Speaking of Wu Prefecture City, Royal Palace of Wu Prefecture is inseparable.
Its predecessor was originally the annex palace of King of Chu. During the previous dynasty, Golden Horde Wolf Country invaded the south and was destroyed by war. It was rebuilt in the Great Xuan Dynasty.
Located in the north of Wu Prefecture City, occupying a small half of Wu Prefecture City.
Li Yan walked through the streets and alleys with an umbrella, and soon saw the palace. The entire city wall was built with huge stones and was painted with white ash. It stood majestically in the rain and was magnificent.
The vermilion gate of the palace is tightly closed, and the copper door nails are as bright as gold. Through the city wall, you can see the towering green trees inside, with the cornices and brackets hidden in it, and the raindrops falling on the tiles, like Mingzhu splashing jade.
This palace clearly has the style of Military Fortress.
There is a wide horizontal street in front of the palace and a vertical road leading directly to the city gate. If necessary, large groups of cavalry can be sent directly.
Of course, Li Yan already knew some things on the road.
Because of the important location of Wuchang City, a palace of this size was specially built under the supervision of the Daxuan court to guard this important waterway connecting the north and the south.
Combined with Three City Garrison soldiers and horses, it just forms the horns.
Therefore, the position of Prince of Wu Prefecture is also very critical and is usually trusted by the royal family. For example, the current Prince of Wu Prefecture is the son of the uncle of the current Emperor Daxuan.
Not only that, there are a large number of other courtyards and workshops surrounding Royal Palace of Wu Prefecture, and the number continues to increase with the ocean trade.
It can be said that the livelihood of most people in Wu Prefecture City is more or less related to Royal Palace of Wu Prefecture.
There were many soldiers patrolling the gate of the palace.
These are troubled times, and they are obviously very vigilant.
Li Yan naturally would not approach at will. Instead, he turned a corner and turned into a nearby alley. After asking a few passers-by, he came to a small courtyard.
The small courtyard is also a property of the royal palace. It was originally used for the Royal Palace Steward people to live in. It is not large in area, but it is exquisitely built with whitewashed walls and black tiles, tall horse-headed walls, and high-quality masonry carvings on the windows.
Boom, boom, boom!
After Li Yan knocked on the door, a strong man immediately opened the door and said in a full Guanzhong accent, "Who are you?"
"Guanzhong Li Yan."
Li Yan held the gift in one hand, and took out Visiting Card and Wu Honglin's souvenir from the other hand, "I came today and wanted to visit Master Yuan."
"Well, wait a minute."
The man took the souvenir and turned around to enter the courtyard.
But soon, an old voice came from inside, his tone full of disgust, "Li Yan? Tell him to get lost!"
Li Yan frowned slightly, pushed the door straight in without any politeness, and immediately saw an old man squatting on the steps smoking a dry cigarette.
"Humph, there are no rules!"
When the old man saw him coming in, a trace of vigilance flashed in his eyes, and he cursed angrily, "This is Royal Palace of Wu Prefecture's other courtyard, you can't be presumptuous!"
Li Yan narrowed his eyes slightly, "I have a grudge against my senior?"
The old man hummed twice, "Xiong BaoDong is kind to me."
Li Yan suddenly understood, nodded and said, "In that case, leave."
After that, he took his Visiting Card and letterhead and left the villa without looking back.
When you travel around the world, not everyone will be pleased with you.
You will make friends, and you will naturally accumulate enemies.
This old man is very stubborn at first glance. He may not help Xiong BaoDong take revenge, but he certainly won't cooperate with him.
After going out, Li Yan didn't care. He held up his umbrella and continued to look for the next store.
Today's Wu Prefecture City has no shortage of master craftsmen.
He did not hesitate and went directly to Master Zheng from Capital City Blacksmith Camp. Although the price was expensive, his workmanship was absolutely good and he was well-informed.
Li Yan wants to build more than just guns.
There is also the earth dragon scale armor obtained on Azure Dragon Mountain. I also need to get a few pairs of leather armor. Even if I spend a little more money, it can't be a bad thing.
But when he came to the door of Master Zheng, he frowned before he even got close.
In the hazy drizzle, I saw many people waiting at the door, all carrying valuable gifts, including businessmen and people from the world.
"Next one!"
As the disciples in the courtyard shouted, a businessman immediately nodded and bowed and walked in. Soon, waves of compliments came from inside.
Li Yan was confused and quickly found a businessman at the end of the team and asked in a low voice, "Brother, why are there so many people?"
"You don't know yet?"
The businessman raised his brows and whispered, "Master Zheng has superb craftsmanship and wide connections. He has been appointed by Prince to supervise the construction of new warships for the caravan."
"This is a big project, and it requires a huge amount of Spiritual Material. Not to mention us businessmen, even many craftsmen in the city want to find a job under him."
"I see, brother, you are a member of the martial arts world. You want to ask Master Zheng to build weapons. Stop this idea as soon as possible. You don't even have time to take care of it. Even his apprentices don't have time."
"Oh, that's it."
Li Yan A flash of disappointment flashed in his eyes, and he turned to leave.
The new battleship of the Chamber of Commerce is to deal with those terrible evil things in the sea, and even Baotong Chan Temple and some magic lines are involved.
In the eyes of the other party, he might not even be considered as fly meat this time, and he would not accept it at all.
Next, he looked for a few more.
Unfortunately, these master Daoist craftsmen have all gone to Master Zheng to obey his orders.
Supervising the construction of a warship of this level not only pays well, but also allows you to gain experience during the construction process.
Even these master craftsmen are unwilling to give up.
Of course, Li Yan also got some news.
Master Lu from Zezhou Prefecture is also very skilled, but he and Master Zheng dislike each other, so they were excluded from the team.
At this moment, I am packing my things and preparing to go home.
Li Yan heard this and quickly quickened his pace.
When we arrived outside the courtyard where Master Lu was, we saw, as expected, several disciples inside who were packing their things. There were two donkey carts at the door, and the cart was full of all kinds of sundries.
Li Yan hurriedly stepped forward and presented Visiting Card, "I am Guanzhong Li Yan, and I have come to pay my respects to Master Lu."
"Please wait."
The other disciple was quite kind, and after taking it for a long time, he hurried into the house.
It can be seen that Prince of Wu Prefecture also attaches great importance to this Master Lu. He arranged for two separate courtyards with a small garden inside.
In the garden pavilion, two people were sitting opposite each other, drinking.
One of them was an old man, over fifty years old, with a tall build, a dark face, wrinkles like anvil lines, and hair like tangled grass, tied behind his head.
Wearing a short coat of coarse cloth, he exposed his knotted muscles. The most eye-catching thing was his huge rosacea. It was still early in the morning, but he was already drunk and hazy.
Sitting opposite him was a middle-aged man with thick eyebrows and big eyes. He was dressed like a businessman, but the color and style were very low-key.
Taking the Visiting Card from the disciple, Master Lu, who was smelling of alcohol, opened it and took a few glances, "Guanzhong Li Yan, tell people that I am leaving and ask him to find someone else..."
"Wait a minute!"
When the middle-aged man opposite heard this, a glimmer of light flashed in his eyes, and he whispered, "Senior Lu, I've heard of this Li Yan. I'm afraid that this person will have to blame for that incident."
As he spoke, he whispered a few words in a low voice.
"Oh?"
Master Lu After listening, he looked thoughtful and said to the disciple, "Invite him to come in."
Soon, Li Yan came in carrying the gift, bowed his hands respectfully and said, "My Li Yan, I have met Master Lu."
As he spoke, he glanced at the man opposite him calmly.
This Master Lu is a Daoist craftsman, and it is not surprising at all that Gangsha Energy flows through him.
But the man opposite him felt strange.
The other party also had Gangsha Energy on his body, but it carried a sense of coldness and solemnity, chilling to the bone.
He has seen this kind of smell before. The disciples of Doumu Institute on Tai Bai Mountain, whose practice is related to Xingsha, have the same smell.
Not only that, the other person's eyes also seemed very strange. Although they were calm, they seemed to be able to see through a lot of things.
Instinctively, it puts people on guard.
Master Lu spoke with a strong Jinzhou accent, "Since we are fellow martial artists, it's just right for us to sit down and have a couple of drinks."
"Thank you, senior."
After Li Yan sat down, just as he was about to speak, this Master Lu smelled of alcohol and raised his hand and said, "The world is big, but drinking is the biggest thing."
"Come on, I'll do it first as a courtesy!"
After saying that, he picked up the wine bowl in front of him and drank it all in one gulp.
The man opposite him had already picked up the wine jar and poured him a bowl.
Okay!
As expected, he is a complete drunkard.
Li Yan had no choice but to pick up the wine bowl and drink it all in one gulp.
The wine has a pure and fragrant taste and a soft mouthfeel.
"Good wine!"
Li Yan praised, "I didn't expect that here at Wu Prefecture City, I can also drink this good old Fen Wine."
"Hey, know the goods!"
Master Lu suddenly showed a smile on his face, pointed at the man opposite and said, "Without this bite, I don't want to leave Jinzhou at all. If this guy hadn't promised to have enough drinks and water, I wouldn't have suffered from this coward!"
As he said that, he couldn't help but cursed, "Damn, you old man looks down on others!"
Li Yan knew that the other party was scolding that Master Zheng.
He didn't bother to talk about these things, so he said directly, "To be honest, I am here for this trip, and I have a big job for you to ask the master to do."
"Big job?"
Old Man Lu curled his lips and said, "This is a lot of work. Can you tell me how big it can be?"
Li Yan said, "I want to ask the master to help forge some magic weapons, but I have to be tight-lipped and don't reveal it to anyone."
As he spoke, he took out a brochure from his arms and handed it over.
The booklet was completely a cover. He found it temporarily from the Chamber of Commerce. It had a hard shell on the outside and the things he wanted to forge were written on the inside.
Earth dragon skin scale armor, muskets, and weapons made for Lu San and Sha LiFei. As for him, Soul Severing Blade needs to be refined again.
All items need to be refined by high-grade Spiritual Material. They collected them along the way and now they are all placed in Hanyang Tian Residence.
"Huh?"
Seeing the earth dragon skin and those magic weapons, Master Lu didn't care at all, but when he saw the new musket, he immediately closed the book and handed it directly to Li Yan, shaking his head and saying, "It can't be done!"
"You are very brave, kid. And even if I want to, I won't do it."
Li Yan glanced at the middle-aged man opposite him calmly.
"Don't worry about him."
Master Lu shook his head and said, "This boy is also a disciple of Orthodox Xuan Gate's side branch. He is doing business in partnership with me. He doesn't talk nonsense."
Li Yan hesitated for a moment and then said, "We have the secret drawings. If the master agrees, we can give them to you with both hands."
This is his trump card to persuade the other party.
New Style Firearm will definitely become a trend in the future, but very few people know how to make it.
Any craftsman might be tempted.
Sure enough, Master Lu perked up when he heard this, "Do you really have it? Don't lie to me!"
"Of course I won't lie."
Li Yan said seriously, "There are many secret techniques in it. I wonder if the master is proficient in them?"
This is why they are looking for masters.
In the book "Thunderbolt Fire Scripture", the method of making New Style Firearm is clearly explained, but how to configure the materials and how to master the timing of the heat are all unheard of professional terms.
Sha LiFei was confused by what he saw, and several of the techniques in it require practice from a young age to master, so you can only use experts.
Master Lu After hearing this, he was not angry at all, but became interested, "Tell me, what secret techniques are needed?"
Li Yan said in a deep voice, "Gangsha Steel Tempering Method, Inner Carving Method, Open Flame Consecration Method..."
He said a few words casually, and Master Lu's face gradually became serious, "It seems that you really have it."
After saying that, he shook his head and said, "To be honest, I naturally know these secret techniques."
"But what I want to do will definitely not be an ordinary weapon. If you rely on the power of the treasure and cause a lot of trouble, you may implicate me. The risk is too high."
Li Yan smiled and said, "Senior, please don't worry, the imperial court has released some quotas, and juniors are sure to get them."
"And in the future, this thing will inevitably spread. If seniors can master the refining method in advance, they can be one step ahead of others."
"If I guess correctly, other master craftsmen who stayed in Wuchang will definitely master this method by supervising the construction of treasure ships."
As soon as these words came out, Master Lu's face suddenly turned ugly.
He originally stayed because he wanted to participate, but now that he was excluded, he felt naturally unhappy.
Thinking of this, Master Lu said coldly, "Don't provoke me, kid. It's okay to promise you, but there is a condition."
"Hu Ming, I can't explain clearly, you talk to him!"
Li Yan heard this and turned to look at the middle-aged man in black.
The man smiled and cupped his hands and said, "I am Hu Ming, a lay disciple of Doumu Institute. The order is placed at Ze Prefecture Jade Emperor Temple, so I am called Fire Dwelling Daoist."
Jade Emperor Temple?
Li Yan suddenly realized.
Jade Emperor Temple He heard Yu LinZi say, not only Attendant Jade Emperor, but also Three Enclosures, the Four Saints, and Twenty-Eight Constellations.
Guan Nei is proficient in calendaring, observing celestial phenomena, and calculating calculations.
It can be regarded as a branch of the Tai Xuan Orthodox Sect Doumu Institute, but it mainly believes in Jade Emperor. There are many secular branches in the periphery, which are good at magic and are quite famous among Gold Gate in the world.
It seems that this person is also practicing to attract evil spirits.
Thinking of this, Li Yan smiled and cupped his hands and said, "It turns out to be Jade Emperor Temple's fellow Daoist. Why did he take off his Daoist robe and put on the clothes of a merchant?"
This Hu Ming shook his head and said, "To be honest, I passed by Tai Bai Mountain on the way down and only then did I know the name of my friend. I never thought of coming to Ezhou. My Daoist friend is already famous everywhere."
As he spoke, he said helplessly, "It's all because of the masters of Tai Bai Mountain. As soon as Star Gazing Platform was built, everyone was jealous. I had no choice but to take off my robes, join Jin Prefecture Merchant Guild, and raise money everywhere."
"That's it."
Li Yan almost laughed.
Get that Star Gazing Platform, and everyone will be poor for a while.
Of course, these things have nothing to do with him. Li Yan asked again, "What conditions do you two have? You might as well talk about it and see if I can do it."
Hu Ming's face became serious, "I want a treasure from Royal Palace of Wu Prefecture's treasure house..."