Neon Clothes and Iron Clothes

Chapter 926 Sulfur and Silkworm Feces

"Hahaha!" Gugar laughed: "That's fair, I'm a businessman, and businessmen value credibility the most. But I don't want to be the governor of a city!"

"You don't want to be the governor of a city?" Bayon frowned. "Then what else do you want? Prime Minister? That's impossible. The position of prime minister is passed down from generation to generation. You are not even a Khmer, how can you be the prime minister?"

"No, no, no!" Gu Jiaer laughed, "It's not that I think the position of governor of a city is too low, but I don't want to be the governor. After all, I'm just a businessman!"

"So what do you want?" Bayon asked.

"Gold, silver, gems, anything is fine! I'm not picky!" Gugar said with a smile.

"You chose money and gave up the governorship of a city?" Bayon asked curiously, "This is ridiculous. Will you still be short of money after becoming the governor?"

"Haha!" Gugar laughed twice: "Maybe I prefer the money in front of me. The governor of a city is still too far away!"

"Are you afraid that this promise will not be fulfilled, so you choose money?" Bayon said with a smile: "The Khmer King is the projection of the gods in the world. Every word he says will be engraved on gold and stone. How can he not fulfill it?"

Gugar smiled but said nothing. Bayon shook his head helplessly: "Forget it, you businessmen really can't understand the majesty of the king. Okay, how much money do you want?"

"See this sedan?" Gugar said with a smile, "Fill this sedan with silver!"

"Your sedan is really big!" Bayon looked around and laughed, "Okay, I will report your request to the king, he will definitely agree! What is the secret of Tangren Lei Ting? Tell me now!"

"I haven't got anything yet!" Gugar laughed.

"You guy!" Bayon smiled helplessly. He took out a piece of deerskin from his arms and unfolded it in front of Gujar. On it were written in fluent Sanskrit letters: "In the name of Lord Indra, appoint someone as the governor of a certain place!" At the end was a seal.

"See? This is the letter of appointment written by the king himself. Just write your name and the name of the city, and you will be the governor of the city!" Bayon said, "As long as you tell me the secret of Tangren Lei Ting, this will be yours. As for the silver! Do you think the position of governor of a city cannot be exchanged for this little silver?"

"Okay!" Gugar took the deerskin, carefully checked it and put it away, saying, "The secret of Tang people's thunder should be related to two things: sulfur and silkworm feces!"

"Sulfur and silkworm feces?" Bayon asked in confusion, "What do you mean? Do you want to get so much silver just for this?"

"Please don't be anxious!" Gu Jiaer said with a smile: "The general of the Tang people once showed that kind of power in front of me. He used a strange weapon, like a short spear, which could make a loud noise, spray white smoke, and kill enemies hundreds of steps away. Before using it, he would fill the short spear with a strange black powder. The secret should be in that black powder!"

"Black powder?" Bayon's eyes flashed with greed: "Can you get it?"

"Hmm!" Gugar took off a small bag from his waist and handed it to Bayon: "It's here, but what's the use of it? You don't know what this black powder is, let alone where it comes from!"

"That's right!" Bayon carefully put away his pocket and said, "Then what about the silkworm manure and sulfur you just mentioned?"

"That's my guess!" Gugar replied, "After the new Tang governor came to Jiaozhou, he sent people to look for merchants selling sulfur and sign long-term purchase contracts with them!"

"Just because of this?" Bayon frowned. "That doesn't mean anything, does it? Sulfur has many uses! Did you know that the Tang people would use sulfur to do this?"

"Yes, if that's all I know, I can't be sure!" Gugar nodded, "But just now the Tang governor asked another question, which makes me sure!"

"what is the problem?"

"He asked us if anyone knew where there was a volcano, the kind that would spew out red flowing rocks, countless dust and gravel, and poisonous gas!"

"Where is the volcano?" Bayon frowned. "Why is he asking this?"

"Yes, that's a good question!" Gugar smiled proudly, "The reason is very simple. The Tang governor wants sulfur, and a lot of it, because there is a lot of sulfur near the volcano! He is not only satisfied with buying it from merchants, but also wants to get it directly from the place of origin. Why do you think the Tang governor wants so much sulfur?"

"Hmm!" Bayon smiled and said, "Your guess makes sense. What about silkworm feces? Why do you think silkworm feces are related to these things?"

"It's very simple!" Gu Jiaer replied, "After the Tang governor arrived in Jiaozhou, he immediately ordered the purchase of silkworm manure from the people. Silk farmers can use the manure to offset part of the tax. I can't think of why the Tang governor wants so much silkworm manure? Unless it is a use he doesn't want others to know!"

"Gugar, you are such a smart man!" Bayon looked at Gugar with admiration: "But this is not enough. The secret of the Tang people's thunder is more than this. If possible, can you get a short spear like the one you mentioned? Money is not a problem!"

"Not yet!" Gugar shook his head: "Wait for a while, until the Tang people relax a little!"

"Okay!" No matter what Bayon thought in his heart, he appeared very patient on the surface: "You keep the deerskin. If you regret wanting to be the governor, it's not too late. My people will send half of the silver in half a month, and the rest will have to wait until you figure out everything!" "Thank you very much!" Gugar said with a smile.

"Thank you for your hospitality!" Bayon stood up. "Really, you are a good cook. I don't think His Majesty's table has such delicious dishes as yours!"

"Really?" Gugar smiled, "After all, I'm just a businessman!"

"You are still just a businessman!" Bayon laughed and jumped out of the sedan. Gugar took out the deerskin from his arms, looked at it, and suddenly laughed: "Governor of a city? The kingdom may not be saved, let alone the governor?"

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Yuanbao's private reception room was much smaller than the main hall of the governor's mansion, but he liked the furnishings inside: the smooth bamboo mats, the Persian tapestries hanging on the wall, and the bronze masks with exotic styles, which gave him a private atmosphere. As soon as he walked into the door, the attendants beside him shouted, "Governor of Jiaozhou, Protector of Annan Protectorate, and General Zhongwu Yuanbao has arrived!" He also liked this feeling, and more than a dozen construction merchants and craftsmen knelt down hurriedly.

Yuan Bao sat on the chair in the middle and motioned for everyone to stand up: "Everyone, I know you are all very busy, so I won't waste my words! Bodhisattva slave, open the map!"

A servant at the side stepped forward and hung a map on a stand, and everyone's eyes were immediately focused on the map.

"This is the future Jiaozhi City!" Yuan Bao paused for a moment: "Of course, there is still a big gap between this and the current Jiaozhi City, but we still have time, plenty of time! If nothing unexpected happens, I will be the governor here for at least ten years!" He smiled at everyone:

A merchant walked up to the stand and looked at the map carefully: "This is a completely new city, Governor!"

"Yes, in my plan, this place will become the center of the entire South China Sea and the base for conquering the entire South China Sea! Just like Cangzhou! So I need your support!"

"But what can we do?" asked a chief craftsman. He was not tall and was very strong. He wore ordinary linen clothes, but his arms were as thick as a cow's neck.

"I divide the entire project into three phases!" Yuan Bao said loudly: "The first phase is the dock, shipyard, warehouse and gunpowder factory! The locations are here, here, here, and here!" He picked up a short stick and tapped on the map: "The project will start after the rice harvest is completed and end before the rainy season arrives next year!"

"Sir, how much do you want us to donate?" a businessman asked. "But we just finished the war, and everyone's pockets are tight!"

"No, no, no!" Yuan Bao laughed and said, "I didn't call you here to ask you for money. Because of the war, I have already written to the court, requesting Jiaozhou to be restored for five years. The court should approve it. I have enough money and food to carry out the project!"

The news announced by Yuanbao made everyone happy. Tax reduction and exemption after war was a common practice at that time, but the reduction by the court did not mean that the prefectures and counties would also reduce taxes. In other words, the money would fall into the pockets of the prefectures and counties. The time of reduction and exemption was also a matter of learning. It was usually three years. Five years as Yuanbao said was extremely rare.

"So everyone understands!" Yuan Bao said with a smile: "I invited you here not to ask for money, but to give you a chance to make money! Of course, you can't quote randomly. This is a business after all. Do you understand?"

Everyone nodded, and Yuanbao nodded with satisfaction: "All the projects will be divided into several sections. You can take a look at the information of the sections first, and then estimate the time and money required, report to Secretary Wang, and then I will decide who to subcontract to! Remember, the price you quote can't be too low, there must be a certain profit, understand?"

"Yes, yes!" Although everyone in the room didn't quite understand why the governor finally asked them not to quote a price that was too low, they nodded instinctively. After all, the government didn't call them for money but gave them the opportunity to make money. Such things are really rare. They would have to brag about it when they go back.

After seeing off the builders, Yuanbao heaved a sigh of relief and asked his servant to pour him a cup of honey water. He drank it all in one gulp, and the honey water slid down his throat. He put the cup back on the table, returned to the map and began to recheck. Although he brought as many people as possible from Cangzhou, he still found that it was too hasty when he actually started working. Compared with the things to be done, his advance preparations are always not enough. Thinking of this, he couldn't help but think of his father's planning and preparation when he built Cangzhou. He couldn't help but sigh: "I have experienced so much, am I so much worse than my father?"

"It would be great if those bastards would help me!" A thought suddenly flashed through Yuanbao's mind. It was only after he left the island that he realized what kind of education he had received on the island. Although he had secretly complained about his father's coldness and partiality towards him before, as he experienced more and saw more, he was more surprised by the education he had received. The knowledge he learned on the island was something he could not learn anywhere else in the world. Therefore, Yuanbao certainly knew how precious those brothers who had received the same education as him were.

But Yuanbao also knew that whether it was Jumong or Yaoshi, these brothers were unwilling to be inferior to him. He understood his brothers' thoughts. They were all bastards, just one or two years older, received the same education, and were whipped the same. Why are you above me? Yuanbao was not surprised by this practice on the island, but after leaving the island, he found that the children of nobles like his own family paid great attention to the difference between the old and the young, and the difference between legitimate and illegitimate children, and divided the brothers into different levels. It can be said that they should understand their position from the moment they are born. It can be said that there is no one like my father who treats everyone equally. Is it because my father doesn't understand these? How is it possible? Besides, even if my father doesn't know, Aunt Cui will know it. She is from a noble family like Qinghe Cui.

Yuanbao thought about this doubt for a long time, but he never dared to ask his father. However, as a child of a Sogdian woman, he should be considered a beneficiary. Otherwise, according to the rule of "a son is honored by his mother", he and Xutuo would only be minions and running dogs for Yanliang and Asheng. They have seen this kind of treatment of bastards in big families. But the disadvantages are now apparent. Although these brothers from Cangzhou are all talented in both civil and military affairs, and are all above-average talents, no one is willing to be inferior to him. He can only let them go to the lower prefectures and counties, and he will shoulder both civil and military affairs.

"Langjun, Langjun!"

"What's the matter?" Yuanbao came back to his senses.

"The envoy of the Khmer King has arrived! Waiting outside!" the attendant replied.

"The envoy of the Khmer king?" Yuan Bao frowned. The Khmer barbarians in the south of Jiaozhou were the most powerful. But didn't the Khmer envoy just leave? Why did he come back again? Moreover, the envoys of such a country must be of considerable size. Why would they report it only when they arrived at the door?

"Yes, he is the personal envoy of the Khmer king! A secret envoy!" the attendant replied, presenting something with both hands: "This is the certificate!"

Yuanbao took it and saw that it was a very beautifully made statue with three sides. He knew it was a statue of Lord Shiva! He played with it for a while, put it aside, and said, "Please let him in!"

Ba Rong walked into the reception room, put his right hand on his chest like Yuan Bao at the top, and bowed: "I am Ba Rong, and I pay my respects to the governor!"

(End of this chapter)