Despite his fearsome reputation, Kublai Khan, great emperor of the Mongol Empire, shows himself to be a generous, welcoming host to the Italian explorer Marco Polo and his brother Maffeo when they arrive at his majestic palace of Xanadu.

Kublai Khan receives the Polos with great honor and hospitality. He is genuinely pleased to see them and shows evident pleasure at their visit. The Great Khan is intellectually curious, and is keen to find out as much as he can about the Polos' native Europe.

He asks them about emperors, how they maintain their dignity, how they administer justice within their realms, how they go to battle, and so forth. He asks the same question about kings and princes. As a great emperor himself, it's not surprising that the Great Khan should want to know all about his European counterparts.

Kublai Khan also inquires about the Church of Rome, the pope, and all the customs then practiced in Rome. Clearly, the great Mongol emperor knows a fair amount about Europe already, but he'd like the Polos to help him fill the gaps in his knowledge. They are more than happy to do so, and are easily able to converse with Kublai Khan because they know the Tatar language very well.