"The Japanese are short, with the tallest being no more than five feet tall, and the average person being around four feet five inches (142 cm) tall."

Seeing Ma Mao's curious gaze, Song Cai smiled and said, "A commander as majestic as this is rare even in Japan. You don't often see him on a normal day."

“It really opened my eyes.”

Ma Mao sighed.

"Commander, you've been exhausted from the journey. Come to my manor and rest for a while."

Song Cai greeted warmly.

"I have military duties."

Ma Mao shook his head and declined, saying, "The court has ordered me to go to Iwami Province to promote the prestige of the Song Dynasty and deter any villains from coveting the Song Dynasty's mineral deposits on the Wa Island."

Song Cai was even happier after hearing this and said, "It's not too late to go in the afternoon. Iwami Province doesn't have a good safe haven, only small ports that can only be used for temporary stops, not long-term ones. Large ships are basically docked at the port of Chifuri County. The commander can then drive the ship to Anno County first, just dock outside the port for a while, and then return to this port. Tomorrow I will take everyone to play on the shore of Iwami Province."

He winked and said, "Commander, you don't know, but the Japanese still have a lot of fun. There are many entertainment venues on the island. Anno County is now the most populous and prosperous place in the Japanese island besides Heian-kyo."

Anano County is one of the six counties of Iwami Province. It is located in the northernmost part of Iwami Province. It is the Ota City in Shimane Prefecture, Japan in later generations. It is also the production area of ​​the Iwami silver mine.

Originally, this place was very barren, with many mountains and only large plains by the sea.

However, with the discovery of the Iwami silver mine, merchants from the State of Song began to recruit local workers to mine, attracting a large number of laborers.

As the crowds grew, people from all walks of life naturally flocked in. Handicraftsmen, manual laborers, taverns, restaurants, shipwrights, carpenters, blacksmiths, and prostitutes all gathered.

This created the prosperity here.

Ma Mao had previously used a telescope on the boat to catch a glimpse of the magnificent scenery of Iwami Province on the opposite bank from afar. He saw that although there were no city walls on the seashore, there were densely packed houses stretching for miles.

Thanks to the craftsmen of the Song Dynasty, there are countless two- and three-story restaurants and brothels. Many of the buildings have the characteristics of the Song Dynasty and are quite prosperous.

So when he heard Song Cai's words, he nodded repeatedly and said, "Okay, okay, then I have to go and see it for myself."

The two went to Song Cai's manor to rest for a while.

The fleet set sail again in the afternoon. This time, Song Cai also boarded the warship and sailed towards the port of Iwami Province in a show of force.

(End of this chapter)

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