We have fought to the Arctic Circle, and you want me to inherit the throne?

"Sixth brother, are you serious?!"

Li Neng opened his eyes wide and looked at Li Che and Li Lin, the surprise in his eyes almost overflowing.

"How could your Sixth Brother's promise to you be false?" Li Lin said with a beaming expression. "All I'm asking is, are you willing to come with us?"

Li Che stood aside holding Qubing's little hand, smiling without saying a word.

Before leaving, I have to come to Prince Fu's Mansion again. After all, I haven't visited relatives in Prince Fu's Mansion properly since arriving in Fuzhou.

Now that Li Neng is no longer watched by Gong Qingwen day and night, his complexion has improved a lot, and he is more affectionate towards Li Che and the others.

Li Che also suggested that he visit Feng State.

"There is no problem on my side, but with my father..." Li Neng looked embarrassed.

Obviously, Emperor Qing's character has become increasingly gloomy in recent years, and his requirements for the princes have become increasingly strict, making princes like Li Neng more in awe of him.

"You don't need to worry about the emperor." Li Che smiled and shook his head. "When I submitted the petition earlier, I mentioned your situation in recent years and begged the emperor to let you go out and relax."

"The Emperor agreed?!"

Hearing Li Che's words, Li Neng was shocked.

How could he not be shocked? He was not the only prince who had been "imprisoned" in the palace for the past three years.

Which of the previously favored King of Qin, King of Jin, and King of Chu was not allowed to leave their fiefdom without an imperial edict?

Those who have a good relationship with the Chief Secretary can go out of the city to hunt or something when they have nothing to do. If they are unlucky enough to meet a Chief Secretary like Gong Qingwen, they can't even leave the mansion.

Li Che is so proud of himself that he can even talk to his father about such things?

Li Che nodded and said, "Of course I agreed, otherwise I wouldn't have told you."

"This..." Li Neng was so moved that he almost dropped pearls. "Thank you, my Royal Brother, thank you, my Royal Brother!"

Li Che did not take credit for it, but explained with a smile: "You don't have to thank me, it was my father's intention."

"There is a major reshuffle in the Fuzhou officialdom now. Father must want to completely control Fuzhou and purge the local faction. Fuzhou is still your fiefdom in name only. It would be difficult for Su Chen to let go and do whatever he wants with a vassal king like you."

"I want you to stay in Fengguo for a while. Besides wanting you to relax, I also want to give Su Chen some peace of mind so that he can let go."

After hearing Li Che's explanation, Li Lin and Li Neng, two political novices, showed an expression of enlightenment.

Then Li Neng's face was moved, and he bowed towards the north repeatedly with tears in his eyes:

"Thank you, Father, for your grace. Thank you, Father, for your grace!"

Li Che and Li Lin looked at each other and saw helplessness in each other's eyes.

The emperor is the same. If you want to reduce the power of the princes, then do it. There is no need to be so harsh. This has forced the children into a state of being.

Fortunately, I came here, otherwise in a few years, I'm afraid the child would really go crazy.

After the air salute was completed, Li Neng became visibly excited: "Fourth brother, Sixth brother, when are we leaving?"

"No rush." ​​Li Che waved his hand. "Do you have anything to bring? Do you have any instructions for your subordinates? Have you thought about the people accompanying you?"

Li Neng shook his head vigorously, his face flushed. "No, no, I can do it on my own. When I get to Fengguo, will the emperor really need me for food and drink?"

Li Che was slightly startled, then smiled knowingly.

My tenth brother is a sensible man. He went to my territory without any soldiers, which is a way to show his loyalty to me.

If the relationship was not as strong as that between him and Li Lin, it would always make people uncomfortable if he brought soldiers with him when visiting other vassal states.

"That's not necessary. You need a few close friends around you to get things done, right?"

Li Che returned the favor and said:

"How about this... I think Xiahou Xian in your mansion is a good one. Let him bring two hundred personal guards to follow you and protect your safety. Then he can select some loyal servants and slaves from the mansion to take care of your daily life."

Li Neng was young after all, so when he heard what Li Che said, he did not back down and happily agreed.

"That's it." Li Che stood up first. "The Fengguo fleet will depart in three days. We will pick you up then."

"Understood, Royal Brother."

. . . . . .

Three days later.

It was just daybreak and the mist was like gauze.

Li Che packed his luggage and wanted to take advantage of the lingering morning mist to quietly leave Fuzhou.

However, the new governor Su Chen was more informed than he expected.

Just as Li Che and Li Lin, along with their families, were about to step out of the government office under the personal guards of Hu Qiang, Qiu Bai and others.

Su Chen was standing outside the door in a brand new official robe, followed by a team of capable yamen runners and palace soldiers. It was obvious that they had been waiting at the gate for a long time.

"Your Highness, the journey is long. Please allow me to escort you to the dock."

Li Che frowned slightly. He didn't want to mobilize a large army.

But seeing Su Chen's sincerity, he could no longer refuse and could only nod: "Su Qing is thoughtful, but there's no need to be too ostentatious."

Having said that, the new governor personally leading a large group of troops did cause quite a stir.

At first, only the shopkeepers who got up early to open their shops and the farmers who carried their loads to the morning market stopped to watch out of curiosity.

Someone murmured quietly, "Where is Your Highness going to understand the people's sentiments?"

The people have also become accustomed to Li Che's presence. After all, during his time in Fuzhou, Li Che often traveled incognito, going deep into the city to understand people's livelihood.

But soon, people with sharp eyes noticed something unusual.

When Li Che traveled, he was usually accompanied by no more than ten followers, and together with the accompanying officials and yamen runners, there were only about twenty to thirty people.

Today's accompanying team is full of bright armor, swords and spears, and a huge crowd. There are definitely more than a dozen people.

I'm afraid there are even thousands of people!

The old man who had asked Li Che for help slapped his thigh suddenly:

"No! Your Highness is not going on an inspection tour. Look at this scene, Your Highness... Your Highness is leaving Fuzhou!"

This cry immediately woke up the crowd, and they all cried out in surprise:

"Your Highness is leaving?"

"real or fake?"

"Oh no! Look at the direction the ceremonial procession is heading. It's definitely the pier!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the people immediately ran back and shouted to the people in the city.

"Hurry! Something happened!"

"Your Highness has gone to the dock. I'm afraid he's leaving Fuzhou!"

Fuzhou city was so quiet in the early morning that the shouts of a few people immediately woke up the people in the houses.

People ran around to tell each other and called their relatives, friends and neighbors.

The peaceful morning was completely broken, and the entire city of Fuzhou seemed to wake up from a deep sleep.

Countless doors opened and people began to flow towards the Minjiang Wharf from all directions.

At this time, Li Che, accompanied by Su Chen and others, had arrived at the dock.

Three clippers and six Fengguo sailing ships converted from Fujian ships were docked at the pier. The black Feng royal flag on the bow fluttered in the sea breeze.

As an important shipping hub in the southeast of Daqing, Feng State has invested heavily in this terminal, and even Chen Wenrui dared not embezzle this money.

Therefore, the Fuzhou Wharf is now the largest wharf in Daqing, except for several wharves in Fengguo.

Li Che and Su Chen briefly exchanged a few instructions about subsequent government affairs, and then prepared to step onto the gangplank of the Feng State merchant ship behind them.

Just then, a wave of noise swept in from afar.

Li Che and others turned around in shock, only to see a crowd rushing in at the entrance of the dock like a flood breaking through a dam.

In the blink of an eye, the originally empty dock was filled with a sea of ​​people!

There were men, women, young and old in the crowd. Some had not put on their clothes properly, some were still holding work in their hands, and some were still holding crying children.

The people pushed and shoved, and stood on tiptoe to look at the water surface, countless pairs of eyes eagerly searching for that familiar figure.

When someone recognized Li Che, the shouts instantly merged into one:

"Your Highness, please stay a few more days!"

"Your Highness, please don't leave. Fuzhou cannot do without you!"

"Your Highness, please take care of yourself!"

When the emotions reached their peak, many people fell to their knees on the stone slabs of the dock, their foreheads making a dull thud as they touched the ground.

Tears mixed with the dust on the ground, and she kept praying: "Your Highness, please take care of yourself. Your Highness, please take care of yourself!"

Li Che stood on the diving board, his steps feeling as if they were filled with lead.

Looking at the scene of thousands of people gathered in front of him, he felt a huge sour taste suddenly rushing up his throat, making it almost impossible for him to breathe.

Li Lin, who was standing by, was an emotional man. He was already in tears at this moment. Princess Yan's eyes were also red, and she had to use a handkerchief to wipe his tears.

Li Shen, on the other hand, looked guilty. After all, he was the King of Fu, and these people were nominally under his rule, but he could do nothing for them.

Although I can't blame him, it still makes me feel ashamed and depressed.

The one who led the fleet to pick up Li Che this time was Li Bao, the older twin brother from Poyang Lake.

Li Bao frowned slightly as he saw more and more people gathered. He came up to Li Che and whispered:

"Your Highness, there are too many people. Do you want to sail?"

Li Lin wiped his eyes and said, "Sixth Brother, if we leave like this, I'm afraid it will hurt the people's feelings. Let's wait a little longer."

Li Che said nothing and nodded slightly.

Looking at the increasing number of people gathering below the boat, he opened his mouth, wanting to say something soothing.

But I found that any words seemed pale and powerless at this moment.

In the end, he just raised his hands vigorously and waved them over and over again towards the crowd on the shore.

What responded to him was an even more surging crowd and requests to stay.

Instead of dispersing, the crowd grew larger and larger, almost squeezing the edge of the pier.

Su Chen's face was solemn as he directed the yamen runners and palace soldiers to do their best to maintain order and form a human wall to prevent anyone from being pushed into the water.

Seeing this scene, Li Che's heart was severely tightened.

He saw the familiar faces in the crowd, each of which showed a sincere reluctance to leave.

Li Che also knew that this could not go on, otherwise there would be a high possibility of unpredictable trampling and casualties.

"I can't wait any longer..." Li Che closed his eyes and took a deep breath, "Start the boat, start the boat immediately!"

"Here."

Li Bao bowed in response and turned to walk towards the bridge.

The order was given, the heavy anchor was hoisted, and the ropes were untied.

The ship let out a dull roar and slowly left the dock.

The crowd on the shore was completely overwhelmed, and burst into cries like a landslide and tsunami:

"Your Highness!"

"Take care, Your Highness!"

Many people ran along the river bank, ignoring the mud and gravel under their feet, following the moving fleet.

Li Che stood on the high stern deck, his body stretched straight and motionless.

His eyes were fixed on the people chasing on the shore, watching their running figures getting smaller and smaller, merging into a blurry silhouette, and finally disappearing at the end of his sight.

Among the crowd on the shore, the newly appointed chief clerk of the Fuzhou government office who was accompanying them to see them off was deeply moved when he saw this scene.

He took out the record book he carried with him and wrote down this moment solemnly.

Later, this record was included in the Qing History:

In the third year of Xuanwei, the king was forced to leave Fuzhou. When the people heard about it, they ran and cried, emptying the streets and houses, and crawling on the banks of the river.

[As the emperor's ship set sail, the people still rushed to the shore, their cries shaking the fields and the Min River.]