Ang Lee was using every opportunity to advertise the automobile industry of the Tang dynasty. Moreover, he believed that the kings and nobles of these small countries would definitely be willing to buy a car. Although the price of a car was very high, much more expensive than a carriage, and the maintenance and consumption costs were higher, a car was far more comfortable than a carriage, especially a backward carriage like Rao Yue.
In Ang Lee's opinion, the carriage of the King of Rao Yue, in addition to the gold and jade hanging on it, looked more luxurious, but the structure and performance of the interior were very backward. It was very bumpy when running, which was simply a living torture.
"A car? What's a car? Xiao Wang has never sat in one before. "
The King of Rao Yue asked curiously.
Ang Lee naturally brought a car with him. However, because the journey was not far, Ang Lee directly sat in the King of Rao Yue's carriage. The car was still in the cabin.
"Cars are the newest means of transportation in the Tang dynasty. If Your Majesty is interested, I will take you for a ride later to broaden your horizons."
Since cars would definitely enter the market of these small countries in the future, it was also excellent to let them experience it in advance.
"Good, that's great. Xiao Wang will definitely experience it well."
The King of Rao Yue said happily.
After jumping off the carriage, a workshop of decent size appeared in front of him. The walls of the workshop were simple wooden fences. Under normal circumstances, humans and animals would not be able to pass through, but standing outside, he could see everything inside clearly. There were three to five gatekeepers holding simple weapons at the entrance. Inside, there were busy employees.
Li An looked up and saw a lot of things going on inside. There was a large open space inside the door. The other party had placed bags of palm seeds. They were all raw materials that had been dried and could be used to extract oil at any time.
The situation inside the house was not clear, but it was obvious that it was the place where the oil was extracted.
"Not bad, there are palm trees nearby. It seems that Rao Yue is a country with a large number of palm trees."
Along the way, Ang Lee saw a large number of palm trees through the curtains of the carriage. This was enough to show that this tropical country had a lot of palm trees. It was a big palm tree country.
"Assistant Minister Li is right. Luo Yuguo is relatively barren, but we have a lot of palm trees and coconut trees. We have as many as you want."
The King of Rao Yue replied with a smile.
Ang Lee stepped forward and said, "Let's go, Your Highness. Let's go in and take a look."
After saying that, he entered the palm oil production workshop.
When the gatekeepers saw the King of Rao Yue and the troops of the Tang dynasty appear at the gate, they were so scared that they retreated to the side and did not dare to stop them.
"Your Majesty, why have you come? Who is this?"
The person who came to greet them was the manager of Rao Yue. Although this workshop was opened by Zhang Batian and he was from the Tang dynasty, because the workers were all citizens of Rao Yue, it was most suitable to hire people from Rao Yue to be the manager.
"This is Assistant Minister Li of the Tang dynasty. We're just here to take a look. There's no other purpose. You don't have to worry."
The King of Rao Yue said.
"Your Majesty, this way please. Assistant Minister Li, this way please."
The manager invited them politely.
Ang Lee roughly looked around. There were at least a few thousand palm seeds in the open space, and all of them were exposed to the sun.
"There are at least a few thousand palm seeds here. Aren't you afraid that it will suddenly rain? If it gets wet, it won't be easy to extract the oil. "
Li An reminded him out of good intentions.
"Assistant Minister Li is right. The palm seeds that are to be extracted are most afraid of rain. However, the weather today is very good, and we can bask them in the sun. If it suddenly rains, there's nothing to be afraid of. We've prepared a rain shield and can just cover it directly."
The manager hurriedly explained.
Ang Lee looked up and found that it was really so. He was just wondering why there were so many wooden pillars in the open space. It turned out that these wooden pillars were used as supports. As long as they were covered with wooden planks, it would become a shelter that could block the rain. Now, because the sun was very good, they removed the wooden planks at the top to let the sun shine in freely. This was to make the palm seeds bought from the local area easier to be processed.
Ang Lee casually grabbed a handful of palm seeds. They were already very dry and completely met the requirements of oil extraction. However, not all of the palm seeds that were being exposed to the sun were dry. Many of them were wet and needed to be exposed to the sun for a long time to extract the oil.
"Did you guys gather these palm seeds by yourselves?"
Ang Lee opened his mouth and asked.
The manager shook his head and said, "How is that possible? We only have a hundred people here. With so many palm seeds, the manpower is far from enough. We bought all of them from the people nearby. According to the color, dryness, and wetness, we gave different prices. We sent people to the nearby areas to buy them from door to door. In the further areas, we had peddlers buy them and sell them to us."
When Ang Lee heard this, he looked at the King of Rao Yue and smiled, "Your Highness, Zhang Batian has helped you a lot. He set up this palm oil processing factory and allowed the people of Rao Yue to have a way to earn money. You didn't mention this benefit just now!"
The King of Rao Yue smiled and said, "Assistant Minister Li, Xiao Wang really doesn't know about this matter. This is also the first time Xiao Wang has come here. I didn't expect that the raw materials for oil extraction were bought from the local people. This way, the people who have nothing to do have something to do have something to do."
Ang Lee said, "Rao Yue's resources are not barren. There are so many trees and land. They are all useful resources. In addition, perhaps there are many resources that have not been discovered yet? As long as you look carefully, you will find many valuable resources. In the future, more merchants of the Tang dynasty will come here to invest. At that time, your life will become better and better. "
"Oh! That's really good news! Xiao Wang was now very much looking forward to it! I hope that just like Assistant Minister Li said, the Silk Road will become a road to prosperity for the Tang dynasty and other countries. "
The King of Rao Yue was also looking forward to it.
After entering the oil extraction workshop, Ang Lee saw a large group of people busy extracting oil. Zhang Batian had not come into contact with the most advanced oil extraction technology, so he was still using the ancient method to extract oil. Even so, the method he used was much better than the method used by the people of Rao Yue. The cost was also lower. Otherwise, why would the local people not choose to extract oil and sell it themselves but directly sell unprocessed palm seeds to him?
Because the palm oil's smell was very light, there was almost no smell. Only a yellow and orange transparent liquid could be seen in the white ceramic jar.
The palm oil extracted from the palm oil would be packaged and shipped to Guangzhou in the Tang dynasty, except for a small amount that would be sold to Rao Yue's market. Then, the palm oil would be distributed all over the country in Guangzhou of the Tang dynasty.
In fact, the taste of palm oil was not very good. It was not in line with the eating habits of the people of the Tang dynasty. It was far worse than soybean oil.
However, the advantages of palm oil were obvious. It was relatively cheap. Soybeans required farmers to plant painstakingly, and it was very labor-intensive and land-intensive. On the other hand, palm seeds grew on natural trees in Southeast Asia. The local people did not need to take care of the palm trees at all. They only needed to collect the seeds when it matured. Moreover, the labor in Southeast Asia was relatively cheap, which further increased the price of palm oil and gave palm oil a competitive advantage.
For the ordinary poor commoners of the Great Tang, being able to eat fried food was already good enough. Buying palm oil at a low price was a good choice. In addition, many restaurants were more willing to use palm oil at a low price. If they could save a little, they would save a little. This was especially true for hawkers who sold fried food. A large part of the cost was the loss of oil. Using palm oil at a lower price was the best choice to increase their profits.
"How often do you ship?"
Ang Lee asked.
"Assistant Minister Li, we ship once a month. There are about 10,000 jars in each shipment. The main point of the shipment is Guangzhou in the Tang dynasty. Then, we bring some specialties of the Tang dynasty back to Rao Yue. On the way, we also pass through the Dragon's Tooth Sect and other countries to sell some special goods. When we arrive at Rao Yue, only half of the jars are left."
The supervisor said.
Ang Lee carefully looked at the newly squeezed palm oil and felt that the quality was good. He nodded with satisfaction. This workshop was the first step for the businessmen of the Tang dynasty to invest overseas. It was of great significance. Therefore, even if it was only a small workshop, it was worth Ang Lee's attention.
After inspecting the whole workshop, Ang Lee and the King of Rao Yue were ready to leave for the palace of Rao Yue. After such a long time, the delicious meal should have been prepared. It was time to eat and drink.
"Assistant Minister Li, what is this?"
After walking out of the workshop, the King of Rao Yue saw a luxurious car and was stunned.
This was specially ordered by Ang Lee. Before entering the workshop, Ang Lee ordered his subordinates to drive their own cars and take the King of Rao Yue for a ride. In order to better appreciate the scenery, this car was not closed. It was similar to a sports car with a foldable canvas umbrella at the back. It could be used to block the sun and rain. At the same time, it would not make people feel suffocated.
Ang Lee smiled and introduced, "Your Highness, this is the car of the Tang dynasty. It is much more comfortable to sit in than a carriage. Please."
Of course, the King of Rao Yue would not refuse Ang Lee. He obediently sat in the back and sat side by side with Ang Lee.
Ang Lee looked at the driver in front and said softly, "Drive slowly."
"Yes, Assistant Minister Li."
The car drove in at a slower speed. It was basically the same speed as the carriage just now. The attendants could easily keep up.
"How is it, Your Highness? Can't you feel the bumps?"
Ang Lee asked proudly.
The King of Rao Yue was stunned. He said, "Oh, it seems to be true. This car is really good. Not only does it not need a horse to pull it, but it also doesn't feel the bumps at all. That's strange. How can this car run without a horse?"
"Haha! This car can not only run. Its fastest speed is more than ten times that of a carriage. It is very fast. However, the road conditions here are not ideal. It is dangerous to drive too fast. It is better to drive slowly. "
Ang Lee introduced proudly.
"Oh, it is really amazing. This is the car of the Tang dynasty! How much is it? Where can I buy it? "
The King of Rao Yue moved his body and experienced the benefits of a car. He wished he could have his own car immediately. Then, he would be more comfortable when he went out in the future. He would no longer have to live a bumpy life.
Ang Lee said, "It is very expensive. It is sold in the capital of the Tang dynasty, Chang 'an, and Luoyang."
"How expensive is it?"
The King of Rao Yue continued to ask.
Ang Lee thought for a moment and replied, "There are many kinds of cars. There are big and small ones. Some are luxurious, and some are simple. The price difference is very big. I did not pay much attention to the specific price. This car was given to me by His Majesty. I did not spend a cent."
"Oh, Xiao Wang wants to buy one very much. This time, when I send people to the Tang dynasty to pay tribute, I will buy one."
The King of Rao Yue said with longing.
Ang Lee whispered, "Your Majesty, this car needs gasoline to run on the road. When you buy the car, don't forget to buy gasoline! Also, send your people to the Tang dynasty to learn driving skills. Otherwise, it will be impossible for them not to know how to drive! Also, cars can be damaged. If they are damaged, they must be repaired. You also need to buy car parts produced in the Tang dynasty. You don't have these. "
"Uh, so troublesome!"
The King of Rao Yue gasped when he heard this.
Just now, he only thought about the benefits of cars. He did not expect that owning a car would come with a corresponding price. Moreover, cars were expensive. It was not difficult to buy gasoline and train drivers. He was the King, so he could afford it. However, repairing a car was a big problem. If it was damaged soon after he bought it, he would have to mail it to Luoyang in the Tang dynasty. Then, he would have to ship it back after it was repaired. This would take too much time, and it was obviously not worth it.
Ang Lee saw the King of Rao Yue's concerns and said, "I know Your Majesty's worries very well. At present, the Silk Road has not been completely opened, and pirates still exist. Many merchants of the Tang dynasty still do not dare to trade on the sea. When the situation improves, the merchants of the Tang dynasty will definitely flock to the sea trade route. At that time, car and other retail businesses will also enter here. Now that Malacca is the territory of the Tang dynasty, we can build a car repair workshop in half a year and stock up some gasoline to sell. If Your Majesty's car has any problems, you can go directly to Malacca. This may be more convenient."
When the King of Luo Yue Country heard this, he immediately relaxed his frowning eyebrows. He made up his mind to buy a luxurious car to improve his standard of living.
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