Chapter 409: The Kings Western Tour: Clay Town and Olive Lake, Precious Specialties
In late February, the wind became warmer and the birds headed north. Black Wolf's King Banner moved again, traveling 40 miles north from Kanhe Village to Taotu Town.
In the local language, this is "Tepalcatepec", which is a place rich in clay pots. The town of Clay has a population of more than a thousand. It was originally the territory of a southern hereditary noble, but is now under the direct control of the kingdom. In Clay Town
To the northwest is the rippling Olive Lake. Kan River and Tao River originate from here at the same time, and then flow to the east and west respectively.
Xiulote stayed in the Clay Town for two days. He summoned the local potter leader and inspected some locally produced painted pottery with great interest.
In the semi-open shed, there are piles of various colored pottery for daily use, including pots, basins, pots, pots, bowls and cups. Most of the colored pottery is common red pottery, mixed with
Part of the gray pottery. These pottery is simple in shape and rough in style. It cannot be compared with the gorgeous painted pottery in the royal capital, but it is better than the sturdiness and durability.
"Well, how much does this clay pot cost?"
The guards were heavily guarded and formed a circle around the shed. Shulot picked up a red pottery pot with natural patterns and asked the chief potter in front of him gently.
"...Ah, Your Majesty, this clay pot is...given to you for free!"
The leader of the potters was cautious. He glanced at the armored warriors around him, then at the armored king, and stammered.
Hearing this, Hulot smiled. He looked at Bertard, and the warrior captain took out a bag of cocoa beans and handed it to the chief potter.
"enough?"
"Ah! Enough...enough. A clay pot cost 60 cocoa beans, or I could exchange it for a turkey. This is too much...too much."
"Keep the change, please."
Hearing the price, Xiulote nodded slightly. In the lake capital, a sturdy clay pot costs 100 cocoa beans, and a turkey costs 80 cocoa beans. They are both important possessions for ordinary civilians. As a producer of pottery, Clay Town
Obviously the price is much cheaper.
"There are so many pottery piled up here, who are you going to sell them to?"
"Your Majesty... Your Majesty, our pottery is cheap and easy to use. We need it in the mountains in the west, in the mountains in the south, and in the villages in the east. When there is no war, some merchants come over.
..."
“What do mountain people trade for?”
"Most of them use...dried meat, skins, feathers, sometimes...grain, and some inferior black...obsidian."
"good."
Xiuluo nodded. The town of Clay is located at the Western Mountain Pass. It has a good geographical location and has spontaneous trade relations with the Tekos tribesmen. It is impossible to support so many potters relying on pure local trade. This kind of reciprocal border trade can be used in the future.
increase further.
"Bertard, let's go."
Shulot glanced at the pottery piled high in the shed and was about to turn around and leave.
The leader of the potters stood numbly on the spot, blinking his eyes and staring at the big bag of cocoa beans in his hand. Seeing that the generous king was about to leave, he suddenly opened his mouth and shouted, and his stammering disappeared instantly.
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! We have a rare kind of white pottery here that cannot be bought anywhere else! You may be interested..."
"Huh? White pottery."
Under the vigilant protection of his personal guards, Shulot turned back and looked at the potter leader with interest.
"Take it out and let me see it. The price is not a problem. If it is really rare, I can buy two of them."
"Okay, okay."
The leader of the pottery beamed with joy. He carefully removed the outside of the pottery pile, groped inside for a moment, and took out a small pottery bowl, a jade-like pottery cup, and a smooth pottery pot. These three pieces of pottery, with the outside
The pottery style is completely different. Not only is the workmanship much more exquisite, but the color is also delicate and snow-white.
"Your Majesty, these three pieces of exquisite pottery rarely appear even in the royal capital. They were carefully made by me. The pottery pot and pottery cup are both a tube of gold sand, while the pottery bowl is a half tube. If you buy them all,
Just two tubes of gold sand will be enough!”
"Huh?...Bring it over and let me take a closer look."
"okay."
Shulot smiled and glanced at the potter leader, then took several pieces of white pottery. These white pottery were quite beautiful, with fine and beautiful checkered patterns on the surface, obviously the work of a master.
"White pottery, fine texture?"
Shulot was silent, and an unusually familiar feeling came over his heart. After thinking for a moment, his eyes suddenly lit up and he asked the potter leader.
"When you fired these pieces of white pottery, did you use white clay?!"
"...ah!"
Upon hearing this, the expression of the chief potter changed. He gave a hesitant answer.
"Ah this, clay, that..."
"Give him three tubes of gold sand, and I will take all three pieces of white pottery."
"As you command, Your Highness."
Bertard nodded, took out three reed tubes of gold sand from his arms, and handed them to the chief potter. Then, the warrior chief spoke coldly, reaching out to hold down the bronze sword at his waist.
"Answer His Majesty's question, otherwise..."
"Yes Yes..."
The leader of the potters took the gold sand and put it away carefully. He glanced at the king's armored warrior with a sad face, and answered with his head lowered.
"Yes, it's your Majesty. At the bottom of the nearby hill, you can dig out a kind of rock as fine as white clouds. When ground, it becomes fine white clay..."
"Show it to me!"
Shulot had a clear understanding and became more and more convinced. After a while, the leader of the potters brought some white clay.
The king took a quick look and found that it was as white as clouds, as delicate as powder, and of high quality. A joyful smile appeared on his face.
"As expected, it's dolomite, kaolin...excellent clay for ceramics! It's also a suitable rubber filler."
Shulot pondered for a moment, looked at the uneasy leader of the potters, and asked in a deep voice.
"May I have your name?"
"Ah! My...my name is Elo."
Unknowingly, Elo, the leader of the potters, stuttered again.
"Very good! Potter Elo, you have been recruited by the kingdom!"
Shulot smiled kindly, but Elo shuddered.
"Bring the pottery tools and several bags of clay. Along with the imperial guards, go to the Divine Enlightenment Office in the royal capital to report!"
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! "Your Majesty... Your Majesty, Your Majesty!..."
"Bertard, let's go."
Xiulote smiled, leaving two warriors behind, and left with Bertard. Kaolin was actually produced around the Clay Town, so the trial production of porcelain became a bit more interesting.
"Your Highness, where are you going now?"
"Go to Olive Lake in the northwest. I heard that there are strange fragrant trees standing there, rich in resin and frankincense."
"As you command, Your Highness."
Bertard called the local guide, gave a few instructions, and the guide took everyone off.
Olive Lake is six or seven miles northwest of Taotu Town. After walking for two-quarters of an hour, everyone saw a vast green lake with waterbirds playing on it. There were various lush tropical trees beside the lake, and there was also a small Prepe
Check out the villages.
The farmland outside the village was very small, but there were many trees. Dozens of villagers were busy in the woods. When they saw the group of warriors coming, they all fled into the village in fear.
Hulot ordered the guards to stop and let Bertard and several Prepecha warriors go to appease the elders of the village.
Two-quarters of an hour later, Bertard took two samples and took the elderly village chief with him to quietly report back to the king.
"Your Highness, there are indeed trees that produce frankincense by the Olive Lake. This jar is from the frankincense oil collected by the villagers. The abundant 'resin' refers to the tears of the weeping tree, which is the rubber used in the kingdom."
Rubber trees are not uncommon in Mexico and are known as "cauuchu, the weeping tree." Rubber is also widely used: rubber balls are standard in human sacrifice courts, and rubber cloth is used as an ancient raincoat.
According to the guidance of the king, Shenqi Institute has mastered the vulcanization technique of fumigating raw rubber with sulfur, produced the first batch of vulcanized rubber, and used it on wooden wheels. When the Guards Corps went south, the wheels of the Sun Condor Cannon Cart
, wrapped in vulcanized rubber to reduce the bumps and losses of the frame. However, even if Shulot improved the rubber tapping method, the current rubber output is still too little.
"Oh? It turns out to be wild agarwood trees and rubber trees."
Shulot first took the sesame oil and sniffed it. This is the Mexican agarwood of later generations. It is mainly obtained from local olive trees, sometimes with berries added, and is widely used in religious ceremonies.
"It smells quite different from the agarwood from China. Well, it's gentle and delicate, sweet and soft, more like rosewood."
The king thought for a moment. This kind of sesame oil is a good religious product and an excellent trade product. Nobles and priests will have demand for it. Then he looked at the local rubber and saw that it had solidified into rubber sheets and had a bright color.
It looks pretty good.
Xiulote stood on the spot and chatted briefly with the local village chief. This place is close to Olive Lake, so it is called Olive Village. He did not enter the simple lakeside village, but led his guards around Olive Lake.
For half a day.
There are many fragrant trees by the lake, and a faint fragrance is floating in the air. The king is walking by the lake, feeling relaxed and happy. He is smiling and singing in a low voice.
"Going to the lake in spring, seeing the scenery in early spring and listening to the chirping of birds, is a rare leisure experience!"
"The scenery by the lake is indeed excellent. But... Your Highness, it is not safe here."
Bertard was meticulous and followed closely behind the king. He smiled calmly and warned tactfully. This place is on the edge of the western mountainous area. For the safety of the king, there were hundreds of scouts scattered into the mountains and six to seven hundred warriors on guard along the lake.
"Well, it's time to go back."
Hearing the warning from the warrior commander, Shulot nodded.
"After looking at it for a long time, I found that the area around Olive Lake is very suitable for planting olive trees and rubber trees. Well, the area around Taotu Town produces dolomitic soil, agarwood and rubber, which are worthy of vigorous development!"
"Exactly, if fully exploited, these specialties will be in demand trade commodities in the world. However, this place has not yet been taken over by missionary priests, and the number of households is not sufficient. It will take some time for it to prosper."
"Well, then just record it and save it for the future."
Shulot stood by the lake and took one last look at the rippling blue lake. He wanted to go boating on the lake and sleep soundly in the fragrant forest. But the king occupies a high position and is the most important person in the world, so it is difficult for him to act arbitrarily.
"Bertard, let's go."
"Your Highness, where are you going?"
"Return to Apa Military City. The messenger brought news about Black Wolf. I have asked him to come from Kuramo City. This time, I must give him a good scolding!"
Hearing this, Bertard tilted his head slightly, looked at the faint smile on the corner of the king's mouth, and understood in his heart.
"I obey your will, my king!"
By the Olive Lake, the king stopped, and his western tour ended here. On the second day, three thousand imperial guards surrounded the king's banner and left the town of Taotu, detoured to the north of the Apa Plain, and returned to the Apa Military City.