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The setting sun cast its last glow on the official residence in Fort Zeelandia.
After seeing Rhodes off, Claire walked to the window. It was already evening, and dusk covered the red-tiled city buildings, blending beautifully with the sunset.
Since arriving in Ryukyu, Claire had been captivated by the beauty of the place. He even thought about bringing his wife here, but now everything was worsening.
Frowning, Claire struggled to understand why this Prince of Qi was so obsessed with Ryukyu. From what he knew, Great Yu officials seemed indifferent toward Ryukyu.
Even when dealing with the King of Chu initially, Chu tacitly accepted their occupation of Ryukyu. But now, this Prince of Qi had changed everything.
“Fifteen galleon warships?”
Claire recalled the Prince of Qi’s fleet. His biggest confusion was how this prince had both flintlock muskets and European-standard galleon warships.
Since returning from Dengzhou, he kept pondering this but found no answers.
Matchlock muskets could be explained, but flintlocks and warships baffled him. Given Great Yu’s industrial capacity, even with flintlock technology, it seemed impossible to easily produce flintlocks and warships.
Especially the cast iron cannons on the city walls. Cast iron naval guns had only been mainstream in Europe for about thirty years. Yet their bursting rate was higher than bronze guns.
The cast iron cannons bought by the King of Chu from Qingzhou were of very good quality. According to Chu, although some burst, explosions rarely caused significant damage, and the failure rate was low—proof of their excellent quality.
Thinking of this, Claire grew more uneasy. If this Prince of Qi really possessed such industrial strength, he had to consider matters carefully.
Fighting such a powerful vassal in nearby waters would be a disaster, possibly forcing them to permanently withdraw from East Asian trade.
So he never considered Rhodes’s suggestion of involving the British. That would only anger the Prince of Qi, and the British coveted East Asian trade routes. It would be inviting wolves into the fold.
After long hesitation, Claire decided to take a more cautious approach. He planned to send Rhodes again, this time to Qingzhou, the Prince of Qi’s capital.
If it turned out the prince was as strong as he imagined, he would have to seriously consider the prince’s demands. At least they could maintain some presence in East Asia, which was better than losing everything.
Claire thought Rhodes had stayed in Ryukyu too long and did not understand the current European situation. The Netherlands was weakening and could no longer compete with stronger European powers for trade routes.
Therefore, East Asian trade was vital to the Dutch.
Sighing, Claire looked toward the bay where his fleet was moored in a crescent-shaped harbor. Many Dutch merchant ships were docked here, bringing East Asian goods back home.
As the sun gradually set, Claire finally made up his mind. The Great Yu Empire was completely different from the Americas and Africa they had conquered. It was a civilization similar to theirs, not a primitive tribal society.
A nation like this with a war machine in motion would be terrifying.
…
Qingzhou.
Xiao Ming’s days suddenly became leisurely. For the past two days, he had either been in the palace dealing with Fei Yue’er’s underwear design or supervising students at Bowen Academy.
With the big situation temporarily stable, he planned to cultivate more talent. Relying on just Lin Wentao and Lu Tong was not enough.
His goal was for Bowen Academy’s technology to flourish everywhere.
“Your Highness, the underwear design is basically finalized. The textile workshop’s female workers are producing it. Now the question is, how to promote this underwear?”
In the chamber, Fei Yue’er rested her arms on the table. She was unfamiliar with Qingzhou and had no idea where to start.
Xiao Ming already had an idea. There were few nobles or ladies in Qingzhou, so he had to find an influential person from outside.
He said to Fei Yue’er, “Actually, there is a person perfect for promoting the underwear.”
Fei Yue’er’s eyes lit up. “Who?”
“Princess Pingyang,” Xiao Ming said lightly. Pingyang was known for her bold style. Such bras and underwear would surely interest her.
After all, Princess Pingyang was Great Yu’s fashion icon. Underwear was not just for modesty; it made women more attractive.
Fei Yue’er understood but her excitement faded quickly. She said sadly, “But Princess Pingyang is very respected and currently in Chang’an. Will she come?”
“Not necessarily. Last time she came to my fief just for glass. You can write her a letter in your name as the Prince of Qi’s consort. Maybe she will come,” Xiao Ming said, eyes twinkling. “Describe Qingzhou’s changes. With my aunt’s personality, she might come.”
Fei Yue’er bit her lip. She was timid but wanted to help Xiao Ming. She nodded, “I will write to Princess Pingyang right away.”
She asked Xiao Huan for paper and pen and began writing.
Xiao Ming supervised. Fei Yue’er’s neat, beautiful handwriting looked like calligraphy. Xiao Ming was embarrassed by his own messy handwriting that looked like worms searching for their mother.
After writing the letter, Fei Yue’er gave it to Xiao Huan to send via the courier to Chang’an. Then she remembered something.
“Your Highness, we have made the underwear, but there are very few dyeing workshops in Qingzhou, and they only dye single colors. I think the dyeing workshops should learn some dyeing techniques from the books you gave.”
Textile and dyeing were inseparable. Although Qingzhou was calm, Xiao Ming was always thinking about improving clothing quality to dominate the market quickly.
Besides textile techniques, quality dyeing workshops were needed. Only fabrics dyed in rich colors could be sewn into exquisite clothes.
Dyeing workshops were the next industry Xiao Ming planned to improve. He said, “Princess Consort, you and I are truly in sync. Qingzhou’s textile workshops are inherited from the Sun family. It’s time to improve the dyeing process.”
Hearing Xiao Ming’s playful tone, Fei Yue’er smiled softly.