Chapter 34 Transaction

Guan Jinpan's question was difficult for Ambrosius to answer.

The Zhenla people used an old-fashioned musket from the 16th century, which was designed by the Portuguese.

Now all major European powers have eliminated muskets, and even flintlocks are being eliminated by more advanced percussion guns (commonly known as percussion guns).

Even in a backward country like Russia, muskets have been eliminated.

I'm afraid that only small states in Italy and Germany are still using muskets.

In fact, due to Ambrosius's knowledge, he believed that muskets had long been withdrawn from the battlefield.

In fact, muskets are still very popular in the whole of Italy, except for the northern Italy controlled by Austria.

In the Spanish Civil War of the same period, both sides were still equipped with a large number of muskets.

In the more backward Balkans, soldiers without muskets even had to equip themselves with cold weapons such as bows, arrows and spears.

He picked up his rifle and retreated 150 steps away.

"Bang!"

With a gunshot, a watermelon broke.

Cleaning, changing, applying, and loading, it is obvious that Ambrosius is much more skilled than those Zhenla guards.

After all, in the Austrian Empire, he can practice shooting at will with his status.

It took about half a minute, and the second bullet smashed another watermelon at a distance of 150 steps.

Although Ambrosius practiced a lot, he was not a professional shooter after all, but he thought that this distance was enough to shock the arrogant Zhenla people in front of him.

In fact, Ambrosius took advantage of it. He used a rifled gun. Although it was slow to load, the shooting accuracy was much higher than that of a smoothbore gun.

At this time, Hong Bufu was so surprised that he couldn't close his mouth. You know, 150 steps is three times the shooting distance of the Zhenla guards just now.

Even the best gunner in the Zhenla guards couldn't do two shots at this distance.

But Hong Bufu and Guan Jinpan didn't realize that this was the difference in weapons, and immediately praised.

"Amazing skills! Amazing skills! Amazing! Sir Ambrosius, it really opened my eyes."

Ambrosius didn't quite understand, but he knew that the other party was very satisfied with his demonstration just now.

So, Ambrosius had a new idea, which was to sell all the flintlock rifles eliminated by the Austrian Empire Army to this group of people.

"Yes, this is the latest product of our Austrian Empire. With this kind of gun, you can do it too. We are willing to trade with you. We not only have guns, but also artillery, and..."

Ambrosius was interrupted by Guan Jinpan before he finished speaking.

"Wait, you mean only firearms are powerful? I don't believe it. Is there anyone in Austria who is more accurate than you in shooting?"

"Of course, Captain Bilafont. Come and demonstrate."

Captain Bilafont was born as a hunter, and the First Huntsman Battalion of Tyrol where he was was the strongest unit in Austria.

Bilafont, who was born as a civilian, was able to become an officer, so he naturally had abilities beyond ordinary people.

Shooting is one of his specialties. Bilafeng took the rifle and checked it.

He first shot and hit a watermelon on the spot, then retreated fifty steps and shot again and hit another watermelon, then fifty steps, and then fifty steps again.

4 shots and 4 hits, the farthest distance is 300 steps, which made Hong Bufu couldn't believe his eyes. He was born in the military and naturally understood what kind of powerful strength this was.

If the imperial guards under his command all have this strength, and equipped with 5,000 rifles, what is there to fear even if Vietnam sends 100,000 troops.

Guan Jinpan also knew from Hong Bufu's expression that this firearm was crucial to the imperial guards.

"How much silver does such a gun cost?"

"Fifty taels." This is a price that Ambrosius thought was reasonable based on intelligence.

However, Ambrosius forgot the unspoken rule of the Eastern officialdom, that is, asking for a sky-high price and paying it back.

"Twenty taels." Guan Jinpan answered without blushing or beating his heart.

But he knew that he made a lot of money.

Because the Qing Dynasty sold bird guns to the Vietnamese for thirty taels, and the French sold them to the Vietnamese for twenty-five taels.

The gun-making craftsmen of Zhenla had long been conscripted by the Vietnamese.

Now Zhenla can only buy fire guns from the Vietnamese at a high price, and the price of fire guns sold by the Vietnamese to the Zhenla army is exactly fifty taels.

"This young man in front of me seems to have no knowledge of business at all, and twenty-five taels should be enough." Guan Jinpan thought so, and his eyebrows were raised.

Ambrosius realized that he was wrong and shouldn't tell the other party the bottom line.

In fact, Father Paccini had learned the price of the fire guns sold by the Vietnamese to the Zhenla army through the local Catholic secret network and told Ambrosius.

But Ambrosius naively thought that as long as he said a reasonable price, the other party would immediately agree to the deal.

It seems that part of the profit will be lost, so it must be recovered from other places.

"No, twenty taels is too little. Fifty taels is our bottom line. Our goods have to travel more than 20,000 kilometers to arrive."

"Then twenty-five taels, no more." Guan Jinpan made a face like he was cutting meat.

"Forty taels, you let us set up a supply point in Kompong Som Bay." Ambrosius took the opportunity to state his conditions and left room for Guan Jinpan.

"Twenty-five taels, I can not only help you set up a supply point on the beach, but also let you meet members of the royal family." Guan Jinpan said.

"Is it His Majesty Anzan?" Ambrosius asked.

"No, it's the Princess of our Zhenla." Guan Jinpan told him so, because he had to make this deal.

Because the rule of the Vietnamese was gradually strengthened, according to this situation, Vietnam would sooner or later annex Zhenla.

As a great noble of Zhenla, he was bound to be the primary target of the Vietnamese to eliminate.

Even if he surrendered, the Vietnamese might not let him go.

From the policy of reducing the population implemented by the Vietnamese, it is clear that the Vietnamese hope to make Zhenla disappear completely from the world.

And the Siamese, like the Vietnamese, are tigers and wolves and cannot be trusted.

Guan Jinpan is a noble family in Zhenla, with thousands of people in his family. Even if he can run, his family can't escape.

Rather than being a lamb to be slaughtered, it is better to fight hard.

At this time, Ambrosius and his weapons were like a life-saving straw for Guan Jinpan.

Most of the noble families in Zhenla had the same idea. They secretly united, contacted the rebels, and secretly accumulated strength.

This is also the important reason why, in history, the large-scale anti-Vietnamese uprising in Zhenla continued after the Vietnamese Emperor Minh Mang executed An Zaan's family.

"Thirty taels." Ambrosius has achieved both goals of this trip, and now he only hopes to earn more benefits for Austria.

"Deal."