Chapter 36: The Empress's Insight

Guo Kang had discussed this issue with Li Xuanying and the others, and they had been quite blunt about it.

The Greeks had reached their final dynasty, the Palaiologos. This dynasty began with Michael VIII bullying widows and orphans, and it would end with the internal feuds of the two Emperors John.

To be honest, these Greeks were even more absurd than the Song Dynasty. In the end, the behavior of those individuals was roughly equivalent to Lu Xiufu and Zhang Shijie each holding an emperor hostage and fighting a civil war at Mount Ya, while competing to boast about hiring Kublai Khan to attack the other side.

Most people would find it very difficult to understand the mindset of these Greek nobles.

This was certainly not a model worth emulating!

Therefore, to counter the influence of the Greeks, the Purple Tent Khanate had devised various methods, including establishing their own schools, holding examinations, and cultivating talent. Additionally, the Pillar States sought to unite with various factions, hoping to achieve some form of balance.

To this end, the Purple Tent followed the example of European nobles and began arranging marriages, reaching out to countries as far away as France, and even competing with the Holy Roman Empire for marriage alliances. However, the results so far had been quite limited.

As for what exactly should be done, nobody had a reliable plan yet.

Just as he was thinking this, someone at the door shouted, "The Empress arrives!" Several Rus envoys and Bulgarian officials left their side and returned to their respective seats.

A eunuch attendant led in a middle-aged noblewoman dressed in purple robes, followed by several ladies-in-waiting and a tall young woman, also draped in purple.

Along the way, everyone in the hall bowed. When the Empress passed Guo Kang, she nodded to him in acknowledgment. Guo Kang kept his head lowered until her entourage had passed, then looked up, surveying the surroundings. It was no surprise that the expressions of those present varied greatly.

Most of the Northern Secretariat officials opposite him wore neutral expressions. The Greek and Serbian civil officials on this side were also respectful. However, the hereditary lords of the Southern Secretariat were clearly displeased.

They walked past the center of the hall and then past the heroic Master Guo, who had also risen to his feet. Upon reaching the end of the hall, the others stopped, and the Empress herself ascended the steps to sit upon the Great Khan's throne.

Guo Kang noticed that when the Empress actually sat on the throne, even the usually composed Shi Ke could not help but frown.

"Tch, Wu Zetian!" Li Xuanying muttered, complaining in a low voice.

Guo Kang shook his head gently, signaling him not to speak recklessly.

According to Greek tradition, the Emperor and Empress often sat side by side, but in the eyes of everyone here, this was a poor omen.

As Shi Ke put it, besides the lessons from the Tang Dynasty, the not-so-distant Yuan Dynasty had similar cases. The court system of the Yuan was chaotic, and emperors and empresses often sat as equals in the imperial court. As a result, after the death of Ogedei Khan, Empress Toregene interfered in politics; after the death of Guyuk Khan, Empress Oghul Qaimish did the same. The political situation was already unstable, and such turmoil directly led to the corruption of the administration.

The emperors of the Yuan Dynasty failed to learn their lesson, and right up to the end, there was the Empress Gi interfering in government. The Emperor, the Crown Prince, and Empress Gi fought among themselves, and the Dadu court became as chaotic as Constantinople. Even without Zhu Yuanzhang, the dynasty’s fate was sealed; it was merely a question of which warlord would eventually finish it off.

Li Xuanying curled his lip in disdain, clearly still dissatisfied. "By the way, that 'Twenty Cows' was staring at you earlier. Didn't you see?"

Guo Kang had been looking around at the time and hadn't been watching the throne, so he could only shake his head honestly.

"Twenty Cows" was the nickname for the girl in purple, Tuohuan's sister, Khulubugha. In the Mongolian language, the name literally meant "twenty" and "cow."

Although it sounded strange, this name was gender-neutral. Perhaps, in their culture, it was similar to names like John or Paul in Europe—a common word that could be combined at will to form a name.

Come to think of it, a son named "Pot" and a daughter named "Twenty Cows" were very traditional names. This was likely the extent of the old herdsmen's aspirations for a comfortable life on the steppe.

Although he didn't know why she was looking for him, he wasn't afraid of trouble with his foster father present. Besides, Li Xuanying was right there; even if something happened, he wouldn't be the first one to be reprimanded.

As he was thinking this, his foster father walked to the throne and knelt on one knee on the highest step. The Empress lifted her robe, allowing him to give it a symbolic kiss. With this ritual concluded, the Empress invited everyone to be seated. His foster father returned to his place, and the other ministers followed suit.

"Sigh, General Guo is just too good-natured," Li Xuanying whispered. "If it were me forced to kneel, I’d have thrown that Greek woman out."

"That is why you can't be the Grand Marshal," Shi Ke replied, looking back and whispering a rebuke. "That is Tuohuan's own mother; you can't behave like that."

"I think Tuohuan would want to do it even more than I would," Li Xuanying retorted stubbornly, though he finally quieted down.

Grand Marshal was the current title held by his foster father, Master Guo. It was said that this title appeared very early, and before the 11th century, it was a high-ranking official with real power, responsible for commanding the national army and even acting as regent when the Emperor was away—holding more authority than the Grand Marshal of the State. Naturally, however, those who held such power had a strong tendency to rebel, so the power was eventually divided.

In the era of the Purple Tent Khanate, Grand Marshal was merely an honorary title granted to the leader of the Southern Secretariat's hereditary lords, rotating among the families periodically. By all accounts, his foster father, as the current Grand Marshal, should have been presiding over the State Council, but the Empress had appeared and taken the main seat. People like Li Xuanying, who already disliked her, were bound to be resentful.

"You have all worked hard. The Ecumenical Patriarch reported that there are important diplomatic matters regarding the Ming Dynasty that require discussion, so General Guo has urgently summoned the remaining ministers to deliberate on countermeasures," the Empress said from the throne. "In this world, Rome and the Ming Dynasty are like Zeus and Hera. The relationship between our two nations is of the utmost importance, and I urge you all to give it your full consideration and act with caution."

"Absurd talk. What a mess of a metaphor," Li Xuanying muttered in Chinese. "Are they a married couple now?"

"Xuanying, what are you saying?" The Empress, who had been listening to his whispers, finally took notice and asked from the throne.

"Nothing," Guo Kang quickly smoothed things over. "He was just saying that your Majesty the Empress is very insightful."