At Rosenborg Palace in Copenhagen, King Frederik III of the Kingdom of Denmark and Norway is holding a grand palace banquet to entertain distinguished guests. There are three main guests today: Count Franzbekov, the envoy of the Ming Dynasty, and his deputy
He sent Dong Xuan, a doctor in the Ministry of Rites, and Li Shouzhi, a foreign doctor in the Yuan Dynasty.
Dish after dish was served, including salted herring, boiled cod with mustard sauce, crispy roast pork, potato stew, sandwiches, Danish pastries, large meatballs... The aroma was so fragrant that the three distinguished guests were salivating.
Frederick III signaled the palace steward with his eyes. Immediately, the beautiful sound of the violin sounded, the girls in costumes performed an elegant palace dance, and the beautiful maid poured hot shochu for the guests.
"Dear envoys, you will return to the Ming Dynasty tomorrow. For the sake of the friendship between our two countries, I propose a toast." Frederick III raised his glass.
"I wish the friendship between Denmark and Ming Dynasty will last forever", Franzbekov raised a glass of congratulations.
"I wish the friendship between Denmark and Ming Dynasty will last forever", everyone toasted and drank the wine in one gulp.
Stimulated by fine wine, music, singing and dancing, the atmosphere of the banquet gradually reached a climax.
Dong Xuan suddenly saw the maid serving a strange dish, a round cone-shaped pile of red meat with a raw egg on top. Before he could take a bite, the blood red and bright yellow in front of him was really scary.
He didn't know how to eat this dish, so he peeped at Franzbekov who was standing aside. Franzbekov looked calm. He mixed the egg yolk and meat evenly, took a small spoonful and put it into his mouth, and swallowed it slowly.
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Driven by curiosity, Dong Xuan followed the same method and took a bite. The extremely strong umami and fishy smell brought unprecedented stimulation to his taste buds. He faintly felt a sense of oppression that was difficult to swallow but was forced to swallow quickly.
This creates a feeling of "transparency".
After tasting a few mouthfuls in succession, he asked Franzbekov: "Bratskobo, what is the name of this dish? Why does it taste so strange?"
"This dish looks like a red sun at first glance, hence the name 'Devil's Sun'", Franzbekov smiled slightly, "Mr. Dong thought the taste was strange because this dish is made of fresh raw beef minced into puree and served with
It is made with raw eggs. Because it is eaten raw, it tastes strange."
"What! Raw beef!"
Dong Xuan suddenly felt nauseous and wanted to vomit but couldn't. He had to swallow a large glass of soju and said to himself: "These Yi people actually eat raw meat. They really drink blood like hair."
Li Shouzhi, the foreigner at the other table, was alert and did not taste the "Devil Sun".
"Dear envoy, how do you plan to handle the marriage between the two countries?" Frederick III asked Franzbekov with a smile.
"When this envoy returns to report to His Majesty the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty will send envoys to marry Princess Eleonore with generous gifts." The two parties have already reached an agreement on this matter, and Franzbekov plans to follow the procedures.
"No, no, no", Frederick III waved his hand, "The distance between Ming Dynasty and Denmark is really too far! When you first came to our country, my Eleonore was only ten years old. Now she is ten years old.
Three. It will take at least a few more years for you to return to the country after you return. If something delays it, it will take even longer. In this case, my Eleonore will become an old girl."
"What does your Majesty mean?" Franzbekov asked.
"I thought that I could let my son Christian escort his sister to the Ming Dynasty, and then return after Eleonore gets married in the Ming Dynasty."
As soon as this statement came out, Franzbekov, Dong Xuan, and Li Shouzhi looked at each other. Before the bride price was paid, they married off their daughters. Not to mention the conservative Ming Dynasty, it was rare even in relatively open Europe.
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Li Shouzhi was the first to react and said to Franzbekov and Dong Xuan: "You two might as well agree. This is a great achievement!"
Upon hearing the "great contribution", the two of them suddenly realized that indeed, the Holy Emperor is the most important person today and regards himself as the Supreme Kingdom of Heaven. If they knew that there were foreign monarchs who tried every means to make friends with the Ming Dynasty, and even traveled thousands of miles to send the princess away before the betrothal gift was given.
If you come to the Ming Dynasty to get married, you will definitely feel more dignified. Being able to satisfy the emperor's vanity is no small feat!
"Well, Your Majesty is so kind, I dare not accept my order," Franzbekov hurriedly agreed.
Seeing his promise, Frederick III laughed loudly and told his son: "Christian, prepare more manpower and supplies. The sea is bumpy, but don't make Eleonore suffer." Perhaps he was thinking of his daughter.
I am about to go to another country thousands of miles away, and it will be difficult to see each other again, and my smile has solidified again.
The next day, Franzbekov and his party set sail from the port of Copenhagen. In addition to the 300 entourage they came with, there were also 2,000 people from diplomatic missions from various countries.
More than thirty ships sailed into the Norwegian Sea and quickly entered the territory of the Kingdom of Sweden. King Carl XI of Sweden sent envoys to welcome them into Stockholm.
"Dear Your Majesty, before returning to the Ming Dynasty, I want to go to my hometown Livonia and say goodbye to my fellow villagers." Franzbekov looked a little bleak. He is a German, but now his hometown Livonia
Niagara was under Swedish occupation.
"Of course, dear envoy, you are welcome to come home often." Although Karl XI was only a young man, he was very good at winning people's hearts, and he immediately sent a team of soldiers to escort him to Livonia. p>
Is it still that small village, or those childhood friends, "Ham", "Lübeck", and "Brauer"??
Franzbekov and the dozen teenagers who were taken away from the village said goodbye to their relatives and friends.
He came to worship at his parents' graves again, "Father, mother, my son will probably never come back after he leaves. I don't want to leave my hometown, but in Livonia, our family can only be common people."
, in the Ming Dynasty, our family is a noble. For the happiness of future generations, my son has to leave!"
The more he talked, the sadder he became. He sang sadly: "I love my hometown, the desolate and indifferent silence on the seaside, the boundless forest swaying in the wind. The fishermen bring fish and shrimps, and the farmers pile the millet on the threshing floor. Poor me,
I have to leave the place where I was born and raised. Just for the sake of future generations, I will no longer experience the bitterness of poverty. Looking back at the thatched house where I once lived, with the small windows inlaid with relief window panels. I will never look back and pursue the glory of the nobility.
”.
He entrusted the care of his parents' graves to a distant relative, gave the relative a hundred gold coins, and left without a chance to come back again in this life.
The fleet sailed continuously into the Barents Sea and the Kara Sea, avoiding Tsarist Russia's navy, and arrived at Xida City (Mangazea) in the Zhengxi Province of the Ming Dynasty.
When He Wenrui, the governor of the Western Expedition, heard that the envoy had returned to China, he did not dare to neglect. He sent people to arrange for Franzbekov, Dong Xuan, Li Shouzhi, Prince Christian of Denmark, and Princess Eleonore to rest at the inn.
Prepare to make a pilgrimage to Beijing; at the same time, send someone to report to Nanjing on a fast horse.