roccoschili Chapter 5433 Setting Sail
Chapter 5433 Setting Sail
Chapter 5433 Setting Sail
A few days later, Huajing Port was filled with sails and warships, as Fang Jun and Wu Meiniang were about to return to the Tang Dynasty by ship.
As parting was approaching, I was naturally reluctant to leave.
Fang Xiaomei threw herself into her brother's arms and cried uncontrollably...
Fang Jun gently stroked her head and said softly, "All good things must come to an end. Why should you act like a child, little sister, when you are gentle on the outside but strong on the inside? Besides, we only need to wait two years until Li Guan is a little older, and then I can take him back to the Tang Dynasty to visit relatives and enjoy family time together."
The crown prince born to Li Yun and Fang Xiaomei was named "Li Guan," taking the meaning of the "Guan" hexagram among the sixty-four hexagrams. The hexagram means "to wash hands without offering sacrifices, showing sincerity and humility." "Of all the things that can be observed in the way of the king, none is more magnificent than the ancestral temple. Of all the things that can be observed in the ancestral temple, none is more magnificent than washing hands. As for offering sacrifices, they are too simple and not worth observing, hence 'washing hands without offering sacrifices.'"
According to the laws of the Tang Dynasty, even if the heir apparent of a vassal state was born within the vassal state, he had to be sent back to Chang'an to pay respects at the ancestral temple in his childhood and study with his cousins. This way, they could get along closely and be close by blood, and when they took up their vassal state in the future, they could help each other and support each other without conflict.
Fang Xiaomei finally composed herself and whispered to Wu Meiniang in the background.
Li Yun walked up to Fang Jun, straightened his clothes, and bowed deeply to the ground.
"When I was enfeoffed in a remote place, I was alone and anxious. If it weren't for your great help, brother, I might not have been able to stand firm even today and would not know how to face the affairs of the vassal state... I will never forget this kindness."
Fang Jun stepped forward and helped him up, his expression solemn: "Does Your Majesty know why I have done this?"
"It's all for my little sister."
Fang Jun patted his shoulder: "I hope that you will treat my younger sister well, which is one of my purposes. At the same time, I also believe that Your Majesty can establish a foundation in this vassal state, which is why I am doing my best to help you. So, I hope that Your Majesty will treat my younger sister well, which is just a side benefit. The most important thing is that Your Majesty can protect this strategic land for the Tang Dynasty."
Beyond the "Five-Year Plan" designed by Fang Jun for Li Yun, there was an even more important strategic goal: to enrich the people and strengthen the country, streamline the military and reduce government, and to annex the Pyu Kingdom by crossing the mountains to the west in the shortest possible time, thus bringing the entire Indochina Peninsula under the control of the Tang Dynasty. This would not only completely resolve the strategic hidden dangers in the southwest of the Tang Dynasty, but also create a strategic buffer between the entire Indochina Peninsula and India on land.
Li Yun said solemnly, "I will certainly not disappoint my elder brother!"
Fang Jun smiled and encouraged them, saying, "Life is but a fleeting dream, and the seasons change in the blink of an eye... Decades pass in the blink of an eye, and who knows the ups and downs of life? But we, the younger generation, have built up our territory and forged ahead with determination, and our achievements will be recorded in history and passed down through the ages. As the saying goes, 'A wild goose leaves its shadow as it flies past, and a person leaves their name as they pass by,' this should be our common motivation!"
For the Han people, a lifetime of struggle and hard work is nothing more than two things: "things done in life" and "fame after death." Even if emperors, generals, and outstanding figures do completely different things, their ultimate ideal is to "be remembered in history and leave a lasting legacy."
Such a "what do I care about the flood after I die" mentality is nothing short of heresy. Perhaps some people have inadvertently fallen into this path and suffered infamy, but that is by no means their wish. Otherwise, how could they face their ancestors in the afterlife?
……
Back at the palace, Fang Xiaomei was in low spirits and unhappy.
Li Yun sat beside her, looking at her with her delicate brows slightly furrowed and her listless appearance. He felt very sorry for her and sighed, "It's all my fault. If my little sister hadn't married me, why would she have had to travel across the ocean to her fiefdom? She could have easily chosen any scion of a noble family and lived a life of luxury and happiness in Chang'an with the power of the Fang family and the love of her father and brothers. Now she has to leave her homeland and worry about her parents. It's really...sigh."
Fang Xiaomei extended a slender, white hand and grasped Li Yun's hand, saying softly, "Your Majesty, why say such things? Since I have taken a liking to you, I will never leave you, no matter where you are. But..."
"Just what?"
Seeing his wife's hesitant and indecisive expression, Li Yun felt slightly puzzled.
Fang Xiaomei hesitated for a moment before raising her bright eyes to look directly into Li Yun's eyes. She gently bit her lip and whispered, "Will His Majesty blame you for what you and your sister-in-law did?"
Li Yun was taken aback, then raised an eyebrow: "Little sister, are you referring to the various things Second Brother and Lady Wu did to enhance your prestige and win people's hearts?"
Before Fang Xiaomei could answer, he snorted, "Of course I'm angry!"
Fang Xiaomei's expression changed, and she was about to explain.
Li Yun was already indignant, saying, "Second brother looks down on me too much! I know he does all this to solidify your position, to give you some leverage to avoid being neglected or wronged by me... But who am I, Li Yun? Over the years, countless noble families have tried to arrange marriages with me, but have I ever given a second glance to any of the noble ladies in Chang'an? In my eyes, there is only my little sister. In this life, I will marry no one but you!"
"Your Majesty..."
"I can understand my second brother's intentions, but I cannot accept them!"
Li Yun was filled with righteous indignation: "I know that my abilities are limited and it is difficult for me to govern a country and be a good monarch. My younger sister has the talent to govern the country and can assist me in governing the country. I am happy for her, so how could I not want to give her power? Even if I only bear the title of king and you have the reality of queen, I will not have the slightest complaint!"
Fang Xiaomei was moved to tears: "How could I have such thoughts? You are not only the King of Jiang Kingdom, but also my husband. I only wish to take care of you and serve you. Let's live our lives together wholeheartedly."
Li Yun laughed: "That's exactly right! We are husband and wife, one family. Although we are far away from the Tang Dynasty, we still have our own world. Home is country, and country is home. What difference is there between you and me? My second brother gave you that gold mine as your dowry, but you transferred all the gold into the imperial treasury without hesitation. Have you ever distinguished between us?"
He reached out and put his arm around his wife's thin shoulder, and said softly, "We are bound together for life, sharing the same bed in life, the same grave in death, honor and disgrace, without distinction between us. Your worries are unnecessary, Second Brother."
"Your Majesty..."
Fang Xiaomei was deeply moved and nestled in Li Yun's arms, feeling somewhat guilty for her scheming.
But as my brother said, every kind of feeling and relationship in the world needs to be carefully cultivated. If you just let things take their course, there will be no good results.
As long as the intention is good, it is acceptable.
*****
The fleet left Huajing Port, first heading west, then south along the coastline. Several days later, it reached the southernmost tip of the peninsula. The fleet entered the waterway and headed west, and soon saw an island standing on the north side of the strait.
Fang Jun stood at the bow of the ship and said to Wu Meiniang, who was wearing a veiled hat, "This place was originally called 'Luoyue Kingdom'. Its people were fierce and barbaric. Because the place was located at a key point of the shipping route, they often sailed into the sea to plunder passing merchant ships. The Tang Dynasty merchant ships suffered greatly from them. Later, the navy wiped them out, occupied the island, built a port, and tightly controlled the Strait of Malacca. Its strategic position was the first among the many ports and key points in the Southern Ocean of the Tang Dynasty."
Although this was Wu Meiniang's first time here, she had already seen the nautical chart and heard about it from the managers of the trading companies and the merchants. She nodded slightly.
This strait originally had no name; it was Langjun who first named it the "Strait of Malacca".
The northern part of the strait is a narrow peninsula extending from the Indochina Peninsula, while the southern part is a large island in the northwest and southeast direction occupied by the Srivijaya Kingdom. The strait is sandwiched between them and is an essential passage for sea routes between the east and west.
The tax revenue collected from this checkpoint alone amounts to an astronomical figure every year…
The fleet did not enter the port, but circled the strait and sailed eastward along the coastline of Srivijaya in the south, passing by the Palembang coast.
"This port is called 'Gran Bay,' which echoes 'Luoyue City' to the north and south, controlling the sea route and exerting pressure on Srivijaya, preventing it from easily disrupting the shipping lanes. After rounding the bend ahead and sailing south, you will reach the newly established Kingdom."
Wu Zetian was puzzled: "How can I allow someone else to snore beside my bed?"
Given the strategic importance of Rohingya and the Strait of Malacca, why leave a large country like Srivijaya to watch out for them?
Fang Jun explained, “This was deliberately left behind for those Westerners to see. In recent years, the Tang Dynasty's commerce has flourished and its military strength has been formidable, resulting in a continuously increasing trade surplus with Western countries. This has led to an outflow of currency from many countries, with Tang currency infiltrating their borders. Some people even identify more with Tang currency than with their own national currency... Therefore, nobles from various countries began to promote the ‘Tang threat theory,’ spreading rumors that the Tang Dynasty was barbaric and tyrannical, destroying and exterminating any country or race it passed through, and calling on all Westerners to resist the Tang Dynasty. Although Srivijaya is quite powerful, it is absolutely impossible for it to pose a threat to the Tang Dynasty. It was left behind to tell those Westerners that as long as they live in peace with the Tang Dynasty, peace and prosperity will naturally follow.”
The might of the Tang Dynasty shook the world, and it made profits from all over the world through maritime trade. If it continued to expand without restraint, there would inevitably be a day when "the whole world rebelled against the Tang Dynasty". Therefore, it was necessary to set up a few "benchmarks" to let the world know that the reason for being attacked was because of resistance. As long as they obediently submitted to the Tang Dynasty and traded with the Tang Dynasty, even a small island country could live a prosperous and wealthy life.
On one side were powerful ships, cannons, bows, crossbows, and swords; on the other side was trade, national prosperity, and a strong and prosperous people. Anyone would know which to choose, and there was no other choice.
Wu Zetian praised, "A combination of kindness and severity, a balance of strength and gentleness, and a coexistence of kingship and dominance—this is an excellent strategy to dominate the world."
Although she knew all the merchants in Luoyang like the back of her hand, this trip around the South China Sea gave her an incredibly clear picture of the sea. She knew which shipping routes relied more on the monsoon, which ports were suitable for transshipment, which straits were strategic points, and which foreign countries were close to the Tang Dynasty. She became more and more confident.
Reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles; the ancients were right.
He then asked curiously, "How is the development in the newly established country?"
The island of Tiannan is tens of thousands of miles away from the Tang Dynasty. It requires crossing the vast sea and countless islands. Among the many vassal states, it is the most difficult to establish contact with the Tang Dynasty. Moreover, the seasons are completely different from those of the Tang Dynasty, so even survival is probably fraught with difficulties.