Chapter 271: Message

"Speaking of these sea bandits, they certainly should be wiped out. I wonder if Young Master Liang knows of a major pirate called the Five Peaks Island Master?" Zhao Xu asked.

After finishing their business talk, he recalled this matter and asked suddenly.

"Wang Zhi? I naturally know of him. The Liang Family has suffered quite a bit at his hands; the protection money we pay him every year amounts to several hundred thousand taels of Silver." Liang Feng sighed.

Zhao Xu asked in confusion, "But with such a large family business, why would the Liang Family fear a pirate?"

"Your Highness may not know, but this Wang Zhi is not merely a simple sea bandit. He has the support of several forces, including Dongying and the Stedan people. Moreover, thirty percent of his fleet is equipped with Artillery. Calling him a sea bandit is an understatement; he is actually their lackey," Liang Feng said. "Your Highness, in truth, the Liang Family has also suffered on the seas these past years."

As he spoke, he observed Zhao Xu's expression.

He hoped to intimidate Zhao Xu, making him realize the difficulty and retreat, so as not to get involved in maritime trade.

As for his words, they were naturally half-true and half-false.

He then asked, "Why did Your Highness suddenly ask about this person?"

"To be frank with you, Young Master Liang, just two days ago, Jinghai County in Yan Commandery was attacked by a group of sea bandits who claimed to be Wang Zhi's men."

"How detestable! They actually dared to provoke Your Highness," Liang Feng said angrily, slapping his thigh.

Zhao Xu wanted to find some clues on Liang Feng's face.

But he discovered nothing.

To him, this attack was just as full of suspicious points as the Ma Family affair.

His intuition told him that someone was deliberately targeting him, and the Liang Family was the most likely suspect.

Seeing nothing unusual, Zhao Xu felt somewhat disappointed. He said, "It is getting late. Would Young Master Liang like to stay at the Prince's Mansion for a meal?"

Liang Feng waved his hand hurriedly. Ever since he met the Yan Wang, he had been under great pressure.

He could tell that the Yan Wang had probed him several times.

If he were careless and got drunk by the Yan Wang, saying things he shouldn't, he would have a hard time explaining himself when he returned.

So he said, "This time, I also came for the sake of border trade. I am about to accompany the Liang Family merchants to Yanguan, so I will not linger here with Your Highness."

"

Zhao Xu chuckled inwardly.

He discovered that people from hostile forces seemed unwilling to stay in Yancheng for long.

However, this was normal; if he were to go to the Liang Family's home province, he certainly wouldn't want to stay for even a day longer than necessary.

Thinking of this, he feigned a few more attempts to persuade him to stay, but Liang Feng remained firm in his refusal and took his leave.

Watching Liang Feng's carriage drive away, Zhao Xu looked into the sunlight and saw a familiar person walking toward him.

He smiled and waited in front of the Prince's Mansion.

When the man arrived, he bowed, "Your Highness, this subordinate has returned."

This person was none other than Yang He.

"How was the trip to Jingshi?" Zhao Xu asked.

Yang He chuckled twice, "The new goods from the Prince's Mansion have driven the nobles in Jingshi nearly mad. Everyone is chasing after them now. From now on, the Prince's Mansion can earn at least an extra five hundred thousand taels of Silver every month."

Zhao Xu nodded in satisfaction upon hearing this and asked Yang He to tell him about the process of the exhibition.

Learning that Zhao Heng had helped him in this matter, he revealed a smile.

It seemed his "sugar-coated cannonballs" had worked.

"Five hundred thousand is enough to build two Warships. That makes twenty-four in a year," Zhao Xu said.

The income of the Prince's Mansion had increased once again; with these five hundred thousand taels, the monthly profit could now reach three million taels.

Now, with the profits brought by the Artillery, the financial problems of Yanzhou could be considered solved.

However, this was only the beginning, not the end.

He still had many new commercial goods that he hadn't developed yet.

In business, his goal was simple: to make Yanzhou rival a nation and become the true commercial hegemon of Da Song.

Then, he would use this accumulated capital to realize an Industrial Revolution in Yanzhou and catch up with the Age of Discovery.

After chatting for a while, Zhao Xu said to Yang He, "There is another matter I must entrust to you. The Border Market trade is very hot right now, and merchants from powerful clans are flocking there. We cannot let them take the lion's share in my territory. Go to Yanguan and find a way to sell the Prince's Mansion's goods to them. If you can completely open up the trade routes and purchase things like Warhorses, that would be even better."

"Yes, Your Highness. Leave this matter to me. The Northern Di were beaten into begging for peace by Your Highness; we can't let them take advantage of us. That would be too good for them," Yang He snorted.

After some more idle talk, Yang He left.

The next day.

Zhao Xu continued to lecture in the morning and supervise the production of Flintlocks at the Weaponry Department in the afternoon.

"Your Highness, this is the gun barrel that was just drilled," Wang Ying said, handing a gun barrel with a smooth inner wall to Zhao Xu.

Holding it up before his eyes, Zhao Xu looked into the tube.

Although the inner wall could not be called smooth as a mirror, it was quite level; the resistance encountered by a Bullet passing through would be much smaller.

It was unlike the captured Matchlocks, which had slight undulations on the inner walls.

Furthermore, because he was using Medium Carbon Steel Pipe.

His Flintlocks would be able to be loaded with more Gunpowder, combined with Granular Gunpowder.

He was confident that the Flintlocks produced by the Weaponry Department would be the pinnacle of Flintlocks the moment they were born.

"Not bad. First, produce three hundred and hand them over to the South Camp for training," Zhao Xu ordered.

The barrel and firing mechanism issues were solved; the next step was to have the carpenters make the gun stocks and assemble them.

At the same time, the most important thing was to expand production.

Wang Ying acknowledged the order and went back to work.

Just then, a guard walked in and said, "Your Highness, cavalry have reported that General Bai has completely annihilated the sea bandits of Jinghai County and captured over ten people alive. They have already been sent under guard to Yancheng and are expected to arrive tomorrow."

Zhao Xu felt a surge of excitement upon hearing this.

Xu Lie said, "These sea bandits are truly arrogant. After burning the Shipbuilding Department, they actually dared to remain in Jinghai County."

"They probably really think their matchlocks are invincible under heaven," Zhao Xu sneered several times.

At noon the next day, a squad of Wangfu Army soldiers arrived, escorting thirteen sea bandits as expected.

These thirteen sea bandits were bruised and swollen, clearly having been interrogated by the Wangfu Army soldiers.

A Colonel stepped forward and said, "Your Highness, General Bai has interrogated these sea bandits; they are indeed Wang Zhi's men."

"This Prince has no feud with your Island Master; why did he attack this Prince's Shipbuilding Bureau?" Zhao Xu said sternly.

The sea bandits did not speak, and at this moment, the Colonel drew his sword.

Seeing this, one of the sea bandits hurriedly said, "We really don't know; the Island Master told us to do it, so we did it. Please, Yan Wang, spare our lives."

Zhao Xu frowned.

It seemed these sea bandits truly knew nothing.

He said to the Colonel, "Cut off the ear of the sea bandit who just spoke and let him go back; kill all the others, set up wooden stakes, and hang their corpses on the coast of Jinghai County!"

"Yes, Your Highness," the Colonel replied.

He turned toward the sea bandit, a flash of blade light shone in his hand, and the sea bandit rolled on the ground, blood flowing from his ear.

Zhao Xu said, "Go back and tell your Island Master that this Prince has noted this debt; the blood debt he owes Yanzhou, this Prince will repay with his own blood."

The sea bandit clutched his ear and trembled.

Not until the Colonel shouted "Scram!" did the sea bandit scramble away.

The Colonel escorted the other ashen-faced sea bandits back to Jinghai County.

They would be executed there.