Tiantang Splendid

Chapter 5090 Fatty Di
At sea, Xi Junmai brought a group of students to observe the landing battle and the subsequent operations up close. It was not until dark that he ordered the soldiers to sail the warships into the port, drop anchor and lower the sails in preparation for spending the night.

Dinner is still seafood.

Probably because ever since Huating Town went out to sea, there had been seafood at every meal for many days. Xue Yuanchao had a poor appetite and only ate a little. Di Renjie, on the other hand, had a good appetite. He ate two bowls of rice, cracked a big lobster, stretched and burped, his round face full of enjoyment.

While Xi Junmai was boiling water for tea, he couldn't help but say, "You are already a little plump at such a young age. You need to go on a proper diet."

Di Renjie didn't take it seriously and said with a smile: "The commander once said, 'Of all things in the world, only delicious food cannot be wasted.' Being able to eat is a blessing."

Xi Junmai nodded immediately. Regardless of whether he agreed with the point of view or not, since it came from Fang Jun's mouth, he supported it unconditionally.

The tea was ready, and everyone had a cup. They sat on the deck and chatted while holding their cups.

At that time, the sky was full of stars, the sea was sparkling, the tide pushed the warship to sway, and there were piles of bonfires on the shore in the distance.

Xue Yuanchao looked at the dock in the distance and said with some worry: "The Duke of Yun's move has violated the rules set by the navy. I wonder how this will end?"

Di Renjie disagreed: "Now that things have come to this, what can the couple do? We can't just return the territory we have acquired to the natives! I don't know what happened to the Duke of Yun, but this island will definitely be included in the territory of the Tang Dynasty from now on."

Xi Junmai drank a sip of tea and nodded, "This is also what the Duke of Yun had in mind. As long as the facts are established, the court will have no choice but to accept it. As for the navy, they have no authority to deal with the Duke of Yun, so they can only report the facts."

After all, this is also the achievement of "expanding territory". Although the great scholars in the court are full of benevolence, righteousness, and morality and call for "ending the war" every day, they are not fools after all and will definitely not abandon the territory they have obtained.

The navy has no right to deal with Zhang Liang, and Zhang Liang does not rely on the navy. From now on, Zhang Liang will turn this island into his overseas enjoyment place.

But as long as it didn't cost the public money, the navy wouldn't care even if he moved all his property to the island...

A small boat came from the dock and approached the side of the boat. Cheng Gongying jumped onto the side of the boat and invited him with a smile: "My general has prepared some simple food and a few jars of fine wine. If General Xi and the students don't mind, why don't you come over and have a few drinks?"

Xi Junmai politely returned the greeting: "We have already had dinner, so we will not disturb the Duke of Yun."

Then, he asked, "Is the battle going well? How many casualties have there been? Do you need any medicine?"

Cheng Gongying thanked them and said, "They are just natives, like pigs and dogs. Only a few soldiers were injured, and the rest are unharmed. We may face a counterattack from the natives tomorrow, but the commander-in-chief has been prepared for it, so it will be foolproof."

Di Renjie asked curiously, "Does the Duke of Yun want to take this island for himself?"

Cheng Gongying said solemnly: "The Marshal is the Duke of the Tang Dynasty and a soldier of the Empire. All the things he took were seized. How could he hide them secretly? This island is naturally the territory of the Tang Dynasty and should be incorporated into the territory of the Empire! In addition, the Duke has ordered people to find a large stone, print the words on the stone overnight, and place it on the island to commemorate it forever!"

"So, the Duke of Yun has already named this island?"

Whoever occupies the territory gets to name it, which is in line with the unspoken rules of the Tang Dynasty army.

"Exactly."

"What's the name?"

"Princess Gaoyang Island!"

"..."

……

As autumn approaches, it is rainy in the south of the Yangtze River. However, the Huating Town Maritime Customs is crowded. From the dock to the town government office, people and vehicles are constantly coming and going. Countless goods are either unloaded from the dock into the warehouse or transported from the warehouse to the dock for loading onto ships. The drizzle cannot extinguish people's pursuit of wealth.

Su Dingfang, wearing a straw raincoat and with his hands behind his back, strolled casually on the dock, surrounded by several personal soldiers, looking east and west. Behind him, masts and sails lined up on the Wusong River, warships were entering and leaving the military port, and merchant ships were gathered on the river. In front of him, people gathered at the dock, including the Goguryeo and Buyeo people in the northeast, the Japanese in the East, the natives in the South Sea, and the Arabs in the West. The goods included all kinds of goods from China and abroad, from the north and the south, and all kinds of strange things...

This mere town has become a place where wealth from all over the world gathers.

A generous amount of tax can be collected from the goods entering or leaving the country, which is a continuous supply to the national treasury, supporting the empire's infrastructure construction and military expenditures. Today, the national strength of the Tang Dynasty is advancing by leaps and bounds, and its prosperity is far greater than any prosperous era recorded in history.

All the barbarians bow their heads and the whole world submits, this is a truly prosperous era.

How lucky it is to be born in such an era and to be able to contribute to the great process of China?

A merchant ship sailed into the dock, its sails filled by the river breeze slowly lowered and slowly docked. A large group of young people stepped onto the dock by the gangplank, one by one they started shouting.

"Oh my god! I'm finally back. It feels so good to step on the land of the Great Tang Dynasty!"

"Who said it wasn't? I've dreamed of traveling the world with a sword since I was young, but this journey is tens of thousands of miles away, and I just miss home, my parents, my old friends, and my beautiful wife and concubines... I'm so useless, I'm ashamed."

"My sister-in-law must be missing you, brother. When you come home, I will give you a surprise."

"What surprise? Could it be that she is telling her brother in a coquettish way, 'I am pregnant, please have mercy on me, my dear'?"

"If so, 'surprise' is inevitable, but 'joy' is not necessarily possible!"

"Ha ha!"

……

Su Dingfang smiled, knowing that these were all students from the academy who were traveling at sea. He was pleased to see these proud children of the empire still talking and laughing in good health after sailing thousands of miles on the sea. Traveling more, gaining experience, appreciating local customs and seeing the sufferings of the world would be of great benefit to him when he becomes an official in the future.

Just as he was about to turn around and leave, he heard someone behind him calling, "Grand Commander!"

He turned around in surprise and saw a chubby young man walking quickly towards him. When he came close, he bowed to the ground and then raised his bright smile: "I just returned from my trip and happened to have a letter to give to the Grand Commander. I was about to go to the military camp to ask for an audience. I didn't expect to meet you by chance, which saved me a lot of effort."

Su Dingfang first deliberately put on a stern face and said unhappily, "Why, you think it's too much trouble to meet an old man like me?"

Then he couldn't help but smile, looked up and down at Di Renjie's "round" figure, and sighed: "Other people go out to sea and come back dark and thin, but you look a lot taller, is it really because you are happy and fat?"

He liked this boy very much. He was extremely smart but also easy-going. Not only did he never show off his intelligence, but he knew how to hide his shortcomings at a young age. He was best at handling interpersonal relationships and was able to maintain a simple heart even when he was successful at a young age, which was rare.

Given time, it will become a great thing.

Di Renjie said with a smile: "During this trip, I felt more and more that the empire was strong and the country was peaceful and the people were safe. I was extremely happy and naturally in a good mood. When I was in a good mood, my appetite was naturally good. I tasted a lot of delicacies from all over the world. I accidentally gained a few pounds of weight. It's not my fault."

Su Dingfang laughed and patted him on the shoulder.

This child's words are so pleasant to listen to...

"By the way, what letter?"

"Oh, it was General Xi who asked me to present it to the Grand Commander."

Di Renjie took out the letter and presented it with both hands.

Su Dingfang took it, first glanced at the seal, then tore open the envelope, took out the letter, read it quickly, and pondered for a moment.

After a moment, he waved to Di Renjie and said, "Follow me to the military camp. I will write a letter and you can take it back to Chang'an and give it to the Duke of Yue."

"Here."

Di Renjie respectfully accepted the order and followed Su Dingfang to the military camp.

Behind him, a group of students couldn't help but feel envious and jealous and whispered to each other.

"How could Di Renjie be so close to Grand Commander Su?"

Among dozens of students, only Di Renjie was invited by Su Dingfang to go to the military camp, which shows how close their relationship was.

As the general in charge of the Tang Dynasty's royal navy, Su Dingfang's reputation is no less than that of the meritorious officials of the Zhenguan period. He holds real power and is very powerful. Not to mention that almost all maritime trade ships now need the escort of the navy. If one can have a good relationship with Su Dingfang, his own maritime trade business will benefit greatly.

But Su Dingfang is a straight-laced person, almost inhumane, and it is extremely difficult to deal with him...

"Who made him so favored by the Grand Commandant? After all, the navy is still the Grand Commandant's world. For those favored by the Grand Commandant, Grand Commander Su will naturally look up to them."

……

Inside the military camp, Su Dingfang quickly wrote a letter, sealed it with sealing wax, stamped it with a seal, and after the sealing wax cooled and solidified, he handed it to Di Renjie.

Di Renjie took it with both hands and held it in his arms.

Su Dingfang had someone make tea and asked with a smile, "Have you decided which government office you will be assigned to after passing the imperial examination?"

"I have been admitted to the Dali Temple and am honored to be the chief clerk."

"The chief clerk of the Dali Temple?" Su Dingfang nodded: "A rank from the seventh rank, right? That's pretty good."

Di Renjie said modestly, "I am honored to have the favor of Lord Dai Si. I am deeply honored."

"Why should you underestimate yourself? It's just like the saying 'be cautious in life and be bold in work'. However, when you are appointed as an official for the first time, you must not be impatient for quick success. You need to see more and learn more so that you can settle down. Work hard in the Dali Temple for a few years. If you want to be promoted in the future, you might as well try the navy."

Su Dingfang drank tea and gave earnest instructions.

Di Renjie was extremely surprised. He quickly stood up, bowed to the ground, and thanked him: "Thank you for your appreciation, Grand Commander. If there is a chance in the future, I will serve you at your command!"

Who doesn't know that the navy is the most powerful military force in the Tang Dynasty today?

Being able to work in the navy, whether transferred to the central government or serving in the local areas in the future, one can easily be promoted to a higher level. Moreover, the navy shoulders the heavy responsibility of maritime trade, and all the noble families, royal relatives and nobles have to curry favor with them. At the very least, it can accumulate a large number of connections...

(End of this chapter)