The short video shows the ancient times, and the emperors cried with envy!

Chapter 828: Addiction to lavish gifts! Why are countries competing to give lavish gifts?

[Sixth, bronze sculpture "Tree of Wisdom", donated by Kazakhstan.]

[Under the tree of wisdom, two outstanding representatives of Eastern and Western philosophers: Confucius, the sage of China, and Ali Farabi, the son of the grasslands of Kazakhstan, are having a dialogue, symbolizing the similarities between the people of Kazakhstan and the people of China in terms of history and spiritual values.]

[7. Golden Peacock, presented by the Emirate of Alian.]

[This golden peacock is made entirely of gold, and its entire body is called Weiwei Stone.]

[The peacock's scales are layered, with clear textures, alternating between gold and blue. The golden branches on the wings are separated into strips, extending to the golden feathers on the screen behind, each strand connected and yet independent.]

[The length of each feather and the arc formed are precisely considered, very close to the matching proportions of real peacock feathers.]

[8. Wood-covered silver filigree elephant inlaid with gemstones, from Sri Lanka.]

[The trunk and limbs are covered with silver sheets with engraved patterns, like armor, and the silver sheets are inlaid with gems. On the elephant's back is the classic national treasure of Sri Lanka, the Buddha Tooth Pagoda. ]

[9. The gem-encrusted mandala, from Nepal.]

[Inlaid with gemstones, corals and turquoise, and paired with hollow gold-plated copper filigree, the shape is both square and round, and rich in balance. ]

[10. Gold, silver and malachite palace model, from Camel Country.]

[This "Square Palace" is the royal palace of the Camel Kingdom and is also a landmark building in the capital Riyadh. ]

[11. Amethyst Agate Parrot, from Samba Country.]

[Parrots symbolize good fortune and are also the national bird of Samba. Paired with Samba's amethyst, it is perfect.]

[The above introduction is only a small part. There are many more state gifts that Xinlong State has received since its founding. 】

[If you are interested, you can go to the capital to see it in person if you have time. ]

[Because our country has regulations, gifts with a value of less than 200 yuan can be accepted directly, but gifts with a value of more than yuan need to be turned over to the national treasury for unified collection. ]

Barrage:

——"Can you collect it yourself for less than 200 yuan? Give a gift of 199.9 quietly"

——"Confucius: I never thought that I could still discuss philosophy with a foreign leader a thousand years later"

——"I suddenly realized that all countries are very good at presenting gifts."

——"The craftsmanship of the craftsmen is really amazing. Even the peacock feathers can be restored so delicately."

——"After reading this, I feel that the standard of 200 yuan is a bit low, now there is inflation"

……

Spring and Autumn plane.

Confucius looked at the sculpture of the "Tree of Wisdom" in the sky, with a look of relief in his eyes.

"It is indeed unexpected that this foreign country would rank me alongside their saints and sages."

Just as Zigong was about to answer, Yan Hui on the side spoke first.

"Master, this Ali Farabi must be a wise man. It is really gratifying that a foreign country can respect the Chinese way so much."

"This son of the grassland actually understands the principle of 'harmony in diversity'."

Confucius stroked his beard and smiled: "It seems that the world is so big and there are so many people seeking knowledge. I have been teaching for so long, but I didn't know that my teachings have spread so far."

"Master, look at the gifts from these countries. They are all exquisite. The golden peacock is even more exquisite. Even the feathers have distinct textures."

Zigong sighed and said, "The skills of these craftsmen are probably better than those of Lu."

"Zigong, you still like to talk about these external things."

Yan Hui smiled and shook his head.

"I think that the silver-armored elephant is beautiful, but it is not as meaningful as the tree of wisdom."

"You all have a point."

Confucius looked at the sky and continued.

"The purpose of etiquette is to be appropriate. These countries treat each other with etiquette, each with its own ingenuity, and they really understand the principle of 'adapting measures to local conditions'."

"But Master, who exactly is Farabi?"

Zigong asked in confusion.

"This person must also be a wise man who understands things."

Confucius looked calm. "It is a relief to have a bosom friend in a distant place. It seems that the saying 'all men in the world are brothers' is not just empty talk."

"Master, what you said is absolutely true."

Yan Hui deeply agreed with this.

"People from other countries have come from far away to seek the way of China. I believe their wisdom has something in common with ours."

……

The Great Sui plane.

Yang Guang looked at the treasures from various countries displayed on the sky, his eyes flashing with greed.

"Yu Shiji, look at these foreign things, they are so glittering and exquisitely crafted. I opened up the canal and expanded the territory, wasn't it just to collect the rare treasures from all over the world?"

Yu Shiji responded with a folded hand: "Your Majesty, you can see clearly. The gifts from these countries are indeed exquisite, especially the golden peacock, which is made of pure gold and inlaid with precious gems. It is more exquisite than the gold and silver wares of our Great Sui Dynasty."

"These barbaric countries are hiding so many treasures and not paying tribute. This is simply disobedience! After I pacify Goguryeo, I will continue to expand westward and ask these countries to send their treasures to me."

Yang Guang stood up excitedly.

"I will also build a bigger gold and silver palace in Camel Kingdom!"

"Your Majesty, calm down."

Yu Wenzhi spoke out to dissuade him.

"Now that the treasury is empty and the people are exhausted, it is better to rest and recuperate first..."

"Recuperate? These foreign nations are enjoying themselves over there, how can I be willing to do that!"

Yang Guang waved his hand to interrupt.

"Look at the silver-armored elephants in Sri Lanka. I want to get a pair to play in the imperial garden. As for the jewel-studded mandala in Nepal, it is even more magnificent than the pagoda in the Buddhist temple!"

"Your Majesty, these countries are far away, and the journey is long. Sending troops to conquer them may be difficult..."

"The journey is long? Isn't that why I built the canal? The treasures of the Western Regions must be continuously transported to the Sui Dynasty! What's a few thousand miles?"

There was a gleam of determination in Yang Guang's eyes.

"Continue to recruit civilians to build the canal to the Western Regions!"

Yu Shiji and Yu Wenzhi looked at each other with bitter expressions.

I'm afraid the entire Sui Dynasty cannot satisfy this emperor's desires.

……

"These foreign nations really know how to please us. They even brought out our sage Confucius."

The ancient people in the teahouse of the post station were talking about it, marveling at the ingenuity of these exotic countries and marveling at these rare objects.

The tributes I had seen in the past were mostly spices, gems, and cloth, but I had never seen such exquisite things.

"How much do you think these treasures are worth?"

"Whether it's worth the money is secondary. The craftsmanship is truly amazing."

Ordinary people had never even heard of such treasures, let alone seen them.

Although the tributes received by the imperial court have always been precious, this is the first time that they have been so unique.

"These foreigners are really good at dealing with things. They even pay attention to the meaning of gifts they give."

"That's right. They have even studied our saints so thoroughly."

"These countries really put in a lot of effort. The gifts they sent are not only priceless, but also very unique."

"I just don't know what good things people in the future will send back when they return the gift."

If the return gift is not exquisite enough, wouldn't it undermine the prestige of a great country?
But then again, it is rare for these countries to promote Chinese culture so much.

"This is what they call a distant relative is not as good as a close neighbor. They are so caring even though they are far away, but our neighboring country is not so caring."

"Don't say that. Reciprocity is the right thing to do."

In a blink of an eye, these exotic treasures have become a hot topic of discussion on the streets.

Although these treasures have nothing to do with ordinary people, it is still a pleasure to see such exquisite objects.

(End of this chapter)