24th January – 3900bc
Franco and I sit down at the long table which spans the entire room's length. Wu sits down at the opposite end of the table, smiling at me. She calls for someone, and a man rushes into the room. He instantly bows and, and waits for Wu Zetian to say 'stand'. Getting up, he sits next to Wu Zetian at the end of the table.
Everything is silent.
"Well?" Wu says at the man, glaring at him. His eyes widen, and he immediately stands up, pats his long green robes, and bows in front of me.
"Greetings, wise and respected traveller. I am Tailung, he Empress' Diplomatic Advisor. We are here to discuss trade between the mighty Chinese and…" he says, before quickly asking Wu something. She whispers something back, and he carries on with "the mighty French empire. May our trade be long and prosperous." Tailung says, returning to his side of the table. He sits down, and smiles at Wu.
"Alright, let's get straight to it. I assume the mighty Chinese people have discovered the secrets of Writing?" I ask Wu, smiling. She nods in conformation. "I then request that we set up an embassy in the others capital. This will be beneficial for the long and everlasting friendship between our two mighty civilizations." I exclaim. Franco nods in admiration.
Wu Zetian takes some time to think over it. She presses her hand against her extremely pale face, and mentions something to Tailung. He nods in agreement. Wu sits up, and begins to speak.
"We agree to your offer. We also request that a large road is constructed, from Beijing to your capital city of Paris. This will allow for the greater exchange of our cultures, tightening our bonds." Wu says.
"Sir," Franco whispers, "Are we sure we want to do this? There are too many risks. Barbarian attacks, Bandits and even in the unlikely case of war, then this will just prove as an advantage for them. I do not recommend this road, sir." He whispers. I shake my head at him.
"Oh, balderdash, Franco. This road will strengthen the trust between our nations, and trade will become significantly easier. I doubt that there will be a war this early in our lifetimes, Franco." I whisper. Regaining my strong voice, I say "We accept your offer. The French workers will build the road halfway, and we expect the Chinese to do the same." I say. Wu nods, as if this was obvious to her already. "Well, I expect there is not much left to do. Thank you for accommodating us, Wu Zetian. We shall be leaving now." I say. Wu nods.
"We thank the French people for trading fairly. May our friendship be long and prosperous." She says. We wave goodbye, and are out of the door. We wind down the corridors, and eventually, out of the palace. We are back in the crowded marketplace.
"Alright. I suggest that we depart for Paris at dawn." Franco says, looking at me.
I glare at him. "Dawn? What's 'Dawn'?" I ask. Franco almost laughs at my stupidity.
"Sir, 'dawn' is the term used for when the mighty sun arises and gives us light. It sounds better, and will catch more quickly, than 'light time'." Franco says, smiling. I nod.
"You know, we should probably build a centre of learning for our citizens to become more educated. For all you know, you and a handful of people are the only ones who use this term. We need a place in the city to transfer knowledge." I say, talking to Franco as we leave the city limits. We go over ideas for this new building, called a 'library', as we meander up the steep hill. We find our troops still sitting in the same place, having a good old chat.
"Alright troops! We shall wait until 'dawn' to depart to Paris. Job well done, all of you!" I say, clapping my hands together. They all roar and cheer. I simply smile at my military.