Tiantang Splendid

Chapter 5309 Spring Rain at Huating
The hillsides are gentle, a light drizzle is falling, and the Wusong River is shrouded in mist.

Dozens of houses stand on a flat area at the foot of the mountain, overlooking the river. The layout is natural, with the mountains behind and the water in front. Cement roads meander through the area, with willows swaying and the air damp and cold. The residents are all wealthy people from Wu and big merchants from Huating.

The maid glanced at the misty spring rain outside the window, where warships with white sails could be faintly seen plying the river. She then looked back at Princess Baling, who was applying makeup at her dressing table, and felt a little anxious: "Your Highness, when shall we set off for Fusang?"

I left Chang'an on the first day of the lunar new year and headed south to Huating Town. Half a month has passed, but I still haven't been able to set off for Fusang.

He would stay in this riverside mansion every day, secretly meeting with the Grand Commandant, their bodies intertwined like mandarin ducks, as if they were husband and wife...

However, Huating Town is well-connected by water and land, and news travels easily. What if the news gets out and spreads throughout the world?
Whether the prince consort didn't care much or dared not speak out in anger, he still had to consider his reputation...

Princess Baling sat in front of her dressing table. From behind, she had a slender waist and a full, round bottom. The mirror reflected a beautiful face with fair and rosy skin, as charming and beautiful as a flower nourished by rain, radiating a moist glow from within.

Upon hearing this, she placed the eyebrow pencil on the table, swayed her head from side to side to check if her hair was disheveled, and replied, "These past few days have been filled with strong winds and rain, making sailing at sea not only difficult but also very dangerous. It will be better in a few more days."

The maid dared not say much, but she was very resentful in her heart. Day after day, many days had passed!
Footsteps sounded outside the door, and a voice came from outside. The maid quickly composed herself, stood up, and went to the door to greet them.

His Highness indulged her easily out of consideration and tolerated her complaints, but the Grand Commandant would not do the same...

Fang Jun took off his raincoat and handed it to a maid beside him. He then took a hot towel to wipe his hands and face before stepping into the inner boudoir.

Princess Baling and her maidservants rose to greet her...

After brewing tea and pouring water, and placing pastries on the tea table, Princess Baling knelt down beside Fang Jun and asked with a smile, "Why are you back so late today? Were you busy with official duties?"

The maid stood to one side with her head bowed, inwardly thinking, "They're acting like an old married couple..."

Fang Jun took a sip of tea and nodded, saying, "The battle report from Da Nang has been sent back. We need to organize it and send it to Chang'an, as well as allocate provisions and weapons to ensure that Su Dingfang has no worries about the rear. There are indeed a lot of trivial matters to attend to."

Huating Town was his fiefdom. In the past, Pei Xingjian and Wang Xuance helped him manage the affairs of the land. Both of them were capable of managing the world and handled the affairs of the fiefdom and the military port in an orderly manner, without him having to worry about them.

But now there's no one available...

Given his reputation for "being able to recognize talent and appoint people wisely," how could he have ended up in such a predicament?
Ultimately, it's because he doesn't really care much about things here...

"Oh? What was the outcome of the battle?"

"It was a great victory, but the battle was fought in Wuwenling. Li Jinxing and Li Jingren fought a bloody battle and made great contributions. They not only captured Wuwenling and killed the crown prince of Linyi, but also severely damaged the Zhenla reinforcements with the support of Liu Renyuan. Linyi was somewhat unexpected and surrendered directly."

At this point, one can't help but marvel at how lucky Jiang Ke truly is.

While the entire navy, and indeed the entire Tang army, hoped to gain military merit through conquest and destruction, Jiang Ke single-handedly persuaded Linyi to surrender. Not only did he secure the death of Zhuge Di as an apology, but he also negotiated a reparation of ten million strings of cash…

Moreover, this move is exactly what those civil officials in the court who oppose the war wanted, and they will surely advise His Majesty to reward him. It can only be said that it is fate and cannot be envied.

Princess Baling's face lit up with joy, and she clapped her hands in praise: "Grand Commandant, you truly have a benevolent heart for the world! Your generals are brave and skilled in battle, and you are invincible in every attack!"

His admiration and affection were evident in his words.

Fang Jun laughed and said, "Victory is won by the soldiers who risk their lives. I dare not accept such praise."

Princess Baling blushed slightly, glanced at him with her bright eyes, and bit her lip lightly: "Don't always refer to yourself as 'Your Majesty'... it sounds strange."

This fellow likes to address himself as "Your Highness" one moment and "Your humble servant" the next when he's being silly, so whenever I hear him utter such words, it always reminds me of those embarrassing moments, which is quite awkward.

Fang Jun raised an eyebrow and said teasingly, "This humble subject doesn't find anything strange about it. On the contrary, I feel that Your Highness always seems particularly excited whenever you address me like this..."

"Oh dear! Stop talking!"

Princess Baling was so embarrassed that she raised her delicate hand and slapped the man.

My heart was pounding, and my body felt like it was surging with heat, wanting to find a place to release it...

Fang Jun laughed loudly: "What's done is done, what's there to be afraid of saying?"

Seeing that Princess Baling was about to hit him again, he grabbed her fair wrist and pulled her slender body into his arms. Before she could react, a large hand had already slipped inside her clothes, exploring her secrets...

"Are you crazy? In broad daylight, stop it..."

Princess Baling's face was flushed, her eyes were alluring, and her brimming gaze seemed to be about to overflow with tears. Through her clothes, she pressed down the large, restless hand.

After a moment of tenderness, Princess Baling raised her hand to stroke the man's cheek again, and sighed softly, "A good night is too short, and a good time is hard to come by. If only this moment could last forever."

If it was initially forced, the two became entangled afterward, and she was conquered both physically and mentally. Not only did she never refuse a man's advances, but she even took the initiative to seek them out on several occasions...

Fang Jun felt the warmth in his palm and said with a smile, "Your Highness, are you perhaps a young lady in the boudoir, naive and inexperienced in the ways of the world? It is not difficult to stay together forever, but it is not easy to live in harmony. Everyone has flaws. When you meet occasionally, you are naturally inseparable. But when you are together day and night, you inevitably have to face your flaws. If you can't bear it, it will be a mess... Such a gentle gathering, where you are in sync, is not bad at all."

A sudden encounter, a fleeting romance, remembering only the good in each other, naturally brings tenderness, comfort, and lingering affection.

However, if they were to live together, they would have to tolerate each other's shortcomings, which would inevitably lead to impatience, dislike, and resentment.

So when you're out having fun, everything feels perfect and smooth, but when you get home, you're faced with the mundane realities of daily life, and you start to feel disgusted with each other...

Princess Baling bit her lip and stared at him for a moment before struggling to break free from his embrace. She then straddled him, gently raising her long, white neck and letting out a soft moan. She placed her hands on the man's shoulders and snorted, "Now you're all messed up when you see me. You're tired of playing with me, aren't you? You don't need to chase me away. I'll leave tomorrow."

Fang Jun raised his hand to support her waist and smiled, "Your Highness misunderstands. How could I dare to have any intention of expelling you? I was just thinking of how Consort Chai is alone in Japan, eating leftovers and sleeping soundly..."

"Shut up!"

Princess Baling was breathing rapidly, and she almost bit her lip until it bled.

Why bring him up now?

"Your Highness seems to enjoy mentioning Prince Consort Chai at this time."

"When did I start liking it... um!"

"His Highness really likes this style..."

"You treacherous minister, shut your mouth!"

……

The maid blushed and lowered her head as soon as the two were close together, and quietly slipped away to the kitchen to have hot water boiled. She then waited outside the door until the passion inside subsided before carrying the hot water and tiptoeing in to help the two wash their bodies and change their clothes.

As a personal maid, she had naturally accompanied Princess Baling in serving Chai Lingwu before. Now, kneeling before Fang Jun to wash him, her heart pounded like a drum. She thought to herself, no wonder her prince, who was not a virtuous woman, was so attached to the place and even became addicted to it.

Indeed, it is majestic and awe-inspiring!

However, even when His Highness was exhausted and begging for mercy, this person never allowed them to go up and take over, which aroused resentment...

Fang Jun changed his clothes and saw Princess Baling curled up on the chaise longue with a flushed face and hazy almond eyes. Her bare feet were side by side under her skirt, and she looked languid and comfortable, as if she had not yet calmed down from the turbulent emotions. So he got up and went to the outer study, asked the maid to brew a pot of tea, and buried himself in his desk to deal with official documents.

In this "China-South Korea War," his task was no less demanding than that of Su Dingfang, who was in command at the Da Nang border. He not only had to manage supplies and replenish weapons, but also had to constantly monitor the vast sea area stretching from Goguryeo, Silla, Japan, and Ryukyu in the north to Luzon, Brunei, and Princess Goyang Island in the south.

With the main force of the navy deployed to the Indochina Peninsula, the remaining territories are inevitably left with a lack of troops. At this time, when cultural integration and military conquest have not yet been fully completed, if a rebellion occurs in a certain place and is not suppressed in time, it may cause great damage and thus shake the empire's rule in these regions.

Territory can be retaken if lost, but if it affects the empire's foreign trade and causes the hard-won trade system to collapse, then it would be a loss.

In particular, the civil officials in the court who were vehemently criticizing the "Central-Southern War" would seize this opportunity to launch a massive impeachment campaign, slapping a whole host of accusations on him, such as "those who love war will perish"...

As for the outcome of this "China-South Africa battle," he was not worried.

Strategically, we must take any opponent seriously. Even an eagle will fight a rabbit with all its might, and the story of an arrogant army being defeated must never be repeated.

But tactically speaking, there was no one in the world that could rival the Tang Dynasty.

Whether it was the furniture and weapons forged with advanced smelting technology, the tactical improvements brought about by firearms, or the unparalleled shipbuilding technology, the Tang Dynasty navy could rightfully be called the "number one army in the world," invincible in every battle.

The countries of the Indochina Peninsula are nothing but clay chickens and tile dogs.

After finishing his official business, he sealed the memorials with sealing wax, summoned his personal guards, and ordered them to deliver them to the town government office and then send them to Chang'an by fast boat. He then took a sip of tea, stretched comfortably, and strolled to the window with his hands behind his back. He gazed at the misty Wusong River and the vast Yangtze River in the distance, feeling relaxed and expansive.

With the strategic buffer of the Western Regions and the strategic support of the Central and Southern regions, the Tang Dynasty has now become a super-powerful and invincible empire.

By this time, countless elite naval forces must have already boarded ships and divided into several groups, landing at predetermined locations to begin their grand undertaking of unifying the Indochina Peninsula...