Chapter 212: The Alarm Bell

Chapter 212: Warning Bell

As the official responsible for translation finished speaking, the entire second courtyard fell into complete silence. The Frankish trader finally sensed the overwhelming tension in the air and stopped his gibberish.

Everyone present, from attendants to yamen runners and officials, glared at him with fury. In the relatively conservative Yu Dynasty, kissing someone's hand was considered a blatant act of impropriety and disrespect. How dare this outsider dare to entertain such thoughts about the County Princess!

Du Yunse's face darkened with rage. If not for his restraint and rationality, he would have ordered this shameless outsider to be dragged away and thrown into the sea in the next second.

In contrast, Qiu Huanian, who hailed from modern society, was not as repulsed by the idea of a hand-kissing gesture and even found it somewhat fascinating. Having lived in this world for several years, he had grown accustomed to the customs and etiquette of the Yu Dynasty, and it had been a long time since he experienced such a cultural shock.

Of course, while he found it novel, Qiu Huanian had no intention of indulging the outsider's request for a hand-kissing gesture, especially not with Du Yunse glaring at him from the side.

To do business in the Yu Dynasty, one must abide by its rules. Foreign customs may be respected, but they must not encroach upon or dominate local traditions.

Qiu Huanian's goal was to prevent the tragedies that had occurred in another timeline, ensuring that his ancient nation would stand firmly at the forefront of the world's tides in the centuries to come. In these matters, he would not yield.

This Frankish trader had been doing business in the Yu Dynasty for several months and had managed to connect with Zhu Jingcheng. It was impossible that he was completely ignorant of Yu Dynasty customs. His blatant disregard for etiquette was likely a calculated act of feigned ignorance to test the boundaries.

Maintaining his smile, Qiu Huanian addressed the merchant, whose face was now filled with exaggerated fear.

"According to the laws of Great Yu, foreign traders hold a status even lower than that of domestic servants. Any violation of the law is punishable by three times the severity. Your disrespectful behavior and insolent words toward this County Princess warrant the punishment of amputation of the foot."

"Take him away for the punishment. Make sure to leave him alive—I still have use for him."

As Qiu Huanian expected, even before the translation was completed, the Frankish trader's fear became visibly real.

Qiu Huanian's authority was unassailable. As soon as he spoke, the yamen runners acted without hesitation, immediately moving to drag the merchant away.

The Frankish trader, soaked in sweat, struggled and shouted in an odd accent, "Your Highness, spare me! Your Highness, spare me! Ignorance is no crime!"

The clerk from the posthouse who had brought him there paled, his temples throbbing. "He even knows the phrase 'ignorance is no crime'! He clearly understands our language. He's been pretending all along!"

To get this foreigner to bathe regularly, they had spent days gesturing and explaining, only to realize that he had been acting all along, pretending not to understand a word!

Qiu Huanian continued to smile, standing tall and composed as he watched the merchant struggle. Only when the Frankish trader was completely exhausted and lay motionless on the ground did Qiu Huanian call for a halt.

"Alright, now we can have an honest conversation. Let's start with a simple self-introduction."

Qiu Huanian waved his hand, signaling for two ebony-carved official chairs to be brought over. Without entering the room, he and Du Yunse sat down under the eaves, adopting a posture for a serious discussion.

Although the doors and windows inside were open, the ventilation was nowhere near as good as the open air outside. Having personally experienced the merchant's stench akin to a biochemical weapon, Qiu Huanian had no intention of subjecting himself to further discomfort.

The yamen runners lifted the Frankish trader to his feet. This time, he promptly knelt in the standard Yu Dynasty manner, which only infuriated the yamen runners further. They stood around him, waiting for the County Princess's order to immediately teach him a lesson with their fists.

It must be said that this Frankish trader, who had sailed across the ocean to Great Yu and managed to stand out in Zhu Jingcheng's eyes, was not without talent.

First and foremost, his ability to assess the situation and adapt was exceptional.

Once he confirmed that the beautiful County Princess before him would not immediately have his feet cut off, his face shifted to an obsequious, eager smile. He quickly adjusted his language and strategy, introducing himself in his peculiar Chinese accent.

"Respected Her Highness the County Princess, Your Excellency the Prefect, allow me to introduce myself and my great family."

"My name is Matteo Costero Lopez Bourbon. In my country, Frankish, everyone understands the nobility of this name."

As Matteo spoke, he raised his arms, his gaze filled with self-importance. Only when a yamen runner kicked him in the backside did he snap out of it and quickly regain his composure.

Qiu Huanian chuckled, "Bourbon? So your grandmother was a member of the royal family?"

Matteo stiffened, bewildered as to how the County Princess of the distant Yu Dynasty could deduce this from his name. His carefully prepared boastful speech was abruptly cut short.

Qiu Huanian understood but chose not to explain.

Realizing that the Franks referred to Spain in this era, Qiu Huanian began to tap into his modern knowledge, combining it with existing materials to recall as much information about Spain as possible.

Spanish names place the given name first, followed by the surname. The first part is the person's given name, the second part is the paternal surname, which is the family surname, the third part is the maternal family surname, and the fourth part is the grandmother's family surname. Truly ancient noble families can extend this further, adding the maternal grandmother's surname as well.

Bourbon is the current surname of the Spanish royal family. Those who know little about Spanish customs, upon hearing Matteo's name, might easily fall for his half-truths and mistake him for a Spanish prince.

But Qiu Huanian knew at once that the person truly connected to the royal family was his grandmother, and Matteo was already a distant relative of the royal family.

Thinking of the two words "cutting off one's feet" lightly spoken by this Eastern beauty, Matteo dared not be stubborn and, with little backbone, told the truth.

"My grandmother was the niece of the former King Charles IV of the Franks, a true royal princess. My father is a count of the Franks, but this title will be inherited by my eldest brother in the future."

"Once I reached adulthood, I inherited a large ship from my family and, under the guidance of Queen Sophia II, set sail to bring her more glory!"

Matteo's words became smoother and smoother, and apart from the wavering tones, his choice of words and phrases was already very authentic.

Qiu Huanian looked at Du Yunse and saw a hint of seriousness in his eyes.

A distant and unfamiliar nation, under the support of their king, had begun to explore the world, knowing a great deal about the Yu Dynasty, while Great Yu knew nothing about them.

Under Qiu Huanian's subtle influence, Du Yunse held no arrogance of a "celestial empire." Everything Matteo displayed set off a warning bell in his mind.

Indeed, the Franks were far from being a match for the Great Yu at present, but if they were allowed to explore and develop the world like this, what would happen in ten years, or a hundred years?

Du Yunse thought deeply, while others turned their attention elsewhere.

This hairy, frivolous, foul-smelling, spineless brute was actually a noble of their country, a grandson of a princess?

What kind of country was that? What good could come from trading with such a country? Could they have anything of value?

Matteo was very good at reading expressions, adept at adapting and surviving, which was why he could sometimes be a merchant, sometimes a pirate, and sometimes slaughter indigenous people and seize colonies for the great queen, struggling his way to this point.

If the Yu Dynasty were not so powerful, far beyond what he and his country could contend with, what Matteo really wanted was not to grovel before their merchants and nobles, but to trample them underfoot and ship all kinds of exquisite silk, porcelain, ingenious artworks, and gold back to the great Franks.

Seeing that his plan to disguise himself as a royal member had failed, Matteo immediately changed his strategy, rubbing his rough hands over his bearded face, smiling sincerely and eagerly.

"My coming to such a beautiful and powerful ancient Eastern country must be guided by God. I am deeply enchanted by it and willing to learn everything here. My full name is too long and unimportant. Your Highness and Your Excellency can call me Old Ma. I love this name full of Great Yu charm!"

Both Qiu Huanian and Du Yunse were skilled at reading people and did not miss the flash of greed in Matteo's eyes.

They exchanged glances, and Qiu Huanian turned to Matteo with a friendly smile.

Standing nearby, Xing Mi rubbed his arm. He rarely saw his master smile like this and felt that this rude foreign merchant was about to face great misfortune.

"Since you are so sincere, I will give you a chance. Old Ma, you must seize it well."