Outlaws of the Marsh

Chapter 577 Sail to the Sea (Please Subscribe!)
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Li Yan is 34 this year.

In the eyes of later generations, 34 should be in the prime of life, able to walk through Yang with a hundred steps.

But in this era, the average life expectancy of a person is only between 32 and 40 years old, even the average life expectancy of an emperor is less than fifty (only [-] years old).

Although Li Yan looked only in his 20s, his body function was ten times better than when he was seventeen or eighteen.

But after seeing his old brothers, Li Yan couldn't help thinking "Am I getting old?"

Chao Gai is now 57 years old, obviously much older than before, and he has completely entered the aging process.

However, what makes people happy is that Chao Gai, who has let go of everything, has a very strong body. Moreover, after Chao Gai favored a maid once in love, he unexpectedly got a son, and he accidentally had a son.

Chao Gai said to Li Yan: "After I saw that brat for the first time, I was so excited for three days and three nights. That kid was carved out of the same mold as me!"

After Li Yan heard about this, he named the maid who gave birth to Chao Gai's son a "Mrs. Madam", and then personally married her and Chao Gai, so that Chao Gai's matchmaker would marry her.

On the day of the wedding, Chao Gai was very happy, and said to everyone he met: "When I am old, I married a wife and had children, and became a layman."

It can be seen by individuals that Chao Gai, who used to be as ambitious as the sky, has really let go of everything now, and begins to enjoy his old age peacefully, becoming a happy old man.

It's not just Chao Gai who is old.

An Daoquan is almost sixty, but the old guy is good at maintenance, and now he can still guard the three daughters at night. Judging by his body, he can live to a hundred years without any problem.

Huangfu Duan is over 50 and in good health. Now the 10,000+ horses in Shuibo Liangshan are under the control of him and his disciples and grandchildren.

Lu Zhishen is 48 years old. In the early years, Li Yan bestowed many beauties on Lu Zhishen, and now Lu Zhishen has several sons and daughters.

However, Lu Zhishen did not become a layman like Chao Gai——Recently, Lu Zhishen may have had an epiphany, and began to practice Zen with his master, Elder Zhizhen, as if he intended to become a real monk.

Lin Chong is 47 this year, but he is still very keen on his official career. Li Yan has awarded him a third-rank "Xuantu Chengxuan Envoy" through his countless achievements, and now guards Xuantu County.

Chai Jin is now 47, but he has a good mentality and looks like he is in his 30s. He is still a capable intelligence officer under Li Yan.

Bian Xiang 46.

Ruan Xiaoer 45.

Among the old brothers, those over 40 years old are almost gone, and many of them are obviously old.

This can't help but make Li Yan want to go out for a walk.

Li Yan knew his body.

Now my strong body can definitely withstand any storm.

I just don't know if in five years, ten years, or 20 years, they will grow old like Chao Gai and the others, too old to travel long distances or go to sea.

Coincidentally, Li Yan still has time, and, not long ago, the shipyard just built the hundredth treasure ship that was moored in Liangshan.

Of course, these are all secondary reasons.

The main reason is that only through commerce can a country become truly prosperous and strong, and a closed country can only make a country poorer and poorer. This has been proven by history.

Moreover, Li Yan knew that although Song and Jin's current situation was very tense, the shame of Jingkang could not happen for a year or two.

Li Yan can take this opportunity to go out and take a look at Southeast Asia, South Asia, Central Asia, West Asia, Africa and Europe in this era. Liangshan opened up a long-term financial path.

In fact, the Maritime Silk Road existed as early as the pre-Qin period. In the Tang Dynasty, it was called "Guangzhou Tonghaiyi Road". Now it is the heyday of the Maritime Silk Road. The reason why the Northern Song Dynasty is so rich is largely because of this road. A steady stream of money was provided to the Northern Song Dynasty, otherwise, with Zhao Ji's extravagance, the Northern Song Dynasty would have been impoverished long ago.

As for Li Yan's plan to personally open up the Maritime Silk Road, Shuibo Liangshan opposed it from top to bottom.

But it didn't help at all.

Li Cunjian, who was only ten years old, appointed Wen Huanzhang, Zhao Ding, Xu Guanzhong, Wang Lun, Zhu Wu, Sun Jing, Qiao Daoqing, Xiao Jiasui, Chen Gongfu, Chen Kangbo, and Chen Kuutong as eleven auxiliary ministers.

Li Yan did not let the well-known Liu Huiniang listen to politics behind the curtain, but appointed Li Hou, the second son of Li Yan and Liu Huiniang, who was only seven years old, as the successor and supervisor of the country just in case—Li Yan didn't let Liu Huiniang listen to politics behind the curtain This practice made a group of ministers respect Li Yan even more, and at the same time, everyone could see Li Yan's attitude towards the harem's meddling in politics.

Li Yan selected 20 troops from the 2 troops—[-] were soldiers from the Liangshan Army, [-] were soldiers from Khitan and other ethnic minorities, and [-] were soldiers from Korea and Japan.In addition, the [-] army does not include the [-] navy and sailors of the left army of the Sun Never Set Fleet and the [-] amphibious army of Hu Yanqing.

The generals who went with Li Yan included Li Jun, Hu Yanqing, Yue Fei, Han Shizhong, Wu Lin, Yang Yizhong, Li Shi (Yelü Dashi), Ni Zhongsheng, Tang Weiyi and so on.

In addition, Li Yan also brought [-] good horses, [-] thundering chariots, [-] sinking snail boats, and enough unconscionable cannons, bed crossbows, thunderbolts and so on.

Li Yan also ordered Meng Kang and three thousand shipwrights to select a thousand ships from more than 2000 large ships—not counting a hundred treasure ships, Li Yan took all the hundred treasure ships with him.

In addition, Li Yan asked Li Ying, Hu Cheng and other merchants from the household department to carefully prepare [-] shipments of goods for him, including tea, porcelain, glass, soap, refined iron and so on.

In the end, Li Yan recruited a thousand businessmen who wanted to go abroad to make money to go with him—these businessmen could also bring their own boats to go to sea with Li Yan's fleet. For example, Wang Ze organized [-] big ships to load The full cargo went out to sea with Li Yan's fleet.

Seeing that it was a foregone conclusion for Li Yan to sail to sea, Wen Huanzhang and others could only try their best to block the news of Li Yan's going abroad.

pity!

The news of Li Yan's going abroad was too great, so as soon as Li Yan left, Jin Guo knew the news.

At this time, Jin Guo had just escorted Emperor Tianzuo to Shangjing not long ago.

Emperor Tianzuo was escorted to the Taizu Temple first, and offered sacrifices to Jin Taizu Wanyan Aguda.

After offering sacrifices to Jin Taizu, Emperor Tianzuo was escorted to the main hall of the imperial city of Huining Mansion to pay homage to Jin Taizong Wanyan Wu and beg for money.

Here, Emperor Tianzuo presented the letter, which said:
"Yelü Yanxi, the minister of the Liao Dynasty, bowed to the axe, bowed to the Kingdom of Jin, and prostrated himself to be punished. I heard that people don't worry about their bravery, but about their violence. Fu Nianchen's ancestors created the foundation for 200 years and inherited the throne of heaven. Step-sons pass on to grandchildren, gods are worshiped in the suburbs, and celebrations are celebrated inside and outside..."

Wanyan Wu begged to buy and read the letter of surrender, and issued an edict to cut Emperor Tianzuo as the King of the Seashore, and then sent Emperor Tianzuo to Changbai Mountain to build a house there.

Just at this time, Li Yan was inquired by the golden man, and Li Yan sailed to sea.

At first, the Jinren didn't believe that Li Yan, who had always been famous, would be so idle.

But after repeated confirmation many times, Jin Ren was finally completely sure that Li Yan had really set sail to sea.

Jinren didn't understand this very much.

Soon after, Wanyan Zongwang and Wanyan Zonghan, who held heavy troops in their hands, suddenly begged for advice from Wanyan Wu and sent troops south to attack Song Dynasty.

Frontline generals such as Wanyan Jiamu and Wanyan Wulu also expressed their support.

Wanyan Zongwang, the initiator of the conquest of the Song Dynasty, said to Wanyan Wu begging to buy: "The people of Song Dynasty refused to ask for the household registration in Yandi that belonged to our Dajin. The food was not recognized in a blink of an eye, and the minister heard that Yanshan's army was not stable, and attacking it would make them rebel, and Yanshan land is at your fingertips."

Wanyan Zonghan then said: "If we don't attack Song Dynasty at this time, and when the King of Liaodong returns, I, Dajin, may find it difficult to avenge this humiliation."

Wanyan Wu begged for money, so he issued an edict to Yousi, ordering them: "Prepare the army and prepare to attack the Song Dynasty."

……

(End of this chapter)