After several days of arduous journey, the Han Dynasty envoy and his party finally arrived at Baktri (batra [Latin] ale and rhi a [English name]), the capital of the Kingdom of Bactria.
However, the dynasty used to transliterate it as "Blue City".
Blue City is a very typical Greek city-state.
It has a typical Hellenistic urban structure, with large tracts of farms on its periphery.
A rough estimate is that there are about 70,000 to 80,000 people living around this city, most of whom are slaves.
In the center of the city, there is a huge temple complex.
The temple complex includes temples of the Hellenistic Aspirin gods, as well as Buddhist temples and Zoroastrian altars.
This is one of the characteristics of the localization of the Greeks in Central Asia.
As soon as he entered the city, Chocodamo immediately became energetic and energetic.
Because here he met many Buddhist monks like him.
When these people heard that Chocodama had actually crossed the sea and arrived at a new and powerful empire, and had obtained permission from the emperor of that empire, they all showed envy and admiration.
Buddhism during this period was very pioneering.
Mainly because in India, they have lost to Hinduism and have been defeated steadily (mainly due to the decline of the Mauryan Dynasty that believed in Buddhism).
Therefore, a large number of Buddhists developed in all directions.
Bactria, Dayuezhi and even Kangju became the places where they spread the Dharma.
Some people also went to sea and spread Buddhism to the islands of Southeast Asia.
All Buddhists highly respect and respect those successful monks who are able to risk their lives and spread the Dharma thousands of miles away.
This kind of person is a truly virtuous and eminent monk.
At this time, Buddhist monks were basically well-informed intellectuals (no way, in India, those who could recite sutras must be nobles).
Therefore, as soon as they heard Chocodamo's introduction, they immediately connected the place Chocodamo went to with the legendary Silk Country.
This is the country of silk!
The powerful, wealthy and unrivaled Silk Kingdom!
As early as hundreds of years ago, the Maritime Silk Road had brought silk and handicrafts from China to Central and South Asia.
People have legends about this distant country.
According to legend, this silk country is the hometown of silk. It is said to be a paradise country made of gold.
At the same time, the arrival of the mission also attracted the attention of King Eucratides II of Bactria.
It even made him excited.
Eucratides II was a typical Macedonian aristocrat. He was tall, relatively strong, and had the dark eyes of his ancestors, but he also had Aryan characteristics, with black hair, brown eyes, and a slightly tall nose.
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Just like Alexander the Great and King Victory, he loved all new things and had great ambitions.
However, the unfortunate fact is that in his hands, the great kingdom of Bactria has reached its end.
It is no exaggeration to say that the Kingdom of Bactria has reached its current state.
He deserves half of the credit for the military medal.
I think back then, when his father Eucratides I was on the throne, he was known as Eucratides the Great!
This is the real emperor.
He once led 300 warriors to defeat 60,000 Indian troops in northern India. Within five months, the Bactrian Kingdom ruled almost the entire northern India.
This was another period of prosperity for the Kingdom of Bactria after the civil strife in Bactria.
But alas, Eucratides I liked fighting too much.
During his reign, there was almost no year without war.
However, the wealth and slaves he gained after victory in the war were used as funds for the next war.
This undoubtedly sparked outrage!
About eight years ago, when Octelades I returned victorious from India, his son, Octilades II, cut him down from his chariot with a sword.
The emperor was crushed to pieces by the wheels.
Eucratides II killed his father.
But he did not hide his attitude. He declared openly: The man I killed was no longer the king, let alone my father, but an enemy of the country! (He was no longer a father, but an enemy of the country. Roman historian Justin
description of).
He even left his father's body exposed in the wilderness.
This obviously stirred up a hornet's nest.
His brothers immediately united and raised an army to fight against him.
Eucratides II couldn't defeat his brothers, so he thought of borrowing his teacher's help to suppress them.
Therefore, he sent envoys to ask for help from the Dayuezhi tribe who had crossed the Congling Mountains and settled in the Amu Darya River area.
The Yuezhi people were stunned by this pie falling from the sky.
How could you say no?
The Yueshi's various ministries immediately mobilized, providing money and men as they had money. In just half a month, a cavalry of 20,000 people was assembled to join the battlefield.
Then, without any effort, the Yuezhi people helped Eucratides II kill his brothers one by one on the battlefield.
And finally, he supported Eucratides II as king.
However, the Yuezhi people are obviously not lively Lei Feng.
Since you got the throne with the help of the Yuezhi people.
Naturally, Eucratides II will repay the favor.
From then on, the powerful Bactria Kingdom became a vassal and slave of the Yuezhi people.
The Yuezhi nobles forcibly robbed Bactria of its wealth and population, and also forced the Bactrians to send troops to fight for them and send women to warm their beds.
The wife of Eucratides II was even taken over by Qiu Youmi, the Kushan chief of the Yueshi family. Although there was green grass on her head and she even wanted to be a father several times, she could only endure it.
At this point, the Kingdom of Bactria became the thirty-six kingdoms of the Yuezhi people in the Western Regions.
Relying on the nourishment of Bactria, the strength and strength of the Yuezhi people quickly recovered.
In particular, each of the five strongest tribes has tens of thousands or even more than one hundred thousand tribesmen.
However, the good days of the Yuezhi people did not last long.
The Huns pursued him.
The Yuezhi, Bactria and Kangju people formed a coalition and resisted vigorously, but they were still overwhelmed by the Huns' elite cavalry.
Dayuezhi suffered heavy losses and finally managed to get the Huns to withdraw.
As soon as the Huns withdrew, the Yuezhi people intensified their efforts to exploit and absorb the wealth and population of the Bactrian Kingdom.
In just over a year, Lanshi City and Alexandria City in the Far East were blackmailed and blackmailed by the Yuezhi people more than ten times.
Each time, Eucratides II had to satisfy the Yuezhi people's appetite.
Because if you can't satisfy them, they will take action on their own initiative. That's terrible!
At this time, the arrival of the dynasty and his entourage became Eucratides II's savior.
The reason is very simple. Others don’t know who Si Guo is? Can he still know?
In today's Central Asia, there is such a legend.
In the distant eastern world, there is a powerful dragon empire known as China.
It was powerful, rich, invincible, and the formidable Huns were driven to Central Asia by the army of this empire.
Therefore, in the minds of the senior officials of the Central Asian countries, a formula was automatically formed that China was more terrifying than the Xiongnu and the Yuezhi combined.
What's even better is that such a powerful empire is too far away to pose a threat to other countries, including Bactria.
As a result, countless people racked their brains to get in touch with him and embrace him.
However, the Huns blocked all attempts to go to the east.
The envoys who sailed eastward never returned.
Only then did all countries gradually stop thinking about this.
But now, a mission from this powerful empire has actually arrived at your door?
No matter how stupid Eucratides II was, he knew that he must embrace this golden thigh.
If we can get the support of that powerful empire, then many problems may be solved.
It is even possible that the Yuezhi and the Huns would not dare to invade the great Bactria again.
This made Eucratides II inexplicably excited, and he immediately ordered: "Go quickly and invite the Silk Kingdom envoy to my palace, and inform all the senators to come to the palace to meet with the Silk Kingdom envoy!"
It didn't take long for the Bactrian nobles and their guards to find the members of the Han mission who were surrounded by monks and citizens.
"Dear envoy of the Silk Kingdom, King of Bactria and India, descendant of the great Alexander the Great, His Majesty Eucratides II invites you!"
