"I wonder if you have noticed some places - many people, many huge machines, and cars like the ones we ride - they are still building roads. I asked the official, and he told me about the great plan of their emperor, the people they called the Son of Heaven. They wanted to build the roads to every village, and I could not imagine how much manpower and material resources would be needed for a huge country with an east-west distance of at least five thousand miles north-south to complete such an amazing plan." Sir Edward of the English delegation said.

"Maybe like the cars we were riding, they had extremely powerful road construction skills. And they had 30 million slaves." Sir Williams said: "There are not so many people in Portugal."

"No, add the Netherlands." Sir Tange said: "The Netherlands plus Portugal plus Spain, all of them may have thirty million people."

"And there are so many young and middle-aged men who are slaves by them." Sir Edward said: "Imagine if we have a war, they only need to arm their slaves--it is not difficult. I think the steel consumed by such a bridge in front of me can arm millions of troops."

"Even more." Sir Maxi, Spain, said: "Do you know how long this bridge is? More than ten miles!"

"We should not discuss war." Sir France Chirac sighed, "This is not wise. This is a super country with 30 million young and middle-aged slaves and a population of 200 million. It is stronger than the whole Europa combined. I think it should be thankful that they are very far away from Europa. We are here to discuss business, aren't we?"

"Maybe." Sir Edward frowned and said, "Maybe what we think is far away, not far away to them. They already have Persian slaves and must have had war with the Safavi Empire. I don't think the Safavi Empire is their opponent. If they defeated and annexed the Safavi Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire would not be far away."

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone was silent.

Yes, Europa is far away, perhaps not far away to Daxia.

"They like to build roads." Sir Williams mused: "If they set a place down, they will build the roads to wherever they are. Just looking at the speed of the cars we are riding in, it makes people restless. And this is only for civilians. We don't know what kind of cars their army is using."

“So we have to bow our heads.”

Sir Maxi squinted his eyes slightly: "This country uses slaves. This means they are not sheep, but lions. I heard that this empire called Daxia has just replaced a previous dynasty and has only been established for less than four years. Four years have become so powerful, what about ten years?"

"Look down? Sir Maxi, how can you say such words as a nobleman?" Sir Tange accused.

Sir Maxi smiled: "We can't beat them, of course we have to bow our heads. Is there anything worth discussing? But I didn't say that we should always bow our heads. We should use commercial means to seize some technology from them, such as the kind of cars we ride in, and their ships. We also have technology, so of course we are not afraid of them."

"I hope so," Edward said: "If it were me, I wouldn't have leaked such technology."

"Of course, of course. Of course, their country will not, nor will their sons of heaven. But those officials may not be." Maxi said confidently: "People are greedy."

"So, we must surrender first?" Sir Tange of the Netherlands said unhappily: "Our fleets traverse the sea, conquered the sea, conquered the Americas, conquered the Afriga, and there was equally vast..."

"But neither America nor Africa does not have Xia Kingdom, isn't it?" Sir Maxi said: "They do not have a population of 200 million, they do not have a unified country, and they are not even institution in the army, and most of them are weapons and stones. So we can conquer them. But it's not here."

Sir Maxi paused and said, "When we see their sons of heaven, we must be more respectful. Everyone, think about it."

They returned to the station with their own thoughts. After resting for a night, they continued to set off early the next morning, crossed the Kaifeng Yellow River Bridge, entered Hebei, and rested in Baoding for half an hour at noon, and arrived in Tongzhou before the afternoon and evening.

More than half a month has passed since the empire's third-year National Day, and October is about to come.

After the mission of the Taixi Yiyi arrived in the capital, the Ministry of Rites arranged for rest at the Ministry of Rites' inn. It was not until the first day of October that the god of humanity, the son of heaven, was seen in that magnificent and majestic palace.

They don’t need to be deliberate. The moment they see Ying Yi, they must be respectful. Under Ying Yi’s inadvertent pressure, no one can raise their heads.

The court meeting did not really get to the point when presenting the letter and gifts. Ying Yi was the emperor and of course he would not end in person. Even if the kings of these five countries came to him, the same would be true.

The second specific matters will be handled by the Ministry of Rites.

After the court meeting, Ying Yi left Zheng Yunzhi and Huang Zongxi in the Emperor Pavilion.

"The intention of the Taixi Yi Yi came out of words." Ying Yi said: "From Guangzhou to the capital, what he saw and heard must make him dare not act rashly. The empire's footsteps have not yet touched Europa, and there is no need to go directly to war with it."

Zheng Yunzhi nodded slightly and said, "Your Majesty is wise. After the navy bans the sea, the interests of the Western barbarians will be greatly damaged. He will not dare to act rashly, so he will ask for it. Maybe he will ask for opening the sea and trade like the Japanese in the sun."

Ying Yi smiled and said, "It's not just that. Western barbarians are also robbers. Opening the sea, trade is certainly what he wants. But this is just one of them."

Zheng Yunzhi suddenly realized: "And he has the skills of the Great Xia, such as the method of making chariots and warships?"

"Yes." Ying Yi smiled and said, "The Western Barbarians have nothing but three methods. One is commercial invasion. The second is religious invasion, and the last is war. The second is not mentioned. The Great Xia civilization is one and there is no room for Western Barbarians to preach, and war is not considered. Naturally, it is achieved through commercial means."

Huang Zongxi, who had never spoken, was not very beneficial at this time. He believed that a emperor and a prime minister were all beneficial in his words. What kind of morality is it that a gentleman does not speak of profit?

He said immediately: "What does Your Majesty have any instructions to the Ministry of Rites?"

Ying Yi laughed in silence and said, "Don't be anxious. The Western barbarians will be shocked. They dare not start the war. They will turn into trade negotiations. Now that the empire's resources are getting richer, I have already intention to open the sea. When they come, they don't know that I intend to open the sea. The responsibility of the Ministry of Rites lies in this - the South Vietnam Peninsula and the South Ocean are inherent civilization circles of the Xia. I have never thought of getting it done in one step, and I do not expect to teach them to give up the South Ocean and the South Vietnam Peninsula through negotiations, but I can regain part of it first. The responsibility of the Ministry of Rites lies in this."

Huang Zongxi knew it and said, "The countries on the South Vietnam Peninsula are mostly vassal states of all dynasties, and the islands of Nanyang also have Han people living there. Daxia is the inheritor of Yanhuang, and Your Majesty is the leader of the Xia Dynasty, so it should be like this."
Chapter completed!