Chapter 1080

“It is precisely because we want Persia and the Ottoman Empire to weigh the cost of offending us that our diplomatic rhetoric will probably have to be a mix of both tough and soft approaches. If it is handled improperly, there will be serious consequences. You all must be mentally prepared for this.”

Tang Wenjie still voiced his concerns.

Fang Ziheng said calmly, “When a brave man meets on a narrow road, the braver one wins. If countless predecessors had not shed their blood on the battlefield, how could the Empire have such a vast territory now? If we are afraid of death, why be a diplomat!”

Tang Wenjie showed a look of appreciation. He then looked at the other members of the delegation. There were those who were as firm as Fang Ziheng and those who were concerned.

He did not say anything in particular, just nodded. He then said, “The sea journey from Singapore to Persia will probably be five thousand kilometers. We will probably be at sea for ten to fifteen days. Take advantage of the free time to review the Persian Empire’s system.”

With that, he also took out a small booklet and began to read it. The current Persian Empire was also a monarchy and a centralized state.

A body called the Divan was the mainstay of the central power. This Divan was equivalent to the former Great Yu Empire’s Privy Council. The highest official of the Privy Council was called the Grand Vizier, equivalent to a prime minister.

This Divan was further divided into several departments, responsible for military, finance, household registration, official discipline, religion, and diplomacy.

As the saying goes, “know your enemy and know yourself, and you can win a hundred battles without a single loss.” When it came to matters of life, he dared not be negligent at all.

Twelve days later, the fleet finally arrived at the Persian port city of Abbas. The Persians in the port were shocked to see six massive ironclad warships appear in the harbor.

They had never seen such ships in their lives.

And the commotion in the port soon attracted the Persian army from the city. These Persian soldiers, armed with swords and sabers, filled the port.

“This Persia is truly backward. They are still using cold weapons now.” Fang Ziheng said.

Tang Wenjie was observing with his binoculars. He said, “This reminds me of the former Great Yu Empire. At that time, the Great Yu Empire was also unmotivated and self-centered. Similarly, the current Ottoman Empire and Persia are in such a state. They refuse to accept the changes in the world and are gradually being left behind.”

Fang Ziheng nodded. He then said, “It’s time for us to state our purpose. You all, go and bring out the goods we brought from the Empire. We can use them now.”

Although the countries of the world were different, human nature was largely similar. So the delegation had prepared a lot of industrial products to bribe some Persian merchants to be their guides.

It would be even more perfect if they could encounter a Persian merchant who had been to the Chinese Empire before.

While he was thinking, a small boat came from the harbor towards the fleet. A person who looked like a military officer was on the small boat.

When he got closer, the Persian officer said with some nervousness, “Who are you, and where are you from?”

Fang Ziheng then replied in Arabic, “We are a delegation from the Chinese Empire of the East. We have come here to meet your monarch.”

“There is a Great Yu Empire in the East, but I have never heard of a Chinese Empire.” The officer was a little surprised.

Fang Ziheng could only explain the cause and effect. Only then did the Persian officer understand, but he was still very wary of Tang Wenjie and his group. After all, these warships, which were loaded with cannons and covered in iron armor, were too terrifying.

Seeing that the officer was a little hesitant, Tang Wenjie took out a small cloth bag, threw it down, and said, “I hope you can send a report for us.”

The officer caught the cloth bag and opened it, his eyes immediately widening. In the cloth bag were ten beautiful, crystal-clear jewels.

The two Persian soldiers on the boat also saw them, and their eyes showed looks of amazement and greed.

“Alright. I will now send someone to Ctesiphon, but it will take a month to get there and back.” The officer said excitedly. He was still very emotional after receiving such jewels.

He had never seen such beautiful jewels before. He believed that he could get a large amount of money if he sold them.

“We will be waiting on the ship all this time.” Tang Wenjie’s expression was one of helplessness. The Persian capital, Ctesiphon, was inland, and this was the closest port to Ctesiphon.

The officer now completely dropped his guard against Tang Wenjie and his group. He continued, “My name is Pamir, and my uncle is the provincial governor. He lives in the city of Abbas. I believe he will welcome your arrival.”

“Thank you. If possible, you can invite them to our ships for a tour. We will entertain you all with great hospitality, after all, a month is a long time,” Tang Wenjie and Fang Ziheng exchanged glances, their eyes twinkling with cunning. This was an opportunity to show them the Empire’s strength.

Pamir was even happier. He nodded repeatedly, put the jewels in his pocket, and went ashore.

“We achieved such a result with just a few pieces of glass. The power of industry is truly terrifying.” Tang Wenjie said with a laugh. What they gave Pamir was not jewels at all, but ornamental glass beads produced by the Empire’s glass factory.

Inside the transparent glass were colorful patterns that looked just like jewels.

“Perhaps we can even buy an oil field in Persia with these glass balls,” Fang Ziheng said with a malicious laugh.

The reason he was so confident was that no place in the world could produce such exquisite glass beads.

It was completely feasible to use glass beads as jewels in other places. The worst-case scenario would be to prohibit the sale of glass beads overseas in the future to prevent Persian merchants from buying glass beads from the Empire.

Tang Wenjie was amused by Fang Ziheng’s words. He actually had this idea. On the warship, they had a large box of glass beads and glass artworks, all of which were prepared for this diplomatic mission.

If the negotiation was successful, they were also tasked with building a good relationship with the Persian officials. In this way, as long as they could successfully purchase an oil field, the problem of petroleum would be solved.

His mood had lightened a little because of this small matter. The two stood on the deck and chatted. Not long after, a commotion suddenly erupted in the harbor.

Pamir, who had left, and a group of soldiers were gathered around a bearded official in a white robe, who was now at the front of the port.

The official then said something to Pamir and then boarded a boat and headed for their warships.

“Welcome, friends from the Eastern Empire. I am the provincial governor of Abbas, Bohemi. I have a relative in my family who has been to your country to purchase silk and tea. He understands you very well, and I have brought him with me. I hope we can get along well,” Bohemi said with a smile.

Bohemi was shocked by the jewels he had received. At this time, he remembered the legendary wealth of the Eastern Empire, and his heart was filled with anticipation. He had always welcomed wealthy visitors.