April of the eighteenth year of the Kaiyuan era.

A fleet of ships flying the Gallic flag sailed into the port of Donglai in the Han Dynasty.

The people on the fleet also took out the letter of credence from the King of Gaul and went to see the port official.

Although they didn't know which country this Gaul Kingdom was, since they had sent envoys with gifts, the port officials dared not neglect them and sent people to escort them to Luoyang.

In mid-May, the Gallic envoys arrived in Luoyang.

Like those before him, the Gallic envoy was astonished upon seeing Luoyang's magnificent city walls, wide cement roads, and bustling crowds.

Those who could go abroad as envoys were certainly well-traveled and knowledgeable people. The Gallic envoy believed that there was no place in all of Rome that could compare to Luoyang.

The Gallic envoy couldn't help but exclaim, "Throughout our journey, the people's lives have been exceptionally peaceful and harmonious. Luoyang, in particular, is unlike anything I've ever heard of. This clearly demonstrates that the strength and wealth of the Han Dynasty far surpasses that of Rome!"

"Yes, it was truly a worthwhile trip for us!"

The entourage nodded in agreement, their awe for the Han emperor who ruled such a powerful empire growing ever stronger.

Subsequently, guided by the Han officials, the group checked into the city's inn.

Deyang Palace.

Even before the Gallic envoys entered the city, Liu Hong had already received the news, so he summoned a group of ministers to discuss countermeasures.

Inside the hall, apart from veteran officials such as Cao Song and Yuan Feng, there were mostly young and strong men such as Yang Biao, Xun You, Sima Fang, and Zhuge Gui.

"Gentlemen, Gaul was originally a province under Rome, but now it has become an independent country and has sent envoys here. How should the court treat this?"

Upon hearing Liu Hong's question, everyone pondered for a moment.

Cao Song stood up and said, “Your Majesty, the Han Dynasty and Rome have signed a brotherhood alliance. The Gauls have betrayed Rome and sent envoys here. They are clearly trying to sow discord between the Han Dynasty and Rome.”

Currently, the Han Dynasty and Rome are exchanging goods and engaging in frequent commercial trade. Nearly 30% of the Han Dynasty's foreign trade revenue comes from Rome.

"Whether from a moral or economic standpoint, our Great Han should stand with Rome. As your subject, we should send men to expel the Gallic envoys from our Han territory!"

Upon hearing Cao Song's suggestion, Liu Hong simply smiled and nodded, neither denying nor agreeing, and instead turned his gaze to Yang Biao and the others.

Feeling the emperor's gaze, Yang Biao suddenly realized that the emperor disliked Cao Song's answer.

After organizing his thoughts, Yang Biao stood up and said, "Your Majesty, I believe that although Grand Secretary Cao's words are reasonable, they are somewhat inappropriate!"

"Oh? What's wrong with what I said?" Cao Song raised an eyebrow and turned to ask Yang Biao.

Yang Biao said solemnly, “Our Great Han is a celestial empire, a land of propriety and courtesy. Over the years, we have never expelled envoys from other countries who came to pay tribute.”

Although our Han Dynasty has treaties and trade relations with Rome, these pale in comparison to the reputation of our Han Dynasty.

Therefore, I believe it is permissible to receive the Gallic envoys, but the court should adopt a neutral stance towards the Gallic Kingdom, neither supporting nor opposing it, and should only discuss commerce, not politics!

Upon hearing this, Liu Hong simply smiled and remained silent, instead turning his gaze to the others.

The people in the hall also expressed their opinions, some supporting Cao Song and others supporting Yang Biao. For a time, the entire hall was filled with debate.

Just as everyone was debating, Liu Hong smiled and said, "Gentlemen, I would also like to share my opinion!"

Upon hearing this, all the officials in the hall fell silent and raised their heads to await the emperor's next words.

After glancing at everyone, Liu Hong said in a deep voice, "Gentlemen, not long ago, I received a letter from Xuande."

When Augustus of Rome died, his son Commodus became the new emperor.

Commodus's rise to power caused considerable discontent among all levels of Roman society, and many in the provinces also expressed their dissatisfaction.

Therefore, in my view, the independence of Gaul is just the beginning. Once Gaul can establish itself, the other provinces will inevitably follow suit and become independent states.

It is believed that Rome will soon be in a state of division.

Gentlemen, you might consider this: would a unified, complete Rome be more advantageous to the Han Dynasty, or a Rome fragmented into countless small states?

Upon hearing Liu Hong's question, everyone in the hall began to ponder.

Soon, everyone reached a consensus that a divided Rome would be more advantageous to the Han Dynasty.

In the past, the Han Dynasty and Rome were known as the two great empires of the East and West, and in everyone's mind, these two countries became the representatives of the East and West, respectively.

However, despite this, many people are still not entirely at ease.

Those in China who hold a strong sense of national pride, in particular, find these remarks unacceptable.

In their minds, the Han Dynasty was the most powerful country in the world, and no other country could compare with it.

If Rome had truly fallen into a state of division, then the Han Dynasty would have become the only superpower in the world.

Putting aside treaties and trade, this title of "unique" seems to have more practical significance.

After all, although Rome had split, their nobles, commoners, and lands were still there, so treaties could be renegotiated and trade could resume.

Instead, facing a group of fragmented small countries, the Han Dynasty seemed to have an easier time gaining a favorable position, manipulating them, and truly extending its reach into the distant Western world.

Cao Song then said, "Your Majesty, I believe that since Gaul has become an independent small country, given their size and strength, they are no longer qualified to engage in equal dialogue with the Han Dynasty. We need to carefully discuss what kind of alliance to sign with them!"

Yang Biao stepped forward and echoed, "Grand Secretary Cao's words are reasonable; I second that!"

"We second that proposal!"

The ministers in the hall also spoke up, echoing Cao Song's proposal.

In their view, in the present world, only Rome, which was previously unified, was barely qualified to talk to the Han Dynasty, and even then, it had to be a younger brother.

Today, a small country that has broken away is, in any case, not qualified to be equal to the Han Dynasty.

Subsequently, after discussion, it was decided that the Gallic envoys should use the grand ceremony of kneeling when paying homage to the emperor. If the Gallic kingdom wanted to be recognized by the Han Dynasty, it would have to become a vassal state of the Han Dynasty, with its king appointed by the emperor and its princes sent to the Han Dynasty as hostages, and it would have to pay tribute every year.

Liu Hong adopted all the suggestions from his ministers.

Soon, the decision of Liu Hong and his ministers reached the ears of the Gallic envoy.

The Gallic envoys initially rejected these demands made by the Han Dynasty.

However, after carefully learning about the current territory and military equipment of the Han Dynasty, the Gallic envoy finally agreed.

Soon, the imperial edict from the Han emperor appointing Dacdo as King of Gaul, along with the corresponding seals and insignia, reached the hands of the Gaulish envoy.

Of course, the Han envoys and a group of Imperial Guard officers also left with the Gallic envoys.