Fang Jie was thinking that if what Zhuo Buyi said about the "Buddha's Son" was true, then his imprisonment here would be perfectly justified. The emperor would never allow someone with a Buddhist background, or even possibly a descendant of the Great Wheel King, to infiltrate the Sui Dynasty court. If such a thing happened, he would be ridiculed for centuries.
Zhuo Buyi, observing Fang Jie's constantly changing expression, knew that this matter would be a great shock to the young man. But Fang Jie's reaction actually reassured him. He never believed that Fang Jie would have any connection with the Buddhist sect. After all, it was true that the Buddhist sect wanted to kill him. If Fang Jie were the Buddha's Son, wouldn't that be too contradictory?
Although Chen Ya's status in the Buddhist sect was not low, he certainly did not have the right to provoke a Buddha's Son.
If he wanted to kill a Buddha's Son, would the Buddhist sect tolerate him? "Actually, your situation has improved a lot now."
Zhuo Buyi smiled slightly. "A few days ago, His Majesty met Du Hongxian, the village girl who saved you from Zhihui's clutches that day. I don't know if she lied or told the truth, but she confidently told His Majesty that you are the successor of Prince Zhong. This is definitely good news for you; your time in prison might not be too long… Actually, you should cherish this experience. I also spent ten years meditating within the iron walls of prison, which is why I have my current cultivation level."
Fang Jie remained silent for a long time before sighing and asking, "How long did it take you to calm down in prison?"
"Half a year."
Zhuo Buyi said, "But back then, no one tried to persuade me. It wasn't a waste to calm down after half a year."
Fang Jie shook his head. "If I had to stay here for half a year, I would either become an idiot or a madman. My personality is different from yours; I might not be able to bear this kind of quiet, this kind of loneliness." "As long as you don't die, there's nothing a person can't endure."
Zhuo Buyi stood up and straightened his clothes. "I'm leaving. Before I go, I'll tell you something… Your friends are still in the Sanjin Marquis's mansion. I'm glad someone stopped your idiotic and childish behavior. If Daquan and the others had really escaped Chang'an as you wished, there would only be two outcomes."
"First, they would have become skeletons by the roadside."
"Second, it would have solidified your guilt."
As he walked out, he said, "Doing something like this only makes you look childish, laughable, and idiotic; it truly serves no purpose. Fortunately, Daquan and the others didn't follow your foolishness… Never underestimate any opponent, even if they are just an opponent, not an enemy. Mu Xiaoyao was sent out on official business by the Imperial Guards the day after you were imprisoned. Guess… what would have happened to Mu Xiaoyao if Daquan and the others had escaped?"
Having said this, Zhuo Buyi walked out of the prison's iron gate. He didn't look back, but he knew that the cold chill on Fang Jie's back must have soaked through his clothes. Fang Jie was genuinely startled by the possibility Zhuo Buyi had mentioned. He thought he had done enough, yet he was still treated like an idiot. The thought of all his painstaking efforts to rescue Da Quan and the others, only to find they were all under their watchful eyes, sent a chill down Fang Jie's spine.
He had been too naive.
He sat on the stone bed, carefully reflecting on his days in captivity. The more he thought about it, the more foolish he felt, having oversimplified things. To avoid such trouble in the future, to survive, he needed to grow in so much. The biggest difference between this world and his previous one was its ruthlessness. One wrong step, and he could fall into an abyss of no return.
He thought for a long time, then made a decision.
He got up and began to resume his long-interrupted cultivation. He practiced boxing, swordsmanship with bare hands, using both his left and right hands. He even tried breathing exercises, though he still couldn't feel his dantian. For almost the entire day, he didn't allow himself a rest, but practiced relentlessly. Suddenly resuming intense training, Fang Jie's muscles swelled up as if filled with gas. He was a little sore, but felt refreshed after working up a good sweat.
When he finally stopped, panting, he walked to the door and shouted at the flying fish robe outside the iron gate, "I want a bath! I want to eat! And… bring Professor Qiu Yu here!"
His shouts were hoarse, almost manic.
…
…
The Wei River almost spans the entire northern half of the empire, the second largest river in the north. This great river meets the Xiang River in the northwest, and then splits. The Xiang River flows from north to south, eventually joining the Yellow River, the largest river in the north, while the Wei River flows from west to east. This great river, traversing the north of the Sui Dynasty from east to west, is one of the most important transportation routes of the Sui Dynasty.
Every day, countless large ships travel on the river, government vessels and merchant ships coming and going in an endless stream. Especially at the confluence of the Wei and Xiang Rivers, a huge cargo transshipment station has been formed. Every day, no fewer than a thousand ships stop here to replenish supplies, including merchant caravans from the distant Eastern Chu. Eastern Chu, bordering the sea, practically monopolizes trade with overseas markets. Its commerce far surpasses that of the Sui Dynasty.
The goods brought by Eastern Chu merchants—exquisitely crafted crystal products, medicines, exotic fruits, and even rare herbs—are all highly sought after. The Sui Dynasty has many wealthy people who crave things from distant lands to enhance their taste. Therefore, they are willing to spend exorbitant prices on less desirable items, then generously sell their own goods to Eastern Chu merchants at significantly reduced prices.
What they don't know is that Sui Dynasty tea, Shu brocade, silk, and porcelain are equally popular on the other side of the sea. People there are equally proud to own a Sui Dynasty specialty. Even the cheapest tea bricks in the Sui Dynasty sell for astonishing prices overseas. Those are items only the wealthy can afford, while silk and porcelain are luxuries only the nobility can afford.
Abroad, noblewomen took pride in wearing silk garments. Exquisitely crafted porcelain was even designated as an exclusive possession of officials and nobles. For ordinary people to acquire a piece of porcelain was considered a violation of the law. Ironically, the calligraphy of renowned masters, priceless in the Sui Dynasty, received virtually no attention overseas. Instead, vulgar erotic literature was hailed as classic.
Small government boats patrolled the wide riverbanks, guiding merchant ships to the designated area near the pier. For some reason, the number of these boats was astonishingly high. Even Sui Dynasty warships were visible in the distance, and on the shore, ranks of Sui soldiers marched in perfect unison.
The merchants, bewildered, gazed into the distance. The government boats were directing all merchant ships to the side, clearing the middle of the river, clearly preparing for something. By midday, the attention had begun to wane, leaving them utterly stunned by what they witnessed.
A fleet!
A fleet of unprecedented size!
Even the merchants from the Eastern Chu, renowned for its world-class navy, had never seen a fleet of this scale. It was impossible to count the number of ships. While awestruck by the sheer number, they were even more astonished by the nature of the fleet. It appeared to be a massive merchant fleet escorted by the Sui Dynasty navy. Leading the way were twenty-four large yellow dragon-shaped fast ships, each capable of carrying three hundred sailors. Behind them were eight enormous five-toothed warships, each capable of carrying at least a thousand soldiers.
But the most striking sight was the colossal vessel behind the five-toothed ships. It appeared to be at least 150 meters long, reaching the limit for wooden warships. This warship had five decks, and the Sui Dynasty dragon flag fluttering atop its mast exuded an air of imposing grandeur.
On the warship, armored soldiers could be seen patrolling back and forth. Several men stood on the bow, seemingly pointing and commenting on the scenery along the shore.
Behind the massive warships lay an uncountable number of large ships. While most weren't warships and lacked powerful crossbows, they carried numerous soldiers in addition to their crews. No one could estimate the sheer number of troops such a massive fleet could transport at full capacity. Even a rough estimate would yield a staggering result!
Troop transports!
The merchants were speechless with shock. They knew the Sui Dynasty was powerful, but this was the first time they had witnessed it so directly. The endless fleet resembled a giant dragon swimming along the river, inspiring awe in all who beheld it.
"I need to get back home as soon as possible!"
A merchant from Eastern Chu trembled, "I have to tell my friends... the Sui army is being deployed northwest. This is a sign of an impending great war. The two largest empires in the world are about to go to war... My God, just thinking about it is terrifying! I can't imagine what we can do if such a fleet reaches Chu... except surrender!"
Beside him, a blond-haired, blue-eyed foreigner stared wide-eyed, mouth agape, unable to find the words to describe the scene he was witnessing.
"Gods above!"
He swallowed hard, gesturing repeatedly to his chest with his fingers. "I thought my motherland was powerful enough. I thought our fleet could sweep across the oceans. But seeing the Sui fleet… and thinking about the number of our warships and troops, it's the difference between an eagle and an ant, a great river and a stream, a mountain and a hill… When I return, I must find a way to see His Majesty the King and ask him to send an envoy to the Emperor of the Sui Dynasty!"
No one could understand his mutterings, but everyone could see the fear and awe on his face.
Everyone felt the same way.
This was the true divine weapon of a nation, capable of shattering heaven and earth!
…
…
Wu Yidao, the Marquis of Sanjin, stood at the bow of the massive warship, smiling slightly as he looked at the crowds thronging the shore. This wasn't his first time in this place; he had traveled extensively since his youth. He had even ventured beyond the Sui Dynasty, witnessing another civilization overseas.
Therefore, he felt even more proud to be a Sui citizen.
The man standing beside him wore a black robe embroidered with python patterns. Tall and slender, he was none other than Yang Kai, the Prince of Xu, sent by the Sui Emperor to the northwest to oversee war preparations. He had greeted Wu Yidao's fleet a few days prior by fast boat, and he held the same deep respect for this richest man in the Sui Dynasty beside him.
No merchant in history had ever achieved this.
But Wu Yidao had, and perhaps no one would ever surpass him.
"It won't be long before news of the Sui Dynasty's impending war against the Mongols spreads to every corner of the world," he remarked.
"We're already here; there's no need to hide it anymore," Wu Yidao said with a smile.
"If nothing unexpected happens, by the time the news spreads, the Sui army will have already crossed the Wolf Milk Mountains and is robbing the Mongols of their mare's milk."
"I've heard that Mongol women are all large and robust?"
Yang Kai asked. Wu Yidao nodded earnestly and said, "Not only are they burly and robust, but they also have a strong muttony smell..."
Yang Kai chuckled awkwardly and said, "One less source of fun."
"The soldiers don't care."
Wu Yidao said with a smile, "The twelve military orders issued by the imperial court for war... don't include a prohibition against raping Mongol women, nor against robbing herders' property."
"They will be."
Yang Kai said solemnly, "But it's not time yet."