Zhu Yuanzhang: My second son is invincible!

On the sixteenth day of the first month of the eleventh year of Hongwu's reign, before all the lanterns for the Lantern Festival had been taken down, Zhu Li and Guanyin Nu were already sitting on the flying boat.

Just as the flying boat took to the sky.

Guanyin Nu gripped his arm tightly, her face pale.

She wasn't afraid to ride horses across the grasslands, but the feeling of being suspended in mid-air with nothing under her feet made her instinctively nervous.

The airship was indeed fast; it set off at dawn and saw the sea just after noon.

That was the real ocean.

From high above, the sea is an endless expanse of deep blue, stretching all the way to the horizon where it merges with the sky.

Near the shore, the seawater is lighter in color, and you can see white waves repeatedly washing over the golden sand.

The coastline is winding and meandering, like a giant dragon lazily lying on the edge of the land.

"Is that... the sea?" Guanyin Nu leaned on the gunwale, her eyes wide open.

She had seen lakes on the grasslands and the mighty Yellow River, but compared to the vast expanse before her, those were just small puddles.

The airship slowly descended, finally hovering about ten feet above the sea surface.

From here, you can see the texture of the waves more clearly and smell the salty, fishy scent brought by the sea breeze.

Dengzhou Port was just ahead, with warships densely packed on the dock, their masts like a forest.

A larger fleet is also training in the outer waters, with hundreds of warships lined up in neat formations and conducting turning drills.

"Your Highness, Your Highness, we have arrived," the Taoist priest in charge of the boat said respectfully.

The airship landed smoothly at its designated berth outside the Dengzhou naval camp.

Naval Commander Chen Xuan, who had been waiting there, quickly stepped forward to greet him.

"Your subject Chen Xuan respectfully welcomes His Highness the King of Wu and His Highness the Queen." Chen Xuan clasped his hands in a gesture of respect.

Zhu Hui jumped off the flying boat, turned around, and naturally reached out to lift Guanyin Nu down. He was becoming more and more skilled at this action.

Guanyin Nu stood firmly on the ground, took a deep breath, and felt the sea breeze on her face.

"Governor Chen, are all these ships... going out to sea?" Zhu Li pointed to the giant ships in the harbor.

"Your Highness, this is only one-third. There are still two thousand ships in Ningbo and Fuzhou, which will set sail simultaneously on the second day of the second lunar month. Your Highness, please look at the largest ones; those are newly built treasure ships."

"It is forty-four zhang long, with nine masts and twelve sails, carrying one hundred and eight cannons and three thousand soldiers," Chen Xuan replied, his tone filled with undisguised pride.

Zhu Li looked in the direction Chen Xuan pointed.

Those treasure ships were indeed ridiculously large; compared to the other warships around them, they looked like adults standing among a group of children.

The ship was towering, with three layers of gun ports on the deck. The dark muzzles of the guns peeked out from the windows, looking quite frightening.

"Can we go up and take a look?" Zhu Li asked.

"Of course, Your Highness, please." Chen Xuan stepped aside to lead the way.

The group walked toward the dock.

The naval soldiers along the way stood at attention and saluted, their eyes filled with not only awe but also curiosity. This was the legendary King Wu, who split Mount Bukak of Goryeo with an axe.

He looks...quite honest and simple.

Guanyin Nu walked beside Zhu Hui, but her gaze was drawn to the beach.

She suddenly let go of Zhu Hui's hand, jogged a few steps to the edge of the beach, squatted down, and reached out to touch the sand that had been wet by the waves.

The sand was soft and fine, and the seawater was slightly cool.

She hesitated for a moment, then took a few more steps forward so that the waves could reach her shoes.

A wave surged in, washing over her feet, instantly soaking her embroidered shoes.

"Wife, your shoes are wet." Zhu Li followed over.

Guanyin Nu, however, paid no attention. She stared at the rising and receding seawater, and suddenly did something that stunned everyone...

She stretched out her index finger, dipped it in some seawater, and licked it.

Then his whole face scrunched up.

"Ptooey! It's salty and a little bitter!" she spat repeatedly.

Zhu Hui laughed heartily and said, "Seawater is naturally salty!"

Chen Xuan and the sailors around him wanted to laugh but dared not, their faces turning red from holding it in.

Guanyinnu blushed and whispered in defense, "The lakes on the grasslands are all sweet... I thought it was the sea too..."

"If seawater were sweet, wouldn't it be like sugar water?" Zhu Li was still laughing.

Guanyin Nu glared at him, turned around and took a few steps into the sea, this time the waves hit her calves.

She bent down, scooped up a handful of seawater with both hands, and examined it carefully.

The seawater rippled gently in her palm, clear and transparent, shimmering with tiny golden light in the sunlight.

"It's so beautiful..." she murmured.

Zhu Hui squatted down next to her, and imitated her by scooping up seawater and then splashing it all over her face.

"Hmm, it is indeed salty." He wiped his face.

Guanyin Nu was both amused and exasperated: "Husband, what are you doing?"

"Wash your face! Let's see if seawater can wash your face." Zhu Li said earnestly.

"Can I wash it?"

"Yes, but your face will have a layer of salt on it after it dries, it'll feel salty," Zhu Li said, licking the corner of her mouth.

Chen Xuan finally couldn't help but burst out laughing, then quickly suppressed it and said, "Your Highness, Your Highness, seawater is highly corrosive and should not be in direct contact with the skin for too long. Let's go aboard and take a look first."

"Okay." Zhu Li pulled Guanyin Nu up.

The two followed Chen Xuan onto a treasure ship. The ship was so large that it took them half a day to walk from the gangway to the deck.

The deck is so wide that horses can run on it, and the command platform is in the very center, surrounded by railings on all four sides, offering an excellent view.

Guanyin Nu walked to the bow of the boat, leaned on the railing, and looked into the distance.

Where the sea meets the sky, several seagulls circle in the distance, emitting loud cries.

"My lord, are we really going to travel to such a faraway place on such a boat?" she asked softly.

"Yes, my brother said that Japan is on the other side of the sea, and it takes more than a month to get there by boat. If we don't take a boat, we can only take a flying boat." Zhu Li stood next to her.

"I've been on the ship for over a month..." Guanyin Nu imagined the scene and suddenly felt a little dizzy.

Chen Xuan walked over and said, "Your Highness, Your Highness, although this ship is large, the sea is unpredictable, and even a treasure ship will be rocked."

I suggest that you two spend a few days acclimatizing in the coastal waters before setting off.

"How will you adapt?" Zhu Li asked.

"It's just taking a boat trip around the nearby waters to get used to the rocking of the boat. Many people get seasick the first time they take a long boat trip and vomit so much they feel dizzy."

Chen Xuan explained.

Zhu Hui patted his chest and said, "I'm not afraid, I'm steady."

Guanyin Nu, however, was somewhat worried.

She was feeling a bit unwell on the airship; if she really had to drift at sea for a month…

"Your Highness need not worry too much," a gentle voice came from the side.

Everyone turned their heads and saw an old man in a Taoist robe walking slowly towards them. It was none other than Zhang Tianshi of Longhu Mountain.

Zhang Tianshi bowed to Zhu Hui and Guanyin Nu, and then said, "I have carved 'Stabilizing Talismans' on the bottom of all the main warships, which can offset 70% of the turbulence caused by wind and waves."

In addition, calming pills are also available; taking one pill can relieve seasickness symptoms.

As she spoke, she took out a small jade bottle from her sleeve and handed it to Guanyin Nu.

Guanyin Nu accepted it and thanked her softly.

"Master, can I take a look at those talismans?" Zhu Hui asked curiously.

"Your Highness, please follow me." Zhang Tianshi led the way.

The group went down to the bottom of the ship's hold, which was usually a cargo area but was now empty.

In the dim light, you can see that the wooden planks at the bottom of the ship are covered with intricate runes, with smooth lines and a faint flow of spiritual light.

"This is a wind-riding talisman, which can use the wind to accelerate; this is a water-avoiding talisman, which can reduce the resistance of navigation."

"This is a sturdiness talisman, which can enhance the strength of the ship's hull..." Master Zhang pointed out one by one.

Zhu Hui squatted down and reached out to touch the runes.

Where the fingertips touched, a faint shimmer of light rippled.

"Interesting... Can this thing be drawn on a person? Draw one for me too, so I can run faster," he muttered.

Master Zhang smiled wryly and said, "Your Highness, the human body has complex meridians, which are difficult to bear with the power of runes. Forcibly carving them may damage the body's foundation."

"Oh, never mind then." Zhu Hui said with a hint of regret.