In the third year of Jianwu, the winter solstice has passed and the New Year is approaching. It is the time for travelers to return to their hometowns and families to reunite. Outside the east gate of Lin'an City, thousands of sailboats gather at the Qiantang River pier, and the shore is crowded with people. It is the busiest season of the year.
The wind blows from the south, and sailing ships loaded with gold ore, iron ore, leather goods, pepper, sulfur, saltpeter and other goods are anchored in the port. Cargo ships also loaded with porcelain, pottery, silk, soap, glass, tea, as well as various Song Dynasty handicrafts and commodities were transported from the Qiantang River to various ports in Mingzhou and Quanzhou, and sailed to various parts of the world.
This was the era of the Song Dynasty. The Song Dynasty accounted for the majority of merchant ships galloping on the ocean. It can also be said that the warships and merchant ships of the Song Dynasty ushered in the first great era of navigation in history.
Black smoke billowed, and a steam warship docked at the dock of the Qiantang River. Surrounded by neatly dressed officials and sergeants of the Song Dynasty, Best, wearing a white robe, a white scarf on his head and a full beard, stepped onto the dock.
"This is the world-famous Lin'an City!"
Although he had a general impression of the Song Dynasty in his mind, when he saw Lin'an City, Best was still stunned by the prosperity and excitement in front of him.
People of all colors and appearances and all kinds of goods are piled up like mountains. People come and go, but they are orderly. The road is wide, clean and tidy, with green trees and sidewalks on both sides. The road is lined with green grass, pavilions and pavilions, surrounded by creeks and gurgling water, which complement each other.
What a heavenly kingdom, it is indeed... extraordinary!
This is just outside the city, you can imagine what it is like inside the city.
There were hundreds of four-wheeled carriages parked neatly in the concrete open space on one side of the pier. The accompanying officials handed over their official certificates, and the officials from the Street Department immediately arranged for several vehicles to come over.
"Your Majesty, please get in the car!"
Best nodded, walked to the car with the accompanying officials, carefully observed the four-wheeled carriage, and asked in surprise.
"Does this four-wheeled carriage also use a steam engine?"
"Your Majesty, this is a horse-drawn carriage, of course it has horsepower. Steam engines are only used on ships and mines now. Maybe they will replace horse-drawn carriages in a few years."
The official said with a smile.
The steam engine has been studied for more than five years and has been promoted on warships and merchant ships. As for whether it will be used on land or other places, he is also looking forward to it.
"So that's it!"
Best nodded.
No one is needed to row, just burning coal can move forward. If this is used on a sea-going ship, it will not only be fast, but also there is no need to choose any monsoon time, and you can travel at any time.
After getting on the carriage, the carriage drove briskly towards the city. Best couldn't help turning his head and looked at the steamship a few more times. His eyes were dazzled by what he saw along the way.
"What is that? Why are you still queuing up? It's a public toilet, right?"
Best pointed at the cement house beside the road and couldn't help but ask.
"Your Majesty, you also know this. Yes, this is a public toilet, it is convenient to use!"
"It turned out to be a public toilet! The Song Dynasty built canals in Egypt and also built such public toilets, so I know."
I think of the people of the Song Dynasty digging canals in Egypt. They were not allowed to defecate anywhere and could only go to public toilets. Drinking water must be boiled, you must wash your hands before eating, etc...
It may seem cumbersome, but it is indeed necessary to reduce disease. But in this way, those slaves seemed to prefer the Song people to them, the local slave owners.
Entering the city, there are many shops along the street with a dazzling array of goods. Businessmen from all over the world can be seen everywhere, selling gold and silver jewelry, silk, tea, porcelain, etc. There are many restaurants, people coming and going, and it is extremely lively.
Even the four-wheeled carriage with a few people riding on it had to slow down, which also allowed Best to see everything on the way more clearly.
"Can I park the car? I want to go down and have a look."
It was so exotic and Chinese that Best couldn't help but say it.
"Of course! Your Majesty, please!"
It's not far from the post house, and the official's job is to accompany the visiting envoys, and with military protection, nothing will happen.
"What is this? Why doesn't it keep swinging?"
Best couldn't help but widen his eyes when he saw the pendulum clock in front of the store.
"Your Majesty, this is a pendulum. It can tell time, 12 hours a day, 24 hours. It is very accurate. It is as valuable as porcelain and tea."
"The pendulum! It is indeed a fine product from the Great Country!"
Best couldn't put it down and couldn't help but ask:
"Can you help me make a counter-offer? I want to buy one."
This thing is so beautiful that it is worth a lot of money just by looking at it.
"Your Majesty, when you meet the Emperor of the Song Dynasty, he should give you one. Therefore, your Majesty, it is better to make a decision later."
The official smiled and muttered secretly.
If the emperor gives the Best Pendulum as a gift, wouldn't it mean that it will be "sent away" again?
Best nodded and walked away reluctantly.
"What is this? Is it soap for washing hands? Why does it smell so good?"
"This is called soap. There are fragrances added to the soap, so it's very expensive. They should already be selling it in Africa."
Best nodded.
The soap has been sold to Africa and he has seen it. I didn’t expect that there are higher-end soaps now. The soap business must be good. I'm afraid merchants from the Song Dynasty have already shipped the soap to Africa.
Gold and silverware, ironware, porcelain, silk, tea, books, etc...
Best couldn't help but sigh.
"It is indeed a heavenly kingdom, prosperous and wealthy, comparable to heaven on earth!"
"Your Majesty, if you have been to Jinling, it will be more prosperous than here. I am afraid that after you go there, you will never want to go back to Egypt."
The official said with a smile.
"Jinling? No, no, no, it's Lin'an City. I don't want to leave anymore, I don't want to leave!"
Everyone simply gave up the carriage. When they saw that there seemed to be signs of burning houses beside the imperial street, Best asked again.
"Has there ever been a fire here?"
"To be honest, there was a fire two months ago, which burned the Ancestral Temple and many surrounding houses to ashes. They were all just built, so they look a little different."
"Two months ago? It was fixed? Isn't that true?"
Best couldn't help but ask.
If a fire like this happened in Suez or even Cairo, it wouldn't be possible to build it for more than a year and a half.
The Song Dynasty is indeed different inside and out.
The accompanying officials shook their heads secretly, you, a small slave country, dare to compare with the glorious Song Dynasty?
From a distance, a group of young people wearing school uniforms came over. They were all in high spirits, holding long banners with "Northern Expedition" and "Restore the Central Plains" in their hands. They shouted the same words and shouted to the people on the roadside. People handed out leaflets.
"What are these young people doing?"
Best asked like a curious baby. With so many people gathered and swords hanging from their waists, are they going to rebel?
What's more, there are obviously several women inside. Can women also show their faces and show off openly?
"These are young people from various schools in Lin'an. They are distributing leaflets, asking the imperial court to make an early expedition to the north and restore the Central Plains."
"They all wear swords. Aren't you afraid that they will cause trouble?"
Best asked in surprise.
In his Egypt, in his Ayyubid dynasty, only the upper class of slave owners were equipped with swords. If those slaves had knives, would slave owners like them feel at ease?
"They are all patriotic young people and will not cause trouble. They love their country and they know what they are doing."
The accompanying officials were quite calm, and the escorting sergeants were also calm, as if nothing had happened, but they were proud in their hearts.
Of course, a small slave Ayyubid dynasty could not understand the superiority of the Song Dynasty.
"The Song Dynasty is the Song Dynasty. It is really different that it can allow this kind of thing!"
Best couldn't help but shake his head with emotion.
Compared with the Song Dynasty, his Ayyubid dynasty was so far behind that they couldn't even catch up by steamship.
When we arrived at the post house, the accompanying officials of the Song Dynasty resigned because it was not yet time for dinner. Best left the room and wandered to the front yard unknowingly.
Envoys from various countries gathered in the post house, including many Arabs dressed similarly, which made Best secretly feel frightened.
Fortunately, the Ayyubid dynasty also came. Otherwise, we will really lose the opportunity to understand this emerging hegemony.
"The Song Dynasty now has a strong army and horses, and has expanded into the South and Indian Oceans and other places. We are a small country in Bo Ni, and there is an aggressive Xinheshali country in the north. Now there is a Song Dynasty in full swing. It is really unsettling!"
"Who says otherwise! Now the Song Dynasty has driven away the Sultan of Pandya and captured Ceylon Island, Bombay and the coast of Bengal. My king is also restless, not knowing what the Emperor of the Song Dynasty wants!"
"The Song Dynasty, a state of etiquette, fought against the Tatar army and set an example for all countries in the world. I hope that the Song Dynasty navy is only for supply along the coast and will not invade too much."
Several envoys were talking in the courtyard, and after the envoys translated, Best understood a little bit.
It seems that the warships of the Song Dynasty traveled across the ocean and captured many islands along the way, which has caused uneasiness in various countries.
Fortunately, Kamil took the initiative and sold that piece of desert to the Song people. Otherwise, if the Song people had snatched it, wouldn't the two sides have gone to war?
Suddenly, I don't know what happened. Several people in the courtyard started fighting each other after a few words. The guards on duty quickly pulled them away.
"Emissary of Dongxia, you Dongxia have gone too far in bullying others. On the morning of New Year's Day, the Emperor of the Song Dynasty will make his own decision!"
The robed messenger picked up the big round hat that fell to the ground and said with a red face.
"Korea envoy, who is afraid of whom? Let's wait and see!"
The bald Dongxia envoy was still speaking hard, but he felt weak in his heart.
Goryeo is a vassal state of the Song Dynasty, and the relationship between the two countries is extraordinary. The Song Dynasty will probably blame the Goryeo envoy for causing trouble.
"Emissary of the Eastern Xia Dynasty, we, Goryeo and Song Dynasty, come from the same lineage and have the same etiquette and laws. During the reign of Emperor Wenzong, the Song Dynasty gave me the title of "Little China" in Goryeo, which was like a vassal. The king of the Song Dynasty also stationed troops in my country. During the Great Dynasty, the Emperor of the Song Dynasty Make your own decision!"
Sure enough, the Korean envoy was angry and justified.
"The Emperor of the Song Dynasty, Sheng Ming, knows that Dongxia is being forced by the Tatars. He will definitely make a judgment and will not be partial!"
The Dongxia envoy knew that he was wrong, but he still argued for himself.
The envoys from various countries around them tried to persuade him, and with guards around them, the envoys from Dongxia and Goryeo left in despair.
It seems that the Dongxia Kingdom and the Koryo Kingdom have deep grudges and are going to sue the Song Emperor.
However, the fact that the Korean envoy regarded himself as "Little China" frightened Best.
"Dear Master Best, I didn't expect you to come to Song Dynasty!"
An Arab envoy in white robes stepped forward, touched his chest and saluted, interrupting Best's meditation.
"Dear Muttalib, you are here too!"
Best was pleasantly surprised and quickly returned the gift.
This Muttalib was an important minister of the Abbasid Dynasty and the younger brother of Abbasid Sultan Mustansir. Unexpectedly, the Abbasid Dynasty also sent an envoy, and he was the sultan's biological brother.
In 751 AD, during the Battle of Talas, the Abbasid Dynasty defeated the Tang Dynasty, which was extremely powerful at the time. It was a glorious period.
The Abbasid dynasty dominated the Arabian Peninsula, while the Ayyubid dynasty dominated North Africa and Western Asia. The two territories are adjacent to each other, and they often attack each other. However, both of them have declined recently, and they have been relatively peaceful in recent years.
"Best, I heard that the Song Dynasty bought a piece of desert in the Red Sea and said it was going to open a canal. Is it true?"
There was the power of the Roman Empire between the Abbasid Dynasty and the Ayyubid Dynasty, and Muttalib was pampered and did not know that the canal had been dug for several years.
"Muttalib, the desert is of no use. The Song people dig and pay for food. We, the Ayyubids, also have work to do and food to eat. Besides, that Roman Emperor Frederick II, if he asks me Ayub used troops, and the Song Dynasty's officers and soldiers were powerful, so they could be put to use."
Best is frank and doesn't hide anything.
"King Ayyubid's Mamluk guards are all brave and good at fighting. You are not afraid of the Roman emperor at all!"
Muttalib laughed, but he appreciated Best's words.
"If you can win over the Song Dynasty, you will have a better chance of winning. We, the Abbasid Dynasty, have a lot of bad things going on."
The Roman Emperor Frederick II led the Crusaders, occupied the Holy Land of Jerusalem, established a palace, and its sphere of influence was adjacent to that of the Abbasid Dynasty. Once the two sides fight, the consequences will be disastrous.
What's more, there is a huge Mongol Empire in the east, ready to invade the west at any time.
Best nodded, understanding Muttalib's difficulties.
"Muttalib, you came to Song Dynasty in person, isn't it because of something big?"
Although it is a desert, selling the territory is not a pleasant thing after all.
"The Tatar army almost reached the royal city of Baghdad during their last western expedition. I heard that the Song Dynasty defeated the Tatar army, so I came to the Song Dynasty. The Emperor of the Song Dynasty has promised to help when the time comes."
Muttalib shook his head and said, but there was a lot of joy in his eyes.
The Tatar army marched westward, passing through ruins, with ruined cities and desolate fields. The destructive power was so great that the Abbasids were frightened.
Historically, in 1258 AD, Hulagu, the grandson of Genghis Khan, led an army to attack the Abbasid Dynasty and surrounded Baghdad. The uncle of the last caliph Mustasim, the ruling Mutalib, was killed. Mustasim surrendered and was wrapped up. Trampled to death by horses in a carpet, most members of the dynasty were also executed, and the Abbasid dynasty fell immediately.
"All the naval warships of the Song Dynasty have arrived in Africa, and it is natural for them to stop in Baghdad along the way."
Best nodded, also pleased.
If the Tatar army really attacked the Abbasid dynasty, further west would be the Ayyubid dynasty. The Ayyubid Dynasty could also benefit from the Song Dynasty's move.
However, since the Song Dynasty is willing to help the Abbasids, it will definitely not be a waste of kindness. But at what cost, he couldn't ask.
"Muttalib, what kind of person is that Emperor of the Song Dynasty?"
Best couldn't help but ask.
"Dear Best, don't worry. By the morning of New Year's Day, you won't see the emperor himself!"
Muttalib said with a smile.
In fact, he had not met Emperor Song, and he had some expectations in his heart.
"The ships of the Song Dynasty have strong guns and even steam ships. For us, we don't know whether it is a blessing or a curse?"
Best couldn't help it and muttered something.
