In 1282, all the Europa people who visited Quanzhou in the Great Song Dynasty called it the City of Light. The Europa people who have been to Hangzhou are dazzled and call it the City of God.

It was from the City of God to Constantinople that the envoys of the Great Song Rite Department to Constantinople were also shaken by Constantinople. The core of the city is not a plain, but a number of hills. Constantinople is also known as the "City of the Seven Hills" because the city's old city was built on seven hills by the Eastern Roman Emperor Constantine to set against the seven hills of Rome. Due to Istanbul's great importance and wealth before it was plundered by the Crusaders, Constantinople was nicknamed Vasileousa Pois ("Queen of the Cities").

Most of the exquisite city defense buildings are built of stone, although they do not look as magnificent as the city walls of the Great Song Dynasty, but they have another feeling. If you look closely, there are many sculptures and patterns carved on the stones, which are enough to prove the long history of this ancient city.

At the gate of the city came to greet the important ministers of the Eastern Roman Emperor, led by the personal guards. Looking at the familiar steel armor on the guards, Yang Congrong felt a lot better in his heart. This alone proves that the previous information is correct, and the Eastern Roman Empire needs the assistance of the Great Song Dynasty.

The envoy first asked Yang to go to the palace, where the emperor was on a high throne. Yang Congrong had to kneel down against his will, there was no such boring thing in Da Song. It is said that only the Mongol barbarians forced people to adopt such rituals.

The Eastern Roman emperor wore a purple robe with many exquisite patterns. Yang calmly knew at a glance that it was produced in the Great Song Dynasty, although the pattern is a characteristic of Eastern Rome, but the means of embroidery are obviously the techniques of Suzhou and Hangzhou. According to the information gathered, Yang calmly did not speak. At this time, the emperor who was on the throne said something to the attendant, and the attendant said in a loud voice: "Messenger of the Great Song Dynasty, what information did you bring to the Great Song Emperor?" ”

The attendant's voice was high-pitched, and when he heard it, he was a eunuch. Yang calmly learned Latin, but he was not yet proficient. There was an interpreter next to him, and Yang calmly judged that his listening level could only understand about fifty percent, and then he replied in Chinese: "Your Majesty the Emperor, I, the Emperor of the Great Song Dynasty, asked me to bring about the friendship between the Great Song Dynasty and the Eastern Rome." ”

The rest of the conversation is more ritualistic. The whole thing to show is a cliché. Only when the gift list was sent did the emperor look at it very seriously. When Yang calmly finished his visit, he received the emperor's decree, and walked out of the main hall backwards, the minister of ceremonies and the court guard sang in Latin, "As it is!" That's right! That's right! ”

As soon as Yang came out, someone was waiting outside. When I looked at the beardless face and listened to the voice, it was a eunuch again. The eunuch led Yang calmly around the main hall and walked to the back. It didn't take long to arrive at a garden. It didn't take long to wait here, and the Eastern Roman Emperor finally appeared.

Now the situation is a private meeting, and the etiquette of everyone is reduced to a minimum. After kneeling on one knee and saluting, Yang calmly sat down next to the Eastern Roman Emperor. The current Emperor of Eastern Rome, Andronicus II, was the son of the former restored Emperor Michael VIII.

The young emperor looked at the emissary from the east with curiosity in his eyes. And Yang Congrong hurriedly gave a gift, and the emperor looked at the purple robe, initially a little puzzled. But after looking at it for a while, I saw some clues. The previous purple robe used an embroidery process, and this purple robe did not have any embroidery on it. Picking it up and stroking it carefully, Andronicus II was sure he was not mistaken. The starting point is smooth and delicate, and the patterns are so delicate that they don't look like they were dyed on a piece of cloth at all.

At this time, the surrounding nobles and noblewomen saw the clues, this purple robe was passed in the hands of many people, and they were amazed one by one, and the situation immediately looked harmonious.

Yang Congrong was a little disappointed in his heart, if it was in the Great Song Dynasty, the Zhao official family would not care about these things at all. It's like saying, "What a delicate thing, thank you." "Then other things will be discussed.

Just when Yang calmly compared, he heard the young Eastern Roman emperor say: "I look at the gift list, and it says that there are two thousand sets of armor. ”

"Yes." Yang replied calmly, relieved in his heart, this concern at least proved that the young emperor of Eastern Rome was interested in the army.

"Can you send it in now?" Said the Eastern Roman Emperor.

"If His Majesty the Emperor wishes." Yang replied calmly. This was originally a military aid to the Eastern Roman Emperor, and it was also due to be given to this emperor.

As soon as these words came out, there were immediate objections. Yang Congrong has always talked through a translator, and although he can understand some of the conversation, the other party doesn't seem to think so. I heard the opposing general say: "Your Majesty, why be in such a hurry. ”

The Emperor said something with a youthful attitude, as if to say, 'If I want to, I will do it.'" Yang calmly pretended not to understand, but in his heart he didn't understand what this conversation meant. In the end, the emperor seemed to suppress the opposition of the important ministers, and Yang Congrong also wrote to accept it, and asked the emperor's envoy and Yang Congrong's subordinates to go to move the armor together.

The people who remained in the garden continued to speak, and everyone asked Yang to calmly tell about the long journey from the Great Song Dynasty to Eastern Rome, and what impressive things happened along the way. The thing that impressed Yang Congrong the most was naturally the difficulties of the Mamluk Dynasty, including Yang Congrong, who felt that the Great Song Dynasty should not be so troubled.

When it came to this, the expressions of the emperors and important ministers of the Eastern Roman Empire became difficult to see. I think that the Eastern Roman Empire, which has been invaded by the Mamluk dynasty, is very jealous of this mortal enemy. After a while, the emperor arose and said that he was going to change into the precious silk robe, and then left the garden under the service of his attendants.

The important minister who objected before asked Yang Congbian, "These weapons and armor are the assistance requested by the emperor from your country, right?" ”

"Yes. We didn't know at the time that Michael VIII had been called by the Lord. Yang replied calmly.

"These weapons are actually custom-made by the Emperor for our Praetorian Guard." The minister replied.

These words sounded as if they were to tell Yang Congrong to refuse to hand over these weapons to the Eastern Roman Emperor. So much so that Yang Congrong didn't know how to answer for a while. The emperor wants to customize weapons, and the Praetorian Guards are not qualified to make irresponsible remarks. He looked at the commander of the Praetorian Guard, what this guy said was in the Great Song Dynasty, which was the crime of rebellion.

Faced with such an embarrassing situation, Yang calmly waited and waited, only hoping that the Eastern Roman Emperor would come back as soon as possible. The left can't wait, the right can't wait. Suddenly, a horn sounded, and dozens of soldiers in steel armor suddenly rushed out from near the garden.