"That's a really hurtful thing to say."
Xu Shi's eyes turned cold, but he still had a smile on his face. "There was a reason why I took action. Your Templar Knights tried to detain me without explanation. If I didn't resist, I would be a coward."
"I don't know who's being rude... Old man, no, sir, let me ask you this: if the Templars were to arrest you and put you in jail simply because of suspicion, would you resist or not?"
He walked slowly toward the old minister and asked with great interest.
"I……"
The old man was speechless for a moment, unsure how to respond.
To talk about resistance is to contradict your own questioning. You can't even do it yourself, yet you expect others to?
But if we say we don't resist, wouldn't we become the turtle that Xu Shi is talking about?
Of course, being subtly mocked is a minor matter. Even if he stubbornly insists on not resisting, the two on the stage won't agree. They are merely using the Vatican's affairs as an opportunity to launch an attack. Essentially, he needs to maintain a proper balance. If he really acts too friendly with the Vatican, he will be suspected... The issue of his position is not to be underestimated; saying the wrong thing can lead to trouble.
He was the ringleader, so the others dared not say anything. The more timid ones even turned their heads away, not daring to look at him for a moment.
"Alright, alright."
Just then, Cheng Gujian tapped the beam with his sword sheath, saying, "This matter is indeed difficult to define. It would be wrong of you, Old Man Zhang, to bring it up."
"Whether or not to establish diplomatic relations cannot be decided by arguing... What I am more interested in is, since Envoy Xu said he wanted to trade, what new and interesting things did he bring?"
“Our city-state is martial, so we brought mostly weapons, as well as some medicines and everyday items.”
Xu Shi patiently explained, "However, considering that there are weapons involved, it's not appropriate to bring them in; they're still kept outside the palace."
"Then bring it in quickly, I grant your permission."
Dongfang Xiao urged him on hastily, eagerly anticipating the event.
With her permission, it wasn't long before boxes were carried in.
"This is?"
When the box was opened, everyone from the Hualan Empire was quite curious. The box was strangely shaped and they had never seen anything like it before... They could tell that some of the items inside were probably firearms, but they were quite different from their matchlock guns.
What to use for trade was all carefully selected and confirmed by Xu Shi beforehand. These were all things that the Hua Lan Empire did not have, such as the best-selling "Far-Rapid" rifle in Night Sin City, the "Panacia" healing medicine, etc. If you use things that others have to trade, you will only make a fool of yourself.
As for the explanation, Jiang Chengcheng and Xie Qingyan will do it. Their professionalism speaks for itself. Anyway, Xiao Xu has no intention of making a fool of herself or showing her ignorance.
But this seems to be an overreaction, because even the people of the Hualan Empire wouldn't understand something that's too technical...
Fortunately, Jiang Chengcheng had brought along Xiaomei as a helper. She had a lot of conversations with her on the island, and Xiaomei was able to translate many things into the Empire's vocabulary. In addition, there were mechanics and other officials present, so it wasn't too difficult for them to understand.
Of course, the most intuitive way is to demonstrate it directly. Just fire two shots in the open space outside the palace gate, and everyone will know what it's for.
"Your things are all very interesting."
The young empress, Dongfang Xiao, made no attempt to hide her praise, saying, "These are all new things that I have never seen before."
More importantly, these things are quite useful, which makes them even more attractive to her.
Someone raised a more technical question: "These weapons and medicines... don't contain a strong 'divine aura'?"
That's right.
Xie Qingyan nodded slightly. "These guns can fire without 'Rust Mist,' ah, that is, your 'Divine Breath.' Some of it is added to the medicine, but the proportion won't be very high."
After all, this isn't exclusive to "Ascended Ones." Most non-"Ascended Ones" are the target of major conglomerates. On the contrary, weapons and medicines that rely on "Rust Fog" are a minority. The last large-scale research and development only occurred after the "Forsaken" brought high-concentration "Rust Fog" ore.
This undoubtedly surprised everyone in the empire.
Xu Shi had anticipated their reaction, because when he arrived he discovered that the people here relied on "Rust Fog" technology far more than those in Night City, to the point that they had even abandoned the proper path of technology for it.
The compass in Pan Cheng's hand at the time was a good example. Even the small snack stall selling candied apples just now used "rust mist" technology for lighting, which required the addition of a liquid "rust mist" fuel to keep the lights running.
The sword formation that surrounded him by the Templars, and the swords they used, were a kind of display of force that broadened Xu Shi's horizons.
This is equivalent to manufacturing most things according to the standards of "twin" and "sublimation"... but they are surprisingly backward in some aspects. Not to mention ships, they still use horse-drawn carriages for daily travel.
It can only be said that it fits Xu Shi's impression of a slightly fantastical medieval world. Not to mention nanotechnology, internal combustion engines and steam engines are all novelties to them.
"It looks promising, but I don't know if it's just for show."
However, there were also dissenting voices. Among the opposition group, there were still discordant notes: "These are barbarians; they don't use 'divine breath.' Perhaps they lack divine grace and don't know how to use it?"
Although this group of people quieted down for a while after Cheng Gujian's reprimand, they were still harboring resentment. This was not a prejudice that Xu Shi could dispel with just a few words.
Xu Shi expressed his understanding of this, saying that when people encounter the unknown, in addition to curiosity, they are mostly skeptical.
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