"Haha, Venerable Ones are too polite. Come, sit."
Wang Chong gestured at the seat with his palm.
"Young Master, for what reason did you summon us from Sindhu?"
The three of them sat down, and after some small talk, Arloja got straight to the point. The two of them were ascetic monks, and their methods were straightforward. In this aspect, they were completely different from the people of the Central Plains.
"Haha, to tell you the truth, I wish to purchase another batch of Hyderabad ore from Sindhu."
Wang Chong smiled, took a sip of tea, and said straightforwardly.
"But Young Master, if I remember correctly, the time we agreed on is just a little while away. Young Master doesn't need to find us, much less give any orders. The second batch of Hyderabad ore will be delivered soon. "
Both of them were puzzled.
"Haha, it is indeed as Venerable Ones say, but it is different this time. However, I wish to bring forward the date of this transaction. In addition, I wish to change the amount of the transaction, from one thousand jun of Hyderabad ore to six thousand! "
Wang Chong said to the two.
The price of Hyderabad ore had risen from the WuZi Steel swords forged by Wang Chong to fame, and the price had also soared. The price of Hyderabad ore had already risen from several hundred taels to one thousand. Six thousand jun of Hyderabad ore was equivalent to six million taels of gold. This number was close to an astronomical figure.
At the very least, to Sindhu, this was an unprecedented transaction.
"Young Master, are you serious?!"
Like a bolt of lightning, the two of them trembled as they stared in shock at Wang Chong. They had traveled a great distance and crossed mountains, but they hadn't expected Wang Chong to propose such an enormous transaction. Six million taels of gold was enough to sustain Sindhu for an entire year.
"Of course. In my long association with Venerable Ones, when have I ever lied?"
Wang Chong smiled and nodded.
He had been working in Wushang for several months and had spent so much manpower, resources, and money. Now, everything was ready except for the final push. After the battle at the triangular gap on the Ouzan Plateau, the five thousand Wushang cavalry had grown much stronger, and their combat experience had increased. But they still had a massive weakness: equipment.
Whether it was the WuZi Steel weapons or the Meteoric Metal armor, Wang Chong's five thousand Wushang cavalry still had none. Before the war of the southwest, Wang Chong had promised the one thousand Wootz Steel swords to the great clans, so it was impossible to get them back.
If Wang Chong wanted to equip his five thousand Wushang cavalry, he would need to get more Hyderabad ore.
"Young Master, this isn't the first time we've worked together. We've always been at ease with you. The High Priest also has a deep impression of you. We are very grateful for young master's benevolence. But you know the output of Hyderabad ores. Six thousand jun of Hyderabad ores … I'm afraid it'll be difficult for us to satisfy such a large amount. "
Ablonodan and Arloja glanced at each other and frowned.
The Hyderabad ore was extremely important to Sindhu. It was probably the largest source of income for all of Sindhu. As the seller, he naturally hoped that more people would buy it. However, Hyderabad ores were different from ordinary ores. Because of their high density, the difficulty of mining Hyderabad ores was beyond imagination.
The high density and difficulty of mining severely limited the output of Hyderabad's ores. Thus, even though Wang Chong had only said six thousand jun, it was still an enormous number for all of Sindhu.
"Hehe, of course I know that. That's why I've summoned all of you here. I hope that when Sindhu sells Hyderabad ores, you can greatly favor the Tang dynasty of the Central Plains. For the time being, you can sell the ores to other factions to me. You also know about the current Hyderabad ores. Only I have the method to forge WuZi Steel weapons. If this precious ore falls into the hands of others, it will only be a waste. Sindhu also doesn't wish for such precious ores to be wasted in the hands of ordinary craftsmen, right? "
Wang Chong put down his teacup and smiled, his expression exuding an aura of confidence and confidence.
In terms of Hyderabad ore, Wang Chong actually had an enormous advantage. The price he offered was something that no other faction could bear. Moreover, the method to forge WuZi Steel weapons was something that all other factions could only drool over. Even the two Sindhi monks, Ablonodan and Arloja, had gasped in admiration at the sight of those beautiful and sharp patterns.
If they had a choice, the two of them would naturally be willing to favor Wang Chong. After all, only he could bring out the unimaginable potential of Hyderabad ore.
“！！！”
The moment Wang Chong finished speaking, the two Sindhi monks revealed extreme shock in their eyes. The sale of Sindhu's Hyderabad ore was strictly divided into regions and not completely based on price. There were many reasons for this. The simplest was that if Sindhu suddenly stopped supplying the Abbasid Caliphate and Charax Spasinu, the two empires might attack in anger. This was something that Sindhu had to consider.
Although Sindhu was hot and humid, muddy, filled with miasma, and was prone to diseases, making it difficult for armies to take risks, this was not a certainty. Sindhu had to consider all of these things.
"Haha, I know that Venerable Sirs find it hard to make a choice, but I think that you can tell this matter to the High Priest and have him decide. Moreover, I am not asking you to completely stop supplying the other empires, but to prioritize the early production to the Tang dynasty. Once our transaction is completed, Sindhu can complete the transactions with the other empires. "
Wang Chong softly chuckled, as if he had already guessed what the monks were worried about.
"In addition, it has already been so long. I don't believe that the High Priest hasn't taken any measures to increase the production of Hyderabad ore."
"Young Master's eyes are truly sharp. As expected, nothing can be hidden from you."
The two bitterly smiled.
"Ever since the transaction with Young Master, the High Priest has truly ordered the recruitment of more people to increase the production of Hyderabad ore, and there are clear results now. However, the amount that Young Master spoke of is still not a small number for us."
"I can pay a portion of the six million taels of gold in advance. I'm confident that the High Priest will carefully consider it. In addition, with this amount of gold, the High Priest is completely capable of recruiting even more people and increasing the production."
Wang Chong said.
"This … let's first ask the High Priest. Young Master, please give us some time. We will give you a reply as quickly as possible. "
Ablonodan and Arloja glanced at each other.
"Okay!"
Wang Chong nodded. After having Ablonodan and Arloja stay in the City of Steel for a few days, he personally saw them off.
… …
While Wang Chong was taking care of all sorts of trifling matters in the Western Regions, in the distant capital, the mood was completely different. It was brimming with tension.
"The Holy Emperor has decreed that all beloved subjects must submit a memorial if there is anything, and the court is dismissed if there is nothing!"
The whip cracked, and the voice of the eunuch resounded through the court. The hundreds of officials stood around the coiling dragon pillar, and the atmosphere was deathly still. Everyone was silent, and the atmosphere was extremely strange.
"Your Majesty, this subject has a memorial!"
At this moment, Imperial Censor Meng Xuan solemnly stepped forward, his hands clasped on a tablet.
"Qixi Protector-General Fomonlința colluded with the Fourth Prince and attempted to rebel. Moreover, he lied about his military achievements and deceived the sovereign. His crimes are truly unforgivable. However, the Qixi border cannot be without a general for a single day. This subject proposes that a new Qixi Protector-General be chosen as quickly as possible so as to stabilize the morale of the army and guard the border against any further incidents."
Meng Xuan's words caused all the officials to raise their heads and look up at the ceiling of the hall, the atmosphere instantly tensing.
Although they remained calm on the surface, all of them were inwardly restless, and undercurrents were surging through the hall.
Qixi Protector-General!
Ever since Fomonlința had been imprisoned, this position had been left vacant, and all the factions were eager to take it. All humans had ambitions, and there were very few people in the empire who could surpass the position of Imperial Protector-General. But no one had mentioned it before, so no one had said anything.
But now that someone had taken the lead, everything was different.
"Your Majesty, this subject proposes Yao Guangyi for the post of Qixi Protector-General! Yao Guangyi was born to a prestigious clan, and when the old Eunuch Yao was Prime Minister, he had both ability and integrity. He was deeply respected by all the ministers, and even His Majesty had nothing but praise for him. Yao Guangyi was deeply influenced by the old Eunuch Yao, and as the saying goes, a tiger father does not beget a dog son. Moreover, Yao Guangyi is both brave and astute, a master of both the pen and the sword. He is truly the best choice for Qixi Protector-General! "
Before anyone else could speak, King Qi, dressed in his imperial robe, stepped forward and loudly declared.
"No!"
The King of Song's voice came from the other side, and he immediately stepped forward.
"The position of Qixi Protector-General requires at least the cultivation of an Imperial Great General. Yao Guangyi's talent is only above average, still extremely far from the Great General level. He's simply not qualified to be Qixi Protector-General!"
"Hmph! If even Yao Guangyi isn't suitable, then I'd like to know who you think is more suitable than him! "
King Qi coldly sneered.
"If I had to choose Yao Guangyi, I would rather recommend Wang Yan. At the very least, Wang Yan is more talented, and in the war of the southwest, his accomplishments are unquestionable. In any case, he's better than Yao Guangyi for the position of Qixi Protector-General! "
The King of Song said to King Qi.
"Nonsense! Since Yao Guangyi isn't suitable, is Wang Yan suitable? You yourself said that the position of Qixi Protector-General requires the cultivation of an Imperial Great General. Do you think Wang Yan is enough? "
King Qi harshly rebuked.
"Your Majesty, this subject believes that neither Yao Guangyi nor Wang Yan is suitable!"
As King Qi and The King of Song were fiercely debating, a grating voice rang out in their ears. Upon hearing this voice, all the officials, including King Qi and The King of Song, paled. All of them turned their heads in search of the source of the voice.
Imperial Censor Hao!
The sight of that white-haired, incorruptible, and thin figure left all of them stunned. Imperial censors inspected the world and impeached all officials, and they were known to speak bluntly, and Imperial Censor Hao was an outstanding figure. He was over sixty years old and extremely experienced, already at the age of one's grave. Imperial Censor Hao spoke without restraint, from monarchs and princes to high officials and county officials.
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
