"By the way, Brother Wei, you must be someone of some standing, right?"
In a corner of the huge cabin, Luo Yi covered his nose and looked around. He wasn't a delicate person, but the current environment was just too harsh.
The cabin was crammed with hundreds of people. Although the ship was large, the cabin was not very well ventilated. The body odor and foot odor of hundreds of people mixed together, along with the smell of dry food being eaten from time to time and the vomit of seasick people. It was a surprisingly comfortable mix.
It was something he, who had been an official of the imperial court for more than twenty years, was not used to.
Even Yuchi Peng, who often stayed in the military camp, frowned. He had his own body odor and was usually immune to certain strong smells, but this one was just too strong.
Wei Gongcheng smiled faintly, "There's nothing we can do. There are so many people who need boats these days, and there simply aren't enough. All three shipyards are working overtime, but unfortunately, there are too few skilled workers. Given the current business opportunities in Jiangnan, we'll probably be short of boats for the next two or three years."
Upon hearing this, Yuchi Peng became somewhat interested. "Are there currently three shipyards in Jiangnan that can build this kind of ship?"
"Hmm," Wei Gongcheng smiled at the other person. He knew that Yuchi Peng had once dreamed of becoming a naval general, so he patiently said, "The ship you see now is a design from half a year ago. The new ships are much larger now, and the academy has begun researching a type of ship that can generate its own power instead of relying on sails. I estimate that you will be able to see it by the end of the year at the latest."
"Oh?" Yuchi Peng had studied maritime affairs, immediately brightened up. "Generate their own power, without relying on sails?"
Wouldn't such ships be able to go wherever they want at sea?
Could such a thing really exist in this world?
"Academy?" Luo Yi was more curious about this word; it wasn't the first time he'd heard it.
Nowadays, many merchants in Nanming Prefecture come to resell fresh goods. In addition to the usual tea, wine, and grain, there are also rare clocks, telescopes, and some jewelry that can bring elemental power to escape the summer heat. When asked about their origin, the merchants all said that they were researched and developed by the junior teachers of the academy.
This made him very curious.
The grains in Jiangnan are of significantly higher quality, and the tea and wine have a noticeable effect of enhancing spiritual energy. Jewelry and watches have even more magical functions, and the silk worn there has functions and colors that ordinary clothes do not have. All of these things were developed by the academy.
"Mr. Wei, could you tell me about this?"
"Hmm, this?" Wei Gongcheng looked around. He could clearly sense that there were several scholars and wealthy men on the boat, cautiously listening to their conversation.
"The academy was personally established by Lord Chen Qing to train professional sorcerers."
"Professional warlock?"
These words not only stirred Luo Yi's heart, but also caused several scholars and wealthy men nearby to move closer.
"The academy is called Liuzhou Yin-Yang Academy," Wei Gongcheng with a smile.
" Liuzhou Yin-Yang Academy?" Luo Yi immediately laughed, "What arrogance!"
Those who graduate from the Warlock Academy all feel a deep sense of honor towards the Yin-Yang Academy, which was built by the imperial court. It has the most extensive collection of sorcery techniques and the most complete categories of sorcery techniques in the world, and the most outstanding senior sorcerers to teach. It is a sacred place in the hearts of all young sorcerers.
How dare someone from a mere city like Liuzhou share the same name?
Do you Chen Qing, know what the four characters " Yin-Yang Academy" represent?
"Isn't this just adding the words 'Liuzhou '?" Wei Gongcheng said with a smile, "There's no intention to compare, and besides, even if we were to compare, it's not like we can't."
"Oh?" Luo Yi chuckled in exasperation. "It seems this defeat of the imperial court has made Mr. Wei quite arrogant."
"Hmm?" Wei Gongcheng curiously, "The court was just testing the waters this time, and they didn't send any elite troops. What's there to be arrogant about if we defeat them?"
Yuchi Peng: "."
"Then it seems Mr. Wei isn't just a frog in a well!" Luo Yi said coldly, "How could you say such things?"
"Because it's true," Wei Gongcheng said with a smile.
"Facts?" Luo Yi snapped, "You say Liuzhou Academy is a place that trains sorcerers, but what kind of sorcerers are you talking about? Are they ingenious craftsmen? Even tea, wine, and grain were researched and invented by sorcerers? You sorcerers from Jiangnan are truly unique!"
"Master craftsmen are also a type of sorcerer," Wei Gongcheng said calmly. "Aren't the sorcerers in the Ministry of Works of the imperial court treasures of various families?"
"How can that be the same?" Luo Yi frowned. "The things the Ministry of Works does all benefit the people!"
"We are the same," Wei Gongcheng said. "The ship you are on can make the maritime trade in the South Sea more prosperous and the trade between the four seas more frequent. The food you ate a few days ago can enable Jiangnan to feed hundreds of millions of people with very little arable land. If this is not a benefit to the people, what is?"
Luo Yi: "."
He felt he couldn't win the argument.
"The sorcerers we train are indeed different from those of the imperial court. As for how they differ, Lord Luo, you'll know once you see for yourself."
"Is that so?" Luo Yi could only sullenly reply, "Then I'll wait and see!"
--
The waterway between Liuzhou and Nanming Prefecture is not short; normally, it would take at least half a day by boat. But this boat, perhaps due to some special power, arrived at Liuzhou Port in less than two hours.
When they disembarked, the bustling port stunned even the wealthy merchants who had witnessed the former prosperity of Jiangnan.
It seems that many of them visited Liuzhou two years ago, when it was so desolate that it was almost unrecognizable. They never expected that in just two years, it would become even more prosperous and bustling than it had been at its peak.
They had previously predicted that the other prefectures in Jiangnan were not as fortified as Nanming Prefecture, and that the outbreak of zombies would turn the place into a living hell, with less than one in a hundred surviving. However, they did not expect that there were still so many people here, and that they seemed to be doing quite well.
The port was bustling with people, all of them quite tall. For a moment, it felt less like visiting Jiangnan and more like arriving in the Qinchuan region. Moreover, they all had rosy complexions and were full of energy.
Nanming Prefecture was considered the pinnacle of people's livelihood in Jiangnan. Even in the entire Great Jin, the lives of ordinary people were among the top three. However, at a glance, most ordinary people still looked pale and sickly. The dockworkers, even if they were strong, were only slightly better off than ordinary people.
Where else could one find such a sight? Everyone was as strong as an ox, with ruddy complexions and bright eyes, even surpassing some of the martial arts practitioners from wealthy families.
As for the dazzling array of goods at the dock, it was even more overwhelming. There were so many things that they couldn't even name them, and their eyes were dazzled by the sight of them!
" Brother Feng, what is this?" A wealthy man hurriedly pointed to six ice-blue gems that a merchant had just acquired not far away.
It's called a gemstone, but it's more like jade, because only jade can have such a crystal-clear color. I've never heard of blue jade, and its color is so stunningly beautiful, like the Antarctic ice described by storytellers.
Even from a distance, he could feel the cool aura emanating from the gemstone; as soon as he approached, despite being covered in sweat, he experienced a refreshing and comfortable sensation.
"Oh, that one?" the businessman surnamed Feng glanced at it and said, "That's jade."
"Is it really jadeite?" The group was stunned. "How can cocoa jadeite be blue?"
"Because it's enchanted."
"Enchantment?" The unfamiliar term caused the group's eyes to widen. "What does that mean?"
"This is a unique ability of the teachers in the Earth Character Institute of the Liuzhou Academy. They can imbue certain objects with special functions, which they call enchanting. The best materials for enchanting are jade, gemstones, and some Nanyang jewels."
The businessman surnamed Feng looked at the blue jade and said, "That thing is very sought after right now. It has a cooling effect in the summer and can be carried around. Even under the scorching sun, you'll feel incredibly cool around you. It's a luxury item!"
"There's such a thing?" The group's eyes lit up immediately. In the sweltering summer heat, many wealthy businessmen used ice to cool off, but that stuff was too easy to cause heatstroke. Moreover, most rich people were very busy, often socializing outside, and what they lacked was such a magical item. Just thinking about the gemstone that had just cooled the surroundings, and how beautiful it was, if they took it out for a social occasion, it would probably be more prestigious than any rare treasure.
Especially for noble ladies, summer is the time to wear cool, light dresses, but because it's so hot, their rouge and powder are easily soaked with sweat. Many places are beautiful, yet the weather makes the noble ladies hesitate. If only they had that thing...
It's almost a given that if this thing appeared in Beijing or other wealthy cities, it would be driven up to exorbitant prices!
I'm afraid that if his wife and children found out about this, they would be willing to risk their lives to force him to buy one.
"What a treasure! It's truly a treasure!" The group of wealthy men were amazed, but their distrust of Gu Beiquan and his companions grew even stronger. It turned out that Jiangnan was hiding so many good things. These damned guys were really tight-lipped!
Suddenly, I felt a sense of relief that the imperial court had not yet successfully conquered Jiangnan!
" Brother Feng said that gold and silver have depreciated severely here, and the best hard currencies besides the special incense silver issued by Chen Qing are jade and gemstones? Is this related to this so-called enchantment?"
"Hehe, Brother Zhang, you're quick on the uptake." The merchant surnamed Feng nodded and said, "Indeed, about half a year ago, after the Earth Character Institute's enchanting techniques came out, high-quality jade and gemstones became hot commodities because the enchanting techniques were incredibly magical—they could ward off heat and cold, dispel odors with fragrance, and some could even grant flight."
"What did you say, Brother Feng?" The people around him were stunned, and for a moment they thought they had misheard.
"Sounds incredible, doesn't it?" The businessman surnamed Feng said smugly. Sure enough, the former people of the Nanming Dynasty had all turned into bumpkins.
"I'll show you around later!"