Zhou Qingfeng's exhibition banquet was a success, at least he thought so. Those who were invited were all powerful businessmen in Goa, and many trade orders were made on the spot. The specific transactions naturally needed follow-up personnel to follow up.
But after the banquet, the businessmen who returned to Goa were troubled. Not only were the Portuguese frowning, but even the Arabs, who wanted to make a big splash and amaze the world with a single brilliant feat, were reflecting. After the dazzling display of goods, they all became silent.
No one could easily refuse huge commercial interests, but anyone with a little wisdom would understand that the "Emperor" from the East had unimaginable ambitions. He was changing the power structure of the entire Near East and South Asia through trade. As for the Far East, it was going to face a big change.
After returning to his own business hall, Master Mohammed gathered a group of Arabs and conveyed what he saw at the banquet. When they learned that they could buy fine weapons from the Emperor of the East, and even send people for military training, they were all shocked, delighted, thoughtful, and worried.
In the Near East and northern Africa, there were many Green Religions. But they were not monolithic, and there were even deep hatred and contradictions between them. In the past, the Europeans did not pay attention to these infidels at all, and only blindly suppressed them, but suppressed the war between the various enemies. And now …
"Since the Emperor of the East is willing to buy our horses and sell us weapons, he can also do business with our enemies. In the past, we couldn't fight, or rather, the scale of the fight was not large, because our strength was limited. I'm afraid it will be different in the future. "Master Mohammed could foresee that the entire Near East would soon fall into the flames of war.
"How many weapons can the Easterners sell?" Someone raised the issue of quantity. "What if we can buy all the weapons in his hands?"
"He said he can immediately deliver about 30,000 high-quality matchlock guns." Master Mohammed took a sample of the matchlock gun given by Zhou Qingfeng and passed it around in everyone's hands. The gun was light and felt very good to hold. The barrel was black and shiny, smooth and cool to the touch. The matching matchlock and lead shot were very consistent, which was impossible for handicrafts.
"There's another problem. The King of Goa has also sent someone to contact the Emperor of the East. We may not be able to make a profit from it in the future. "The second piece of news that Master Mohammed reported was the deadliest. The Arabs were not engaged in production, but were good at robbing and trading. If they lost the King of India as a customer, their days would be very difficult.
Although there were many kings in India, with the strength and flexibility of the Eastern Emperor, the market here would be snatched up sooner or later. If it were someone else, the Arabs might be able to play some tricks. But in the face of Zhou Qingfeng, who had just taught the Portuguese a lesson, they did not have much courage.
"Are we really going to rely on raising horses for a living in the future?" someone shouted unwillingly.
"You can also capture slaves. The Eastern Emperor needs horses and female slaves. In addition, he wanted us to bring in commodities from Africa, such as Egyptian cotton, wheat, and palm oil. He said he was desperate for produce. As long as it can be shipped, he is willing to buy it, "Master Mohammed said.
Hearing this, the group of Arab merchants became silent again. This was equivalent to blocking one trade route and opening up another trade route at the same time. It was nothing more than a change of trade products and targets. But this feeling made him feel uneasy …
"How many horses do we have now?" Master Mohammed asked.
The merchants next to him shook their heads. "Not much, the previous ones were sold to the Portuguese."
"Then start stocking up again tomorrow. At least we are the first to know the news now, and we have at least half a year's advantage. "Master Mohammed sighed and went to rest full of hope and worry.
The Arabs were worried, and the Portuguese in Goa were even more worried. The short and fierce war had deprived them of their original high and mighty status, and the surging tide of trade was going to suppress them to the same level as the untouchables. In the eyes of the Eastern Emperor, anyone who could provide him with trade goods was a good person, and anyone who obstructed him was a bad person.
If the Arabs could obtain a large number of weapons, it was still within the psychological range of the European colonists. But the King of India wanted to arm himself, which was definitely a nightmare. The Portuguese were well aware of what they had done in India for the past hundred years, and they were now afraid of retaliation.
Although Zhou Qingfeng had said that no forces would be allowed to start a war near Goa, it was still unknown whether this promise could be fulfilled. While the Arabs were gathered to discuss, the European merchants, led by the Portuguese, also gathered to discuss the situation in front of them. Not only did the released Young Master Anthony attend the party, but even Governor Codino, who had escaped, sent his trusted aides.
"This is the Oriental matchlock I bought." Although Anthony was unwilling, he still attended the dinner as a resident representative. When Zhou Qingfeng was promoting his arms, he bit the bullet and asked for a sample from the other party. As a result, he bought it easily. "The other party quoted ten silver dollars for one, which is about the same as the Spanish silver dollar."
The price was not expensive, but the same exclamation sounded among the European colonists, because Anthony spent a lot of money to buy five. The five matchlocks were almost exactly the same. The gunsmiths who were knowledgeable quickly began to measure the caliber, check the quality of the barrel, and even disassemble the gun to see the internal structure. The final conclusion was … Perfect!
"The caliber is the same, and the pellets are the same." The gunsmith carried out a complete loading and tested all the lead pellets in front of everyone. "The pellets are all slightly larger than the barrel, but they can be easily inserted with the rod. It's hard to imagine, if all the Oriental matchlocks are like this, I don't know how the Orientals did it. "
The five matchlocks were disassembled, and all the parts could be used. Any set could be assembled and used smoothly. The gunsmith even tested it on the spot in the courtyard of the party, and easily pierced a thick wooden board at close range. He sighed again: "This gun only used half the weight of our heavy 'muscotte' to achieve the same power, very impressive."
The 16th century that had already passed and the 17th century that was just beginning was the time when Europe was in flames of war. One war after another greatly promoted the development of European military civilization, and also led to the great advancement of weapons and equipment. The 'Thirty Years War' that was about to start was the first war that involved all of Europe, and everyone's brains were beaten to a pulp.
Currently, flintlock guns were not yet common in Europe, and matchlocks were still the main equipment of war. Moreover, the matchlocks used in Europe were very heavy, and it was common for one to be more than ten kilograms. If there was a light matchlock gun that weighed five to six kilograms, it would definitely be a hot commodity. Not only did the Arabs and Indian kings need it, but the Europeans also needed it.
"This kind of matchlock gun is very well made, and it can be used with the same bullets and accessories. This has an unimaginable advantage in terms of logistics." The gunsmith reassembled the five matchlocks and sighed: "If we can purchase a large number of these guns and ship them to Europe, they will definitely be snatched up by the nobles who are busy preparing for war."
Although Zhou Qingfeng provided silk, porcelain, tea, medicine, and many other goods, as expected, the firearms became the focus of everyone's attention. Just when everyone was wondering if they should also enter the firearms business, the trusted aide sent by Governor Codino said: "These are not the guns that the Orientals use, they have better ones."
What?
"There are better matchlocks?" The gunsmith stood up from the table and asked in surprise.
The trusted aide of the governor seemed to have come specifically for this gunsmith from Goa. He grabbed a package that he carried with him and opened it on the table. A beautiful and simple gun appeared under the light of the candles. The people gathered at the table all stood up and looked curiously at the unique appearance.
"I don't know what to call it, but it's not a matchlock gun. We always thought that the Orientals were equipped with flintlock guns, but apparently they have mastered a flintlock technology. They have created such a terrifying weapon. "
The trusted aide introduced: "In the battle the night before, we suffered heavy casualties, but we also killed some Orientals. Although they took the bodies away, we still found the three guns that they lost after cleaning up the battlefield. The governor wants to know if it is possible to replicate these guns? "
Fixed bullets and a flintlock gun.
The gunsmith immediately began to study, but he soon said dejectedly: "This is steel, this is high-quality steel. This kind of gun uses a very simple hammer mechanism, but this kind of flexible steel … "The gunsmith pulled the trigger, and the hammer was stuck by the resistance iron. He pulled the trigger again, and the hammer hit the lid of the medicine pool with great force, producing sparks.
The principle was clear at a glance, but the material …
"I have to admit that this design is very amazing. This is the perfect weapon that we gun designers dream of. I can tell you many of its advantages now. But unless I can get the steel for this gun mechanism, I can't make it. Ah … there's such a bullet. Although I haven't used it yet, I feel that it will be better than the one we use. "
After sighing, the gunsmith could only shake his head and said dejectedly: "I have to admit that it was no surprise that we lost the day before yesterday. In front of such an enemy, God will not protect us. "
In order to obtain high-quality spring steel, Zhou Qingfeng had spent a lot of effort and even melted his outstanding 'road bully'. Later on, it was also because he had settled the fire phoenix that he could mass-produce it. Zhao Ze and Shi Dong had used a lot of black technology to improve the production process. Without this series of prerequisites, it would be a dream to think of obtaining high-quality steel.
Back then, when the Communist Party of Turkey wanted to smelt steel, their technology was even better than Zhao Ze and Shi Dong's. But in the end, most of what they produced was scrap iron, not steel. Other than wasting a lot of fuel and labor, they got nothing. Smelting steel was not an easy task, it required science and rigor.
The trusted aide sent by the governor asked again: "Is there no one in this world who can make such a perfect gun?"
The gunsmith smiled bitterly: "You can only ask God, at least not in Europe."
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