Guide to traveling through the Northern Song Dynasty

Seljuk Sultan Sanjar, who is still in Baghdad, personally monitors and educates the Caliphate.

Why did Your Majesty rebel?

This sentence sounds humorous, but it is very troublesome for those who actually hold power.

Punish him severely, the political impact will be bad.

If you don't punish them severely, the political impact will be even worse.

In the end, all the people around the caliph could only be carefully replaced. Kill a few, exile a few, and transfer a lot to other places.

After learning that the Ming Dynasty envoy had landed, Sanjar left his confidant as the governor of Baghdad, and slowly returned to Isfahan with his entourage and troops.

Encamping halfway, he saw that everyone was resting, but scholar Anvari was writing and drawing on the ground.

Sanjar asked: "How many books have you brought back from the Ming Dynasty?"

Anvari said: "I have finished reading "Basic Mathematics" and am currently studying "Intermediate Mathematics". The Ming Dynasty is worthy of being a land of peach blossoms, and the achievements in mathematics there are extremely high."

"Higher than Ibn Sina?" Sanjar asked.

Anwari said: "Ibn Sina's mathematics level is roughly equivalent to "Basic Mathematics" and a small part of "Intermediate Mathematics."

"Basic Mathematics" and "Intermediate Mathematics" are both mathematics textbooks of the Ming Dynasty.

This stuff can be bought in bookstores, although Ming officials deliberately guided the Seljuk envoys to pay attention to literature and art.

But the Seljuk envoy secretly bought a few scientific books and took them away.

Sanjar was shocked: "Did the Ming Dynasty's scholarship surpass that of Ibn Sina?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," Anwari said, "Although Ibn Sina is the beacon of my thoughts, I have to admit that he cannot compare with the Ming Dynasty scholars."

Sanjar said: "Then we should continue to go to Ming Dynasty for exchanges."

The Ibn Sina they were talking about was a great Persian scholar a hundred years ago and was revered as the "Father of World Medicine" in later generations.

He began to study logic and natural science at the age of ten, and at the age of seventeen he cured the illness of the emperor (Persian Bweshi Dynasty).

The Persian emperor wanted to reward him heavily, but Ibn Sina had only one request: free access to the emperor's library.

He believes that there are two possibilities for the formation of mountains, one is the uplift of land caused by earthquakes, and the other is the erosion of the ground by wind and rain.

He believed that the land and oceans had changed many times over the long history of the earth.

He pioneered the scientific classification of rocks and minerals.

He used anesthetics during surgeries and discovered parasites in the human body. His medical papers cover gastric ulcer, diabetes, fetal blood flow in the mother's body and other fields. There are also medical monographs on decoctions, herbal medicines, anatomy, and nutrition.

He also has works on philosophy, literature, chemistry, biology, music, physics, logic, astronomy, etc.

He has a total of 276 books and papers, which are currently hidden in the Isfahan Library, waiting for the Ming Dynasty envoys to exchange treasures!

The Anwari in front of him is a famous philosopher, writer and mathematician.

Anwari often wrote flattering poems, but he also wrote many poems of persuasion and satire, advising kings and officials to be benevolent and caring for the people.

…

As soon as Sanjar returned to Isfahan, an official came and muttered: "Your Majesty, the Ming Dynasty envoy was attacked by several nomadic tribes in the northwest of Shiraz. Our accompanying officials were killed, and the Ming Dynasty's Three soldiers were killed and twenty or thirty others were injured. The Ming army massacred the nomadic tribes in the mountains near Shiraz, and women and children were also beheaded."

"Shiraz, Shiraz... very good!" Sanjar was extremely angry.

It was once the largest city in Persia. It was razed to the ground by the Seljuqs and now it was redeveloped into the fourth largest city of Seljuk.

How dare the nomadic tribes of Shiraz deny face to the Sultan!

It was just a matter of looting ordinary merchants, but that was the Ming Dynasty's envoy. Wasn't the Sultan shameless?

Sanjar called his nephew over: "You immediately lead troops to Shiraz to investigate which tribes participated in the attack. Kill all the men, and use the women and children as slaves."

The Sultan was wise and tolerant, but at the same time extremely cruel.

After dealing with this mess, Sanjar went to check the "tribute" in person.

At least, he thought this was a tribute from Ming Dynasty.

Five pieces of top-grade Sichuan brocade, five pieces of top-grade velvet, twelve pieces of top-grade porcelain, and twelve pieces of top-grade lacquerware.

There are ten carvings, two of which are micro-carvings and require a magnifying glass to be appreciated.

A crystal magnifying glass.

A half-foot-square mercury glass mirror with a gilt frame.

A pair of composite cotton armor with embedded steel plates.

Twenty pounds of top quality black tea.

One hundred white waxworm candles.

Sanjar saw cotton armor at a glance, like cloth decorated with many rivets.

He lifted it up and weighed it. It weighed dozens of kilograms, and he immediately knew that there was something inside. Opening it up and looking, there are indeed many armor plates.

"Put on your armor." Sanjar said to the guard beside him.

The guards quickly put on their armor and stood there waiting for the Sultan to conduct the experiment.

Sanjar drew out his knife and slashed several times, but found that he had not penetrated the cotton layer, let alone a layer of armor inside. His eyes suddenly lit up: "What a treasure. Let the craftsmen sew the damaged outer layer back together!"

Then he picked up the glass mirror. This mirror was more transparent and flawless than the one brought back by the Seljuk envoy.

Sanjar looked in the mirror and admired it repeatedly. He was soon impressed by his handsomeness and immediately told him: "No one is allowed to touch this mirror except me and the queen!"

Then he inspected the other treasures, and he liked everything.

But he didn’t know the purpose of the black tea, so Sanjar thought it was some kind of oriental magic medicine.

As for the white candle, although he didn't know what its characteristics were, he still kept it safe.

That night, he used top-quality porcelain plates, cups, and bowls to eat and drink.

According to the teachings, drinking is not allowed, but the Seljuk religious atmosphere is very tolerant and open. The nobles basically drank alcohol and invited scholars from various religions to serve as consultants. It was normal for a monk to appear next to the sultan.

After dinner, the queen looked again and again in the mirror, and even slept with her pillow under her pillow that night.

The next day, Sanjar warmly received the Ming envoy.

He prepared sumptuous food and wine, and invited many nobles and scholars to accompany him.

The main seat is covered with a beautiful Persian carpet, something similar to a coffee table, placed on the carpet to make a table.

The Sultan and the Queen sat at one end of the coffee table, and the Ming Dynasty's envoys and deputy envoys sat at the other end. The rest of the people sat on the sides below, also carpeted.

Among the people, the dancer is performing.

Sanjar said: "I have received the gift from your emperor. I have decided to send another envoy to the Ming Dynasty to give back a batch of precious gifts. Whatever you want, just ask."

Cheng Yu said: "I heard that the Seljuqs have many great works. Your Majesty has admired them for a long time and hopes to read them. Your Majesty, I also heard that the Seljuq war horses are very sacred. Please give the male and female horses. Twenty horses each."

"That's no problem," Sanjar said. "You ask scholars to go into the Sudanese library. Which work they like, those who have a copy will be taken away directly, and those who don't have a copy will be copied. Then you ask the generals to go to my horse farm." , except for my favorite horses, you can take away the rest if you like them.”

Cheng Yu added: "Our country does not understand Persian and Turkic writing. Please ask His Majesty the Sultan to send a scholar to the Ming Dynasty to translate the books brought back. When this scholar arrives in the Ming Dynasty, His Majesty the Emperor will grant him an official position."

"Haha, that's easy to say." Sanjar agreed with a smile.

Anwari, the most knowledgeable Seljuk scholar, recommended himself: "Your Majesty the Sultan, I would like to go to the Ming Dynasty."

Sanjar shook his head repeatedly: "No. If you leave, who will write poems praising my greatness?"

Anvari said: "There are many smart poets around His Majesty, and I am not missing one. When I arrive in the Ming Dynasty, I can bring back more Eastern works to Your Majesty."

Sanjar thought about it carefully and agreed, "Okay then."

The reason why Anwari wanted to go to China was because the previous messenger, Abu, made the Ming Dynasty so exciting in "Peach Blossom Stone Journey".

There were schools all over the Ming Dynasty, and even the lower class people could study.

As for Ming Dynasty scholars who govern the country, even a farmer's son can take the exam and become an official as long as he studies hard.

Why Ming officials would be executed if they embezzled a single silver coin, so all officials were very honest.

The Ming Emperor is decided by the people. If the emperor is too cruel, he will lose divine blessing. People will elect a wise new emperor.

Anvari has long been fascinated by all this.

Not only him, but also many scholars yearned for the Ming Dynasty.

Because the Seljuks were so chaotic and corrupt, the local lords after the hereditary system took life and death from the people.

Nobles large and small, also known as sultans, were like a state within a state and often levied heavy taxes within their jurisdiction.

There are also wars every year, either to suppress this or to conquer that.

In comparison, the Ming Dynasty in the Land of Peach Blossom Stone is so prosperous, peaceful and civilized...

Abu's "Peach Blossom Stone Travels" has been circulated in many big cities in Seljuk, and it continues to spread through the handwriting of scholars.

Even Sanjar himself has read "Peach Blossom Stone".

But his focus was different, and he asked at this moment: "The emperor of your country, is he still fighting against the Central Peach Blossom Stone?"

Cheng Yu replied: "Our country has regained its lost territory and conquered Zhongtaohua Stone long ago."

Sanjar was shocked.

The Ming Dynasty already had Shang Qin and Zhong Qin. If it continued to fight west, wouldn't it mean to unify the Peach Blossom Stone?

Abu said: "I have written the achievements of the Ming Emperor into a long poem and set it to music."

Sanjar smiled and said, "Let's put on a show."

A Persian girl stepped forward and began to sing a long poem about Ju Ming, accompanied by music.

After the performance, Cheng Yu quickly thanked him.

Sancar smiled again and said: "My hymn is next."

Smelly and long!

This long poem describes in detail the division of Seljuk, how Sanjar fought for the position of sultan, how he reunited Seljuk, and continued to expand outwards.

Every battle was not lost, and the song lasted for twenty minutes.

Sanjar liked this poem very much and asked scholars to lengthen the poem every time he won a new battle.

The translator knelt next to the chief and deputy envoys of the Ming Dynasty and continued to translate the content of the poem into Chinese.

After the long poem ended, Cheng Yu complimented: "Your Majesty is so great that few kings from ancient times to the present can compare with it."

"Hahahaha!" Sanjar laughed proudly.

The next day, Zhu Xiaozhong took people to the Sudan Racecourse to select the best Seljuk horses.

Cheng Yu took officials and scholars to the Sudan Library to select books.

Chief Medical Officer Yan Xiuqing also went there and asked the administrator where the medical books were. He found several bookshelves packed tightly together.

He then asked which medical books were the most famous, and finally discovered the works of Ibn Sina.

Although I can't read Persian text, there are a lot of pictures in the book.

Yan Xiuqing even found a perspective drawing of a fetus, detailing how the maternal blood vessels connect to the fetus.

Really, he didn't even need to read the text, he was excited just flipping through the pictures.

The biggest gain of the Ming Dynasty envoys' voyage was not making money or obtaining excellent horse breeds. Instead, it was the preliminary drawing of the nautical chart and the huge amount of Persian academic works in front of them!