My father, Li Shimin, requests Your Majesty to become the Retired Emperor.

Qin Ying stood on the deck, shaking her head and sighing repeatedly: "Oh dear, Your Highness, you're surrounded by admirers."

I can see that those women are all reluctant to see you leave.

"Why don't we just bring them all aboard our ship and take them back to Chang'an to be your concubines? After all, you're going to be emperor someday, so filling your harem early isn't a bad idea."

Li Chengan glared at him: "Stop talking nonsense!"

Songtsen Gampo watched from the side, finding it amusing to himself, thinking to himself, "Li Chengqian has so many women around him!"

There's nothing you can do about it; he's just so handsome.

Everyone said their goodbyes.

Unexpectedly, at this moment, Buyeo Pungmi suddenly jumped onto Li Chengqian's boat, threw herself into Li Chengqian's arms, and cried, "Your Highness, we came together, but now we have to part ways and go our separate ways."

I won't go back to Sibi City; I'll go back to Chang'an with you.

Li Chengan was taken aback by her sudden action and quickly pushed her away gently: "Princess, thank you very much for your company along the way and for providing some valuable intelligence and clues."

This time, I have important matters to attend to upon returning to Chang'an, and I will be unable to take care of you.

Moreover, at present,

I am still a guilty man, and once I return, I will be confined to the Eastern Palace and deprived of my freedom.

If you and I go to Chang'an together, what are the arrangements?

"Once my case is over and I regain my freedom, if you have the opportunity to visit Chang'an, I will certainly give you a warm welcome."

Although Buyeo Pungmi was unhappy.

However, she felt that what Li Chenggan said wasn't without merit.

Since they don't want to take me, there's no point in forcing myself to go: "Alright, Your Highness, you must keep your word. Write to me when it's convenient for you."

I'll rush over to see you.

Li Chengan nodded: "That will work too."

Queen Seondeok, Yakushi Keiko, and Princess Tane were watching from the sidelines, their hearts filled with jealousy. They thought to themselves, "This Buyeo Pungmi really knows how to take advantage of the Crown Prince. She hasn't even done anything yet, but she's already embracing him."

Look how tightly she hugged me just now, as if she didn't want to let go.

the next morning.

The sun rose, shining brightly on the earth, and the sea was calm and still.

After finishing his breakfast and drinking a cup of green tea, Li Chengan went up to the deck, where he saw a vast expanse of azure ocean.

The seawater looked incredibly clear, merging seamlessly with the sky.

Li Chengan was filled with mixed emotions, thinking to himself that this trip to Naniwa Fortress was fraught with peril.

Fortunately, it was a close call, and I was finally able to return to Chang'an. I wonder what had happened there.

Of course, as long as the Empress Dowager recovers, nothing else matters.

He himself mediated the relations between the Wa (Japanese) Kingdom, Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla.

Although not entirely satisfactory

However, there have been some achievements.

It protected the legitimate interests of both the Tang Dynasty and Silla to the greatest extent possible.

sometimes,

Li Chenggan thought to himself, "Wouldn't it be better for everyone to live in peace? Why must war break out?"

For example,

The Wa-nu Kingdom was originally just an island nation, a tiny place.

but,

The King of Goguryeo, however, harbored ambitions to annex the Tang Dynasty.

It truly proves the saying, "Human greed is insatiable, like a snake trying to swallow an elephant."

Even more hateful is Yeon Gaesomun.

Relying on the merits established by his father, Yeon Tae-jo, he wielded absolute power in Goguryeo, his word being law.

He didn't even take Gao Jianwu seriously; he was like a vicious dog, biting everywhere and instigating Baekje to attack Silla.

It seems he intends to emulate Dong Zhuo and install a new king.

Depose Gao Jianwu and install Gao Baozang as king.

Gao Baozang is a good-for-nothing.

If Go Bo-jang had become the king of Goguryeo,

So,

Yeon Gaesomun could do whatever he wanted, and he held the emperor hostage to command the feudal lords.

Goguryeo was already a powerful and well-equipped army, and the fact that Emperor Yang of Sui was defeated in his three campaigns against Goguryeo only fueled their arrogance.

Now, Goguryeo is also eyeing the Tang Dynasty with covetous intent.

Goguryeo's plan to join forces with Baekje to attack Silla was, in fact, a test, a challenge to the bottom line of the Tang Dynasty.

This time,

Yeon Gaesomun made an outrageous demand, asking to purchase one hundred warships from the Japanese.

If that were the case, Goguryeo's navy would be greatly strengthened.

That would also pose a certain threat to the Tang Dynasty.

Because the Goguryeo navy had accumulated strength and trained over many years, it was already very powerful. Back then, the Sui Dynasty's navy was also defeated by them.

Even the renowned naval general Lai Huer was no match for them.

Li Chengan then thought of his elder brother, King Shanbei.

Originally, King Yamashiro Ōe had a chance to inherit the throne.

However, because Soga no Emishi supported Prince Tamura, he seized the throne from him.

Even if he wanted to be an ordinary prince, he couldn't.

King Shuming was suspicious of him and was wary of him at all times.

In order to protect himself, he had no choice but to forge weapons and build chariots.

Speaking of,

The elder brother of the mountain back, Wang, was quite generous to Li Chenggan.

He told Li Chenggan that as long as Li Chenggan was willing,

He was willing to give half of all the weapons to Li Chenggan.

However, Li Chengan refused this offer.

Lee Seung-gan then thought of several women: Buyeo Pung-mi, Queen Seondeok, Yakushi Hye-ko, and Princess Tianyan.

He could also sense their feelings.

Li Chengqian's predecessor loved reading "Dream of the Red Chamber".

The book says that men are made of mud and women are made of water.

Therefore,

Men cannot live without women, and women cannot live without men.

of course,

now,

Li Chengan's heart still longed for Su Wan.

Last time,

Su Wan and Qu Zhili came here together to look for the Snow Spirit Mushroom, and then left in a hurry.

The two of them didn't even have a proper get-together.

Li Chengan thought to himself that he was truly blessed to have found Su Wan in his lifetime.

Su Wan is incredibly kind to me.

When she was away from Chang'an, Su Wan tried her best to take care of her mother. Who would be willing to do something as dangerous as searching for the Snow Spirit Mushroom?

Even Li Tai was too scared to come; his so-called "filial piety" remained largely superficial.

In the end, it was Su Wan who arrived.

and also,

In her search for the Snow Lingzhi, Qu Zhili nearly fell off a cliff in Liujia Mountain.

Later, Qu Zhili was bitten by a giant scorpion again, but fortunately she found a snow lingzhi mushroom, which saved her life.

If something were to happen to Qu Zhili, how would we explain it to the King of Gaochang?

Just as Li Chenggan was lost in thought, he suddenly heard Qin Ying call out, "Your Highness, look what that is!"

Before anyone knew it, Qin Ying had arrived on the deck and was pointing at the sea.

Li Chengan looked in the direction he was pointing.

Several feet away, a dark brown object about the size of an eight-immortal table slowly emerged from the water.

The thing was moving faster and faster toward Li Chenggan's ship.

At first, Li Chengan didn't pay any attention.

Then,

Whirlpools formed in the seawater, and the black object rose higher and higher, becoming clearer and clearer.

Only then did they realize that what was in front of them was a giant crocodile.

It's at least ten zhang long.

That black patch was actually the crocodile's head.

The crocodile's eyes were like lanterns, and it looked terrifying with its claws bared.

Li Chenggan had never seen such a huge crocodile.

He knew that crocodiles were among the most ferocious animals in the sea.

He said to Qin Ying, "Quickly, go and fetch me the crossbow bolts!"

"promise!"

Qin Ying agreed and quickly went into the cabin, taking out a crossbow and a quiver.

The quiver contained ten eagle-feathered arrows.

Li Chengan took the crossbow and slung the quiver over his shoulder.

He nocked an arrow and shot it at the giant crocodile.

Unexpectedly, the arrow missed the crocodile completely.

In the blink of an eye,

He fired several arrows, but they all fell off and into the sea.

Qin Ying and Songtsen Gampo were also horrified upon seeing this.

Because they had never seen such a large crocodile before.

Upon seeing this, the monk Daozhao was so frightened that he frantically chanted, "Amitabha!"

At that moment, the crocodile opened its mouth wide and bit into the mast of the ship.

The mast is very sturdy.

The crocodile wouldn't let go and frantically shook the mast.

The entire ship trembled, and Li Chenggan discovered that the crocodile's teeth were far too sharp.

Li Chengan shot an arrow into the crocodile's mouth.

To everyone's surprise, after the crocodile bit the arrow, it chewed it for a while and then swallowed it.

Li Chengan looked up and was also taken aback.

The crocodile's tail was about three or four zhang long.

With a sudden jolt, the entire boat was lifted high into the air before plunging back into the water, nearly capsizing.

The group was unsteady on their feet, as if they were drunk, swaying from side to side.

The boat gradually stabilized after the crocodile pulled its tail back.

Everyone looked at it,

That crocodile is too powerful.

If this continues, it won't be long before the ship capsizes, and then...

The group was really going to go into the sea to feed the fish.

Just as Li Chenggan was getting anxious,

A black dot appeared on the sea surface several hundred meters away.

A moment later,

The black spot is getting bigger and bigger.

Li Chengan looked closely and saw that a boat had drifted by, carrying about a hundred people.

Those men carried long spears and bows and arrows on their shoulders; they were all full of energy and looked very majestic and powerful.

The person standing at the bow of the ship was none other than Inugami Oda Kuchi.

Li Chenggan was quite surprised.

He wondered how Inugami Odenkusa could be here after being stripped of his official position.

Li Chengan naturally recognized Inugami Odakuchi and asked, "How come it's you?"

Inugami Odenkuchi laughed: "What, do you think there's anything wrong with me coming here?"

"Did you leave in such a hurry?"

Li Chengqian stared intently at Inugami Odenkusa: "What do you mean?"

Since we've known each other for a while, shouldn't I come to see you off?

"Hasn't your official position already been taken away?"

Why are you getting involved in these things?

"You're right, I was stripped of my official position, and it's all thanks to you!"

It's time we settled this score today.

original,

After King Shumei took away Inugami Mita's official position, he returned to his general's residence.

According to the regulations of the Wa-nu Kingdom, if a general's official position is revoked, he can no longer reside in the general's mansion and must give the land to the medicine doctor Hui Ri Nuo who succeeds him.

Although Inugami Odenkuchi was seething with anger...

But there's nothing I can do.

He had almost finished packing his bags when the Pharmacist Hui arrived.

"General, what are you doing?"

"From now on, stop calling me General. You are the General now," Inugami Oden said irritably.

He thought to himself, "You stole my position as general, yet you make such sarcastic remarks. What's the point?"

"Why do you say that? Look what I brought?" Yakushi Eri said, taking something out of her bosom and handing it to him.

Inuue Mitaku opened it and took a look.

It turned out to be a letter of appointment from King Shuming.

The gist of the document was that Inugami Oda-kuchi was appointed as Yakushi Ehi's deputy, and he could still reside in the shogun's residence.

Inugami Odenkuchi blinked and asked, "What's going on?"

The pharmacist, Hui Ri, took the bag from his hands.

They put it aside and let him sit in the chair.

"I understand you've been stripped of your official position, and you must be feeling bad."

You must be thinking that I secretly took your official position.

Moreover,

Your Majesty has made a terrible mistake in choosing me as your general; my abilities are far inferior to yours.

Because of this matter, I went to meet King Shuming alone without informing you.

What I mean is, I'll keep you as general and I'll be your deputy.

but,

The king firmly disagreed.

He said that changing orders frequently is a major taboo, and since he has already made a decision about you, it cannot be changed.

At last,

To ensure the continuity of our work, King Shuming has issued a special decree appointing you as my deputy.

Upon hearing this, Inugami Oden understood: Yakushi Ebisu had pleaded for him.

Without the help of Pharmacist Eri, I would be nothing.

Inuue Mikawa held the letter of appointment in his hand, dumbfounded.

After a long pause, he finally said, "Now that you mention it, I owe you a favor."

"Oh, General, why do you say that?"

then,

Let's go to Chang'an together on our mission, why bother with the distinction between you and me?

"Otherwise, you can be the general, and I'll be your deputy."

Inugami Oden understood perfectly well that Yakushi Ebisu was just being polite; could he really take away someone else's shogunate?

that's it,

Inugami Oda never left the shogun's residence. He lived there with Yakushi Ebisu and handled all the affairs of the shogun's residence.

Of course, when it comes to military matters, it's mainly up to Inugami Odenkuchi to make the decisions.

It must be said that Pharmacist Eri is a kind and honest person.

Because of this incident, Yakushi Eiji was severely criticized by his younger sister, Yakushi Keiko.

Yakushi Keiko said, "Don't you know what Inugami Odenkuchi is?"

Why do you still do this?

Do you think he'll be grateful to you just because you helped him?

Pharmacist Hui Ri shook his head and smiled bitterly: "It's not that I, your foolish brother, wanted to do this."

"What do you mean?" Pharmacist Keiko asked, confused.

"I was merely doing someone a favor, wasn't I?"

Even if I, your foolish brother, do not speak well of Inugami Odenkuchi,

They will still be reinstated, and may even be promoted.

"Why do you say that?" Yakushi Keiko couldn't help but ask.

"Didn't you notice that Inugami Odenkuchi and the Queen have a close relationship?"

With just a word from the Queen, Inugami Odenkuchi could not only be reinstated, but possibly even promoted.

When Pharmacist Keiko heard what her brother said, she thought about it and realized that it made sense.

Pharmacist Huizi reminded her brother: "Li Chengqian must leave this place and return to Chang'an."

I heard he's going to take a boat back. Will he encounter any accidents on the way?

You need to make sure he gets out of here safely.

The pharmacist Hui Ri nodded after hearing this: "You're right. If something happens to the Crown Prince of the Great Tang here, no one can afford to be offended."

Leave this to me, you don't need to worry about it.

"You should also be careful."

night.

General's Mansion.

Inugami Odenkuchi sat alone in his room, drinking alone in silence.

At this point, he was in a state of semi-drunkenness, neither fully awake nor fully sober, and the more he thought about it, the angrier he became.

He thought to himself that he had been loyal to the Japanese and devoted himself to protecting them, but what had he gained in the end?

Not only is Soga Ezo above him, but even Yakushi Ehi, whom he once looked down upon, has climbed above him.

Now I'm being someone's deputy, and I owe them a favor.

If it weren't for Yakushi Eri pleading on his behalf...

I'm afraid I'm nothing anymore, just an ordinary citizen.

in those days,

Inugami Odakuchi's ancestors were also very distinguished, but by their generation, the family had declined.

In the end, he ended up sleeping on the streets and almost froze to death.

He happened to meet Soga no Emishi, which gradually changed his fate.

He felt that the reason he was able to change his fate was not because of Soga no Emishi's promotion or anything else, but because he had risked his life for it.

Every time there's a mission, I'm always the one who rushes to the front.

Don't say anything else,

Take that mission to the Tang Dynasty for example,

He felt that he had upheld the dignity of the Wa people, and that he had remained neither arrogant nor humble before the Heavenly Khan, fulfilling his mission without disgrace.

Not only that,

He not only learned a lot about agricultural techniques and various systems, but also studied Buddhist scriptures, etc.

They also stole some secrets, including the location of the dragon vein of the Tang Dynasty.

The dragon vein was of paramount importance to the Tang Dynasty.

There is a saying that as long as the dragon vein is severed,

The fate of the Tang Dynasty would then decline.

They might even lose their kingdom.

In that case, their Wa (Japanese) country would have an opportunity to invade the Tang Dynasty.

Isn't this for the benefit of the Japanese?

However, after silently giving so much, I never expected that King Shuming would treat me like that, turning his back on me so easily and stripping me of my official position in front of everyone. It's truly hateful.

It's because he doesn't have any powerful connections. If it were Soga no Emishi...

Would King Shuming dare to treat him like that?

Thinking of this, Inugami Odenkuchi drank another cup of sake.