The future is the future of the Age of Discovery.

Zhu Ying was naturally very clear about this point.

The future direction is also very clear. Naturally, it will be the Ming Dynasty that will lead the entire Age of Discovery.

Especially for the navy's expenses, the current investment in military pay is constantly increasing.

If you want to embark on a great voyage, a fleet is essential.

Now that Chen Muyue has returned to Annan to visit her relatives, it can be considered a tentative start.

…

"That's Champa over there, right?"

Chen Muyue stood on the deck, looking at the land looming on the sea, and asked the naval commander Jin Kaishan next to him.

After more than a month of sailing, Chen Muyue has gradually adapted to the bumpy sea life under the care of the female imperial physician.

The current situation has recovered well and there are no problems in other aspects.

Upon hearing this, Jin Kaishan bowed respectfully and said, "Your Majesty, the sea ahead does not belong to Champa, but to Annan."

After saying this, Jin Kaishan felt a little regretful. Of course, he was talking about something that was not relevant. How could he say it so bluntly?

As soon as these words came out, something felt wrong.

It was as if he had set the route himself and was deliberately taking a longer detour.

However, Chen Muyue did not say much. She knew very well the purpose of her trip back to Annan to visit her relatives. However, being able to come back was already very good.

Looking at the past and present, this is probably the first time in history, and this matter can be recorded in the history books.

Jin Kaishan carefully looked at Concubine Yue's expression and was relieved to see that there was nothing unusual about her.

Of course he could guess that Concubine Yue knew about this, but even though he guessed it, it was still a taboo.

According to Concubine Yue's current situation, it is impossible for her to become the Queen, but becoming a Royal Concubine is a foregone conclusion.

Although I seem to be of a high rank, but in front of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, it is probably just a matter of a word.

This mission, which started in Jinkaishan, was a matter of both blessing and disaster.

If he could gain Yue Fei's favor while keeping a distance from her and complete this trip successfully, that would be a great achievement.

Getting promoted is a natural thing after returning.

"My lady, it's very windy outside. We will reach Champa in two days. You should go back inside and rest for a while."

"We stopped at Qiongzhou yesterday, and they sent us a lot of rare fruits. Your Majesty, please try some of them. These are extremely rare in the capital of the Ming Dynasty."

After a long time, about an incense stick's time, Jin Kaishan said cautiously.

Chen Muyue chuckled and said, "General Jin may have forgotten where I was before. I grew up in Annan, so the fruits from Qiongzhou are naturally also found in Annan."

“Even some of the rarer ones are very common in the Annan Palace.”

As soon as these words were spoken, Jin Kaishan immediately felt a little embarrassed.

But I forgot about this.

"Okay, you don't have to try so hard to please me. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince values ​​soldiers who are loyal to the emperor and patriotic the most. As long as you can successfully complete this voyage, you will naturally get a share of the credit."

"When we arrive in Champa, you must be smarter, more arrogant, and make a bigger noise. Only in this way can you live up to His Royal Highness's expectations of you."

"Don't always think about taking a crooked path, but understand."

Chen Muyue has been the eldest princess of Annan since she was a child. She grew up in the atmosphere of the royal palace and is very familiar with some beatings.

After hearing this, Jin Kaishan's face froze, and he immediately clasped his fists and bowed: "I was confused, thank you for your guidance, Your Majesty, I will definitely not let His Royal Highness down."

Chen Muyue didn't say anything else, but turned around and looked at the coastline on the Annan side again, with a complicated look in her eyes.

Two days later.

Champa coastal port.

A large number of Occupants gathered here, and the entire dock has been completely blocked.

The boats at the dock also stopped because of this.

"Who is coming with such a big show? Look, Master, isn't that the King of Champa?"

"Even King Zhan has shown up in person. This must be a big shot coming."

"It means that all our ships have been cleared. The cargo on board has not yet been loaded."

A servant said to the young man next to him who was dressed in gorgeous clothes.

The young man was none other than Chen Qizhi, who came from a prominent family in the south of the Yangtze River.

When the large ship from Jiangnan Shipyard set out, Chen Qizhi followed it all the way south.

Unlike Chen Muyue's side, although they set out first, the merchant ship is for business, buying and selling along the way.

First, purchases and distribution were carried out within the territory of the Ming Dynasty, including Qiongzhou. Many rare medicinal materials could also be stockpiled in places of exile.

Fujian, Ryukyu and other places ahead are all the destinations for merchant ships.

We arrived in Champa yesterday afternoon.

I just happened to meet him.

"What do you know? The imperial newspaper of the capital forgot that the concubine of the crown prince of our Ming Dynasty, Empress Yue, returned to Annan to visit her relatives during this period."

"Calculating the time, it happens to be around this time. Naturally, only our Great Mingyue Consort can be the one to trouble Prince Zhan to personally wait and greet her."

"Do you know about the Champa Princess incident a while ago? It is said that the King of Champa gave up a city to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince as a gift to the Ming Dynasty and as an overseas fiefdom for His Royal Highness Yunwen, the grandson of the Ming Dynasty."

"Only then will you be qualified to choose a princess and give her to our Ming Dynasty's Crown Prince as a concubine."

Chen Qizhi said with a smile.

Not long before Champa, a misunderstanding occurred.

The original plan was to send a Champa princess to the Ming Dynasty, but after much selection, they found that there was no particularly beautiful princess among the Champa princesses.

Appearance is the most important thing.

If the princess is not pretty enough and is disliked by the Crown Prince when she arrives in the Ming Dynasty, then the city would be wasted.

So no matter what, a princess who is beautiful enough must be chosen.

There was no other way, so Cha Ye could only relax the restrictions a little bit. Anyone with the blood of the Champa king, even if they were distant relatives, would be fine as long as they were beautiful.

After letting go like this, I really found a suitable candidate.

Unfortunately, the woman seemed to have no intention of marrying far away, and her temperament was rather barbaric.

Unlike the Annanese, most of the Cham people are very close to the sea.

The girl's father was also a prominent figure, so the girl was able to receive a large ship as a gift from her father very early on.

This led to the woman's great love for life on the sea. She also heard from somewhere that after going to the Ming Dynasty, she would have to stay in the deep palace forever.

So after confirming it, I just ran away.

This time, we have really made a big mistake.

After deciding on the candidate, the Champa King hired a painter to draw a portrait and gave it to the Ming envoy, asking him to take it to the Ming capital to show His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.

Now that the portrait has been sent away, the person has run away.

If the Ming Dynasty thinks it is okay and allows it to be sent over, it would be really terrible.

This matter is small at the same time and big at the same time.

If we really look into it, it would be a disaster for Champa at present.

For this reason, in order to express his sincerity, Champa King Cha waited for the arrival of the Ming fleet at the dock long in advance.

"Master, this woman is really out of her mind."

"That's our Great Ming Crown Prince, the future Ming Emperor. To be able to be his concubine is a blessing that cannot be achieved in ten lifetimes."

"This woman actually sneaked out. Does she look down on our Crown Prince?"

The servant said somewhat angrily.

In his heart, or in the hearts of most Ming people at present, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is the supreme being.

Being able to marry His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is every woman's dream.

This woman is so abnormal, it's really ridiculous.

"Everyone has their own aspirations. It's not that she doesn't want to get married. There is no one in the world with a more noble status than His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

"Perhaps in her opinion, freedom is what she pursues in her heart."

Chen Qizhi said with some sigh, and his tone inevitably showed some interest in this woman.

Of course, it's just a slight interest.

For example, this woman is currently related to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. Anyone who knows a little bit about the situation will know that they cannot be involved.

Once there is any involvement, to a certain extent, it would be like snatching a woman from His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.

Who has the courage to do this?

Although the world is big, there may not be a place for you to stay when the time comes.

The people living in the Ming Dynasty may not feel much about the influence of the Ming Dynasty, but after coming out of it, they will truly experience it deeply.

For people overseas, anyone who came from the Ming Dynasty was naturally a noble in their hearts. Chen Qizhi had the deepest experience after sailing from overseas.

Even some Champa officials were very polite, even a little flattering, when receiving Ming merchants.

Merchant ships from other countries need to wait in line, but merchant ships from the Ming Dynasty don’t have to worry about this rule at all and can just cut in line.

Even if there is a queue, it will be Daming who queues alone.

This situation seemed to be the most normal thing to merchants from other countries. No one felt any resentment at all. It seemed that it was natural for Ming merchants to enjoy privileges.

"Master, the sunlight is a little too bright. Let's go to the shade," said the servant beside him.

Chen Qizhi looked at the Champa King standing under a canopy on the dock in front and nodded slightly.

After watching the fun and waiting for a long time, I don’t know whether the information from the Champa King was wrong or he deliberately came to wait early. Almost half an hour has passed, and there is no shadow of any ship on the sea.

The King of Champa did not sit down but stood the whole time.

There were many people watching the excitement, some of whom could not wait any longer.

On the dock, Champa King Chaya stood under a canopy and asked the minister next to him, "How long will it take for the Ming fleet to arrive?"

After standing for half an hour, Cha didn't feel anxious at all.

When the news came, I knew it might be late, but Cha still decided to wait in advance.

All this was naturally related to the previous matter of selecting a princess, which had been entangled for a long time.

The portrait cannot be recovered, so we can only find a way elsewhere.

Now the woman has also gone out to sea on a boat. There has been no news of her for several days, and no one has found her. There was a big wave the day before yesterday, and no one knows whether she was eaten by fish.

"Your Majesty, according to the time reported earlier, it will be almost done in about half an hour." The Champa minister next to him replied respectfully.

Champa King Cha also nodded slightly, then closed his eyes and waited.

…

No one could have imagined it.

At this moment, on Chen Muyue's boat, there was a woman lying in the cabin.

"Don't worry, your majesty. This woman is weak and drank too much sea water, so she fell into a coma. I have used acupuncture to clear her meridians and prescribed medicine. After she wakes up and drinks the medicine, she will be better in a few days."

The female doctor said to Chen Muyue after the examination.

There was a strong wind on the sea the day before yesterday, which had little impact on the fleet, but this woman was accidentally discovered on the sea after the strong wind.

When the news reached Jin Kaishan, he naturally asked Empress Yue to make the decision.

Chen Muyue then asked a female imperial physician to treat him.

"Dr. Zhang's acupuncture is truly miraculous. I think this person's life should be saved. It can be considered her blessing."

Chen Muyue replied.

Chen Muyue had personally experienced acupuncture performed by the female imperial physician named Zhang.

Since I couldn't eat due to seasickness, I couldn't take any medicine either. But a set of acupuncture could suppress all the discomfort.

This kind of medical skills is really unimaginable.

It is no wonder that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince attaches great importance to doctors and specially established a medical school.

After Doctor Zhang left, Chen Muyue looked at the unconscious woman and said, "She is a pretty girl, but her origins are unknown. Xiaoqing, you stay here and wait for her to wake up before bringing her to me."

Xiaoqing replied: "Okay, madam, don't worry, I'm watching."

After Chen Muyue left, Xiaoqing looked at the unconscious woman's face with some envy.

"What a delicate person! Even though her eyes are closed, her eyes must be big and beautiful with such long eyelashes."

"It has a somewhat exotic feel, and is only slightly different from my queen."

"I don't know whose daughter she is, but she is so pretty."

When Xiaoqing was bored, she looked at the unconscious woman and couldn't help but mutter with a bit of longing.

As he was speaking, the woman's long eyelashes moved, and she seemed to be waking up.

Xiao Qing quickly asked: "Miss, can you hear me?"

The woman opened her eyes blurry, and her pupils were as blue as the sea.

Then he looked around, not knowing where he was, and finally his eyes fell on Xiaoqing.

He paused for a moment, as if he recalled something, and then started talking a lot of gibberish.

How could Xiaoqing understand this?

At that moment, I could only say, "You are speaking Champa dialect, right? I don't understand. There is a translator on the boat. Please wait, I will hand over the translator."

Although she couldn't understand it, Xiaoqing was from Annam after all, so she naturally knew that it was Champa dialect.

Champa dialect is not Chinese, it is similar to Indian, so people who have not learned it will naturally not understand it.

"No need to trouble you, thank you, I can speak Chinese." The woman said weakly.

When Xiaoqing heard this, she was immediately happy and asked, "My name is Xiaoqing, and I am the personal maid of Concubine Yue. What's your name?"

When the woman heard the word "Moon Concubine", she paused for a moment before replying, "My name is Ananiya."