Chapter 45: Fang's brother Siletu, Marco Polo returns to his hometown

On the Spring Festival of the second year of Xuanhuang, when Zhao Jin was inspecting people and receiving foreign merchants in Seoul, a group of foreign businessmen were walking on a busy street in Constantinople, the capital of the millennium empire, the largest city in Europe.

Constantinople grips the throat of the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea, and it is also the border between Asia and Europe. Since ancient times, commerce has developed, and there is naturally nothing to make a fuss about the emergence of foreign businessmen. But this team of businessmen is quite special.

The three of them, wearing nylon scarves, shaking feather fans in their hands, wearing Chinese robes, were like talented officials; but walking on the exotic streets with their companions, mules and camels. If it hadn't been for the group of guys and mounts with goods in the back, the three of them would never have thought of businessmen.

On both sides of the Avenue of Constantinople, you can see white stone sculptures and bronze sculptures from time to time. There is a kind of Western antique, full of artistic atmosphere. The Byzantine Empire is the longest-lived dynasty in Europe, which has lasted for more than a thousand years. The city has a longer history and is a famous city as early as ancient Greece.

The three business leaders who love culture were relaxed and happy when they saw this scene. One of them said, "Brother, it's been three years to visit the old place again! And today is the Chinese Spring Festival, how can it not make people feel homesick! In this situation, you can't do without chanting a poem.

The eldest brother said, "That's right!" So he refused, shook the fan and chanted the first sentence: "Ten years of loneliness and poverty away from the imperial capital--"

The man who spoke at the beginning immediately answered, "--The ends of the sea." Then he urged: "third brother."

The third brother said, "Now he is all over the body--"

The eldest brother took over and said, "--it's still three people. Second brother.

The second brother shook the fan: "The dark clouds destroyed the trees in the sky--"

The third brother thought for a moment and said, "--Sand dust swept millions of soldiers."

The eldest brother answered, "Although I miss my brother, he is free-"

The second brother made a gesture, and the third brother ended up saying, "--It's better to live in Yuting!"

After chanting, the three brothers laughed together. The people around them were staring at each other, but they were like no one else.

At this time, a team of people came from behind them, like another group of merchants, but Byzantine soldiers opened their way in front.

Big brother said, "I have to..."

The second brother said, "...avoid it."

The third brother said, "Avoid it and chant again."

So the three stopped with the guys and gave way to the roadside.

Unexpectedly, the team had merchants with court cavalry, but its leader shouted in Chinese, "The brothers in front of you, but the brothers of the Fang family?"

The second brother looked at the third brother and said, "Qi Ye, I didn't expect to be in this state..."

The third brother looked at the eldest brother and said, "...there is an old friend looking for him."

The eldest brother turned his head and said, "Is it the Meng brothers? How did his voice become so delicate?"

So the three fixed their eyes. The visitor was not the Meng brothers they knew well, but a foreigner with dark brown curly hair and blue eyes.

When the foreigner came to his eyes, the three brothers looked carefully and still couldn't recognize it.

The eldest brother said, "Wondrange, strange, who is this brother?"

The second brother said, "This brother is quite good at Chinese."

The third brother said, "This brother knows my surname Fang."

... I was still speculating over there, but I forgot to greet the foreigner.

The foreigner got off his horse and respectfully bowed according to the Chinese etiquette: "Goodbye, three brothers! Long time no see!"

The three hurriedly returned the gift and looked at each other doubtfully:

"This brother will bow again."

"This brother knows that we are three."

"This brother claims to have been with me for a long time."

The foreigner couldn't help but be angry and funny, but he still took off his hat again according to the Western etiquette.

The three brothers naturally took off the silk scarf on their heads with their hands, and suddenly thought that Orientals did not need to take off the scarf to salute, so they bowed back.

The foreigner was about to speak when the three brothers saw that he was polite and thought they could not lose to him, so they bowed with their hands on their chests according to Islamic etiquette. The foreigners had to follow him again.

The eldest brother said, "Forgive my brother's turbid eyes..."

The second brother said, "... I really don't know who it is."

The third brother said, "Don't be surprised. I really don't remember...

Big brother said, "Which guy have you met..."

The second brother said, "Like a foot..."

The third brother said, "It can be called a modest gentleman."

The foreigner laughed cheerfully and said, "Three brothers! My little brother is Marco! Marco Polo! In his hometown of Venice, he was taken care of and taught by three brothers.

When the three Fang brothers heard "Marco Polo", they suddenly realized and were overjoyed.

The third brother stepped forward, looked at Marco again and again, hugged him, and turned around and said, "Big brother, second brother! Time flies, and Marco has returned from Middle-earth!"

Big brother said, "I'm old!" The ambition has not been rewarded!"

The second brother said, "I'm also strong! Where is the happy land!"

The four hugged each other affectionately and laughed for a while. The three Fang brothers wanted to invite Marco to the pub for a drink.

It turned out that 12 years ago, Fang's brother, the eldest brother Fang Qinzhi, whose character iszi yuaned; the second brother Fang Mianzhi, whose name is Cigong; the third brother Fang Jianzhi, whose character Jicai, went to Venice because of his business. Venice is the most prosperous city in Europe in this era, dominating the economic lifeblood of the Mediterranean. At that time, Marco Polo was only a teenager. His father and uncle went to China. He yearned for China very much and happened to meet the Fang brothers in Chinese clothes who swaggered the market on the street. Marco invited them to his home, entertained them and asked them to teach him Chinese culture. The Fang brothers liked this learning little brother very much and was about to find a foothold and settled down in Venice. In the next four years, the Fang brothers sometimes went out to do business and sometimes lived in Venice, taking time to teach Marco a lot about China. Until Marco was 17 years old, he left for China by himself and left.

At that time, it was 1273, and now it is 1281. After eight years, Marco grew from a young man to a man. His figure, appearance and voice were different. No wonder the three brothers could not recognize him. But Marco still recognized them, because they were so special that they recognized them from afar.

At this moment, Marco said excitedly, "The three are not only my brothers, but also my masters. It's a blessing to meet again here!"

The three brothers said at the same time: "What a blessing! What a blessing! Drink three cups first, and then five cups. Why don't you get drunk? If you don't get drunk, you won't return!"

But Marco had to say, "I should be accompanied, but I have no choice but to do business. You must meet His Majesty the Byzantine Emperor and hand over the State Letter to His Majesty the Great Yuan Emperor. Three brothers forgive me!"

It is a big deal to send a letter to the Byzantine emperor for the emperor of the Yuan Dynasty. Of course, you can't go. The three brothers said in unison, "It doesn't matter! It doesn't matter! I'll rest here. It's not too late for me to drink and talk when I see the emperor.

After saying that, the eldest brother Qinzhi praised again, "Brother is so majestic now!"

The second brother said, "It's so vigorous!"

The third brother said: "Extremous!"

I have to praise it again. The Byzantine guard knight has been waiting impatiently for the boss to ask Marco to enter the palace quickly. Marco had to leave respectfully and galloped away surrounded by sergeants and mates.

The three brothers looked at them, and they inevitably sighed again.

He said, "eight years ago, I knew that this would be a success."

Diligently said, "Ten years ago, I also knew it."

Simplified: "What the eldest brother and second brother have seen together must be not bad."

The words are divided into two ends. Moreover, the reason why Marco Polo came to Constantinople this time was that he was ordered by Kublai, the emperor of the Yuan Dynasty, to bring a letter to Ababa, the king of the Eli Khan. After he originally planned to see Ababa, Marco could return to the Yuan Dynasty, and the Eli Khanate sent another messenger to hand over the two letters brought by Kublai Khan to Rome respectively. Catholic Pope Nicholas III and Byzantine emperor Michel VIII of Constantinople.

However, I didn't expect that the Haidu Rebellion broke out, and the traffic between the Yuan Dynasty and the Illi Khanate was cut off. Marco can no longer return to the Yuan Dynasty, so he has to return to Venice in advance, so he doesn't need others to deliver letters, and he can send it home by himself. Ababa Khan rewarded Marco, saying that he also had a letter to Emperor Mikhail. On the way, he might as well take it with him. Marco agreed and came to Constantinople with a letter from Kublai Khan and Aba.

Knowing that the messengers of the Yuan Dynasty had arrived, the Byzantine emperor Mikhaier VIII did not dare to neglect him and sent troops to greet him and escort them all the way to the palace. But after talking with Mark, he learned that the messenger was a Venetian and wanted to bring letters to the Catholic emperor, which made him a little complicated.

This is not only because Byzantium, as an Orthodox country and Mikher as the patriarch of the Orthodox Church, has a hostile relationship with the Catholic Pope, but also because of the hatred between Byzantium and Venice.

It's a long story, starting with the crusaders. The Crusade was organized by the Catholic emperor in the name of recovering the holy land of Jerusalem. The Byzantine Empire believed in Orthodoxy and regarded itself as orthodox. The Catholic Church has always regarded it as an thorn in its side and secretly wanted to attack it. Just because Constantinople, the Byzantine capital, has an extremely strong defense system and is known as the strongest city in the world; therefore, the first three crusades took the route of avoiding Byzantine and went south to Syria to attack Jerusalem.

The three crusades failed, especially the third time, when the crusaders were defeated by the Egyptian army, and even the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire was killed in a foreign land.

In this way, when the Pope organized the Fourth Crusade, Catholic countries were hesitant and almost couldn't organize it. Fortunately, with the strong support of Venice and the provision of large funds and warships, the team was gathered. However, the Venetians were very cunning. They wisely induced the heads of state to agree to change their plans and attack Croatia first to open up colonies for Venice; and induced the crusaders not to fight against Islamic countries, but to fight the Byzantine Empire, which belonged to Christianity!

At that time, Byzantium was very prosperous, and the capital Constantinople was known as the "world center" - although Europeans did not know that the big cities of Eastern countries were suspected of frogs in the wells, Constantinople was indeed the leading economic center of the West.

The crusaders, left and after the Venetians, took advantage of the civil unrest at that time and invaded Constantinople in one fell swoop! The famous city that claims to be unbreakable actually fell! The crusaders were ecstatic and slaughtered Constantinople for a week and plundered the whole city! French historian Villadouin wrote in his chronicle: "Since the founding of the world, there have never been so many trophies from the capture of cities!"

After that, Venice surpassed Constantinople and became the economic center of the West, and gained a large colony in the Balkans, which was strong.

The crusaders established the Latin kingdom and ruled the invading territory including Constantinople. The Duchy of Athens and the Duchy of Achaia were also established as bases for aggression in the East. The success of the Fourth Crusade made Europeans invade the East fanatically and frequently in the following decades, which is now the ninth Crusade.

The mutilated Byzantine Empire survived until Emperor Mikhaile VIII ascended the throne and was determined to revive the Millennium Empire. He rebuilt a powerful army, successfully recovered large territories in the Balkans and Asia Minor, and recaptured Constantinople in 1261 and restored it as the imperial capital.

To revive the ancient country in a stormy and intricate environment, we must not only have the ability of force and governance, but also have outstanding diplomacy. Mikhaile's diplomacy is amazing. In Western history books, he said that he has "magic diplomacy" and "being known as the 'universal spider'".

The heroic Michael VIII is now old. After 20 years of hard work, the Byzantine economy has been greatly restored, and Constantinople has become one of the three major economic centers in Europe today. These three centers are Venice, Genoa and Constantinople.

Now that Mikheil is seriously ill, although he struggled to support and insist on going to court, he is very worried about whether the empire can survive if he dies. He began to prepare for the future. On the one hand, he formed a good relationship with the Principality of Genoa and jointly dealt with the Republic of Venice; on the other hand, he wanted to turn enemies into friends with the Illi Khanate - this is an incredible move! One is an ancient civilization that inherits the pride of the Roman Empire and continues for thousands of years, and the other is the barbarian Khanate that just invaded the Middle East decades ago. How can it unite?

Mr. "The Omnipotent Spider" has a way. First of all, he judged the situation and felt that his country was under enemy on all sides, but the Il-Irley Khanate was also troublesome and more isolated and needed allies. It is in the interests of the two countries to turn enemies into friends. Secondly, he has a trump card, that is, his two beautiful daughters...

Therefore, when Mikhail VIII heard that the monarchs of the Yuan Dynasty and the Illi Khanate had sent him a letter of state, he attached great importance to it and sent a praetorian guard to meet the messenger. Knowing that the messenger turned out to be a Venetian, he was on guard, but on the surface he was still very polite and enthusiastic.

Marco Polo presented the national letter of Emperor Kublai and Ababa Khan to Emperor Mikhail. Mikhaile looked carefully and fell into his arms. Mihail is hoping that Ababa Khan will convert to Eastern Orthodoxy and form an alliance between the two countries. So, what if Aba Haihan is unwilling to change his letter? It doesn't matter. Mikhail can use the trump card - marry his daughter Princess Julia to Ababa Khan! The condition is that you must change your letter!

Princess Julia and her sister Princess Sufia are two famous sisters and the pride of the Byzantine royal family! Since they were young, the proposal messengers of the kings and nobles came to Constantinople, and Emperor Mikhaile never agreed. Now is the time to use these two trump cards.

The question is that Abba Haihan is also old and in poor health. Isn't the young Julia going to be a widow soon after she gets married? ...There's nothing we can do about it. Those who do big things ignore small things. Emperor Mikhaile had no choice but to sacrifice his daughter's happiness for the sake of stability.

It should not be too late. Mikhail asked the minister to chat with Marco. He immediately wrote a national letter replying to the emperor of Dayuan and another more important letter to King Eli Khan and formally proposed marriage.

(to be continued in the next section)