Chapter 483: Muskets, So Many Muskets
Tie Niaofei bowed respectfully and departed, returning to his own small courtyard.
The moment he left, Huang Yunfa’s expression grew grave, tinged with a shadow of suspicion. A subordinate stepped forward. "Master," he began, "I'm not sure if we can trust anything that fellow says. My gut tells me that several hundred muskets are not something a group of fleeing blacksmiths could possibly produce."
Huang Yunfa murmured, "I haven't taken his words lightly. We'll see what tricks he has up his sleeve. Once he brings the muskets, you'll go and inspect the goods for me. Until I've verified the shipment, I won't easily trust him, lest I fall for his cunning scheme."
Li Daoxuan, having overheard their entire conversation, couldn't help but inwardly chuckle. Tie Niaofei truly had a knack for cleverness. *Well, then again,* he mused, *this level of cunning is probably standard operating procedure for a salt smuggler.*
Salt smugglers were, in their own way, merchants. Of course, Tie Niaofei understood exactly what the Jin merchants desperately needed.
Only with the right bait could one reel in a big fish.
Tie Niaofei returned to his side of the courtyard and instructed a subordinate, "Ride back at once and inform..."
"No need," the Puppet Heavenly Lord suddenly interjected. "The Qichuan Ferry will soon be aware of this. They will dispatch a ship shortly. Go and arrange a meeting place with Huang Yunfa to inspect the goods."
Meanwhile, in Heyang County, at Qichuan Ferry.
As Bai Yuan trained more and more "captains" and "crew members," Li Daoxuan deployed an increasing number of ship models. There were already several gunboats, several cargo ships, and a few more medium-sized vessels.
At that moment, Bai Yuan and Young Master Bai were examining a "merchant ship" that the Heavenly Lord had only placed down a few days prior. In the real world, this merchant ship was eight centimeters long.
Li Daoxuan hadn't installed any motors, engines, or batteries within it, merely providing an empty frame.
Yet, this very empty frame, when placed inside the box, transformed into a sixteen-meter-long vessel—a medium-sized ship to the people within.
Young Master Bai meticulously inspected the ship from bow to stern. Turning back, he addressed Bai Yuan: "Father, this ship has ample space. I believe I might be able to find a way to install a steam engine aboard it."
Bai Yuan was overjoyed. "That would be splendid! The Heavenly Lord didn't equip this ship with divine power, and I was just wondering how to manage it. We can't very well have a crew paddle it everywhere. If we can install a steam engine, that would be truly excellent."
As they spoke, they suddenly heard gasps from the militia soldiers on the docks. Then, shouts erupted from all directions: "Greetings, Heavenly Lord!"
Both men quickly spun around to see the silicone Heavenly Lord, normally enshrined in Qichuan Fortress, emerging. As he walked, he waved to the militia soldiers who saluted him, saying, "You've all worked hard."
Bai Yuan and Young Master Bai immediately realized that the Heavenly Lord's appearance in this manner surely meant he had instructions to impart.
Li Daoxuan, moving with a somewhat wobbly gait, stopped before them. "Take a common, oar-powered ship, load it with two hundred and fifty smoothbore muskets, and send it to Gudu Ferry."
Bai Yuan quickly responded, "Your divine decree shall be faithfully obeyed!"
After receiving the order, Young Master Bai curiously inquired, "Why must it be oar-powered? Wouldn't a divine ship be much faster?"
Bai Yuan also asked, "Is this meant to augment Gao Chuwu's forces? Should we send them some rifled muskets as well? We've even started producing a small number of Chassepot Rifles; perhaps those should also be supplied to Gao Chuwu and his men on the front lines..."
Li Daoxuan replied, "None of those. Just send the oldest smoothbore firearms. No ammunition is needed."
Bai Yuan looked utterly bewildered.
However, a divine decree was a divine decree; even if he didn't understand, he had to comply.
Fortuitously, an empty-framed medium-sized ship, still lacking a power system, lay before them. They decided to use this very vessel for the transport. Workers immediately sprang into action, moving large quantities of smoothbore muskets from the artillery factory onto the empty ship.
The two hundred and fifty muskets formed a truly immense pile, stacked like a small mountain.
Bai Yuan then dispatched several dozen sailors to row it with ancient oars.
To the sailors of Gao Family Village, accustomed to operating "divine ships," this method of propulsion was, in a word—primitive.
But since the Heavenly Lord had commanded it, primitive it would be.
To escort this utterly unsophisticated, oar-powered vessel, Bai Yuan had to deploy three gunboats, a truly opulent fleet featuring thirty-six cannons, to accompany the ship as it headed towards Gudu Ferry...
Three days later!
Hedong Circuit.
Tie Niaofei stood before Huang Yunfa. "Squire Huang," he began, "I've had the firearms you requested transported here. A full two hundred and fifty of them. However, such a large shipment of firearms must remain hidden. If brought directly into Hedong Circuit, the officials would surely confiscate them, and I would be accused of rebellion, leading to my home being plundered and my head taken."
Huang Yunfa was well-prepared; he wasn't about to be easily tricked into going to some suspicious location. He waved his hand, and a trusted subordinate stepped forward.
Huang Yunfa stated, "He will inspect the goods on my behalf. If the merchandise is satisfactory, we can then discuss a location for the handover."
Tie Niaofei replied, "Then I invite this brother to accompany me to Dayu Ferry."
Dayu Ferry, the closest Yellow River crossing to Hedong Circuit, was a vital nexus of water and land transportation. It lay along the ancient post roads and was an indispensable route for salt transport throughout the ages. Boats plied its waters, carriages thronged its shores, and merchants were an unending stream. Anyone doing business in Shanxi knew of this ferry crossing.
In reality, this ferry crossing was also under the control of the local authorities.
Hearing that Tie Niaofei intended to show him hundreds of firearms at a government-controlled ferry, Huang Yunfa's expression became rather odd.
Tie Niaofei, discerning his skepticism, chuckled softly. "My ship, of course, cannot dock at Dayu Ferry. It must anchor far from it. We will board a small boat at Dayu Ferry and proceed upriver to inspect my goods."
The more complicated Tie Niaofei made it, the more Huang Yunfa believed him. *These are illicit goods, after all,* he reasoned, *it should be handled this way.* He nodded to his subordinate. "Go and examine them carefully."
Tie Niaofei took the subordinate, left Hedong Circuit, and galloped south on horseback, taking a considerable amount of time to reach Dayu Ferry.
At such a critical transport hub, Huang Yunfa had, of course, already arranged for his own boat. Tie Niaofei boarded the vessel provided by Huang Yunfa's men, and they proceeded upstream on the Yellow River for over ten *li* before finally spotting a medium-sized ship, about sixteen meters long, on the river.
Tie Niaofei pointed at the ship. "We're here! Pull alongside."
Huang Yunfa's subordinate slowly approached the side of the large vessel. Onboard, he saw a crowd of people, their skin tanned to a deep bronze, clearly accustomed to life on the water. They gripped oars and watched them with peculiar eyes.
Huang Yunfa's subordinate felt a prickle of unease, but he told himself he was an insignificant person; Tie Niaofei wouldn't go to such lengths just to trick and kill someone like him. Steeling himself, he boarded the ship. He lifted a large tarp on deck, peered inside, and was instantly stunned: "Muskets... so many muskets..."
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