When Odoria sent Berscot out of the palace, he soon welcomed Ardashir, the eldest son of Shapur II (it is documented that Ardashir was the younger brother of Shapur II, but Shapur II was the "famous" widow, how could he have a younger brother?). Therefore, the book adopts the statement that Ardashir was the son of Shapur II). He was the most favored son of Shapur II, as can be seen by his name. Shapur II named his eldest son after Ardshr, the founder of the Sassanid dynasty and the first "king of kings", which shows how much was expected of him (historically, Ardashir succeeded Shapur II to the throne and was known as Ardashir II).

Ardashir was originally a vassal king of Aditya Bona (originally an ancient kingdom in Mesopotamia, which became a region after the Persian conquest, in present-day northern Iraq), but as Shapur II grew older, Ardashir ran from Albera (a large city in northern Iraq, about 80 kilometers east of Mosul) to Ctesiphon, and found an excuse to stay here, occasionally running into the palace to greet Shapur II.

After listening to Ardashir's explanation of his intentions with a smile on his face, Odoria nodded expressionlessly and walked towards the palace with Ardashir.

Ardashir followed, looking at Odoria's slightly bent back, a faint chill hidden in the humble smile on his face. In the past few years, His Majesty the old emperor seems to have paid less and less attention to himself, and it should be that the eunuch in front of him has done a good job. All the Persians knew that Odoria and the Persians were like father and son, and it was hard to guarantee that Odorias would not speak ill of himself in front of his father in order to raise the Bethes.

Thinking of this, Ardashir couldn't help but feel sad, he was in his fifties, and he had been sitting in the position of the emperor's eldest son for more than fifty years. In order to be able to please my father and the emperor, in order to be able to avoid the hidden arrows of my younger brothers, I have been flattering since I was sensible. Being a man with my tail between my legs, am I easy. Now that the old emperor is finally reaching his birthday, he has hope, but his father, who has always been fond of him, seems to be alienated from him, what is going on? It must be that the old eunuch Odoria has done a good job, if Lao Tzu ascends the throne, see how I clean up your old thing! Ardashir secretly gritted his teeth and said hatefully in his heart.

Odoria, who was walking in front, did not know that he had been listed as a thorn in the eye by Ardashir. Still with a small step, he guided Ardashir towards the Inner Palace. Odoria was Shapur II's most trusted man, but he never interfered in the government's affairs. He would not say good or bad things about anyone in front of Shapur II, even if he helped Brisk, he also used his influence to secretly take care of him. It was because of this that Odoria was trusted by Shapur II for sixty years.

When Odoria entered the side hall of the Inner Palace, Shapur II was flipping through some papers.

"Oh, Odoria, what's the matter?" Shapur II asked very kindly.

"Your Majesty the Emperor, His Royal Highness Prince Ardashir has something to ask to see. I took him outside the temple gate. We are waiting for your preach. Odoria replied with a stoop.

"Oh, Ardashir is here." Shapur II answered, but suddenly said, "What did B.S. say to you when he went?" ”

"Your Majesty, he's furious." Odoria replied without any subtlety.

"Anger, he should be angry, but anger alone cannot defeat the enemy." Shapur II shook his head and said.

"Your Majesty, after ten years of tempering, His Royal Highness B.S. has become very stable, but he can't keep calm in front of the Chinese people alone." Odoria continued.

"That's what I'm worried about." Shapur II was silent for a moment and then said, "Odoria. Please continue to help him well. ”

"My Majesty, I will." Odoria replied with a deep bend.

"Alright then, let Ardashir in."

After a while, Ardashir led the way down to the side hall in the inner chamber.

"My child, is there anything wrong with you?" Shapur II asked.

"Father. I received a report from Basra. A Chinese merchant fleet arrived there. Ardashir bent over to report. The Chinese arrived in Basra? Shapur II was surprised that Basra was the largest seaport in the valley of the two rivers. Claimed to be the Persian port of Alexandria, the merchant ships of Tianzhu, Himrayar (the ancient kingdom of the southern Arabian Peninsula, including present-day Yemen and Oman), and even Axum would gather here, while the Persians, Babylonians, and even the Romans would carry sea ships here, as far as Tianzhu, Axum, and even further to the South China Sea countries. But how did the Chinese come? Aren't they still separated by the boundless sea, the countries of the South China Sea and Tianzhu? The connection between the Chinese and Persia has always been through long land routes, but now there are traces of the Chinese people even on the sea?

"Father, the sons and daughters have specially learned about the origin of these Chinese merchants." Ardashir said confidently.

With a nod from Shapur II, Ardashir began to recount the news he had heard: "The Chinese began to attack the countries of the South China Sea a few years ago, and they mobilized thousands of ships and hundreds of thousands of troops to turn the South China Sea into their sea. It is said that the Chinese offensive was quite successful, they defeated the largest nation in the South China Sea and an alliance of states, and all that remained was to carry out a long clean-up and occupation. ”

"Immediately after occupying a choke point from the South China Sea to Tianzhu, the Chinese sent a convoy of merchant ships to Ceylon (present-day Sri Lanka) and Tianzhu. They spent a year following the coastline of Tianzhu and the Sea of Oman to the Oman region. Ardashir was a little in high spirits now, but he soon felt that something was wrong, because he was telling about someone else's exploits.

Shapur II nodded, but did not say anything. He knew in his heart that the Persians, Babylonians, and Tianzhu had been in close contact with each other by sea for hundreds of years. As long as the Huaxia people can sail to Tianzhu, it is easy to find seamen and sailors who can lead them to Basra, and now the Kushan Kingdom, with the support of Huaxia, has suddenly "revived" and is fighting with Tianzhu for the hegemony of Northern Tianzhu, but the two countries are evenly matched, and no one can talk about having the upper hand. Therefore, both the Kingdom of Guishan and Tianzhu deliberately befriended the Chinese people. Not wanting to remain "neutral" he favors the other side and spoil the whole situation. The Oman region is an important transit point for the two regions, and the Chinese will naturally go there first.

"The Chinese exchanged a shipload of goods in Oman for a piece of land in Muscat from Shemar, the king of Himyar."

"Oh, the same Shamer who claims to be King of Sabayi, Raidan, Hadramo, and Yemen." Shapur II asked.

"It's the Earth Father." Ardashir replied respectfully.

"This stupid guy. He gave his throat to the Chinese people, and perhaps our throat. Shapur II replied with some puffiness.

"Father, it's just a small harbor, and." Ardashir pondered for a moment and continued: "Moreover, the Chinese are very lonely here, and although they can occupy a very important position, they can only facilitate trade. Cannot be used in the military, they are too far away. "There was no concept of the Age of Discovery and colonial ideology in this era.

"The region of Oman originally belonged to the kingdom of Hadramao, but now it is part of the kingdom of Shimuyar, and Shemar values the frankincense of Shebwo (the capital of the Shabah kingdom) more, so he does not value Muscat to the northeast, for Shemer. It's just a remote seaport. And a shipload of Chinese goods, this temptation is big enough. Shapur II said with a sigh.

The kingdom of Hadramao is the most suitable area for the cultivation of frankincense in the entire Arabian Peninsula, and the annual harvest of frankincense in this region is concentrated in Shabwo and then transported elsewhere. Frankincense can be used medicinally, to treat a variety of diseases, it can also be used by nobles to protect the skin, and most importantly, frankincense is one of the most important gifts to the gods, so since ancient times, frankincense has been almost equivalent to gold, and it is in short supply in the Mediterranean region, Persia and Babylon. And the kingdom of Hadramao was once very rich. When the Himyar Kingdom annexed the Hadramao Kingdom, it was only natural that Shemar valued this huge gold mine. Muscat, on the other hand, was much more slight, and was not at all in Shermer's consideration, and when a boatload of fine porcelain, paper, and silk was placed in front of him, Shermer naturally knew how to choose. And he also believed that the Chinese had leased Muscat only for commercial convenience.

"Ardashir. You continue. Shapur II turned to Ardashir and said.

"Yes, Father, most of the Chinese stayed in Muscat. The port and the town were built, and the rest of the men sailed directly to Basra in ten ships. ”

"How many sea ships do the Huaxia people have?"

"It is said that they had a total of twenty-two galleons, but on the way they were caught in storms three times and sank five, so that only seventeen remained, and now seven remain in Muscat, and it is said that they are now very interested in Axum again, hoping to go straight to Egypt from there."

"It seems that neither the snow-capped mountains nor the desert, whether it is the river or the ocean, cannot stop the footsteps of the Chinese people." Shapur II sighed suddenly, but he was addressing Odoria.

"Ardashir, can you talk about your thoughts?" Shapur II asked, turning his head.

Ardashir's face seemed to flush a little, but it quickly returned to normal, and then said in a calm tone, "Yes, Father." According to various information, the Chinese are attacking the South China Sea with all their might, so it seems that they do not have the strength to make any major action to the west. In Erchen's view, the Chinese Empire was so large that once its center of gravity was tilted towards one side, it would be difficult to shift to the other in a short period of time. ”

"Oh, I see what you mean. In this case, you are solely responsible for receiving these Chinese merchants. Shapur II concluded.

"Yes, Father!" Although Ardashir's tone was still so calm, there was still a hint of joy to be heard.

Seeing Ardashir's figure disappear at the entrance of the temple, Shapur II turned his head and said to Odoria: "It seems that Ardashir still doesn't know enough about the Huaxia people, oh, if it weren't for your detailed introduction, I wouldn't really know the Huaxia people." By the way, Odoria, what do you think? ”

"Huaxia is a great country and nation, and now they have a great monarch." Odoria replied with a bowed head.

"Odoria, you're always so cautious." Shapur II smiled and said, "The Persians and Romans, and even the Egyptians, could not help but talk about the Chinese. According to a businessman who has been to Huaxia. It was vast and fertile, populous and wealthy. They have different cultures and beliefs, all of their men are qualified warriors, their merchants are of very high status, and by the way, each of them has an unforgettable self-confidence. ”

"Yes, Your Majesty, the Huaxia people own the most vast land in the world. With the most powerful army in the world, they also consider their culture to be the most splendid and their monarch to be the greatest. There's no way they can't be confident. Odoria replied with a bowed head.

"Great monarchs, one or two great monarchs can create glorious history, but who can guarantee how long this glory will last." Shapur II said in a somewhat low voice.

"My Majesty, I have met the Monarch of Huaxia, and I admit that he is the most charismatic person I have ever met, but charm alone cannot conquer and govern this vast country."

"Maybe he can do magic?" Shapur II replied with a smile.

"Perhaps, Your Majesty. I've never seen or heard him do magic, though. Odoria replied with a smile. But there is another thing worth recalling. ”

"What's the matter?"

"Now more and more Roman scholars are eager to travel to Huaxia, to Chang'an, which, according to legend, is a paradise of learning, an ocean of knowledge, and will be welcomed regardless of your point of view. And many scholars in Persia and Babylon were also on the move. ”

"Scholars?" Shapur II blinked his cloudy eyes, "This is indeed a question worth pondering. ”

In the autumn of the sixth year of China, Shapur II contracted a wind chill. The body collapsed all of a sudden, the imperial doctors of the palace were helpless, and the entire Ctesiphon and the Persian Empire suddenly surged, and everyone's eyes were on the palace. A few days later, Shapur II ate the Huaxia pill that he had bought with a lot of money. The condition has improved a bit. But the old body seems to be unable to bear the pain of this illness, and he has not recovered from lying on the sickbed. And sometimes good and sometimes bad.

That night, when Pescot received a secret letter from Odoria, he immediately sent his henchmen to go out in front of the city gate, dressed in his own armor and under his own banner, and went to the city gate to inspect it, but he slipped out of the back door in civilian clothes and went straight to the palace.

At the side entrance of the palace, several guards caught him and quietly led him to the inner palace.

"Odoria, what's wrong?" Brisky asked anxiously.

"His Majesty the Emperor is dying." There was finally a hint of sadness in Odoria's tone.

"Father," Brisk's tears welled up.

"How's it going?" Odoria is still relatively calm.

With tears in his eyes, he replied in a low voice, "I have made contact, two of the other four city defense generals have sworn allegiance to me, and I have sent someone to report to them, so that they can arrest the other two and annex their local army." I also sent orders to all my henchmen and cronies to keep a firm grip on the army, and to have no problem controlling the whole of Ctesiphon. ”

"Besides," said Barch after a pause and continued to whisper, "Xerthis has put me in touch with twelve other ministers, including Onsali, who are willing to come out and support me at the right time. "Xerbisis was the son of a wet nurse in the Bishchs, and his number one general, although he was also sent to fight on the Syrian front due to the defeat of Bosishan, but he was soon transferred back to serve as a military governor in the Alassica region near Ctesiphon, who made him the son-in-law of the chief minister of the Persian Empire, Ansali?

"And Uncle Buyadva is willing to come out and support me in order to contact the nineteen great nobles and five high priests." His mother came from a noble family of Shiraz, who had always been the heart of Persia, and his uncles had always had great prestige and power in the Persian Empire, and were willing to follow his nephew's lead.

After listening to Brisk's story, Odoria just nodded and replied softly, "You can rest assured that the palace guards are there. ”

Of course, Bezchi was relieved that Odoria had served as the head of the Inner Palace for decades, and he would not have been able to control the thousands of guards.

Odoria stood in the doorway and whispered to Brisk, "Go in." ”

In fact, Odoria had not yet spoken, and Brisky had already slowly walked towards the house. Shapur II lay there quietly, gray hair, haggard old face, and the years and diseases had tormented the Persian lion beyond his human form.

Tears could not help but flow slowly again, for as long as he can remember, Shapur II has been his idol, his spiritual pillar, in his opinion, his father is the king of the universe, and no one can defeat him. But today, the years and the Chinese people have defeated him. In the eyes of Brisk, his father has become a cowardly man, a person who is incompatible with the idol he has always admired, which is unacceptable to him and the most devastating to him. He can be defeated by the Huaxia people, but how can his father be defeated by the Huaxia people? And he had already bowed his head before he had even fought with the Huaxia. It was like a poisonous snake biting at Bersco's heart, and he didn't know how to change it.

Brisky knelt in front of the bed, gently stroking his father's gray beard, remembering that when he was a child, he always pricked his face with a very hard beard. Bezchi's left hand continued upward, gently stroking the same gray and messy hair, remembering that when he was a child, he studied hard and practiced martial arts so that his father could be happy to stroke his hair in this way.

With a gentle stroke, Brisk's right hand quietly reached for a sharp dagger, and then tremblingly stabbed into Shapur II's heart. Shapur, who was in a coma, seemed to wake up in pain, and he opened his eyes all at once, and stretched out his hand tremblingly. With tears streaming down his face, Bersch kissed his father on the forehead and bid farewell to the man he held in the most respect. The dying Shapur II did not appear to be in the slightest pain, and with his last strength he tried to gently stroke the head of the Berscots. Berscot bowed his head and crouched on Shapur II's chest to receive his father's last and warmest touch, just like an hour.

Odoria, who had been hiding in the shadows, stood up quietly, he looked at the dead Shapur II in a daze, looked at the Beischi who was crying silently, and muttered: "Your Majesty has been hesitating, he actually wants to pass on the throne to you, because you are the only one who has fought with the Huaxia people head-on." But with Ardashir's entrenched support, and your other four brothers, you can't compete with them, and perhaps this is the only way to make you emperor of the Persian Empire. ”

"But His Majesty the Emperor is still worried about your anger, your anger against the Huaxia people. Your anger comes from your fear, and His Majesty wants you to show a determination, a determination to overcome it. ”

Speaking of this, Odoria's tears finally flowed: "Today, Your Majesty has realized your determination, and he is also relieved. ”

In the middle of the night, Ardashir was led by the guards to the door, and then walked into the room alone, greeted only by the dead Shapur II and the dagger in his heart. Just as Ardashir was terrified, the guards rushed in and captured Ardashir, who had killed his father.

Soon, Ardashir, who had committed a heinous crime, was executed, along with hundreds of nobles and his two younger brothers, a total of more than 2,000 people, while the other brother was exiled to Khorasan for a lesser crime. With the support of ministers such as Ansari and nobles such as Byyadeva, he ascended the throne as the only prince of the British branch who was qualified to inherit the throne, and officially became the emperor of the Persian Empire, the first of the British government.