The Great Tang General

"Our king has always admired the great reputation of the Heavenly General. It was you who repelled the evil Arabs, brought new life to the Persian region, and ushered in light to the world."

"Your Majesty, please allow me to express my respect to you once again!"

After Abogas saluted Li Xuan again, he said: "On behalf of our monarch and country, I present the treasure to His Majesty the Emperor. May the diplomatic relations between our two countries be forever strong and the friendship last forever; may the civilizations of the East and the West be as brilliant as the sun and the moon."

As he spoke, Abogas began to order his servants to take down the state gifts they were carrying.

They took out the boxes from the car very politely. Before entering Chang'an, Abogas had already prepared them.

Due to the significant differences in national culture, the Roman Empire had no idea what the Tang Emperor liked.

When they were in the Western Regions, they had not found out about General Tian's hobbies, so they could only rely on their own preparations when they came.

Wait until all the servants stand upright holding boxes.

Abogas bowed, inviting Li Xuan to visit. He and the translator would introduce the origins and significance of these treasures to the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty one by one, showing the friendship between the Roman Empire and the Tang Empire.

Li Xuan did not refuse. He took the officials and followed Abogas to watch from west to east.

"Your Majesty, this is a gemstone necklace made with the most exquisite craftsmanship in our country..."

The first treasure is a gold necklace with green gemstones as the main component, which looks very noble at first glance.

Compared to the Eastern dynasties’ love for jade, the Roman Empire has always had a special liking for gemstones. As time goes by, their views on gemstones are constantly changing.

The emerald on the necklace in front of me is hung on the "petal-shaped" gold and is the size of a pigeon egg.

Until the present Roman Dynasty, this gem has retained the toughness favored by the ancient Romans while also retaining its softness, making jewelry show a unique beauty of "hardness and softness".

At the same time, the necklace was also the most precious treasure of ancient Roman noble women.

But it was this rare treasure that made the civil and military officials behind Li Xuan shake their heads.

No matter how much Abogas talked about it, they didn't think it was a good thing.

The noble ladies in the Tang Dynasty wore pearls around their necks to make themselves look more noble.

"very nice."

As the emperor, Li Xuan, in order to show his grace, would praise something even if it did not conform to the aesthetic taste of the Tang people.

The second piece is a gemstone ring from the Roman Empire.

A gemstone ring is a symbol of power, and those who can wear it are either rich or noble.

The better the quality of the gemstone ring, the higher the power it represents.

The third treasure was a gorgeous brooch with a pendant made of four colors of gemstones. He claimed that it was a brooch once worn by Caesar.

He was worried that Li Xuan didn't know who Caesar was, so he started bragging about him to highlight the importance of the brooch.

His words were also recorded word for word by the attendant, regardless of whether it was a brooch worn by Caesar the Great, it would be one from now on.

The fourth item was a purple crystal necklace, each crystal was full and evenly polished, and it was made in one go. This treasure seemed to be in line with the aesthetic taste of the Tang nobles.

Next, Abogas presented Li Xuan with treasures selected from the treasury by Constantine V.

He and Jun Laowu intersected in this way.

But Li Xuan also discovered that the treasures presented by Jun Laowu were of varying quality, including glass products and semi-precious stone products.

Of course, in the Roman Empire, these would have been rare treasures.

To be fair, if what Abogas said was true, some of the treasures were quite nice, such as the ancient king's scepter, a huge emerald cross related to religion, a pure gold Greek statue, and some gold coins from the ancient Roman period.

These have a lot of research value for China.

Until the last box, Abogas first said the foreword: "Hundreds of years ago, there was a country called Carthage in the south of the Mediterranean. Among them, there was a very brave commander named Hannibal. This man was as powerful as a general in the sky..."

He told Li Xuan the story of Hannibal in vivid detail.

He must let the Tang Emperor know about Hannibal's deeds and know that he was a highly respected figure in the West.

Li Xuan also listened carefully.

He had heard of Hannibal and knew of Carthage, but his understanding of these was superficial.

"This is Hannibal's sword. He carried it with him until he was poisoned to death. The more powerful Rome defeated Carthage and obtained this sword. Today I present it to His Majesty the Emperor to commemorate His Majesty's achievements."

As he spoke, Abogas opened the box, took out the precious sword along with the scabbard, and handed it to Li Xuan.

"Shh..."

Li Xuan took the sword and slowly pulled the blade out of the scabbard.

It doesn't look very sharp, but it has traces of history. There are also some ancient Western texts from an unknown era.

Yes, it will be of great help to the future study of Mediterranean history.

"Hannibal, I have heard a little bit about him. It's a pity for him. I would like to call him the Xiang Yu of the West..."

After Li Xuan finished speaking, he added: "But it's not worth regretting!"

The Sogdian translation was also confusing, making Abogas think it was a compliment.

He thought so too. The Eastern Empire was so vast and there must be people like Hannibal.

Moreover, Rome and Carthage were basically in a hostile relationship.

For the Romans, there can only be one master around the Mediterranean.

And now, there are many countries surrounding the Mediterranean.

The rise of the Arab Empire inevitably meant the decline of the Roman Empire.

Otherwise he wouldn't have crossed mountains and seas to come here.

"Unfortunately, we are thousands of miles away, so I can only bring these with me. If I were to exchange gifts like these, it would be even more grand."

After presenting the treasures, Abogas said to Li Xuan.

"China is the central country, and the Tang Dynasty is also a country of etiquette. Your coming from a long distance is a testimony to our etiquette. A gift of goose feathers from a thousand miles away is a token of affection. I understand Rome's sincerity. When I return in the future, I will have the military supply convey my sincere gratitude to your king. China and Rome are the core of the world's two polar civilizations. The Silk Road is the bond that connects us. I believe that with our sincere cooperation, this road will surely prosper..."

Li Xuan also spoke to the Roman Empire with a sincere look on his face.

He is not a short-sighted person. His strategic vision is far greater than that of the owner of the sword in his hand.

After defeating the Black Caliphate, the Tang Dynasty would inevitably have a clash with the Roman Empire.

Only he knew that Jun Laowu was an capable monarch who would overcome danger and become the ultimate "Bulgarian Butcher".

The historical Roman Empire would also reach its peak two hundred years later.

Of course, just like the sun and the moon, one rises and one sets.

When the Roman Empire became strong, the originally more powerful Arab Empire would come to an end.

The Tang Dynasty, which represents the orthodox Chinese culture under the control of Li Xuan, must be the sun that never sets.

"Thank you, Your Majesty..."

After hearing the translator's words, Abogas' face was moved and he bowed to him.

He felt that Li Xuan was very magnanimous and had the intention to praise the Roman Empire, so he should achieve something on this trip.

"The two countries are connected by thousands of miles, and we have always had the tradition of bringing flowers and crops from our respective territories. In the past, our Roman envoys went to the Tang Dynasty and brought famous flowers. Now I bring more crops..."

Abogas also took the opportunity to present bags of dried and sealed seeds.

Li Xuan became excited when he heard this.

Since he became the commander of Hexi and Longyou, he has tried many times to introduce agricultural products from the Western Regions and the Arab world into the Tang Dynasty.

The most successful case is the cotton that has been planted for ten years and has blossomed in Qinghai, Jiuqu, and Longyou, and is initially being planted in Guanzhong, Zhongyuan, and Hedong.

He has always believed that the diversity of crops, fruits and vegetables is the sign of a strong country.

The sunflower and 藴 that the people of the Tang Dynasty ate were not actually very tasty. If there were better vegetables, they could be completely substituted.

Therefore, Li Xuan also intended to select and cultivate better radishes and cabbages and make it a strategy.

Because they have large yields, can be eaten in many ways, and can still be preserved intact in winter for ordinary people to eat.

Of course, things like potatoes, sweet potatoes, peanuts, peppers, etc. are not something we can expect now.

The great voyages of discovery had not yet begun, so it was impossible to bring these crops from South America.

Li Xuan only knew that these came from South America, but South America is so big that it would be like a fantasy to find them without any sailing experience.

There are also many other fruits that need to be improved.

Just like the pears, apricots, plums, dates, peaches, cherries, grapes, etc. from Mount Li, they are the result of step-by-step selection and improvement, which is why they have become the most classic fruits today.

At the instruction of Abogas, the servants showed Li Xuan carrots, lentils, spinach, peas, cabbage, olives and other crops, and introduced them one by one.

Some of them the Tang Dynasty already has.

For the Tang Dynasty, these crops were just icing on the cake and could not bring about a qualitative change in the lives of the people of the Tang Dynasty.

For example, eggplants, lettuce and cucumbers, which had been introduced to the Tang Dynasty long ago, were not popular among the common people at all.

When it’s just starting out, it’s more cost-effective for people to grow cabbage and radishes.

"This is an apple seed, which is a kind of...:"

It was not until the end, when Abogas took out the apple seeds, that Li Xuan's eyes lit up.

He has always been obsessed with this fruit.

Due to China's climate, the area from the Guanzhong Plain to the Heluo Basin and then to the Qi and Lu regions is very suitable for growing apples.

The apples that have been selected and cultivated are big, crisp and sweet.

However, the quality of domestic apples is currently very poor.

In fact, when Zhang Qian was on a diplomatic mission to the Western Regions, he brought back apples that originated in Central Asia. However, these apples were worse than wild fruits. They were small and yellow, and had no sweetness at all.

People are not even interested in selection and training.

It had been kicked to the curb by people a long time ago, as if it didn't exist.

But Li Xuan knew that apples from Europe were worth cultivating, and that the ancient Greeks had been growing apples more than a thousand years ago.

The Romans also have a tradition of cultivating apples, so the apples brought from the Roman Empire must be able to be promoted on a large scale.

In a few years, it will definitely be able to challenge the status of the four native fruits of China: peach, plum, pear and apricot.

Apples are also part of the nutrition for the people.

"The flowers of the Western Regions bloom in China, and they are a testimony to our friendship. If you come again, you will definitely be able to eat vegetables and fruits from your hometown. We have prepared a banquet for you. Please enter the Hua'e Xianghui Tower."

Li Xuan, who was very pleased with the emperor, ordered the imperial guards to collect the seeds of crops and flowers.

Even if it is already available in the Tang Dynasty, it still needs to be planted and compared in quality.

The transfer of fruits and crops is also an important part of the East-West exchange. The place of origin is not necessarily more suitable for its growth than the place where it is cultivated.

There was confusion in Abogas's eyes. Looking at Li Xuan's expression, he seemed to know these crops and flowers, but he did not express it.

He could only blame it on the unfathomable nature of the Tang Emperor.

In the Roman Empire delegation, in addition to Ambassador Abogas, there were more than a dozen officials and nobles who attended the banquet.

The other followers were arranged to stay elsewhere and treated to wine and meat.

The Hua'e Xianghui Tower, which was carefully built by Li Longji, is not only magnificent in appearance, but also magnificent in interior.

The lobby on the first floor is paved with smooth bluestone. In addition to gold, silver and jade articles, there are also calligraphy and paintings by Wu Daozi, Wang Wei, Yan Liben and others hanging around the walls.

Originally, the corridor of Hua'e Xianghui Tower was paved with silk brocade, which was changed every day to avoid being stained by dust.

But Li Xuan rejected such extravagant ideas.

Even if Li Longji was visiting Hua'e Xianghui Tower, it would not exist, which made him quite dissatisfied, thinking that Li Xuan was deliberately targeting him.

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Abogas and other Roman officials walked and looked carefully.

The inside is even more shocking than the outside.

The banquet hall on the second floor of Hua'e Xianghui Building is even more luxurious, and can accommodate thousands of people drinking and having fun at the same time. The hall is filled with exquisite low tables and cabinets, all made of precious wood and carved with intricate patterns. Exquisite porcelain from all over the world highlights the royal nobility.

Li Xuan allowed civil and military officials to entertain themselves, such as drinking and enjoying singing and dancing.

Under normal circumstances, foreign envoys would not be able to receive such treatment.

But Li Xuan wanted to use Jun Laowu so that he could save some effort in the future and solve the great threat of the Arab Empire.

He was worried that if he ignored the Arab Empire, it would rise again in the future, annex Persia, move eastward to Transoxiana, and even cross the Congling region to reach Anxi.

Compared with the troops of the Arabs, their religion was more difficult to deal with when entering the territory of the Tang Dynasty.

As long as the Tang Dynasty is given time, Central Asia can be sinicized.

Once the Arab Empire is given a chance to breathe and Central Asia is occupied by their religion, the Tang Dynasty will sooner or later lose it forever.

Abogas and the Sogdian translator were eventually invited by Li Xuan to the main seat to talk with him.

This specification made Abogas, who had traveled a long distance, feel extremely warm.

The prosperous and ancient country indeed possesses the etiquette of a great power, unlike the barbarians in Bulgaria who only know how to ride horses, shoot arrows, and rob, the Slavic barbarians, and the hypocritical Franks.

Li Xuan and Abogas first just had a few drinks to let him taste the Tang Dynasty's Xinfeng wine.

But judging from the way he forced himself to swallow, it was obvious that he was not used to it.

Li Xuan was considerate enough to have wine brought over.

Although wine originated in Persia, it had already spread throughout the Roman Empire.

Li Xuan also introduced the history of China to Abogas, and claimed that the current Tang Dynasty was the 3454th year of the Chinese calendar, to show how long China was.

Apogasi was indeed surprised, as Rome had only been around for a few hundred years.

Moreover, the Isaurian Dynasty of the Roman Empire had only been established for forty years.

In contrast, China's Tang Dynasty has lasted for more than a hundred years.

It was only after Li Xuan ascended the throne that the Tang Dynasty began to clarify the concept of China, gradually perfecting previous dynasties and pushing them forward.

Li Xuan planned to ask the prime ministers to compile a chronological history book similar to the "Zizhi Tongjian" to describe the concept of China more clearly.

Although some people in the Tang Dynasty call themselves "China" now, it more often means the Central Plains Dynasty or the Celestial Empire.

The concept of absolute ideological unity must be deeply rooted in people's hearts.

"Your position in Rome is like that of the prime minister of the Tang Dynasty. I am willing to ask you some questions since I have come all the way here."

After some toasts, Li Xuan interrupted Abogas's stealing glances at the singing and dancing and prepared to get to the point.

"Your Majesty, please speak!"

Abogas was flattered.

"I think the world is divided into two types of civilizations, land civilization and ocean civilization. Rome embraces the sea, but also has the depth of land. What kind of civilization is it?"

Li Xuan asked Abogas.

"Your Majesty, Rome belongs to the maritime civilization..."

As soon as Abogas finished speaking, he thought of the rise and characteristics of the Roman Empire and quickly corrected himself: "Rome belongs to the land civilization."

This is a difficult question to answer in this era, because when the Roman Empire was strong, it surrounded the Mediterranean and always had a large navy.

But Li Xuan understood that the unique feature of the Roman Empire was its land civilization.

Because before it, there were three well-known civilizations along the Mediterranean coast.

Egypt, Chaldea and Assyria.

Egypt and Chaldea had natural geographical conditions for protection, while Assyria relied on self-protection.

"Great minds think alike. China is also an undisputed land civilization."

Li Xuan smiled and answered Abogas, then continued: "Since ancient times, the culture of land civilizations has always been more brilliant, and will eventually win in the competition with ocean civilizations. For example, the ocean civilization Athens was defeated by Sparta; the rich Carthage was destroyed by Rome. Because we have more discipline and mission."

The Phoenicians, Greeks and Carthaginians are three nations that dominate the ocean. Their situations are respectively: lack of natural protection, having natural protection and relying on self-protection.

Occasionally a leader emerges who understands the value of both land and sea and conquers the land through his insight and the extraordinary wisdom that gave him that insight, like Hannibal of Carthage.

Li Xuan's words left Abogas dumbfounded. Although they were just a few words, they showed that Li Xuan understood the West. Unlike him, he knew nothing about the history of the East.

He was just wondering what Li Xuan meant when he claimed that land would defeat the ocean.
At the same time, he was thinking that the Arab Empire was an emerging land civilization.

Will the three land civilizations compete in the Mediterranean region?

Some things cannot be thought about too much.

"Your Majesty is truly knowledgeable. I believe that our two countries will continue to shine forever, unchanged for thousands of years."

Abogas pondered for a moment and said to Li Xuan.

He had to admit that the Tang Dynasty was far more powerful than today's Rome.

In terms of population and territory, they are overwhelming.

He came all the way from the Caspian Sea, crossed the river, went to the Western Regions, then entered Dunhuang to see the pearl on the oasis, and saw the magnificent and prosperous Liangzhou city in the Central Plains Corridor.

Not to mention that the prosperous area of ​​the Tang Dynasty was not west of Chang'an, but east of Chang'an.

All the way to the sea is the territory of the Tang Dynasty.

"Our friendship will be witnessed by history." Li Xuan just raised his glass and drank it all with Abogas.

"Your Majesty, the Caliphate was an evil country. It took advantage of the situation and became rich today. Now the Caliphate has lost the most important Khorasan region and the vast area south of the Caspian Sea. Its caliph Abu Jalfar Abbas has succeeded to the throne by killing the king. This is the weakest time. In addition to the friendship between our two countries, I also hope that our two countries can jointly send troops to destroy the Caliphate."

While the two were talking, Abogas could no longer hold back his temper and spoke to Li Xuan.

Li Xuan changed history and caused Constantine V's southern expedition to fail.

Li Xuan launched a fierce attack on the east of the Caliphate Empire and drove the Caliphs to the west of the Caspian Sea, giving Constantine V the opportunity to completely destroy the Black Caliphate.

"Your Excellency came from the Caspian Sea, so you should know how far Chang'an is from the Caspian Sea. If we send troops from here, it will take a year to arrive, not to mention that many of our Tang troops are in the Central Plains and Jiangnan."

What Li Xuan said was equivalent to a polite refusal.

He could not make Abogas understand his intentions.

Precisely because of its distance, they feel that the Tang Dynasty will eventually stop.

Today, the only country that can join the Roman Empire in dealing with the Black Caliphs is the Tang Dynasty.

As for the Green Caliphate newly established by the descendants of the Umayyad Dynasty in the Spanish region, the Roman Empire did not take it seriously at all.

"If we don't destroy the Arab Empire, it will be very troublesome for us after it recovers its strength. Your Majesty has excellent vision. You should know that the Arabs are eyeing Persia and may attack Persia at any time to retake the rich Khorasan region. With the strength of the Tang Dynasty, we can just send troops from the Western Regions and the Transoxiana River and summon the subordinate tribes to march west again."

Abogas persuaded Li Xuan.

Even the Romans knew that the Arab Empire was extremely dependent on the manpower and resources of Khorasan.

In the past, the Khorasan heavy mechas caused a lot of trouble to the Romans.

Ten years ago, the Khorasan cavalry also made the Roman soldiers shudder with fear.

While in Persia, he made a point of learning about the process of Li Xuan's first Western Expedition.

At that time, Li Xuan was still a "governor" of one side. He used only the troops and vassal states of the Western Regions to complete the Western Expedition, destroy the governor and the great emir of Khorasan, and beat the Arabs into fleeing in panic.

Therefore, there is no need to invest more troops in the Central Plains. We can continue to rely on the troops in the Western Regions to attack the Arabs in the west.

In fact, Li Xuan becoming emperor made Abogas feel relieved.

With such a long distance, I believe that the noble Emperor of the Tang Dynasty would not lead the troops personally.

"Today we will drink and watch the singing and dancing. I will consider carefully what you said."

Li Xuan continued to perfunctorily deal with Abogas.

"If His Majesty the Emperor sends troops to the west to join forces with Rome to attack the Arabs, after the war we will only take Iraq, Syria, and Egypt, and the rest will belong to the Tang Dynasty."

Abogas expressed his thoughts again, hoping that Li Xuan would take these into consideration when the time comes.

In fact, he had made a good calculation and thought that Li Xuan didn't know the world map.

These are all wealthy regions, and with Egypt, doesn’t North Africa belong to the Roman Empire?

A new Roman Empire around the Mediterranean will be formed again, and the power of the Tang Dynasty will no longer be able to see the Mediterranean.

"The territory is just a small matter. The most important thing is that their gods are not very reasonable."

Li Xuan said slowly.

Li Xuan was not very interested in the religion of the Roman Empire.

"Indeed! I hope your Majesty will seriously consider this. My monarch and I admire you to the utmost and sincerely wish to establish a friendship between the East and the West."

Abogas stopped talking about the joint attack on the Arabs for the time being, as he wanted to stay in Chang'an for a while.

Li Xuan's hospitality this time was unexpected and he felt like he was at home.

Previously, Rome visited the Tang Dynasty purely to visit the "Silk Country", learn some technology, and bring back some crops.

Now that the Tang Dynasty has reached the Caspian Sea and is within the sight of the Roman Empire, this requires them to give it more consideration.

Two hours later, the banquet was over and Li Xuan ordered the internal affairs officer of the Secretariat to arrange accommodation for the envoy to rest.

(End of this chapter)