Early in the morning, King Shang Yuan woke up in his gorgeous tent, but did not make a sound immediately. Instead, he stared in a daze at the tent ceiling made of exquisite Suzhou embroidery.

Although the Ryukyu Islands did not raise silkworms or weave silk, they were favored by the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty. Every time they paid tribute, they would receive countless Hu silk, Su embroidery, Shu brocade, and kesi as rewards. They could even customize embroidery patterns from the official weaving bureau in Jiangnan.

For example, the large-scale Suzhou embroidery "King Shang Zhen's Martial Achievements" on the top of his military tent was commissioned by Suzhou Weaving Bureau after he provided the pattern several years ago. The content of the pattern is the eight great achievements of his grandfather, King Shang Zhen.

The fifty years of King Sho Shin's reign were the most prosperous period in Ryukyu's history. He put down the Akagi-bee Rebellion in the Yaeyama Islands, conquered the Anji forces of Kumejima and Gushigawa, suppressed the Onitora Rebellion, and conquered Yonaguni Island... His military achievements were so glorious that they laid the foundation for the territory of the Zhongshan Kingdom.

He also established the official ranks, court ceremonies, priest system, taxation system, and administrative divisions of the Ryukyu Kingdom, expanded Shuri Castle, abolished the custom of burying people alive with the dead, summoned local officials to live in Shuri, prohibited private ownership of weapons, and strengthened centralization, allowing the Ryukyu Kingdom to finally get rid of its state of ignorance and enter a stage of enlightenment and peace. He is recognized by the Ryukyu people as the greatest king of Zhongshan.

Although King Sho-Yuan had never seen his grandfather, he grew up listening to his grandfather's deeds. Because he was born the year after his grandfather's death, the ministers often said that he was a wise ruler given to the Ryukyu people by the god Kun-Shou-Ma to inherit the great achievements of King Sho-Shin.

Many people said so, and even he himself thought so... Actually, this has its advantages. At least he has high self-requirements and he is doing quite well.

At the beginning of his reign, with the help of the Kume clan, he defeated the conspiracy of the reactionary group of Kazumi and Ge Kechang, who attempted to disobey the order of the previous king and establish a new king. He also took this opportunity to gradually weaken the several powerful aristocratic families.

At that time, the Japanese invasion broke out. Ryukyu was located in the center of maritime trade and was naturally repeatedly invaded by the Japanese. He led his subjects to build two fortresses in Naha Port, namely the South Fort and the North Fort. He also purchased muskets, artillery, armor and gunpowder, led 3,000 royal troops to resist the Japanese pirates for many years, captured enemy ships several times, and returned the captured Ming people to the Celestial Empire. He received several commendations from the Ming father...

With the victory of the Celestial Empire in the war against the Japanese, the Japanese threat to Ryukyu has basically disappeared in the past few years. The ministers around him boasted that this was a martial arts feat comparable to that of King Shang Zhen.

But he felt that he was still far behind. His grandfather's eight military campaigns were all led by the emperor himself, while he was just hiding in Shuri Castle, passively defending with the artillery for more than ten years. Wasn't this not good enough?

At least you have to lead the army in person once, even if it's only once.

But the ministers tried to stop him, and even used the examples of Emperor Yingzong's northern expedition and Emperor Wuzong's southern tour to scare him. They said that a king should not easily put himself in danger, and he should stay in Shuri Castle.

Shang Yuan had heard this kind of cliché so many times that he naturally sneered at it. Emperor Yingzong had treacherous ministers around him, and as for Emperor Wuzong, that was even more unexpected. It was impossible for there to be a second emperor who fell into the lake while boating, right?

So we can't say that the king will die if he leaves the capital just because of these two incidents, right?

Emperor Chengzu and Emperor Xuanzong had both led the army in person, and both returned victoriously. So the fate of a king is determined by heaven, not by the mouths of his subjects! King Shang Yuan, who has been in power for many years, is so confident!

Especially in recent years, he obviously felt that his health was not as good as before. He felt that if he did not lead the army in person, he would never have the chance to establish a great cause that would conquer the world like his ancestors did.

Therefore, during the rebellion on Amami Oshima, King Shang Yuan went against all odds and insisted on leading the army himself! He wanted to prove that he was the King of Ryukyu who would carry forward the great achievements of King Shang Zhen!

The result was also perfect. This time he personally led the army to conquer the big island. The bandits overestimated their own strength and led troops to fight. After a few battles, they were defeated and fled. The royal army penetrated deep into their territory, the gongs and drums shook the sky, and the momentum was like thunder. The bandits were shocked and countless surrendered. The bandit chief was unable to fight and was tied up and executed. He ordered to appoint another chief, pacify the people, and return victoriously!

I am so outstanding. I am indeed the Lord of the East China Sea favored by the gods...

When he thought of the grief-stricken faces of those officials when he went to war, he was so happy that he almost died.

This time when I return to the court, I must ridicule them at the welcoming ceremony.

How to say it?

Yes, he said, "Look, I'm back safe and sound, right? I didn't go on a hunt in the north, and I didn't fall into the water... Now you believe that the king's will is in heaven, right?"

Thinking of this, King Shang Yuan's heart became so hot that he could no longer lie down.

He turned over and sat up, wishing he could grow wings and fly back to Shuri Castle to capture this Boyi immediately!

~~

Hearing the noise, the eunuch Zilaixi who served him hurried in to check.

"Your Majesty, won't you sleep a little longer?" Zilaixi spoke in fairly standard Ming Dynasty Mandarin.

"I can't sleep." Shang Yuan sat up with his help and said, "I get older and sleep less."

"Your Majesty, you are joking. You are still in the prime of life." Zilaixi knelt down to put on his shoes and apologized with a smile.

"You're forty-two, and you're still in your prime?" Shang Yuan held his shoulders and slowly stood up and said, "My body is not as good as it used to be. I've only been on the expedition for a month, and I feel like my whole body is falling apart."

"Your Majesty, you are joking. After fighting for a month, even a young man would be exhausted." Zi Laixi called out, and the palace servants waiting outside came in one after another carrying basins and sanitary ware to help King Shang Yuan wash and dress.

"Hurry back and take a rest, the king will be full of energy again." Ji Laixi skillfully helped him put his hair on top of his head, and smiled to comfort him. In fact, the old eunuch knew that King Shang Yuan's health was indeed not as good as before. This time he refused to listen to the advice and insisted on going to the expedition in person, which showed signs of illness caused by overwork.

"Fortunately, we are returning to the capital soon." Thinking of this, Zi Laixi secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Now that you mention it, I'm really eager to go home." King Shang Yuan said with a cheerful look, "Give me a cup of Awamori to refresh myself!"

"Uh, just one glass?" King Shang Yuan had a serious alcohol bloating problem. Before he came, the princess repeatedly told him not to drink. But who was Zi Laixi? How dare he stop the king from drinking? It would be a blessing if he could get him to drink less.

"Okay, I'll listen to you." However, Shang Yuan was in a good mood today, so he just followed your advice.

Soon, the palace servants brought in a square table made of Korean wood and inlaid with gold, on which was placed an exquisite breakfast.

In addition to the 18 freshly baked snacks, there are hairy crab and bird's nest cooked with pine nuts, black beans, eggs and ham; shark fin cooked with shrimps and mushrooms; quail steamed with matsutake mushrooms, sea cucumber with chicken skin, ham and dried bamboo shoots as auxiliary ingredients; and soup stewed with red clams and ganoderma lucidum.

All of this food was served in gold tableware with exquisite patterns and the presentation was very elegant.

The pair of rhinoceros horn chopsticks presented by Zilaixi were even more valuable than ivory chopsticks or gold chopsticks, and were said to be able to detect poison.

Ryukyu made a lot of money in the entrepot trade and received endless rewards from the Ming Dynasty, so the royal family was naturally very particular about food, clothing and daily expenses. Even when going on an expedition, everything from ingredients to cooking to tableware had to be strictly in accordance with regulations, and no carelessness was allowed.

This is just breakfast. If it were lunch or dinner, there would be eighteen hot dishes alone...

But King Shoning's eyes were all on the "Jia Ping" that Jiraiki held out. In fact, it was just a large glass bottle. Ryukyu had naturally come into contact with this kind of imported product early on, but the price was still expensive. It was used as a special wine vessel for the royal family to hold Awamori sake that was more than a hundred years old.

"Fill it up." Seeing Zi Laixi pour a glass into the porcelain cup, he couldn't wait to pick it up and drink it. He also ate some shark fin to go with the wine. When he finished the glass of wine, he had finished his breakfast.

And almost no one touched the expensive dishes on the table.

~~

After breakfast, all the princes, officials, and scholars came to the outside of the tent and lined up to wait respectfully.

Shang Yuan dressed neatly and walked out of the tent slowly with the help of Zilaixi.

It is said that those in high positions have a special ability, which is that no matter how tired and haggard they appear behind others, once they are in front of others, they will immediately become full of energy.

King Shang Yuan has this ability.

When he appeared in front of his ministers, wearing a phoenix-wing helmet, long armor, and the Dinghai sword hanging from his waist, he was as steady as a mountain, as majestic as a deep lake, and showed the demeanor of a king.

"Long live the king!" The ministers knelt down quickly to pay their respects to the king.

"Stand up." Shang Yuan nodded slightly and asked Ma Deshun, the judicial officer in charge of commanding the troops, "Have the soldiers assembled?"

"Your Majesty, the army has been assembled and all the ships are ready. We can board the ship and set off after listening to your instructions," Ma Deshun replied hurriedly.

"Good, not bad." Shang Yuan nodded with satisfaction, holding the hilt of his sword and smiling at the ministers, "You all are eager to go home, right?"

"Wherever the king is, that is our hometown..." The ministers hurriedly offered their skillful flattery.

"Hahaha, don't try that on me." King Shang Yuan walked out of the central military camp and laughed loudly, "Let's go. You are not in a hurry, but the soldiers can't wait either."

By the time the nobles and ministers came out with King Shang Yuan, three thousand Ryukyu soldiers wearing red cloth square hats, blue cloth uniforms, and wooden clogs had been waiting for a long time.

In fact, after the war, the Ryukyu soldiers brought by King Shang Yuan were less than 3,000. But he also forcibly recruited several hundred young and strong men from the surrendered local natives to supplement the 3,000 royal soldiers. This would create the illusion that his side had not suffered much loss, which would boost their momentum. Moreover, it would also weaken the local indigenous forces.

Kill two birds with one stone, how wise!

King Shang Yuan secretly praised himself, then ordered the soldiers who were kneeling to welcome him to stand up, and then he gave them a long speech of gratitude for the victory... mainly boasting about himself. He didn't continue until his mouth was dry, and he ordered the troops to return to the court with a feeling of unsatisfied desire!

The soldiers cheered loudly, and it was unclear whether they were happy that they could finally go home, or happy that they could finally stop listening to his nagging.