The internal and external vassal tribute system formulated by Luochen inherited part of the ritual system of the Zhou Dynasty. However, the system of the Zhou Dynasty was more stringent and the distinction between vassals was more obvious, while that of the Han Dynasty was much simpler.
There are now two and a half Xia kingdoms within the four seas. The first one is the central dynasty of Han Dynasty, which is the common leader of Xia and ruled by the emperor. The other is the extremely remote Lingnan Kingdom, which lives in Lingnan under the orders of the emperor. Land development.
The last half is the Duke of Zhao. The state of the country is extremely strange. It is both an external vassal and an internal vassal. It is independent and non-independent. It is very subtle.
The great tribute paid once every five years was one of the biggest political events in the entire Han Dynasty.
Especially after the Han court completely subjugated all the princes, there were no longer any princes looking for reasons not to pay tribute.
All the princes and kingdoms in the world sent huge envoys to Chang'an to express their loyalty to the royal family whose blood relationship was becoming increasingly estranged.
All the disturbances disappeared after Duke Zhao's envoy entered Chang'an City, and then all the focus fell on Duke Zhao.
The mission of Duke Zhao has a very obvious special color. Whether it is the flag, the pattern of the carriage, or the clothes worn by the mission, there are images of phoenixes flying everywhere. This is a totem inherited from the ancient Zhou Dynasty.
The size of the mission reached over a thousand people, including 500 fully armed knights. Under their crotches was a tall horse purchased by Luo at a great expense. The impact was extremely strong. A large crossbow was hung on the horse, and there were sharp blades beside it. The individual is relatively large, and you can even see the bulging muscle lines between the flexed arms. You can tell at a glance that this is a real elite.
In today's world, as the armor becomes stronger and stronger, the gap in combat power between the well-trained soldiers and the peasant soldiers is too big. The era when all the people were soldiers has gradually passed. The army did not exceed 30,000 people.
If the five hundred elites of the Luo family put on armor and go to the battlefield, they can not only expand into an army of ten thousand people and go on a campaign, but they can also be used as a trump card to determine victory or defeat with one strike. They are one of the most precious assets of the Luo family.
Countless people were talking and whispering to each other: "It's really shocking that Lord Zhaogong sent such a large envoy. Those warriors must be world-famous brave warriors. It is said that they have been there since the 1,000-year-old Zhou Dynasty. Established, it is a military branch that has been passed down for thousands of years, the strongest elite in the world."
Ordinary people could only watch the excitement, but the dignitaries saw a different meaning in it, "The Duke of Zhao seemed to be particularly concerned about this tribute, and actually sent such a large mission."
This is not the first time that various countries have come to Chang'an to pay tribute, and it is not the first time that Duke Zhao has come, so the changes this time are particularly noticeable.
"What does Luo want to do?"
In Changle Palace, Liu Heng also asked Luo Jing with some doubts. Luo Jing shook his head and said: "The master of the house has not given me any news about this. You should ask your eldest brother yourself. He is waiting in the side hall."
The eldest brother in Luo Jing's mouth is naturally the oldest man in the Luo family of his generation, the eldest son of Luo Ling. There are relatively few men in his generation. The second eldest brother Luo Zhongkan and the fifth eldest Luochen have no sons, and the third eldest Luo Yi has only one. The legitimate son, Luo Xin, is also the legitimate son of Luo Jing, and the other brothers also have difficulties in having heirs. Many people don't want to have children after they have one. As the head of the family, Luo Ling has the responsibility of reproduction, but he still has prosperous heirs.
Liu Heng heard this and immediately said: "Ah Jing, hurry up and invite the young master in. This is the distinguished guest of the Han Dynasty."
The heirs of princes and kings are called princes, the heirs of Chehou are called heir apparents, and the dukes are called young masters. This is the rule of the Han Dynasty.
Luo Jing responded and hurried to the side hall. An old man with gray hair was sitting there calmly. His face was serious and old-fashioned, and he looked a bit intimidating. He was wearing the most ordinary Confucian clothes, but But with a majestic power, Luo Jing bowed deeply and said: "Jing has met the eldest brother, eldest brother Wan'an."
Seeing Luo Jing, Luo Ban's serious face showed a smile and asked: "A Jing, how has it been living in Chang'an these years?
Brother, I think your health is a little weak. Are you working too hard on state affairs? Do you need more doctors from the family? You must take care of your health. "
Although Luo Jing is no longer the young man he was in the past, he is still a little shy now and says: "Brother, please bear with me. Everything is fine with Jing. Brother, Your Majesty invites you to enter the palace. Please come with Jing."
Hearing this, Luo Ban adjusted his crown, smoothed out some of the wrinkles on his clothes, and stood up, "A Jing, lead the way."
Entering the palace, Luo Ban bowed to Liu Heng and said, "I pay my respects to the Emperor. I send my regards to the Emperor on behalf of my father. May the Emperor be safe and may the Emperor be blessed."
"I am safe."
Liu Heng returned the greeting and said: "Queen, I would like to trouble you to ask Zhao Public Security Bureau for me."
After a while of greetings, Liu Heng asked the question again: "The scale of Duke Zhao's mission is far larger than in the past. I wonder what Duke Zhao has to do when he comes to Chang'an this time besides participating in tribute?"
Luo Ban said: "Zhaocheng is going to present a big gift to the emperor this time. The treasure is precious, so I sent some extra people to protect it. It's nothing else."
Liu Heng's interest became even greater now. What kind of treasure could make Luo Shi value it so much?
Five hundred brave warriors, enough to start a small war, were actually sent to protect him!
To be honest, these five hundred people came to Chang'an City with real swords and guns. Liu Heng felt a little scared. After all, there were many imperial soldiers but they were not in the city. It was hard to say whether the palace guards could defeat those brave warriors. allow.
If it weren't for those brave warriors not wearing armor, Liu Heng would really have to find a reason not to let them enter Chang'an City.
Seeing that Liu Heng was really eager to see something, Luo Ban immediately took out a cylinder from his long sleeve, and then slowly took out the paper.
Liu Heng and Luo Jing watched with wide eyes as a white cylindrical object was taken out by Luo Ban and then spread out flat. It was extremely smooth and even reflected light.
Liu Heng didn't recognize what it was and couldn't help but be a little confused. Luo Jing looked at the snow-white paper and asked with some uncertainty and disbelief: "Brother, is this... the paper that the family has been studying?
Didn’t you say a few years ago that you didn’t have a clue yet? "
Luoban twisted his beard and said with a smile: "It's just paper. After years of research, the family has finally completely broken through the constraints of the past."
Paper?
Liu Heng was even more confused. He still knew about paper, but it was too useless and not many people used it. Is this snow-white thing in front of him paper?
Liu Heng couldn't help but stretched out his hand to touch it. Although it was not as good as silk, the surface was still very smooth. It was completely different from the paper in his impression. He couldn't help but ask: "Is this paper the treasure presented by Luo?"
Luo Jing whispered: "Your Majesty, this paper can be used for writing. You can try it by writing with a pen."
After hearing this, Liu Heng picked up the brush from the desk and wrote directly on the paper. As soon as he wrote the character "Liu", Liu Heng stopped writing completely. His face was full of ecstasy, and his eyes were filled with infinite fire and scorching eyes. Stare at the paper in front of you.
“What a treasure!
Isn't this a weapon given by God to the Han Dynasty to prosper and prosper?
Isn't this God's recognition of my achievements over the years? "
Liu Heng sighed. With his intelligence, he certainly understood what this thin piece of paper represented.
As long as the price of this kind of paper is not too expensive and the production can keep up, these bamboo slips on the desk today may not be seen again for a long time, and everyone will use more convenient and lighter paper to write on.
Liu Heng looked at Luo Ban and smiled and said: "As expected of the Luo family, this must be the best tribute I can receive at this ceremony. Just sending these, I think it is not enough to show its preciousness.
Ah Jing, if you can write a talented piece of prose on this piece of paper, and then present it at the grand ceremony, with the white paper and the prose complementing each other, it will definitely be a scene that shocks everyone. I am very much looking forward to it. "
It has to be said that Liu Heng knows how to maximize profits.
Of course Luo Ban has no objection. Luo's purpose is to come here to gain reputation. Liu Heng's method can improve reputation better, so follow Liu Heng's method.
Luo Jing sent Luo Ban out of the palace, and after agreeing to meet each other, Luo Jing returned to Changle Palace. Then he saw Liu Heng still turning over and over looking at the white paper with the word "Liu" written on it, and went up to sit down. He smiled and said: "If your Majesty likes it, I would like to ask my eldest brother to send some to the palace. This is a tribute. If anyone is missing, you will not be missing."
Liu Heng shook his head and said: "Of course I like it, but a gentleman loves money and gets it in a proper way. I can't get these things for no reason, especially the Luo family where A Jingqin is.
I was thinking, when paper is unveiled at the ceremony, or even becomes popular later, what should I do with it first? "
It turned out that the role of paper was too great, and Liu Heng's thinking turned too fast. He thought of many uses in a short period of time, and fell into confusion.
Seeing this, Luo Jing smiled and said: "I don't know, but I must first make a few copies of all the poems and poems I have written over the years, and then scatter them in various counties so that everyone in the world can read about the great achievements of the Han Dynasty. "
Liu Heng smiled and said: "I asked the literate palace servants to help you. This is a good thing to show the court's grace."
As the day of the ceremony gradually approaches, the atmosphere in Chang'an City gradually becomes tense. The various yamen that maintain public security become more strict, and the curfew policy is also implemented more strictly.
Naturally, Luo Ban was not the only one who accepted Liu Heng's summons. Other more important princes and kings also reported to Liu Heng on the affairs of the fiefdom, especially the kings and county guards in the north such as King Yan and King Dai who were close to the Xiongnu. Detailed reporting of military information.
Another very important vassal king is the King of Lingnan. Zhao Tuo is also very old, so it is naturally impossible for him to come in person. Like Luoling, he sent his own crown prince Zhao Nan.
Liu Heng met Zhao Nan at Changle Palace and heard news about Lingnan.
————
On the New Year's Eve, when the princes came to the capital, Prince Banbi saw Chang Le and presented him with Luo paper. When he was suspicious, Dong'a said, "Take the painting and try it on me."
He took the written test and saw every detail. He was surprised and happy, and said to his left and right: "Historical records show that the Han family was prosperous like this!" - "Han Shu·Xiao Wen Ji"
(End of this chapter) Source: /txt/45174/31981312 Previous Chapter Chapter 48: Breakthrough! Papermaking!
