Deposed Crown Prince: After three years of service on the frontier, the entire court knelt and begge

Xing Wudao discerned from Xiao Ce's eyes: "General Qi Lin is General Han Da's student. And Grand Marshal Han Da is the Commander-in-Chief of the three armies, so strictly speaking, we are all his soldiers..."

As Xing Wudao spoke, he looked at Xiao Ce, whose expression at this moment was genuine.

Therefore, Xing Wudao realized that Xiao Ce seemed not to understand the situation.

"Xiao Shen, are you not quite aware of the current situation here...?"

Xiao Ce nodded: "That's right, I've been away from here for far too long..."

Xing Wudao looked at Xiao Ce with admiration after hearing what he said...

He then said, "Thank you, Xiao Shen."

Looking at Xing Wudao's starry-eyed expression, Xiao Ce was even more bewildered.

"Thank me?"

Xing Wudao then said to Xiao Ce, "Xiao Shen, when the entire Xiao Kingdom was in darkness, turmoil, and like a living hell, you stepped forward. But after bringing order to the world, you simply turned your back and left."

"You felt that the Slavic countries, India, and Japan posed a threat to our nation, so you took the opportunity to eliminate them, bringing unprecedented unity to our Xiao Kingdom and even the entire East Asia... And after all this, you left again. You are the true saint, the divine being... It is said that you swept away those Western bandits for us in the West, buying us time for peace and development, is that right?"

When Xiao Ce looked at Xing Wudao speaking at this moment, his eyes were full of admiration and worship.

Looking at him, it was clear that he truly admired him.

Xiao Ce nodded to Xing Wudao: "That's right, you could say that... but it's not as bizarre as you're making it out to be..."

Xing Wudao, however, wore an expression of disapproval: "God Xiao, you don't need to be modest. We all know, all of us common people know, that you are doing this for our own good. You ask for nothing in return..."

Xiao Ce looked at Xing Wudao's worshipful manner, which really seemed like that of a believer.

It was a bit too much for Xiao Ce to accept for a moment.

"Alright, let's not talk about this for now... We can't go ashore now. Does that mean Xiao Kingdom has some kind of maritime ban or curfew? Or has something happened in Xiao Kingdom recently, and there are still patrols in this remote corner?"

Seeing Xiao Ce ask this question, Xing Wudao didn't hesitate and said with a serious face, "Reporting to God Xiao, there is no sea ban or curfew. Generally speaking, after entering the East Asian waters, there are regular shipping lanes. Every ship in each shipping lane needs to be registered. The sea areas outside the shipping lanes are where our navy conducts daily training and patrols."

"So, you'll have no problem traveling along the normal shipping lane..."

Xing Wudao said to Xiao Ce, "So, Xiao Shen, you've come here this time to carry out a mission, right?"

This Xing Wudao really does have a knack for making things up.

Seeing Xing Wudao's imagined scenario saved Xiao Ce a lot of trouble...

"Good, it's good that you understand. After tomorrow, could you take me ashore? I need to keep it a secret; you know my identity, and my appearance would cause a lot of unnecessary trouble..."

Xing Wudao nodded: "Xiao Shen, that's naturally no problem. However, I need to go with my superior, Qi Lin, to discuss this matter..."

Seeing the look of doubt on Xiao Ce's face, Xing Wudao said to him, "Master Xiao, General Qi Lin is the most trusted person of Grand Marshal Han Da. You should be able to trust this person, right... or perhaps..."

After hearing Xing Wudao's words, Xiao Ce nodded and then said, "Han Da, can you contact him?"

Xing Wu shook his head, then said to Xiao Ce, "Master Xiao, it's possible. However, we have strict military orders that prohibit reporting directly to higher levels. Only accusations of corruption or violations can be reported directly to higher levels... other normal military affairs must be reported level by level..."

Xiao Ce nodded, and at this moment Nie Bing said to Xiao Ce, "Your Highness, this Qi Lin is trustworthy."

Upon hearing Nie Bing's words, Xiao Ce looked at her with some surprise and then asked, "Oh? You know her?"

Nie Bing nodded: "That's right, Your Highness. I didn't interrupt when you were talking to this major general. This Qi Lin was a commander in the Northern Desert Prince's Mansion before. I wouldn't say I knew him... I'd just seen him once. I heard Han Da mention him briefly back then. When he was in the Northern Desert Prince's Mansion, he started intentionally training a group of officers..."

"These people seem trustworthy..."

After hearing Nie Bing say this, Xiao Ce nodded.

"Xing Wudao, then I'll trouble you. Please take us to see General Qi Lin tomorrow. However, before that, I need you to keep it a secret..."

After hearing Xiao Ce's words, Xing Wudao nodded firmly and said, "Master Xiao, I understand..."

Without further ado, Xiao Ce stopped arguing, since he hadn't felt anything amiss while on the submarine.

A feeling of fatigue is creeping in...

Xiao Ce then said to Xing Wudao, "Alright, Major General Xing, let's get ready to rest..."

Upon hearing Xiao Ce's words, Xing Wudao nodded and bowed, saying, "God Xiao, you are absolutely safe here. I will also keep your identity completely confidential."

Xiao Ce smiled and nodded at Xing Wudao, without saying anything. "It's just that the accommodations here are simple."

Xiao Ce waved his hand at Xing Wudao, indicating that it was fine and he could make do for one night.

After Xing Wudao left, Yin Pan'er said to Xiao Ce, "Your Highness, why didn't you ask any further questions?"

After hearing Yin Pan'er's words, Xiao Ce smiled and then said, "Pan'er, how did you figure it out? I was just about to ask him that."

Yin Pan'er smiled at Xiao Ce, then nodded and said, "Your Highness, we do have some tacit understanding between us, don't we?"

After hearing Yin Pan'er's words, Xiao Ce nodded and said, "Indeed, it's still better to have tacit understanding among our own people... That's right, I didn't want to disturb too many people just now. This Xing Wudao seems like an honest man... However, he mentioned Qi Lin later, and you also said that Qi Lin should be a trustworthy person..."

"Since we're just gathering information anyway, Xing Wudao definitely doesn't know as much as Qi Lin. So, why don't we ask him when we see Qi Lin tomorrow..."

Yin Pan'er nodded upon hearing Xiao Ce's words, then looked at him with a smile.

Xiao Ce saw Yin Pan'er's smile and then asked, "Pan'er, what's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that..."

Yin Pan'er said to Xiao Ce, "Your Highness, although you didn't say anything while on the submarine... I could feel the pressure you were under. However, you seem much more relaxed now... not as tense as before..."

Xiao Ce smiled and said to Yin Pan'er, "We're home now. Besides, judging from the situation on Xingwu Road and the strict military discipline, you can see the whole picture from a single glimpse..."

"This means that regardless of other circumstances, at least the core situation here hasn't changed. I have no problem with Han Da, Yan Jia, and the others I trained. I trust them..."

After hearing Xiao Ce's words, Yin Pan'er looked at him with a half-smile.

"Your Highness, so it seems you don't quite trust my father..."

Xiao Ce waved his hand: "Not really. It's just that those generals were all rather rigid, while your father was good at assessing the situation. It's not that he betrayed us... even when faced with threats, he would use tact and diplomacy, just like I said, patience is the best policy..."

Hearing Xiao Ce's explanation, Yin Pan'er laughed and said, "Your Highness, you don't need to explain... I was just joking with you."

Xiao Ce smiled and nodded, then smiled and nodded back at Yin Pan'er.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, they found a place to rest.

Although the location wasn't ideal, Xiao Ce slept exceptionally soundly.

The next morning, Xing Wudao brought over some breakfast.

"Master Xiao, the environment here is really limited... so we can only make these simple porridges and side dishes. However, these dried fish, although they don't look very appealing, taste quite good..."

Xing Wudao greeted Xiao Ce while introducing him to him.

After hearing Xing Wudao's words, Xiao Ce smiled awkwardly and then said, "It's alright, that's fine."

Seeing this, Yin Pan'er also spoke up, "That's right, when we're away from home, all we miss is this simple meal of congee and side dishes."

After exchanging pleasantries, Xiao Ce joined Nie Bing and the others for a meal.

The humanoid doesn't need to eat; it just watches from the side.

Xiao Ce invited Xing Wudao to come and eat with him, and Xing Wudao immediately put on a look of fear and trepidation.

Seeing his expression, Xiao Ce did not insist.

After all, the Xiao Kingdom still values ​​these things.

"Master Xiao, I'm sorry you had to go through this." After finishing his meal, Xing Wudao bowed again, his face filled with apology and barely concealed excitement.

"The ships are ready and can depart at any time for 'Panshi Port' in Linhai County. It is a first-class military port personally supervised and managed by General Qi Lin, and it is also the most important stronghold in our defense zone."

Seeing Xing Wudao's expression, Xiao Ce smiled and waved his hand to indicate that it was nothing: "This is fine..."

Then, Xiao Ce changed the subject and said to Xing Wudao, "By the way, Major General Xing, remember our identities: merchants from the Golden Merchant Guild who encountered a shipwreck and were rescued by your army. When we arrive at Panshi Port, follow all the rules and do not reveal my identity until I meet with General Qi Lin alone!"

"This humble general will remember it! I would never dare to make the slightest mistake!" Xing Wudao replied solemnly.

Led by Xing Wudao, they continued boarding their small boat...

The small boat left the shore again and, escorted by the gunboat carrying Xing Wudao, sailed eastward along the coastline.

The sea shimmered, and in the distance, where the sky met the sea, the rising sun leaped out, painting half the sky a magnificent golden-red.

About an hour later, the outline of a huge port gradually became clear on the horizon.

As they drew closer, the majestic scenery of Panshi Port was fully revealed to Xiao Ce and his companions.

Even Xiao Ce, a well-traveled "time traveler," couldn't help but feel a sense of surprise and slight relief.

This was not the modern port he remembered from his previous life...

Rather, it was the awe-inspiring fruits that bore fruit from the industrial seeds he sowed within this historical context...

The port is still pretty much as he envisioned for them before he left...

The port is located not far from Linhai County, built along a natural deep-water bay. The massive main pier, seemingly carved and polished from a single block of rock, extends into the deep sea...

On both sides of the pier are several equally sturdy auxiliary piers, like the arms of a giant extending into the sea.

The most striking feature is the cranes on the dock, not the rudimentary human-powered winches or wooden booms, but steam-powered cranes with robust steel frames and a distinctly early industrial style...

The enormous chimney stood tall, not emitting any smoke at the moment, clearly in standby mode, but its massive metal body and thick iron arms silently spoke of its immense power.

With massive iron hooks and steel cables hanging from the ends of the booms, one can imagine how easily they can lift heavy cargo and even small ships when they roar to life.

These cranes stand tall at the dock, like a steel forest, a symbol of power and technology.

The port was filled with ships of all sizes. In addition to the numerous gunboats and patrol boats painted with the blue and white stripes of the Xiao Kingdom's navy, the most eye-catching were the several massive ironclad warships deep in the berths!

They had streamlined bows, hulls covered with thick riveted steel plates, and robust main gun barrels protruding from their turrets.

Although its tonnage and firepower may not be comparable to the actual battleships in his memory, it is already a "juggernaut" that far surpasses the level of its time!

These are all concrete manifestations of the Xiao Kingdom's naval power, representing one of the most dazzling fruits of the industrialization and military innovations promoted by Xiao Ce...

Along the shore, huge brick and stone warehouses stretch out in a row, their roofs made of sturdy, arched iron frames covered with dark tiles or specially made tarpaulin.

Between the warehouses were wide roads paved with a mixture of gravel and lime, wide enough to accommodate multiple horse-drawn carriages or early automobiles side by side.

Along both sides of the road, you can even see railway tracks laid out to connect warehouses with the depths of the port, clearly for the efficient transfer of bulk goods.

A group of workers in uniform, yet moving swiftly and methodically, were busy on the dock, carrying out routine maintenance or inventory checks. Naval soldiers, dressed in new uniforms and carrying improved, lighter, and more reliable bolt-action rifles, patrolled in groups of five, their eyes sharp and focused, at various key positions...

The entire port of Panshi was orderly and magnificent, brimming with the vibrant and upward-moving energy unique to the industrial age...

It is not just a military outpost, but more like a meticulously planned and highly efficient industrial and military complex!

This is one of the blueprints drawn up by Xiao Ce, and they are also putting his blueprints into reality....