Chapter 449 Treasure

Wilhelm sighed lightly. "If the United States joins the war, that would be a bit troublesome."

"??" Elder Bloom looked at him in surprise. The United States joining the war is just "a bit troublesome"?

Before World War II, although the United States did not have the political status of old capitalist countries like Britain and France, it was the world's largest economy. Its industrial capacity and total economic output were the highest in the world. In 1939, the United States' industrial output accounted for 38.7% of the world's total, with an economic output close to $100 billion, and its gold and foreign exchange reserves accounted for half of the world's total, a strength that other countries could only envy.

For example, in terms of steel production, despite the severe impact of the Great Depression, with half of the blast furnaces shut down, the United States' steel capacity still hovered around 23-35 million tons.

In terms of energy, the United States controlled the emerging resource of oil both domestically and in the Gulf of Mexico, making it the largest oil-producing country in the world. In 1939, the United States produced 170.946 million tons of oil, accounting for more than half of the world's production.

Such a country with terrifying potential is considered just "a bit troublesome" by this prince?

Is he arrogant or extremely confident?

Seeing Elder Bloom's surprised expression, Wilhelm couldn't help but smile bitterly. Who could understand America's terrifying war potential better than him?

During World War II, the United States' steel production reached 80 million tons, more than the combined total of Germany, Britain, the Soviet Union, Japan, and Italy. In 1945, the United States' steel production accounted for more than half of the world's total. The United States' oil production also accounted for more than half of the world's total, peaking at over 70% of the world's total production. Oil and oil products were in such abundance that they couldn't be used up. The United States was also the world's largest producer and exporter of food. American food not only supplied the Allies but also produced alcohol and other materials to reduce inventory and surplus. American soldiers ate so much canned beef that they got sick of it, and bread and cheese were produced in abundance. Only the United States could be so extravagant.

The United States produced 324,000 aircraft, including 19,256 B-24 heavy bombers. When the overwhelming fleet flew over, the sheer momentum was enough to make the enemy tremble.

The United States produced 108,400 tanks and self-propelled guns, 2,382,300 various vehicles, and 372,000 artillery pieces. Chrysler alone produced 40,000 tanks, almost as many as Germany, Italy, and Japan combined. Japan, known as the world's fifth industrial power, produced fewer tanks than the United States' leftovers.

The United States produced more than 150 aircraft carriers (including more than 30 for Britain), 58 battleships and cruisers, nearly 1,000 destroyers and frigates, and more than 200 submarines. Additionally, there were 64,500 landing craft and a large number of various auxiliary ships. The United States built ships like making dumplings, producing more and more as the war went on. If the United States hadn't deliberately reduced production in the later stages of World War II, the number of ships would have been even higher.

In addition to military supplies, the United States also produced a large number of non-military items such as Coca-Cola and chocolate. During World War II, the United States produced more than 10 billion bottles of Coca-Cola, something other countries couldn't even imagine. At that time, other countries couldn't even feed their people, let alone drink Coca-Cola. In the later stages of World War II, due to excess military production capacity, many military enterprises had to reduce production or switch to civilian industries. Many unused materials and equipment were even directly discarded. When people saw the mountains of surplus materials in the United States, they realized how powerful American industry was and what a true industrial power was.

Although he knew how terrifying the United States was, he couldn't directly say, "The United States is too terrifying. If they join the war, I'll surrender immediately!" He could only pretend to be indifferent.

While Wilhelm was sighing inwardly, Elder Bloom took out something wrapped in a handkerchief from his pocket and placed it on the table. He carefully unwrapped the handkerchief, as if it contained something extremely precious.

Wilhelm couldn't help but be curious about what it was. When it was fully unwrapped, he saw a somewhat blackened yellow cloth.

Elder Bloom pushed the handkerchief forward. "This is a small gift to congratulate Your Highness on taking Egypt. Please accept it."

"What is this?" Wilhelm couldn't help but ask curiously.

Elder Bloom replied mysteriously, "This is a treasure map of the French Knights Templar."

"Ha!" Wilhelm was genuinely surprised.

Various historical records mention that the French Knights Templar hid a large amount of treasure, but this treasure has never been found, becoming an unsolved mystery.

The so-called Knights Templar was a religious military order founded in 1119 by a few impoverished French knights to protect pilgrims and defend the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem established during the First Crusade. Because the order's headquarters were located in the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem, it was called the "Knights Templar."

After its establishment, the Knights Templar accumulated considerable wealth through extortion and donations from pilgrims, as well as various privileges granted by the Pope. They owned fiefs and castles, operated banks for pilgrims and kings, and were early bankers in Europe.

These people lived lavishly, were greedy, and were involved in secret practices and political conspiracies, eventually causing dissatisfaction among European kings and other religious orders and being denounced as heretics. In 1312, Pope Clement V officially announced the dissolution of the Knights Templar.

On October 5, 1307, the French King Philip IV ordered the arrest of all members of the Knights Templar in France. The French king wanted to strike at the Knights Templar and confiscate their wealth to alleviate the increasingly difficult financial situation.

However, the Knights Templar cleverly hid a large amount of wealth (some say the Pope secretly warned the Knights Templar a few days before the French king took action).

According to several historians and folklore, when the Grand Master of the Knights Templar, Jacques de Molay, learned in prison that the French king intended to destroy the order, he took decisive measures to preserve the "traditional and noble basic doctrines" of the Knights Templar. He called his nephew, the young Count Guy de Beaujeu, to the prison, secretly passed on the position of Grand Master to him, and made him swear to save the Knights Templar and keep its treasures until the "end of the world."

He then told the count, "The remains of my predecessor, the Grand Master, are no longer in the tomb. In his tomb are hidden the archives of the Knights Templar. Through these archives, many holy relics and treasures can be found. With this treasure, we can escape non-Christian influence. This treasure was brought from the Holy Land and includes the crowns of the kings of Jerusalem, Solomon's seven-branched candelabrum, and four golden gospels with illustrations of Saint Sepulchre. However, the main wealth of the Knights Templar is elsewhere, at the entrance to the Grand Masters' tombs, in the two large pillars of the altar. The tops of these pillars can rotate, and inside the hollow pillars are hidden the vast treasures accumulated by the Knights Templar."

In 1314, after Grand Master Jacques de Molay was executed by the French king, Count Guy de Beaujeu formed an organization called the "Pure Architects" and requested permission from the French king to bury Molay's body elsewhere. The king agreed. So, Beaujeu took the opportunity to remove gold, silver, and jewels from the large pillars of the Knights Templar church. He hid these treasures in coffins, perhaps in several chests, and moved them to a safe place known only to a few confidants.

Due to the Knights Templar's long-standing interest in secret practices, they had their own unique system of mysterious symbols. It is said that they used this system of symbols and secret religious rituals to hide and retrieve their treasures. Because of this, the whereabouts of the Knights Templar's vast treasures remain a mystery to this day.

It is said that some of the Knights Templar's treasures may be hidden in Bazaz, Agen, and near the village of Lacour in Indre-et-Loire, France. The walls of the Château de Valcroze in Val, France, are also engraved with the mysterious symbols of the Knights Templar, and there are legends that the Knights Templar hid treasures there.

According to French historian Jean Marcello, the Knights Templar's treasure might also be found in the Marches of Tours, France, which was once the site of the Knights Templar's "gold and silver vaults." The Knights Templar's confidants knew how to retrieve the necessary funds when needed and would hide new funds according to orders.

Wilhelm picked up the yellow cloth and found that it was not cloth but some kind of animal skin, covered with dense characters and symbols he couldn't understand. Just as he was about to ask how to use this to find the treasure, he saw a map drawn on the handkerchief. "Rosslyn Chapel in Edinburgh, Scotland? The treasure is buried in Rosslyn Chapel?"

Elder Bloom nodded. "Exactly."

Wilhelm thought for a moment and asked, "Since you already know the exact location, why haven't you dug up the treasure?"

Elder Bloom replied helplessly, "We have thought about it, but the chapel is a local heritage site. The local government won't sell it, nor will they allow it to be damaged."