Zhu Jun got a message from Toulon's words, there will be a large-scale chaos in the Karen people, and any Karen people will inevitably be involved, and this chaos should have a lot to do with Princess Anya, perhaps the spearhead of the chaos is likely to be directly directed at her.

Zhu Jun's answer to Toulon's entrustment was vague, which was also because Zhu Jun realized that Princess Anya was a big burden, like a person like him, who was difficult to protect himself, where could he take this hot potato, and what if the rebels asked for people directly from him? To give or not to give? If you don't give it, you may provoke a dispute, and the enemy he will face in the future will be difficult to deal with.

When Zhu Jun saw Toulon's disappointed face, he couldn't help but regret his decision, but this matter is very important, and he will never take it lightly, and although Toulon has no scheming on the surface, he is a far-sighted person, Zhu Jun originally wanted to use him to strengthen himself, but he used himself to avoid trouble for the cottage is proof.

For this reason, Zhu Jun was depressed for a long time, he couldn't imagine that a small cottage elder could play with himself in the palm of his hand, although it was beneficial and harmless to himself, but it was inevitable that Zhu Jun was a little depressed, and the only sense of achievement was like the dense fog in the morning sun in southern Myanmar, which seemed to envelop the heavens and the earth and its might, and as soon as the sun came out, they could be easily dispersed.

Zhu Jun rested for an hour, and then led the people to check the quality of the iron filings in the cottage with Toulon, the stock in the cottage is not much, but it can be filled with dozens of baskets, Zhu Jun concluded that these iron filings should be mined from the surface of a bare raw ore, which has more impurities, and is of little use to Zhu Jun's steelmaking.

Zhu Jun casually threw half a handful of iron filings back into the basket, patted the iron filings stained on his hands and said to Toulon: "I have no use for these iron filings for the time being, and put it in the cottage, and talk about it when you want it." ”

Zhu Jun shook his head regretfully as he spoke, the purpose of his visit this time was originally to buy iron ore, although there were many variables in the middle, and it also benefited him enough, but at this time, seeing these useless iron filings, disappointment was always inevitable.

Toulon on the side was also secretly anxious, these iron filings were given to Zhu Jun by the cottage, and it could be regarded as repaying Zhu Jun's favor for them to expel wild elephants and send food.

Zhu Jun turned to Toulon and said, "Brother Toulon, where did these iron filings come from?" ”

"It's on that peak, the same mountain stream we crossed when we came, not far from here."

Zhu Jun nodded and continued to ask, "Is there still this kind of ore there?" ”

"Yes, there are everywhere for several miles, but it is not easy to mine, and the tribesmen can only peel off some iron filings on the surface."

Zhu Jun already had a plan in his heart, the mining of iron ore is extremely difficult in this era, especially compared to these Burmese natives, it is even more difficult to break these hard substances, but the gunpowder technology of the Ming Dynasty is proficient, and it has already opened a precedent for using gunpowder to blow up and mine.

Now that the two arms workshops are in operation, they consume a lot of steel, and the main raw material for the production of steel is pig iron, which is enough for the workshops to operate without the need to buy them out. It's just that the location of the iron mine is precipitous, and transportation has become a problem, but this is a problem in the future, and Zhu Jun plans to go and see this mine.

"Brother Toulon, this iron mine is very important to Zhu, how about you take me to take a look?" Zhu Jun said.

"Okay, we'll go now, it's only two hours away, and we'll be there at noon." Toulon said, taking a step.

The two arrived at the Houzhai Gate, Mu Jianming had gathered around Zhu Jun with the Shenji Battalion, although Zhu Jun didn't like to hug him every time he went out, but they were also worried about their safety, if they were not allowed to follow, it would definitely make more people worry, anyway, it was idle, Zhu Jun simply didn't stop it, so he should take the team to go out.

At this time, the sky is already bright, the cottage is rejuvenated after a long night of silence, Princess Ya'an is riding a white horse with a team of attendants in the open space in the village to practice equestrianism, the mountain peaks in Myanmar are steep, many roads are often uneven, so horses are not the main means of transportation here, Princess Ya'an is skilled in equestrianism, the light body is like a green swallow on the horse, many gaps that could not be crossed can be shuttled in an instant. A group of attendants behind her trotted to follow, cheering and cheering.

Zhu Jun looked at it from a distance, and only felt that those attendants were like brain-dead, they were riding horses, what are you doing with the cheers behind your buttocks? He suddenly felt a pang in his heart, in a place like Burma, where the mountain roads are rugged, why does this princess want to ride a horse? And the equestrian is so skillful, is it something to guard against?

At this time, everyone was ready to go, Zhu Jun was about to give the order to pull, only to hear the sound of horses' hooves getting closer and closer, and when he looked sideways, he saw Princess Ya'an riding her horse at a high speed, and the target she was Zhu Jun as if she had collapsed and the ground cracked.

"Catch the arrow, aim at the white horse." Mu Jianming on the side was already scared into a cold sweat, and hurriedly yelled.

With a click, a neat string sounded, and a hundred crossbowmen had set up their crossbows and aimed them at their targets. I never thought that Princess Ya'an suddenly tightened the reins of the horse, the front hooves of the white horse were raised, and the horse's head was turned away and the body was stopped.

"Good horsemanship!" Zhu Jun couldn't help but admire, although he didn't know how to ride a horse, but it was the first time that Princess Ya'an saw such a technique, and he couldn't help but admire.

"Hey, run away from the Son of Heaven, where are you going?" Ya'an was still veiled, and glanced at Mu Jianming as if annoyed, and finally fell on Zhu Jun.

"Back to Her Royal Highness the Princess, I will take Brother Zhu to the back mountain for a turn, where there is an iron mine." Toulon didn't dare to hide it, and replied first.

"What is iron ore?" Princess Ya'an's eyes were full of suspicion, and she turned her attention to Toulon.

Toulon said, "Our swords are made of iron ore. ”

Princess Ya'an had already raised her whip, and when she saw dozens of crossbows aimed at her, she didn't swing them out: "Toulon, you are so bold, since iron ore can forge swords, why did you take the Han people there, do you think that our Karen people have enough swords and don't need to be cast?" ”

Zhu Jun couldn't help but listen to the conversation between the two, thinking that this princess was also arrogant to the extreme, but after thinking about it, she was a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl who had lost her father prematurely, and she was burdened with national hatred and family hatred, and it was pitiful to face those subordinates who coveted her status, Zhu Jun couldn't help but sympathize with her, and even secretly regretted why she didn't agree to Toulon's request last night to protect this girl.

Thinking of this, Zhu Jun couldn't help but smile, and said in his heart when did he become sentimental, what does it have to do with others and himself, Princess Ya'an is indeed worthy of sympathy, but who can sympathize with herself? I am in such a sensitive and embarrassing position, and I still have problems with self-preservation, how can I do such a sympathetic thing.

Zhu Jun was stunned, and Toulon had already stroked his chest and lowered his head to Princess Ya'an: "Your Royal Highness, iron ore mining is extremely difficult, and the Karen tribe lacks craftsmen to forge swords, so it is better to buy it directly from the merchants." ”

Ya'an snorted and said: "They Han people can open mines, why can't we Toulon people." As she spoke, she jumped off her horse like a light swallow, patted the dust on her boots with her whip and said, "I will go with you, I want to see how difficult this iron ore is." ”

"Your Royal Highness Princess, the mountain road behind the mountain is steep, I'm afraid it will ......" Toulon opened his mouth to persuade, but was quickly stopped by Ya'an and said: "You don't need to say it, the Karen people revere the mountain gods, how can they still be afraid of the mountains." ”

She said on the one hand, on the other hand, she had already taken a step, and went out of the village gate first, and the rest of the people were helpless, all of them followed her footsteps, only Mu Jianming looked angry, and leaned into Zhu Jun's ear and said: "Your Majesty, she is just a princess of the lower country, she is so arrogant and rude, you must know that before the destruction of the country, it was still my Ming vassal country, she does not look down on the emperor so much, do you want to teach her a lesson?" ”

Zhu Jun glanced at him and said: "You are a big man, why bother with a woman, let her go, we have to explore the iron mine, sometimes we don't have to make a big deal for some small things, the overall situation is important." ”

Mu Jianming nodded, and behind Zhu Jun were the mighty Shenji Battalion soldiers and a hundred attendants of Princess Ya'an, and there were as many as five hundred people in one go, winding towards the back mountain.