Because there were no precedents before, all matters needed to be explored on one’s own. Feeling one’s way across the river by touching stones was actually a very frightening phenomenon. Sometimes one would take the wrong path, sometimes one would encounter traps and suffer catastrophic disaster.

As long as one remained on land, everything was manageable. The Great Tang’s national power was now robust. Occasional failures once or twice didn’t matter. Currently in many of the Great Tang’s provinces and counties, there were academy students attempting some new national policies. Some succeeded, while others failed. Li’er was very magnanimous. He allowed these minor officials to make some explorations within reasonable limits, but once these explorations succeeded or failed, they must report them. Inspection commissioners composed of censors constantly toured the Great Tang’s lands, year after year without rest.

When Yun Ye arrived at the Han River and took a boat southward, he saw a familiar figure locked in a prison cart, preparing to board a ship to go to the distant south. Behind followed a group of women and children, supporting the elderly and dragging the young—a scene too pitiful to bear.

Yun Ye descended from the ship and walked to the side of the prison cart, looking at Wang Xuance with his tangled beard and hair, and said, “What is your destination?”

“Jiaozhou!”

“Your crimes cannot be cleansed just by being exiled to Jiaozhou. Now you are conscripted into service, becoming a death warrior, following me to Yuezhou. Afterward, you’ll follow the southern exploration fleet to the distant edge of the sky. If you can return alive, all your crimes will be washed away. Because you’ve been conscripted, your family will be released. Unless you flee halfway, they will live well.”

Yun Ye’s tone was very stern. He took the documents from the escorting official’s hands, made his signature, and stamped his own seal, so they could return and report to the Ministry of Justice.

This was one of the benefits of being Minister of War. The empire’s laws stated very clearly that serving as a death warrior could redeem sins. As for who would become a death warrior—that depended on the single thought of the Minister of War.

“Teacher!” Large tears welled up from Wang Xuance’s dry eye sockets. After Li Zhi’s failure, he had been escorted back to the capital by Ministry of Justice officials from Nanzhao. Originally he thought death was certain, but because the Empress was determined to preserve Li Zhi’s life, their lives were also preserved along the way. Although their punishment was reduced by one degree, those people from the Ministry of Justice had no intention of letting Wang Xuance and the others off. This time, exiling the entire family to Jiaozhou was actually an indirect way of wanting to kill their whole family.

The escorting official opened the prison cart. Wang Xuance collapsed to the ground, embracing Yun Ye’s legs and weeping bitterly. In his crying, there was both shame and unspeakable grievance. Two years of constant worry had finally been completely resolved in this moment.

“A fall into the pit, a gain in your wit. You were originally the academy’s pride, but later became the academy’s shame. A gentleman should know shame and then become brave. Go to the most difficult place to temper your mind and will. Announce to the world that the academy cannot possibly teach conspirators with wolfish ambitions. Use your wisdom where it should be used. You’re only thirty-two years old this year—you still have the opportunity to start over.”

Wang Xuance only embraced Yun Ye’s legs and wept bitterly. Although he could constantly nod, the entire person was actually already on the edge of collapse. Yun Ye ordered people to take their whole family to the cabins. They couldn’t return to Chang’an—he could only find them a place to settle in Yuezhou.

In the Hanzhong region during winter, rapeseed plants filled the mountains and wilderness. It wasn’t yet the flowering season—they were just green, spreading over the hillsides. Cold mist shrouded the river surface, making all the scenery become blurred.

Hypatia gazed at the shore in a daze. Li Tai’s figure could still be seen. He stood on a huge rock shouting loudly. Who could have imagined that he had agreed to only see her off to the mountain pass, but as a result, he escorted her all the way to Hanzhong! If not for Yun Ye’s bitter persuasion, he would surely have sent Hypatia to Quanzhou. Even accompanying her on a trip to Egypt wouldn’t have been impossible.

“This is my last long journey. After reaching Egypt, I won’t participate in seafaring anymore, but will turn back to accompany my man. Do you think His Majesty will behead me?”

Hypatia wiped the tears from her face and asked Yun Ye with a smile.

“Probably not. You know, His Majesty has been eating vegetarian these past few years and doesn’t kill people much anymore. Especially since you’re his daughter-in-law—the likelihood of him taking action will be even lower.” Yun Ye spoke very irresponsibly.

“I love this tolerant nation. Yun Ye, didn’t you just show tolerance to a criminal? Sometimes I very much dislike cold, unfeeling laws. They’re too heartless, too cruel. Whether it’s you, or Qingque, or that Empress who like a madwoman will protect her child at all costs—the things you do all make my heart feel warm.”

“Look, my man is still shouting. I can hardly hear what he’s yelling, but I can feel his love. The truly heartless one is me. If I still had a bit of human emotion, at this moment I should jump into the river, swim to my man, prostrate at his feet, and beg his forgiveness…”

“No need to swim. I have a small boat here that can take you over.”

Yun Ye said irritably. He most detested the sticky, gooey affection between Li Tai and Hypatia—acting like a lunatic one moment, then like a damn poet the next, saying things that made people feel very uncomfortable.

In the end, Hypatia didn’t ask Yun Ye for the small boat, but went down to the cabin to weep. Yun Ye shouted loudly in Li Tai’s direction, “Get back to Chang’an! I’ll take good care of your wife!”

He vaguely heard Li Tai cursing him as a bastard. Yun Ye picked at his ear, then gave the order to raise the main sail and quickly head for the Yangtze River…

Leaving the Han River, the boat entered the Yangtze. The Yangtze naval commander Yang Mingyue came to the river mouth to welcome the Minister of War. Meeting his former subordinate, Yun Ye had no extra words, only telling him that one day in the future, he would need him to blockade the Yangtze.

“Commander, there’s no need for so much trouble. This subordinate has discovered that anything that can float on the water seems to be our people. Only Zhang Liang is somewhat of an eyesore. If changes come in the future, no one will be able to cross the Yangtze.”

Yun Ye said with a smile, “We have no other intentions—just self-preservation. Everyone rose from being common soldiers, fought and killed for a lifetime before reaching our current positions. If not necessary, it’s best if each brother enjoys wealth and honor for a lifetime, or even several lifetimes. I’m a person without great ambitions, but I’m also a petty person. The foolish act of stretching out one’s neck for execution—I can’t do it. So finding a back road for the brothers is the sacred duty of someone like me who serves as commander.”

“That’s only natural, Commander! These years the brothers have followed the Commander eating well and drinking heartily. Everyone wants to continue living the good life. If there’s really no way to continue, we’ll leave. The great sea is truly our world.”

“It depends on the circumstances. At most in three to five years there will certainly be great changes. Actually, what I’m solely worried about now is that Chengqian won’t outlive His Majesty. This is simply too terrible. I’ve heard people say His Majesty can still take three women a day, but Chengqian seems to be coughing all day. If Daoist Sun hadn’t discovered it early, this fellow would already have consumption. Now he hides in the Eastern Palace all day nursing his body. He fears death—fears it terribly. This is what worries me.”

Yang Yueming chuckled and said, “Commander is overthinking. With Daoist Sun, such a terrestrial immortal here, the Crown Prince will surely be safe and sound. Even if something happens, who do you think could succeed to the throne? The Crown Prince’s son or one of the other princes?”

Yun Ye glanced at Yang Yueming and said, “These matters are still too early. You should focus on guarding the Yangtze well. Don’t think about doing speculative things. The court changes three times a day—it’s not something a rough person like you can navigate.”

Speaking to this point, Yun Ye glanced at Yang Yueming again and said, “Some time ago, the Prince of Hengshan went to Yuezhou. You wouldn’t have any entanglements with him, would you? Quickly dismiss this foolish notion. Following him will leave you without even a burial place. Wang Xuance in the ship’s cabin is an example. Prince Jin plotted rebellion, and no one had a good ending. Don’t let illusory futures blind your eyes. I don’t want to personally lead troops to exterminate you.”

Yang Yueming turned and knelt, saying, “Commander, this subordinate has absolutely no divided loyalty. It’s just that the Prince of Hengshan said he’s already planning to marry the eldest young lady. This subordinate thought you would place your bets on him.”

Yun Ye’s expression eased. Looking at the leisurely river water outside the ship’s rail, he said, “There’s no such thing. Yun Mu won’t marry an ambition. Everything I do in the Great Tang is for this empire’s peace and joy, not for any personal gains or losses. Do your job well. Don’t think too much. Your thoughts are all simple—the more you think, the more mistakes you make. As long as you’re determined to be loyal to the Emperor, that’s good. This Emperor must be the Emperor after officially ascending the throne.”

Yang Yueming was his old subordinate. Yun Ye was very clear about what he could accomplish, so he didn’t admonish him further, but only told him some points to note and let him make his own judgments.

The ship entered Dongting Lake. Here the naval commander became Yang Yueli. Compared to Yang Mingyue, Yang Yueli was more steady. His naval camp was stationed at Conch Bay on Junshan.

The seafaring navy had already made complete preparations. In the lake bay below Yueyang Tower, they awaited Yun Ye’s inspection. There was no time to enter the city. The east wind had already risen. When the spring wind blew to the seaside, the trade winds would blow. The southbound fleet must ride the wind south. Missing this monsoon, if they wanted to go south, they could only wait another year. So Yun Ye sounded the general-summoning drum on Dongting Lake…

The common people of Yuezhou witnessed an unprecedented spectacle of ships. Standing on the newly constructed lake dam, they could see countless warships shuttling back and forth on the misty expanse of Dongting Lake. Those painted pleasure boats carrying singing and dancing girls were all driven away from the vicinity of Yueyang Tower by the warships. Only a fleet composed entirely of long, narrow seagoing vessels remained motionless in place.

Yun Ye squinted as he counted the warships. Six supply ships, ten brand-new Seagull-class warships quietly moored here. Yun Ye waved his hand. The signal officer’s flags began waving. The sixteen warships also began moving, constantly forming various battle formations according to the orders Yun Ye issued. When the final red flag was raised, shouts came from the warships. Countless crossbow cannons were pushed out. Under the signal officer’s command, columns of black smoke rose from the target ships in the distance…