Aztec Eternals

In late February, the wind is getting warmer, and the birds are heading north. The black wolf's king flag moved again, traveling forty miles north from Kanhe Village, arriving at Taotu Town.

In the local language, this is "Tepalcatepec", that is, the place where clay pots are produced. Pottery Town has a population of more than 1,000. It was originally the territory of a southern hereditary noble, but now it is directly under the kingdom. In the northwest of Taotu Town, there is the rippling Olive Lake. The Kan River and the Tao River originate from here at the same time, and then flow to the east and west respectively.

Sherlot stayed in Clay Town for two days. He summoned the leader of the local potter and looked at some locally produced painted pottery with great interest.

In the semi-open-air shed, a variety of colorful pottery for daily use, including clay pots, pots, pots, pots, bowls and cups, are stacked. Most of the painted pottery is common red pottery, and some gray pottery is mixed with it. These pottery are simple in shape and rough in style.

"Well, how much is this clay pot?"

The guards were heavily guarded and formed a circle around the shack. Sherlot picked up a red clay pot with a natural texture and asked the potter leader in front of him gently.

"...Ah, Your Majesty, this pottery pot, I'll give...to you, no money!"

The chief potter was cautious. He glanced at the armored warriors around him, and then at the armored king, stammering.

Hearing this, Shilott smiled. He looked at Bertard, and the captain took out a bag of cocoa beans and handed it to the chief potter.

"enough?"

"Ah! Enough...enough. A 60 cocoa bean in a clay pot, or a turkey, that's too much...many."

"keep the change."

Hearing the price, Shilot nodded slightly. In the capital city in the middle of the lake, a sturdy pottery pot costs 100 cocoa beans, and a turkey costs 80 cocoa beans. As the production place of pottery, Pottery Town is obviously much cheaper.

"There are so many pottery piles here, who are you selling to?"

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, our pottery is cheap and easy to use. We want it in the mountains in the west, in the mountains in the south, and in the villages in the east. . ..."

"What do the mountain people use to trade?"

"Mostly... jerky, hides, feathers, sometimes... grain, and some lesser black... obsidian."

"good."

Shulott nodded. The clay town is located in the western mountain pass, with a good geographical location, and there are spontaneous trade exchanges with the Tecos tribesmen. It is impossible to support so many potters on pure local trade. This reciprocal border trade can be further increased in the future.

"Bottard, let's go."

Shirot glanced at the pottery piled high in the shed, and was about to turn around and leave.

The potter leader stood dumbfounded, blinked his eyes, and stared at the big bag of cocoa beans in his hand. Seeing that the generous king was leaving, he suddenly shouted, and Lianba disappeared instantly.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! We have a rare white pottery here that you can't find anywhere else! You might be interested..."

"Huh? White pottery."

Under the vigilant protection of the guards, Shulot turned around and looked at the potter leader with interest.

"Take it out and let me see. The price isn't an issue, and if it's really rare, I can buy two."

"Okay, okay."

The chief potter smiled. He carefully removed the periphery of the pottery pile, groped for a moment from the inside, and took out a small pottery bowl, a jade-like pottery cup, and a smooth pottery pot. These three pieces of pottery are completely different in style from the surrounding pottery. Not only are the workmanship much more exquisite, but the color is also delicate white.

"Your Majesty, these three pieces of exquisite pottery, which are rarely seen even in the capital, were carefully fired by me. The pottery pot and the pottery cup are all one tube of sand, while the pottery bowl is half tube. If you buy them all, All you need is two tubes of golden sand!"

"Huh?...Bring it here and let me take a closer look."

"okay."

Shirott smiled and glanced at the potter's leader before taking a few pieces of white pottery. These white pottery are quite beautiful, and there are fine and beautiful checkered patterns on the surface, which is obviously the work of a master.

"White pottery, fine texture?"

Shilot pondered, and an unusually familiar feeling struck his heart. After thinking for a moment, his eyes suddenly lit up and he asked the chief potter.

"When burning these pieces of white pottery, did you use white pottery clay?!"

"...what!"

Hearing this, the potter leader's expression changed. He hesitated to answer.

"Ah this, clay, that..."

"Give him three tubes of golden sand, and I want all three pieces of white pottery."

"As ordered, Your Highness."

Bertard nodded, took three tubes of golden sand from his arms and handed them to the potter chief. Then, the samurai chief said coldly, and stretched out his hand to hold the bronze sword on his waist.

"Answer Your Majesty's question, or else..."

"Yes Yes..."

The leader of the potter took the golden sand and put it away carefully. He glanced at the king's armored warrior with a sullen face, and lowered his head to answer.

"Yes, it is Your Majesty. At the bottom of the nearby hill, a rock as delicate as white clouds can be dug up. After grinding it, it is the best white clay..."

"Show me!" Gu

Xiulote became enlightened and became more and more convinced. After a while, the chief potter brought some white clay over.

The king looked at it for a while, and it was as white as a cloud, as delicate as powder, and of good quality. A happy smile appeared on his face.

"Sure enough, dolomite, kaolin... excellent ceramic clay! Also suitable for rubber filler."

Xiulott pondered for a moment, looked at the uneasy leader of the potter, and asked in a deep voice.

"What is your name?"

"Ah! I... my name is Ello."

Unconsciously, Elo, the potter leader, stuttered again.

"Very good! Elo, the potter, you have been recruited by the kingdom!"

Shirot smiled kindly, but Elo shuddered.

"Bring your pottery tools and a few bags of white clay. Go with the Imperial Guard warriors and report to the Shenqisuo in the capital!"

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty!..."

"Bottard, let's go."

Shirott smiled and left the two samurai behind, and left with Bertard. Around the pottery town, kaolin is actually produced. Then the trial production of porcelain is a bit more eye-catching.

"Your Highness, where are you going now?"

"Go to the Lake of Olives in the northwest. I heard there are strange incense trees there, rich in resin and frankincense."

"As ordered, Your Highness."

Bertard summoned a local guide, gave a few orders, and the guide set off with the crowd.

Olive Lake is six or seven miles northwest of Taotu Town. After walking for two quarters of an hour, they saw a vast blue lake with water birds playing on the lake. There are all kinds of lush tropical trees around the lake and a small village of Prepecha.

The farmland outside the village is small, but there are many trees. Dozens of villagers were busy in the woods, and they all fled to the village in horror when they saw the samurai of the brigade coming.

Shilot ordered the guards to stop and let Bertard and a few Prepecha warriors go to appease the elders in the village.

Two quarters of an hour later, Bertard took the two samples and led the elder village chief, quietly returning to the king.

"His Royal Highness, there is indeed a tree that produces frankincense by the Olive Lake. This jar is the sesame oil collected by the villagers. And the 'resin' that is rich in it refers to the tears of the weeping tree, which is the rubber used by the kingdom."

The rubber tree is not uncommon in Mexico and is known as the "cauuchu, tree of tears". And the use of rubber is also widespread: rubber **** are standard on human sacrifice stadiums, and rubber sheets are used as ancient raincoats.

In accordance with the guidance of the king, Shenqi Institute has mastered the vulcanization skills of fumigating raw rubber with sulfur, and produced the first batch of vulcanized rubber, which was used on wooden wheels. When the Imperial Guard Corps went south, the wheels of the Sun Eagle Cannon Car were wrapped with vulcanized rubber to reduce the bumps and wear of the frame. However, even though Shilot improved the method of tapping rubber, the output of rubber is still too small.

"Oh? It turned out to be wild agarwood and rubber trees."

Sherlot took the sesame oil first and sniffed it. This is the later Mexican agarwood, mainly from the local olive tree, sometimes with berries, and is widely used in religious ceremonies.

"It smells quite different from the Chinese agarwood. Well, it's gentle and delicate, sweet and soft, more like rosewood."

The king pondered for a moment, this kind of sesame oil is a very good religious product, and it is also a good trade product, and nobles and priests will all need it. Then, he looked at the local rubber, all of which had solidified into rubber sheets, and the color looked pretty good.

Shulot stood on the spot and had a brief chat with the local village chief. It is close to the Olive Lake, so it is called the Olive Village. He did not settle in the humble lakeside village, but led his guards around the Olive Lake for half a day.

There are many fragrant trees by the lake, and there is a faint fragrance in the air~www.readwn.com~ The king walks by the lake, feeling relaxed and happy. He smiled and sang softly.

"Taking a spring tour of the lake, watching the scenery in early spring, and listening to the singing of birds, is a rare leisure time!"

"The scenery by the lake is really excellent. But... Your Highness, it's not safe here."

Bertard was meticulous and followed closely behind the king. He smiled quietly, admonishing politely. This is on the edge of the western mountainous area. For the safety of the king, there are hundreds of scouts scattered into the mountains, and six or seven hundred warriors stand guard along the lake.

"Well. It's time to go back."

Hearing the meaning of the samurai chief's admonition, Shuluo nodded.

"After looking at it for a long time, it is very suitable to plant olive trees and rubber trees around the Olive Lake. Well, the area around Clay Town produces dolomite, agarwood and rubber, and it is worth developing vigorously!"

"Exactly, if they are fully developed, these specialties will be valuable trade goods in the world. It's just that this place has not been taken over by the missionary priests, and the household registration is not sufficient. It will take some time to prosper."

"Well, then record it and save it for the future."

Shirott stood by the lake and glanced at the rippling lake for the last time. He really wanted to go boating on the lake and sleep soundly in the fragrant forest. But the king is in a high position and is the most important thing in the world, so it is difficult to act arbitrarily.

"Bottard, let's go."

"Your Highness, where are you going?"

"Return to Apa Military City. The messenger has brought news of the black wolf, and I have asked him to come from Kuramo City. This time, I must reprimand him a few words!"

Hearing this, Bertard tilted his head slightly, looked at the faint smile on the corner of the king's mouth, and understood.

"Follow your will, my king!"

On the banks of the Olive Lake, the king stopped, and the western tour ended there. On the second day, the three thousand imperial guards left the pottery town surrounded by Wang Qi, detoured to the north of the Apa Plain, and returned to the Apa Army City.