Only after Zheng Quchi took out the plaque indicating he was a first-class craftsman and placed it in front of them did they have no choice but to believe it.
Chen Bai looked at her in amazement: "Zheng Qing, are all the craftsmen in Ye Kingdom as skilled as you? I haven't been to Ye Kingdom for a long time. I've always heard people say that the things from Ye Kingdom are inferior and ugly, so our Chen family's caravans never pass through Ye Kingdom. But you, a mere craftsman, can produce woodenware at the level of a master craftsman. I think I might have been deceived."
This shouldn't be taken too seriously; it's more accurate to say that Chen Bai was deliberately trying to elevate Zheng Quchi.
He also knew that they, as merchants, had previously belittled and ridiculed the artisans of Ye, offending them badly. Now they had to say some nice things to make amends.
"Among the craftsmen of Ye, there are outstanding ones and inferior ones, which is undeniable. As for me, I am at best average."
Being overly modest is just being arrogant.
"This is unusual."
"Very impressive."
"That's pretty scary."
"Dry!"
The three turned their heads and looked at the Kucha merchant who never followed the formation.
"Oh, so you're swearing?!"
Muha stroked his beard and rolled his eyes at them: "What you're saying means exactly the same thing as what I'm saying, so why am I the one who's insulting people?"
"Is this how you Kucha people praise others?"
“Of course not.” Muha straightened his collar and said, “I was just expressing my shock. However, although the carriages we make in Kucha are not as good as those made in Ye, at least in terms of shipbuilding, we are far ahead of you.”
"What's so great about it? Our Southern Chen's Six Arts and Five Books, as well as our writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones, are famous throughout the Seven Kingdoms!"
"The architectural complexes of our Hongsheng Kingdom, such as the lakeside pavilions of Qixing Lianyue Lake and the scenic railings of Chunhong Changlou, are all absolutely stunning!"
"Aren't our Julu's Cloud-Climbing Ladder and Nine Dukes' Deer Cauldron famous throughout the country?"
As these people compared their skills, Zheng Quchi's heart fluttered with excitement, and he wished he could enter their minds to see the scenery, objects, and tools.
However, she kindly reminded them, "How can you say such things in front of Master Gongshu?"
After a long speech, they finally realized where they were and who was beside them.
Immediately, the four of them glanced awkwardly at Gongshu Jiruo.
Gongshu Ji looked at people calmly and said, "Every country and every family has outstanding people and skilled craftsmen. Although I am praised by everyone as the best craftsman, I dare not claim to be omnipotent, nor can I defeat a hundred people with one skill."
At this moment, Chen Bai sincerely said, "Not at all, I have heard that the Gongshu family has created the Thousand Machine Crossbow, the Ten Thousand Bone Fan, the Cloud-Soaring Ladder, the Flying Swallow Chariot, and countless other artifacts and weapons, all of which are top-notch works."
"That's right. Our Yue family is also fortunate enough to have a piece of the Fugu Chenfu. I heard that the Fu army of Beiyuan Kingdom used this equipment to achieve a great victory over the Kucha fleet."
The Kucha merchant's face darkened upon hearing this: "It is true that the weapons and siege equipment in Gongshu's possession are all the best in the country. Kucha's defeat was only due to these powerful weapons, not to the Northern Abyss Kingdom."
"Tch, you're just being stubborn."
After listening to their various anecdotes and interesting stories, Zheng Quchi said, "Beiyuan's forte should be war machines like the Giant Deer."
Her words were like a piece of ice dropped into boiling water, instantly cooling the atmosphere.
Upon hearing this, Gongshu Jiruo looked at her.
Zheng Quchi responded with a smile, making it unclear what her true intention was.
"That's not wrong."
He did not deny it.
Zheng Quchi had heard that when a country produces and stockpiles weapons, it is in preparation for war and to achieve its goal of invasion.
Stockpiling weapons often means preparing for war.
The spread of war, its relentless nature, inevitably meant sacrifice and death.
She wanted to understand through Gongshu Jiruo why a hegemon cannot tolerate the existence of other countries, and whether war is the only solution.
"Why must we develop these things? Can these weapons of war really ensure that people have enough to eat and wear and are spared the suffering of war?"
Gongshu Jiruo said calmly, "What do you want to say?"
"Improving people's well-being benefits the people, but does mass-producing war equipment necessarily benefit the country?" she asked him.
He replied, "It may not necessarily benefit the country, but it will certainly protect the country."
After listening, Zheng Quchi took several seconds to process what he heard before chuckling, "Yes, I was being too stubborn."
The exquisite wooden artifacts that artisans spend countless hours carving can be smashed with a single blow.
So, was the stick created solely for destruction?
uncertain.
It can also deflect other people's sticks.
Their Ye Kingdom seems to be lacking in "weapons," and being backward and vulnerable to attack is not limited to Ye Kingdom's industrial sector.
Listen to the terrifying weapons that Gongshu Jiruo created. If the Beiyuan Kingdom really used advanced military weapons to attack the Ye Kingdom, could the Ye Kingdom's military defense withstand it?
Perhaps because she felt increasingly at home in Ye, her perspective on issues shifted from personal interests to that of a member of a nation, an observer who paid attention to the changing world events and weighed the pros and cons of war.
——
After a series of tests, all the merchants who had been watching rushed over to the carriage at the end of the planned route to examine it closely.
Seeing that it was safe and sound, apart from the wheels being covered in mud and dirt, there was no sign of overturning or road damage.
Seven people disembarked from the carriage. Gongshu Jiruo was first, followed by Abbot Miku, merchants from four different families, and Zheng Quchi at the back.
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