Xindu is located in the south-central part of Tianwu, with well-developed rivers and waterways, and fleets of ships frequently travel to and from the docks outside the city.
On several occasions, the Li family's fleet even had to turn to the back door and land at the dock near the military camp due to the congestion at the dock.
The people considered themselves quite familiar with all kinds of ships, but what they saw today still refreshed their understanding.
In the warm spring sunshine, the fleet carrying envoys from eight countries resembled a giant beast, crushing the sunlight as it charged into everyone's view.
The leading ship was five or six times the size of an ordinary ship, its entire body was black, and it was made of some kind of wood, faintly gleaming with an eerie light.
The bow of the ship is carved with a ferocious beast head, bowing its head and raising sharp, hard horns.
Ordinary ships would not be able to withstand the impact of that long horn and would inevitably break apart.
Ten projectors were mounted on each side of the ship's hull and were securely fixed to the deck.
Whenever and wherever they encounter the enemy, they can throw heavy stones and smash the enemy into mincemeat.
Or shoot out a sharp spear and pierce through the enemy.
If you're unlucky, it's not difficult for the deck to get a hole.
The ship also has two decks of cabins with small doors and windows, which feel a bit cramped, but provide the best protection when the ship is at sea.
The eight large ships following behind were not as big as the lead ship, but they were not much different in size.
At this moment, quite a few people were already standing on the ship's side.
Different skin tones, different hair, different eyebrows and eyes, different clothing, which made the people of Xindu even more surprised and occasionally exclaim.
"Oh my, look how dark-skinned that person is! Does he spend all his time in the sun?"
"Black is nothing! Look at that one, it actually has blue eyes and a face as white as a ghost!"
"Terrifying, absolutely terrifying! Which foreign country did this come from? Could it be that the gates of hell have opened?"
"Keep your voices down! These are envoys from foreign countries, here to pay homage! Didn't the government post a notice reminding us to be polite and not to embarrass Tianwu?"
"Oh dear, I didn't say anything, I've just never seen it before, I'm so surprised."
"Swallow your surprise; don't embarrass yourself in front of outsiders!"
"Okay, okay!"
The people were discussing it animatedly, trying their best to stand tall and proud, upholding the dignity of a great nation for Tianwu.
The officials standing in front had already gone to greet him together with Li Lao Er.
Originally, settling the envoys was the responsibility of the Ministry of Rites and the Court of State Ceremonial, but the envoys were brought back by the two sons of the Li family.
The Queen of the Golden Buddha Kingdom was also the granddaughter-in-law of the Li family. In order to facilitate communication and better demonstrate Tianwu's importance and enthusiasm, the Minister of Rites personally asked the Emperor to temporarily borrow Li Lao Er for help.
Li Lao Er readily agreed, after all, his two nephews had done a wonderful job, bringing honor to the country and the family.
Jia'an and Jiaxi, who rushed back to the fleet this morning, have already taken the rest of the Foreign Affairs Department staff and are standing on the deck.
Three years of wandering had changed them all; their skin was tanned, their bodies were thin, and their expressions were weathered.
But what remains unchanged is their patriotic heart.
Now that we've finally returned to Xindu, we're surrounded by fellow countrymen, and everyone is very excited.
Their eyes welled up with tears, especially when they thought of their companions who perished at sea and could not return with them.
The springboard was quickly set up, and Jia'an and Jiaxi led the way down, greeting everyone and exchanging a few polite words.
Jia'an and Jiaxi inevitably had another emotional reunion with their second uncle.
After all, no one else knew that they had secretly gone home last night.
As a result, Li Laosan arrived in a hurry halfway through the performance, and he squeezed in with the village chief and Uncle Zhao and others.
Jia'an and Jiaxi were surrounded by people. One patted them on the shoulder, another shouted that they had lost weight and that when they returned to the village, they must slaughter pigs and sheep to make them stronger.
The two no longer needed to act; their eyes genuinely welled up with tears.
Jiaxi hugged his father, and Jia'an hugged the village chief and Uncle Zhao. In an instant, they switched from being gentle and polite to being a naughty child who had been wronged and had to see his parents!
The officials from the Ministry of Rites and the Court of State Ceremonial were dumbfounded.
Li Lao Er coughed twice and explained on behalf of his nephews with a smile, "After being at sea for several years, everyone in the family thought they had met with an accident. Now that they have returned safely, we can't help but be a little excited."
Several officials quickly nodded in agreement.
This is not just polite talk. If it were their own nephews or nieces who made such a great contribution and returned home in glory, they would probably be even more excited.
As a result, they gathered all their children together last night and scolded them for almost half an hour.
They were all young and full of vigor, yet the Li family's sons were all more promising than the last. Why is it that those who were raised in luxury from childhood only know how to frequent brothels and indulge in eating, drinking, and having fun?
It has to be said, comparing yourself to others is just infuriating!
After finally calming the agitated old men down, we agreed to have a pork stew dinner at Suijintan that evening. Only when everyone was at peace and happy could we have time to deal with serious matters.
At this moment, the ships docked, and the envoys from various countries disembarked one after another.
Officials from the Ministry of Personnel and the Court of State Ceremonies quickly stepped forward to pay their respects.
How to demonstrate the grandeur of Tianwu as a great power while also being warm and courteous is their job, so the Li family doesn't need to worry about it.
The only people the Li family cared about most were their own family members, namely Queen Aibe and her son.
Aibei stayed in Quanzhou for a while and got along very well with Grandma Li and others. Not only did she become much more fluent in Tianwu dialect, but she also learned a lot about Tianwu customs and habits.
Today, she chose a set of traditional clothing from the Golden Buddha Kingdom: a silk tube-sleeved top, a stand-up collar, a sarong skirt, and a gold belt around her waist.
The original three-quarter sleeves were specially changed to long sleeves, covering even the wrists completely.
Therefore, when she appeared, even though she still caused many people to gasp in surprise, it was not because she was "immoral," but because of the astonishment of a woman being queen and her beauty, which was so different from that of the women of Tianwu.
The officials already knew that there was a queen among the envoys, but seeing her in person still made them feel somewhat awkward.
In Tianwu, women have long been subordinate to men; let alone becoming queens, they couldn't even hold official positions.
Nowadays, they are still somewhat reluctant to bow to a woman.
With his chin held high and his expression solemn and dignified, Abe perfectly embodied the majesty of a ruler.
Several officials bowed, and she simply nodded slightly before saying, "Thank you all for your hard work. Since my husband's family is here, I will not be staying at the post station. Please forgive me."
Her tone was a little strange, but everyone could hear her clearly.
The Minister of Personnel knew that this queen was the granddaughter-in-law of the Li family, but the other officials did not, and the onlookers were even less aware.
Everyone was momentarily stunned.
"What did that woman say? That her husband's family is in our Tianwu?"
"Yes, that's exactly what they say! Isn't she the queen? Can a queen get married?"
"Nonsense! Why can't the Queen get married? Didn't you see her child right there?"
"Who is it? They're so amazing that they actually married the Queen!"
At this moment, Jiaxi stepped forward, stood beside Aibei and her son, and spoke with a smile.
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