Damascus, the famous city of weapons, is now in a bit of a depression. Due to the repeated invasions of the Sasanians, the city has suffered considerable damage. With the Hanfu City of Kitti and the passing passenger ships, the merchants who originally passed here have Choose to take a boat to Hanfu City for a stop, then take a boat directly to Rome and Athens, and then rush to the north from there. In addition, after the source of woozi iron was interrupted, those famous craftsmen lost their livelihood. Some of them went to Hanfu City, and some traveled thousands of miles to the country of Yue. Damascus became a lot deserted. A month ago, after the Sasanians in Damascus heard that Ardashir's army was defeated by the Vietnamese and Roman coalition forces, they had to rush back to the country. Before leaving, they robbed and then let go. The fire turned the once prosperous Damascus into a dead city.
But now Damascus is bustling again.
The Roman general Gordian Jr. and the Vietnamese general Lu Xun rushed to Damascus with their armies. After taking over Damascus without bloodshed, they immediately began to clean all the streets in the city and repair the houses and buildings that had been destroyed by the Sassanids to prepare for the coming war. King Sun Shao of Yue and Roman civil administrator Gordian entered the city to make preparations. More importantly, Roman Emperor Quintus and a group of Roman nobles would also come here to form an alliance with the King of Yue. Young Gordian did not dare to neglect and tried his best. The solution is also to restore Damascus's popularity.
Half a month later, Quintus led his army into Damascus. As soon as he entered the city, he sent an envoy to invite Sun Shao, the king of Yue, who was still on the way, and asked him to enter the city for an alliance. In fact, Sun Shao should have arrived a long time ago. Gordian, who had been accompanying him, originally wanted to invite him into the city as a civil affairs official, but Sun Shao rejected him with one sentence: "If I enter Damascus, then Damascus will be It will no longer be the territory of Rome, and the land I set foot on will become the land of the Yue Kingdom. Can you be the master of this?"
When Gordian heard this, he immediately took back his original words. He did not dare to be the master, nor was he willing to be the master. If this spread to Rome, he would become a traitor. The reason why Alexander was opposed by many nobles was because he gave Axum to Sun Shao. Although it was originally a vassal state, it greatly stimulated the dignity of the Romans. He would rather leave this villain to Quintus than ruin his reputation at this time, so as not to affect future power struggles.
After receiving the invitation from Quintus, Sun Shao ignored Gordian's half-smiling eyes and asked the same question. The messenger smiled slightly and said calmly: "His Majesty the great Roman Emperor said that Damascus is the Roman capital. The land was obtained with the blood of countless soldiers and cannot be given away casually. Please forgive me for His Highness the King of Yue. However, His Highness the King of Yue is a friend of the Romans, and he cannot keep His Highness the King of Yue out of the city, so he and the respected members of the Senate After our discussion, he decided to give the most beautiful manor in Damascus to His Highness the King of Yue. As long as His Highness steps into that manor, that manor will belong to His Highness the King of Yue from now on, and only to the great King of Yue. His Highness the King of Yue has come a long way to work hard, so our His Majesty the Emperor has also sent a chariot carried by thirty-two of the bravest Roman warriors, who will carry His Royal Highness the King of Yue all the way to your manor without even touching his feet."
Sun Shao was stunned at first, then laughed loudly, then turned to Gordian, who had a complicated face and said: "Your Majesty the Emperor is indeed very kind and it is difficult to refuse. It seems that I can't do it without a trip."
Gordian smiled bitterly and nodded, but he was a little disappointed. He originally thought that this was a difficult problem and it depended on how Quintus solved it, but he didn't expect that Quintus actually came up with such a solution. In this way, Quintus showed enough sincerity, and sending a manor to Sun Shao would not irritate the honor of the nobles. The Yue Kingdom had helped Rome so much, so it was acceptable to give him a manor. This time, Kuntus followed Most of the MPs from Tus to Damascus are Momia's supporters. They will also benefit from the alliance with Vietnam, and of course they will not oppose Quintus's approach. With the support of these congressmen, Quintus' move gained procedural legitimacy. Anyone who wanted to attack him would also be attacking the Senate.
"This is His Majesty the Emperor's intention for the King. If the King can accept it, it will also be the pride of us Romans." Gordian said with an insincere smirk. Sun Shao laughed, said nothing more, and immediately arranged for the army to set off.
After receiving Sun Shao¡¯s reply, Quintus breathed a sigh of relief and immediately arranged a welcome ceremony.
On the day when Sun Shao entered the city, the city of Damascus was kept spotless. Ten thousand Roman Guards and ten thousand Vietnamese elites led by Lu Xun lined up along the wide streets, forming two long human walls blocking both sides. The crowd of supporters stretched from the city gate to the manor gate. Hearing that His Royal Highness the King of Yue was about to enter the city to meet with the Roman Emperor, businessmen from the Han Dynasty within a hundred miles came. Many people came from Kitti Island to watch the ceremony. They all wore beautiful Han Chinese attire, and some even raised their eyebrows.Flowers stood on both sides of the street, excitedly waiting for the arrival of the King of Yue. Han merchants are now the richest group in Damascus. The better houses on this main street have either been bought by them or rented by them. Many of the accompanying female relatives are sitting upstairs because it is inconvenient for them to show their faces. Looking at the lively scene outside through the window screen, the long street is decorated with these brightly dressed and smiling faces, and there is no trace of being ravaged by the Sasanians at all.
Amid everyone's expectations, Sun Shao sat on a chariot carried by thirty-two Roman aristocratic young warriors and walked majestically into the city of Damascus. The famous Roman general Gordian and the heroic Vietnamese The prince's descendants were at his side, and Roman soldiers and Yue soldiers walked side by side through the long streets.
"Long live -" As soon as they saw Sun Shao's chariot, the crowds on both sides suddenly became excited. People waved their sleeves, shook the flowers in their hands, and gave thunderous cheers to Sun Shao on the chariot. Sun Shao smiled all over his face and raised his arms to frequently signal to the cheering crowd. He was already very prestigious in the eyes of the merchants, and now that he was so close to the people, the merchants became even more excited. They shouted and shook their hands desperately, as if Sun Shao could see each of them.
¡°The king is mighty¡ª¡± there was a wave of cheers from the crowd.
"Long live the king¡ª¡ª"
"Long live the great man¡ª¡ª" Sun Shao waved his hands on the chariot and shouted loudly: "Long live Rome¡ª¡ª"
¡°Long live the great man¡ªLong live Rome¡ª¡±
People became even more excited, shouting at the top of their lungs. Not only did they shout in unison, but even the soldiers also shouted in unison. Both the Vietnamese soldiers and the Roman soldiers showed proud smiles and cast friendly glances at the people on both sides from time to time. Only Tu Hu, Ao Lei and others who were closely following Sun Shao did not dare to neglect, for fear that an assassin would come out and destroy the good situation in front of them. They watched everyone within sight with vigilance. I couldn¡¯t do anything too outrageous, so I was extremely nervous. Ao Lei's hand never dared to stay on the short stick at his waist, and his palms were sweating. Tu Hu kept a step away from Sun Shao, ensuring that if something happened, he could stand in front of Sun Shao as soon as possible. .
After passing through the long wall of people, Sun Shao's cavalry finally stopped at the entrance of the manor. Little Gordian and Lu Xun stood at the door with smiles on their faces to greet them. As soon as the cavalry arrived, they immediately caught up with them, one-legged Kneel down in front of the chariot.
"On behalf of His Majesty the Roman Emperor, I would like to welcome His Royal Highness the King of Yue."
"I would like to pay my respects to the king."
Sun Shao stood up from the chariot with a smile, straightened his clothes, waved to the crowd stopped ten steps away by the soldiers, and then walked down the chariot holding the outstretched arms of little Gordian and Lu Xun. He took the chariot and slowly walked into the open door of the manor that had been decorated in the style of the Han Dynasty. Inside the gate, two rows of slaves wearing beautiful new clothes knelt on both sides and said hello in unison.
Sun Shao looked at the manor where the Han Dynasty architectural style and Roman architectural style were perfectly unified, and nodded with satisfaction: "Yes, it is really amazing that it can be done like this in such a short period of time. I wonder which master's handiwork it is? "
"Looking at the level of exquisiteness, it should be the work of Master Vitruvius." Goldie soothed his beard, looked at those magnificent houses with joy, and said with some surprise: "But the three contemporary masters of Vitruvius I went to Vietnam for a study tour years ago, has he already come back?"
"Father is right." Little Gordian said with a smile: "This is exactly the work of Master Vitruvius. He just returned from Vietnam six months ago. This is his first work after returning. However, this This is not his work alone, he is working with Li Ze, the most famous architect in Yue." He smiled and said, "Your Majesty, you must not have thought of what they each did, right?"
Sun Shao pondered for a moment and said with some uncertainty: "Could it be that these Roman-style houses are the works of Li Ze, while the Chinese-style houses are the works of Vitruvius?"
"The king is wise." Little Gordian said with admiration: "I asked many people, but they couldn't believe it. The king still knows people with a keen eye. No wonder there are so many talents like General Lu around the king."
"Hehehe" Sun Shao glanced at the reserved Lu Xun and said with a smile: "The general is wrong. Talents like General Lu and General Lu are like a bright pearl, even if they are placed in a dark room, they will emit light. The due brilliance can be seen by anyone with normal eyesight.¡±
Gordian laughed loudly, shaking his head as he laughed: "How can my son compare with General Lu? In front of General Lu, his life has been in vain for these decades."
Lu Xun quickly said modestly: "The general is joking. Being with the general these days, Xun has gained a lot."
"Justified"Communicate with each other and learn from each other's strengths, just like my big brother and Rome, we should communicate more. " Sun Shao said as he walked slowly into the courtyard. Everyone commented on the buildings they saw along the way. The atmosphere was very harmonious. Just now, Sun Shao specifically praised little Gordian and made it clear that he wanted to win over Gordian and his son. Gordian is an old man, so how can he not understand the truth? Of course, at this time, he is deliberately trying to get closer to each other.
After sitting in the hall for a while, the Roman Emperor Quintus's chariot arrived in front of the door. Sun Shao ordered Prince Sun Feng to rush outside to greet him. Quintus was stunned for a moment when he saw Sun Feng. He had met Sun Feng when he was in Yue Kingdom, but at that time Sun Feng was just a childish young man, but now standing in front of him was a heroic young man with a handsome face. Although it hasn't changed much, the temperament is very different. He was a little curious. He hadn't heard that Sun Shao brought the prince here.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince?" Quintus asked tentatively.
"Your Majesty has a good memory." Sun Feng smiled slightly and bowed respectfully: "My father ordered me to welcome Your Majesty in."
"Thank you, Your Highness, King of Yue." Quintus took Sun Feng's hand and talked to Sun Feng as he walked. After entering the main hall, Sun Shao, who was standing outside the door, laughed loudly and quickly walked down the steps. He stretched out his hands from afar and said, "His Majesty the Emperor is so generous. You gave me such a beautiful manor. I am so grateful." It¡¯s a bit well deserved.¡±
Quintus laughed: "Your Highness has a distinguished status. It is an honor for this manor to have an owner like you. Your Highness is a good friend of mine and has helped us so much. If His Highness arrives here but does not come to Rome, I feel sorry for you to walk around the land." He paused and then said: "If His Highness really likes this manor, then give him more opportunities for cooperation."
"Hehehe" Sun Shao pointed at Quintus and smiled: "You have become a philistine now. You talk to me about benefits as soon as we meet, which makes me very disappointed."
Quintus also laughed and said: "Your Highness, this is not my idea alone. The members of the Senate are looking forward to more cooperation opportunities between Rome and Vietnam to push our friendship to a new height. "
"If you have intention, why don't I have intention?" Sun Shao held Quintus's arm and walked up the steps to the hall. The two of them were seated as guest and host. Two Aryan female officers and a group of Syrian servants brought tea and snacks. It didn't take long. , a small but very exquisite tea banquet was served. Sun Shao and Quintus sat side by side and talked about the situation after their separation.
Although there were not many people sitting at the table, they included the most important candidates from both sides. Sun Shao and Quintus came well prepared, and they successfully determined the strategy for further cooperation between the two parties, including the joint siege of Ctesiphon. As for the future economic cooperation between the city and the city, specific candidates will be responsible for the details. Sun Shao pointed at Sun Feng and said: "You have seen it too. This is my incompetent prince. He followed me here this time just to see the world. He will be specifically responsible for the negotiations. I will ask my old friend to give me some advice. .¡±
Quintus was very surprised. Sun Feng was only twenty years old at most, and Sun Shao was still in his prime. Is it too early to hand over power to his son so early? However, he still said politely: "The prince is very heroic and as smart and capable as the king. I'm afraid I have to ask the prince to show mercy and don't let me lose face in front of an old minister like the civil affairs officer."
When Gordian heard this, he quickly smiled and shook his head.
Sun Shao laughed secretly and said: "The prince is young and has little experience. I am going to let General Lu assist him. After this battle, the affairs here will be presided over by the two of them. Feng'er, His Majesty the Emperor is an old friend of mine. The reason why Yue State can cooperate so closely with Rome is due to His Majesty the Emperor. We have known each other for many years and our friendship is irreversible. You can learn more from him in the future."
Sun Feng bowed in response and saluted Quintus again. Quintus glanced at Gordian proudly, feeling secretly happy. Lu Xun sat aside and his expression remained unchanged, but he breathed a sigh of relief. Sun Shao wants to keep Sun Feng to take charge of important matters and let him assist him. This is the greatest trust in him. When Sun Feng succeeds to the throne, the future of the Lu family will be bright. It seems that the decision to leave Wu and join Yue was the right choice.
While talking, a few major events set the tone. Everyone got the benefits they wanted and naturally felt comfortable. Quintus sent an invitation to Sun Shao, saying that he would hold a banquet to welcome Sun Shao. Sun Shao happily agreed and ordered Sun Feng to send Quintus and others out.
Quintus returned to the palace in a happy mood and first conveyed the good news to the waiting legislators. The congressmen were very happy after hearing this, and left one by one with satisfaction. They went back to prepare to bathe and change clothes to attend this grand banquet. Quintus couldn't restrain his emotions and walked excitedly to the backyard and told the news to Momia who was resting.
After hearing this, Momia¡¯s expression changed and she jumped from the soft couch.?Sit up and ask, "Prince of Yue Kingdom? He wants to keep the prince here to preside over affairs?"
"yes."
Momia was stunned for a long time, glanced at Quintus who had not yet recovered, and sighed silently: "I know, this is indeed good news. You go and prepare first, I also want to wash my body. .¡±
Quintus got up and left knowingly. Momia watched his back disappear outside the door, and then she let out a long sigh and said angrily: "Does this cruel man only have eyes for his prince? Isn't Philip his?" My son, you are not willing to make any concessions for him and insist on keeping the prince? The country of Yue is so big that it is not enough for his prince to manage, so he came all the way to Rome to grab Philip's land? Huh, what a heartless person. man."
She was sulky for a while, patted the silk quilt under her angrily, stared at the roof for a while, then gritted her teeth and said to herself: "No, I want to see him, I can't let that What prince robbed Philip of his land?"
In the manor, Sun Shao was sitting on the main seat, and Lu Xun and Sun Feng were sitting across from each other. Lu Xun said with a worried look: "Your Majesty, this time the siege of Taixi Feng, Your Majesty, has devoted all his energy, regardless of his own safety, and used himself as bait. The Ardashir expedition was induced, and our Vietnamese army marched thousands of miles. Cui Qian's naval officers even braved many difficulties and dangers and sailed at sea for more than half a year before entering the Mediterranean, helping the Romans completely reverse the situation of the war. Only in Thousands of soldiers died at sea. In addition, we also spent huge sums of money to hire the Wei, Shu and Tianzhu armies, which established today's battle situation. Now a rough calculation, even if we capture Taixi Feng, I am afraid that the gains will be The spoils of war are only enough to pay for the mercenaries. We can say that we have gained nothing. The army has traveled thousands of miles and fought for two years. It is inevitable that the soldiers will be rewarded. If we can't get any benefits, then this battle ¡¡±
Sun Shao sipped the tea calmly and glanced at Sun Feng: "Feng'er, what do you think?"
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