Diqin Designer

Chapter 314 Heading to Peacock Country: Tammo Lidi
Master Moye said: "I have understood the intentions of the donors. If my king knew that the donors came from Daqin, he would be happy. If the donors want to go to my country, they need to go northwest from here, through dense forests, over high mountains, and arrive at my country from Mengjia; the other way is to go southwest from here and take a boat to arrive at my country."

Yao Zhi asked again: "Master, which path is easier to follow?"

Master Mahaye said: "I have not walked the first road, but I have heard others say that this road is difficult to walk on. The dense forest has deep grass and many insects, and the trees block out the sun, making it difficult to walk on."

In other words, we have to take the second route and take a boat to the Peacock Kingdom?

On this point, the Master Moye should not have deceived them.

Because this kind of thing can be confirmed by careful inquiry, there is no need for Moye to lie.

But we have to take a boat to get there. How long will it take? Is it safe?

It is much easier to have an accident on a ship than on land, and it is also more difficult to escape. Yao Zhi and others have lived on land all year round and have little contact with ships, so they were naturally a little worried when they heard about taking a ship.

Seeing Yao Zhi lost in thought, Master Moye smiled and said, "All the donors want to go to my country. I can help you. I am willing to return to my country with you!"

This means to lead them, to take them to the Peacock Kingdom, but this will definitely not be free, the monks from the Peacock Kingdom must have conditions.

Yao Zhi said: "Thank you for your kindness, Master. But if you lead the way for us, won't it delay your teaching of Buddhism and meditation? We feel guilty and don't know how to repay you!"

Moye smiled and said, "What are you talking about? Buddha is merciful and saves all living beings. As a disciple of Buddha, I should help those in need when I meet them. Why should I ask for repayment? It's just that I want to go to the Great Qin Kingdom, but I don't know how to go..."

Oh, so you, baldy, want to go to Daqin. You want to know from us how to go to Daqin, as well as various news related to Daqin, such as what taboos Daqin has and what preparations to make when going to Daqin. You can't just rush in without knowing anything, what if you violate a taboo...

The purpose of this bald man from the Peacock Kingdom going to Daqin was very clear. He went to Daqin to spread Buddhism.

Yao Zhi and his companions now understood how Master Moye viewed them. He most likely thought that the Qin State was an ignorant and barbaric nation, and he wanted to go there to spread the glory of Buddha to the Qin State.

Being regarded as barbarians is a strange feeling. In the past, they also regarded other countries except the six foreign countries in this way? They are barbarians and do not know etiquette!

They never thought that they, who had always viewed others as indigenous barbarians, would one day be viewed as indigenous barbarians themselves.

He knew that this was the condition offered by Master Moye: I will take you to the Maurya Kingdom, but you also have to help me go to Daqin, in exchange.

After thinking for a while, Yao Zhi decided to agree to Master Moye. He had the same idea as Master Moye. Even if Master Moye came with bad intentions and had ill will towards Daqin, Daqin was not afraid of him.

Because in the hearts of Yao Zhi and others, they firmly believe that Daqin may not be the richest country in the world, but it must be the strongest country in the world, no doubt about it!

Especially when they saw those ignorant and even primitive tribes along the way, they became more and more convinced that the Qin Dynasty was the strongest, most civilized and most polite country in the world.

All other nations were barbarians except the Great Qin, which was a civilized nation. This gave them a sense of pride that the Great Qin they were born in was so powerful and advanced.

Therefore, Yao Zhi did not think that Master Moye would pose any threat to Daqin after he really went there. Even if he really had a plan, it would surely be cracked with the wisdom of His Majesty the Emperor and Master Li Nian.

Yao Zhi also had a little idea in mind. He wanted to see what Master Moye would look like after arriving in Daqin and witnessing the power of Daqin.

You think that your powerful and civilized Peacock Kingdom is not worth mentioning in the eyes of Daqin. The two sides are not even in the same league. It's just that you, the Peacock Kingdom, are lucky that you are not close to Daqin.

Yao Zhi smiled and said, "So that's what Master is thinking. I just said, 'The Great Qin Sea embraces all rivers. As long as Master wants to go, he can go.' How can you refuse a guest?"

Master Moye smiled when he heard this, knowing that Yao Zhi agreed to the conditions he proposed.

In fact, he was willing to return to the Peacock Kingdom with Yao Zhi and others. His real purpose was not to lead the way for Yao Zhi and others, but he considered that going to Daqin would require a group of people and they would have to bring various scriptures and books. It would not be easy for him to go alone, so he wanted to go back and recruit a group of people!

After this day, Yao Zhi and others stayed in this tribe temporarily. They learned the language of the Peacock Kingdom from Master Moye, and understood the cultural history, customs and practices of the Peacock Kingdom, as well as the taboos, what can be done and what cannot be done in the Peacock Kingdom.

Master Moye is also learning the Daqin elegant language from Yao Zhi and others, and understanding the history and culture of Daqin...

Both sides were very interested in each other's culture and history, but they also sneered at each other. People like Yao Zhi were not very impressed by Ashoka, who was praised by Master Maya. Ashoka's achievements were nothing in the context of the Qin Dynasty. Only those people in the Maurya Kingdom were ignorant and thought he was amazing.

After hearing about the caste system of the Maurya Kingdom, Yao Zhi and others were even more surprised and enlightened. How could there be a country in the world that practiced such a system? How could the people under its rule tolerate it?

The Peacock Kingdom is truly magical. A king who seemed to be a powerful ruler in the first half of his life, believed in that ridiculous Buddha and had a weird caste system in the second half of his life.

As for Buddhism, Yao Zhi and others have a better understanding of it in their communication with Master Moye. They all agree that this sect must not be spread in Daqin. If this sect takes root in Daqin, it will endanger Daqin sooner or later. They don't want their descendants to forget their ancestors and believe in a foreign bald man.

Master Moye also had the same reaction to what Yao Zhi and others said. These Daqin people were full of nonsense and made up stories. They said that more than 2,000 years ago, their ancestors had been fighting in the south and the north, and there was the Battle of Zhulu, Shennong tasting hundreds of herbs, Dayu controlling floods, and they also established the Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties...

There really is not a single word of truth coming from the mouths of these Qin people. It was only a few hundred years ago that the Buddha came to the world and gained supreme wisdom under the Bodhi tree. How could a group of Qin barbarians have so many wise men so early? The Buddha and the Taoist Laozi were actually from the same era?

This must have been made up by the Qin people to flatter themselves. Moreover, these relatives actually said that they had been fighting for hundreds of years, and it was only last year that the seven countries were united under the king of Qin.

How is that possible? If the fighting had really lasted for hundreds of years, how many people would have died? Is there still anyone alive?

But neither side exposed the other, and they maintained harmony, hoping to expose the other's hypocrisy one day. In a flash, several months passed, Yao Zhi and others had learned the language of the Peacock Kingdom, and under the guidance of Master Moye, they boarded the ship to the Peacock Kingdom.

These ships were merchant ships from the Maurya Kingdom. At that time, merchants from the Maurya Kingdom already traded with surrounding areas via sea vessels. Maurya monks like Guru Maya also traveled by ship to reach Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and other regions in later generations.

Because there were so many people including Yao Zhi, they had to wait for a month before they could get a ship that could take them to the Peacock Kingdom, but they also paid a "not small" price, paying a full thirty pieces of Qilin products as the ship fare.

This boat trip to the Peacock Kingdom also made Yao Zhi and others feel that other countries should not be underestimated. Although the Qin Dynasty had not yet explored the ocean, the merchants from the Peacock Kingdom had already sailed their ships to trade.

They don't know that the shipbuilding technology of the Qin Dynasty in history was also quite good. Although the First Emperor's purpose in building ships was impure, how could it be possible to send 3,000 boys and girls overseas to seek immortality without some decent shipbuilding technology?

During the voyage, Yao Zhi and others felt the value of sea voyages and thought that they might be of great use to Daqin, so they asked the Peacock Kingdom boatman for advice, and sometimes they even operated the ship themselves. They recorded the technical experience they gained in a book, preparing to bring it back to the country later.

The voyage was smooth and uneventful, and they successfully crossed the Bay of Bengal. Seeing the city appear in the telescope, Yao Zhi breathed a sigh of relief. More than half a year had passed since they set out from Daqin, and they finally saw the territory of the Peacock Kingdom.

The city that Yao Zhi saw was called Tanmolidi, a famous port city in the Peacock Kingdom and also a Buddhist city with a strong Buddhist atmosphere. Many monks from the Peacock Kingdom left from here.

Although Yao Zhi had heard from Master Moye about the situation in Tamolidi before coming here, saying that this was a city blessed by Buddha and very safe, and that the donors from Daqin could rest assured, Yao Zhi was not at ease.

He and four other people each held a telescope and carefully observed the city, looking for possible ambushes and dangers hidden there.

But just as Master Maya said, this was indeed a Buddhist city, and there were no signs of ambush. There were many ships anchored at the port, and Maurya citizens were working at the port.

The architecture in the city is completely different from that of Daqin. It is of the same style as that of Master Maye’s temple, but Master Maye’s temple focuses on religious style, while there are more civilian-style buildings here. You can tell at first glance that this is a foreign city!

The ship was slowly approaching the port from the sea. The port noticed the ship approaching and someone on the high tower of the port waved brightly colored flags at the ship, directing the ship to enter the port.

Yao Zhi saw someone running towards the port through the telescope, seemingly to deliver the news of the ship's arrival. This made him look serious immediately, and he ordered: "Brothers, get ready. We are about to enter the port. Don't get ambushed!"

But Yao Zhi's worries were unnecessary. He found that after those who were suspected to have gone to report the news left, some people did come, but they were not the army, but a group of monks, and people who looked like local nobles and officials.

These people stood at the harbor, looking at the approaching ship with curiosity and excitement. Yao Zhi knew at a glance why these people came: nine out of ten times they heard that a group of foreigners were coming, so they made a special trip to see them.

But are these people so unguarded? Without a few guards, aren't they afraid that they will make trouble and take the opportunity to capture them?

The question turned over in Yao Zhi's mind, and he thought of the answer: Buddhism is flourishing in this city, which leads to a relatively peaceful environment. These people have lived here for many years and have not experienced many storms and changes, so they are naturally not very vigilant.

But this situation is fine. Yao Zhi does not want to go to war with others in Peacock Country. Even if he wins, it may not be a good thing, not to mention losing. He still hopes to live in friendship and harmony for the time being.

Yao Zhi and others had already prepared their luggage. After the ship entered the port and stopped steadily, they disembarked in an orderly manner. The monks, nobles, and officials at the port looked at them curiously and kept pointing and talking about them.

These people are the legendary Qin people. They look like this. What kind of clothes are they wearing? Their hair is weird. What are they wearing on their heads? It seems that they use that thing to tie up their hair? Why do they tie it up? Can't they just let it hang or cut it off?
Is that armor? How strange! They should be soldiers from the Qin Empire. They stand in such an orderly manner, like tree trunks.

Do they believe in Buddhism? Why do some of them wear armor and some wear strange clothes?

There was an endless stream of discussions like these, leaving Yao Zhi and the others speechless, because in their eyes, these Peacock people were also very strange.

I won't talk about the monks, as their attire was not much different from that of Master Moye. But the nobles and officials wore clothes that were casually draped over their bodies, and the left and right sides were very asymmetrical. They wore ornaments around their necks and on their heads. Some of them didn't wear ornaments on their heads, but wrapped their heads with cloth, and there were red dots, flames, and other patterns painted on their foreheads...

Among them were some women who had ornaments on their ears and noses, decorations on their heads, and a white veil, which seemed to be used as a mask.

After Yao Zhi counted everyone three times, he looked at Master Moye who was coming over here. There were several other people coming with Master Moye. Yao Zhi knew that this must be an important figure in Tammo Lidi.

Master Moye approached and introduced Yao Zhi to them: "This is General Yao Zhi from the Great Qin Kingdom. General Yao Zhi is here on a mission under the order of His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Qin Kingdom!"

After saying this, Master Moye added another explanation: "The emperor is the king of the Great Qin Kingdom, just like Ashoka!"

After listening to Master Maya's explanation, a thought came to their minds: Is a king of a barbarian country worthy of being compared with Ashoka?
Yao Zhi performed the Great Qin etiquette to the few people, and said in a neither humble nor arrogant manner: "Yao Zhi, a Qin man, is here on a mission to your country under the order of His Majesty the Great Qin Emperor!"

Master Moye introduced the identities of several people to Yao Zhi, "This is Master Kalisha from the Tammo Temple, and this is the mayor of Ucchan City..."

Except for Master Kalisha who returned the greeting to Yao Zhi with Buddhist etiquette, several others returned the greeting to Yao Zhi with Maurya etiquette: "Kalisha (Utsana) greets General Yao Zhi!"

The atmosphere of the meeting between the two sides was harmonious and friendly. At the invitation of several people, Yao Zhi and others walked into the city. As they walked, Tanmo Lidi was introduced to Yao Zhi and others.

This city is indeed filled with a strong Buddhist atmosphere, with monks everywhere. They appear in various places in the city. Most of the monks spread a piece of cloth on the ground and sit on it with their eyes closed, as if they are meditating on the so-called Buddhist teachings.

There are bottles and jars in front of these monks, and when civilians pass by, they often put something into the bottles and jars.

According to what Yao Zhi learned from Master Moye, this was not begging, but the monks were giving people a chance to redeem their merits.

That’s right, when you donated money and things, it’s not the monks who thank you, but you who thank the monks: Thank you Buddha for giving sinners like me the opportunity to donate money and things to wash away our sins!

(End of this chapter)