On the wedding day, my wife was abnormal

In the "Fanfang" area of ​​Quanzhou Port, the air is filled with a unique smell of exotic spices, leather and the salty smell of the sea breeze.

Under the newly painted plaque of "Si Yi Hall", an interpreter dressed in Confucian robes was communicating with several Western merchants with high noses, deep eyes, blond hair and blue eyes with difficulty.

Baron Ferdinand's Castilian merchant ship "Golden Fleece" was anchored in deep waters. The sailors were unloading boxes of cargo and transporting them to designated warehouses under the close supervision of the Embroidered Guards.

The officials of the Maritime Customs Office held the books and compared them with the "Foreign Trade Permits" to carefully check the list: crystal clear colored glassware, cold and shining cross steel swords, cocoa beans and tobacco with rich aroma, colorful feather fabrics, and several Western chiming clocks inlaid with gears and ticking hands.

Inside the "Four Barbarians Hall," Baron Ferdinand stroked his smooth chin as he surveyed the porcelain, calligraphy, and paintings displayed within. A subtle hint of contempt flashed across his eyes, but he quickly put on a proper smile and said to the interpreter:

"Please inform the respected Daqian officials that the goods we have brought are all treasures from the Kingdom of Castile. These glassware in particular are far more pure and colorful than the colored glaze commonly found in your country. And these steel swords, forged using secret methods, can cut through iron like mud."

The interpreter relayed the message cautiously. Zhao Wenxuan, the deputy director of the Maritime Customs, who was in charge of the reception, was dressed in a cyan official robe and had a calm expression. "The baron's goods are indeed unique. However, our Daqian is vast and rich in resources. Our dynasty also has exquisite glassware produced by the Liulifang, which is as clear as jade. As for swords..."

He smiled slightly and signaled his attendant to present a newly made fine steel goose-feather knife made by the Fenlei Division. "Baron, please take a look at this knife."

Ferdinand took the goose-feather knife. It felt heavy in his hand, with smooth lines on the blade and a restrained cold light.

He tried flicking the blade with his fingers, and it made a clear buzzing sound.

His eyes changed slightly, and he drew out the cross sword he was carrying, and the two blades clashed!

"Zheng——!"

A crisp sound!

A tiny gap suddenly appeared on the cross sword blade!

But the Yanling knife was intact!

Ferdinand's expression changed slightly, and he forced a smile and said, "Good sword, good sword, Daqian is indeed worthy of its reputation."

"In trade, honesty and mutual benefit are paramount." Zhao Wenxuan retracted his goose-feather knife and spoke calmly, "The Baron's goods have been verified and priced by the Maritime Customs according to regulations. Glassware, cocoa, tobacco, and feather fabrics are all permitted for trading. However, weapons like steel swords and muskets (Ferdinand attempted to smuggle a small number of samples) are prohibited items and will be detained according to the law."

"This," Ferdinand said with a stiff smile, "is just a sample display."

"Even displaying it is not allowed." Zhao Wenxuan's tone turned cold. "Daqian's laws are strict, and I hope the baron will abide by them. The trading location is limited to designated trading houses in Fanfang. The trading partners must hold merchants with foreign trade permits issued by the Maritime Customs. The transaction tax is 30% of the value of the goods. This is a fixed rule and cannot be negotiated."

Ferdinand looked at Zhao Wenxuan's unquestionable eyes, then glanced at the black-armored soldiers patrolling outside the hall, holding new-style muskets, and finally forced a smile: "I understand, I understand. When in Rome, do as the Romans do."

The transaction was conducted in the branch of "Tonghai Trading Company" designated by "Fanfang".

Shen Ming, wearing a brand new silk shirt, received Ferdinand nervously and excitedly.

The brilliant colors of Western glassware attracted wealthy Quanzhou merchants to compete for them, and the exotic flavors of cocoa beans and tobacco also attracted many curious eyes.

However, Shen Ming kept the instructions of the Maritime Customs in mind and was meticulous in the transaction process, keeping clear accounts and paying taxes in full.

Ferdinand watched the goods quickly sell out and exchange them for heavy silver ingots and exquisite silk and porcelain, with greed and unwillingness intertwined in his eyes.

He tried to contact Shen Ming privately, suggesting that he could bypass the Maritime Customs Office to conduct a larger "special transaction", but was politely declined by Shen Ming.

In the corner, two secret agents of the Embroidered Uniform Guard disguised as waiters saw everything.

Quanzhou Shipyard, the core workshop of Fenlei Division.

The atmosphere was solemn. Chu Xiling's cold eyes, through a specially crafted "crystal microscope" (newly manufactured by the Institute of Gewu), carefully examined several items on the workbench: a disassembled fragment of a Castilian cross sword; a piece of brightly colored Western glass; and a completely disassembled Western chiming clock.

"Steel sword," Chu Xiling picked up a piece of the blade with her fingertips, "the smelting process is acceptable, but there are many impurities and the toughness is far inferior to my hundred-refined steel."

"Glass," she said, picking up the shards. "It's made with a unique formula containing lead and special minerals. It's so colorful and has a strong refractive index, but it's also very hard and brittle, so it breaks easily."

Her gaze finally settled on the intricate array of gears and springs. "The ingenious core of a chime clock lies in the escapement and the spring's energy storage," she said, picking up a peculiar little bronze object shaped like an "I" and examining its structure. "It's ingeniously designed, but the material is ordinary and easily wears out."

"Master Chu," a young engineer handed over a report, "After spectroscopic analysis, it was found that Western glass, in addition to quartz sand, alkali, and lime, does contain lead and small amounts of metal oxides such as antimony and manganese. The carbon content of the steel sword fragments is uneven, and there are significant amounts of sulfur and phosphorus impurities."

"Record it." Chu Xiling's voice was steady. "The glass formula can be imitated to optimize its hardness and toughness. The steel smelting and impurity control are not very good. The design of the chime clock escapement can be borrowed, but the material needs to be replaced with fine steel, supplemented with vulcanized rubber for shock absorption."

She walked over to a huge model of the Exocet-class clipper's drive shaft and picked up a freshly cast sample of a black rubber sealing ring embedded with graphite particles.

"How is the analysis of the Western musket sample?"

"Your Excellency," another engineer said, "The barrel is made of wrought iron with a rolled bore. The workmanship is crude, and the inner wall is uneven. The range and accuracy are far inferior to our flintlock muskets. Moreover, loading is cumbersome and prone to explosion."

Chu Xiling nodded slightly, a hint of understanding flashing in her cold eyes.

She picked up her pen and wrote in a clear and calm handwriting on a secret report: "Western artifacts are of course valuable, but their weaponry and metallurgy are not as advanced as ours. Their strengths lie in commercial circulation and the exquisiteness of their artifacts. We can learn from their strengths to make up for our weaknesses, but they are nothing to be feared."

The secret report will be sent directly to Nanjing on the next "Iron Dragon" express train.

Dingxiang Island, the local king's palace.

The night was dark.

Batulu dismissed his attendants and paced alone in the side hall, looking anxious.

On the table lay a small bag of heavy gold coins and several pieces of colorful Western glass.

This was a "gift" secretly sent by Ferdinand through a Dayak intermediary.

"Daqian's rules are too strict," Baturu muttered to himself, stroking the gold coins. "All transactions must go through Quanzhou, and they collect a 30% tax. I only get a small amount."

"Ferdinand said we could trade directly on Dingxiang Island, bypassing the Maritime Customs and getting me triple the price." Greed flashed in his eyes, then was overwhelmed by fear. "But the Embroidered Uniform Guards are everywhere. Don't you know what happened to Shen Wanhai in Quanzhou Port?"

He thought of Shen Wanhai's head hanging in Quanzhou Port for public display, and the fate of the Dayak chieftain in Borneo, and his body trembled involuntarily.

He suddenly grabbed the gold coins on the table and wanted to throw them away, but he couldn't bear to do so.

Finally, he sat down dejectedly, swept the gold coins and glass into a wooden box, and hid it deep in the secret compartment under the bed.

He walked to the window, looked at the vague outline of the gunboat "Haiyan" in the direction of the port, and sighed deeply.

The pressure of the empire was like an invisible shackle, suppressing the fire of greed in his heart under the ice of fear.

Jinling, the Imperial Study. Candles are ablaze.

Murong Yanyue was wearing white casual clothes, with her black hair loosely tied up and only a white jade phoenix hairpin in her hair, which made her look even more elegant and refined.

She sat at the desk with two secret reports spread out in front of her: a report from the Quanzhou Maritime Customs on the details of Western merchant ship transactions and Ferdinand's private activities; and a secret report from Chu Xiling of the Thunder Bureau on the technical analysis of Western artifacts.

Her eyes were calm, and her fingertips gently slid across Chu Xiling's secret report.

"Western artifacts, with their unique skills, can be used to obtain weapons and the core of smelting, but they are not better than mine." She repeated in a low voice, with a very faint arc at the corner of her mouth.

The eunuch silently presented the third secret report: a spy from the Embroidered Uniform Guard on Dingxiang Island, reporting on Baturu's acceptance of bribes from the West.

Murong Yan's eyes narrowed slightly, then she regained her composure.

She picked up her pen and left clear comments on the rice paper with scarlet cinnabar:

"The Quanzhou incident has been handled very well. Western merchants value profit over morality and need strict control, but there's no need to throw the baby out with the bathwater. Their strengths, such as glass, clocks, and nautical charts, can be assigned to the Institute of Gewu, the Imperial Observatory, and the Ministry of Works. We can select the best ones and learn from them, integrating them into our knowledge."

"Baturu, obsessed with small gains, has yet to dare to rebel. The Nanyang Protectorate is ordered to appease him, grant him additional silk and porcelain, and reaffirm the benefits of trade. The Embroidered Uniform Guards are to continue their surveillance of him. Any untoward activity will be punished with immediate execution."

"Also," she paused, her gaze turning westward, "secretly order the coastal navy to deploy additional fast ships to patrol the East China Sea and beyond. Whenever they encounter a large Western fleet, they must carefully examine the ship's configuration, artillery deployment, and trajectory, and draw and report promptly. Instruct the Ministry of Rites to select personnel fluent in Western languages ​​and establish a Western translation office, just in case."

After finishing her annotations, she put down her red pen.

Outside the window, the moonlight is like water, filling the courtyard.

Murong Yan stood up, her moon-white sleeves brushing the ground silently.