In other words, the route he took to enter the Caucasus is very likely to overlap with these trade routes.
Arthur hastily asked, "Are those trade routes by land or by sea?"
"Both land and sea, but that was already in the 16th century."
Xiuning patiently explained, "Initially, when the company was developing this trade route, our original intention was actually to discover a trade route to China. Our first exploration was to open up a northeast route from the North Pole to China, but this attempt failed. So, we turned our attention southward, sending expeditions to explore along the coast of the Caspian Sea, eventually reaching the Bukhara Khanate in Central Asia. Although the result of this expedition did not meet the company's expectations, we unexpectedly found that British goods carried by the expedition were very popular in Persia. Hence, the company shifted its trade target from the distant China to the nearer Persia.
