If you traveled back to ancient times, while others ate Guanyin clay, you would actually have giant

The message brought by Madam Lin was very important, but since he did not obtain the specific details of the other party's plan, Zhou Wu could only instruct Madam Lin to be vigilant and intensify her training.

It was precisely Lin Niangzi's words that reminded Zhou Wu that he should find a way to give Lin Niangzi's guards official status. Otherwise, if they were impeached by someone with ill intentions, forming a private army would mean certain death.

So Zhou Wu sought out his old friend, the prefect of Jinshan Prefecture, An.

. . . . . .

"Old Chen"

"Oh, isn't this Zhou Xima? This humble official greets you."

The two old friends, who hadn't seen each other for a long time, still joked with each other when they met.

"Weren't you in the capital? When did you get back?"

"It's been more than half a month. I was relieved of my post in the tax office and originally wanted to find an opportunity to transfer back to Qingyang County, but His Majesty seems to disagree and gave me a leave to visit my family, so I'm back here."

"You're doing quite well now, kid. You're a favorite of His Majesty, and I've heard that the Crown Prince treats you with great respect."

"There's nothing we can do about it; gold shines wherever it is."

"Haha, as expected, it's you again, always praising yourself."

"Tch, I'm just stating the facts."

"Hmph, come on, I know you too well. You don't come here unless you need something. What do you want from me?"

"Hehe, I want to expand my navy, is there any way to do that?"

Zhou Wu showed no weakness in front of An.

How to form an online army?

"Navy, Navy."

"Alright, alright, the navy will do."

"I've gathered intelligence from my hometown that the White Skull Pirates, who had a grudge against Niujia Town before, are now incredibly powerful and can influence the entire sea area around Dalong. I heard they're brewing a big plan, which I suspect is related to Niujia Town."

Are you afraid of their retaliation?

An initially thought Zhou Wu was dissatisfied with the current Qingyang Army structure, but he never expected there to be such an inside story.

"Not entirely. Niujia Town isn't so easy to bully. But it's not the theft itself that's worrisome, it's the thief who's eyeing it. I secretly formed a maritime escort team to be responsible for the safety of my maritime trade fleet, but without official status, it remains a potential threat."

"What?! How dare you form an army without authorization?"

"What army? What guard? It's a force formed by ordinary people to protect their legitimate property."

"Stop joking with me. Do you know that if this gets out, losing your head is the least of your worries. You might even face the extermination of your entire family."

"That's why I came to you. Find a way to get a legitimate position."

"Do you think I'm a god? You think I can just change the military structure whenever I want?"

An glared fiercely at Zhou Wu, wanting to sever all ties with him to avoid being implicated.

"Can you think of a solution?"

"Hmph, there is a way, but I can't guarantee it will work."

"It's okay, it's okay, as long as there's a way, we'll see if it works or not."

It really takes a seasoned veteran of officialdom; they're full of clever ideas.

"Isn't there a salt field in your Niujia Town? I remember that place is by the sea, right? Use that as an excuse to submit a memorial to the imperial court, and bring up the matter of the pirates."

"Wait, how do you know the saltworks are in my Niujia Town?"

Although the imperial court has broken the monopoly of aristocratic families on salt through the salt fields, the Niujia Town salt fields are still kept secret. Zhou Wu is not afraid because **An knows this secret, but simply curious. Sure enough, **An's backing is very powerful.

"Haha, don't forget, I'm from Qingyang."

"I'll go back and write a memorial to the throne right away."

An was unwilling to talk, and Zhou Wu naturally did not force him. In Zhou Wu's view, although An's power was strong and mysterious, he believed that the other party would not harm him.

Back in Niujia Town, Zhou Wu organized his thoughts and began to write.

The gist of it is what An said: the salt fields are important to Da Long, but now powerful pirates have appeared in the nearby waters. In order to ensure the safety of the salt fields, he hopes to establish a navy to protect and consolidate the nearby waters.

Zhou Wu originally intended to present it directly to Li Tiancheng, but after thinking about it, he decided to have it delivered to Li Junren instead. After all, he had previously served as the Crown Prince's tutor, and he hoped that the Crown Prince could put in a good word for him.

. . . . . .

"Your Highness, another memorial from Lord Zhou."

Li Junren was still wondering which Lord Zhou it was when he took the memorial and saw the signature; it turned out to be Zhou Wu.

"Zhou Wu should be on leave to visit his family right now."

After reading the memorial, Li Junren had some ideas in mind, so he got up and went to the palace.

Royal Palace

"Your Majesty, the Crown Prince requests an audience."

The eunuch stood at the door and reported.

"Oh, the court has just adjourned, why are you here again? Summon them."

Li Tiancheng, who was reviewing memorials at the imperial desk, wondered why the crown prince had returned.

"My son, please see your father."

Why did the Crown Prince return after leaving?

"Your Majesty, I have just received a memorial from Zhou Wu, and I am here to present it to you."

“Oh, Zhou Wu, indeed, the court has become much quieter since he took leave.”

It's hard to tell if this is a compliment or an insult, but judging from the expression, it's probably more of a joke, since Zhou Wu still holds some weight in Li Tiancheng's heart.

The eunuch took the memorial from the crown prince and then passed it to the emperor on the dragon desk.

The memorial was short, and Li Tiancheng quickly finished reading it. However, he did not rush to draw a conclusion but instead asked the Crown Prince a question.

"Your Highness, what are your thoughts?"

Sure enough, whenever his father was unsure of what to do, he would ask him under the pretext of testing him.

"Your subject believes that the salt fields are indeed very important to our Great Dragon. Although they are highly replicable, and the pirates destroyed the salt fields in Niujia Town, we can rebuild them elsewhere. However, simply running away is not the best policy. Moreover, our Great Dragon is a Celestial Empire. If we are chased around by mere pirates, wouldn't we become a laughing stock?"

The Crown Prince's words made a lot of sense, but Li Tiancheng's expression did not seem to ease. Seeing this, the Crown Prince quickly added something.

"Your subject believes that with the rapid growth of maritime traders and the heavy taxes we have begun to impose on merchants, it is time to build a navy for our Great Dragon to consolidate our Great Dragon's maritime territory."

Upon hearing this, Li Tiancheng's tightly furrowed brows relaxed somewhat.

“The Crown Prince is right. Our Great Dragon has a vast territory, including not only land but also the ocean. We will never allow anyone to encroach on the territory of the Great Dragon.”

"Father is so kind."

"Guards, draft the decree."

"promise."

"Zhou Wu, the commander of the Qingyang Army, shall concurrently serve as the commander of the Great Dragon Empire Navy. He shall then establish the Great Dragon Empire Navy with a full complement of three thousand men. The procurement of weapons, armor, and ships shall be approved by the Ministry of War."