Cheng Chuliang looked with satisfaction at the items in the ship’s cabin, having the military scribe slowly register them while he himself stood on the deck waiting for the marines to board. The Lingnan Naval Fleet regulations clearly stipulated the responsibilities of fleet commanders—commanders must not leave the fleet before the navigation mission is completed.
Although the two warships brought by Zhangsun Cheng were Sea Hawk-class vessels, both ships were relatively new with hardly any problems. Hypatia boarded the Sea Hawk-class warship, while his own six Sea Wolf-class warships, after receiving simple repairs, followed the silver-laden Sea Hawk toward Tsushima Island. Only after passing through there could they cross the great sea to reach Bisha City Harbor, and then finally arrive at Dengzhou.
This segment of the voyage was already an extremely relaxed journey for Cheng Chuliang. This was already the Tang Dynasty’s inland sea. Ever since the East Sea Fleet discovered how to avoid Japan’s seasonal winds, the route from Japan to Dengzhou had long become an extremely safe shipping lane.
Those who loved this news most were the monks, especially the monks from Yangzhou’s Daming Temple. They swarmed into Japan like bees, and now among Japan’s nine famous temples, three were built by monks from Daming Temple.
Competing for believers was a war without visible smoke. In the Great Tang, regulations in this regard were extremely strict. The issuance of ordination certificates and Daoist documents had always been the purview of the central government, while local officials were mainly responsible for supervision. This led to a large outflow of monks and Daoists—for instance, the Daoist sects went to the Kunlun Mountains, while monks now flocked into Japan and Goguryeo.
The giant ship cut through wind and waves on the sea. Wang Xuance and Cheng Chuliang leaned on the ship’s rail watching vessels hurrying past them.
This was already the sixth boat carrying monks. Each monk was filled with confidence about the future—some stood alone at the bow, others sat cross-legged at the bow, being carried by a single small boat to their ideal Buddhist sacred ground.
“From Zhangsun Cheng’s words, you can tell you still have no way to establish yourself in the capital of Chang’an. Those mistakes from years ago—even after you’ve experienced trials of life and death, still no one can forget them. Perhaps staying in Japan really would be a good thing for you,” Cheng Chuliang said quietly to Wang Xuance.
Throughout this journey, without Wang Xuance’s help, Cheng Chuliang knew he would have had no way to bring back most of his soldiers. Now it was time to return, soon to receive supreme glory, yet his old friend Wang Xuance could only hide in the shadows, fearing being seen by others.
“Duke Chu has been most generous to me. That my family can survive at the Yun Family estate is already my good fortune. I was the one who made mistakes, so I should face them, no matter how difficult. I will strive to survive.”
“What a beautiful world this is—I don’t want to die yet. It’s only because of my mistakes that I’ve lost the right to serve this world. Chuliang, after I return, I’ll go to the Court of Judicial Review to confess my crimes. Duke Chu enrolled me in the military registry. Since I didn’t die in the terrifying waves along this journey, my sins haven’t been completely cleansed.”
“Whether the Court of Judicial Review sentences me to herd sheep at the North Sea or guard reef islands in the South Sea, I, Wang Xuance, won’t have half a complaint. The experiences along this journey have given Wang Xuance infinite strength. Whatever fate is mine, I’ll embrace it—just like the waves in the great sea, they’ll crash over sooner or later. Evading them, conquering them—that makes a true hero!”
“Look at those monks—they traverse the waves in single leaf-like boats. Who knows how many monks this sea has buried, yet still they press forward fearlessly. This is a kind of strength, Chuliang, this is a kind of strength. Sometimes the power of faith can transcend life and death.”
“What can Zhangsun Cheng do to me? As long as I’m not a condemned prisoner, the Zhangsun family can only humiliate me, bully me, but cannot kill me. Wang Xuance spent his whole life trying to take shortcuts. This time I won’t—I’ll walk my own path steadily and honestly. When I encounter difficulties, I won’t dodge or sidestep them.”
Cheng Chuliang vigorously patted Wang Xuance’s shoulder and returned to the bridge. He raised his telescope to look at the land faintly appearing ahead and ordered the bugler to sound the homecoming horn. This had been agreed upon long ago—the southern fleet would return to Dengzhou, the northern fleet to Quanzhou.
The fishermen on the East Sea stood on their small boats, curiously watching this fleet returning from the deep sea. The hulls were covered with barnacles, layer upon layer—who knew how long these ships had been running at sea.
Li Tai was at the Yun Family home tinkering with his vehicle alongside Yun Ye. One lay under the vehicle tightening bolts, the other crouched beside him passing tools—they cooperated very skillfully. A fast horse galloped over. Yun Ye raised his head to look at the brushwood gate and saw a travel-worn rider stop at the family entrance, pulling documents from the leather tube on his back and shouting toward the small courtyard: “Urgent report from Dengzhou—the southern fleet has returned!”
Before Yun Ye could react, Li Tai had already crawled out from under the vehicle, walked to the entrance in two or three steps, and snatched the document from the messenger’s hand, barbarously tearing open the wax seal to read the contents inside.
Yun Ye smiled as he returned the signed receipt document and dismissed the messenger, not rushing to read the document himself—watching Li Tai’s face was more interesting than reading the document.
When it seemed about right, he had Liu Jinbao prepare a war horse for Li Tai. There were boats on the Ba River—he could follow the Ba River into the Yellow River, then head straight to Zhuozhou via the canal.
“Take care of my vehicle! Hypatia is back—I want to take her for a ride!”
“No problem!” Yun Ye answered very decisively.
With Liu Jinbao’s help, Li Tai laboriously climbed onto the war horse. After running two steps, he wheeled the horse back around, looking uncertainly at the tools in Yun Ye’s hands and shouting loudly: “You really must not touch it!”
Yun Ye irritably waved his hand saying: “Really won’t touch it!”
Watching as Li Tai rode away, only then did Yun Ye kick this broken vehicle with his foot. There were problems everywhere! The shock-absorbing springs didn’t even have tubes added around them on the outside. Using the rear wheels to control direction was simply brain-dead. Designing the steering wheel to look like a ship’s helm—who knows if that was the result of some fit. If a car accident occurred, the handles on the steering wheel would go straight for the lower body… the consequences would be tragic.
Liu Jinbao watched in amazement as his lord disassembled Prince Wei’s beloved vehicle into parts piled on oilcloth within one hour, then returned to the study to write and draw, redesigning it.
The southern fleet had returned—of course Yun Ye was happy, but the happiest should be the Academy. In his letter, Cheng Chuliang said the Academy had lost three students, but the results were extremely fruitful. The scenery, humanities, and hydrological conditions along the route were all recorded in detail. The only pity was that interpreters were hard to find, so much firsthand material couldn’t be obtained from prisoners’ mouths.
Prisoners? Would Lai Chuanfeng’s subordinates have prisoners? Yun Ye shook his head, spread out a blank memorial, and began writing to the Emperor, requesting substantial rewards for this group of explorers.
Zhangsun Chong and Chu Suiliang wouldn’t oppose such documents because the northern fleet’s return would similarly need such ceremonial treatment. As for Dugu Mou, he wasn’t worth worrying about—as long as Yun Ye and Zhangsun Chong agreed, his opposition would be invalid. Of course, if Zhangsun Chong and Dugu Mou opposed together, Yun Ye’s memorial would be rejected by the Central Secretariat and wouldn’t reach the Emperor’s presence at all.
This was the most basic political model—minority submits to majority. Generally speaking, as long as it served the interests of two families, it basically served the interests of most people. Whether Yun Ye, Zhangsun Chong, or Dugu Mou, all carefully observed this regulation. Only when interests conflicted to an irreconcilable degree would they request the Emperor’s arbitration.
Li Chengqian managed more and more national affairs. Now matters in the court could be decided with a single word. The only power he couldn’t touch was the Sixteen Guards, along with the Xuanjia Army and the Lingnan Naval Fleet. This was the final defensive measure the Emperor reserved for himself.
On the grounds that the palace air was too poor and unsuitable for health cultivation, Empress Zhangsun petitioned Li Er for approval. After obtaining it, the couple now moved into Yushan City, and many imperial consorts moved into Yushan City along with them.
Many houses on Yushan were requisitioned, including that heartless villa Yuchi Gong gave to Old Cheng. At the Ministry of Works’ command, several villas with the most beautiful scenery collapsed thunderously. Five thousand craftsmen were working day and night, building a new palace called Linde Hall! The Yun Family villa was also gone. The Emperor domineeringly said one sentence: “We plan to retire here!” Words demanding compensation immediately changed from a formal proposal to an amusing joke.
The only bad thing was that Yushan City was rapidly becoming a military city. The city walls were crowded with densely packed soldiers, all kinds of city defense equipment were fully supplied—who knows who the Emperor was guarding against.
Li Chengqian, filial as could be, actually relocated Yang Fei’s glass house over as well. Who knows how much labor was expended—it was exactly the same as before.
This way, the Palace of Myriad Citizens became Li Chengqian’s office, and the Hall of Two Principles also became the residence of Li Chengqian’s new empress, Gao Shi. Everyone in the world could see clearly—Li Chengqian’s era had finally arrived. Although he still held the title of Crown Prince while managing national affairs, everyone knew that today’s Emperor was merely a symbolic figure.
This was perhaps the limit of what Li Er could do. Yun Ye twice sought audience with Li Er, wanting to personally congratulate him, but the only response he received was one word: “Scram!”
Without Li Er and Zhangsun’s palace, Yun Ye had no more interest in stepping inside. Moreover, he seemed very satisfied living in the Yun Family ancestral hall. When the mourning period ended, he had no plans to move away from here.
Yun Ye was extremely busy. How could it be acceptable for his daughter to marry without a beautiful vehicle to see her off? So Li Tai’s research laboratory became his research laboratory. It must be said, the facilities here were too complete. Whatever you wanted, craftsmen would immediately manufacture it for you—from steel products to leather workers, everything was available.
Yun Ye threw away the toilet-like seats Li Tai designed and replaced them with genuine leather. The cannon barrel-like smokestack Li Tai designed, Yun Ye redesigned to the rear. Who likes to drive while eating ash?
The current problem was the wheels. There was no way to make inner tubes. Wheels made from hard ox tendon were still very bumpy to ride on. Add to that the springs squeaking constantly and the steam engine roaring like a train—aside from novelty, it really wasn’t as good as riding in a horse carriage.
Just as Yun Ye was holding a muffler rolled from sheet metal and considering where to install it, the laboratory door opened. Zhangsun pushed Li Er in on a four-wheeled cart. Without making a sound, they just stood there watching the grime-covered Yun Ye constantly comparing and gesturing with a metal tube at that strange vehicle.