Not to mention the huge officials of the empire and countless spies, the army alone was an extremely heavy burden: the entire country had nine thousand elephants, thirty thousand cavalry, another six hundred thousand infantry, and a navy. In peacetime, ‘when they were not in service, they lived by wandering or drinking loudly, and were maintained by the expenses of the royal treasury’.

Although there are countless spies in the country who are constantly monitoring them, many people still evade taxes, while most officials are corrupt. The deterioration of finance has made the empire no longer generously rewarding and giving to Buddhism like before, which is also the reason why the prince Ermoti had to put his grandfather under house arrest: the empire could no longer afford the expenditure of 400 million pana.

"I will handle this matter properly." Ermoti hesitated for a while before answering the matter of the envoy Chuni's grandfather. He asked again: "When will the Chuni arrive in Fahrenheit?"

"On the third hour of day," Tijoti replied. "If your Highness needs..."

"No need, arrive at that time." Ermoti said. "Remember, in the inn where they live..."

The spies governed the country as the normal state of the Peacock Empire, and officials were not reliable. These spies may be hermits, household heads, merchants, ascetics, students, begging women, and prostitutes, as long as the empire needs it. When Ermo submitted that he wanted to send a spy, Titti said, "Your Highness, but we do not understand the Chuni language."

"Don't understand Chuni's words?" Ermoti didn't understand. "How did the Chuni communicate with the ministers who went to greet him?"

"The Chuni knows Greek, and they found a Tamil in Arakuran." Tigeti talked about the current situation of communication between the two sides. What he didn't know was that the Chuni do not actually understand Greek, but they had a Greek-Chu dictionary (given by Wuji and his servant Jago Valla, an important task in Chu was to compile this dictionary).

"Even if you don't understand their language, you have to send a spy." Ermoti insisted on his decision. In his perception, there were too many people who could not trust, and only spys could provide him with accurate information.

*

It is always very early in early summer. When Prince Ermo got up, the bell of the wake-up call on the Shangui was ringing. This is the morning shift on the boat, which is on the twenty-four-hour schedule, which should be from 4 a.m. to 8 a.m.. Unlike on the turbulent sea a few months ago, the Shangui was moving smoothly on the Ganges.

Monsoon turned last month, and under the leadership of the Aragankuran recruitment guide, the Shangui quickly arrived at the mouth of the Gange River. With the translation also recruited from Aragankuran, the officials of the Peacock Empire happily allowed the Shangui to enter the country. The Eastern powers outside of the Thousand Yudian came here, which reminded them of the envoy Megastini sent by the Seleucid Empire more than 60 years ago. He also came from the sea to India and arrived at Fahrenheit from the mouth of the Ganges.

It is a celebration for all nations to come to the court. Within a few days, two hundred Indian boats came to greet them. Of course, these Indian ships were not just here to play drums, they came to delay the Mountain Ghost Row upstream. Now the Mountain Ghost Row is sailing towards Fahrenheit day and night under the rowing of these two hundred Indian ships.

"Report to doctor, Kagayan can go to the capital of India today." After breakfast, on the deck of the stern floor, Yi, the clerk who was responsible for talking with the translator Kaga, told Lu Zhuo and Captain Shen Yinshang that this was the twelfth day after the Shangui entered the Ganges.

"Are the rituals ready?" Lu Zhuo asked. The fleet only had the Shangui at this time, and the Taotie had rushed to the Persian Gulf last winter under the command of the Goutong. The reason for this arrangement was to complete the voyage in the shortest time, and return to Yingdu in the fall of the monsoon.

"Report to the doctor, the rituals are ready." The city order said quickly. "Doctor, please see the gift list."

When you come to the door, you have to give gifts and prepare different gifts according to the other party's status. This is the practice of the Chinese countries other than Qin. This practice has lasted for more than two thousand years in later generations. Shanguihao has not suffered any twists and turns along the way. One of the main reasons is to give gifts along the way. However, some people return gifts very civilizedly, while others do not return a gift.

The gifts on the gift list are very different from those in China, and are basically a collection of foreign trade goods. In the face of emperors like the Peacock King, swords are indispensable. This also means that the market orders are not showing off. He heard that India also produces Giant Iron. Before the Giant Iron of Chu appeared, it was the best Giant Iron in the "known world". Since we came to India, we naturally had to compare with the Indians whose Giant Iron is better.

"Doctor..." Yi once again talked with the general interpreter, and got amazing information.

"Yan." Lu Zhuo did not look at him and was preparing the gift list.

"I heard that the Mauryan King has been imprisoned by the prince of his country." Yi was a little unbelievable, but his communication with the interpreter Kaga was indeed correct.

Lu Zhuo and Shen Yinshang were shocked when Buji heard this. Lu Zhuo said, "Is it true?"

"It's true." Yi glanced at the translation of Kaga. This dark-faced translation was recommended by Queen Pandiya. While waiting in Aragankuran, Lu Zhu met with Queen Pandiya, and on the way north of Aragankuran Port, he met with King Zhuluo. The kings of both countries were hostile to the Mauryan King, but did not prevent Lu Zhu from going to Fahrenheit. When Yi looked at Kaga, Kaga made a gesture of worshiping the sky with both hands, indicating that he swears in the name of God, and his words were not false.

"This Indian state affairs are not related to us." The shock on Lu Zhuo's face disappeared for a while. This was not a big deal. It was just that the prince imprisoned his grandfather. It was obvious that the political situation in India was unstable, and there would be a dispute over the throne after the death of the Mauryan King.

During his time in Pandiya, Lu Zhuo was treated as a courtesy of Queen Pandiya. Queen Pandiya once suggested that the Chu merchant ships could dock at the port of Aragankulan in the future and trade here. The Zhulu merchant ships and Pandiya merchant ships could help the Chu merchant ships transport rice, wheat, cotton, cotton, sesame oil and all the goods needed by the Chu merchant ships.

Under normal circumstances, long-distance trade is a gem, Lu Li, a cargo with light weight and high value, but because the West Coast of India has always been out of trade with the Persian Gulf, Lu Zhuo's request to purchase rice, wheat, cotton, and cotton did not surprise the Panthians. Because they have been doing this low-value goods trade for hundreds of years. Since the merchants of Chu did not dislike this low-value goods and were not afraid that they occupied the precious tonnage of merchant ships, they certainly would not dislike them.

Pandiya's merchants once tried hard to let Lu Zhuo understand one truth: although rice, wheat, cotton, and cotton are all produced in India, the cost of buying these goods directly from India, plus tariffs is much higher than purchasing them at the port of Aragorn Kuran. The same is true for selling goods. The goods entering the Peacock Empire have to pay one-third of the value of the goods as tolls (i.e., tariffs, but silk only need to pay one-tenth of the value), and export goods have to pay one-quarter to one-fifth of the value of the goods as tolls.

Most of the goods in Aragankulan were smuggled, not only smuggling, but also evaded one-quarter of the domestic transaction tax. Lu Zhuo heard that he did not believe it, but according to Xiong Jing's arrangement, he had to go to Fahrenheit to see the Peacock King. If the price of purchasing directly in India is higher than that of Aragankulan Port, then after he returned to China, he would naturally suggest that domestic merchant ships stop at Aragankulan Port to purchase.

Price is a consideration, while the political stability of the Peacock Empire is another consideration. Once a country has a dispute over the throne, even if it does not decline, it is likely to go into chaos. Chu is preparing for war, and preparing for war requires a large amount of food and fodder. If India is really involved in war, it is not good news for Chu.

The Shangui slowly moved forward under the towing of the Indian ship. At this time, the lookout hand on the mast plate had already seen the narrow and long city on the riverside. Lu Zhuo also picked up the Lu Li mirror. A small city in the sight stood on the west bank of the Ganges River. Seeing that the city was only three meters high, he immediately felt that the capital was too small and too short. When the Shangui turned a corner and saw the side of the city, he realized that the city was not small, it was just too narrow.
Chapter completed!