The pork butcher is smoother than a pig butcher!

Chapter 531 Next Stop—Iri

The foreign merchants were too busy indulging in the comforts of the post station.

Little did they know that the moment they stepped into Yili Bagua City, their eyes and jaws collectively went out of control.

They both fell to the ground in fright.

Looking at the large, transparent glass windows of the shops lining the street, they felt as if someone was choking them.

He couldn't even utter a single coherent sentence.

For a long time.

The foreign merchants selling glassware clutched their chests and wailed in despair:
"God, how can people from the East make glass? This is unbelievable!"

What wasn't said aloud was...

How come we've learned a skill that no one knew for thousands of years?
If they can all make their own glass, then who will buy all those cups, plates, and ornaments they brought all this way?

All things considered, the purchase price of these goods they bought wasn't cheap!

Selling it off cheaply? That would be a huge loss!
Not selling? Shipping it back would mean even greater losses!
The lack of cash flow is affecting their ability to purchase goods.

This is so frustrating!
The foreign merchants who dealt in jewelry and watches were gloating on the sidelines.
"If they have surplus glass for windows, how high and stable must their glass workshop's output be?!"

"I wonder if their craftsmen can blow glass. If they can even do that..."

What will happen?

The foreign merchants' worries were not unfounded.

Since the glass workshop in A'ai Town, Kucha began mass production, the General has raised more and higher requirements for the types, styles and craftsmanship of glass products.

Besides the glass windows, every house in the streets and alleys of Bagua City has a striking mahogany hexagonal glass palace lantern hanging under its eaves.

One can imagine how brightly lit the Bagua City will be as dusk falls.

After checking into the inn with trepidation, they soon discovered that each guest room had a half-mirror hanging on the washbasin.

The mirror's clarity far surpasses any mirror craftsmanship they have encountered before.

Every detail of a person's beard and eyebrows is clearly visible!

Such a precious mirror is displayed so openly in the inn for guests to use.

No! No! No!
This is incredibly exciting!
The foreign merchants who were visiting Bagua City for the first time could not accept such a shock.

And then.

They went out for a stroll and entered a shop called Kansai Trading Company.

Then I saw various glass ornaments displayed on the shop's latticework, each one more beautiful than the last.

Have:
Seven monochrome series of filigree glass stem cups;

Sky blue transparent glass vase with a floral-shaped mouth and two handles;

Yellow glass oval water container;

An octagonal glass bottle with amber-colored transparent glass surface;
Colorless transparent glass covered bowl with gilt banana leaf pattern;
White-glazed blue glass bowl with lotus scroll design;

Transparent blue glass bowl with a floral rim;
Three styles of vermilion glass with gilded floral patterns;
Furthermore, there are also snuff bottles with a design of cranes and deer in five colors.
Each piece of glass art, imbued with a strong oriental character, surpasses European craftsmanship in both design and technique.

There are also a large number of colored glass imitation gemstone ornaments, which are displayed in sets in the display case.

Foreign merchants certainly possess an aesthetic sense.

They have an exceptionally keen business sense.

I'm wondering if these would sell well if shipped back to China?

The answer is, of course!
"clang clang"

What's that sound?
O God!

It was the sound of a grandfather clock! Inside the shop, a grandfather clock as tall as a person was striking the hour precisely.

The French watch merchant traveling with them couldn't help but exclaim, "What? This shop sells grandfather clocks?"

The account manager from the Kansai Trading Company who received them introduced themselves in fluent French:

"Dear guest, we not only have clocks that tell time, but also pocket watches, wristwatches, and waterproof watches."

Whether you prefer a simple and practical design or one with gold embossing and gemstone inlay, there's bound to be one that suits you!

French watch merchant: "."

I'm going to faint! Quick, give me some perfume!

Gan Minglan didn't care about the profound impact that manufacturing foreign goods domestically and creating products of new heights would have on foreign merchants.

She came to Bagua City to check on the orders.

The Autumn Trade Fair has been held for so many years that she no longer needs to worry about it at all.

Tiger Head, the returning leader, is reporting his experiences along the way to his master:
"Marcoli and his family have become wealthy Venetian merchants in recent years thanks to the orders and perfumes you provided."

Before coming to Kansai, he and his family members frequently traveled between Negroland (the land of blacks) and Europe, engaging in the slave trade.

Last year, after we took those Uyghur culprits to Venice, we were warmly received by his family.
Upon hearing the amount and specific requirements of our headhunting order, the family patriarch decisively chose to cooperate with the Barbary pirates, the largest white slave trade lords in the Mediterranean.

During the collaboration, while kidnapping two warship designers, half of the Barbary pirates were wiped out by the British navy.

Gan Minglan listened attentively and even inquired about the current situation of several major powers in Europe.

The number one ranked country is still the British Empire.

The empire also colonized the globe, with colonies extending beyond Europe to the Americas and even Southeast Asia.

Most of the silver from the Americas flowed into this empire, which possessed the strongest army in Europe.

The empire's biggest weakness was that years of war had depleted its financial resources and caused severe inflation.

Secondly, the second largest country in Europe is the Kingdom of France.

France is the most populous country in Europe.

Upon hearing the name of the king who was only 1.63 meters tall, invented high heels, and led the French aristocratic men to wear wigs, Gan Minglan couldn't help but laugh.

"So it was him! Hahaha! Good, very good!"

Reed Leaf and Tiger Head's shocked faces (JPG): Their master never goes abroad, yet he knows everything about Europe! He even knows a thing or two about the hobbies of the monarch of this great nation!
Gan Minglan realized she had said too much and touched her nose:
"Ahem. Well, I heard about this from foreigners. It is said that this monarch was one of the first people to go to Venice to steal mirror technology. He even had a Hall of Mirrors built with 357 mirrors, which was used to receive foreign envoys and, incidentally, to embarrass Venice."

Reed leaves and tiger head: "."

Gan Minglan: "Oh, this monarch is also a huge perfume lover. He believes that water can spread diseases, so he never likes to bathe and prefers to use perfume to cover up his body odor!"

Reed leaves and tiger head: "Ugh!"

I feel nauseous, what should I do?
If I don't shower for two or three months, my whole body will be covered in black spots.

What happens to your body if you don't shower for several years?

How much sweat do you produce in a day on a hot day?

They didn't even dare to think about it.

A monarch, with a foul-smelling body, did not bathe even on a hot day.

However, they believed what their masters said.

The two of them then became happy again.

"Then our Kansai Trading Company's perfumes will definitely sell like hotcakes in the Kingdom of France!"

Upon hearing this, Marcoli, who had been summoned by Gan Minglan, excitedly exclaimed:
"Not just France! The Ottoman Empire, the third most powerful force in Europe behind the Barbary pirates, will also be a super-large distributor for our perfumes!"