Xiao Ruxun did not treat the Cardinal of the Roman Curia as a distinguished guest, nor did he go out to welcome him. He waited for him to come in and take a seat in the living room. Then, a servant went to the inner hall to invite Xiao Ruxun out to meet the Cardinal.
Ricci was already familiar with how the Chinese treated their guests, but it was the Cardinal's first time. He saw chairs and tables that were different from those in Europe, as well as the interior decorations. The Cardinal found it very novel. There were many trees and flowers in the house. They were green and full of life. In the living room, there were even Chinese paintings and Chinese calligraphy, as well as some plaques with words written on them.
In Europe, the calligraphy written by Chen Longzheng had become something sought after by countless people. This was because Chen Longzheng had only written this one piece of calligraphy. No matter how many people begged Chen Longzheng for the rest, Chen Longzheng would not write any more.
Chen Longzheng's reason was very simple — he had written these words to humiliate them, but he did not expect them to not understand that he was humiliating them. That was meaningless. They actually wanted to use these things to make money. What a waste of God's good gifts!
A bunch of barbarians who only knew gold and silver!
When Chen Longzheng boarded the ship and left, he said this disdainfully. Naturally, no one understood what he meant.
Then that piece of calligraphy would be out of print in Europe. The governor of Genoa felt that he had gotten a great bargain and wanted to keep this piece of calligraphy as a family heirloom. When people tried to buy it with gold, silver, and land, he rejected them harshly and refused to sell. This Cardinal also knew the price, so he was very envious and moved when he saw the room full of calligraphy and Chinese paintings.
Ricci also had a rough idea of what this greedy Cardinal was thinking.
"The residences of scholars and nobles in China are basically like this. Hanging some Chinese calligraphy and Chinese ink paintings is the habit and custom of scholars in China. This is a form of etiquette. These calligraphy and ink paintings are basically the works of famous writers and artists. They are very valuable, and in Europe, they are even more valuable."
The bishop nodded as he scanned the calligraphy and ink paintings with a greedy gaze.
Not long after, the servants brought tea and snacks for the bishop and Ricci to enjoy. The bishop lifted the lid of the teacup and saw that it was filled with fragrant tea leaves. He took a deep breath and exclaimed, "The Chinese are really rich. This tea leaves are so fragrant. They can be sold for a good price in Europe! And this … what is this? "
Ricci explained, "When the Chinese entertain their guests, they serve it with tea. It's the same as the pastries used by the European nobles for afternoon tea. This is called mung bean cake, which is made of mung beans. Myanmar's weather is hot, and mung beans have the effect of relieving heat, so they are very popular in Myanmar. This kind of mung bean cake is also a very famous pastry in Myanmar. It's sweet and glutinous."
After saying that, Ricci picked up a piece of mung bean cake and took a bite. Then, he revealed a look of enjoyment.
"The Chinese's attainments in food are definitely not inferior to their attainments in culture. It can even be said that their food itself is a kind of culture."
Hearing Ricci say this and seeing him enjoy it so much, the bishop swallowed his saliva. As a cardinal, he could naturally enjoy all kinds of good food and drinks, but he really had not experienced anything exotic. So, he impatiently picked up a piece of mung bean cake and took a bite like Ricci. Suddenly, a soft and sweet taste swept through his mouth.
He could not help but close his eyes and enjoy the sweet taste. Then, he could not help but eat three pieces in a row and exclaimed, "It's really delicious. Are all the Chinese's food so exquisite?"
"The Chinese are really particular when it comes to food. Of course, the common people are not so particular, but they can still fill their stomachs. Myanmar is not lacking in food."
The bishop nodded. Who cares about the common people? They do not represent China.
After eating a few more pieces of mung bean cake, the bishop felt thirsty. So, he picked up the teacup and took a sip of tea. The fragrant tea had a hint of bitterness, which diluted the greasy sweetness in his mouth. The two blended perfectly, making his mouth feel extremely comfortable. His taste buds felt as if they were soaking in a warm bath.
"Ah …"
The bishop sighed deeply. "If I could enjoy such tea and cakes every day after praying to God, it would be a supreme enjoyment. The afternoon tea enjoyed by the nobles is probably not as good as this, right? The Chinese really know how to enjoy themselves. "
Ricci smiled and did not reply. To be honest, how would he know how the European nobles enjoyed afternoon tea? Only the nobles of the Church like the bishop could enjoy it, right?
Although General Xiao liked to enjoy himself, the more than one million people under his rule had not gone hungry for three years. Not even for a day. This was a miracle. If you went to the streets and asked, who would not be grateful to Marquis Xiao? As for you guys … Haha …
Just as he was cursing in his heart, the sound of footsteps could be heard. Xiao Ruxun, dressed in casual clothes, walked into the living room with Ma Wei. He saw Ricci and an old teacher in a robe that he had never seen before. He must be the high-ranking cardinal bishop. So, Xiao Ruxun opened his mouth and said, "This must be our distinguished guest? I, Xiao Ruxun, have been delayed by some matters. I am very sorry to have delayed our distinguished guest. "
As he spoke, Xiao Ruxun cupped his hands towards the old teacher as a form of greeting.
The bishop saw a rather imposing young Chinese man appear in front of him. He had an imposing appearance and looked very powerful. While he was surprised, he heard him mumble for a while. He did not understand what he was saying, so he could only look at Ricci.
"Bishop, this is General Xiao. He was saying that he was late and that he was very sorry."
This is Xiao Ruxun? So young? Are all the nobles in China so young and handsome?
Although the bishop was surprised, he did not dare to be rude. He hurriedly bowed and said, "I am the special envoy of His Highness the Pope, Cardinal Zalom Alexander. Dear General Xiao, nice to meet you."
Ricci immediately translated.
"So it is Mr. Alexander." Xiao Ruxun smiled and nodded. "Sit, don't stand on ceremony."
Xiao Ruxun extended his hand and invited the bishop to sit. The bishop was stunned for a moment and looked at Ricci. Ricci hurriedly said, "General Xiao, please sit down."
"Oh!"
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