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Back in early March, on the eve of the confrontation between Bai Qi's army and the main force of Guiwu, Zhuge Zhi led his envoys and followers through the vast desert. After two months of traveling, they finally arrived at the rumored Big Food Country.
At this time, Dashi was in the Umayyad dynasty established by Awiyah, with its capital in Damascus.
After more than sixty years of development, the Umayyad dynasty was governed by six generations of rulers. By the time Merwan came to power, the Umayyad Empire had reached its peak of national power.
The dynasty worked hard internally, formed a powerful navy to firmly control the waters of Mecca, and monopolized the east-west trade routes, making domestic commerce very developed. Damascus, Cordoba, Basra, Fustat and other cities became world-class metropolises.
In addition to domestic affairs, the Umayyad dynasty was also extremely powerful militarily. During the external expansion of successive caliphs in power, they conquered the Mecca Empire, Spain, the Visigothic Dynasty, and destroyed Saracens and other countries.
At this point, Dashi culture had affected the entire Zhongzhou and Zhuzhou regions, extending as far as the Frankish dynasty, and was in a long-term confrontation with the Beiser Empire.
Its land area stretches from Guidu in the east to Saracen in the west. Its religious and cultural influence spreads all over Zhongzhou and Zhuzhou. With a population of over 300 million under its rule, it is a well-deserved overlord of Zhongzhou.
Although the Umayyad dynasty's expansion to the east was interrupted by Munro's Western Expedition, it did not bring much loss to Dashi. The gold coins given to Munro were only a few days of Damascus trade volume, which was insignificant.
However, the current caliph, Merwan, soon succeeded to the position of caliph. In order to enhance his reputation and alleviate the deepening conflicts between various domestic sects, he once again decided on the path of external expansion.
His first target was the Sasanian Empire.
In fact, the Sassanid Empire at this time was already in its twilight years. The country was extremely corrupt, and foreign trade was almost monopolized by the big food. In addition, there were many palace coups, and it was already in a state of turmoil.
Merwan planned to raise 300,000 troops to destroy Sassanid in one fell swoop, incorporate the last sea area of Zhongzhou into the territory of the Umayyad Dynasty, and completely consolidate the maritime trade between the East and the West.
However, this move was opposed by countless ministers. Between fighting and not fighting, Zhuge Zhi crossed the vast desert of death and arrived at Damascus under the guidance of a guide.
Merwan was also very interested in the most mysterious country in the East. After all, the magical leaves and exquisite silks in the East were deeply loved by the nobles, and they gained immeasurable wealth from them.
However, the later Western Expedition of the Mengluo people completely severed the connection between the Central Plains and Dashi. It has been a long time since Dashi merchants had large quantities of silk, tea, porcelain and other commodities that could make huge profits.
After Zhuge Zhi arrived in Damascus, Merwang received him with royal treatment despite the current war between the noble widow and the Han Dynasty.
In the splendid palace, after the court meeting, Maierwang enthusiastically invited Zhuge Zhi to have dinner with him.
"Mr. Zhuge comes from the prosperous Eastern Kingdom. I don't know what Damascus looks like. Are you still used to seeing it?"
Facing Maierwang's inquiry, Zhuge Zhi handed over his hand and replied: "I have only seen the prosperity of Damascus in my life. I really admire it."
This is not a compliment. To some extent, the prosperity of Damascus has surpassed the previous Central Plains dynasties. Even the current Jiangnan and the capital city Chang'an, which is still under construction, cannot compare with it.
Fortunately, Zhuge Zhi saw it with his own eyes today, otherwise he would have been deceived by the words of those Confucian scholars that "all overseas are barbarians and cannot be generalized to the Central Plains."
"What your Majesty said is true. Every civilization is born with dazzling brilliance. We cannot refuse to accept new things based on our self-knowledge.
No nation is excellent. Only by working hard and forging ahead can we thrive. "
Zhuge Zhi clenched his fists. He just wanted to quickly unify the Central Plains of the Han Dynasty, end the civil war, and then develop steadily and realize the civilized world in his heart.
Maierwang was very satisfied with Zhuge Zhi's answer and couldn't help but smile: "Sir, you are too modest. Although I have never been to the Central Plains,
But I also heard that there are outstanding people in that distant and mysterious land. A talented person like Mr., who traveled thousands of miles to come to negotiate with me. This kind of courage is not something ordinary people can achieve. "
Zhuge Zhi smiled slightly: "Your Majesty is being too modest. I have been ordered to come to negotiate with Dashi, just to restart trade between the two countries and establish eternal good relations."
Merwan nodded: "What you said is exactly what I want, but can you tell me frankly, is there a war between your country and your widow?"
Zhuge Zhi replied calmly: "I dare not deceive Your Majesty. We are indeed at war."
Merwan: "Thank you for your candid words, sir. I just don't know why your country wants to mobilize troops to attack your widow? I have heard that your country is a country of etiquette. If you treat a small country in the Western Region like this, aren't you afraid of being picked on?"
Zhuge Zhi shook his head: "Your Majesty, etiquette is for friends and guests. For those jackals, we can only use iron and blood to teach them how to be a human being."
Merwan smiled and said: "Sir, your temperament is very popular with me. Okay, I'll give you a drink, please."
"please."
The two of them drank the wine in one gulp.
Then Mailwang said in a deep voice: "However, your widow has been a partner in the food trade for many years. It is impossible for me to remain indifferent when your country mobilizes troops like this.
Of course, if you, sir, can persuade your country's general to withdraw his troops, I will stop interfering in this matter, and will even re-establish good relations with your country and reopen trade routes. What do you think? "
Zhuge Zhi smiled slightly: "Your Majesty, you don't understand that our Han Dynasty is not as good as before, and we will not give up if it harms the national interests of the Han Dynasty.
Your noble widow has repeatedly bullied our Han allies with her powerful army and horses. As a protector, do you think your Majesty can just sit back and watch? "
Merwan: "It seems that this Han Empire is quite martial. You can see it from what you said. Yes, it is quite popular to be able to interact with such a country."
Having said this, he couldn't help but sigh softly, looking like he was hesitant to speak.
Zhuge Zhi could tell at a glance that Maierwang seemed to have something to say to him, but he didn't know how to say it.
He resisted the urge to ask and could only sit quietly at the table and taste the wine.
Since you didn't say anything, I pretended not to know.
He had guessed the general reason for Merwan's worries. Passing through various towns in Dashi along the way, Zhuge Zhi also learned some news about the possible war between Dashi and Sassanid.
However, Dashi has been slow to take action due to various reasons.
Merwan now urgently needs a new hard-line force to convince the courtiers at the court to support his decision.
Zhuge Zhi's identity and the imperial background behind him are undoubtedly the most suitable candidate.
However, how to tell Zhuge Zhi, and whether the "Han" empire behind him is really powerful, requires further verification.
Thinking of this, Maierwang put down the tableware and said to Zhuge Zhi: "I am very relieved to be able to talk freely with you sir.
Let's do this. I'll prepare a room for my husband and ask him to stay temporarily. I'll have a detailed discussion with him after I finish handling the state affairs.
During this time, sir, you can also walk around the city. I will arrange a guide for you to travel around Damascus. "
Zhuge Zhi also wanted to know more about this magical city, so he agreed directly: "Thank you for the gift, your Majesty. I will keep it in mind."
After sending Zhuge Zhi away, Maierwang stood up and said to his attendants: "Take me to see Mr. Yan. I have something important to ask him."
