Daughters of the Silk Road: A beautiful and epic novel of family, love and the secrets of a Ming Vase Read Online Free PDF Page B

far from all barbarity and savagery; for they are courteous people and extremely rich merchants. We ate at a table laid with a fine cloth, on plates and dishes made of silver.’
    The Admiral returned dei Conti’s admiration. He recognised a fellow adventurer and enjoyed dei Conti’s educated mind, acquired through years of study, travel and careful observation. They shared an interest in religion and other cultures too. The Admiral, who had been born in Yunnan province, was of Mongol and Arab ancestry, and as such had been born into the Islamic religion. In his later life, he had embraced other religions – especially Buddhism – but he nevertheless worked hard to develop relations between China and Islamic countries. Dei Conti had been brought up as a Catholic, but he had huge respect for the customs of other religions and in all the years he had travelled through the Middle East and India, he had often taken the disguise of a Persian merchant, concealing his true faith and embracing Muslim customs. So, the two men had much in common, but with one obvious difference: Niccolò was free to enjoy a loving relationship with his Indian wife Roshinara, and the Admiral was not.
    The Italian had married whilst travelling through India. He and Roshinara had four children, Maria, Daniele, Dario and Magdalena. The family travelled together at all times, with the parents educating their children along the way. As a eunuch, Zheng He could only dream of such private fulfilment, but he also knew that it was his status as a eunuch that had enabled him to have such a privileged life, and he did not regret the sacrifice. Nevertheless, he was intrigued by the Italian’s easy and loving relationship with his wife and young family, for it was in stark contrast to the marriages of his own acquaintance, in particular those of the Emperors he had served. His most recent master, Emperor Xuande, had three wives. The first, Empress Shunde, was deposed from her position when the Emperor elevated his favourite and most senior concubine to the role and created her Empress Xiao Gong Zhang. They were soon joined by a third wife, Empress Xiao Yi. In addition, the Emperor had thirteen concubines, all meticulously arranged in order of significance from Imperial concubine through to noble consort and down to ordinary consort level. These relationships were based on subservience and control. The concubines in particular were destined to die alongside their Emperor so they could be buried with him in his tomb.
    The dei Conti’s marriage, by contrast, appeared to be based on a sense of equality and mutual respect. The Admiral was in no doubt that it was also a relationship filled with love; for the couple were scarcely ever apart and when together found opportunities to touch hands, or stroke the other’s cheek, or embrace. Born in the north of India, near the border with Persia, Roshinara (which means bright dawn light), had long dark hair and extraordinary turquoise eyes that wavered between blue and green depending on the sari she wore, or the colour of her surroundings. Her eldest daughter Maria had inherited these beautiful eyes – although hers had a translucent quality that reminded the Admiral of the sea in mid-summer – changeable from the brightest blue to the darkest green when storms threatened. The sea was the foundation of the Admiral’s existence. He was a believer in Mazu, the Goddess of the Sea who protected sailors. He had asked Emperor Xuande to build a temple to her, and his emperor had been happy to indulge his favourite admiral. Zheng He would pray to Mazu faithfully before and after each sea voyage to protect him.
    When he met Maria and Roshinara in China, he was bewitched by Maria’s pale aquiline eyes, as if they were possessed of some kind of supernatural power. He was so taken with the beauty of mother and daughter that he asked dei Conti for permission to paint them, seated beneath a blossom tree, with their dark hair