Quick Wear: Who said soft girls have to be obedient! biu!

He was shocked that a woman who had lived in the rear house for a long time could have such insight.

Our dynasty did not implement a maritime ban, and many strange stories flowed into the Central Plains. However, as there were too few people going to sea and their knowledge was limited, the records were not comprehensive.

And what Gu Zhen said was actually mostly correct.

The Qi family had been to Fusang, Dongyi, Laos, Annan, Haishi and other small countries. They also went west to the Sang Country, which Gu Zhen mentioned was inhabited by black-skinned people. All of them coveted the goods and ships they brought.

Every time there were conflicts, people would be sacrificed or money would be spent to avoid disasters. If the Celestial Empire was not strong enough, these people might have been eager to step into the Central Plains, and then there would be war, plunder and fighting.

No wonder the imperial court trained the navy, built warships and cannons; it turned out to be to guard against foreign enemies.

In Qi Heng's mind, Gu Zhen has such insight, and the one sitting on the throne should think further ahead.

As one of the insiders, Qi Heng felt that the Qi family's position as royal merchants was secure.

He cleared his throat and indicated that there were people inside or outside. Sure enough, the room became quiet. After a while, Duan Wenjing opened the door.

"It's my brother-in-law. What's wrong? Is there something wrong?"

Qi Heng didn't have any major issues, he just sent some food, "Sister and brother-in-law, now that you have rested, you can go for a walk on the deck. The weather is nice today, and it's also a good pastime to enjoy the sea breeze."

Life at sea is lonely, and people who have never traveled far would probably find it difficult to adapt.

Duan Wenjing readily agreed, and Qi Heng did not stay any longer and returned to his room.

.......

Starting from Tianjin Port, it took a month's sailing to successfully arrive in Fujian.

Gu Zhen finally stopped being seasick and adapted to life on the ship, and Duan Wenjing adapted even better than her. He became much tanned, looked more robust, and got along well with everyone on the ship, going out to chat with them every day.

It can be seen that when the mood is good, the body will also be healthy.

Duan Wenjing led Gu Zhen down from the boat. A group of local Fujian officials were already waiting outside. After confirming the documents, the adults immediately knelt down to pay their respects to the Crown Prince and his wife.

This time, Duan Wenjing is not only the crown prince, but also the chief envoy of the maritime patrol, a newly appointed official with the fourth rank.

Duan Wenjing personally helped the prefect and the admiral who led the group up, "Please stand up quickly, my lords. I am not worthy of such a great gift."

When several officials met the eldest princess's son for the first time, they thought that the emperor doted on his nephew and specially approved a thousand naval forces to play with him. But now, seeing such a handsome Duan Wenjing and the magnificent fleet of the Qi family, they put away their contempt.

Maybe the emperor is serious.

The prefect had already prepared wine and food to welcome Duan Wenjing, but the prince was obviously more interested in the navy, so he had to move to the navy camp first.

Qi Heng followed silently behind, also wanting to see the power of the court's newly established navy.

Several modified ships have been steadily anchored on the coastline, with a bronze dragon head on the bow and a large "Zhou" character inscribed on the hoisted flag, representing the majesty of the Celestial Empire.

There were two holes on both sides of the hull, and cannons were loaded inside.

Duan Wenjing's heart was filled with emotion, as if he had witnessed the scene of all nations surrendering.

"Master Jiang, have you ever tested the effectiveness of this cannon after loading it onto a warship?"

Admiral Jiang was a big, strong man with rich experience in water combat. He was proud of what he said: "To answer your question, of course. The range of artillery at sea is not as good as that on land, but 200 meters is definitely no problem."

Duan Wenjing nodded: "That's good, Lord Jiang, pass the order down, one thousand naval forces are ready to set off in three days."

Admiral Jiang nodded in agreement.

Qi Heng was behind the others, and although he did not see the power of the artillery with his own eyes, the pitch-black barrel was enough to explain everything.

In addition, the navy on the warships were all energetic and outstanding, and they were many times stronger than the thugs and guards trained by their Qijia Trading Company.

This time I went out to sea, I felt completely safe.

After they returned to the prefectural mansion to rest for a while, Duan Wenjing could no longer sit still. Every time they stopped at a place, he would drag Gu Zhen out for shopping.

Fujian is a good place, and Duan Wenjing will not miss it.

So when they set off three days later, Duan Wenjing and Gu Zhen's rooms were already filled with local specialties and gifts for their families.

The Qi family's caravan delivered the goods back to the capital for them. This would be the last purchase before heading south.

The next stop is Luzon, a vassal state of the Great Zhou Dynasty. The two countries were once in constant war, but now Luzon has to pay tribute to the Celestial Empire every year, and trade between the two countries has gradually resumed.

Luzon is a small country rich in gold. Their materials are not abundant, and the social industrial division of labor is not clear. The local people have to use gold to exchange a large amount of daily necessities from the Central Plains every year.

This section of sea was still within the territory of the Celestial Empire and was relatively safe. A total of fifty merchant ships and warships set out in a mighty force and sailed on the sea for more than a month before they saw the island where Luzon was located in the distance.

Sailing in the front were the warships that had been converted from the navy, with the officers and soldiers lined up neatly in a row. The King of Luzon personally met with the envoys from the Celestial Empire, and the momentum was so great that the King of Luzon did not dare to slack off.

Duan Wenjing and Gu Zhen stood side by side. It was the first time for both of them to see the locals. They had dull facial features, very dark skin, curly hair, and both men and women were not tall. Gu Zhen had a rough idea that this was a race unique to Luzon.

They have their own language, and the Qi family brought an interpreter with them, so communication was smooth.

Duan Wenjing explained the purpose of his visit, saying it was just a routine sea patrol to stabilize peace in the sea, which made the King of Luzon feel relieved. But then Duan Wenjing gave a brief introduction to the artillery from the Celestial Empire. When the King of Luzon heard that his home could be bombarded from the sea from only 200 meters away, his already dark face became even darker.

He immediately stated that he would always submit to the Great Zhou Dynasty, and said that his only princess was already sixteen years old and was about to go to the Celestial Empire to marry.

Duan Wenjing politely declined, but promised the King of Luzon that when he returned to the Celestial Empire, he would report the king's loyalty to His Majesty. Only then did the King of Luzon feel relieved and gave him countless gold, silver and treasures.

Gu Zhen's mind was not on this. Along the way, she had gained a general understanding of the local life in Luzon. The common people lived in tribes, engaged in fishing, hunting and gathering, and also planted dry rice or corn.

Gu Zhen didn't see any sweet potatoes. After thinking for a moment, he looked at the interpreter and said, "Ask the king if he has ever seen such vines?"

She took out a piece of paper from her bosom, which had a rough outline of a sweet potato vine.

The King of Luzon knew that these were relatives of the Celestial Empire's royal family and did not dare to look down on them. He looked at them carefully for a few seconds, then suddenly slapped his head and said a few words incoherently.

The interpreter laughed after hearing this and said, "Madam, the king said that last year a group of bandits with high noses and deep eyes came across the ocean to rob us. Fortunately, there were not many of them, and they beat them badly in Luzon. This item was found on a small boat left by the bandits."

The King of Luzon was very proud and said that this thing had been planted and had produced fruit, which could be eaten raw or cooked and tasted very good!

Gu Zhen was happy. Although the dynasties in this world were somewhat chaotic, it still had its own operating logic outside of the plot. The bandits mentioned by the King of Luzon should be the Westerners who wanted to invade this place.

No matter how history develops, being able to bring sweet potato vines back to the Central Plains will be a great thing for the benefit of the people.

"Tell the king we want to exchange it and ask him what he wants."