Soon, Chu Qian's delegation and naval soldiers arrived ten miles outside the city of Rome.

Looking at the red carpet ahead and the Roman guards on both sides of the road, Chu Qian pulled on the reins, then jumped off his horse and walked towards the city gate on the red carpet.

As the Han delegation drew closer, the city gate became crowded, with everyone widening their eyes, eager to see the appearance of the guests from the East.

During this period, both the Han Dynasty and Rome had a problem with judging people by their appearance.

In the Han Dynasty, when selecting officials, appearance was considered first, followed by talent and learning; the same principle applied in Rome.

As for the Germanic people of the northern steppes, although the Romans regarded them as barbarians, they were extremely fond of tall, blonde, blue-eyed Germanic women.

In Rome, a Germanic female slave was a highly sought-after commodity.

Therefore, these Romans were also very curious about the appearance of people from the East.

Many people have heard that the Han people are very tall, even larger than the Germanic people.

Note: Before the Song Dynasty, Han people were known for their tall and strong stature.

During the Han Dynasty, the average height of men was over 1.7 meters, and the records of heights of eight or nine feet in books are not unfounded.

The Romans, on the other hand, were only about 1.6 meters tall, while the younger men next to them were only about 1.2 meters tall, and many were even shorter.

Therefore, during the Han Dynasty, the men of Han were undoubtedly the tallest men in the world; this is not boasting, but a fact.

Soon, the Romans who were waiting at the city gate saw the mysterious Han Chinese who had only existed in rumors.

Just as rumored, Han people were indeed exceptionally tall, but what surprised them most was that Han people had the same black hair as them, and even their pupil color was very similar.

Despite the differences in their appearances, the Romans felt a sense of closeness to each other.

"Whether in the East or the West, only black hair and black eyes are considered noble."

This was the shared sentiment of all the Romans present.

However, the Romans were soon drawn to the magnificent attire worn by Chu Qian and the other members of the delegation.

Compared to their simple attire, Chu Qian and the others' magnificent robes looked particularly exquisite and luxurious.

This was undoubtedly extremely attractive to the Romans, who valued appearance.

Although the Romans achieved great military success, they lagged far behind the Han Dynasty in art and culture.

This is why, since the division of Rome, the European continent has never been able to reunify.

The root cause is cultural backwardness. Once divided, each culture develops its own understanding, making it difficult to reunite.

After all, a prerequisite for a unified dynasty is cultural unity.

As Chu Qian and his group drew closer, Kang Maode stepped forward to greet them.

"Welcome to Rome, my most distinguished guest!!"

Although equally attracted by the exquisite clothing, Commodus did not forget his identity and purpose.

His most pressing task right now is to build a good relationship with the Han envoy.

The guide following behind Chu Qian also stepped forward to translate Commodity's greetings for Chu Qian.

Fortunately, Kang Maode was not the kind of person who was impatient for quick results. After exchanging a few pleasantries, he invited Chu Qian and the others to go to the city to rest.

Amidst cheers and applause, Chu Qian and the others followed Kang Mao to a huge manor in the city.

Here, Commodus prepared a grand banquet for the Han delegation.

During the banquet, these Roman nobles, just like those in the Egyptian province, were filled with longing for the silk and various goods of the Han Dynasty. They constantly talked and tried to build relationships with Chu Qian and his group, attempting to purchase more silk.

At this time, Rome was in the golden age of the Five Good Emperors.

Due to the long period of stability and prosperity, the entire empire inevitably fell into a state of extravagance and debauchery.

The situation in Rome today is remarkably similar to that of the Han Dynasty in the past: the upper class indulges in pleasure and competes with each other, while the lower class lives in poverty and uncertainty.

The difference is that Liu Hong's appearance pulled the Han Dynasty out of the abyss, while Rome went further and further down this path.

Marcus Aurelius, as the Roman emperor, wanted to make changes, but he was powerless to do so because the Senate was too restrictive of him due to the different systems.

In other words, Rome did not belong to the emperor, but to a group of nobles and the Senate.

As the Han envoy, Chu Qian, surrounded by a group of nobles, acted with ease, winning the respect and recognition of all the Roman nobles with his knowledge and insight.

In contrast to the bustling scene here, Commodus was having a pleasant conversation with the Confucian scholars in the delegation.

In particular, the ideas of respecting the king advocated by these Confucian scholars, as well as their political propositions of winning people over with virtue and governing people with propriety, captivated Kang Maode.

These Confucian scholars, rejected by the Han Dynasty, were thrilled to see the Roman emperor's son so highly praising their doctrines.

They began to constantly preach the superiority of moral, ethical, and political systems to Commodus.

"Your Highness, as the ruler of a nation, if you wish to consolidate your position and achieve true imperial power, the first thing you must do is to let people know what etiquette is and what respect and hierarchy are."

Only when people are knowledgeable and understand etiquette will they be able to see their own position clearly, serve the emperor wholeheartedly, and refrain from any rebellious acts.

In our great Han Dynasty, the emperor is the supreme ruler, and everyone must act in accordance with the emperor's will. Even verbal offenses are considered a grave offense of disrespect.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!