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

"The adults have taken care of everything."

"Alright, then hurry up and get twenty Bull Demon Kings back from Yuanliang. Let's get them refurbished as soon as possible, so as not to delay delivery next month."

"Yes."

That's right, the twenty Bull Demon King ships that Zhou Wu gave to the Ministry of War were not new ships, because Zhou Wu didn't actually have any new ships for them. However, although they were old ships being refurbished, it didn't have any impact.

As for the strategic materials, the other party will arrange to send them over as soon as possible. After all, they also want to complete this transaction as soon as possible, otherwise they will also have a lot of trouble. So Zhou Wu is now just waiting for the materials to arrive so that he can start developing the artillery.

. . . . .

In the capital, the topic of conversation lately has been almost entirely focused on the Fourth Prince.

With His Majesty's decree in hand, Li Zheng has been traveling between various military camps these past few days, selecting strong and capable men to expand his navy.

This was also the first time Li Zheng had held military power since returning from Gaoliguo, and the fire of desire in his heart was reignited.

Like Zhou Wu's navy, Li Zheng's navy was also organized with 3,000 men, and even their names were almost identical. Zhou Wu's navy was called the Great Dragon Empire Navy, while Li Zheng's navy was called the Great Dragon Empire Royal Navy. The addition of the royal son was unclear whether Li Tiancheng did it intentionally or unintentionally.

Li Zheng's military camp in the capital was filled with day and night drills. The elite troops drawn from various armies were truly inspiring to watch.

"Greetings, Commander."

A muscular lieutenant, seeing Li Zheng approaching, quickly ordered his soldiers to stop training and saluted Li Zheng.

"Good, good, good. You are all good sons of my Great Dragon. You must train hard so that once the warships arrive, we can set sail, wipe out the pirates, and protect the safety of the people of my Great Dragon."

"Sweep away the pirates and keep me safe!"

"Sweep away the pirates and keep me safe!"

"..."

A month later, twenty Bull Demon Kings suddenly appeared at the capital's docks. This was the second time such a large number of warships had appeared in the capital since Zhou Wu.

The appearance of numerous warships drew a large crowd to the dock, but Li Zheng did not stop them. He simply arranged for guards to maintain order at the scene.

He wanted to show the people his abilities and have them sing his praises.

Three thousand strong men boarded the warships directly, and in an instant, the atmosphere at the dock reached a climax.

However, not long after, these strong men disembarked. Today was not the day of the expedition; it was just to let these soldiers familiarize themselves with their warships.

"Fellow citizens, pirates have invaded our coastal borders and harassed the people of Great Dragon. In three days, I will lead these three thousand armored soldiers to set out and wipe out the pirates, restoring peace to the people of Great Dragon."

"Fourth Prince~~~"

"Fourth Prince~~~"

"Fourth Prince~~~"

The emotions of the people in this era were easily stirred up, especially since the other party was a prince. In an instant, the Fourth Prince became a hero in the hearts of the people of the capital. The people of the capital naturally knew that the pirates were harassing the coast. At this time, the Fourth Prince stepped forward, which attracted a lot of attention.

However, unlike the cheers of ordinary people, some military officers had some hidden worries.

First of all, it is undeniable that the four prince's three thousand armored soldiers were indeed the elite of the elite. However, these people were all skilled in land warfare, and no one knew what the situation was like in naval warfare. Moreover, after the warships returned, there was no training or adjustment between the crew and the ships before they were put into battle, which was a major taboo in the military.

. . . . . . .

Three days later, the fourth prince personally led three thousand armored soldiers onto a ship and set off from the capital's dock, heading directly towards the East China Sea.

While some soldiers experienced seasickness to varying degrees while the ships were sailing inland, the problem was minor and did not affect the overall situation.

However, on the fourth day, when the fleet entered the East China Sea, after traveling for less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, eight or nine out of ten of the soldiers on board were seasick. Even the fourth prince, Li Zheng, began to sweat profusely and dared not speak. Then, a surge of emotion rushed through his chest, and after vomiting violently, he also fainted. Seeing this, the deputy general had no choice but to order the fleet to dock.

Two days later, Li Zheng and his soldiers slowly recovered. However, Li Zheng, who had forgotten the pain of his previous injury, ordered them to go to sea again. Once again, he could not last even an incense stick's time before he fainted again, and more than half of his soldiers were also lost.

After this recovery, Li Zheng had no choice but to order a return to the capital. On the way back, Li Zheng did nothing but think of a reason.

. . . . .

In the capital, the Fourth Prince's fleet returned in just ten days. Everyone assumed that the Fourth Prince had swept away the pirates with overwhelming force and returned victorious.

The dock was crowded with people cheering for the Fourth Prince and for the Great Dragon Empire. Even officials who were unaware of the truth believed that the Fourth Prince had returned victorious. Some ambitious ministers had even gone to the palace to meet the Emperor and report the good news.

When the fleet docked, the area below was already filled with people welcoming the victorious return.

The fourth prince disembarked from the ship with a bewildered expression. From the cheers of the people, he could tell that they thought he had returned victorious. Just as he was wondering what to do, the emperor arrived.

"His Majesty has arrived!"

Upon the emperor's arrival, everyone present immediately knelt down in obeisance.

"Everyone, please rise above the formalities. My son has returned victorious today, a cause for celebration throughout the land."

Li Zheng doesn't dare to tell the truth now and can only let things take their course.

That evening, Li Tiancheng even held a victory celebration banquet in the palace. At the banquet, everyone toasted the fourth prince, Li Zheng. After a few drinks, Li Zheng started to boast.

"Fourth Prince, could you tell us about the pirate battle?"

"That's right, that's right. I've heard that pirates commit all sorts of atrocities, including burning, killing, and looting, and their skills on the water are also superb. The Fourth Prince is personally leading the suppression of the pirates. It must be exciting. Can you tell us about it?"

"Hey, it's war, what's there to talk about?"

Li Zheng tried his best to maintain his last shred of consciousness, but Li Tiancheng's words left him with no way to avoid them.

"Zheng'er, I also want to hear my son's prowess."

Since Li Tiancheng had said so, Li Zheng, seeing that he couldn't escape, simply started to boast.

"Yes, Father, then let me tell you. These pirates are indeed as powerful as the legends say, each one with superb skills. It's a pity they encountered me and our Great Dragon's most elite soldiers. That day, we fought the pirates from day to night, and finally managed to wipe them all out."

After Li Zheng finished speaking, he was smug, but those who were observant could easily spot the flaws in the story.

"Your Highness, have you brought back any prisoners? We'd like to see if these pirates really have three heads and six arms."

Upon hearing this, Li Zheng broke out in a cold sweat. He glared fiercely at the man, then looked at his father, who also wore an expectant expression.

"Your Majesty, those pirates committed numerous atrocities, murdering countless people of our Great Dragon. In a fit of rage, our soldiers annihilated them all, leaving no survivors."

"Oh, right, there's no use keeping people like that around."