roccoschili Chapter 5405 Journey to Tiannan
Chapter 5405 Journey to Tiannan
Chapter 5405 Journey to Tiannan
As the sea breeze billowed the sails and the sharp bow cut through the water, gradually moving away from the naval port, that land that nurtured him gradually receded into the distance, eventually becoming a line stretching between the sea and the sky. Li Zhi stood on the ship's side, his eyes blurred with tears, when suddenly his knees buckled and he knelt down for a long time.
This land is rich in natural resources and has a long and prosperous civilization. It is also the location of his parents' tombs. However, now that we are separated by mountains and rivers, he may never return.
On the deck, many guards, eunuchs, and palace maids knelt down, their expressions filled with despair.
Only a few officials stood solemnly to one side. When the deck was filled with weeping, someone stepped forward to Li Zhi's side, reached out his hands to support him, and gently comforted him: "Your Highness, there is no need to be sad. As the saying goes, a good man's ambition lies in all directions. This trip south to establish a state is the time for Your Highness to realize your great ambitions. You should build a great foundation and leave a lasting name for yourself, so as not to have lived in vain."
Li Zhi was no ordinary man; he possessed an extremely resilient character. Moreover, although he was excluded from the capital and had no hope of returning to court, even though the future seemed uncertain, he managed to break free from his constraints and escape to safety.
He quickly composed himself, stood up, wiped away his tears, nodded to the official who helped him up, and forced a smile: "They say it's hard to leave one's homeland. Although I am young and inexperienced, I feel this sense of panic and confusion today. But Siqi, there's no need to worry about me. Although I grew up in the inner palace and have never experienced the hardships of life, I am the son of Emperor Taizong and Empress Wende. How can a tiger father have a dog son?"
He patted Doulu Qinwang on the shoulder, then smiled at the others: "Benli, Ximei, Wenwei, I am deeply grateful for your hospitality in accompanying me to the vassal state and forging ahead in the south. We should encourage each other and work together to create great achievements, so that when you return to the capital in the future, you will all rise to high positions!"
Wang Benli, Liu Yizhi, and Xing Wenwei, the three disciples of the academy, bowed deeply to the ground and said respectfully, "We will obey Your Highness's decree! We will certainly assist Your Highness in creating a great cause!"
Li Zhi was very pleased.
Apart from Doulu Qinwang, who had previously served as His Majesty's Secretary and already held an official position, the others were all academy students selected by Fang Jun for him. His brief interaction with them in Huating Town allowed him to gain a deep understanding of their talents; they were all outstanding young men, the best of their time, and with their own abilities and academy background, they would surely shine brightly in the Tang Dynasty's officialdom in the future.
The fact that such outstanding individuals were willing to accompany him on his journey to the far south to establish a new state naturally gave him a great deal of confidence.
Looking back, the Tang Dynasty's territory was reduced to a mere line. Seagulls circled the masts, white foam rippled on the waves at the stern, and a massive fleet of more than ten warships and merchant ships, with their white sails billowing, cut through the waves and sailed towards that unfamiliar, desolate, yet hopeful island tens of thousands of miles away.
In an instant, a surge of heroic ambition welled up in my heart, dispelling most of my previous resentment, panic, and reluctance.
The sea breeze is cool and refreshing.
Pointing our swords southward!
……
The monsoon winds from the northeast howled fiercely, and the waves rolled on the sea. The sails of the fleet were full of wind and sped across the sea, faster than galloping horses, riding the wind and breaking through the waves.
In the damp and cold winter at sea, Princess Jin and her concubines and talented women huddled in the cabins of the ship. The sense of being far from home and the fear of being at sea with nowhere to turn made these women feel miserable and depressed all day long.
Princess Jin had previously resented Li Chengqian for "detaining" the heir in Chang'an, but now she was glad that she hadn't taken the child with her.
Only Li Zhi seemed to have shaken off the sadness and resentment he felt when he left the Tang Dynasty. All his bad moods seemed to have been blown away by the howling sea breeze. He spent his days either training energetically with the imperial guards on the deck or gathering officials and confidants in the cabin to discuss how to settle down, survive, and develop on the southern island.
Li Zhi was somewhat resentful at failing to inherit the throne and ascend the throne, but things had come to this point, and His Majesty's decision to allow him to go to sea to serve as a fief was already an immense act of leniency. Since ancient times, those who failed in the struggle for the throne were either given death or imprisoned. It was rare for him to have this opportunity to be exiled overseas, so he was quite excited after casting aside his resentment.
The island in the south, which was still given the name "Jin State", was vast, almost half the size of the Tang Dynasty. Although, according to Fang Jun, most of it was desert, barren land, primeval forest and other desolate wilderness unsuitable for habitation, the plains along the coast alone were comparable to any of the Tang Dynasty's plains!
That's enough for him to realize his ambitions.
Five days later, the fleet arrived at a port at the northeastern tip of Ryukyu Island.
Li Zhi, dressed in a fox fur cloak and wearing a sable hat, stood at the bow of the ship, staring in astonishment at the port that was getting closer and clearer.
The azure sea surged and churned, and along the harbor stretched a vast expanse of houses. Dozens and hundreds of warships and merchant ships entered and exited the harbor in an orderly fashion, their sails obscuring the sea surface, creating a bustling and prosperous scene.
Beyond the port, mountains rise gradually, stretching endlessly into the distance…
Upon entering the port, one could even see many merchant ships with strangely dressed people on their decks, barbarians and foreigners.
Li Zhi pointed to the bustling port: "Where is this?"
The accompanying naval vice admiral, Li Jinxing, who had distinguished himself in the "Battle of Zhongnan," was standing beside Li Zhi at this moment. Upon hearing this, he said, "Your Highness, this is Keelung Port."
Li Zhi thought for a moment and then asked, "Could this place be the Yizhou recorded in the historical books?"
Li Jinxing smiled and said, "Your Highness is very knowledgeable and has a great memory. I admire you greatly."
He pointed to the port area and berths: "Yizhou was barren and sparsely populated, and was a useless place in the past. No government was set up there in any dynasty, and it was left to drift along. Now, with a strong navy and prosperous maritime trade, the strategic position of this island has risen sharply. It is truly a powerful southeastern vassal of the Great Tang Dynasty and a key strategic location for the sea. It is connected to Zhoushan in the north, Qiongzhou in the south, and Daliuqiu in the south. The three places echo each other and form a tripod, jointly guarding the maritime borders of the Great Tang Dynasty. Establishing a port here can control the key points of the shipping lanes. It is the throat of the north-south sea transport. All merchant ships and warships traveling to and from the East China Sea and the South China Sea must pass through this area to fill and resupply."
Li Zhi recalled the nautical chart and sketched out the situation of the outer seas of the Tang Dynasty in his mind. After a moment, he nodded repeatedly, "This place is indeed a strategic point!"
"You're saying this place wasn't previously under the rule of the Central Plains dynasties?"
"Although Yizhou has been part of China's territory since ancient times, it has never been truly incorporated into the dynasty's territory because it is located overseas, with long sea routes, sparse population, and rampant miasma. Since the rise of the navy and the prosperity of maritime trade, the Grand Commandant personally led a fleet to this island, opened a port, and recovered lost land. Moreover, on the plains on the western side of the island, near the South China Sea, more and more people who have lost their land from the mainland have migrated here to reclaim wasteland and cultivate the land. In time, Yizhou will surely become a prosperous land of fish and rice."
Li Zhi clicked his tongue in amazement.
In the past, when I was in Chang'an, the so-called naval expansion and invincibility were just a few words in the memorials, and I lacked a direct understanding. Now, standing here and seeing the vast sea and the recovery of lost land, I can finally feel the same way.
Li Jinxing continued, “Not only in this Yizhou, but throughout the entire Eastern and Southern Oceans, wherever naval ships arrive, boundary markers are erected to declare sovereignty, and this is recorded in detail on the Ministry of War’s maps, serving as the legal basis for the territory of the Great Tang.”
Li Zhi asked curiously, "Why go through all this trouble? Who else could possibly come and steal it?"
"The Grand Commandant's original words were: 'How can there be a dynasty that lasts for a thousand years? The cycle of life and death is a universal principle, and the future Tang Dynasty may well face that day. If another dynasty declines and cannot consolidate its overseas hegemony, these territories will surely be invaded by barbarian tribes. But that's alright. When China is revived, we can use this evidence to raise an army and reclaim them. This is what is meant by 'When poor, set aside disputes; when rich, follow the ways of the past.'"
"When poor, set aside disputes; when rich, follow the ways of the past?"
Li Zhi exclaimed in amazement, "This is the wisdom of my brother-in-law!"
Ordinary people who can predict ten or twenty years into the future are considered outstanding, but my brother-in-law, at the height of the empire's power, planned for the situation a hundred or even several hundred years into the future, leaving future generations with a legal basis for the reasonable reclaim of lost territory.
That's a very far-sighted plan!
The fleet entered the port and docked at more than ten adjacent berths. For the first time in several days, Li Zhi and his wives and concubines set foot on flat land. The voyage had been difficult, and although none of the wives and concubines had severe seasickness, they were still dizzy and unwell after several days at sea. Now that they had stepped onto flat land, they felt weak and their legs were trembling. They hurriedly went to the post station to rest.
Li Zhi was quite interested in exploring the area, but Keelung Port was not large. The port opened to the northwest and flowed into the inner harbor to the southwest, forming a narrow waterway. The port was surrounded by mountains on the east, west, and south sides. Apart from the port, wharf, official residences, and post stations, there was only a flat area at the foot of the mountains that had been cultivated for growing grains and vegetables.
They had no choice but to rest at the post station.
The fleet replenished its fresh water and food supplies here, and set sail the next day, continuing south along the route east of Yizhou Island, carried by the northeast wind.
The further south you go, the higher the temperature becomes, and the wind blowing from the sea gradually becomes humid and sticky. Looking out, you see blue skies and white clouds, vast blue waves, seagulls dotting the horizon, and schools of fish chasing each other.
After another ten days, the fleet sailed along the western coast of Luzon Island, turned east along the coastline into a seaside village, and arrived in Manila for resupply.
This time, when the fleet docked, the scene was completely different from that of Jilong Port. There were at least ten times more ships moored in the port than before. Chinese and foreign merchant ships gathered, and the docks were bustling with activity. More than ten Tang warships flying dragon flags were gathered at their exclusive berths on one side of the port. Countless Tang soldiers, shirtless and with their hair cut short, were climbing up and down the warships to repair and maintain them.
The fleet sailed directly into the warship berth and docked.
Naval officers stationed there quickly greeted and paid homage to the Prince of Jin.
Upon landing, Li Zhi felt that this place was different from Yizhou. Suddenly intrigued, he said to Li Jinxing, "Have someone prepare horses, let's take a stroll around here."
"Here!"
After settling the female relatives into the military camp, Li Jinxing, along with the garrison captain and dozens of guards and soldiers, rode around the port of Manila.
(End of this chapter)