Seven Seas Beacon Fire

"For peace of mind?"

For some reason, Li Che felt that when he said those four words, it was entirely out of instinct, without even thinking.

You're so sharp-tongued. I gave you this mouth to think before you speak, not to be an inappropriate troll.

However, Li Zongdi's reaction was very calm: "It is indeed for peace of mind. Even your grandfather wanted to personally lead the expedition. For official reasons, it was for the reasons mentioned above. For personal reasons, it was to put my mind at ease. Only in this way can I issue orders without any guilt when I need those young men to carry explosives to blow up the bunkers."

The grandfather and grandson remained silent for a while. Today, they had set aside their identities as grandfather and grandson, as well as as emperor and crown prince, and had a rather heartfelt conversation.

However, Li Zongdi is a very strong person, and it was already unprecedented for him to show his true feelings like this today. So after a brief silence, the old man started talking: "Do you remember how you got here?"

"I don't remember very clearly, but I think the last time I slept was on the ship..."

"Looks like he's still not sober."

Sobering up? What does that have to do with drinking?

However, at this moment, the CPU in his brain finally started to work, and Li Che vaguely recalled that he had woken up after the ship docked, but after disembarking, he saw General Liu Duncheng's wife among the crowd welcoming the fleet's triumphant return at the dock.

It wasn't just General Liu Duncheng's wife; many of the fleet's officers and soldiers' families lived outside the naval port. So when the fleet returned, these families would often go to the dock to greet them. For the families, they were eager to see their loved ones as soon as possible.

While the entire nation and even the world were concerned about the outcome of the naval battle, these people were most concerned about the comfort of their loved ones.

As for what happened next... Li Che only remembered that when Madam Liu came to them with great grief, she held a jar of wine and said with tears in her eyes that it was a celebratory wine for them. At that moment, Li Che recalled General Liu Duncheng on the bridge.

After the triumphant return, we drank a celebratory toast together...

The feeling of wanting to buy osmanthus flowers and share wine was so profound for the first time.

Although it was supposed to be just a ceremonial drink, Li Che can now recall that he seemed to have drunk a lot at the time. It was probably a kind of indulgence and an escape, because Li Che was reminded of the torpedo boat force in the Dongxing Luowan naval battle.

However, due to secrecy reasons, no family members came to the dock to greet him at the time. At that moment, Li Che was somewhat glad that the operation plan he proposed was implemented in such a remote naval port. Otherwise, he probably wouldn't have dared to face the families of the naval officers and soldiers at the dock. Although those families might not blame him, he couldn't bear so many tears.

Now, Li Che understands even more why his grandfather cared so much about him being able to let those soldiers blow up the bunker with a clear conscience.

That's why they say a kind heart cannot command an army.

It seems I probably don't have the potential to become an excellent commander.

"Your performance in your first real battlefield experience was already quite..." Before Li Zongdi could finish speaking, a knocking sound suddenly came from outside the room. The loud banging made it easy to imagine someone outside frantically pounding on the door.

The grandfather and grandson exchanged a glance, both seeing the confusion in each other's eyes. Li Che was resting in this room, and Li Zongdi had arrived at some unknown time, but he was clearly also in the room looking through documents, waiting for his grandson to wake up.

Even if Li Zongdi seemed to have come quietly without making a big fuss or attracting too much attention, there must have been guards outside responsible for security, right? At least on the surface, it was the Crown Prince who was resting inside, right?

Who dares to bang on the door like that?

"Li Che! Open the door for me!"

A girl's sweet voice came from outside the door. Li Che was stunned when he heard it. He was all too familiar with that voice. Shouldn't Zhu Miaoyun be staying obediently in Yingtian Prefecture? How did she end up here?

What princess of a fallen kingdom would be so blatant? Even Puyi knew to keep a low profile!

Although he was thinking this in his mind, Li Che still quickly ran over to open the door. He knew this woman's personality. Now that his grandfather was in the house, he dared not let this woman knock on the door like that. Who knew what strange things Zhu Miaoyun would say next.

He wasn't ready to explain his relationship with Zhu Miaoyun to his grandfather... What the hell was there to explain? His grandfather wasn't an idiot. If a girl was knocking on the door and calling his name like that, either he owed her money and wasn't paying it back, or the two of them were definitely having an affair.

Anyway, open the door first... Just as the lock was turned, Zhu Miaoyun pushed the door open from the outside. Then, without even giving Li Che a chance to explain, our princess grabbed Li Che's clothes hard: "You liar! Who told me before we left that I wouldn't go to the front lines? I've always heard that men's words are all lies. I thought you wouldn't lie to me, but you just treated your promises to me like a fart?"

"I..........."

"What do you mean, 'what do you mean, 'what do you mean, 'what do you mean, 'what do you mean,'" Zhu Miaoyun pushed Li Che back step by step. The girl's imposing manner completely overwhelmed Li Che, giving him no chance to explain: "That's going to the battlefield! Battleships have cannons as thick as buckets, and the commander has already sacrificed himself. If anything happens to you, do you expect me to be left alone..."

As Zhu Miaoyun spoke, she finally noticed that Li Che was looking in one direction with a look of utter despair. So, our princess also turned her head and looked in that direction. What came into view was Li Zongdi, who was holding the frightened orange cat in his hand and looking at them with a playful expression.

Zhu Miaoyun naturally recognized this "living Cao Cao".

So our princess mechanically turned her head back, staring intently at Li Che: "Why didn't you say your grandfather was also there...?"

Did you give me a chance to speak?

"........."

Chapter 167 Yunzi, you can't handle this!

Li Che knew that there had been some rumors about him and Zhu Miaoyun before, so he was not ready to explain the delicate relationship between him and Zhu Miaoyun to his grandfather. Therefore, he was also prepared to delay on this important matter of his life.

After all, in another world, there was a beautiful woman who once taught everyone that although escaping is shameful, it is useful.

Without sufficient time to lay the groundwork, how could he explain to his grandfather that he and Zhu Miaoyun had been childhood sweethearts for over 20 years? Their relationship was beyond mere acquaintance; it was one where they were intertwined, each inhabiting the other's life.

Therefore, in his original plan, he should wait a while before finding an opportunity to confess this matter to his grandfather. Anyway, his second and third uncles had no sons, and as the only heir of the Prince of Jin's mansion, he was tough—I am going to marry Zhu Miaoyun in this life, let's see who dares to stop me!

However, all of this does not mean that he is ready to confront his grandfather at this moment.

Despite the rumors that had circulated about the two of them before, the rumors circulating outside were definitely not the same as what his grandfather had witnessed firsthand.

The problem could be very small or very big, and Li Che was well aware of this.

But for some reason, at this moment, he felt an irresistible urge to wait and see what happened.

Yunzi, I told you before that the world after you transmigrate is very complicated and you can't control it.

See? Now we've run right into the boss!

Hey! Stop spacing out!

You need to say something now!

Li Che sensed that the girl beside him might be a little out of it. After all, she had just displayed a fierce and domineering demeanor, but unexpectedly, her beloved's grandfather was right there, and now her true colors were revealed!

But you can't be stupid right now. You have to open your mouth and call for help. After all, the identities of the three of us in this room are a bit complicated if word gets out. You are a princess from the previous dynasty, and my grandfather was the Prince of Jin from the previous dynasty. In a sense, we are subjects of your Zhu family.

Now my grandfather is the supreme ruler, while your Zhu family has fallen on hard times. Although I don't think my grandfather is the kind of person who is petty, these things are hard to say! If you don't speak up now, there's no guarantee that my grandfather won't think that you have a grudge against him.

Alright! Open your mouth! Shout out those two words! Even though the Ming Dynasty is gone, it's not shameful to back down! Yes, yes, those two words—Your Majesty…

"Hello, Grandpa!" Zhu Miaoyun said, bowing deeply. Li Che was a little dumbfounded by this address.

You call him Grandpa too? No, sister, you're not even married into the family yet, you haven't even received the "change of address fee" (a traditional Chinese custom of addressing someone by their parents), and you're already addressing them like this?

Li Zongdi was clearly taken aback by the title, but the old man's expression immediately showed that he was very pleased. He smiled and stroked his beard, saying, "Princess, there's no need for such formality. Please rise."

Upon hearing Li Zongdi's words, Zhu Miaoyun waved her hands repeatedly, saying, "I'm not a princess anymore..."

“Our ancestor Li Dingguo once became sworn brothers with Emperor Longwu. Although it is now a new dynasty, your status as a princess is still preserved, and all your treatment will be in accordance with the old system.” Li Zongdi looked at the young couple in front of him: “It seems that this rascal of our family has deceived the princess and caused her to travel all the way to Fuzhou to question him. I hope the princess will not blame him.”

Zhu Miaoyun shrank back, waving her hands as she said, "No, no... ah... I mean I won't blame him. I'm just angry. He promised me he wouldn't go to the front lines, and I'm afraid something might really happen to him, so..."

"So, out of concern for a close friend, I rushed over overnight." Li Che uttered a lie he himself didn't believe, but at this moment he had to be stubborn and refuse to admit it. If asked, he'd just say they were friends; if asked further, it would mean he had feelings for her...

But the more I talked about it, the less I believed it myself. Have you ever seen an ordinary friend travel so far overnight just to see you as soon as possible? Transportation these days is not like in another world. Zhu Miaoyun's current status does not qualify her to call a special train, and she cannot squeeze onto a regular train, otherwise the security personnel responsible for her safety would not allow her to travel.

"You just called me grandpa, so I'll take that as my granddaughter. Can you tell me how you got here?"

"The airship I'm on."

Unexpectedly, the mode of transportation she ultimately chose was an airship, one of the few airships in the country that still maintained commercial operation after the outbreak of war. However, in those days, it took a lot of courage to operate an airship. The aviation safety of that era was worlds apart from that of later generations. Later, after the Boeing 737 Max had two flight accidents, almost all Boeing 737 Max aircraft worldwide were grounded.

However, in this day and age, it's perfectly normal for one or two planes to crash. In fact, it would be abnormal if no plane had ever crashed. Airships are similar to airplanes in this era. Although airships are more stable during flight, they can be quite wild when landing.

Especially when encountering severe weather, a blimp hundreds of meters long can demonstrate to you how it stands upright.

Li Zongdi nodded slightly. The girl's behavior clearly showed that there was definitely an ambiguous relationship between his eldest grandson and this former princess.

But what puzzled him was how his grandson and this princess had developed such a rapid relationship in such a short time. Although it had only been a few months since the day his men reported that Zhu Miaoyun had stopped a car in the street.

Could it be that it was love at first sight from that time on?

“Grandpa.” Li Che stepped forward and discreetly stood behind him, “I have some important matters I’d like to discuss with you.”

Do you have something important to discuss with me?

You're trying to help Zhu Miaoyun out of this predicament, right?

Of course, Li Che dared not let Zhu Miaoyun and Li Zongdi say more than a few words. As the saying goes, too much talk leads to the loss of secrets. Zhu Miaoyun was not a pampered princess at heart, but Li Zongdi had seen the pampered animals in the palace.

If we talk too much, it won't be good if we get caught.

However, the old man was willing to give his grandson a way out. After all, on the one hand, the traditional Eastern custom of grandparents showing affection to their grandchildren is indeed a double standard, and on the other hand, Li Zongdi also realized that his presence here was obviously unexpected.

Based on his own experience, Li Zongdi believed that if he hadn't been there, Zhu Miaoyun would have come in and grabbed Li Che by the collar, and the two of them would have had a fight first. Then, it would have naturally led to the part that he, as the grandfather, would love to see. If he was lucky... maybe he would be able to hold his grandson next year?

Now that Li Che has suggested we talk about serious matters, let's grant his wish. At a time like this, it's necessary for others to leave. It's surprising that this kid is quite considerate towards Zhu Miaoyun.

---------------------------------------------

After Zhu Miaoyun fled the house with an expression of relief, as if she had been caught as a thief, Li Zongdi smiled and looked at his grandson:

"The serious business you mentioned isn't related to this princess, is it? You should understand how much trouble it would bring if you wanted to marry her, given your status... But everything is a double-edged sword. If you marry this princess in the future, it will also help appease some of the old guard in the country."

Yes, compared to what many people thought Li Zongdi would care about the trouble brought about by Zhu Miaoyun's identity, the old man was quite "open-minded" as soon as he opened his mouth, because Li Zongdi knew very well that the fundamental reason whether or not someone would miss the Ming Dynasty did not lie in whether his grandson was with a princess of the previous dynasty.

There is only one fundamental reason for this: how well they perform under the banner of the Tang Dynasty. If the Tang Dynasty performs well in the future, then people will naturally not miss the Ming Dynasty. However, if they make the country a mess, then no matter who Li Che marries in the future, people will miss the Ming Dynasty that lasted for nearly 600 years.

Now, thinking about the essence of this issue, it is actually a contest between two dynasties.

"Grandpa, you've misunderstood me. I really do have something important to discuss with you, and it's related to the navy."

As Li Che spoke, he walked to the opposite side of the sofa. With his 5.0 vision, he could obviously tell that the document his grandfather had been looking at was handed over by the Navy. At this moment, the content of the document handed over by the Navy must be related to the recently concluded Battle of the Bashi Channel.

"Is it related to the navy? Why bring it up at this time? Is it some sudden whim?"

"Of course not."

Although I had never thought of this before, what are transmigrators best at? That is cheating (scratch that)...that is, spouting off based on their rich experience in another world!

"Grandpa, how much money will it cost us now that the warships our navy is currently building—I mean, those main battleships—have resumed construction?"

"You've grown up, you know how to care about the family's money now..." Li Zongdi nodded approvingly, then immediately followed up with a question that almost choked Li Che. The old man's meaning was simple: why didn't you ask your father about the money before? It was something he was personally responsible for.

"Grandpa, after we fought this battle with the Americans, it will be just around the corner for us to take back Luzon and Yanping. However, the Americans will definitely reflect on the problems they encountered in this naval battle, and they will naturally try to correct the deficiencies in their fleet structure."

While the United States has always had some outlandish designs in the history of naval development—for example, the so-called air-blast guns in the late 19th century, the double-layered turrets that resembled cakes, and various other ingenious ideas—the Americans have at least made sound choices in the general direction when faced with fundamental problems.

That's shipbuilding!

For Americans, is there any problem the Navy faces that can't be solved by building more ships? If there is, then just build another batch of ships.

Americans in this era are like this: their manufacturing industry has not been hollowed out, and they have the world's largest industrial system and the largest number of industrial workers.

Li Che now truly feels some sympathy for the US Navy in the 21st century of another world. When facing the Darian Shipyard, they probably have the same mentality as he does now.

So, while sighing inwardly, he continued, "That's why, even if we sign an armistice agreement with the United States after this great war ends, the pace of American shipbuilding will not slow down."

Furthermore, we still have a series of conflicts with the United States, including those surrounding the Kingdom of Fusang, so after the war, we will likely be drawn into another passive arms race.

Li Che deliberately exaggerated the situation; this was the moment to showcase the charm of modern literature.

Li Zongdi nodded: "After experiencing this great war, although our homeland was not affected by the war, the impact of this war on all walks of life is huge. After the war ends, our primary goal should be to protect people's livelihoods."

"However, we cannot avoid participating in this disorderly arms race in the international arena. The Americans suffered a loss in this war due to their high-speed ships. Although they leased three high-speed capital ships from abroad, these three ships were still too small and did not show any particularly outstanding value in this war."

Therefore, I believe the US Navy will inevitably complete the construction of a batch of Lexington-class battlecruisers in the future. They have many more warships under construction at the docks, and among them, there will likely be super-standard battleships.

Of all the countries in the world, only the United States has sufficient resources to cope with this disorderly arms race.

"So what you mean is.........."

“We should find a way to end this disorderly arms race. We are not the only ones in the world who cannot bear this endless disorderly arms race. The Victorians cannot accept it either.”

Chapter 168 What should we give up, and what should we fight for? (1)

"You mean the British also intend to end the arms race?"

Li Zongdi was, after all, an outsider when it came to the navy. In this era, even during this world war, the strength and international standing of the Victorian Empire had already suffered a heavy blow. Moreover, during the war, both the Leitanian High Seas Fleet and the Ming Dynasty Royal Navy, which were enemies of the Victorian Royal Navy, and the Federal Navy, which was an ally, demonstrated their ability to challenge the status of the Victorian Royal Navy.

However, the vast majority of people in the world still hold an almost ingrained belief in the idea that "the Royal Navy of Victoria is invincible."

You can't really blame these people for having this opinion. After all, from the current perspective, whether it's the size of the British fleet, the quality of the Royal Navy in this war, or the actual combat record of the Royal Navy in the World War II, at least for now, the Royal Navy still has the word "invincible" written all over its face.

After all, the former Leitanian High Seas Fleet had bowed its proud head to the British. All the capital ships of the High Seas Fleet were now waiting to be assigned in British ports. The British Navy now effectively held its own fleet and also possessed the full essence of the Leitanian High Seas Fleet.

If you add up all the dreadnoughts and super-dreadnoughts that the British currently possess, the total number exceeds 70. Even if the navies of China and the United States were to combine their forces, they absolutely could not muster that many capital ships.

Not to mention that the British possessed the world's largest fleet of 15-inch gunboats, which was unparalleled in both quantity and quality.

In addition, the British had a glorious record of defeating the Leitanian Navy (Battle of Dogger Sandbar, Battle of Skardrak) and the Ming Dynasty Royal Navy (Battle of the Java Sea) in the World Wars. If time were to stand still, the Royal Navy at this time would truly be invincible.

"The Royal Navy is strong now, but the Victorian Empire can no longer support such a large fleet."

Li Che said, "Although the British are somewhat unethical, they have always been relatively clear-headed. In fact, before the outbreak of this world war, the British had already tried to reach an agreement with the Leitanians to control the size of their respective fleets proportionally."

It can be said that the British had planned this all along. Among the European and American countries, the Victorian Empire had the strongest naval power, but they were also the most aware of the principle that the world is not about fighting and killing, but rather about maintaining relationships and harmony.