Page 160

Though this method would take some time, it was feasible. Better than spending a lifetime on it!

Wei Zhan nodded in agreement.

In the spring of Qingfeng's third year, Great Wei's first fleet of merchant ships sailed to the White Sand Kingdom and returned with some Rubber Tree seeds and Rubber Latex.

Rubber production was scarce, and Rong Xi had obtained little of it. He led the workshop craftsmen in studying rubber's properties, guiding them to come up with countless ingenious ideas.

He knew rubber could be made into many things, but directly telling them how to make them was not what he wanted.

Everything he knew and imagined came from the experiences of later generations. He did not wish to use his own experience to shackle the craftsmen's power of creation.

In the summer of Qingfeng's third year, a craftsman inadvertently discovered that rubber could erase Pencil marks. He was greatly thrilled, though rubber spoiled easily and had to be processed before it could become stable.

Later, another craftsman discovered that rubber was waterproof, and so used it to make rain gear.

Maritime trade became ever smoother and busier, and the amount of rubber imported greatly increased. Only then did Rong Xi begin developing tires.

Rubber tires were a tremendous revolution in transportation. If they could be mass-produced, Great Wei would grow ever more prosperous.

But Natural Rubber was truly too scarce, and Rong Xi was temporarily unable to produce Synthetic Rubber.

Tires, axles, valves, and the like were all delicate components. For Great Wei's craftsmen, making them was indeed somewhat difficult, but no one intended to give up.

In the spring of Qingfeng's fifth year, Prince Shun Wei Zhan resigned from his post as Naval Governor. Leading a group of loyal guards, he frequently traveled between Great Wei