C. The auther uses humor to decide the issue for themselves.
Irratated. I did a test on this.
China.
The Silk Road is a trading route from the Middle East to China, and the ancient civilizaitons practiced ancestor worship. The Mandate of Heaven dictates that good weather and general prosperity are because of divine approval of the leader of China. If there is famine, invasion, or other natural disasters, it was interpreted as needing a new ruler, aka losing the mandate of heaven.
