Chapter 1011

For Qin Mu, this was just an insignificant little interlude.

But for another group of people, they suffered unfair treatment.

Byzantium!

They came to Changancheng for the first time and witnessed the prosperity of Great Qin.

All the goods had a fatal attraction for them; they wanted to take everything they saw back to Constantinople to show off.

However, after a round of shopping, they discovered the thing they needed most urgently.

High-quality ironware!

Who knows how Great Qin smelts it, to have such tough and durable ironware?

Byzantium also has pig iron, but it is very brittle and of low quality.

The Byzantine envoy, Kronas, believed this was a good opportunity to quickly improve the combat effectiveness of the Byzantine army, so he demanded that everyone in the mission pool all their money to buy Great Qin's high-quality ironware.

However...

Not only was all they got "757" inferior ironware, but it was also confiscated by the Great Qin Imperial Guard.

Devastating losses!

Kronas was very dissatisfied, and upon learning the news, he personally sought out the Great Qin Prime Minister, Wang Yangming.

"Prime Minister Wang, why does Great Qin treat us Byzantines like this?"

"We came from afar and are guests; we should enjoy privileges."

"Great Qin should treat us politely; how can you confiscate our goods at will?"

Wang Yangming already knew about the Great Qin Emperor appearing in the West Market and sealing an ironware shop.

Wang Yangming was somewhat dissatisfied with Kronas's questioning.

"What privileges do you want?"

"Attempting to purchase contraband goods; we were already being polite by not throwing you into prison!"

Kronas started shouting.

"You openly opened a shop on the street to sell it; how can you say it is contraband?"

"You cannot bully us just because we are from a foreign country!"

Wang Yangming could understand Kronas's dissatisfaction.

This person is the son of the Byzantine King, Heraclius I, and his status is equivalent to a Crown Prince.

In his own country, he probably had never been bullied by anyone.

That is why he felt so aggrieved after coming to Great Qin.

As the Prime Minister of Great Qin, Wang Yangming's attitude represented the attitude of Great Qin.

Naturally, he could not indulge this Crown Prince.

"High-quality ironware is sold openly because it is not contraband for my Great Qin subjects."

"However, for you foreigners, it is contraband!"

"When entering Great Qin, everyone bought the Great Qin Entry Manual, right? It is written clearly on it."

"Don't come here and pretend to be innocent!"

Kronas was speechless.

Every person entering Great Qin territory must buy the Great Qin Entry Manual.

And it is very expensive; a thin booklet costs one tael of silver.

But at first, Kronas did not think it was expensive; on the contrary, he thought it was very cheap.

In Byzantium, there is no paper at all; everything is written on thin sheepskin.

Every sheepskin book costs at least one tael of gold.

Seeing Great Qin's paper for the first time, Kronas thought it was a more precious good than sheepskin.

It was not until he came to Changancheng that he realized that in Great Qin, paper books are ridiculously cheap.

Various books sold on the street only cost ten wen each; one tael of silver can buy at least two hundred!

Only then did he understand that as foreigners, they were being tricked by Great Qin.

He had read the manual, but he was only busy admiring the paper and handwriting and did not read the content at all: "You Great Qin just look down on us foreigners!"

"You set traps for us everywhere!"

"I want to protest; your actions have deeply hurt the feelings of us foreigners!"

"When I go back, I will report to my father the King and send troops against Great Qin!"

Kronas got hot-headed and actually dared to utter threats of force.

Wang Yangming's face turned black immediately.

"As a Byzantine envoy, you must be responsible for what you have said."

"I will ask you one more time, do you really want to send troops against Great Qin?"

Such serious and cold words were like a basin of cold water poured over Kronas's head.

Having been warned by the Great Qin Prime Minister, Kronas dared not be presumptuous again.

Before leaving for Great Qin, his father the King had given him instructions.

He still clearly remembered the conversation at that time.

Heraclius I: "Son, as the heir to the empire, you should go to Great Qin to broaden your horizons."

Kronas: "Father, isn't our greatest enemy the Arabian Empire? What good will it do us to go to Great Qin?"

Heraclius I: "Don't be so narrow-minded. If Great Qin can make the Arabian Empire suffer, there must be something worth learning from them."

Kronas: "Father, I understand; they are also a powerful empire similar to ours, and are our potential allies..."

Heraclius I: "Not at all; you don't understand the pride of the Great Qin people; they don't take us seriously at all."

Kronas: "Father, let them try the Byzantine iron cavalry; perhaps they won't be so proud then!"

Heraclius I: "Absolutely not! Don't go provoking strong enemies for us again! Great Qin is mysterious and powerful; if you mess around, we will face the danger of national extinction."

Kronas: "... Father, although I don't believe it, I still promise you not to cause trouble."

"I don't believe Great Qin is that powerful? We Byzantines are the most excellent race!"

Although until now, Kronas still did not know what exactly was so powerful about Great Qin.

But he had promised his father not to cause trouble.

Moreover, after meeting the Arabian Prophet Muhammad, he had been observing Muhammad's attitude.

He discovered that this arrogant Prophet actually dared not speak out against Great Qin despite his anger.

Although Muhammad is an enemy of Byzantium, his fame in Byzantium is very great.

Byzantines admire Muhammad's wisdom very much.