novelcrest Chapter 5420 New Capital of Japan
Chapter 5420 New Capital of Japan
Chapter 5420 New Capital of Japan
Fang Jun smiled and said, "This is the character '曌', which means the sun and moon shining brightly in the sky, and their brilliance will last forever. It perfectly matches your beauty and your radiant splendor."
Wu Meiniang felt a sudden flutter in her heart for no apparent reason.
Sun and moon in the sky?
May its glory shine forever?
“曌”?!
Her bright eyes were sparkling and brimming with tears.
She held her husband's hand, her pearly teeth gently biting her red lips: "In your eyes...am I really that good?"
Fang Jun said softly, "It's even better than you expected."
Beside him, Liu Renyuan turned his head and stared at the large ship, seemingly ignoring it completely, but in reality, he was filled with admiration. He thought that only a man like the commander, who was both scholarly and martial, exceptionally talented, and also had a silver tongue and a thick skin, could truly subdue a woman like Wu Niangzi.
These techniques for charming women are truly astounding, like towering mountains, impossible to learn...
Wu Zetian was deeply moved. When her beloved actually created the character "曌" out of thin air for her sake, she was so touched that she felt no words could express her feelings at that moment.
She made up her mind that the next time her husband made love, if he made any excessive demands, she would simply agree...
Fang Jun grasped her slender hand in return, and pointed to the large ship with his other hand: "This ship is called 'Mingkong,' a gift from me to you. Once it is fully completed and equipped with cannons, it will not only be the most powerful warship in the world, but its interior will also be luxurious and precious."
Wu Zetian looked at the "Mingkong" with great interest: "How much did this ship cost?"
"No less than three million strings of cash."
Wu Zetian was taken aback: "So expensive?"
Even though the daily turnover of her business was in the hundreds of thousands of strings of cash, she was still surprised by the huge sum of money spent on building a warship.
Fang Jun counted on his fingers as he explained the costs to her: "Once this ship is fully completed, it will require the felling of approximately five thousand large trees, four thousand of which will be teak. However, the Tang Dynasty does not produce this type of wood, so it will need to be felled from the deep mountains of Southeast Asia, loaded onto ships, and transported to Huating Town. This will consume a great deal of labor and shipping costs. This ship will employ many new technologies, such as a main mast that is tens of meters high and is made from three trees, a keel that incorporates a large amount of steel in addition to timber, more watertight compartments, and the use of steel nails and iron plates in critical parts... Once this ship is completed, the shipbuilding technology of the Tang Dynasty will be elevated to a new level."
Teak is the best material for shipbuilding, but it grows mostly in India and the Indochina Peninsula. Mature teak trees need to be found deep in the mountains, making logging and transportation difficult, and the cost is extremely high.
Liu Renyuan couldn't help but interject: "'Mingkong' can be described as a mobile fortress at sea after it is completed. It can carry dozens of cannons and accommodate thousands of crew members. As long as it does not encounter a super hurricane while crossing the ocean, this ship will never sink."
There is no ship on the seas that can defeat the "Mingkong" yet, and even if there were, it would be impossible to sink it.
This was the highest level of shipbuilding technology in the Tang Dynasty, surpassing all others of its time and unparalleled in the world.
Wu Meiniang's eyes were fixed on the gift. She was always generous and open-minded, so how could she refuse such a unique gift?
"When I get back, I want to board the ship and decorate it to my liking!"
"Since it is something you want, then it is yours to have. And now that you are in charge of the trading company, you have all kinds of good things from all over the world, from China to foreign countries. Just take whatever you want and put it on the ship."
Fang Jun smiled encouragingly, saying that given Wu Zetian's habitually extravagant spending habits, the final cost of this ship would probably double, making it practically an unsinkable palace floating on the sea...
However, as long as Wu Zetian is happy, that's all that matters. Given her contributions to the Fang family, she deserves it.
……
After a brief rest in Huating Town, the merchant ships abandoned their vessels and boarded warships. Dozens of warships, large and small, raised their sails and anchors, slowly sailing out of the naval port, passing through Wusongkou and merging into the Yangtze River, before heading downstream and into the sea.
The flagship the two were aboard was the "Royal Princess Jinyang," which, although not as majestic and imposing as the "Mingkong" under construction in the dock, was still an invincible presence on the sea.
Wu Meiniang glanced at Fang Jun several times with a half-smile.
Fang Jun asked in confusion, "What are you looking at?"
Wu Meiniang sighed softly: "It's just a bit of a pity. Although this warship is called 'Princess Jinyang,' as far as I know, Princess Jinyang has probably never boarded it before."
"The so-called ship number is merely symbolic; how could a royal princess leave the capital so easily?"
Wu Meiniang snorted lightly: "This time, when Erlang left the capital for the sea, didn't that Prince Jinyang insist on going with you?"
Fang Jun was on high alert, his face solemn and his words righteous: "She can just follow me whenever she wants? I, Fang Er, value rules above all else, and I will not allow her to act as she pleases!"
"Ah!"
Wu Zetian chuckled softly and said no more.
The entanglement between her husband and that Prince Jinyang was quite different. Most women's love comes from admiration, but if a woman has admired a man since childhood for many years, that love is probably already deeply ingrained in her heart.
Given her husband's penchant for "loving princesses," if Jin Yang persists for a few more years, she'll surely get what she wants...
The towering lighthouse perched atop the rocks at the mouth of the Yangtze River left Wu Zetian in awe.
Instead of turning south upon entering the sea, the fleet headed straight east, passing through the strait south of Tsukushi Island towards Naniwazu.
When passing through the strait, all the warships displayed unified flag signals on their masts, and soldiers in armor, armed with crossbows and firearms, guarded the ship's sides. The remaining warships surrounded the "Royal Princess Jinyang" and stood ready for battle.
Inside the ship's tower, Wu Meiniang was both nervous and excited by the tense atmosphere. She asked curiously, "Is war about to break out?"
Fang Jun reassured them, "The probability of war is not high. However, Tsukushi Island is currently in chaos. Some remnants of Goguryeo, Buyeo, and even Silla occupy the northern part of the island, while the Japanese have been driven across the sea by the Emishi and are now relegated to the southern part of the island. The two sides are constantly fighting each other, resulting in many soldiers using small boats to plunder passing merchant ships along the coastal routes. Therefore, we need to be careful when passing through this area. Although those pirates have no chance of boarding the ships, it is still necessary to be cautious."
Today, Tsukushi Island is like a giant "colosseum," where various forces, including Goguryeo people, Buyeo people, Silla people, and Japanese, are entangled on the small island, engaging in the most savage and brutal battles for survival.
This suddenly reminded Fang Jun of a phrase, "East Asian monster room".
For thousands of years, haven't several ethnic groups in East Asia fought each other to the death in this region?
However, based on combat strength, even the weakest Buyeo and Silla people, if they could escape this "monster room," would be enough to sweep across the European and American continents.
Fortunately, they did not encounter any ignorant pirates or bandits, and the fleet successfully passed through this sea area. Wu Zetian was slightly disappointed that she did not personally witness the battle, after all, for a woman like her, she might never see such a cruel and bloody scene in her lifetime.
Then travel west along the island's coastline until Naniwazu comes into view.
Wu Meiniang nestled beside her husband, gazing at the approaching port, and suddenly asked, "Why is my husband so attached to the Japanese islands and so preoccupied with them?"
Fang Junqi asked, "Why do you say that, my lady? The Japanese islands are prone to earthquakes and hurricanes, and are mostly mountainous with few plains. The people there are also crude, violent, and like wild beasts. We can't even stand to look down on them, let alone have feelings for someone or be unable to forget them."
Wu Meiniang smiled and said, "Perhaps I used the wrong words. It is true that I do not have a love interest, but I am certainly not infatuated with anyone. It is probably... that I wish I could destroy their country and exterminate their race?"
Others may not have a clear understanding of this, but as Fang Jun's bedmate and possessing unparalleled political talent, she was extremely certain that her husband's actions towards Japan and the Japanese people were far-reaching and ruthless, quite different from those of the Southeast Asian and Western countries.
The Japanese imperial family has been passed down for thousands of years, so why did it suddenly die out?
How did the Ezo people suddenly grow so powerful that they landed on Honshu from Ezo Island, massacred the Japanese, and occupied the Japanese islands?
Not to mention the well-planned cultural invasion strategy that completely assimilated the remaining Japanese...
Fang Jun marveled at Wu Meiniang's keen insight, but could not explain it.
Should I tell her that I wish I could wipe this country out completely and exterminate its entire race, regardless of gender or age?
He sighed softly and said, "Just think of me as being wary of the Japanese eliminating this threat in advance."
"Ah."
Wu Meiniang's eyes shone brightly, and she asked no more questions.
……
At the Xinjing Wharf, banners fluttered, crowds thronged, and drums and music resounded. King Li Tai of Fusang, dressed in his finest attire, accompanied by Queen Yan, along with Prime Minister Cen Changqian, Chief Secretary Zhang Sunrun, Imperial Physician Chai Lingwu, Registrar Yan Zhuang, and a host of Japanese officials and monks, stood there awaiting Fang Jun's arrival.
Some Japanese officials, unaware of the situation, whispered amongst themselves, surprised that Li Tai, the king of a vassal state, would personally receive a Tang Dynasty official with his queen...
"Isn't it said that our King of Fusang is a prince of the Tang Dynasty's imperial family, and the eldest son of Emperor Taizong? Why would he condescend to an official like this?"
An insider explained: "It is said that this Grand Commandant is also a member of the royal family, a son-in-law of the Tang Dynasty, and also a Grand Commandant of the Tang Dynasty."
"What kind of official is the Grand Commandant? I've never heard of him. Is he a very high-ranking one?"
"The Great Tang is a celestial empire and a land of etiquette. Its official system is extremely comprehensive, far surpassing that of our mere Japanese islands. The position of Grand Commandant is the pinnacle of military officers, and all the troops in the land are under his command."
"No wonder!"
Although the Royal Navy was infamous and notorious in Japan, and could arrest and kill not only ordinary officials and nobles, but even members of the Japanese royal family at will, not everyone knew that Fang Jun was the mastermind behind this navy.
"coming!"
Someone exclaimed in surprise.
Everyone stopped talking and stood gazing into the distance.
Suddenly, a vast expanse of white clouds appeared on the western horizon where the water met the sky. As it drew closer, it became clear that they were white sails covering the sky, stretching to the horizon and blocking out the sun. There were countless ships, and they looked incredibly majestic and powerful!