Shangluo City is not big.
If compared with the cities of Daxia, it is not even as big as Linjiang City where Fu Xiaoguan once lived.
As for the architecture… the buildings here were made of brick and stone, but they weren't particularly beautiful. And the imperial palace in Shangluo City… well, it wasn't really a palace at all. It was just a circle of low buildings, no more than three stories high. That was the State Administration Hall, the center of power in Shangluo.
The king of Shangluo Kingdom, accompanied by more than 30 ministers, received Fu Xiaoguan and his party in the State Administration Hall.
The two emperors sat on the high platform of the State Hall, Henry stood behind them, and all the other ministers stood on both sides below.
The officials from the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Rites brought by Fu Xiaoguan far outnumbered the ministers of Shangluo State. Once they stood in the hall, they occupied a huge space on the left, forming a sharp contrast with the officials of Shangluo State on the right.
The ministers of Daxia were all dressed in fine attire and in high spirits. While the ministers of Shangluo were also extremely excited, they seemed somewhat timid in front of the Daxia ministers. They glanced at the Daxia officials, not even daring to look them in the eye. This came from deep-seated timidity and inferiority, stemming from their inner fear of Daxia.
Just looking at the clothes, the official uniforms of Daxia officials are extremely gorgeous. What are these officials of Shangluo wearing?
Just coarse linen clothes.
This is the embodiment of national strength. Obviously, the Eastern Divine Kingdom, which is nowhere to be found, is a great existence that crushes the Shangluo Kingdom both militarily and economically.
"Your Majesty, the great Emperor of Daxia, you led your invincible and powerful army to annihilate the Franky invaders and save Shangluo. The entire nation of Shangluo is eternally grateful to Your Majesty!"
"Shangluo Kingdom respects the strong. I, Emperor Doha of Shangluo Kingdom, am willing to lead Shangluo Kingdom to submit a letter of submission to the Emperor of Daxia! Your Majesty, Emperor Doha, is willing to follow the Emperor of Daxia forever and listen to your teachings at any time!"
Henry translated these words, and Emperor Doha of Shangluo stood up. He took out a seal and knelt on one knee in front of Fu Xiaoguan.
He held up the seal carved from white jade and presented it respectfully.
Fu Xiaoguan certainly didn't mind. He took the seal with a smile and said, "Daxia is the Eastern Divine Kingdom, a country of etiquette! Daxia has a vast territory, and I am rich. Daxia never invades any country with powerful military force. Daxia's principle is to establish a good diplomatic order with all countries in the world. Within this framework, all countries must abide by the rules set by Daxia!"
"Doha, get up! Shangluo is the first country I've visited on this journey. Shangluo is still Shangluo. My purpose in coming here is not to occupy you, let alone to enslave you!"
"I will leave behind some ministers to lead your development. Shangluo will usher in a bright future. Of course, Shangluo is under the protection of Daxia. If any other country dares to invade Shangluo, it is tantamount to an offense against Daxia, and I will punish them!"
“…”
Only the words of Fu Xiaoguan and Henry echoed in the hall. Every time Fu Xiaoguan spoke, Henry translated it. Both the officials of Daxia and Shangluo listened very attentively.
For the officials of Daxia, they were witnessing the first dialogue between nations.
For the officials of Shangluo State, this directly concerns the future prospects and destiny of Shangluo State.
Fortunately, Daxia was so wealthy that the young emperor looked down upon Shangluo, a poor and tiny country.
Shangluo is still the same Shangluo. The difference is that His Majesty will arrange for some ministers to stay in the Shangluo court. This is a good thing. They can learn more advanced experience in governing the country from these Daxia officials.
His Majesty will also leave a thousand soldiers in Shangluo City, which is also a good thing. With their powerful fighting power, they may be able to defeat ten enemies with one!
With these invincible warriors here, Shufeng Kingdom and Tianyao Kingdom dare not invade. Shangluo Kingdom can have time to recuperate, and the people can finally breathe a sigh of relief.
"…The so-called exchange is not limited to the economy, it also includes military, culture and politics!"
"In order to ensure good communication between Daxia and Shangluo in the future, I have decided to build a military port on the coastline of Shangluo!"
"In the days to come, I will send someone to bring the envoys from the Luo Kingdom to Daxia to see the prosperity of Daxia and learn about its culture."
"In addition, I will send a warship back with many craftsmen and more warriors."
"I will open a school in Shangluo City. The people of the two countries need to learn each other's language to facilitate communication."
"Daxia does not interfere in the internal affairs of Shangluo. Daxia officials who remain in Shangluo are only there to guide the commercial development of Shangluo and promote trade between the two countries."
"Daxia's army will not help Shangluo suppress the poor people, but will only help Shangluo resist foreign invasion!"
"Doha, you are still the ruler of Shangluo. You still hold the same authority as before. However, regarding economic policy, Doha... you must adopt the methods and approaches of my ministers."
…
This was an unprecedented congress. At this congress, Daxia and Shangluo established a hierarchical relationship between the monarch and his subjects. This was of course extremely beneficial to Daxia, as it was equivalent to Daxia indirectly dominating the fate of Shangluo.
Fu Xiaoguan only liked two things about Shangluo Kingdom - the natural harbor, which was the springboard for Daxia to enter the great voyages, and it was also an important node on the Maritime Silk Road.
In addition, this is a land of endless possibilities!
He has not yet visited the other two richer and more powerful countries, and he does not yet know what kind of advantageous resources Shangluo Kingdom has. These are not important at the moment. The ministers he left behind will explore this land and tap into its huge potential.
In this State Hall, the emperors of the two countries signed two letters of credence:
First, the Shangluo Kingdom pledged allegiance to Daxia!
Second, it is the economic and trade agreement between the two countries!
Shang Luo's national strength was too backward, so a lot of things were added to the originally drafted trade agreement, such as the construction of ships, the upgrading and transformation of workshops, etc.
Of course, Daxia's contribution is conditional. The currency of Shangluo Kingdom will be gradually replaced by Daxia's currency.
In the future, when merchants from Daxia enter Shangluo Kingdom, Shangluo Kingdom will exempt them from tax for five years and open up access to all goods.
This is a bit bullying. The products of Shangluo Kingdom are still in the primitive stage. Once the products of Daxia are imported, the corresponding products of Shangluo Kingdom will have no place in the market at all.
The meeting ended with mutual satisfaction.
Doha sent people to retrieve the prince and took Fu Xiaoguan to his garden.
"I want to ask you, the goods in Daxia are very expensive. Do you have gold or silver to pay for them in Shangluo Kingdom?" Fu Xiaoguan and Doha sat in the pavilion, and he asked with great doubt.
"Your Majesty, please rest assured. Shangluo Kingdom may not have much else, but gold... is truly plentiful!"
Fu Xiaoguan's eyes lit up, He Sandao licked his lips, and Doha suddenly felt that he had too many mouths. Why did he feel like a sheep walking into a tiger's mouth?
"Your Majesty, in fact, the country with the most gold is Tianyao Kingdom!"
Doha leaned over and whispered, "They... really do have three mountains of gold!"
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