Chapter 104 Chapter 104 The surrounding crows...

The surrounding Wusun nobles all turned their gazes towards Jiang Wan. The younger ones were fine, merely curious; the older nobles mostly regarded her with scrutiny and disapproval.

Although this hurdle was dangerous, once it was passed, Qingjiang's journey in Wusun would be smooth sailing. Moreover, today's sacrifice was also a test from Kunmi—the King of Wusun would not support an envoy who was unable to handle the burden.

Facing thousands of gazes, Jiang Wan acted as if he didn't notice anything, bowed his head and touched his chest in the manner of a Zoroastrian believer.

Seeing her use the Zoroastrian salute, the nobles' expressions softened slightly. A noble man in the first row on the right asked, "Does your Excellency also believe in Zoroastrianism?"

Jiang Wan bowed slightly: "I respect your country's customs."

The nobleman was furious: "Kunmi! This woman is from a foreign tribe and doesn't believe in our gods. How can we allow her to participate in the sacrifice?"

"Your Excellency's provision of utensils for the sacrifice is also a sign of sincerity in the alliance between the Great Zhou and my Wusun. Telga, why are you so stubborn?" Kunmi said kindly.

The nobleman named Telga snorted, "The people of the Central Plains are cowardly and timid. What use are they?"

"That's enough!" Madam You's expression darkened. "Wusun has already signed a trade treaty with the Great Zhou. Are you saying this because you're dissatisfied with Kunmi's decision?"

Telga said he didn't dare, but turned his head angrily and faced Jiang Wan with his back to him.

Seeing that Madam You had temporarily brought the situation under control, Jiang Wan straightened his back and raised his voice, "Nobles of Wusun, this is my first time attending your Lantern Festival, and also the first time the Great Zhou and the Wusun court have collaborated. I understand your unfamiliarity with the people of the Central Plains and your concerns, and I am willing to do my best to learn your customs. But think about it, the Xiongnu, Chechi, and Dayuan have all participated in your Lantern Festival. The Great Zhou is merely a little further away, so why can't we do the same?"

"To prepare the sacrificial vessels, my delegation and I systematically studied Zoroastrianism and its ritual procedures. We also carefully examined your country's sacrificial vessels from previous years, fearing any errors might anger the Zoroastrian gods. As you all know, our delegation arrived in Wusun only six days ago, and we've been working tirelessly day and night to craft the vessels, only completing them this morning."

Jiang Wan paused, observing the expressions of those around her. The first to waver were the ordinary people in the distance. Compared to politicians, ordinary people were more easily moved by sincerity and dedication. Many people who had initially strongly opposed her were now listening carefully to her words.

"As Madam You said, this is the sincerity of our Great Zhou's alliance with your country. I have always longed for the customs and practices of the Wusun people and am willing to learn your customs and integrate into your life. I hope that you will give me a chance to see if these sacrificial vessels suit your taste, in view of my sincerity."

The expressions of the Wusun people in the distance were moved, and the nobles who participated in the sacrifice were also a little shaken, and they began to communicate in low voices.

Jiang Wan bowed humbly. "The Ao gods have a prophecy: those who do good will be rewarded, and those who do evil will be punished. Those who do good will gradually enter heaven, first entering the Heaven of Good Thoughts, then the Heaven of Good Speech, then the Heaven of Good Deeds, and finally the Heaven of Light, the eternal paradise. Welcoming wandering strangers is also a good deed. May the great Ao gods bless you to enter heaven."

After finishing his words, Bai Yanyun couldn't help but give a thumbs-up. When Kunmi first introduced the teachings of Zoroastrianism, they all thought it was nothing more than a backward, primitive religion, a kind of black magic used by rulers to enslave the masses. Everyone was too busy making porcelain to even look at it.

Not only did Lord Jiang read it, he could even recite the entire passage! By using their beliefs to convince them, he indirectly proved that he had truly learned their culture. Now, the people outside were all very happy and asked to use the utensils she provided for sacrifice.

Since the noble rulers used Zoroastrianism to rule the masses, they had to acknowledge its teachings. Jiang Wan brought up the Zoroastrian oracle, and even the pro-Xiongnu nobles dared not say anything, so they had no choice but to step forward and proceed to the next step.

It's like using magic to defeat magic.

Bai Yanyun looked at Jiang Wan silently, and decided to obey the latter's orders from now on and never say anything more.

Jiang Wan turned around, looking puzzled: "Why are you looking at me? Is there something wrong with me?"

Bai Yanyun: "My lord, there's nothing right with you. You look like a monster."

Jiang Wan:?

The next step is to light the soul-calling lamp. In this step, the head of each major Wusun family and their wives come to the tombstone and light the soul-calling lamp.

The first lamp is to pay tribute to the Kunmi of all generations.

Kunmi and Madam You both stepped forward, kneeling before the Aoshima god before arriving at the tombstone. Kunmi lit a candle, while Madam You shielded the flames with her hands while holding up a celadon jar with a net pattern.

The flickering flames became much more stable, and the two of them held the requiem lamp above their heads.

After the previous argument, the Wusun people's eyes couldn't help but fall on the porcelain jar. The thick azure base, the colorful pattern, the even and fine glaze, and the smooth and exquisite hollow design made it much more pleasing to the eye than last year's pottery jar.

The pottery of Wusun lagged behind that of the Zhou Dynasty by two or three hundred years. The pottery was rough and difficult to paint. The concave parts were darker in color, while the convex parts were lighter. Some corners were even blank.

Jiang Wan's celadon not only lacks these drawbacks, but its scientific hollow design also effectively shields the candle from wind without affecting light transmission. The flame becomes more stable, adding a sense of sacredness and solemnity to the spirit-calling lantern.

The Wusun people may have heard of Central Plains artifacts before, but it was not until this moment that they witnessed with their own eyes the advanced handicrafts of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

The older family heads who had been reluctant but had to use Jiang Wan's porcelain for sacrifices also became more curious. The younger family heads were even more eager to try it out, hoping to experience the charm of Central Plains porcelain up close during the sacrifice.

There are not many large families in Wusun, and there are a total of ninety-nine family heads who need to light the soul-calling lamps.

When the householders lit the lamps, they realized the net-patterned celadon jar was just an ordinary one. The camel offering plates before the tombstones were each meticulously crafted to lifelike detail. In Wusun, such artworks took artisans months to create and were so valuable they could be gifted as birthday gifts for the householder's wife.

As a result, this Central Plains man produced a hundred such works of art in four or five days, and each one was so exquisite!

Tombstone: I have never seen such luxurious sacrificial vessels.

Patriarch: Are people from the Central Plains so perverted?

Before the ceremony, they had heard rumors that houses in the Central Plains were made of gold. At the time, the householders had scoffed at the idea, but now it seemed plausible—the fact that they could produce a hundred such expensive items at once showed that the people of the Central Plains were indeed wealthy.

Several young family heads returned from lighting the lamps, their eyes wide with wonder. If the sacrificial ceremony wasn't still underway, they would have wanted to go up to Jiang Wan and ask if he could sell them these instruments.

The process of lighting the soul-calling lamp by the head of the household is the longest, as each couple must first kneel before the Ao gods, then light the soul-calling lamp, sprinkle kumis on the ground, and kowtow to their ancestors. By the end of the whole process, the sun is already setting.

After the collective prayer, it was time for a more relaxed dinner. Everyone changed into casual clothes and sat around the campfire. The waiters placed offerings of beef, mutton, kumis, and fruit on the grassland for everyone to share.

For Zoroastrians, these foods are "blessings bestowed by the gods upon the believers," and even the pickiest eaters will eat their share. Jiang Wan and the others naturally followed the local customs and grabbed the lamb legs to nibble on.

However, because Chen Xi was young, Bai Yanyun drank her bowl of kumis on her behalf.

After having enough wine and meat, Kunmi waved his hand and waiters brought up plates of gold, silver and jewelry.

Original Zoroastrian sacrificial rituals also included gift-giving, but at that time, the tribe was small, and each member had to make a gift to express their recognition and acceptance of the other members. Now that the Wusun population has grown and the tribe has developed from a primitive nation, the gift-giving process has been simplified, with gifts now exchanged between families.

In addition to jewelry, there were also gifts of golden eagles, bows and arrows, BMWs, perfumes, and jewelry. Starting with Kunmi, every family head gave Jiang Wan a gift, representing the Wusun nobles' acceptance of her.

When it was her turn, she clapped her hands twice. The officials of the delegation behind her lined up in a row, holding smooth and brilliant Suzhou embroidered clothes.

The firelight reflected on these clothes, making them sparkle even more, and stunned all the Wusun nobles.

I didn’t expect Jiang Wan also prepared a gift, and I didn’t expect it to be such a beautiful gift.

The fact that she had prepared gifts showed that she was confident that they would accept and like her. It was not an improvisation or a chance. This calm and effortless sense of control made them respect Jiang Wan.

"This dress is made of the famous Floating Light Brocade of the Central Plains, worth a hundred gold pieces per piece. The embroidery on it is auspicious cloud patterns, symbolizing good fortune. It uses the unique Suzhou embroidery technique of Lin'an." Jiang Wan introduced while pulling Chen Xi to her side. "My disciple is an expert in Suzhou embroidery. These dresses were designed by her. She even traveled all over Chigu City to inquire about the body shapes of every wife of a family head. It can be said that these dresses are tailor-made for each wife."

After hearing this, the ninety-nine wives of the family heads present were both shocked and moved. One of them looked at Chen Xi and bent down slightly: "Little girl, this outfit must have taken a lot of effort, right?"

"It takes 240 hours of work, including weaving, ironing, cutting, and sewing, to complete one garment. That's 40 women working for four days." Chen Xi spoke seriously about Suzhou embroidery. "Only garments made with the utmost care are worthy of a distinguished and beautiful lady like you."

If this flattery was said by an adult politician, it would seem exaggerated and flattering. However, when it was said by Chen Xi, coupled with her serious and earnest look, the lady actually thought she was sincerely praising her.

"You have such a sweet mouth." The lady chuckled and ordered the maid beside her to take the dress.

All the Wusun noble ladies, including Madam You, accepted Jiang Wan's gifts.

Of course, Jiang Wan had considered the choice of gift. Even if she could gain the approval of the Wusun nobles, the heads of families close to the Xiongnu might not accept the gift out of political considerations.

But giving it to the wives of the household diluted the political element of the gift. Women all have a love for beauty and a compassion for the young, so starting with them would be much easier.