I want to ruin the country

The emperor has said that he will not provide meals. Who dares to disagree? That would be asking for trouble!

"agree!"

"agree!"

However, some people thought that the emperor was very smart. He set up a royal school without spending a penny!

The lives of these orphans were essentially given by the Emperor. Saving them would not only bring fame, but when these orphans grew up, wouldn't they be like the Emperor's own children?!

If they all became officials and worked hard to serve the emperor, what a great force a thousand people would be!

Since the emperor said that he would not provide meals, everyone remained calm. After visiting the school, they went home!

Two days later was an auspicious day, and it was also the day when Prince Gong went abroad.

The next morning, Yining held a grand banquet in the Qianqing Palace to see Prince Gong off.

The Imperial Household Department is not short of money now, and the banquet will be filled with all kinds of delicacies from land and sea. It is unknown when Prince Gong will come back after he leaves, so this grand ceremony is necessary.

The atmosphere at the banquet was lively. Yining toasted every table. Everyone was flattered and their faces were flushed from drinking.

The next morning, the team following Prince Gong lined up in front of the Qianqing Gate.

After all the procedures of offering sacrifices to heaven, earth and gods were completed, Yining said loudly,

"Comrades, you are going to shoulder the great responsibility of rejuvenating China, so today I am personally seeing you off.

In the previous dynasty, the eunuch Sanbao made seven voyages to the West, exploring the situation there and making China famous abroad.

Unfortunately, because a large amount of wealth brought back from the voyages to the West was taken by the emperor's treasury, some short-sighted officials who did not benefit said that the voyages to the West were a waste of money and labor, and actually burned all the information!

Now that Western countries have surpassed us in development, we can no longer close our doors and turn a deaf ear!

We must learn advanced Western technology and catch up so that we won’t be bullied by outsiders!

You have a heavy responsibility on your shoulders this time. I hope that you will not be afraid of difficulties and obstacles, overcome numerous difficulties, and protect Prince Gong to complete his mission and return safely!

You all have returned safely, and you are all heroes. I will naturally not be stingy with rewards. High positions, generous salaries, glory and wealth, and titles for wives and children are all waiting for you.

Also, please rest assured, I will definitely take good care of your family for you!

When you return triumphantly, I will personally welcome you back!"

After finishing his speech, Yining gave everyone three cups of wine to encourage them.

Yi Xin and Li Hongzhang were deeply moved by the overwhelming momentum. Before leaving, Yining whispered to Yi Xin,

"Sixth brother, this journey will be long and arduous, you must take good care of yourself!

If you encounter danger, saving your life is the first priority. Everything else can be abandoned. As long as you can survive, you will not be afraid of running out of firewood. As long as you can return safely, that's all that matters!"

A warm current instantly surged through Yi Xin's body. Fourth brother is most concerned about my safety!

"I've made note of this. You should also take care of yourself!"

Yining also instructed Li Hongzhang,

"Regardless of whether the mission is completed or not, you must ensure Prince Gong's safe return. As long as the two of you can come back, you will be the first to achieve this!"

Li Hongzhang said,

"Your Majesty, please rest assured. If Prince Gong makes the slightest mistake, I will not be the only one left alive!"

Yining nodded and waved his hand.

"set off!"

Prince Gong's entourage when he went abroad was very large. The ceremonial guards for the prince himself were very majestic, and together with the other accompanying personnel, there were a total of five or six hundred people.

They traveled on the road for three days before arriving at Tianjin Port, where local officials and garrison leaders came to greet them.

After staying in Tianjin for two days, everything was ready and we boarded the ship and weighed anchor on the morning of the third day.

The dock was packed with people, all of whom came to see him off. Not to mention the emperor's instructions, just based on the name of Prince Gong, no official, big or small, would dare not come to see him off.

For the first time, Prince Gong felt how good it was to be the protagonist. It was even better to be the absolute protagonist among a group of officials, with people following him everywhere. This was what life was all about.

Similarly, Li Hongzhang also strongly felt the feeling of being admired by thousands of people!

Although he knew that the person everyone was really trying to curry favor with was Prince Gong, as the second-in-command, he was second only to Prince Gong and above everyone else, which was cool enough!

In my heart, I was secretly grateful to the emperor for his recognition. If the emperor had not asked me to follow Prince Gong abroad, I would still be lying in the Hanlin Academy watching the roof beams!

Yi Gaige, Yi Fengshou, Yi Pingou and Yi Pingmei also felt refreshed. It was a great honor for them to travel abroad with Prince Gong!

Amidst the blast of drums, firecrackers and cannon fire, the ship slowly started and left the dock. Even after it had gone quite far, Prince Gong could still see the civil and military officials on the shore waving and greeting it.

The sun was shining brightly on the sea, the waves were sparkling, and the wind was calm. Flocks of seagulls flew across the sky from time to time. Prince Gong was in a very good mood and said to Li Hongzhang,

"Lord Li, the sea isn't as dangerous as people say. I think it's quite fun!"

Li Hongzhang bowed and said,

"Your Highness, this is just offshore, the wind and waves aren't too strong. I've heard from others that when the wind and waves are strong, even an ordinary ship can capsize!"

Prince Gong, however, did not take it seriously, thinking that even if the wind and waves were strong, how big could they be?

At noon, the cook brought out the meal.

"Your Highness, these fish, shrimps, crabs, etc. are all freshly caught from the sea. They are very fresh. Please enjoy them, Your Highness!"

The sea is still closed to the public, and there are plenty of fish and shrimp in the sea, making it extremely easy to catch them.

Looking at the table full of fresh seafood, Prince Gong's appetite was very excited.

"Master Li, let's put the food on the deck and have a drink while enjoying the beautiful scenery. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

"As you wish, Your Majesty!"

The two of them were drinking fine wine and tasting seafood on the deck, feeling extremely comfortable.

After dinner, Prince Gong felt a little drunk and had had enough of the beautiful scenery, so he went back to his room to rest.

When I lay down, I still felt a little dizzy. I thought to myself, I drank a lot of wine today, but I wasn’t drunk. Why was my head getting more and more dizzy? Maybe a good sleep would be enough.

After walking for a day, we found a place to anchor at night.

The wind and waves gradually grew stronger, the ship shook more and more violently, and the people could no longer lie in bed.

Prince Gong felt a little dizzy and his stomach was churning.

After shaking for more than an hour, Prince Gong's stomach was churning more and more violently. He could no longer bear it.

"No, I want to vomit!"

Yi Xin couldn't bear it any longer. He turned his head and opened his mouth, and the undigested chicken, duck, fish, meat, and delicacies from land and sea in his stomach spurted out like a fountain.

Li Hongzhang hurried over to serve, but when he smelled the vomit on the ground, his stomach churned and he vomited too.

They are all martial artists, and they don't feel sick when they sleep with their heads down every night. Of course, they don't get seasick.

Prince Gong and Li Hongzhang vomited for a while, with tears and snot flowing.

Most of the eunuchs that Prince Gong brought with him to his mansion were seasick and vomited all over the place, so they were unable to serve the prince. It was only Yi Gei who had to serve him.