry smile, "I don't think they have done anything to hinder you in Jiaozhi City these few days, have they?"

"You don't know this!" Yuan Bao said, "These bastards are only thinking about grabbing votes like Heba Yun, and then encircling their own territory to become the king! But the problem is that there is nothing in Jiaozhou now, not even a factory that produces gunpowder. It's fine if they win, but what if they lose?"

"You have a point!" When Xu Tuo heard Yuan Bao mention the gunpowder factory, he hurriedly asked, "Do you have a plan?"

"Of course, I prepared everything when I left Cangzhou!" Yuanbao said, "You also know that gunpowder is made of three things: charcoal, saltpeter, and sulfur. Charcoal is everywhere, so don't worry about it; I have already got the secret method of making saltpeter, and I have ordered the local sericulture households in Jiaozhou to use silkworm manure to offset the silk tax of that year; the only trouble now is the source of sulfur!"

"Sulfur? This shouldn't be difficult, right?" Sutuo asked, "I remember that Japan is rich in sulfur. As long as you ask, Brother Yanliang will sell it to you?"

"Do I need you to tell me that?" Yuan Bao rolled his eyes. "But have you ever thought that after father invented firearms, we will have to rely on gunpowder to fight wars in the future? In the past, sulfur was only used for making elixirs, treating diseases, and repelling insects, but in the future, sulfur will be a military weapon, which is related to the survival of the country. How can we buy this kind of weapon from only one company?"

"Can't I buy from the same company?" Su Tuo was stunned when he heard this. He and Yuan Bao grew up together and he immediately guessed what the other party was thinking: "Yuan Bao, you are not afraid that Yan Liang will not sell sulfur to you at the critical moment, right?"

"Hehe!" Yuanbao laughed dryly twice, but did not answer, which was obviously a tacit agreement. Xu Tuo sighed: "Yuanbao, Brother Yanliang is very generous!"

"He is indeed very generous, but at that time we were just naughty kids on the island, and he was born the king of Japan. How can we tell whether he is really generous or not?" Yuan Bao said, "Besides, it is one thing when my father is here, and another thing when he is not here. Resources like sulfur, which are related to the country, are better controlled in our own hands!"

"Now that you have it in your hands, what are you going to do? Buy more and stockpile them, or find another source of supply?" Suta asked.

"I brought a boatload of sulfur with me when I came here. If I save it, it will last for a while!" Yuan Bao said, "Also, there are many overseas merchants in Jiaozhou. If there are any who can supply sulfur, we can sign a long-term supply agreement with them!"

"That's a good idea!" Suta said with a smile, "You can subscribe to a few more houses and give each of them a share. That way, even if one or two of them get into trouble, the supply won't be cut off altogether!"

"In fact, the best way is to take control of it in your own hands!" Yuanbao said with a smile.

"What do you mean?" Suta asked, "You plan to mine sulfur yourself? But how do you know where sulfur is produced? It's hard to find this stuff!"

"Xudao, have you forgotten the general education class our father taught us when we were on the island?" Yuanbao said with a smile, "Generally speaking, sulfur is produced near volcanoes. It is indeed not easy to find sulfur mines, but it is much easier to find where there are volcanoes!"

"Yes, yes!" Suta slapped his thigh and said, "I remember now that the sulfur produced in Japan is also near volcanoes. You have a really good memory. Father mentioned it in class and you remembered it!"

"Of course! I'm not like some people who doze off during general education classes!" Yuan Bao smiled proudly, "So I plan to host a banquet for merchants from various countries in a few days. I'll just mention it at the banquet. As long as we find a nearby one, we won't have to worry about our sulfur supply!"

Seeing his brother's smug look, Suta breathed a sigh of relief. He thought for a moment and said, "Since you are ready, I can also prepare to leave!"

"Leave?" Yuan Bao was surprised: "Suda, are you leaving?"

"Yes! I came to Jiaozhou just to open up the waterway from Cangzhou to Jiaozhou! But later I encountered some problems, which delayed me until now. According to my father's arrangement, I am not going to colonize the South China Sea!"

"Stop talking nonsense!" Yuan Bao got anxious when he heard it: "How can I leave you here!"

"Then how long do you want me to stay?" Suta asked, "We can't just keep dragging it on like this, right? My father won't agree to that!"

Yuan Bao's mind raced: "It's impossible to keep dragging it out. I'll have to stay for another half a year, no, four months, at least until the rice is harvested this season. We are brothers, you can't just abandon me!"

"Okay, then wait until the rice is harvested this season!" Suta sighed, "Well, if I leave you with Jumong and the others, I'm afraid you will fight each other and cause a big mess!"

"I took down those bastards in a snap!" Yuan Bao snorted coldly, then laughed and said, "It's settled then. We'll leave after the late rice is harvested this season!"

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Governor's Mansion.

"You are looking for a volcano, the kind that spews out red molten rocks, poisonous gases, countless gravel, a lot of dust, and covers the surrounding area for dozens of miles? Right?" Gugar looked at the ingot on the seat carefully, guessing the other party's intentions in his heart.

"Yes, generally speaking, this kind of volcano is like a cone, and some even have lakes on top. Of course, this kind of volcano usually doesn't produce melted rocks, poisonous gases, and dust every day. Most of the time, the volcano is very calm, just like an ordinary mountain!" At this point, Yuan Bao added, "By the way, the ground around some volcanoes often shakes! Does anyone remember this? If anyone tells me, I'll give him a generous reward!"

The promise of ingots aroused the greed of the merchants in the room, and they began to whisper to each other. The replenishment of ingots evoked a memory in Gu Jiaer. He stood up and raised his right hand.

"Very good, you remembered?" Yuan Bao's eyes were immediately drawn to it: "Where is it?"

"I remember now! There is indeed such a place!" Gu Jiaer raised his right hand: "It's in the southeast of Luzon Island. When I was young, I once passed through the nearby sea by boat and happened to encounter the volcanic eruption. Just as you said: the mountain was like a cone. The sky and the earth shook, and a lot of dust and rubble fell from the sky. From a distance, flames shot up into the sky, and even there were big waves on the sea. It was very scary!" "Oh, do you still remember where it was?" Yuanbao asked happily.

"Remember, the mountain is not far from the sea and can be seen very clearly from the sea!" Gugar answered in a very affirmative tone.

"Well, I'll trouble you to be my guide next time!" Yuan Bao said with a smile, "As long as we find it, according to the agreement, all taxes and fees on your merchant ship will be waived for the next three years!"

"Thank you, Master Yuanbao!" Gugar hurriedly bowed to express his gratitude. The merchants nearby cast envious glances at him. They had not expected to receive such a generous reward with just this piece of information. Gugar stood up and walked out of the door. As soon as he walked into the yard, the merchants nearby gathered around him.

"Lord Gugar!" A skinny merchant rushed forward and said, "I have a request!"

"If you want to register your ship under my name in exchange for tax exemption, then forget it!" Gu Jiaer laughed and said, "This is deceiving the governor!"

The merchant was frustrated that his request was rejected before it was even made. He argued, "What's the big deal? How would the Tang governor know who the ship belongs to? Besides, I can give you half of the tax I saved? You don't have to do anything and you can make a lot of money!"

"And then you will be reported by the rest of the people, right?" Gugal stretched out his right hand and pointed at the other merchants following behind him: "There will definitely be someone who will be happy to have the opportunity to kill me and replace me! Don't do anything stupid, this Tang governor is not an ordinary person, he knows a lot about things at sea! If you play tricks in front of him, something will happen sooner or later! There are still plenty of opportunities to make money, but if your head falls off, you can never get it back together!" Having said that, Gugal walked away slowly.

After leaving the governor's mansion, Gugar clumsily climbed onto the sedan chair. A maid helped him take off the rings on his fingers and placed them on a golden plate. Gugar rubbed his hands and said, "Let's get started!"

The maids were busy, and plates were brought in and placed on the table in front of Gujar: the first dish was crab and sea bass soup sprinkled with a lot of spices; then carrots soaked in honey; roasted quail; roasted suckling pig with plum sauce, and oysters sprinkled with fried garlic. Gujar picked up a quail and ate it clean in two bites, then picked up carrots and oysters, washed down these foods with crab soup, then picked up a piece of suckling pig, dipped it all in plum sauce, and ate it with relish.

"If you were one-tenth as good at swordplay as you are at eating, you would have been the king of kings long ago!"

The curtain of the sedan chair was lifted, and a brown-skinned man looked at Gugar coldly.

"It's you, Bayon!" Gurgal clapped his hands with a smile, and a maid came in with a covered plate. He placed the plate in front of Gurgal, who leaned over the table and lifted the lid. "Mushrooms," the merchant announced, and the aroma filled the air. "With garlic and soaked in butter. I tell you, it tastes amazing. Eat one, my friend, and you'll want two."

The man named Bayon snorted coldly and got into the sedan chair. He picked up a mushroom but kept it near his mouth: "You eat first!"

"Are you worried that there is poison here?" Gugar's fat face showed a heartbroken expression: "This is really sad. In my religion, poisoning your guests is a heinous crime!"

"It's the same in Khmer (an ancient Southeast Asian country, namely Zhenla)!" Bayon: "But this does not prevent the king from poisoning his ministers and his brothers at the banquet! Eat!" Having said that, he drew the dagger from his waist and pointed the sharp blade at Gujar's chest.

"Really?" Gugar laughed. "I have heard many similar legends, but in my opinion, this shows that your king is a decent man. It is not too painful to be killed by mushroom poisoning. Some intestinal cramps, shortness of breath, and then it's over. A mushroom is much better than a sword cutting your neck, isn't it? If I have to choose, why should I die with a mouth full of blood? Wouldn't it be better to fill it with butter and garlic?"

Bayon said nothing, and his dagger got closer to Gugal's neck. Gugal sighed, "There is less and less trust in this world!" He picked up a mushroom, stuffed it into his mouth, and chewed it hard, with the juice flowing down his beard: "What a rare delicacy!"

Bayon looked at Gugar coldly. After a few minutes, he picked up a mushroom with a dagger and put it in his mouth. He nodded: "It's not poisonous, and it tastes really good!"

"No. Why would I want to hurt you?" Gugaer chewed another mushroom. "Let's trust each other a little more. Come, eat." He clapped his hands again. "We can discuss things after we finish eating. I can't do anything on an empty stomach!"

Bayon looked at Gujar's pregnant belly and said nothing. Then the maids brought a pheasant stuffed with figs, grilled veal patties, roasted herring stuffed with nuts, fried onions and eggs, and snails and pig's offal stew. Bayon did not touch the snails and pig's offal stew, but he ate the veal patties, roasted herring, and fried onions and eggs. Whenever he drank the wine in his cup, the maids would refill it for him.

"You'd better eat more and drink less, otherwise we won't be able to discuss anything!" Gugar said with a smile.

"I'm thirsty, but not very hungry!" Bayon: "And from the look of you, I'm afraid you'll never finish eating!"

"Okay!" Gugar spread his hands and signaled the maid to stop serving the dishes: "Let's start the discussion! First, how much are you willing to pay for the information?"

"That depends on how useful your information is!" Bayon said coldly.

"Don't worry about this. My information can help you figure out the secret of Thunder!" Gu Jiaer said, "How much do you think this information is worth?"

Bayon's back straightened immediately, and he leaned forward like a beast, staring at his prey: "Did you really get the secret of Tangren Thunder?"

"Sir, you should answer other people's questions before asking them questions!" Gu Jiaer said with a smile.

Bayon's chest rose and fell sharply, as if he would jump up and cut Gugar's thick neck in the next second, but in the end he did not stand up: "The king promises you that if you can find out the secret of Tangren Thunder, you can choose any city in the territory of the empire and become the governor there, of course, excluding the capital!"

"Governor of a city! How generous!" Gugar laughed. Bayon's eyes narrowed dangerously: "The king has another sentence: If you find that he is cheating, cut his neck!"