Guanqiu Jian sat in the seat of honor, documents in hand, studying the envoys before him with interest.
Standing before Guanqiu Jian was a group of strangely dressed people.
Not only their clothing, but even their headdresses and appearance were rather strange.
They looked quite short and malnourished, every one of them as thin as a stick. As for their clothing, it looked more like cloth wrapped around their bodies, layer after layer, unlike the dress of any place Guanqiu Jian knew.
There were more than ten of them, and they stood before Guanqiu Jian with the utmost respect.
Their leader spoke fairly good elegant speech and was well versed in etiquette, committing no breaches of decorum.
The leader was called Nashōmi, and he was still holding his posture of obeisance.
Guanqiu Jian studied them, then suddenly asked, "Nashōmi, it has been nearly twenty years since you last came to offer tribute. Why is that?"
Nashōmi hurriedly explained, "Grand Marshal, there was unrest in our kingdom. The queen died, and we enthroned a new king, only to come under attack from the surrounding kingdoms. With more than ten years of turmoil, we truly had no means to come to Great Wei..."
Guanqiu Jian narrowed his eyes. "I remember that."
Nashōmi smiled as well. Raising his head, he looked at Guanqiu Jian and said, "It has been many years since I last saw you, Grand Marshal. You look even more imposing than you did then!"
A trace of recollection flashed through Guanqiu Jian's eyes. "Decades have passed... When you first came to pay your respects to the Emperor of the Filial and Enlightened Ancestor, you did not yet understand etiquette and needed someone to interpret for you. It seems you have made some progress over the years."
Nashōmi gave a bitter