Chapter 251: Xuanyuan's Imitation

Today is the day for trading with the Xuanyuan Tribe. Since they trade almost once a year, and in order to retain Baifeng Tribe as a major client, the Xuanyuan Tribe took the initiative to adjust the trading location; they traveled a longer distance themselves, so the Baifeng Tribe would no longer need to travel such a long distance to trade.

In fact, it is very fast for Baifeng and his people to go to trade now. Their Large Ship has undergone upgrades and modifications, increasing the streamlined nature of the hull, which makes their travel speed much faster, and they have also made their sails.

A sailboat is something Baifeng has always wanted to make, but the difficulty was too great, and they could not make it in a short time. Over these past few years, a few people led by Baifeng have been constantly researching how to install sails so that the ship can not only speed up when sailing with the wind but also gain thrust when sailing against the wind.

Fortunately, the years of time were not wasted. Through constant experimentation, they actually built a sailboat, and each one was larger than the last. The Large Ship they were once proud of and could not easily dispatch has now become a tool for the tribesmen to go fishing and play on both banks.

Because the one-way trip for trading takes four or five days, he always goes in person every time he trades with Xuanyuan, mainly to be able to see the development progress of the Xuanyuan Tribe intuitively. It must be said that Xuanyuan's ability to imitate is truly impressive, or perhaps it is because they have enough tribesmen and enough craftsmen, making their strength greater than that of the Baifeng Tribe.

The last time he went to trade, he saw people from the Xuanyuan Tribe pulling a Handcart. This was only after the Baifeng Tribe had shown the appearance of a Handcart in front of Xuanyuan once; the second time they met, Xuanyuan already had a cart that could be pulled and used.

Moreover, last time, it was not just the Handcart; Xuanyuan also brought something that surprised Baifeng: Glass. Baifeng had once hinted to him how to make glass; he did not expect that Xuanyuan really listened and also took action, although the time span was quite long.

In fact, whether glass has been created or not has no impact on Baifeng, because among these few large tribes, no one is willing to trade for glass vessels with Baifeng anymore. To them, there is no need to exchange for much of this non-practical thing; having one or two is enough.

The glass Xuanyuan brought was actually just a useless block of glass, but he brought it, perhaps because time was too tight. One must know that from creating glass to being able to produce glass vessels, the road in between is still very long.

Perhaps Xuanyuan was a bit impatient to show off to Baifeng, so he brought such a block of glass and said to Baifeng in a very disdainful tone: "This is the thing you said the gods use. We have also made it, but it is just a pile of sand, not even as useful as Pottery. Just for this, you still say it is something used by gods; aren't you afraid of speaking nonsense and angering the gods?"

He did not feel that Baifeng had deceived him and wanted to ask for the supplies exchanged previously. This era is like this: once you have traded, you cannot go back on it. If you did not exchange for a good thing, that is just a matter of your own ability.

For Xuanyuan, the main purpose of doing this was to prove that Baifeng has nothing to do with the gods. Although the tribesmen all say he is a god, he knows clearly how he grew up, but now that a more mysterious Baifeng has come, he must try every means to prove Baifeng's fake identity.

Baifeng does not know what Xuanyuan will imitate this time. In fact, it does not matter to Baifeng, because the things released are all things that can improve productivity but have little impact on war. It seems that Xuanyuan has imitated and made a cart, but how much effect can it really have in war?

If it were their Xuanyuan Tribe territory, or the Central Plains they will go to in the future, it would be fine; after all, the terrain is vast and flat, and the cart can be pulled steadily and easily. But in other places, the cart really has no place to be used.

When Baifeng and his people use carts, they have to clear the road first, cutting down trees that block the way and digging out stones, making it relatively flat before they can move the cart. Because the roads they travel are ones they go to frequently, clearing a road is very cost-effective; even if they do not use carts, it is more effortless for them to walk.

What's more, they have now paved the roads to the places they frequently visit into Imperial Roads. Of course, they do not have the strength to harden them with Cement; they just dig the road flat, then spread fine sand mixed with burnt soil, ash, and coal slag on top, and then use oxen to pull a huge stone roller to press it down. In this way, the road is hard and flat, and because the materials are burnt, the fire energy is very strong, and Grass cannot grow.

Because it is too troublesome, Baifeng never thought about using the Handcart in war. However, the Wheelbarrow he made, also known as the "chicken-gong cart," does have a chance to play a role in war.

After all, as long as it is a road that a person can walk on, the Wheelbarrow can go, and it can be operated by one person, which makes it possible to catch the enemy off guard in this era.

However, Baifeng will not let outsiders see this easily, especially Xuanyuan. If he were to see it, it wouldn't even take a year; it is estimated that a few days later, the Wheelbarrow would already appear in the Xuanyuan Tribe.

It is just that Xuanyuan did not notice a very important thing, which is that the cart he made does not have a modified connection between the axle and the cart body. In this way, his cart can be used, but it is very difficult to push, and the friction is great, which is very laborious, and the service life of the cart will also be very short. However, Baifeng did not tell him; he thought he had succeeded, but Baifeng knows that his own Handcart is not the complete version, and he will certainly not tell Xuanyuan about such secret-level things.

Now, when going down, he can open the sails. Although it is against the wind, it can still provide power, and combined with the downstream current, the time is greatly shortened. For Baifeng, making a trip does not delay things.

Now, the trade between their two tribes is still mainly based on grain as the price. They had a good Harvest of grain this year, so they can trade for more Slaves, and the Baifeng Tribe can afford to support them. However, his main purpose this time is to trade for Crocodile Skin, which is what they call Dragon Skin.

Baifeng was constantly working while on the Boat, because now a new batch of Slaves is coming, and they must have a portion of people leave the capital to build a Village or town in the distance, so as not to affect the development of the Baifeng Tribe.

But the problem is, which people should be moved out, where they should move to, and whether they are willing. Baifeng will certainly support them with supplies, but it is indeed a troublesome matter now.