Chapter 37: The Dilemma of the State Credentials

Fortunately, there was much to attend to that day, so the Empress, lacking the heart to press further, set the matter aside.

At her command, several Kheshig guards brought in a map. Lama Wang, still clutching his horsetail whisk and pacing with measured, deliberate steps, followed the map into the room.

"Fortune and blessings of the Arhat!" he greeted the Empress with a bow, then offered a gesture of respect to the assembled ministers. Pointing to the map, he explained, "The Ming Empire is very far away, and the intelligence gathered is often contradictory. I have done my best to filter the reports and have had craftsmen update our existing map to help you all better understand the situation."

"I was tasked with assisting Prince Toghon in drafting the state letter, but due to various complications, it remains unfinished. We have drafted the portions we can currently confirm; I ask that Your Majesty allow me to distribute them for review."

The Empress nodded, and Lama Wang took a stack of papers from an attendant to distribute among the officials.

Guo Kang received a copy and glanced at it. He noticed that the content was more formal than the previous draft, though beyond the customary pleasantries, it contained little more than an introduction to the Purple Tent Khanate's own trade situation.

"If anyone has any questions, feel free to direct them to the Grand Patriarch," the Empress said.

"I have a question," Shi Ke said, scanning the document. "Master Wang, have you decided which language we should use for our state letter?"

"I am inclined to use Chinese. Our current draft is written in Chinese," Lama Wang replied. "Chinese is the writing system most familiar to both our nations. I believe it is the most effective way to express our views so they are understood by the Ming without ambiguity. Furthermore, it will show our closeness to them, naturally helping to bridge the gap."

"I have heard that the Seres dynasty is not fond of other nations that share their civilization," interjected George, a Georgian and the chiliarch of the Timurid Sarai. "It is said that for the Seres, there can only be one regime; all others are viewed as competitors. If we emphasize our Seres cultural identity, might it actually provoke hostility from the Ming Empire?"

"I don't think it will come to that," Lama Wang said, waving his hand. "The Seres' understanding of political power is different from ours. Their Emperor is more than just our Basileus. He is more like a Basileus combined with a Pope—perhaps even higher than a Pope."

"To put it simply," he mused, "the Emperor’s most noble title is not 'Emperor' itself, but 'Son of Heaven.' They are primarily wary of anyone trying to seize that title. As long as we do not compete for it, there will be no trouble."

"That sounds like the title of the Pharaohs of ancient Egypt," remarked Alexios Autorefos, the Great Treasurer and a Greek. "Didn't the Persians learn that from them back in the day?"

"Centralized states in the East are all like that, and we Romans, having learned from the East, have been developing in that direction as well. You should have all learned this in your history classes," said Peter Borjan, the Bulgarian Minister of Waterways. "Scholars believe that the Seres are the most united, orderly, and powerful among all Asian nations. Their monarch possesses the highest degree of divinity."

"Generally speaking, no other country dares to call itself the 'Son of Heaven,'" laughed Toghtoga, the chiliarch of the Yexian Sarai. "Even the Caliphs of the Islamic world wouldn't dare."

"The legitimacy of the Umayyad and Abbasid dynasties was always highly questionable. They were merely false examples of a unified church and state," Borjan, a scholar by trade, said earnestly. "I have always maintained that only the Seres civilization possesses a truly perfect order of church and state unity."

"Data shows that the Seres lack the church organizations found in our world or the Islamic world. But no civilization can completely abandon religious authority. If they have no church, it simply means that the functions of the church have been assumed by other organizations."

"I have purchased many Eastern books from merchants and concluded that this is because their government has completely annexed the church. Not only at the central level, but local officials perform secular administrative duties while simultaneously fulfilling the church's educational and moral functions—and they do so without even holding the title of Bishop, as it is understood that the local official *is* the Bishop. This is the ultimate manifestation of the unity of church and state."

He nodded in approval. "I have yet to see any other civilization achieve this so thoroughly—even we have fallen just short."

"You are wandering off-topic. We are not here to praise the Ming Empire," Autorefos reminded him. "And I still feel that the title 'Son of Heaven' is far too presumptuous..."

"This is the most important part of the Grand Patriarch's topic," Borjan countered logically. "Think about it: a king can accept another king; a Basileus can accept another Basileus—just as we do with Persia. But can one 'Son of Heaven' accept another?"

Autorefos paused.

"You feel it is presumptuous because, in your faith, there can only be one Son of God, Jesus. And for the Ming Empire, it is exactly the same," he concluded. "Therefore, your concern is the best answer to this question: the Ming Empire cannot accept another 'Son of Heaven.' This is not a matter of political power, but of religious authority. This issue is non-negotiable."

"Then what is your recommendation?" Autorefos pressed.

"My recommendation is not to worry about it," Borjan replied. "The conclusion is clear: as long as our Basileus does not call himself the 'Son of Heaven,' there is no risk of provoking their hostility. Therefore, there is no need to fear the side effects of bringing our cultures closer."

The others nodded in agreement.

"The explanation is simple and clear; I understand," the Empress praised. "Does anyone have any other questions?"

"I have one," Toghtoga quickly asked. "Listening to you, sometimes you say 'Ming Dynasty,' other times 'Ming Empire.' How should we properly address them?"

"We are currently using their official translation, 'Zhongguo,' which means 'Middle Kingdom,'" Lama Wang answered. "Prince Toghon and I considered your question. In the end, we felt that the topic is too complex and sensitive, so it is better to avoid it altogether."

"How so?" asked Boris Kubrat, a Bulgarian serving as the Minister of Military Districts, now also known as the Minister of War.

"This is a question of legitimacy—or, as Mr. Borjan just said, the question of unique divinity," Shi Ke explained. "In Seres, the definition of a 'dynasty' is quite specific. Generally speaking, only a unified regime that possesses unique divinity is worthy of such a title. This is a matter that every nation in their cultural sphere takes very seriously."

"Whether the Ming state is merely one of many Seres nations or the unified dynasty is still an open question. They certainly call themselves that, but we still have business to conduct with the Yuan in Java, and it would be unwise to offend them. Therefore, it is best not to mention it."