pappabearbooks Chapter 5423 A Heart Full of Love
Chapter 5423 A Heart Full of Love
Chapter 5423 A Heart Full of Love
As the warship slowly sailed away from the dock, Wu Meiniang and Fang Jun stood side by side on the ship's railing, watching Chai Lingwu and Princess Baling among the cheering crowd on the shore. With a smile on her face, she gently nudged her husband with her elbow and asked, "These past few days in Xinjing, my lord, you've been enjoying yourself and accepting banquets everywhere. Could you perhaps find some time to secretly rekindle your romance with Princess Baling?"
Fang Jun forced a smile and waved goodbye to the crowd on the dock. Upon hearing this, he snorted, "I, Fang Er, am pure and virtuous. How could I do such a thing?"
Wu Meiniang's smile remained unchanged: "Heh, but I see that Princess Baling looks emaciated and haggard. She is clearly suffering from disharmony between yin and yang and is unsatisfied. She longs for her husband to make love to her."
Fang Jun glanced at her, then without a word, turned and grabbed her sleeve, leading her towards the cabin...
……
The fleet set sail, braving the wind and waves, heading south from Nambazu. After a brief resupply at Keelung Port, it reached Manila Bay... which should now be called "Far King Bay".
Li Chengqian granted the land of Luzon to Li You, who established the "New Qi Kingdom" there. He built the capital "Yuanjing" north of Manila Port and constructed a new port, connecting it with Manila Port, which was about to become one of the largest cities in Southeast Asia.
The fleet entered Manila Bay and docked at the still-under-construction "Yuanjing Port," where they presented Li You with some military equipment and supplies, and went ashore for a meal.
During the conversation, when the topic turned to Zhang Liang, the "Governor-General of Luzon," Li You found him to be quite eccentric: "The Governor-General of Luzon is not staying in Luzon but has instead gone to Princess Gaoyang Island. That's fine, but now that I am establishing my own kingdom in Luzon, why would I need a governor-general? The court will not abolish the position of 'Governor-General of Luzon,' and Zhang Liang will not go to Chang'an to report on his duties. How strange!"
Fang Jun could understand Zhang Liang's awkward situation.
Although Zhang Liang was a highly senior and meritorious official of the Zhenguan era, he was not favored by Emperor Taizong and had not made a name for himself. He relied on his seniority and seniority to get by. In the end, Emperor Taizong still remembered his old friendship, so he was able to get by.
However, when the new emperor ascended the throne, Li Chengqian did not care about any sentiments, which caused Zhang Liang to be idle and unemployed for a time.
Without official position or post, there is no power; how can that be acceptable?
Therefore, he had no choice but to request to be sent out to sea. However, once he was out at sea, he discovered that he, as a governor, could not do whatever he wanted on the sea frontier. Every prosperous place was under the direct jurisdiction or indirect influence of the navy. The navy did not take him seriously and hindered him at every turn.
The forced occupation of Princess Gaoyang Island and the relocation of the governor's residence there were also desperate measures.
At least on Princess Gaoyang Island, Zhang Liang was the only one in charge; no one hindered him or interfered with his decisions…
Returning to Chang'an would be tantamount to going back to the old ways, which was something he was extremely unwilling to do.
Fang Jun then said, "There is no need to pay much attention to him. If he returns to Luzon, Your Highness should only be respectful in terms of etiquette, after all, he is a meritorious official of the country. But if he makes any unreasonable requests, just refuse them and push everything onto me. Let him sue me."
He and Li You became friends after a fight, so naturally he would take extra care of him.
Although Li You was a scoundrel, he wasn't stupid. He knew that Fang Jun was very helpful in establishing overseas states and kingdoms. For him, the "new King of Qi," Fang Jun's benefits far outweighed those of His Majesty. Moreover, his mother, the Consort in the Chang'an Palace, had written to him, urging him to consult Fang Jun more often when encountering problems, as he would surely benefit from it.
So I kept nodding, taking in all of their words.
Seeing that he looked like a teachable child, completely unlike his arrogant and unruly self in Chang'an, Fang Jun added a word of advice: "Your Highness will not teach you to be diligent in government affairs or to love the people like your own children; those are the duties of the prime minister. I only advise Your Highness to leave room for maneuver in your actions, and if a real crisis occurs, to be ruthless and eliminate all threats to prevent future troubles. If there are any thorny issues that cannot be resolved, you can seek help from the naval forces stationed at Yuanjing Port."
These indigenous tribes in Southeast Asia are all savage and bloodthirsty, with the ferocity of wild beasts lingering in their bones. To be kind to them is to be cruel to oneself.
After the banquet, they did not linger and boarded a ship to leave the new Qi Kingdom.
After completing its "military deterrence" mission, the fleet set sail again, crossing the South China Sea to reach "Yi Tang City," the capital of the "New Shu Kingdom," located at the mouth of the Mekong Delta. The massive fleet patrolled the coastline, displaying its power and causing extreme shock among the people of the former Lin Yi Kingdom.
At "Yi Tang City," they met with Prince Li Yin of Shu, but only had a meal and some wine. They boarded a ship and left without staying any longer, and the fleet sailed westward along the coastline.
Li Zhen's "New Han Kingdom" was established in the former territory of the Zhenla Kingdom. Its capital was the former Zhenla capital, Borobudur, which was renamed "Zhennan City". Because it was inland, although there was a waterway connecting it to the sea, it was not easy for fleets to pass through. Therefore, he did not go there, but went directly to Thonburi, located in the lower reaches of the Chao Phraya River.
Li Shen's "New Ji Kingdom" was located on a narrow peninsula south of Thonburi...
Along the way, the seas were vast and the scenery varied greatly. Countless merchant ships and warships traveled back and forth on various routes. All the goods produced in the Tang Dynasty, such as silk, cloth, tea, porcelain, glass, and paper, were sold overseas, and ship after ship of gold and silver mines were transported back to the Tang Dynasty.
Tang soldiers, piloting warships, clad in armor and armed with weapons, forcibly leased and ceded land in various foreign lands, plundering the wealth accumulated by indigenous tribes through seemingly fair trade, and even continuously seizing their raw materials, regarding them as a permanent source of wealth.
Countless riches flowed into the Tang Dynasty through sea routes, supporting the booming infrastructure construction across the country.
From Wu Zetian's perspective, this was not only a benevolent act that benefited all people, but also a great undertaking that solidified the foundation of the empire.
All of this was created by the young master. In the thousands of years of Chinese history before this, everyone focused on the small plot of land under their feet. Who really turned their attention to the vast ocean and managed to extract far more resources from the sea than from the land?
The combined wealth of all the dynasties throughout Chinese history—from the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties to the Qin, Han, Wei, and Jin dynasties—cannot compare to the prosperity of the Tang dynasty.
Although she couldn't fully understand the "quantitative change leading to qualitative change" that her husband often talked about, it didn't affect her admiration and worship for Fang Jun.
Inside the cabin, Wu Meiniang asked with burning curiosity, "Why is it that my lord can always think of things that others cannot think of and do things that others cannot do?"
Fang Jun then feigned profundity: "Although I am indeed exceptionally talented and gifted by heaven, my wife does not need to look at me with such admiration. My ideal is not these glorious achievements that will be recorded in history, but rather to 'live a life of cockfighting and dog racing, oblivious to the safety of heaven and earth.' Such outstanding and handsome appearance, like a crane standing among chickens, also brings me a lot of pressure."
Wu Zetian scolded, "Speak properly!"
Although I quite like my husband's somewhat cynical and unrestrained personality, it's really annoying that he always ruins the atmosphere during conversations.
Fang Jun lay back on the bed, reached out and embraced the beauty's slender waist, and sighed softly: "King Wu of Zhou enfeoffed the world, Qin Shi Huang unified China, Emperor Gaozu of Han established his government in the central government, Emperor Wen of Sui united the north and south... Whenever the great river of history reaches a critical point, some people emerge to guide its flow. I, a humble person, have also been entrusted with such an important task by history."
Wu Meiniang lay on her husband's chest, reaching out her slender white hand to stroke his cheek, her eyes filled with intoxication.
Perhaps Fang Jun was joking when she said those words, but she believed them to be true and without any falsehood. At every turning point in history, heroes and outstanding individuals step forward, either to turn the tide, to save the nation from collapse, or to rescue the people from peril. These people can all be called heroes.
And her husband was a man of outstanding talent in this era.
A man who assisted Emperor Taizong and His Majesty the present, leading the navy to establish overseas hegemony and create a prosperous era.
Women always admire strength. Even though Wu Zetian considered herself exceptionally talented and capable, she was still filled with love for her husband.
*****
Thonburi used to be a mudflat with villages of low-lying thatched huts. Now it is the capital of the "new Chiang Kai-shek State," Huajing. A huge construction site is radiating outwards from the port. The army, civilians, laborers, and craftsmen have gathered here, and the population is tens of thousands, making it a very prosperous place.
At the dock, the guards kept all unauthorized personnel out, while Li Yun stood beside the carriage, constantly complaining.
"My second brother has fought in the south and north, and conquered overseas territories all these years. He has seen all kinds of situations. Why do you need to worry? I will come to greet you. You should stay in the palace and take care of your pregnancy."
"So verbose!"
A haughty snort came from inside the carriage, and a delicate hand lifted the curtain, revealing a beautiful and charming face inside.
The once pure and beautiful Fang Xiaomei is now married and about to become a mother. Her former naivety has faded, and she is now graceful, charming, and radiant.
“My second brother has traveled thousands of miles across the ocean to come here. How can I sit in the palace and wait for him to come to my door? Do I really want to marry you, become a queen, become a king, and treat my second brother as a subject?”
Li Yun cried out in protest, “Your Majesty, you are wronged! How could I have such thoughts? When he was in Chang'an, he was capable of trampling Han Wang’s mansion with his horse. Han Wang was afraid and went to the palace to seek Emperor Taizong’s protection. How could I dare to treat him as a subject? If he beats me up here, even if I cry to the heavens, no one will listen!”
Fang Xiaomei's face was frosty: "So you just don't dare, but in your heart you truly regard your second brother as a subject?"
Helpless, Li Yun pointed to the heavens and swore: "I, Li Yun, have always regarded my two elder brothers as my elder brothers. If I go against this will be done, may Heaven..."
"Alright, alright!"
Fang Xiaomei stopped him, scolding, "It's just a conversation between husband and wife. What does it matter who is right and who is wrong? Is it necessary to swear an oath to the heavens? Be careful, there are gods watching over you."
Li Yun breathed a sigh of relief and asked cautiously, "My wife isn't angry anymore?"
"I wasn't angry at all."
"That's good, that's good. I was worried you'd complain to your second brother later. If he got angry, he might throw me into the sea!"
The guards and maids around him lowered their heads and suppressed their laughter, but they also felt the same way about Prince Jiang.
"Second Prince Fang" has always doted on the Queen. If he finds out that Prince Jiang has angered the Queen, what will happen?
"coming!"
Someone exclaimed in surprise.
Fang Xiaomei quickly got off the carriage, one hand on her waist, and gazed intently into the distance.
Countless sails billowed in the wind like clouds drifting where the sea meets the sky, cutting through the waves as they sped towards the shore.
(End of this chapter)