The Three Kingdoms Voyage

Chapter 345
Damascus, the famous city of weapons, is now a bit depressed. Because of the repeated invasions of the Sasanians, the city has suffered a lot of damage. With the city of Hanford on the island of Kiti and the passing passenger ships, businessmen who originally passed by here have one after another. Choose to take a boat to stop at Hanfu City, and then go directly to Rome and Athens by boat, and then head north from there.In addition, after the source of Uztec was interrupted, those famous craftsmen lost their livelihoods, some diverted to Hanfu City, and some traveled thousands of miles to Yue, Damascus suddenly became deserted.A month ago, when the Sasanians in Damascus heard that Ardashir’s army had been defeated by the Vietnamese and Roman allied forces, they had to retreat back home hastily. The fire turned the once prosperous Damascus into a dead city.

Now, though, Damascus is buzzing again.

The Roman general Gordian Jr. and the Vietnamese general Lu Xun rushed to Damascus with their army. After taking over Damascus without bloodshed, they immediately began to clean all the streets of the city and repair the buildings destroyed by the Sasanians. King Sun Shao of Yue and Roman Civil Affairs Officer 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. Little Gordian did not dare to neglect and tried everything The solution is also to restore popularity to Damascus.

Half a month later, Quintus entered Damascus with a large army.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, to join the alliance.In fact, Sun Shao should have arrived a long time ago. Gordian, who was always with him, wanted to invite him into the city as a civil officer, but Sun Shao pushed back with one sentence: "If I enter Damascus, then Damascus may It is no longer the territory of Rome, and the land I set foot on will become the land of Yue, can you be the master?"

When Gordian heard this, he immediately retracted his original words. He did not dare to be the master, nor would he 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.

Upon receiving the invitation from Quintus, Sun Shao ignored Gordian's eyes that seemed to be smiling but not smiling, and asked the same question. The envoy smiled slightly and said calmly: "The great Roman Emperor said that Damascus is a Roman The land was bought by the blood of countless soldiers and cannot be given away casually. Please forgive me. However, His Royal Highness is a friend of the Romans, and he cannot keep His Royal Highness out of the city. After discussing with them, 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 then on, and only to the great King of Yue. His Majesty the Emperor also sent a chariot carried by 32 of the bravest Roman soldiers, and they carried His Royal Highness the King of Yue all the way to your manor without even getting a little dust on your feet."

Sun Shao was stunned at first, then laughed loudly, then turned his head to Gordian with a complex face and said, "Your Majesty's kindness is really hard to refuse, it seems that I can't do without going."

Gordian smiled wryly and nodded, but he was a little disappointed in his heart. He thought it was a difficult problem, and it depended on how Quintus would solve it. Unexpectedly, Quintus would come up with such a solution.In this way, Quintus has shown enough sincerity, and sending a manor to Sun Shao will not stimulate the honor of the nobles. The Yue Kingdom has helped Rome so much, and it is acceptable to send him a manor. Most of the councilors from Tus who came to Damascus are Momia's supporters, and they will also benefit from the alliance with Vietnam, and of course they will not oppose Quintus's approach.And with the support of these congressmen, Quintus's move has gained procedural legitimacy. Anyone who wants to attack him is also attacking the Senate.

"This is His Majesty's wish for His Majesty. If His Majesty can accept it, it will be the pride of us Romans." Gordian said with a fake smile insincerely.Sun Shao laughed, said nothing more, and immediately arranged for the army to set off.

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 cleaned spotlessly, and [-] Roman guards and [-] Yue elites led by Lu Xun lined up along the wide street, forming two long human walls to block the two sides. The crowd of support extended from the gate of the city to the gate of the manor.It was said that His Royal Highness the King of Yue was about to enter the city to meet with the Roman Emperor. All the businessmen from the Han Dynasty within a hundred miles came. Many people came from Kititi Island to watch the ceremony. They were all wearing beautiful Chinese dresses, and some held flowers. , standing on both sides of the street, excitedly waiting for the arrival of King Yue.Han merchants are now the richest group in Damascus. The better houses on this main street were either bought by them or rented by them. Many accompanying female relatives sat upstairs because it was inconvenient for them to show their faces. Looking at the bustling scene outside through the window screen, the long street is decorated with these smiling faces in fresh clothes, and there is no trace of being ravaged by the Sasanians at all.

In the anticipation of everyone, Sun Shao sat on a walking chariot carried by 32 Roman noble young warriors, and walked into Damascus majesticly. The descendants served him one by one on the left and the other on the right. Roman soldiers and Yue soldiers walked side by side one by one through the long street.

"Long live——" Seeing Sun Shao's chariot, the crowd on both sides suddenly boiled up. People waved their sleeves, shook the flowers in their hands, and cheered thunderously to Sun Shao on the chariot.Sun Shao smiled all over his face and raised his arms frequently to signal to the cheering crowd.He was very prestige in the eyes of the merchants, but now he is so close to the people, those merchants became even more excited, shouting with all their strength, and shaking their hands desperately, as if Sun Shao could see each of them.

"Your Majesty is mighty—" There was a wave of applause from the crowd.

"Long live the king—"

"Long live the great man—" Sun Shao waved his hands on the chariot and shouted loudly: "Long live Rome—"

"Long live the Great Man—Long live Rome—"

The people became more excited, shouting at the top of their lungs.Not only they shouted in unison, but even the soldiers also shouted in unison.Whether it was the soldiers of the Yue Kingdom or the Roman soldiers, they all 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 run out at this time and ruin the good situation in front of them. They watched everyone within sight vigilantly, You can't do it too out of line, it can be said that you are extremely nervous.Ao Lei's hand never dared to keep the short stick around his waist, and his palm was sweating, while Tu Hu kept a step away from Sun Shao, ensuring that he could stand in front of Sun Shao immediately when something happened. .

Passing through the long human wall, Sun Shao's chariot finally stopped at the gate of the manor. Young Gordian and Lu Xun stood at the door to welcome them with smiles on their faces. As soon as the chariot arrived, they immediately rushed up, one-legged Kneel down before the chariot.

"On behalf of His Majesty the Emperor of Rome, I would like to welcome His Royal Highness King Yue."

"Chen Xun pays homage 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 steps with the outstretched arms of little Gordian and Lu Xun Chariot, slowly walked into the open gate of the manor that had been decorated in the style of the Han Dynasty.Inside the gate, two rows of servants in beautiful new clothes knelt down on both sides and greeted in unison.

Sun Shao looked at the manor where the architectural style of the Han Dynasty and the Roman architectural style were perfectly unified, and nodded with satisfaction: "Yes, it is really amazing to be able to do this in such a short period of time. I wonder which master did it? "

"Looking at the exquisiteness, it should be the work of Master Vitruvius." Gordy stroked his beard, looked at the magnificent houses with joy, and said with some surprise: "However, the contemporary Master Vitruvius three I went to Yue to study abroad a year ago, has he come back?"

"Father is right." Little Gordian said with a smile: "This is exactly the work of Master Vitruvius. He just returned from Vietnam half a year ago. This is his first work after returning. However, this It's not his work alone, the one who collaborated with him is Li Ze, the most famous architect in Yue Kingdom." He smiled and said, "Your Majesty, you must not have imagined what each of them did?"

Sun Shao pondered for a moment, and said somewhat uncertainly: "Could it be that these Roman-style houses are the works of Li Ze, while the Chinese-style houses are the works of Master Vitruvius?"

"Your Majesty is wise." Little Gordian said in admiration, "I asked a lot of people, but they couldn't believe it. It's because His Majesty knows people with his eyes. No wonder there are so many talents like General Lu around His Majesty."

"Hehehe..." Sun Shao glanced at the reserved Lu Xun, and said with a smile: "The general is wrong. Talents like General Lu and the general are like a bright pearl, even if it is placed in a dark room, it will emit light." The brilliance that should be seen can be seen by anyone with normal eyes.”

Gordian laughed loudly, shaking his head while laughing: "How can my son be compared with General Lu? In front of General Lu, he has lived in vain for decades."

Lu Xun hurriedly said humbly: "The general is joking, and being with the general these days, Xun has gained a lot."

"It's time to communicate with each other and learn from each other's strengths to make up for each other's weaknesses. Just like me 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, and the atmosphere was very harmonious.Just now, Sun Shao specially praised the little Gordian, making it clear that he wanted to win over the Gordians and his sons. Gordians are old and smart, so how can they not understand the truth of this, of course, at this time, they are deliberately trying to get closer to each other.

After sitting in the hall for a while, the car of Roman Emperor Quintus came to the door, and Sun Shao ordered the crown prince, Sun Feng, to meet him outside the door.Quintus froze for a moment when he saw Sun Feng. He had seen Sun Feng when he was in Yue, but at that time Sun Feng was just a childish boy, but now standing in front of him was a heroic young man with a face Although it hasn't changed much, the temperament is quite different.He was a little curious, never heard that Sun Shao brought the prince here.

"His Royal Highness?" Quintus asked tentatively.

"Your Majesty has a good memory." Sun Feng smiled slightly and bowed respectfully: "Father ordered me to welcome Your Majesty inside."

"Thank you, His Royal Highness, King Yue." Quintus held Sun Feng's hand, talking to Sun Feng affectionately as he walked.After entering the main hall, Sun Shao, who was standing outside the door, laughed loudly, walked down the steps quickly, and stretched out his hands from afar: "Your Majesty the Emperor is so generous, I really appreciate it for giving me such a beautiful manor!" Some are ashamed."

Quintus laughed: "Your Highness is honorable. It is an honor for this manor to have a master like His Highness. Your Highness is my good friend and has helped us so much. If Your Highness arrives here but does not come to Rome I feel sorry for walking around on the land." He paused, and then said: "If Your Highness really likes this manor, then let's give more opportunities for cooperation."

"Hehehe..." Sun Shao pointed at Quintus and smiled: "You, you have become a philistine now, and you talk about benefits with me as soon as we meet, which makes me very disappointed."

Quintus also laughed and said, "Your Highness, this is not my idea alone. Members of the Senate are looking forward to more opportunities for cooperation between Rome and Vietnam, so as to push our friendship to a new height. "

"Since you have your heart, why don't I have no intention?" Sun Shao held Quintus's arm and climbed up the steps. The two sat down separately, and two Aryan ladies brought a team of Syrian servants to bring tea and refreshments. It didn't take long. , a small but very delicate tea banquet was set up.Sun Shao and Quintus sat side by side, talking about the situation after parting.

Although there were not many people sitting at the table, they included the most important candidates from both sides. Sun Shao and Quintus came prepared, and they decided on a strategy for further cooperation between the two sides, including besieging Tessiphon together. City and future economic cooperation, as for the details, specific persons will be responsible.Sun Shao pointed at Sun Fengdao: "You have seen it before. This is my useless prince. This time I came here with me to see the world. He will be in charge of the negotiation. I will ask my old friend to give me some pointers." .”

Quintus was very surprised. Sun Feng was at most 20 years old, and Sun Shao himself was still in his prime. Is it too early to hand over the rights to his son so early?However, he still said very politely: "The crown prince is full of vigor and is just as shrewd and capable as the king. I'm afraid I have to ask the crown prince to be merciful. Don't let me lose face in front of a veteran like the civil affairs officer."

Upon hearing this, Gordian quickly smiled and shook his head.

Sun Shao laughed secretly, and said: "The crown prince is young and has too little experience. I am going to let General Lu assist him. After this battle, the two of them will also preside over the affairs here. Feng'er, His Majesty the Emperor is my old friend. His Majesty the Emperor has made great contributions to the fact that the Yue Kingdom can cooperate so closely with Rome. We have known each other for many years, and our friendship is inseparable. You can learn more from him in the future."

Sun Feng bowed in response, and saluted Quintus again. Quintus glanced at Gordian triumphantly, feeling secretly refreshed.Sitting aside, Lu Xun's expression remained unchanged, but he was relieved in his heart.Sun Shao wants to keep Sun Feng to preside over the important affairs and let him assist. This is the greatest trust in him.When Sun Feng succeeds, the future of the Lu family will be bright.It seems that the decision to leave Wu and join Yue was the right choice.

During the conversation, a few major events set the tone, and everyone got the benefits they wanted, so they naturally felt at ease.Quintus sent an invitation to Sun Shao, saying that he would hold a banquet to welcome Sun Shao, and 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 congressmen.The councilors were very happy after hearing this, and left one by one satisfied, and went back to prepare to take a bath and change clothes so that they could come to this grand banquet.Quintus couldn't restrain his emotions, and walked excitedly to the backyard, and told Momia who was resting the news.

After hearing this, Momia's expression changed, and she sat up from the soft couch: "Prince of Yue Kingdom? He wants to keep the prince here to preside over the affairs?"

"Yes."

Momia was stunned for a while, glanced at Quintus who hadn't recovered, and sighed silently: "I see, this is indeed good news. You go to prepare first, I also want to wash my body .”

Quintus got up and left knowingly.Watching his back disappearing outside the door, Momia let out a long sigh, and said angrily: "This cruel man only has eyes for his prince, isn't Philip his own?" Son, refuse to make some concessions for him, insist on keeping the prince? The country of Yue is so big, it is not enough for his prince to manage, and he rushed all the way to Rome to grab Philip's land? Huh, what a heartless person man."

She was sullen for a while, patted the silk quilt under her body indignantly, stared at the roof for a while, gritted her teeth, and said to herself: "No, I'm going to see him, I can't let that Some prince robbed Philip's land."

……

In the manor, Sun Shao sat on the main seat, and Lu Xun and Sun Feng sat opposite each other. Lu Xun said with a worried face: "Your Majesty, the siege of Taixifeng this time, Your Majesty has devoted all his energy, disregarding his own safety, using himself as bait, Inducing Ardasil to go on an expedition, our troops from the country of Yue went on an expedition of thousands of miles, and the sailors of Cui Qian’s army braved all kinds of difficulties and dangers. 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 the current battle situation. Now roughly calculated, even if we capture Taixifeng, I am afraid that the gains The spoils of war are only enough to pay the expenses of those mercenaries. We can say that we have nothing to gain. The army has traveled thousands of miles and fought for two years. The rewards of the soldiers are inevitable. ..."

Sun Shao sipped his tea calmly, and glanced at Sun Feng: "Feng'er, what do you think?"

(End of this chapter)