Xin, New York, the United States of America

June 17th, 1798

Prince Mianning of the Qing Empire scowled as the Qing Administrator to the United States, Lai Qiao, bowed at his feet, "So you are telling me that there in this tributary state, there isn't a set place for royal officials to hunt quietly away from peasant hunters?"

"I humbly ask you to not take this as an insult, my Prince," Qiao said solemnly as he remained on the ground in front of the Manchu prince, "Meiguo is a very odd nation, a republic like the Lanfang state. There are no nobles or royals in this nation."

The two of them were within a luxurious mansion in the western district of the city of Xin (there was another residence for the prince in Columbia, but he preferred to be near his own people). The "Asian City" was separate from the American city of New York, but Xin was just as busy as its neighboring city. Over ten thousand people lived in the area, ranging from Chinese immigrants looking for land to American citizens looking to establish connections in the bustling settlement. The city was prospering due to a continual flow of Asian immigrants to the United States (numbering around five to six thousand per year). In this "barbarian nation," Xin was the only place that reminded Prince Mianning of his home. Even his mansion, which was designed and built in record time, looked like a small, royal retreat that he visited often in China. Prince Mianning was unsure why his grandfather sent him to this faraway land, but he was going to ensure that he acted properly in this "tributary state."

"Do they not know who I am?"

"They are well-aware of the importance of his royal highness, which was why important members of their government and military came out to greet you personally." In truth, Qiao knew that the Americans were upstarts and hardly revered his Imperial Majesty to the extent that "civilized" Chinese people did. However, they were still respectful of all Chinese officials like himself, and that was enough for Qiao to give the barbarians a bit of leeway. After all, the United States still submitted its yearly tribute to the Emperor, hung the Emperor's portrait in their "White House," and the nation itself was thousands of kilometers away from the Chinese Empire. If anything, it was surprising that they even made concessions. "Rest assured, my Prince, I will lodge a formal complaint against the Meiguo government and tell them to set aside some land for your own, personal use during your stay here."

The prince looked somewhat alleviated by this remark, but his scowl remained, "While I was traveling in that province called "New York," there was a large amount of land sealed off from the peasants. What is in that land, a holy temple?"

"No, your royal highness. That would be something called a "National Park." It is a private park set aside by the Meiguo government for the beauty of nature to remain pristine and untouched in that area. I believe they call it "Bear Mountain National Park."

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"That will do then. Inform the Meiguo government that I will be using that "National Park" as my hunting grounds."

Qiao internally panicked, "Your highness, I have the utmost respect for your decisions. However, demanding such a thing to the Meiugo ren would anger them. They consider their "National Parks" as natural treasures and want to preserve the wildlife in the area as best as possible. Additionally, their "National Parks" are guarded by these people called the Yìndì'ānrén, the Native Americans. They are fearsome warriors, much like those Hui Muslims in Qing, and they are more than willing to use force to protect those parks."

"Then buy it from them."

"I am unsure if they are willing to concede those lands easily, your highness."

Prince Mianning sighed, "Very well, I will have to settle with private plots of land to hunt. However, I expect them to be bountiful of huntable wildlife and an honor guard of local Meiguo ren."

"Of course, my prince," Qiao replied happily.

"What are my plans for this week?"

Qiao gave the question some thought before answering, "Your entourage will be leaving for Meiguo's capital in four days' time. The city is called "Columbia," named after an explorer that discovered these lands. You will be given a personal tour of the city by the Vice President, a man named Richard Henry Lee. You will be staying at your official residence in the city, though you will be able to visit and inhabit the White House as well. The White House is like a much smaller version of the Forbidden City for the American presidents. It is their place of residence and authority. When I am in Columbia for my administrative work, I live in the White House and meet with the president frequently."

"That man is named "James Madison," correct?"

"Yes, your highness."

"Why is he sending his "vice president," or whatever that is, to show me around the city instead of himself?"

"I have asked the same question to him personally and he answered that he will give the tour of the White House to you personally. However, as he is the leader of this nation, his attention is required to the nation's workings."

Surprisingly, Prince Mianning nodded his head approvingly, "He created a splendid welcome for my arrival, I will allow it. I will personally ask him about the hunting grounds when I meet him then. What will I be doing for the next four days?"

"Whatever you would like, your highness. You could visit some of our people in this city publicly to show that the Emperor and his will are still with them. There is much to see in both Xin and in "New York." You can also take your time to relax and rest. I will be more than willing to serve your highness' needs by providing you with anything that is within my abilities."

"Books."

"Your highness?"

"It is important to know more about this nation and its people. Of course, they are barbarians but it will be useful to show some knowledge and intellect about certain subjects when speaking to the leader of Meiguo. Give me something interesting to read about the government of Meiguo, along with information about its people and its resources. Perhaps I can also negotiate with them to allow the Emperor to exert more influence here and increase the number of tributes we receive from them."

"Of course, your highness. I will get to it right away."