The tea is good tea, the tatami mats and cushions are comfortable, and the walls are gorgeous. The envoy from Heiankyo even gave birth to the feeling that he was in a prosperous Heiankyo. Then he heard that the opposite side was not Heiankyo with an accent, and the messenger remembered that he was on the island of Shikoku, where birds do not lay eggs.

Cheering up, the envoy spoke, "I wonder if the Iyo Naval Army has ever thought of paying tribute to His Majesty the Emperor. ”

The Kamakura shogunate was aroused by the pearls of the Iyo naval army, and the Imperial Court of the Wa Kingdom, which was Heiankyo, was equally greedy. However, the Heiankyo Imperial Court did not use this crusade against this means of self-surrender. As the imperial court of the Wa Kingdom, they chose to send envoys.

After staring at his subordinates for a moment, Zhao Naruto saw some admiration in the eyes of the three people present. When they learned that Heiankyo had sent someone, the members of the navy thought that the emperor had sent him to declare war on the Iyo navy before he ordered the Wakoku to mobilize the whole country to fight against Shikoku. The emperor was used, and many of the leaders of the Iyo Naval Army were scared enough. Now it turns out that the Heiankyo Imperial Court is not here to crusade, and the leaders are relieved.

Turning his head, Zhao Naruto said to the messenger, "We are nothing more than some water army. It seems that there is no qualification to pay tribute to the imperial court. ”

This was the advice given to Zhao Mingren by Qin Mingxuan of the Great Song Dynasty and those cadres. The upper echelons naturally have their own set of rules, but looking at the high-sounding rules themselves, one of them is that they look down on the lower echelons like Zhao Naruto. At this time, the best thing to do was to acknowledge this fact and reach a consensus with the Heiankyo court. And continue to talk on the basis of this consensus.

Hearing Zhao Mingren's words, the leaders of the navy army sweated in their hearts. Based on their daily experience, they directly tell each other at the level of the navy that they are not qualified to be nice to you, and the people who say this maintain a completely open hostility in their hearts. The next step is likely to be drawn against each other.

Zhao Naruto was also a little nervous in his heart, but he still insisted on his own response. After staying in the Great Song Dynasty for so long, he has long ceased to be a widow who draws his sword against each other without saying a word. Being forced to admit his lowly status in the Wa Kingdom made Zhao Naruto feel very painful, although he didn't have to admit it publicly, but everything he said now was based on the fact of this lowly status. Zhao Naruto felt very painful.

But there are some things that make you miserable and unhappy, and you have to face this reality. More than twenty years ago, if Zhao Mingren insisted on his dominance in front of Hu Yuelian, he would have been successfully reincarnated at that time.

Listening to Zhao Naruto's words, the officials of Heiankyo did not feel hostile. In their opinion, the navy army as a sea citizen has no identity at all, and naturally has no obligation to pay tribute to the imperial court or the shogunate. This question used to make them feel embarrassed, and it was a very troublesome thing for Heiankyo to let people who were not qualified to pay tribute.

"If it is Your Excellency Zhao who pays tribute, there will be no problem." The official said to Zhao Naruto.

The leader of the Iyo Navy was puzzled by what he heard. The Iyo Naval Army cannot pay tribute, and the leader of the Iyo Imperial Army is eligible to pay tribute. What an inexplicable truth is this.

Zhao Mingren was not surprised in his heart, he couldn't help but sigh that although Qin Mingxuan, a nobleman of the Great Song Dynasty, was not a native of the Wa Kingdom, he was able to understand the Heianjing Imperial Court of the Wa Kingdom better than Zhao Mingren, a Wa Guo person. The reason for this is very simple, in the eyes of Heiankyo, the Iyo Water Army is probably not a person, and Zhao Naruto is the Zhao family. Corporal Lixian, first of all, you need the other party to be a person. As long as it's a person, Heiankyo can come and go.

"Of course I am willing to contribute pearls to His Majesty the Emperor, will the Iyo Naval Army have a chance to pay tribute to His Majesty the Emperor?" Zhao Naruto asked.

Hearing this thorny question, the officials from Heiankyo frowned slightly. This Zhao Naruto has a big appetite, and Heiankyo is reluctantly willing to admit Zhao Naruto's own countryman's identity, but this guy is looking forward to Heiankyo acknowledging the power he has. Stumped, he is still quite a four-country protector?

But this cannot be said like this, and it is necessary to take into account decency when talking to the people. With the unfathomable and profound expression peculiar to the Heiankyo court, the official replied, "If all the officials in the court agree." ”

Zhao Naruto didn't say anything more, he whispered to Sakura next to him. Sakura then got up, walked to the side and knocked on the paper door, then walked back to her cushion and sat down on her knees again. The paper door opened, and the three maids who came out of it carried the table to the three Heianjing court officials. The tray was covered with brocade cloth, and on top of it were two large, smooth beads and two bracelets made of small pearls of different shapes.

Each pearl is smooth and bright, and it is by no means the old pearl of 'human pearl yellow'. Although the pearl particles of the bracelet are small, they are obviously selected by master craftsmen, and various different shapes are strung together with silver chains, which is particularly interesting. The big bead can clearly reflect the human figure, and if you look closely, even the hair is extremely clear.

The hearts of the three officials became faster, and according to reason, this should have been a gift to them. But on the other side was the Iyo Naval Army, a group of savages. Maybe they don't know how to be polite. So the first one asked, "What does this mean?" ”

Zhao Naruto replied, "This is a gift for the three of them. The pearls that will be paid tribute to His Majesty the Emperor will be personally sent to Heian-kyo according to the number of courtesies. ”

"Even us, without the Emperor's call, we would not have been able to see His Majesty the Emperor."

"So I still need to ask you to help me introduce the ministers of the DPRK and China."

"The ministers are also very busy."

"How can you meet the minister at once. And we will not pay tribute to the Emperor only once, but at least once a year if His Majesty the Emperor likes. ”

Sakura and the other two leaders listened quietly, the male leader gently moving his body, and Sakura slowly scratching his palms with his fingernails. Then they heard the officials say, "When we return to Beijing, we can only play His Majesty the Emperor." You have to get to Kyoto as soon as possible. ”

"I will send someone to follow your Excellency into Beijing."

“…… It's good. ”

"Then a feast."

Hearing the word "feast", the three leaders breathed a sigh of relief. The words they didn't understand had made them lose the slightest interest, and the feast meant both a meeting that would end their torment and food that would make them happy. Zhao Naruto stood up, and the three leaders immediately followed suit. The officials in Kyoto also stood up and followed Zhao Naruto as they went out and walked left and into the banquet hall. The layout here is different. The room was much wider and there was a patio.

The maids rushed in, put down the small table in front of everyone, and the dishes came up one by one. The small table was much larger than the usual table, and the officials in Kyoto laughed at the villagers for not being knowledgeable. With a table that can hold at least six dishes, how many dishes are you going to put in?

The first thing to be served was a basin of water, which frightened the officials and felt that their bladders were tight. Then the officer saw the maid waiting with soap and a towel. Only then did the officials realize that they were asked to wash their hands. Wipe your face with a wet towel, wash your hands with soap, and wipe your face and hands with a dry towel. The officials felt much more refreshed.

The first course was served, and it turned out to be sugar water citrus. There are also a few pieces of green orange peel dotted next to the citrus, which is very pleasing to look at. There are not many citrus fruits in the country, and it is still May, which is not the citrus harvest season. As with the Japanese meals, the portions of these dishes are not large. There was only half a citrus fruit, and the high-ranking officials of Heiankyo ate it in a few bites. To their surprise, it turned out to be really citrus, and the sweet and sour taste made the officials nod slightly.

The second dish is carved radish. The white radish slices are put together in the shape of a lotus flower and marinated in a clear sauce containing wasabi, which is crisp and refreshing.

The third course is walnut meat, with dark red hawthorn exposed, wrapped in slices of meat and wrapped in walnut kernels, coated in egg wash and deep-fried. It's fragrant, but it's not greasy.

Seeing that the officials were eating happily, Zhao Naruto did not dare to say that it was meat. Meat is forbidden in the country, and some people dare to eat some fish, but beef, pork, and mutton are absolutely not allowed to eat. If you eat it, you will be arrested and put in jail. I really wanted to show off, but Zhao Naruto didn't dare.

The fourth course is scrambled eggs with tomatoes, which can be eaten with two spoons. The eggs are slightly charred, and the ripe pure tomatoes are boiled in a pot without water, and there are not too ripe green tomatoes in it, and finally the scrambled eggs are stewed. A sufficient amount of sugar and salt is added to it, which combines sourness, sweetness, and aroma. With a small amount of noodles, the officials will be smiling when they eat.

The fifth dish is fried peanuts, more than 30 pieces, which are very fragrant.

The sixth course is two fried oysters. Although this is not the fattest time for oysters, some of them are good for officials in Kyoto.

After eating the six dishes, the officials felt very satisfied. Unexpectedly, the maid came in and carried the table away. The officials in Kyoto were surprised, there were still a lot of dishes left, why did they have to rush people? After a while, I saw the maid come in with a clean table. The officials were surprised and delighted, and it turned out that they were going to serve new dishes. Just thinking so, the official couldn't help but swallow his saliva secretly.

The last six dishes came quickly, starting with tuna sashimi, raw tuna cut into thick slices, four slices per person. The surface is lightly fried in oil, and a lemon is placed on the side, along with a little wasabi and soy sauce, which can be adjusted to suit your taste.

Next is steamed eggs. The eggshell breaks a small opening and is steamed in a cage drawer. Both the egg white and the yolk are semi-coagulated.

Deep-fried sweet potatoes, the sweet potato fries are slightly steamed and fried, crispy on the outside and melted like sugar on the inside.

Meatballs are a mixture of lamb and pork, spices, salt, and soy sauce. On top of that, canola oil and sesame oil are also added to it. This is a popular seasoning method in the Great Song Dynasty now, and a lot of extra oil is added to eat meat. Of course, because the Japanese people are forbidden to eat meat, this raw material cannot be told to the officials.

The chicken broth is stewed deliciously, with sliced ginger and green onions. But the maid only gave the soup, and the other spices were piled up in the bowl. The Heiankyo officials were greatly surprised. This is extravagant and wasteful, and it is too luxurious.

The last dish, boiled tofu in white water is placed in a casserole. The soup turned out to be a filtered chicken broth, which was light and flavorful, and was paired with the tender tofu ordered by gypsum. Heiankyo officials had the life perception that 'plain is true'.

After the twelve dishes were eaten, the second table was withdrawn. The maid brought the tip of the wool and brought the yokan made of chestnut flour. There are both sweet and bitter tastes. Zhao Naruto asked the other leaders to go down, and he asked, "Your Excellency, since you have to look for the minister of the court and the central government to introduce me first. But I don't know how many pearls to send in order to meet the identity of such a minister. ”

Before eating this meal, the officials of Heiankyo were actually mostly perfunctory. Now the three of them looked at each other, and they all saw the mood of approval in each other's eyes. After a few whispered exchanges, the leader said, "How much do you think is appropriate?" ”

"What was given to the imperial court were the best pearls. How about twelve? ”

The next day, the Iyo Navy carried officials from Kyoto on their way home. Qin Mingxuan, who had never appeared, stood beside Zhao Mingren and looked at the ship. He sighed, "Twelve pearls." "The second half is swallowed in the stomach, compared with the Great Song Dynasty, this is simply called Hanako. But this can't be helped, for high-ranking officials, it's not enough to let them do things and give gifts once, and I don't know how many times I really have to give them.

Zhao Naruto didn't care about this topic, he asked Qin Mingxuan, "Can the Emperor really accept our tribute?" ”

Qin Mingxuan couldn't help but roll his eyes, this deal was opened up by Zhao Jiaren. The business of the official family of the Great Song Dynasty is still operating, why does the king of the Japanese kingdom look down on it. When Qin Mingxuan opened his mouth, he said another explanation, "If he doesn't like it, why should he send someone?" ”

Zhao Naruto's eyes lit up, and the last uneasiness in his heart disappeared cleanly. If the emperor could all recognize Naruto's identity, what an important change. From then on, Zhao Naruto was a true nobleman of the Wa Kingdom. This is an unheard of event for the bottom of the Japanese state.

Qin Mingxuan didn't care about Zhao Mingren's mood at all. At this time, his mind was immersed in the special-shaped pearl bracelet brought by the big ship that had just arrived in port. From luster to size to shape, this is not as good as sea water beads. But this means that Qin Mingxuan's uncle did not only put the eggs on Liu Meng and Qin Mingxuan's side, and he had already opened up at least a third farm. This kind of cheap and cheap small pearl is indeed not comparable to the huge and round horse beads, but it can make Qin Mingxuan feel huge pressure here.

The feeling of loss is indescribable, Qin Mingxuan once imagined that he would monopolize the Great Song pearl market and make mountains and seas of money. But his uncle is worthy of being a member of the Great Song Dynasty, and no matter how Qin Mingxuan jumps, he can't jump out of the palm of his uncle Zhao Jiaren.

The days flew by, and a month later, another large ship arrived in Takamatsu with supplies. The ship went back with pearls, as well as the latest news. The Heiankyo Imperial Court had already accepted a tribute from Zhao Naruto - forty-eight top-grade pearls. The two sides consulted on what capacity Zhao Naruto would pay tribute. After all, it is not an easy task to give a Haimin an official status. Even the king of the Wa Kingdom, who is now the spiritual symbol and nominal leader of the Wa Kingdom, has no actual power and can only have some ideas about the actual division of the territory.