In fact, Edward I the long-legged went there for another purpose, to inspect the operation of the new business district.

The tax revenue generated by a new business district alone is equivalent to that of the City of London!

Had it not been for the proceeds from previous land sales, coupled with the constant tax payments from the new business districts, the Kingdom of England would have been declared bankrupt long ago...... In fact, bankruptcy was also normal for the monarchs of European countries.

Of course, whether bankruptcy can be declared or not, otherwise the country's economic development will be seriously affected...... It is common sense that without a good economy, there will be no strong military strength.

Since Roman times, the islands of England have been linked to the Western European continent for trade, and later to the Kingdom of Sweden in the Nordic region, even as far as the eastern Mediterranean.

By the 11th century, the city of London had become an important centre for foreign trade.

England imports timber and copper from the Nordic region; import of asphalt and rope from the northeast region of Europe; Imports of wine from Gascony in France; Fish imported from the Baltic Sea region.

England's exports consisted of tin, lead, ironware and grain, wool and woollen wool.

Of course, it may have been the merchants from the East who came to England because of the kingdom's ability to trade extensively with Europe......

In the carriage of a horse-drawn carriage, the loyal vassal Bernell showed the long-legged Edward I the currency used by the Eastern merchants.

Long-legged Edward stroked the intricately patterned copper and silver coins...... The pattern on it is a special kind of galleon.

He muttered, "...... It's so beautiful, these should be considered works of art. ”

The loyal minister Bernell smiled bitterly, at this time, the various countries in the European region, their silver and copper coins were either minted or smashed with hammers, their appearance can be imagined, ugly and blurred!

God knows how these Eastern currencies are made......

The loyal Venerable Burnell also handed him a few beautiful pieces of paper, saying that they were also a kind of currency, and that they were even more expensive than copper coins!

Pointing to one, Bernell, a loyal servant, said, "They say that such a note can buy us two pounds of wheat!" ”

At this time, the maximum yield of wheat per mu in the Kingdom of England was only 100 pounds, so no matter how beautiful a piece of paper was, it could not be exchanged for two pounds of wheat, this is a robbery!

Edward I, the long-legged stared, and he asked angrily, "Then what can we buy them with that piece of paper?!" ”

"A pound of sea salt!"

“……”

At this time, the Kingdom of England was not considered to be an island country, but the sea salt they wanted to eat was still more expensive...... Because they will only use wood to cook salt.

What is even more ridiculous is that they were originally a country rich in high-quality anthracite and bituminous coal, and it was extremely easy to mine, basically open-pit deposits...... But now it's only used in the blacksmith's shop!

Boiling salt and smelting, even for heating the residents, will not be used.

Therefore, the cost of sea salt can be imagined.

One pound of sea salt for two pounds of wheat...... English merchants took advantage.

Edward I, of course, did not know that the sea salt from the East was used by merchants in the bilges as ballast...... There is no one to transport sea salt yet, and although the cost is very low, the benefits are relatively small.

Edward I the Long Leg weighed the note carefully...... It is also a special oriental sailing ship pattern, and the number "200" is also printed, and under the guidance of the loyal minister Burnell, he also saw the so-called watermark, and he can even sandwich the pattern in the piece of paper!

Well, no one can secretly print these banknotes themselves.

But...... Edward I, the long-legged, asked unwillingly, "The loans they gave us won't be all paper money, right?" ”

Bernell, a loyal minister, shook his head and said, "No...... They said that silver and copper coins could be provided, as well as physical ...... A pound is converted into fifteen of their silver coins, or eighty thousand copper coins......"

"They just need our mineral collateral?"

"Yes......"

During this period, the main minerals of the Kingdom of England were tin, which were found in the Devon and Cornish regions; Lead is mainly found in Mendips, Haybeck in Derbyshire and the Aston Moors region in Cumberland; Iron ore is more widely distributed and can be found almost everywhere, but the main sources are Dun Forest, Gloucester, Sussex and the area between Sheffield and Leeds in the north.

And because smelting requires charcoal from wood, important smelting centers are located close to forests, and water sources can be used for hydration.

Coal mines were by far the most inconspicuous of all, and Edward I the long-legged had only occasionally seen coal from the blacksmiths in the barracks.

Edward I, the long-legged, looked out of the carriage and said, "They...... Would they have such good intentions? ”

The road to the new business district is extremely smooth, and the closer you get there, the more cars and horses will get on the road.

Bernell shrugged his shoulders and said, "I don't see any ill will on their part...... From the moment they arrived, they went on a frenzy to buy coal before it was shipped to Liberty Island, which they called themselves...... I've sent someone there to check it out, and I'm sure to figure out why they want so much coal...... There must be a reason for this. ”

Edward I the long-legged nodded and said, "Check it out, they willingly pay a tenth of the tax for those things that are of little use...... They shouldn't be fools. ”

They will be fools?!

The loyal retainer Burnell shrugged his shoulders again and said nothing.

The Kingdom of England during this period, like the rest of Europe, saw a building fever.

Churches, monasteries, fortresses, civic buildings, guild halls, and mansions of wealthy families were all built in stone, which was of course sturdy and durable, but it was time-consuming and costly...... The length of time is outrageous!

As a result, the pace of construction of new business districts in the London area has greatly exceeded the expectations of the English...... In less than two years, thousands of bizarre two-story houses have been built here, and you can even burn coal in the house for heating!

Switching from wood fuel to coal is not as simple as one might think, just a different fuel and burn it on a fire.

Changing the type of fuel involves complex issues such as the shape of the chimney, the location of the fireplace, the direction of the flue, etc., otherwise burning coal can be choking or even fatal.

Moreover, the refining of coke is definitely a high-tech scientific method for the European region of this time and space, not to mention the use of gas.

How to use coal to heat and cook in the house, how to use gas for lighting, the new business district offers ideas for those who want to know what is good in England.

The long-term and massive purchase of coal on Liberty Island and the New Business District itself did not increase the price of coal, but rather created a group of people who became rich by mining and trafficking in coal.

They are die-hard consumers of the new business districts, and most of them choose to live in the new business districts, buy bricks and tiles the Oriental way, buy cement prefabricated steel slabs and timber to build two-story houses, and use coal for heating and cooking!

They abandoned the use of stone, so they built it quickly and cheaply...... Of course, this is relative to the method of using stone.

So, when he arrived in the new business district, Edward I the long-legged felt that it was far different from the city of London as soon as he got out of the carriage.

PS: Thank you for the JEDI1029 tip.