Chapter 295 is just about sucking up to someone powerful.
"They say it's the Kachin people's newly established royal court, and their throne is unstable."
They came to pay homage to the emperor in Dayu, but their real intention was to gain his recognition of their status.
As long as His Majesty receives them with great respect, it means that His Majesty acknowledges their status, and they are willing to forever regard Dayu as a superior nation of the Celestial Empire, paying tribute and sending homage every year.
Actually, it's not a big deal.
His Highness the King of Qi sent this letter specifically to say that the small tribes of the Biao Kingdom all had this idea.
But they are worried that the people of Dayu will not be interested. They are now watching to see if the Kachin people will succeed. If they do, they will follow suit.
His Highness Prince Qi meant that matters concerning foreign envoys paying tribute were not military affairs but matters of state, and he could not grant them arbitrarily, which is why he pushed the matter to the capital.
The journey from the southwest to the capital is long, and His Highness was worried that something might happen to those people on the way, which is why he sent General Lan to escort them all the way.
"Oh, His Highness also said that the Kachin envoys will most likely make some demands, and we should just not give them any preferential treatment." Song Zhimian quoted Xiao Huaijin's letter.
"Why make such a fuss over something so trivial!" Ye Yunshu frowned slightly.
"What else could be going on? Ever since the Biao Kingdom was torn apart, it's been fighting every single day."
The prefectural city, which was garrisoned by the Southwest Army, was in a better position; no one dared to touch it.
What if there were no Southwest Army troops stationed there? There would be constant fighting. This would even affect border trade in the southwest.
Previously, Kachin State, Shan State, and Sikkim were all under the control of Da Yu. Even though other places were constantly at war, these three places still enjoyed prosperous trade.
But what about now? The fighting in those places outside is getting fiercer and fiercer, and people who want to escape the war are fleeing to these three places.
These three places are now overcrowded.
Now that the Kachin people have established their own royal court, they must want to do something meaningful.
His Highness Prince Qi's idea is to find someone obedient to manage things, as the constant fighting is delaying the income of Dayu.
"I reckon this Kachin man... is one of the obedient people His Highness Prince Qi is looking for," Song Zhimian said with a smile.
Ye Yunshu hummed in agreement.
"In that case, you should inform the Ministry of Rites and the Court of Colonial Affairs to handle this matter."
Since they've come to pay homage, as long as it doesn't harm the Great Yu, then let them pay homage!
I will receive their envoys in the court at that time.
As for the seventh brother...
When you reply to him, remember to remind him that if the matter is feasible, the Southwest Army can handle relevant matters in the Southwest as appropriate, including land tax, commerce, and the appointment and removal of officials.
As for those small foreign countries... finding obedient people is fine, but be careful not to raise a tiger that will cause trouble! Ye Yunshu instructed softly.
Song Zhimian hurriedly came down to greet her.
...
Two days later, the people of the capital saw a foreign country from the southwest come to the capital to pay homage to the emperor of Dayu.
Seeing that the people there were dressed differently from themselves, the people of the capital only watched the spectacle for a short while before dispersing.
"Isn't it common for small foreign countries to come and pay tribute?"
"That's right. As long as they've fought a war and been utterly defeated by our Great Yu, they all end up slinking over and bowing down in submission."
"There are exceptions! Doesn't that red-haired barbarian tribe further north in the north not even have the opportunity to pay homage?"
I've heard that the imperial court is now occupied by the King of Zhao's men, and the former barbarian tribesmen who wanted to pay homage can no longer find their way.
"But which tribe of the Biao Kingdom does this foreign country that came to pay homage belong to? Why do these people look darker than us?"
Although they weren't as dark-skinned as the Kunlun slaves, they still represented the tribe's face. Why couldn't they send some people with fair skin?
"You don't know this, but everyone in the Biao Kingdom, from the royal family to the common people who farm the land, is this color!"
What we see now is considered clean and white in their country.
"Oh, I see! It seems to be because of too much sun exposure."
But with so many large boxes on their carriage, could these be gifts for paying homage to the emperor?
"Did they know His Majesty was about to give birth, and sent these gifts to celebrate the baby's one-month birthday?"
"That's quite possible!"
...
The Kachin envoys did not rush to pay homage to the Empress upon entering the capital. Instead, they spent three days diligently learning etiquette from the Ministry of Rites in a courtyard arranged by the Court of Colonial Affairs.
Where to stand outside the hall, which leg to step into first, how to bow, where to look, how to place your hands when kowtowing, and how many times to kowtow...
The people from the Ministry of Rites taught very diligently.
Since His Majesty ascended the throne, this is the first important task entrusted to the Ministry of Rites. They must make these foreign peoples know what a true Celestial Empire is, and what a great nation of etiquette is...
Finally, at the court assembly five days after the Kachin people arrived in the capital, the Kachin envoys met with the Empress of Dayu.
They strictly followed the teachings of the Ministry of Rites, meticulously performing the etiquette of the Dayu people.
They also presented the treasures they brought from the Kachin people.
A Guanyin statue carved from a single piece of white jade, along with vibrant green jadeite ornaments and various gemstones larger than pigeon eggs…
Boxes of treasures were displayed in the imperial court, and the officials stared at them with wide eyes.
It seems they really came with sincerity!
"Kachin envoy Danna pays respects to the Emperor of Dayu, wishing His Majesty a long life!" The envoy respectfully led her entourage in a solemn three-kowtow and nine-bow ceremony.
Song Zhimian then realized that the Kachin envoy was actually a woman...
They all glanced at Ye Yunshu sitting above, thinking to themselves, "The Kachin people are quite shrewd; they know the emperor of Dayu is a woman, yet they still sent a woman as an envoy."
Song Zhimian knew it was all a coincidence.
The envoy, Dana, is the younger sister of the current Kachin king; the two have relied on each other since childhood.
After a period of wandering and hardship, they became the leaders of the Kachin people, just as the country was in turmoil. This gave the brother and sister an opportunity...
In his letter, Xiao Huaijin said that the Kachin king trusted his sister very much, and his sister was also the first female duke of the Kachin.
Sending his own sister to Dayu demonstrates the importance the Kachin king placed on this audience with the Dayu emperor.
And he must have given this younger sister some other explanation...
...
After the audience ceremony, Song Zhimian followed Ye Yunshu out of the court, then saw Ye Yunshu into the sedan chair, and then stood still.
She knew that the envoy, Dana, would definitely come looking for her.
Not only did Xiao Huaijin mention this to himself, but during the court assembly, Danna also subconsciously glanced at him several times.
Sure enough, Dana came over after a short while.
"Greetings, Lady Song!" Danna bowed respectfully as before.
"Is there anything I can do for you, Your Majesty? He is busy today and probably won't have time to see you. Let's do it another day!" Song Zhimian said with a smile.
Dana quickly waved her hand.
"No! I don't want to see His Majesty right now. His Majesty is very busy and certainly doesn't have time to see me."
When I saw Lady Song, I felt like I was seeing an old friend after many years, which is why I came to bother you.
This is a gift I prepared for Lady Song. Tomorrow, I've prepared a small feast at the Jiuyao Restaurant in the capital. I hope Lady Song will do me the honor of joining me.
As she spoke, Dana took a brocade box out of her sleeve and handed it to Song Zhimin...
Song Zhimian...
Sigh, they still haven't fully learned the etiquette of Da Yu. How can they bribe so openly!
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