allonlinenovel Chapter 271 Red Potato
Chapter 271 Red Potato
Feeling the bumps caused by the uneven road, a minister said with some emotion: "Our cement road has been built for many years, and it's really hard to get used to it now."
"Who says it isn't? I heard they said it would take another three days to get to the palace."
After the general informed them that the queen was willing to see them, they left some people to guard the ship, took the silk and porcelain they brought with them, and immediately headed for the palace of the Turan Empire.
The sun had already set when they arrived there. After resting for a night in the inn, the next day, the Anguo envoys walked into the palace with their heads held high.
The architecture here is very different from that of Anguo. If the palace of Anguo is magnificent, with carved beams and painted rafters, and every step you take is very exquisite.
The palace of the Turan Empire is full of exotic charm, with a unique architectural style and rough and powerful lines.
I can't say which one looks better, it all comes down to personal preference.
After taking a look, the ministers withdrew their gaze and walked forward towards the palace hall.
Entering the hall, the Queen of the Turan Empire was standing high above them, looking at them with curiosity.
Although Tang Qiuwan's rank is much higher than Cai Qin's, Cai Qin is the leader of this voyage, and he is the only one in the entire team who can speak the language of the Turan Empire.
So in terms of standing position, Cai Qin stood in the first place.
The Anguo envoys stood in the center of the hall, performing the Anguo etiquette for distinguished people in a uniform manner.
As they were paying their respects, the ministers of the Turan Empire were whispering about their arrival.
Their arrival really broke my previous cognition. It turns out that there are countries overseas. It’s amazing.
And they look different from the people here.
The Queen looked at the indescribably beautiful etiquette and smiled, "Get up, guest from afar."
After thanking her, Cai Qin stood up and said, "Your Majesty, I am here at the behest of your Majesty to explore other countries and establish diplomatic relations with them. We have come to your country by chance and hope to have friendly exchanges with you."
"Our country has abundant products and exquisite craftsmanship. We are willing to share and exchange with your country. We also hope to learn from your country and jointly promote the prosperity of our two countries."
"By the way, this time we came here, we also brought some precious gifts from our country as a token of our sincerity, hoping to promote friendly exchanges between our two countries."
These things are both sincerity and invisible bargaining chips.
Any country that still has a bit of dignity would not take so many things from others without showing any appreciation.
Generally speaking, after receiving a gift, one will give a corresponding gift in return.
It’s not like An Guo is begging them for peace; they are on an equal footing.
Either don't take it, which means refusing to establish diplomatic relations, or take it and agree to establish diplomatic relations.
If they agree to establish diplomatic relations, then they are friends. It is not normal for them to give and take.
Of course, if they were bandits with the intention of killing them and taking them for themselves, then they would send a signal flare to let the people on the ship evacuate immediately.
For such people, An Guo must punish them even though they are far away.
Besides, if people are happy, they can also ask if they have sweet potatoes.
Listening to Cai Qin's talk about the gift, the Queen became interested. "Oh? I wonder what kind of precious gift it is? Bring it up for us to see."
Cai Qin waved his hand, and soon, boxes filled with silk and porcelain were carried up.
As boxes were opened one after another, gasps could be heard in the hall.
Obviously they haven't seen these things.
After seeing these things, the first thing that came to the minds of the ministers in the hall was that these things were so beautiful.
Then, a quiet discussion was heard.
The queen above was also attracted. She walked down from the throne and looked at the silks and porcelains carefully.
There was an unconcealable amazement in his eyes.
She reached out and gently stroked the silk, feeling its delicate texture. "What kind of cloth is this? Both the material and the color are top-notch."
After seeing this, the queen became more and more interested in the distant Anguo.
What kind of country would that be? But judging from these things, it should be a rich place.
Cai Qin smiled and replied, "Your Majesty, this is a silk unique to our country. It is carefully woven from the finest silk. The craftsmanship is complex and takes a long time."
The Queen withdrew her gaze from the numerous and exquisite porcelains and nodded. "So it's silk."
She walked back to the throne she had just sat on and asked Cai Qin, "Your name is Cai Qin, right? Can you tell me about your Anguo?"
Cai Qin bowed slightly and said, "I'm very happy to do so."
Cai Qin was an excellent speaker, and after hearing his story, the ministers, including the queen, all showed some longing in their eyes.
In his words, Anguo was as beautiful as the heaven in their legends.
Seeing the longing in their eyes, Cai Qin quickly struck while the iron was hot, "Your Majesty, in addition to silk and porcelain, we have many exquisite items, such as jewelry, wood carvings, embroidery, and delicious food. Our country's cuisine is also unique, with a wide variety and rich flavors. You can always find food that Your Majesty and the others will like."
Such a big tone, the queen's eyes flashed, "It sounds like An Guo is indeed fascinating."
It is not known whether his words are true or not, but the things displayed in the hall are real. Also, judging from the momentum of the soldiers' actions and the material of the light armor they wear, their military strength is not low.
And their empress was able to make such a bold and forward-looking decision to let them explore new civilizations. It can be seen that the empress was not a simple person.
A wise and far-sighted emperor, a rich and militarily powerful country.
Such a country cannot be provoked, only befriended.
Besides, the Queen didn't believe what Cai Qin said, that their Majesty was a gentle person.
From his few short sentences, we can see that their Majesty became emperor in troubled times and conquered four kingdoms in six years. He is definitely not someone who is easy to bully.
Who knows whether they will choose to attack after refusing to establish diplomatic relations, although the possibility is very small.
In an instant, the queen made a preliminary decision in her mind.
She looked at Cai Qin and said slowly, "Cai Qin, I look forward to establishing diplomatic relations with your country, and I hope the friendship between our two countries will last forever."
Cai Qin didn't expect the process to be so simple. He thought they would have to discuss it privately, but Her Majesty the Queen agreed directly.
Moreover, these ministers did not try to dissuade him at all. It seems that the Turan Empire is ruled by Her Majesty the Queen.
"Thank you, Your Majesty. This is a blessing for both countries."
Now that they have agreed to establish diplomatic relations, we can take the opportunity to ask about the sweet potatoes.
Cai Qin recalled Tang Qiuwan's description of sweet potatoes in his mind. "Your Majesty, may I ask if your country has any crops with large, round, oval, or spindle-shaped roots that are sweet when eaten and can be used as a staple food?"
The Queen frowned slightly, thought for a moment, and shook her head. "As far as I know, there seems to be no such crop."
Seeing the queen shaking her head, Cai Qin's heart sank. Is it true, or they just haven't discovered it.
At this moment, a minister stood up and said, "Lord Cai, from your description, why does it sound like 'Zhu Shu'?"
Cai Qin's eyes lit up, and he quickly said, "I wonder what the 'red potato' you're talking about looks like?"
The minister bowed and said, "This 'red potato' has a thick root, a variety of shapes, and a sweet taste. It can indeed be used as a staple food. However, in our country, it is not widely cultivated and is only eaten by ordinary people."
In their place, the nobles disdain to eat these things and usually eat things like bread, meat and rice.
Cai Qin asked anxiously, "I wonder if we can get some red yams to bring back to our country?"
The Queen then spoke, "Of course you can. They're not valuable items. I'll send someone to deliver them to you in a moment."
Cai Qin was overjoyed and hurried to express his gratitude.
Since he had decided to make friends, his attitude would naturally change. "You're welcome. I'll host a banquet in the palace tonight. I hope you'll come."
Cai Qin and others readily agreed.